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* ''Infinity''
to:
* ''Infinity''
''Comicbook/{{Infinity}}''
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** Another one, from ''Infinity Crusade'': "Even devils should beware when bargaining with Thanos of Titan."
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* ExactWords: Thanos always holds to a bargain. And if he has full faith that the other person making the bargain is going to treat him fairly (such as Adam Warlock), then he'll similarly uphold both the word and the spirit of the deal. However, [[EvilGenius he's no idiot]], and he'll readily stick to his very precise wording if he anticipates a trap of some sort. Most notably, Mephisto discovered this when he made a deal to get a Cosmic Cube from Thanos.
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* [[WhatTheHellHero What The Hell, Villain?]]: During ''Infinity Crusade'', Thanos gets called out for allying with Mephisto - not only for Mephisto being a devil (or maybe TheDevil), but because Mephisto already tried to betray Thanos during ''Infinity Gauntlet''. [[spoiler: However, it turns out that Thanos already anticipated exactly how Mephisto would betray him and prepared everything to thwart Mephisto's plans.]]
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* NietzscheWannabe: Used to be a nihilist for a time.
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* NietzscheWannabe: Used to be He is a nihilist for a time.in most incarnations.
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* AboveGoodAndEvil: He's less concerned with good and evil and more with 'How can I get Death to love me'?
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* AboveGoodAndEvil: He's As a firm believer of moral nihilism, he is less concerned with good and evil and more with 'How "How can I murder enough people to get Death to love me'?me"?
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* VillainSue: To ridiculous extremes under Starlin's pen.
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* EvilGenius: Let's see...mastered every science in the universe from an early age? Check. Centuries of dabbling in the occult? Check. Unlocked the DNA of Galactus and made a hybrid clone of themselves, ''just to show he could''? Check.
to:
* EvilGenius: Let's see...mastered every science in the universe from an early age? Check. Centuries of dabbling in the occult? Check. Unlocked the DNA of Galactus (who, as a being of pure energy, [[KudzuPlot doesn't even have DNA]]) and made a hybrid clone of themselves, ''just to show he could''? Check.
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* VillainSue: To ridiculous extremes under Starlin's pen.
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* EvilGenius: Let's see...mastered every science in the universe from an early age? Check. Centuries of dabbling in the occult? Check. Strategist above even the level of the Grandmaster, immortal Elder of the Universe who's dedicated to such pursuits? Check. Unlocked the DNA of Galactus and made a hybrid clone of themselves, ''just to show he could''? Check.
to:
* EvilGenius: Let's see...mastered every science in the universe from an early age? Check. Centuries of dabbling in the occult? Check. Strategist above even the level of the Grandmaster, immortal Elder of the Universe who's dedicated to such pursuits? Check. Unlocked the DNA of Galactus and made a hybrid clone of themselves, ''just to show he could''? Check.
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** Jim Starlin has a bad habit of giving all heroes except Adam Warlock an IdiotBall when dealing with Thanos.
to:
** Jim Starlin has a bad habit of giving all heroes except Adam Warlock an IdiotBall when dealing with Thanos. He also did this to the Elders Of The Universe, especially Grandmaster.
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* ForTheEvulz: Once orchestrated a situation where his brother was held for trial, and sent his clone with modified memories to convince everybody it was he who made Thanos fall in love with Death, thus making him responsible for all of Thanos's crimes. SheHulk traveled into the clone's mind to discover it was a lie and that he did all of it not because of revenge, but for pure entertainment.
to:
* ForTheEvulz: Once orchestrated a situation where his brother was held for trial, and sent his clone with modified memories to convince everybody it was he who made Thanos fall in love with Death, thus making him responsible for all of Thanos's crimes. SheHulk traveled into the clone's mind to discover it was a lie and that he did all of it not because of revenge, but for pure entertainment. [[YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry It didn't go well for the clone.]]
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** Jim Starlin has a bad habit of giving all heroes except Adam Warlock an IdiotBall when dealing with Thanos.
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* StalkerWithACrush: To Death. The entity even described him as a creepy stalker during the wedding of [[IncredibleHulk Rick Jones]].
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* ExpendableClone: May or may not have a bunch of clones who are the ''real'' beings who suffer any defeats that Thanos experiences. DanSlott has even gone so far as to [[FlipFlopOfGod debate the point with himself.]]
to:
* ExpendableClone: May or may not have a bunch of JimStarlin tends to retcon any perceived slights to Thanos' greatness at first opportunity through various clones who are the ''real'' beings who suffer to have suffered any defeats that Thanos experiences. DanSlott has even gone so far as to [[FlipFlopOfGod debate the point with himself.]]]] In one story Slott let SquirrelGirl beat Thanos, with the Watcher confirming that it was the real deal, but in a later SheHulk story it was established that it might or might not have been a clone after all.
