THOR versus THANOS

The Final Morning (Marvel)
Where: Thor #25 When: July 2000
Why: Dan Jurgens How: John Romita Jr

The Story So Far...
At the very dawn of time an alien sorcerer named X'Hoss foresaw the coming of The Designate and the elevation of all life to greatness.

To protect The Designate from those that would attempt to destroy her, he crafted three objects of immense power: The Illumination Stone, The Map of All-Ending, and The Chalice of Ruins.

These artifacts were soon corrupted by demonic forces so that their union with the tears of The Designate could command power over death itself. It is this knowledge that leads The Mad Titan, Thanos, on a new quest to indulge his obsession and flatter the attentions of Death herself.

In league with the loathsome Mangog; Thanos has brought the universe to the brink of Ragnarok. On a tiny ice planet, Thor lies beaten and broken, but across the gulf of space his poisoned father Odin conspires to arm him with one final reprieve. He need only survive long enough to receive it...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thanos 5 (Professor)
Speed: Thor 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Thor 2 (Average)
Fighting: Thor 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Thanos 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

Everyone knows Thor is one of the most powerful Avengers -- but even a God of Thunder is given grave pause by the cosmic malice of Thanos!

For a time it was thought Thanos could not die: true after he was rejected by Death herself. The notion was temporarily challenged however when Drax had his long awaited revenge by removing Thanos' heart in Annihilation #4. It took a cosmic cube to put him back down after being briefly resurrected in Guardians of the Galaxy #25. A more lasting return soon followed.

In today's battle Thanos has become a bringer of death. He has collected fabled artifacts of grim power and potential: The Chalice of Ruins, The Map of All-Ending, The Illumination Stone, and even the tears of Tarene The Designate. From this collection his will now becomes a vast coda to life itself!

All hope seems lost, but this isn't the first time Thanos has brought the universe to the brink of extinction. In his most famous quest The Mad Titan achieved nigh omnipotence by assembling the cosmic infinity stones into the Infinity Gauntlet.

Eric Masterson was in command of Mjolnir, and the might of Thor, at that time, lending his hammer to a fruitless first wave which convinced Thanos to indulge in a fairer form of combat. Thor's godly strength was then used to batter Thanos convincingly until he put distance between them by flinging the erstwhile Thor into space. When the stand-in Thor returned to fight by the side of Spider-Man, he was turned to glass and shattered for his trouble.

This time it's the one true Odinson going into battle -- but there may be some doubts about the nature of the Thanos he faces.

It's alleged in the 2002 Infinity Abyss mini-series that Thanos created a series of duplicates intended to test potential enemies and allies. These "Thanosi" clones were deemed imperfect, carrying out lesser visions of his plan. This basically seems like a device for explaining away inconsistent portrayals of Thanos.

The genocidal Titan that Thor's facing today clearly lives up to Thanos' most terrifying potential. His scheme and its destructive threat is not dissimilar from Infinity Gauntlet and you should not look upon this version as greatly inferior.

Thor has confronted many cosmic adversaries over the years, finding mixed results. The supposed daughter of Thanos, Nebula, proved capable of holding him at bay in Avengers #315, while Drax fought a mad Thor to an inconclusive result in Warlock and The Infinity Watch #21. An Ego-powered Ronan The Accuser went one better, swatting him aside in Maximum Security #3!

The potential for cosmic adversaries to subvert Thor's enchanted hammer is an eventuality that cannot be overlooked. Champion of the Universe was able to move Mjolnir by manipulating space around it in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7. The most famous example remains Beta Ray Bill, who proved worthy of wielding Mjolnir and turning its power against its master in Thor #337.

Thanos seems unlikely to lift Mjolnir any time soon, but The Mad Titan has enhanced himself with considerable magic and cosmic power. The odds seem very much stacked against Thor, having already been beaten severely, and forced to battle Thanos' ally Mangog. Let's see how he does...

The Tape: Thanos Ranking: Thanos (#11)

What Went Down...
Thanos romanticizes the embrace of death as a dazzling wave of destructive energy erupts directly from his hand and out into the cosmos.

Thor makes his grim approach from behind, stomping determinedly through snow with Mjolnir twirling at his side. He shouts indignant condemnation for Thanos' unthinkable disregard for life -- and pays dearly for his passion.

Thanos engulfs Thor in a punishing shower of excess energy. As he does, the first wave of death exterminates 41 billion lives on the planet Parsikon IV!

Only the Mad Titan and a badly damaged Rigellian Recorder are witness to the breadth of carnage now unleashed. The robot Recorder is without emotion but experiences something approximating regret. Thanos delights at his handiwork.

Racked with agony: Thor defiantly endures the spillover of energies and vows to stop Thanos. The Thunderer's bravery is true, but Recorder knows he is unlikely to escape the devastating forces acting against him.

Though pledged to record all events: the legless machine drags itself towards peril, preferring to offer what little assistance it might than survive to bear witness to the end of sentient life itself. It reaches out and is consumed.

Thor honors Recorder's sacrifice, shouting his name into the night and swearing to avenge him. His passionate cries grate on the ears of the traitor Tarakis.

The former Grand Vizier to Odin asks permission to end Thor's life. A final irony as an unseen stream of cosmic flame shatters his very existence!

The destruction of Tarakis signals the arrival of an emissary of Odin: Firelord!

The Xandarian herald carries armor infused with the blessings of Odinforce. He knows he is not powerful enough to enter Thanos' energies, but a cosmic blast may free Thor from its deadly embrace -- at the risk of killing him.

