In a new change to how he wields the Infinity Stones,Thanoshas introduced a weapon that would have handed him victory in 2019’sAvengers: Endgame. The change comes shortly after Thanos' creation of the Death Stone - a seventh Infinity Stone that contains the cosmic being sometimes known as Lady Death. Thanos has been on a quest to break the Death Stone to his will, leading to an upgrade from his former Infinity Gauntlet.
Fans see the new"Infinity Crown"inThe Avengers Annualfrom Derek Landy and Salvador Larroca. There, Thanos battles the current wielders of the Infinity Stones. While their cosmic artifacts are charged up by operating in proximity, the new wielders are all relatively new to their powers, andThanos methodically takes them down, inserting their Stones into a new helm that grants him their cosmic power.
Similar to the MCU,the Infinity Crown appears to light up the relevant Stone when using a given power. However, unlike in the movies, Thanos doesn’t need to close his fist to enact his will - once the Stones are attached, he has access to everything they can do. An empty slot on the front sits waiting for the Death Stone, with Thanos only wanting the other Infinity Stones to force his creation to obey him.
Thanos needing to snap to use the Infinity Gauntlet was a new addition for the MCU. In the comics, once the Stones are gathered in some kind of artifact, the wielder can use their power with just a thought. Thanos' iconic snap in 1991’sThe Infinity Gauntletwas just a flourish from the megalomaniacal villain.
“The Death Stone”: Thanos Officially Introduces Seventh Infinity Stone, Permanently Changing 48 Years of Marvel Lore
After months of teasing and false starts, Thanos has forged a new Infinity Stone, with some major cosmic consequences for the Marvel Universe.
Thanos' Infinity Crown Is a New Way of Combining the Stones
In the MCU, Iron Man and the Avengers finally defeat Thanos in a pitched battle seen inAvengers:Endgame. Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark grapples with Josh Brolin’s Thanos, using his armor to surreptitiously strip the Stones from Thanos' gauntlet and place them in his own. This last-ditch attempt changes the balance of power,allowing Tony to snap his fingersand instantly beat Thanos and his entire army.It was a huge cinematic victory, but one that wouldn’t have been possible if Thanos had been using his new Infinity Crown.
Earlier in the issue, Thanos explains that the Infinity Stones' full power is only unlocked once they are made one by attaching them to some kind of artifact. However, in the comics, there’s no need for this to be a gauntlet. When Galactus took ownership of the Stones, he placed them in a ‘Focusing Crux,’ while Thor has foreseen that he will one day face a version of Thanos who has set the Stones into Mjolnir itself.
Thanos' Defeat Begins a Wild New Chapter in Infinity Stone Lore
The Infinity Watch Are Finally Here
Thankfully, while Thanos collects nearly all the Stones, the Time Stone bearer Overtime is able to force him to surrender. Overtime reveals that - over the course of the ‘Infinity Watch’ arc, which has been running through Marvel’s 2024 annuals - he has created a paradox that will shatter reality if Thanos chooses to kill him. WhileThanos promises to make Overtime regret it, he still officially surrenders, returning the Stones to their former bearers.
Short-range reality manipulation
Former Thunderbolts member and Captain Marvel enemy
Close-range teleportation and portals
Former henchman for the Assessor and Miles Morales enemy
Telepathic control channeled through sword
Marvel hero and Avengers ally
Marvel Premiere #19by Doug Moench, Larry Hama and Neal Adams
Can summon lifelike energy constructs
Solo operator
Time Stone
Overtime (aka Hector Bautista)
Low-power time manipulation, including pausing events and very short-range time travel
Enhanced physique and ability to enhance powers of others
Galactic mercenary and Guardians of the Galaxy Ally
Phil Coulson
Resurrected from death, other powers not yet known
Former SHIELD operative who later turned against superheroes - close friend of Nick Fury.
Battle Scars #6by Chris Yost, Matt Fraction, Cullen Bunn and Scot Eaton
With their powers restored,the team become the latest incarnation of the Infinity Watch- traditionally a team led by Adam Warlock, charged with protecting the Infinity Stones from anyone who would use them for their own ends.The Avengers Annualis the first time the entire team has assembled, and Marvel has alreadyannounced a spin-off Infinity Watch seriesfollowing Phil Coulson and Colleen Wing’s attempts to train up the neophyte heroes to use their powers effectively. Notably, because the Stones are in close proximity but not bonded to an artifact, the team will operate at just under the maximum power of the cosmic artifacts.
Thanos is a powerhouse, but he’s also a strategic and scientific genius. It makes total sense that he’d choose not to replicate a tool that Earth’s heroes have seen before, crafting his Infinity Crown to accommodate the new Death Stone (and seemingly to channel the power of the other Stones through it.) The Infinity Crown is the latest attempt byThanosto control death itself, and yet due to the new Infinity Watch, he thankfully failed - even though this tactic would have won the day inEndgame.
The Avengers Annual #1is available now from Marvel Comics.
Thanos
Hailing from the planet Titan, Thanos is a primary antagonist throughout the canon of Marvel Comics. First appearing in The Invincible Iron Man, Thanos is a powerful and calculating warlord primarily concerned with earning the affection of Death herself. In many of his tales, Thanos seeks to gather the six infinity stones in order to lay waste to half of all life in the universe.