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* DisappearedDad: Often left the women he would sleep with in the middle of the night, leaving them with only the baby to take care of and the hope of him coming back. He eventually came back to them, but with a [[TheGrimReaper different woman]] [[WouldHitAGirl and]] [[WouldHurtAChild entrance.]]. He later personally slaughtered all of his mistresses and offspring.
to:
* DisappearedDad: Often left the women he would sleep with in the middle of the night, leaving them with only the baby to take care of and the hope of him coming back. He eventually came back to them, but with a [[TheGrimReaper different woman]] [[WouldHitAGirl and]] [[WouldHurtAChild entrance.]]. Meaning: He later personally slaughtered all of his mistresses and offspring.
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* DisappearedDad: Often left the women he would sleep with in the middle of the night, leaving them with only the baby to take care of and the hope of him coming back. He eventually came back to them, but with a [[TheGrimReaper different woman]] [[WouldHitAGirl and]] [[WouldHurtAChild entrance.]]
to:
* DisappearedDad: Often left the women he would sleep with in the middle of the night, leaving them with only the baby to take care of and the hope of him coming back. He eventually came back to them, but with a [[TheGrimReaper different woman]] [[WouldHitAGirl and]] [[WouldHurtAChild entrance.]]]]. He later personally slaughtered all of his mistresses and offspring.
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* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Will ally himself with and considers himself both a force of good and evil, depending.
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* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Will ally himself with and considers himself both a force forces of good and evil, depending.if it serves his own interests.
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* PetTheDog: Has at least some fondness for his adopted daughter, Gamora.
to:
* PetTheDog: Has at least some fondness for his adopted daughter, Gamora. She was a means to an end against the Magus however, and Thanos was perfectly willing to kill her.
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* SuperStrength: He has faced TheMightyThor, and [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Thing]] ''at the same time'' and won with minimal damage. On another occasion Thor managed to beat him however.
to:
* SuperStrength: He has faced TheMightyThor, and [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Thing]] ''at the same time'' and won with minimal damage. On another occasion Thor managed to beat him however.however, but it was retconned as a powerful clone. On one occasion Thanos even managed to hold his own against Odin for a little while, before being beaten.
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* AntiVillain: Post ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'', some would argue that for a while he became somewhat of a NobleDemon. However, he officially returned to being a DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans OmnicidalManiac during the Cancerverse infestation, and this holds true in both "Thanos Rising", and the "Infinity" event.
to:
* AntiVillain: Post ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'', some would argue that for a while he became somewhat of a NobleDemon. However, even at his "nicest", he personally slaughtered a planet full of warriors for sport, and he officially returned to being a DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans OmnicidalManiac during the Cancerverse infestation, and this holds true in both "Thanos Rising", and the "Infinity" event.
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* DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans: He used to raze many populated planets to the ground together with his pirate crew, and has recently returned to this.
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* OmnicidalManiac: During his days as wielder of the Infinity Gauntlet and prior to them.
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* OmnicidalManiac: During his days as wielder of the Infinity Gauntlet and prior to them. He returned to this a few years ago.
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* SuperStrength: He has faced TheMightyThor, The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Thing]] and the ComicBook/IncredibleHercules in a battle of strength ''at the same time'' and survived with minimal damage.
to:
* SuperStrength: He has faced TheMightyThor, The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, and [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Thing]] and the ComicBook/IncredibleHercules in a battle of strength ''at the same time'' and survived won with minimal damage.damage. On another occasion Thor managed to beat him however.
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* AntiVillain: Post ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'', for a while he blurred the line between types I through III. He returned to being a DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans OmnicidalManiac during the Cancerverse infestation, and this holds true in both "Thanos Rising", and the "Infinity" event.
to:
* AntiVillain: Post ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'', some would argue that for a while he blurred the line between types I through III. He became somewhat of a NobleDemon. However, he officially returned to being a DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans OmnicidalManiac during the Cancerverse infestation, and this holds true in both "Thanos Rising", and the "Infinity" event.
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* AntiVillain: Post ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'', He blurs the line between types I through III.
** And occassionally comes out as a type IV or V AntiHero.
** And occassionally comes out as a type IV or V AntiHero.
to:
* AntiVillain: Post ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'', He blurs for a while he blurred the line between types I through III.
** And occassionally comes out asIII. He returned to being a type IV or V AntiHero.DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans OmnicidalManiac during the Cancerverse infestation, and this holds true in both "Thanos Rising", and the "Infinity" event.