Firelord tosses Thor an enchanted belt to increase his resolve -- then dares to fire upon the beleaguered Odinson.

The explosion of colliding energies successfully throws Thor's body clear of the relentless fire holding him in place. For a moment his mighty body lies in the snow - smoldering and motionless. Then the Odinson begins to stir!

Firelord hands over the special armaments forged by blacksmith Jagrfelm at special order of Odin himself!

The strength doubling belt of power wraps around Thor's body, while a barbed gauntlet extends all the way up to his bicep, and a great spiked shield obscures his torso from sight. Even Mjolnir's might is enhanced with additional Odinforce!

Reinvigorated by the power of his new armaments: Thor immediately launches his assault -- hurling Mjolnir at a disinterested Thanos.

The hammer bounces against the unfathomable forces surrounding Thanos. It is enough to regain the Mad Titan's attention. He turns -- unleashing a maelstrom of power that radiates across the icy planet with violent consequence!

Firelord does his best to protect himself and Tarene, while Thor relies on his new shield to bear the brunt of the incredible onslaught. The impact pushes him across the battlefield -- driving his body into a frozen cliff side!

The God of Thunder emerges from the mountain depression and challenges Thanos to settle the battle, not with distant shots, but with their own fists -- as gods and warriors would do. Thanos refuses!

Again the enchanted shield protects Thor from the awesome force of Thanos' mystically enhanced power! The thunder god presses against his eye beams, striding slowly but steadily towards their source.

The shield begins to fray at the edges and crack, but still it holds as Thor wills himself and the metal disc forward. It begins to shatter, sending devastating shards around him, but Thor is unshaken in his mission to defend all life!

Soon, the shield is no more -- but Thor has reached his target!

With a warrior's decree he swings wildly with Mjolnir! The spectacular blow demands the attention of Thanos once more, but still the Mad Titan refuses to fall!

Thanos throws an all mighty right hook, but Thor returns fire with a staggering left that allows him to slip behind and strike the back. Thanos throws massive fists like clubs as Thor moves back in front. He connects with Thor's jaw!

The Mad Titan compares his godly adversary to a mere insect. Thor steels himself to be an insect that bites: reaching with his enchanted gauntlet to clutch the Illumination Stone that's hung around Thanos' neck.

The Titan's demeanor changes from arrogance to desperation, but there is nothing he can do to stop Thor crushing the gem in his armored fist.

The artifact explodes with a final roar of power as Thanos' grip on death suddenly ends! This time it's Thanos who yells into the night. Thor orders he be silent -- issued with the full brunt of Mjolnir's enchanted uru.

First a direct blow to the body softens Thanos up. Then an uppercut staggers him, before the might of Mjolnir is brought crashing down upon his head with the righteous indignation and fury of a warrior god defending life itself!

Thanos lands facedown in the snow, still smoldering with power, while Thor stands hunched beyond him in grim vigil, prepared to smith him again and again if needs demand it. The Mad Titan doesn't stir -- until an amazed Tarene steps forward with tears in her eyes.

The billions across space who lost their lives weigh heavily on Thor, and inspire The Designate to weep. It is said without the protection of The Stone of Illumination her tears will burn evil as if it was cast to the fires of Hell. She wipes her tear sand allows them to fall to Thanos who is consumed in flame.

The Hammer...

There was a certain grandeur when the final chapter of Death of Superman went to full and double-page spreads, but I dare say Thor #25 just might be the most epic thing Dan Jurgens has ever written!

It certainly doesn't hurt that John Romita Jr is absolutely drawing his arse off, as well! This is the JRjr you remember from World War Hulk, but today's fight, and the drama leading up to it, is laden with such beautiful poetry and glorious crescendo -- it's on a whole other level!

The sense of rising hopelessness as Thor struggles to return from a previous bitter defeat, and his allies become little more than spectators, reminds me of the saga-defining cosmic battles from Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball Z.

Even the way allies continue to make small but vital contributions, such as Firelord delivering Odin's armor and killing Tarakis, seems very in keeping with DBZ. It was a pop culture phenomenon around this time, but I'm not sure it was a deliberate reference. Even if it was, the manga (or anime) never felt quite so heavy with epic Nordic tragedy. This issue is really something else!

Which makes it seem such a shame to undercut the battle's legitimacy by later reframing Thanos as an imperfect clone [as defined in The Infinity Abyss].

His motivations might be slightly regressive, but the only real incongruity is probably Thanos' apparent destruction when the fight is over. Otherwise, the epic battle and its intergalactic stakes feel very worthy of the one true Thanos! This certainly isn't the fall to Earth of his earlier appearances opposing Ka-Zar.

Not that I'm doubting the wisdom of Jim Starlin, mind you. If anything, this is probably another indictment on the assassination of a popular character. It isn't explicitly stated that Thanos died, but it certainly wasn't his usual graceful exit.

The situation reminds me ever so slightly of Mysterio's death a year prior in Daredevil #9. Thanos wasn't nearly the same subject of ridicule, but this was nearly a decade on from the highs of Infinity Gauntlet. Marvel cosmic was on the decline in general, and Thanos might've started to feel a little played out by 2000. Killing the character would be a mistake, but a big sendoff makes sense.

Whether he meant to kill off, or just sideline Thanos, I do greatly appreciate that Dan Jurgens put something back into the Marvel Universe.

The mythology of The Designate, and the artifacts used in this battle, were put into place very abruptly - just a few issues before this - but I think they worked reasonably well within their context. The grandiose opera of these issues do a lot to accelerating the meaning and credibility of everything involved, while expanding the theo-cosmic world of Thor and the Asgardians.

