One of the most powerful artifacts in the Marvel Universe, and easily the most well-known, the Infinity Gauntlet will take center stage in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, where the Mad Titan Thanos will seek to collect the remaining stones and destroy our beloved heroes in the process.
While we’ve gotten a glimpse at what each Infinity Stone is capable of on their own in the MCU (save for the Soul Stone), it will be interesting to see what the gauntlet is actually able to do once fully assembled.
After all, the gauntlet’s powers are nearly unstoppable in the comics, and the only reason that Thanos is defeated in The Infinity Gauntlet limited series is because deep down he knows he isn’t worthy of such magnificent power.
The MCU has already changed the origins, colors, and names of these mighty powerful stones, but will it change their powersets as well?
Let's take a look back at the most impressive feats of the Infinity Gauntlet from the past — from everything the gauntlet’s created, destroyed, and transformed — and only then might we have a better idea of how the MCU will integrate this massively powerful weapon into the upcoming movies.
Here are 15 Craziest Things The Infinity Gauntlet Can Do.
15. Be worn by humans
If you think the Infinity Gauntlet can only be wielded by Thanos, Adam Warlock, or other god-like figures within the Marvel Universe, you are sadly mistaken. The gauntlet has actually been worn by a number of Earth-bound warriors throughout its time in the comics, including Mister Fantastic and Captain America.
However, these characters still exhibit superhuman capabilities, which means that Iron Man was really the first human to effectively wield the gauntlet.
This occurred when the Hood was in the process of gathering the Infinity Gems when Iron Man decided to step in and beat him to the punch. Iron Man even tried to use the gauntlet to erase the Stones from existence, but was ultimately unable to do so.
Nevertheless, it's entirely possible for one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes to use Thanos's greatest weapon against him in the MCU.
14. It can corrupt its wearer
While someone like Tony Stark could hypothetically wield the Infinity Gauntlet, we know from the comics that the gauntlet has the power to corrupt its wearer.
The weaker the user, the more easily they are corrupted.
This is why the gauntlet is so dangerous in Thanos’s hands. Not only is Thanos already the most powerful foe that the Avengers and the Guardians have been up against, he’s also strong enough to use the gauntlet to carry out his own agenda — rather than the other way around.
If it comes time for one of the heroes to wield the gauntlet, Captain America will no doubt be at the top of the list. He’s worn it before in the comics, and he was able to resist the temptation of corruption — though five out of the six Infinity Stones ended up being destroyed in the process.
13. It only works in our universe
Because the Infinity Gauntlet is such a powerful artifact in the Marvel Universe, any time the comics feature the fully-assembled gauntlet, things are bound to get a little weird.
To help avoid things getting too outlandish in the movies, the powers of the gauntlet are bound to be minimized.
One of the gauntlet's weaknesses in the comic is that it's totally ineffective when transported to another universe, as seen during the JLA/ Avengers crossover when Darkseid unsuccessfully tries to wield the golden glove.
However, this seems like an unlikely strategy for the heroes in the MCU, as it would involve getting Thanos to fall into their trap. Not to mention that they'd have to bring a totally new universe into the mix, which we also don't see happening anytime soon.
12. Create entirely new universes
The Infinity Gauntlet has popped in and out of Marvel Comics for well over a decade, meaning that its capabilities were bound to contradict themselves at one point or another.
Though the gauntlet is said to be ineffective outside of the 616 universe, on a few separate occasions, its powers have challenged this claim.
In one instance, Captain America wields the gauntlet to prevent two universes from collapsing on one another. I n Avengers/ Ultraforce, the Stones still have power despite being in the Ultraverse.
On top of all this, the Infinity Gauntlet has also been used to create entirely new universes. Doctor Doom’s time with the gauntlet may be the best example of this, as he uses the artifact to create an entirely new reality while working alongside the Fantastic Four.