** And occassionally comes out as
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In other media, Thanos has also shown up in the the ''TheSilverSurfer'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'' animated series, though with Death being replaced by Chaos in the later. [[spoiler: There's also [[Film/TheAvengers a certain major and highly successful movie]] where he was revealed to be the [[ManBehindTheMan real villain behind it all]] and no doubt a sure thing in future projects.]]
to:
In other media, Thanos has also shown up in the the ''TheSilverSurfer'' ''WesternAnimation/SilverSurfer'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'' animated series, though with Death being replaced by Chaos in the later. [[spoiler: There's also [[Film/TheAvengers a certain major and highly successful movie]] where he was revealed to be the [[ManBehindTheMan real villain behind it all]] and no doubt a sure thing in future projects.]]
]]
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* Thanos Quest
* The Infinity Saga:
** ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet
** Infinity War
** Infinity Crusade
** Infinity Abyss
** Marvel Universe: The End
* Celestial Quest
* Thanos (12-issues limited series)
* ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}
* TheThanosImperative
* Thanos Rising
* Infinity
* The Infinity Saga:
** ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet
** Infinity War
** Infinity Crusade
** Infinity Abyss
** Marvel Universe: The End
* Celestial Quest
* Thanos (12-issues limited series)
* ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}
* TheThanosImperative
* Thanos Rising
* Infinity
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*
*
**
**
**
**
**
*
*
*
*
*
*
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* ArchEnemy: Drax the Destroyer, Moondragon, Captain Marvel and sometimes, Adam Warlock. And maybe the SilverSurfer too. He's also a fairly constant foe of the entire MarvelUniverse... including [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption himself.]]
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* ArchEnemy: Drax the Destroyer, Moondragon, Captain Marvel and sometimes, Adam Warlock. ComicBook/AdamWarlock. And maybe the SilverSurfer ComicBook/SilverSurfer too. He's also a fairly constant foe of the entire MarvelUniverse... including [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption himself.]]
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* XanatosSpeedChess
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* XanatosSpeedChessXanatosSpeedChess
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* AntiVillain: Blurs the line between types I through III in his most peaceful versions.
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* AntiVillain: Blurs Post ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'', He blurs the line between types I through III in his most peaceful versions.III.
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* Infinity
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* HandBlast: His most common method of channeling cosmic power. He can make them powerful enough to knock Galactus off his feet and break his helmet.
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* EnfantTerrible: [[RetCon By one means or another]], wound up killing his own mom.
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* EnfantTerrible: [[RetCon By Didn't become one means or another]], wound up killing until after his own mom.traumatic event in the cave he went in with his friends. Before that, he was a kind child with a creepy fascination with corpses but would get sick when dissecting organisms for study.
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* KlingonPromotion: During his tenure as a pirate, he became a leader when his predecessor tried to kill him for not murdering anyone in their many acts of pillaging. He cut him up to pieces without realizing it and was praised by his fellow pirates.
to:
* KlingonPromotion: During his tenure as a pirate, he became a leader when his predecessor tried to kill him for not murdering anyone in their many acts of pillaging. He cut him up to pieces without realizing it and was praised hailed by his fellow pirates.
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* AGodAmI: Between the Infinity Gauntlet and the Cosmic Cube, has been on this level more than once.
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* AGodAmI: Between the Infinity Gauntlet and the Cosmic Cube, he has been on this level more than once.
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** In a What If issue, this is Thanos' final fate after loosing the Infinity Gauntlet.
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** In a What If issue, this is Thanos' final fate after loosing losing the Infinity Gauntlet.
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* EvilSorcerer: He is one of science and cosmic energy but obviously not a SquishyWizard.
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* EvilSorcerer: He is one of science and cosmic energy energy, but is obviously not a SquishyWizard.
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* FriendToAllLivingThings: Even though at an early age, Thanos was drawing pictures of the corpses of the creatures around him, he befriended and refused to eat any of the creatures in the cave he was stuck in for many days. [[spoiler:[[StartOfDarkness Until he found out that they killed and ate his Eternal friends who came with him to the cave and was blamed for it.]]]]
to:
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Even though at an early age, Thanos was drawing pictures of the corpses of the creatures around him, he befriended and refused to eat any of the creatures in the cave he was stuck in for many days. [[spoiler:[[StartOfDarkness Until That is, until he found out that they killed and ate his Eternal friends who came with him to the cave and was blamed for it.]]]]
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* KlingonPromotion: During his tenure as a pirate, he became a leader when his predecessor tried to kill him for not murdering anyone in their many acts of pillaging. He cut him up to pieces without realizing it and was praised by his fellow pirates.
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* AchillesHeel: Oddly enough, he's probably his own weakness.
to:
* AchillesHeel: Oddly enough, he's probably his own weakness. This prevented him from keeping the omnipotent powers he would gain for more than a few issues.