It's always cool to see Firelord get in the mix, and he's a very natural guest as a well established adversary to Thanos. We'll remember his team-up with Eric Masterson during Infinity Gauntlet, and role as a regular supporting character in Thanos adjacent issues of Silver Surfer. As a matter of housekeeping: he'll share the win with Thor for slaying Tarakis during the battle.

I rather like Tarene in these early issues, as well. There's something about the simplicity of her whitish attire that rather appeals to me. It seems like a bit of a shame that she was quickly remodeled as "Thor Girl" -- a female version of the main title hero -- when she had her own ambiguous, but otherworldly qualities here in these first appearances. It might've been nice to retain that, even while expanding her beyond a weeping Pariah/Harbinger type.

Before we wrap this massive entry, I should also note that by an act of pure serendipity, I happening to be listening to Jocelyn Pook album Untold Things while writing this entry. I don't usually soundtrack reading comics, but it turned out to be a very inspiring compliment to the super-sized issue. If you give it a listen, you might understand what I'm getting at.

If you want to get more of this type of Thor you can check out entries for Thor (Vol.2) #1 and Thorion of the New Asgods #1. Both feature big godly action by John Romita Jr. You can also discover more by following other links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 650 battles and ranked well over 900 characters! If you like what it's all about and want to support the project you can be hero and donate via Patreon. As a thank you you'll receive special acknowledgement, extra updates, voting polls, and custom articles.

You can experience today's featured fight for yourself by checking out one of the collected editions of Thor: Heroes Return Omnibus or Thor by Dan Jurgens & John Romita Jr Vol.4.

Using Amazon purchase links provided for any of your online shopping will not only net you a great deal, but also help support the site in the process.

Get even more superhero smackdown direct to you by subscribing to Twitter and Facebook for daily links inspired by the topics of the day! Don't forget to like and share updates!

Winner: Thor & Firelord (w/ The Designate)
#21 (+11) Thor
#403 (+528) Firelord [+1 kill]
#471 (new) Tarene [+1 kill] [+1 assist]
#596 (new) Rigellian Recorder [+1 assist]
#11 (--) Thanos [+41,000,000,000 kills]
#932 (new) Tarakis

AVENGERS versus THANOS

(Marvel)
Where: Free Comic Book Day Civil War II #1 When: May 2016 Why: Brian Michael Bendis How: Jim Cheung

The Story So Far...
An Inhuman known as Ulysses Cain may hold the secrets to the impending future! In an effort to verify his ominous visions, Inhuman Queen Medusa accompanies him to The Triskelion for further testing under the watchful eye of Black Panther and The Ultimates.

Upon his arrival, Ulysses is suddenly confronted with a glimpse into an oncoming threat: Thanos is coming!

The Mad Titan aims to claim a Cosmic Cube from Project PEGASUS, but as he teleports towards their secluded Mount Athena base in New York -- a powerful assembly of Avengers prepares to greet him with extreme prejudice!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thanos 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Black Panther 5 (Professor)
Speed: Photon 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Black Panther 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Thanos 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Human Torch 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

The Avengers are: Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Ms. America, Spectrum, Blue Marvel, She-Hulk, Dazzler, Medusa, Crystal, Human Torch, and War Machine.

It might be a tad glib to call them "The Avengers". More accurately, we have various solo heroes joining representatives of then-current lineups for The Ultimates, A-Force, and Inhumans. Avengers, by any other name...

They're up against one of the deadliest villains in the cosmic canon! Forget what you might've heard about altruistic balance and preservation of life. Thanos will always be The Mad Titan whose lust for Death nearly destroyed the universe!

When he famously formed The Infinity Gauntlet, he became nigh omnipotent, wiping out half of all life in existence to impress Lady Death. When the surviving heroes came to confront him, his true sadism emerged! Various heroes met a twisted end, including She-Hulk, who was consumed by some type of growth.

She-Hulk's the only one of today's heroes we've seen go against Thanos before. Despite her demise that day, she showed potential for getting some serious shots in! Iron Man was one of the heroes also there, but his example of an unceremonious decapitation isn't the most promising one for War Machine.

Thanos doesn't have any Infinity Stones in today's battle, which at least means War Machine should be able to leave a mark! Human Torch might fare better than Firelord, as well. Johnny went mostly unnoticed by Gladiator in Fantastic Four #249, but turned up the heat enough to burn Ego The Living Planet in Fantastic Four #235. The potential to go nova could scorch even Thanos!

Captain Marvel is the real ace up this team's sleeve. We've seen her Kree-infused powers mix it up with the uber-powerful Collective in New Avengers #17, a Dormammu-powered Hood in New Avengers #54, and a giant Agamotto-possessed Luke Cage in New Avengers (Vol.2) #2!

At this point in time, Carol Danvers is once again juiced to the max and powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with cosmic powers! That could give her the best shot at recreating Drax's killing blow against Thanos, seen in Annihilation #4! I don't imagine Thanos will be nearly as accommodating this time, though.

It took the remains of a Cosmic Cube to stop Thanos when he was resurrected anew in Guardians of the Galaxy #25! His naked rampage took down the entire Guardians lineup, including Drax, Groot, and Moondragon! He also didn't even break a sweat when turning on Terrax during an inter-dimensional scheme seen in Green Lantern/Silver Surfer!

Even without that Infinity Gauntlet, we know Thanos is as serious a threat as they come! He can be defeated, but will the pre-cognition of Ulysses give this assembly of heroes the advantage they need to do the deed? Let's find out!