11. Manifest beings from the wearer’s soul
In the right hands, the power of the Infinity Gauntlet is near unstoppable. "Near" being the key word here, as a few Marvel creations have been able to stand up to the artifact's powers — though we doubt characters like the One-Above-All and the Living Tribunal will appear in the MCU anytime soon.
One of its more interesting powers is its ability to fabricate beings out of the wearer’s soul.
Adam Warlock has been a key character throughout the Gauntlet's time in the comics, who wielded the artifact at the end of The Infinity Gauntlet.
Warlock eventually tries to boil himself down to a being of pure logic. In the process, his good and bad qualities are personified and turned into the beings Goodness and Magus — who become entities that ultimately function beyond Warlock’s control.
10. It allows the wearer to be in multiple places at once
Think one Thanos is scary enough as it is? Now imagine multiple Mad Titans who could be anywhere. At any time.
While this omnipresent power is explored thoroughly in the comics, again, it is a capability that will very likely be toned-down in the cinematic universe for the sake of simplicity. In fact, it will be extremely interesting to see exactly what limitations the MCU introduces to this seemingly unstoppable weapon, as things do tend to get a bit out of hand in the comics.
For instance, Santa Clause tries to make use of this omnipresent power in one of Marvel’s Holiday Specials, where he wants to use the gauntlet to deliver all of his toys at once. Sure, it makes sense — but the last thing we want is multiple Thanos to remind us of the time Santa wielded the Infinity Gauntlet.
9. Push realities apart
After learning that an alternate reality was on a crash course from Earth, a number of our favorite Marvel heroes decide that the only way to save our planet is to destroy the other one. Of course, Captain America — being the idealistic soldier that he is — decides that he will instead use the Infinity Gauntlet to push the two realities apart, saving both universes from destruction.
In New Avengers Vol. 3 #3, Cap finally dons the glove with the newly assembled gems, and Iron Man reassures Captain America that he must be the one to carry out the task since it was his plan originally and “the gauntlet acts as an extension of will.”
The tactic actually works — for a time — until Captain America pushed the gauntlet too far, causing five of the Infinity Stones to shatter with the Time Stone mysteriously disappearing in the process.
8. Endlessly transform matter
We’ve already established that the Infinity Gauntlet can create and destroy matter. But what about transforming something that is already in existence?
In the comics, this is where things take a sinister turn, as Thanos toys with each hero before ultimately defeating them. He transforms Wolverine’s metal skeleton into rubber and turns the God of Thunder into glass before shattering him like a breakaway window.
These powers are granted to Thanos courtesy of the Reality Stone.
This is arguably the most powerful of the Infinity Stones because, well, it lets the user alter reality itself rather than increasing one’s power or manipulating time. Depending on how the MCU handles the Reality Stone, this stone could arguably duplicate the powers of any of the others — but what fun would that be?
7. Imprison some of the universe's most powerful beings
While Thanos is often viewed as a god, he’s ultimately a descendant of the Titan race — though that hasn’t stopped him from using the gauntlet to defeat some of the strongest entities in the Marvel Universe.
There are a number of beings that could hypothetically stand up to the power of the gauntlet, including the Neverqueen, the One-Above-All, and the Emperor God Doom. Iin The Infinity Gauntlet, the Mad Titan effortlessly defeats a number of other god-like beings with similar powersets, including Galactus and Eternity.
Instead of destroying them outright, Thanos is actually confident enough to imprison all of these super powerful being together in a cosmic prison that he constructs above his throne. This serves as a reminder to other foes just how unstoppable he is. Might Thanos be foolish enough to do the same with the Avengers and Guardians in the MCU?
6. It contains its own plane of reality
The Soul Stone is the only gem that hasn't made a clear appearance in the MCU before Infinity War. Many have theorized about its whereabouts, claiming that it’s anywhere from hidden in Wakanda to in Heimdall’s possession.