* DisappearedDad: Often left the women he would sleep with in the middle of the night, leaving them with only the baby to take care of and the hope of him coming back. He eventually came back to them, but with a [[TheGrimReaper different woman]] [[WouldHitAGirl and]] [[WouldHurtAChild entrance.]]
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* EvilSorcerer
to:
* EvilSorcererEvilSorcerer: He is one of science and cosmic energy but obviously not a SquishyWizard.
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* NietzscheWannabe: Was a nihilist for a time.
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* NietzscheWannabe: Was Used to be a nihilist for a time.
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* SuperStrength: Has faced TheMightyThor, The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Thing]] and the ComicBook/IncredibleHercules in a battle of strength ''at the same time''. His reaction: ''they dared call themselves strong!''
* ThanatosGambit
* ThanatosGambit
to:
* ReallyGetsAround: Not for the pleasure, mind you, but to find satisfaction in the act of love along with many other goals to find his purpose in life. That is, before he settled with Death.
* SuperStrength:Has He has faced TheMightyThor, The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Thing]] and the ComicBook/IncredibleHercules in a battle of strength ''at the same time''. His reaction: ''they dared call themselves strong!''
* ThanatosGambittime'' and survived with minimal damage.
* SuperStrength:
* ThanatosGambit
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[[quoteright:233:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Thanos_8445.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:233: Are you really certain you want to stop him? What makes you think you ''can''?]]
-> ''Am I not Thanos?! Did I not butcher the woman who gave me birth, who forced me into this hell called life? Is not the wake of my passing crimson with the blood of my enemies and allies alike?! Death is with me every second of the day!''
--> '''Thanos''', ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'' #2
[[SelfDemonstrating/{{Thanos}} If you'd prefer to read the article in Thanos's own bombastic tone, go here instead.]]
Since Jim Starlin first introduced him in the pages of ''IronMan'' vol. 1 #55 (February, 1973), Thanos the Mad Titan has become one of Marvel's most iconic - and dangerous - supervillains. Whereas the heroes of Earth have to put up with the likes of DoctorDoom and {{Magneto}}, Thanos proves to be a constant threat to, well, the entire universe. Yes, all of it.
Born on Titan, moon of planet Saturn, home to the Titans, a fraction of Eternals that left the Earth thousands of years ago. Thanos is one of two sons of the the rulers of the Titans: Alars, also known as Mentor, and his wife, Sui-San. However, he was born a mutant, which gave him an appearance closer to Deviants, the Eternals' sister race and sworn enemies. This made his life miserable, gave others reason to bully him, while his brother, Eros, was loved by all. On the other hand, the mutation also granted him vast strength and durability, far greater than any of the other Titans; and his ability to wield cosmic energy was second-to-none.
Claimed his first victim at the age of eight, which first introduced him to the love of his life, Mistress Death. Infatuated, it became Thanos's obsession to win over her black heart, which generally resulted in more killing. The Titans naturally didn't take kindly to this, and exiled him after he tried and failed to kill his dad and take over the throne. They probably regretted not giving him his wish and uniting him with his one true love later since after traveling the Universe and claiming all power within his reach, he returned to Titan and let them have a taste of [[NukeEm his nuclear revenge]], killing all but a few survivors - his mom being among the dead.
After setting up shop on the nearby Earth, he would inadvertently create two of his life-long enemies, including his arch nemesis: Drax the Destroyer. After possibly being spotted by a human family, he killed them, only for the sole survivor to become Moondragon and her father to be turned into Drax. Imprisoning Drax, he caught the attention of Iron Man, who answered his calls for rescue. Earth has also provided him with a number of other of his regular foes, including Adam Warlock, the Silver Surfer, and [[CaptainMarVell Captain Marvel]] ([[NamesTheSame not]] [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} that one]], mind you). These and more would be involved in stopping him from obtaining the Cosmic Cube and from using the the six Infinity Gems (Then known as the 'Soul Gems') in a quest to destroy all the stars in the galaxy in his latest scheme to win over the heart of Mistress Death.
And then he died at the hands of Adam Warlock, staying dead between 1977 and 1990, when Death brought him back to life more powerful than ever in a mission to kill half of all life in the universe in the name of keeping the balance. Crafty as he was and eager to be Death's equal rather than her servant, Thanos put the six Soul Gems back together, renamed them the Infinity Gems, and created the Infinity Gauntlet in order to gain [[TheOmnipotent omnipotence]]. Ironically, this backfired by making him ''superior'' to Death, who then rejected him because of it. Driven to impress her, Thanos used the Gauntlet to try to prove himself worthy, eventually becoming the very personification of ''The Universe itself''. Which, ironically again, was what defeated him, since it left his body unoccupied and giving his remaining foes the opportunity they needed to reclaim the Gauntlet.