The Tape: Avengers Ranking: Thanos (#9)

What Went Down...
True to the prophetic vision of the Inhuman Ulysses -- a purple beam of light signals the arrival of Thanos! Though unprepared for an Avengers ambush, he is heavily armed with sophisticated weaponry and immediately resists arrest!

The descending group of heroes are quickly dispersed by the gun's powerful blast. Captain Marvel absorbs its deadly energies. The Human Torch stays airborne and maneuvers to be the first to immediately strike back!

Swooping behind his target, The Human Torch bathes Thanos in an intense flame! There's no need to hold back against a foe as powerful and resilient as The Mad Titan -- but his fire can only blaze so hot with friends nearby.

The Torch's former Fantastic Four teammate She-Hulk ignores the burn and rushes in to dive tackle Thanos from behind! The bold move succeeds in scoring a takedown, but The Mad Titan swears this day will mark her death.

She-Hulk grapples with the burning Thanos before Captain Marvel calls her shot and unleashes a massive blast of photonic energy!

The explosive energy pushes She-Hulk clear. Dazzler joins in, enthusiastically pouring on the power with more energy blasts. With Thanos pinned down, Captain Marvel calls in War Machine for a second wave of artillery fire!

Reeling from the awesome display of power, Thanos wonders how the Avengers could be ready with such a coordinated attack. He doesn't have long to contemplate before Medusa ensnares him in blinding, suffocating curls of hair!

War Machine is still firing munitions when Thanos manages to gain purchases of Medusa's living locks and hurls her toward the armored Avenger!

The collision throws War Machine's targeting off, sending a wayward missile into the chest of She-Hulk! The Colonel moves in to check on his friendly fire victim, letting his guard down for just a moment -- a fatal decision!

Thanos seizes his opportunity -- rushing through flames to drive his massive fist into the armored but prone mid-section of War Machine! A killing blow!

As Captain Marvel and Black Panther watch on in horror, Thanos turns to his opponents with a sinister grin and demands his Cosmic Cube. They respond.

Captain Marvel, Spectrum, and Blue Marvel launch an all-out assault! Their awesome powers create a wall of energy that hammers the Titan from all sides!

For a moment he faces into Captain Marvel's raw power, stumbles into Dazzler's pink bursts, feels Black Panther's claws slice at the back of his neck, is caught from behind by Blue Marvel's force bolts, takes Spectrum's best to his face!

The devastating gauntlet leaves Thanos a stumbling, smoldering mess. He has no defense as Captain Marvel moves in to deliver a devastating uppercut!

The finishing blow launches Thanos across the battlefield, leaving him lying unconscious amidst the flames. Captain Marvel rushes to cradle a bloodied War Machine. Black Panther & Blue Marvel tend to a barely breathing She-Hulk.

The Hammer...
The Avengers defeated Thanos, but at what price comes victory? War Machine is dead, and She-Hulk in critical condition! Such dire stakes can only signal the beginning of yet another major Marvel Comics event...

I come into this one with some pretty strong biases. Ten years removed from the gratuitous murder of Goliath in Civil War #4 -- the novelty has long since lost its flavor. By this point, I'm largely beyond caring about the majority of crossover events, let alone their obligatory superhero deaths.

Truth be told, the bloom was off the rose for Marvel's blockbusters by the time Siege rolled out in 2010. That story functioned as a reunion of Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, mopping up lingering consequences of the original Civil War, specifically its villain-centric aftermath: the period known as "Dark Reign".

Dark Reign had been a refreshing exploration of ideas organically grandfathered in through the post-Civil War and Secret Invasion landscapes. It was anchored around monthly Avengers titles, rather than a single dedicated event-series. Sadly, Siege was to bring that pleasing break in action to a much-hyped end.

Siege ultimately cobbled together mayhem and carnage in four unfortunately lackluster key issues, and various focused tie-ins. It played like a perfunctory ticking of two to three major editorial boxes, most notably: The removal of Norman Osborn as Marvel's ultimate arch-villain, and the emphatic killing of The Sentry, which reads like a meta-textual in-joke. Even with a reduced four issue core, these simple beats couldn't sustain a series, resulting in a messy, joyless counterpart to DC's better built, superhero war-time smorgasbord of Final Crisis.

The palpable tedium of Siege should've seen Marvel close the door on events for a fair while, but instead, the publisher went into event overdrive in the years that followed. It hasn't even been a decade since Siege -- yet Cap, Iron Man, and Thor have all been split-up, pitted against heroes, maimed, and killed more than once! Only to reenact another mock reunion before doing it all over again.

They've shared the 'death bench' with many high-profile heroes in that time, all of whom died and returned within a couple of years. The endless cycle of kill, rinse, repeat leaving the Marvel Universe stinking of its own meaningless decay.

Civil War itself was an obvious template for many of these deaths and event series, which made it even more difficult to feel like a 10th anniversary sequel was worth the while. In 2016 it was a major motion sequel to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. How can I miss Civil War if it never goes away?

No surprises then that I'm still not very interested in Civil War II's hero-on-hero conflict, or the Inhumans-fuelled take on Minority Report. Here comes the twist, however. because I've got to say the Free Comic Book Day launch issue is actually a very satisfying read!

It would, of course, be foolish to assume macro grievances belie any quality publishing. There's usually something to like on the bill. In this case, time away from Marvel's jumbled brands, and bloodthirsty event schedule, probably helped enhance the simple pleasures that make FCBD Civil War II #1 so enjoyable.

The pros are easily distilled: It starts with some nice character interaction, lays the groundwork for the moral quandary ahead, and features a big battle with an A-list villain that goes to conclusion. It's a pretty satisfying done-in-one read!

