Thanos: The Mad Titan

Thanos: The Mad Titan

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you’ve probably seen the Guardians of the Galaxy movie (based on the Marvel Comics comic book of the same name). Guardians did many things: it introduced viewers to lovable Groot, the feisty, balls-to-the-walls Rocket Raccoon, and the infamous Star-Lord. But its greatest unveiling is definitely Thanos, the mastermind behind the main antagonist Ronan the Accuser. And while Thanos might be just a purple-gorilla face to the casual audience, to me he’s terrifying. You see, I know Thanos’ comic book pedigree. This article will delve into that history; hopefully by the end, you will realize how much a colossal threat Thanos is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

First of all, you should know Thanos is in love with Death. Not the omnipresent force, “part of the circle of life” Death. I’m talking about the Grim Reaper, the physical manifestation of Death (whom in the Marvel Universe is a really hot babe). Thanos will do anything for Death. He killed his children and his wife for Death’s attention. It’s ironic that a tyrant over billions of lives is himself a slave to the power he worships.

Thanos stands apart from the rest of the Marvel villains because he actually achieved his desire. He sought and gained the Cosmic Cube (an uber-powerful, semi-sentient genie’s lamp). He then used it to become a god. Literally. He was able to stand toe-to-toe with other god-like entities and overwhelm them without breaking a sweat. No one could stand in his way.

Technically, anyway.

This is where Thanos proves his intellect. He knows that gods are only as powerful as the people who worship him. The more his ego is fed, the more invulnerable he becomes. As a side-effect, Thanos still draws power from the Cube. All one needed to do was to destroy the Cube, and Thanos is undone. So what does Thanos do? He discards the Cube. By doing so, he fools the Marvel heroes into thinking he no longer needs the Cube (when in fact he’s siphoning its powers to remain a god). It’s only when hero Captain Marvel destroys the Cube that Thanos is finished.

But of course, no one really dies in comic books, and Thanos is no exception. His next quest is to obtain the six Infinity Gems (the crystalized forms of the intangible forces defining the physical universe). Every Marvel hero is recruited by mystical being Adam Warlock to gain the Stones from the Magus (his evil future counterpart). And it’s all for naught. Thanos obtains all six Gems and binds them into a gauntlet (appropriately titled the Infinity Gauntlet). Once again Thanos holds the fate of the universe in his hands. And what is the first thing he does? He erases half the universe’s living population in order to impress Death.

Thanos goes on to do many great and terrible things. But first and foremost, the audience needs to be aware that Thanos is not just another comic book villain of the week. He’s not a one-time gimmick-monger entertaining readers while the Marvel staff prepares the Big Bad Villain. Thanos is the Big Bad Villain. He gained the power of God not once, but twice. He took all-powerful cosmic entities and imprisoned them. He erased half of the universe’s living population all to impress a girlfriend who’s beyond such emotional attachments.

That’s why I’m scared of Thanos. If the movie Thanos is anything like the comic book Thanos, then he will gain all the Infinity Gems. Unless he’s stopped, he will destroy everything. I promise you that.