[[HeelFaceTurn Arguably giving up his old ways]], Thanos made peace with Adam Warlock and joined the Infinity Watch in order to guard one of the gems, trusted to do so specifically because Adam knew that Thanos' experience with them showed him that possessing the Gauntlet would not give him what he wanted. They worked together and with others to fight against Adam Warlock's [[EnemyWithout good and evil sides]], Magus and Goddess.
In time, Thanos would return to his old ways and switch intermittently between hero and villain, until his next big appearance in the pages of ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}. Teaming up with Annihilus in his war against the Universe, Thanos was killed by Drax. Only to then be resurrected soon after for TheThanosImperative in order to save Death from the threat of [[EldritchAbomination the 'Many-Angled Ones']], interdimentional invaders from another universe known as the Cancerverse where nothing was able to die. A problem that, with Death's help, Thanos managed to fix. Naturally, he got angry after Death turned his back on him after it was all said and done, forcing ComicBook/{{Nova}} and [[GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Star-Lord]] [[HeroicSacrifice to hold him back (with the help of a near-dead Cosmic Cube) to keep him from escaping back to their universe and killing everyone]].
But of course, you can't keep a good megalomaniac villain like Thanos down for long...
In other media, Thanos has also shown up in the the ''TheSilverSurfer'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'' animated series, though with Death being replaced by Chaos in the later. [[spoiler: There's also [[Film/TheAvengers a certain major and highly successful movie]] where he was revealed to be the [[ManBehindTheMan real villain behind it all]] and no doubt a sure thing in future projects.]]
!Notable comics with Thanos:
* Thanos Quest
* The Infinity Saga:
** ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet
** Infinity War
** Infinity Crusade
** Infinity Abyss
** Marvel Universe: The End
* Celestial Quest
* Thanos (12-issues limited series)
* ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}
* TheThanosImperative
* Thanos Rising
!Thanos provides examples of:
* AboveGoodAndEvil: He's less concerned with good and evil and more with 'How can I get Death to love me'?
* AchillesHeel: Oddly enough, he's probably his own weakness.
* AGodAmI: Between the Infinity Gauntlet and the Cosmic Cube, has been on this level more than once.
* AndIMustScream: Threatened with eternal life by being stuck at the bottom of a gravity well when he came back to life and started attacking the Guardians of the Galaxy.
* AntiVillain: Blurs the line between types I through III in his most peaceful versions.
** And occassionally comes out as a type IV or V AntiHero.
* ArchEnemy: Drax the Destroyer, Moondragon, Captain Marvel and sometimes, Adam Warlock. And maybe the SilverSurfer too. He's also a fairly constant foe of the entire MarvelUniverse... including [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption himself.]]
* BadassBoast: "You address omnipotence. Tread carefully."
* [[spoiler:BiggerBad: To Loki in ''Film/TheAvengers'', thanks to the SequelHook.]]
* ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth: Both Ahkenaten and his own doppleganger became butterflies after he slew them.
* CallToAgriculture: Has confessed a certain fondness for the simple life of a farmer, and sometimes indulges in this after his more grandiose schemes unravel.
** In a What If issue, this is Thanos' final fate after loosing the Infinity Gauntlet.
* TheChessmaster: On a ''universal scale''.
* DeathIsCheap: One can not stay dead if Death needs them alive...
* DeathSeeker: If only because it's the best way for him to be united with his true love - which just happens to be Death herself.
* EnemyMine: Isn't above teaming up with his foes against other enemies.
* EnemiesWithDeath: Those who are, are enemies with ''him''. The [[EldritchAbomination Many-Angled]] [[TheThanosImperative Ones]] discovered this the hard way. So did Death-God Walker, who desired to take her role.
* EnergyAbsorption: A trait common to all the Eternals of Titan. Thanos has just managed to master this power to a level beyond that of even his kin.
* EnfantTerrible: [[RetCon By one means or another]], wound up killing his own mom.
* EvilGenius: Let's see...mastered every science in the universe from an early age? Check. Centuries of dabbling in the occult? Check. Strategist above even the level of the Grandmaster, immortal Elder of the Universe who's dedicated to such pursuits? Check. Unlocked the DNA of Galactus and made a hybrid clone of themselves, ''just to show he could''? Check.
* EvilPlan: All he ''really'' wants is the love of Mistress Death. However, this being Mistress ''Death''...
* EvilSorcerer
* ExpendableClone: May or may not have a bunch of clones who are the ''real'' beings who suffer any defeats that Thanos experiences. DanSlott has even gone so far as to [[FlipFlopOfGod debate the point with himself.]]
* EyeBeams: One of his more potent ways of channeling cosmic energy.
* FairyCompanion: Had a partner in Skreet the Chaos Mite for a time before being killed by Drax.