There are obvious questions left to be answered, but the FCBD issue avoids reading like a trailer for coming attractions. Impressive, since that's really the primary function these promotional free issues serve.

For a lapsed reader, some of the fun is simply in seeing old favourites together again. I got a real kick out of seeing FF alum She-Hulk, Human Torch, Medusa, and Black Panther together again, and kicking ass. Most get their moment.

As alluded to in The Tape; this was a period of Marvel history where corporate malevolence, and editorial malaise, had led a lot of established brands to erode meaning. This isn't technically an Avengers assembly, so much as a gathering of representatives of The Ultimates, A-Force, and Inhumans. The fact that these divisions are essentially meaningless is actually helpful in an isolated case.

Jim Cheung does a great job delivering the action that comprises the majority of the piece. Each character gets their moment in clear sequence, with big action beats given room to shine. There's a tremendous sense of space and reality, but with that comes both good and bad. It's easy to track what's going on, but it sometimes feels a little small scale. The intense, inescapable red/blue palette also contributes to an impression of a murky lot of one thing in one place.

Movie stardom means Thanos is as strong as ever, even though he's here to be the fall guy. It was a little weird that he comes in looking like Cable with guns strapped all over his body. I don't think that's a visual joke about Josh Brolin's dual live-action roles, but you never know. It doesn't matter much, as Thanos is quickly forced to fend for himself, sans cannons. He puts up a helluva fight, but after several years of promotional exploitation, he was ripe for being beaten in the prologue.

Of the lineup present to arrest Thanos, it makes good sense that Captain Marvel gets the knock-out blow. You could make a case for other characters, but she's the best equipped, and most primed to take the story forward. I don't know how well her conflict with Iron Man stands up to Cap's in 2006, but the fact it isn't simply a straight repeat of the earlier disagreement is appreciated.

I didn't know Carol Danvers had a romantic relationship with War Machine prior to reading this. Given their affiliations with Tony Stark, and history as military personnel, it seems like a pretty natural coupling. It's dangled unsubtly in the first few pages, milked to provide extra emotional context for what's coming.

I'd be lying if I said there was any real joy in witnessing the death of War Machine. Cheung is asked to convey a precise misstep in motion, and the net result makes War Machine look a little silly. The fact that the killing blow comes from a villain as credible as Thanos helps mitigate the goofiness. Without that, it flirts with the unintentional comedy of Hawkeye's needless self-sacrifice in the earlier Avengers Disassembled. Ultimately, tangled hair and bumping into a teammate is a pretty undignified end for a seasoned hero like War Machine.

Ten years on from Civil War, they seem to be trading on a character of greater notoriety than Goliath, but to what end? Frankly, it seems like a transparent decision to remove one African-American Iron Man alternate, to make way for a new one, the future Ironheart.

The race of the two Civil Wars fatalities may be coincidence, but as the latter participates in clumsy efforts to address the imbalance of representation, the self-defeating fallacy of the decision becomes all the more clear. Indelicate decisions like these only hobbled efforts to introduce a new generation of diverse young heroes, mortgaging the past for an unearned future.

War Machine had long, frustrating lulls of inaction throughout his published history, but remained grounded by those early stories that built a relationship with Tony Stark, and the Avengers. It always seemed there was plenty more to do with the character.

Given Tony Stark was destined to be the major scalp for Civil War II, the potential for Rhodey to continue to play a natural role in the development of Ironheart just seems obvious. They would both be scarred by his demise. The emergence of a new armored hero would naturally draw Rhodey back to action. His potential as a mentor figure would then seem natural more than cliché, building Riri Williams a strong foundation in the Marvel Universe. Oh well!

Want to put the pieces into greater context for yourself? You can pick up a trade paperback of Civil War II, which includes the Free Comic Book Day special and complete mini-series! Shop using the Amazon link embedded and they'll support the site at no cost to you! Who could possibly go to war over that?

Think I need to take a closer look at the rest of Civil War II? Let me know in the comments, or while you're following Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook. There, you'll also find daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! You can also deep dive into the Secret Archive to discover more!

We always finish with the verdict and rankings update. Captain Marvel clearly delivered the knock-out blow, but under examination, a team effort kept Thanos off balance, and led to his defeat. So the win is shared.

Winners: Captain Marvel, Spectrum, Blue Marvel, Black Panther, Dazzler, She-Hulk & Human Torch (w/ War Machine, Ms. America, Medusa & Crystal)
#45 (+28) Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)
#12 (+2) Human Torch
#37 (+14) Black Panther
#134 (+260) She-Hulk
#151 (+281) Spectrum (Monica Rambeau)
#174 (+305) Dazzler
#327 (new) Blue Marvel
#124 (+1) War Machine [+1 assist]
#344 (+5) Medusa [+1 assist]
#434 (-1) Crystal [+1 assist]
#558 (new) Ms. America (America Chavez) [+1 assist]
#10 (-1) Thanos [+1 kill]

CAPTAIN AMERICA versus THANOS

Cosmic Battle on the Edge of The Universe! (Marvel)
Where: Infinity Gauntlet #4 When: October 1991
Why: Jim Starlin How: Ron Lim & George Perez

The Story So Far...
When the Silver Surfer crash lands to Earth through the roof of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum -- he brings ominous warning of the greatest threat the universe has ever known! Thanos lives and has taken possession of the Infinity Gems of Soul, Mind, Power, Time, Reality, and Space to form the omnipotent Infinity Gauntlet!