While everyone is hung up on where the Soul Stone is, many forget that there’s an entire pocket universe that actually exists inside the Soul Stone.
In the comics, Adam Warlock has often used this hidden dimension — referred to as the Soul World — as his own personal vacation spot to reflect on his life’s purpose, as well as an inescapable prison to hold those he's defeated.
In one instance, Warlock is even able to enter the Soul World and control the other five Infinity Stones from inside. It’s always possible that each Infinity Stone contains its own separate plane of reality that has yet to be explored.
5. Allows its wearer to literally become the universe
As Thanos' mastery of the Infinity Gauntlet continues to grow, so do his capabilities. In fact, after the Mad Titan defeats Eternity, his powers outgrow his physical form and he literally becomes integrated into the very fabric of the universe.
While this may seem like an unstoppable state, it actually leaves Thano’s physical body vulnerable.
Nebula — Thano's alleged granddaughter in the comics — take this opportunity to seize the gantlet for herself and undo the actions of the Mad Titan. Thanos is drawn back into his physical body, well aware of the mistake that he made leaving himself unprotected.
Of course, the powers of the gauntlet continue to act erratically, as Nebula inadvertently frees the cosmic beings that Thanos had bested, leading to the Infinity Gauntlet eventually being taken away from her as well.
4. Destroy the creators of the universe
Just as Thanos turns Wolverine into rubber and Thor into glass, he turns Nebula into a walking husk as a form of punishment. Therefore, when Nebula is ultimately able to seize the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos, we learn that being in a tortured state for so long has left her utterly ruthless and emotionally unstable.
When Nebula accidentally releases the cosmic beings from their imprisonment, they converge on her in full force — learning from their defeat at the hands of Thanos that they need to attack all together, not one at a time.
However, Nebula’s newfound omnipotence is actually enough to destroy these cosmic being — many of whom could destroy the universe on their own — in one fell swoop. Now that's power.
3. It can protect itself from destruction
In the MCU, the origins of the Infinity Stones are strikingly different than the one in the comics. In Guardians of the Galaxy, the Collector explains that before the universe ever came into existence there were six singularities, which would later go on to become the stones.
In the comics, the stones (then collectively referred to as the Soul Gems) were the remnants of Nemesis — a primordial being who was tired of existing alone and decided to self-destruct, leaving the six Stones behind in her stead.
While the differing origins may have no effect on the Stones' powers, in the comics, its long been implied that these gems aren’t just tools, their sentient objects with their own agendas. Therefore, nothing that has come into existence after them has been able to destroy them — though that hasn't stopped many from trying.
2. Wipe out half the universe in a split second
When people want to point to one instance that truly demonstrates the Infinity Gauntlet's power, it’s most often this moment from the comics, where Thanos snaps his fingers and destroys half the universe in the process.
Why does Thanos use this destructive power so indiscriminately?
He does it because he is desperately trying to court the Mistress Death, who believes that the universe is overpopulated and must be rebalanced.
While Death probably won’t be personified in the MCU, in the official Infinity War trailer, Gamora explicitly tells us that Thanos has always been obsessed with destroying half of the universe. Once he gets all the Infinity Stones, he will indeed be able to accomplish this task with nothing more than a snap of his fingers.
1. It has an undo button
But even if Thanos succeeds in wiping out half of humanity — as he’s already promised to do — the thing about the Infinity Gauntlet is that it has an undo button.
This power comes courtesy of the Time Stone, which is currently encased in the Eye of Agomotto and under the protection of Doctor Strange and the other Masters of the Mystic Arts. But we’re sure it’s only a matter of time before it ends up in the Mad Titan’s hands.
The idea that all of Thanos's destruction can be undone at some point may seem like the ultimate Deus ex machina — especially for a franchise that consistently finds its heroes emerging from the rubble unscathed. So it will be very interesting to see how they handle the concept of this undo button in the movies.
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How do you think these powers will be put to use in Infinity War? Let us know in the comments!