* ForTheEvulz: Once orchestrated a situation where his brother was held for trial, and sent his clone with modified memories to convince everybody it was he who made Thanos fall in love with Death, thus making him responsible for all of Thanos's crimes. SheHulk traveled into the clone's mind to discover it was a lie and that he did all of it not because of revenge, but for pure entertainment.
* FriendlyEnemy: Adam Warlock has helped thwart Thanos' plans countless times...but may also be the only real friend he has.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Even though at an early age, Thanos was drawing pictures of the corpses of the creatures around him, he befriended and refused to eat any of the creatures in the cave he was stuck in for many days. [[spoiler:[[StartOfDarkness Until he found out that they killed and ate his Eternal friends who came with him to the cave and was blamed for it.]]]]
* GambitRoulette: Deceiving and planning on the scale he's known for, especially where such pseudo-omniscient beings as Galactus and Eternity are involved, naturally requires this trope.
* GeniusBruiser: Right up there among both the brightest minds and strongest bodies in the MarvelUniverse.
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Will ally himself with and considers himself both a force of good and evil, depending.
* IfICantHaveYou: Has admitted to being jealous of Death's other paramours. Jealous to the point that, after discovering she had developed feelings for {{Deadpool}}, he cursed him with [[CursedWithAwesome immortality]] just to keep him away from her.
* {{Irony}}: In relation to the above, [[spoiler:Death did the same to Thanos]]. Temporarily.
* MadScientist: He's not called "The Mad Titan" for nothing.
* MarvelVsCapcom: Albeit with only 4 of the Infinity Gems and his moveset greatly reduced from the earlier Marvel Super Heroes. And then missed the cut for 3.
** Made a card of him in their "Heroes and Heralds" mode which grants the players to ability to parry.
* MightyGlacier / NighInvulnerability: Not all that fast or agile, but few can hit as hard or take as much damage as he can. Thor's own father Odin was able to put him down--but not ''keep'' him down.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: His name is Greek for 'death'.
* NietzscheWannabe: Was a nihilist for a time.
* OffingTheOffspring: Sui-San tried to kill Thanos the first time she laid her eyes on his, seeing in them his future of being an OmnicidalManiac. A'Lars prevented her from doing so, seeing great potential in him as a mutant Eternal.
* OmnicidalManiac: During his days as wielder of the Infinity Gauntlet and prior to them.
* PetTheDog: Has at least some fondness for his adopted daughter, Gamora.
* SuperStrength: Has faced TheMightyThor, The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Thing]] and the ComicBook/IncredibleHercules in a battle of strength ''at the same time''. His reaction: ''they dared call themselves strong!''
* ThanatosGambit
* {{Ubermensch}}: Oh, boy, is he ever.
* VillainBall / IdiotBall: Several times has suffered from this at the verge of absolute victory. As Adam Warlock theorized, he let himself be defeated, because subconsciously he found himself unworthy of the absolute power he tried to claim.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: It makes it difficult to unite with his one true love - Death.
* XanatosSpeedChess
[[caption-width-right:233: Are you really certain you want to stop him? What makes you think you ''can''?]]
-> ''Am I not Thanos?! Did I not butcher the woman who gave me birth, who forced me into this hell called life? Is not the wake of my passing crimson with the blood of my enemies and allies alike?! Death is with me every second of the day!''
--> '''Thanos''', ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'' #2
[[SelfDemonstrating/{{Thanos}} If you'd prefer to read the article in Thanos's own bombastic tone, go here instead.]]
Since Jim Starlin first introduced him in the pages of ''IronMan'' vol. 1 #55 (February, 1973), Thanos the Mad Titan has become one of Marvel's most iconic - and dangerous - supervillains. Whereas the heroes of Earth have to put up with the likes of DoctorDoom and {{Magneto}}, Thanos proves to be a constant threat to, well, the entire universe. Yes, all of it.
Born on Titan, moon of planet Saturn, home to the Titans, a fraction of Eternals that left the Earth thousands of years ago. Thanos is one of two sons of the the rulers of the Titans: Alars, also known as Mentor, and his wife, Sui-San. However, he was born a mutant, which gave him an appearance closer to Deviants, the Eternals' sister race and sworn enemies. This made his life miserable, gave others reason to bully him, while his brother, Eros, was loved by all. On the other hand, the mutation also granted him vast strength and durability, far greater than any of the other Titans; and his ability to wield cosmic energy was second-to-none.
Claimed his first victim at the age of eight, which first introduced him to the love of his life, Mistress Death. Infatuated, it became Thanos's obsession to win over her black heart, which generally resulted in more killing. The Titans naturally didn't take kindly to this, and exiled him after he tried and failed to kill his dad and take over the throne. They probably regretted not giving him his wish and uniting him with his one true love later since after traveling the Universe and claiming all power within his reach, he returned to Titan and let them have a taste of [[NukeEm his nuclear revenge]], killing all but a few survivors - his mom being among the dead.