The Mad Titan's mission is to eradicate half of all sentient life in existence! A feat he achieves in an instant with but a mere thought! His quest to court the mistress Death does not end there, though. His dominion is now all that exists in the known universe -- a reality, his to dominate and reshape!

Ripples of Thanos' power echo throughout the universe, causing mayhem and destruction on Earth, where the mightiest heroes assemble in conference to discuss the unknown threat. The unexpected arrival of Adam Warlock provides limited answers as he takes command, selecting a special task force to confront Thanos in a desperate ploy to save the universe from The Infinity Gauntlet!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thanos 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thanos 5 (Professor)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Captain America 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Thanos 6 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

This is it! It's the final showdown between Thanos and the gauntlet of heroes!

If you're landing here, make sure you go back through the previous rounds to find out what brought us here! In order, the gauntlet was: Wave 1, Hulk & Drax, Wave 3, Thor & Doctor Doom, Wolverine, Wave 6, Cloak, Firelord & Drax, Iron Man, Spider-man & Thor, Nova, and Quasar!

The dozen battles make a compelling case for the unstoppable nature of Thanos as wielder of The Infinity Gauntlet! By assembling the Infinity Stones he has achieved governance over the Soul, Mind, Power, Time, Reality, and Space!

Captain America isn't the guy who'd usually take on a cosmic scale threat like Thanos, but with all other options exhausted, you can bet your bottom dollar he'll make his last stand count!

Dr. Erskine's Super-Soldier Serum means Cap is at the absolute peak of human physical ability. He may not be the Hulk or Drax, but if it comes to a fistfight Thanos will at least know he's there! Fortunately, he isn't going into battle completely unarmed. His shield is a rare alloy of steel and vibranium capable of absorbing massive impacts -- and delivering them, when thrown!

We've seen Cap test his shield against some pretty formidable opponents!

The classic shield withstood The Destroyer armor in Thor (Vol. 2) #1 after The Avengers returned from the Heroes Reborn pocket dimension. While there, Cap's shield saw him through battles with a Counter-Earth Thor [Avengers #1], and Hulk [Avengers #4]!

Even more compelling: Major Victory used a time displaced version of the shield to successfully defend against the blows of a rampaging Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy #25! Of course, that was Thanos fresh from resurrection and without the cosmic omnipotence that comes from wielding the Infinity Gauntlet!

Everything about this fight says one-sided, but Captain America has been known to overcome some pretty incredible odds! He won't back down against The Mad Titan, and he's also privy to the grand plan of Adam Warlock. Will that spell an unlikely defeat? Let us venture into the final stage of the hero's gauntlet!

The Tape: Thanos Ranking: Captain America (#7)

What Went Down...

A smoldering stain is all that marks the short-lived challenge of the once proclaimed "protector of the universe" - Quasar. Surrounded by the broken bodies of his enemies -- Thanos surveys the battlefield in silent triumph.

At a glance, it would seem as if Thanos has conquered all who entered his domain. He clearly under estimates the iron will of Captain America, who stands alone against an unbeatable opponent, as he has so many times before.

Thanos dismisses the Captain's challenge as a joke, but the glib Avenger isn't backing down. He knows his role in Adam Warlock's grand plan and will fight to the death to see it through! Cap marches towards his unmoving, unimpressed opponent and stares him down defiantly!

High above the battlefield, the Silver Surfer has witnessed enough death. He readies to intervene, but Adam Warlock demands his patience. The Surfer must remain at the edge of readiness until the perfect moment!

On the platform: Thanos raises his massive fist and prepares to strike the militant mortal down -- but Cap's reflexes are too fast!

The Captain ducks the devastating blow -- only to find the very ground beneath him joining in the fray! Stone hands grow from the platform, clutching his ankles with an unbreakable grip! The super-soldier's agility has been taken!

Captain America's mighty shield provides protection from a cosmically charged hammer fist that explodes with energy! The defensive move pays off, but the price of survival is the shattering of the unbreakable shield!

Rooted to the ground and robbed of his defensive weapon -- Captain America stares defiantly at his unstoppable opponent! Again, Thanos raises his gauntlet, not to summon its limitless cosmic potential, but to render a killing blow. This is the moment of anger and hubris Adam Warlock has been waiting for!

There is absolutely no hesitation in the Silver Surfer! No sooner than the command is given than he is a silver streak blazing through space!

Time stands still as the Silver Surfer rides the space-ways at impossible speeds! The driving punch of Thanos' fist crawls in stretching inches. Captain America's expression never flinches. Adam Warlock shares his steely resolve.

Everything has been leading to this final gambit! The Surfer swoops in to snatch the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos' raised fist! It is a simple maneuver, but one that can end a suffering felt across the universe! His gleaming out-stretched fingers reach for the glove -- but finds only air!

The Silver Surfer misses his mark by the smallest of margins, but it is enough to cost the heroes their victory! Thanos flinches as the Surfer passes overhead, and blurs into distant space as he trajectory continues. The Mad God remains!

Captain America seizes upon Thanos' distraction with a left cross chin-check! His defiance is hopeless, but the warrior soldier fights on. Hope finds its last refuge in the heart of Steve Rogers. Thanos doesn't even look when he snuffs it out.

As an understanding of what has occurred sets in, Thanos realizes the smallest fraction of a chance is all it could take to cost him his omnipotence. He wills himself back to the fullest power of the gauntlet.

If his swatting hand did not kill Captain America, his wish to erase all remnants of his battle with the heroes likely did. His platform is returned to pristine condition, but Thanos senses a greater struggle on the horizon.