After setting up shop on the nearby Earth, he would inadvertently create two of his life-long enemies, including his arch nemesis: Drax the Destroyer. After possibly being spotted by a human family, he killed them, only for the sole survivor to become Moondragon and her father to be turned into Drax. Imprisoning Drax, he caught the attention of Iron Man, who answered his calls for rescue. Earth has also provided him with a number of other of his regular foes, including Adam Warlock, the Silver Surfer, and [[CaptainMarVell Captain Marvel]] ([[NamesTheSame not]] [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} that one]], mind you). These and more would be involved in stopping him from obtaining the Cosmic Cube and from using the the six Infinity Gems (Then known as the 'Soul Gems') in a quest to destroy all the stars in the galaxy in his latest scheme to win over the heart of Mistress Death.
And then he died at the hands of Adam Warlock, staying dead between 1977 and 1990, when Death brought him back to life more powerful than ever in a mission to kill half of all life in the universe in the name of keeping the balance. Crafty as he was and eager to be Death's equal rather than her servant, Thanos put the six Soul Gems back together, renamed them the Infinity Gems, and created the Infinity Gauntlet in order to gain [[TheOmnipotent omnipotence]]. Ironically, this backfired by making him ''superior'' to Death, who then rejected him because of it. Driven to impress her, Thanos used the Gauntlet to try to prove himself worthy, eventually becoming the very personification of ''The Universe itself''. Which, ironically again, was what defeated him, since it left his body unoccupied and giving his remaining foes the opportunity they needed to reclaim the Gauntlet.
[[HeelFaceTurn Arguably giving up his old ways]], Thanos made peace with Adam Warlock and joined the Infinity Watch in order to guard one of the gems, trusted to do so specifically because Adam knew that Thanos' experience with them showed him that possessing the Gauntlet would not give him what he wanted. They worked together and with others to fight against Adam Warlock's [[EnemyWithout good and evil sides]], Magus and Goddess.
In time, Thanos would return to his old ways and switch intermittently between hero and villain, until his next big appearance in the pages of ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}. Teaming up with Annihilus in his war against the Universe, Thanos was killed by Drax. Only to then be resurrected soon after for TheThanosImperative in order to save Death from the threat of [[EldritchAbomination the 'Many-Angled Ones']], interdimentional invaders from another universe known as the Cancerverse where nothing was able to die. A problem that, with Death's help, Thanos managed to fix. Naturally, he got angry after Death turned his back on him after it was all said and done, forcing ComicBook/{{Nova}} and [[GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Star-Lord]] [[HeroicSacrifice to hold him back (with the help of a near-dead Cosmic Cube) to keep him from escaping back to their universe and killing everyone]].
But of course, you can't keep a good megalomaniac villain like Thanos down for long...
In other media, Thanos has also shown up in the the ''TheSilverSurfer'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'' animated series, though with Death being replaced by Chaos in the later. [[spoiler: There's also [[Film/TheAvengers a certain major and highly successful movie]] where he was revealed to be the [[ManBehindTheMan real villain behind it all]] and no doubt a sure thing in future projects.]]
!Notable comics with Thanos:
* Thanos Quest
* The Infinity Saga:
** ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet
** Infinity War
** Infinity Crusade
** Infinity Abyss
** Marvel Universe: The End
* Celestial Quest
* Thanos (12-issues limited series)
* ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}
* TheThanosImperative
* Thanos Rising
!Thanos provides examples of:
* AboveGoodAndEvil: He's less concerned with good and evil and more with 'How can I get Death to love me'?
* AchillesHeel: Oddly enough, he's probably his own weakness.
* AGodAmI: Between the Infinity Gauntlet and the Cosmic Cube, has been on this level more than once.
* AndIMustScream: Threatened with eternal life by being stuck at the bottom of a gravity well when he came back to life and started attacking the Guardians of the Galaxy.
* AntiVillain: Blurs the line between types I through III in his most peaceful versions.
** And occassionally comes out as a type IV or V AntiHero.
* ArchEnemy: Drax the Destroyer, Moondragon, Captain Marvel and sometimes, Adam Warlock. And maybe the SilverSurfer too. He's also a fairly constant foe of the entire MarvelUniverse... including [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption himself.]]
* BadassBoast: "You address omnipotence. Tread carefully."
* [[spoiler:BiggerBad: To Loki in ''Film/TheAvengers'', thanks to the SequelHook.]]
* ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth: Both Ahkenaten and his own doppleganger became butterflies after he slew them.
* CallToAgriculture: Has confessed a certain fondness for the simple life of a farmer, and sometimes indulges in this after his more grandiose schemes unravel.
** In a What If issue, this is Thanos' final fate after loosing the Infinity Gauntlet.
* TheChessmaster: On a ''universal scale''.
* DeathIsCheap: One can not stay dead if Death needs them alive...
* DeathSeeker: If only because it's the best way for him to be united with his true love - which just happens to be Death herself.
* EnemyMine: Isn't above teaming up with his foes against other enemies.
* EnemiesWithDeath: Those who are, are enemies with ''him''. The [[EldritchAbomination Many-Angled]] [[TheThanosImperative Ones]] discovered this the hard way. So did Death-God Walker, who desired to take her role.
* EnergyAbsorption: A trait common to all the Eternals of Titan. Thanos has just managed to master this power to a level beyond that of even his kin.
* EnfantTerrible: [[RetCon By one means or another]], wound up killing his own mom.
* EvilGenius: Let's see...mastered every science in the universe from an early age? Check. Centuries of dabbling in the occult? Check. Strategist above even the level of the Grandmaster, immortal Elder of the Universe who's dedicated to such pursuits? Check. Unlocked the DNA of Galactus and made a hybrid clone of themselves, ''just to show he could''? Check.
* EvilPlan: All he ''really'' wants is the love of Mistress Death. However, this being Mistress ''Death''...
* EvilSorcerer
* ExpendableClone: May or may not have a bunch of clones who are the ''real'' beings who suffer any defeats that Thanos experiences. DanSlott has even gone so far as to [[FlipFlopOfGod debate the point with himself.]]
* EyeBeams: One of his more potent ways of channeling cosmic energy.
* FairyCompanion: Had a partner in Skreet the Chaos Mite for a time before being killed by Drax.
* ForTheEvulz: Once orchestrated a situation where his brother was held for trial, and sent his clone with modified memories to convince everybody it was he who made Thanos fall in love with Death, thus making him responsible for all of Thanos's crimes. SheHulk traveled into the clone's mind to discover it was a lie and that he did all of it not because of revenge, but for pure entertainment.
* FriendlyEnemy: Adam Warlock has helped thwart Thanos' plans countless times...but may also be the only real friend he has.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Even though at an early age, Thanos was drawing pictures of the corpses of the creatures around him, he befriended and refused to eat any of the creatures in the cave he was stuck in for many days. [[spoiler:[[StartOfDarkness Until he found out that they killed and ate his Eternal friends who came with him to the cave and was blamed for it.]]]]
* GambitRoulette: Deceiving and planning on the scale he's known for, especially where such pseudo-omniscient beings as Galactus and Eternity are involved, naturally requires this trope.
* GeniusBruiser: Right up there among both the brightest minds and strongest bodies in the MarvelUniverse.
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Will ally himself with and considers himself both a force of good and evil, depending.
* IfICantHaveYou: Has admitted to being jealous of Death's other paramours. Jealous to the point that, after discovering she had developed feelings for {{Deadpool}}, he cursed him with [[CursedWithAwesome immortality]] just to keep him away from her.
* {{Irony}}: In relation to the above, [[spoiler:Death did the same to Thanos]]. Temporarily.
* MadScientist: He's not called "The Mad Titan" for nothing.
* MarvelVsCapcom: Albeit with only 4 of the Infinity Gems and his moveset greatly reduced from the earlier Marvel Super Heroes. And then missed the cut for 3.
** Made a card of him in their "Heroes and Heralds" mode which grants the players to ability to parry.
* MightyGlacier / NighInvulnerability: Not all that fast or agile, but few can hit as hard or take as much damage as he can. Thor's own father Odin was able to put him down--but not ''keep'' him down.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: His name is Greek for 'death'.
* NietzscheWannabe: Was a nihilist for a time.
* OffingTheOffspring: Sui-San tried to kill Thanos the first time she laid her eyes on his, seeing in them his future of being an OmnicidalManiac. A'Lars prevented her from doing so, seeing great potential in him as a mutant Eternal.
* OmnicidalManiac: During his days as wielder of the Infinity Gauntlet and prior to them.
* PetTheDog: Has at least some fondness for his adopted daughter, Gamora.
* SuperStrength: Has faced TheMightyThor, The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Thing]] and the ComicBook/IncredibleHercules in a battle of strength ''at the same time''. His reaction: ''they dared call themselves strong!''
* ThanatosGambit
* {{Ubermensch}}: Oh, boy, is he ever.
* VillainBall / IdiotBall: Several times has suffered from this at the verge of absolute victory. As Adam Warlock theorized, he let himself be defeated, because subconsciously he found himself unworthy of the absolute power he tried to claim.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: It makes it difficult to unite with his one true love - Death.
* XanatosSpeedChess