Adam Warlock gazes from a distance, saddened by the heroes' failure. He now realizes there is only one option remaining. Reality itself will tremble when the cosmic deities embodying the universe are forced to fight!

The Hammer... A gauntlet of the greatest heroes of Earth (and beyond) challenged Thanos, but in the end, Captain America and his allies never really stood a chance.

Even more shocking: This result means Thanos has broken into the Top 10 of the Fight Club Rankings! He displaces Thing, who falls to #11 after Thanos leapt +2 places, now ranked #9!

Two weeks ago we embarked on a journey to document the battles of Infinity Gauntlet #4. With Captain America's defeat, and the Silver Surfer's failure, we have now completed that task. As we now see, Warlock's grand plan was always to sacrifice soldiers so that Thanos would grow careless and arrogant. Had the Surfer succeeded in taking the gauntlet, they could've restored all of the dead.

As noted: The gauntlet of battle doesn't actually end here! In Infinity Gauntlet #5, the struggle continues as the cosmic deities of the Marvel Universe confront the lone being capable of upsetting their delicate balance!

These beings of vast cosmic influence are led by Eternity, and include the likes of Galactus, The Celestials, Eon, Master Order, Lord Chaos, and more! We may explore the cosmic gauntlet at a later date, but for now, Secret Wars on Infinite Earths will return to a regular schedule, with more of your favourite heroes!

The last fortnight has, of course, been in celebration of the theatrical release of Avengers: Infinity War. The third movie in the Avengers series has already set unfathomed records at the international box office, and is now in wide theatrical release in the United States, and across the globe!

As exciting as the movie version might be, I hope everyone will have found the joy in the now-classic comic book event.

Both the comic, and the film, struggle with the isolated nature of their consequences. The movie more closely mirrors an earlier scene in the comic, when heroes disappear as Thanos purges half of all life. Never the less, both deal with the seemingly inconsequential nature of the deaths.

You either buy into the cosmic consequence of the story - or you don't. In the case of the comic, fights like Captain America's go a long way to making it all feel worthwhile. After the cruel and malicious deaths of Nova and Quasar, we know the odds are against Cap. Yet his determination to face his foe proves one of the most inspiring fights of the entire issue, and one of the most memorable moments from the entire mini-series!

I've heard one or two people describe their initial difficulty in grappling with the array of characters featured, but I think that's ultimately part of the joy once you get to grips with it. We've only touched on one of the six issues over the last two weeks, but I'm sure you'll find it was fairly manageable.

Events like these can often serve as nice little introductions to characters you might not know, but may want to seek out. Heroes like Sub-Mariner, Nova, Quasar, She-Hulk, and even Firelord, could very likely be tomorrow's movie icons. The only problem is finding the movies bland by comparison!

As always, Amazon links provided mean you can get ahead of the game by joining the wonderful world of comics! Shopping for Infinity Gauntlet via the portal provided will also help support the site at no extra charge!

For more Infinity Gauntlet goodness you can dive into the Secret Archive where all featured fights are index by publisher, series, and issue number! You can also keep your eyes peeled to current Hero of the Week entries, where we're touching on the hot topics spawned from the feature film!

Subscribe to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! A like, share, or retweet is another excellence way to join the fight!

Winner: Thanos

#9 (+2) Thanos [+1 kill]
#7 (--) Captain America
#34 (--) Silver Surfer [+1 assist]
#531 (new) Adam Warlock [+1 assist]

Infinity Gauntlet #4
Thanos runs the gauntlet of heroes in a special series spotlighting the classic cosmic showdown!
Versus Wave 1, Hulk & Drax, Wave 3, Thor & Dr. Doom, Wolverine, Wave 6, Cloak, Firelord & Drax, Iron Man, Spider-man & Thor, Nova, Quasar, Captain America

QUASAR versus THANOS

Cosmic Battle on the Edge of The Universe! (Marvel)
Where: Infinity Gauntlet #4 When: October 1991
Why: Jim Starlin How: Ron Lim & George Perez

The Story So Far...
When the Silver Surfer crash lands to Earth through the roof of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum -- he brings ominous warning of the greatest threat the universe has ever known! Thanos lives and has taken possession of the Infinity Gems of Soul, Mind, Power, Time, Reality, and Space to form the omnipotent Infinity Gauntlet!

The Mad Titan's mission is to eradicate half of all sentient life in existence! A feat he achieves in an instant with but a mere thought! His quest to court the mistress Death does not end there, though. His dominion is now all that exists in the known universe -- a reality, his to dominate and reshape!

Ripples of Thanos' power echo throughout the universe, causing mayhem and destruction on Earth, where the mightiest heroes assemble in conference to discuss the unknown threat. The unexpected arrival of Adam Warlock provides limited answers as he takes command, selecting a special task force to confront Thanos in a desperate ploy to save the universe from The Infinity Gauntlet!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thanos 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thanos 5 (Professor)
Speed: Quasar 5 (Super-Speed)
Stamina: Thanos 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Quasar 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Thanos 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Thanos 6 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Thanos 34 (Super)

The heroes have suffered severe casualties, losing Thor in the ninth wave, and Nova immediately after! Their cosmically powered reserves are running low, but a new player is finally ready to enter the game and take Thanos on!

Quasar is Wendell Vaughn, wielder of the mighty cosmic Quantum Bands! They were created by Eon, and intended to be worn by Captain Marvel, but fate instead brought them to Earth. As an agent of SHIELD, Vaughn was forced to don them during an attack on a research facility by Advanced Idea Mechanics!

Vaughn quickly learned to master the Quantum Bands with a flexible will, harnessing the near limitless energies of the Quantum Zone. He can construct hard objects from light, create personal forcefields, fly and teleport through space, and manipulate and absorb energies in compliment to his own.

This is the first time we're seeing Quasar on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, so there's no record to draw upon. We've seen Captain Marvel using the derivative Nega-Bands created by Kree science [Captain Marvel #26], but their power spectrums are ultimately quite different.

Quasar's battled the likes of: Galactus, Terminus, Annihilus, The Magus, Ego the Living Planet, and many more villains -- not necessarily ending in -us! He's no stranger to fighting Thanos and surely has the power to stand against him.

There's some general similarity between Quasar and Cloak, in that both has access to the energies of a pocket dimension. The Darkforce Dimension was no match for Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet in Round 7's sneak attack, but perhaps the vast possibility of the Quantum Zone can produce different results.

The stage is set for a cosmic showdown! Let's forge ahead to see how it went!

The Tape: Thanos Ranking: Thanos (#11)

What Went Down...
Shards of glass scatter across the battlefield as Thanos brings an end to the life of the man once called Thor. With solemn and grim determination, Quasar steps onto the battlefield and demands Thanos turn to face him.

The Mad Titan immediately recognizes Quasar as the spiritual successor to his deceased former nemesis, the late Captain Mar-Vell.

Quasar identifies himself as the wielder of the Quantum Bands, and assures Thanos they will be his downfall. The omnipotent villain is unconvinced.

In a sudden, unexpected explosion of light & power Quasar's hands are taken from him -- and with them, the power of the Quantum Bands!

Thanos sneers, observing the suffering of his opponent with callous disregard. As Quasar grapples with the harrowing anguish of losing his hands for a second time, it's the suffering of delusions of grandeur that Thanos notes aloud.

Looming over his foe, Thanos fires beams of energy from his eyes as if to exterminate the insect after watching it squirm wingless for a moment.

With Quasar's bravado extinguished in an instant; Thanos is left to contemplate victory, arms folded amidst the broken and beaten bodies of his enemies. Only his perfect woman Terraxia is left standing -- and one mortal hero whose resolve far outweighs his human frailty. The last hero standing!...

The Hammer...
Another vicious irony delivers Thanos to victory. The cosmic omnipotence of the Infinity Gauntlet is now his foremost weapon. The heroes clearly have little to no chance as bitter ironies deliver swift death.

Over the course of the hero's gauntlet, we've seen Thanos deal some truly cruel and spiteful fates. Encasing Cyclops' head in a suffocating cube was a nasty way to end the sixth wave. Reducing Wolverine to quivering rubber in Round 5 - a fate possibly worse than death. The growth that took She-Hulk and Sub-Mariner was the earliest sign this wouldn't be the fair fight it was made out to be.

Quasar's end might contend for cruelest death of them all, though.

It was earlier the same year, in Quasar #21, that he first had to deal with the horror of having his hands removed. That's what he's referring to when he laments the loss of his appendages again, in a state of shock. That was the handiwork of Maelstrom: A villain of lesser means than Thanos, without the same proclivity towards senseless death.

Perhaps there was a ruthless efficiency to using his cosmic powers to remove Quasar's hands, and the source of his power with them. I'm more inclined to think Thanos could've gone straight to killing him, though. This was tantamount to a mean-spirited child tearing the wings off an insect before killing it.

Your mileage on sympathy for Quasar may vary. I daresay he was never the coolest second tier hero around. Some of his cosmic exploits were comparable, but he never reached the high-octane madcap thrills of Captain Marvel. When Quasar wasn't hanging with name heroes, or fighting name villains, it could get a little stale. I wouldn't want to offend any blonde kids named Wendell, but y'know... Stardom will probably be an uphill battle.

Of course, the benefit of characters like Quasar falling out of favour at the turn of the millennium was that they did fall into some pretty wacky scenarios. I'm reluctant to heap too much praise on Star Masters, but any team-up with Beta Ray Bill and Silver Surfer is instantly gonna increase the appeal of a character.

It doesn't say much for Quasar that he got wrapped up in New Universe shenanigans, but the re-think of Annihilation did a whole lot for making up for it. The Quantum Bands may've gone to a new character, but Quasar got to help whoop Annihilus, and turn into some kinda quantum being. Nice one, Wendell!

If you want quantum insights and to harness the powers of The Infinity Gauntlet for yourself, all you need to do is pick up the collected trade paperback! Shopping via the Amazon link provided should deliver you to a good deal and you'll help support the site at no extra cost! All thanks to the fine folks at Amazon!

If you want to put it all into the context of The Comic Book Fight Club then all you need to do is dive into the Secret Archive! There you'll find every featured fight indexed via publisher, series, and issue number! Every Infinity Gauntlet battle is there to be run through in sequential order!

Get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day by following Secret Wars on Infinite Earths via Twitter and Facebook! A like, share, retweet, or comment is another excellent way to join the fight and support the site!

This is the penultimate battle from Infinity Gauntlet #4! If you're reading along at home you can jump backwards to the previous battle by clicking here, or advance to the final struggle by clicking right here!

Winner: Thanos
#11 (--) Thanos [+1 kill]
#847 (new) Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)

Infinity Gauntlet #4
Thanos runs the gauntlet of heroes in a special series spotlighting the classic cosmic showdown!
Versus Wave 1, Hulk & Drax, Wave 3, Thor & Dr. Doom, Wolverine, Wave 6, Cloak, Firelord & Drax, Iron Man, Spider-man & Thor, Nova, Quasar, Captain America