The Infinity Stones are, in many ways, the ultimate plot device. They’re magical objects that everyone in the stories of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is desperate to find, and they’re what ultimately creates all the conflict inside of these stories. The Stones also work because, like most good plot devices, we know very little about the ways that they actually work, or what powers they grant their users.
It’s fairly clear that every Stone grants its bearer more power than they had before, but the details get a little bit fuzzy after that. With Avengers: Infinity War in theaters, it’s time to take a closer look at one of the Stones that Thanos seemed so desperate to get his massive hands on.
Although each of these stones is interesting for specific reasons, one of the more interesting stones is the Power Stone. The Stone had only appeared in one Marvel movie before Guardians of the Galaxy, but was always guaranteed Infinity War, and to grant Thanos quite impressive power when it did. After all, every other time the Stone was used in Guardians of the Galaxy, it did incredible and terrible things. The Stone has a long history that will be uncovered in this list.
Here are 16 Crazy Facts About The Power Stone.
SPOILER WARNING for Avengers: Infinity War!
It Was In The Nova Corps Vault
When we last saw the Stone before Infinity War, at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, the Guardians had entrusted it to the Nova Corps for safe-keeping, which seemed like a good and noble thing to do.
With a Stone that powerful, it would have been easy for one of them to take it and use its power to achieve whatever ends they ultimately desired. Instead, they entrusted it to the Nova Corps, knowing that they would probably be able to protect it without allowing it be used for evil.
Unfortunately, the Nova Corps is nothing in the face of Thanos and his Black Order. Xandar was almost destroyed at the hands of Ronan using the Power Stone in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, and Ronan was merely one of Thanos' lackeys.
Unfortunately, the Nova Corps wasn't able to hold him off forever, and was, in fact, one of the first stone bearers to fall.
Thanos has an incredibly strong will, and it seems like there are very few things that are likely to stand in his way once he’s put his mind to destroying them.
It Made Ronan More Powerful Than Thanos
Although Thanos is the big bad of Infinity War, there was a time when he wasn’t the most powerful villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
When Ronan the Accuser decides that he may not need Thanos’ help to destroy Xandar and takes matters into his own hands, he uses the power of the Power Stone to become more powerful than Thanos. If Thanos was more powerful than Ronan, he would have stopped Ronan from leaving with the Stone.
Fortunately for Thanos, he’s willing to play the long game and likely recognized that Ronan would overplay his hand with the Stone.
In the end, Thanos was right. Ronan was defeated after losing the Stone and was destroyed by the Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s fitting that one of the most powerful villains in this entire series was so cartoonishly evil that he was defeated by a ragtag group of losers. It didn’t take any sort of master plot to take Ronan out. Instead, it took a bit of dumb luck and a little bit of dancing. It just goes to show that all the power in the world is meaningless if you don’t have the brains to wield it properly.
Captain America Wielded It
Captain America is, for the most part, a pretty wholesome and upstanding man. He’s Marvel’s version of Superman -- an ideal to strive towards even if it’s ultimately somewhat unachievable. Of course, even the best of us can make mistakes, and that’s true of Captain America as well.
In the comics, Cap has a brief run in with the Infinity Stones when he wields them in order to prevent the collision of two different Earths. The power of the Gauntlet is ultimately too much, and the Gauntlet explodes.
It’s telling that Captain America has the ability to wield the Infinity Stones, and may shine a light on the role he will ultimately play in taking down Thanos.
Steve Rogers was always seen as the noblest, most ideologically pure member of the Avengers, and it’s that purity that may ultimately make him the right hero to face down Thanos. Like Thanos, Cap rarely doubts his own beliefs, and is willing to put his life on the line to protect the people he cares about. Captain America may not have a long life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this may be how he goes out -- with a bang fit for the hero he was.
It Was The Only On-Screen Stone That Hadn't Visited Earth
Although there’s a great wide universe out there, Earth certainly seems to be at the center of things, at least as far as the Infinity Stones are concerned.
Prior to Infinity War, all of the Stones that have appeared on screen - the Time, Power, Reality, and Mind Stones, and have been on Earth, other than the Power Stone. That makes sense, considering that most of these films take place on Earth, at least partially - except for the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, which has yet to visit Earth outside of flashbacks, and which featured the Power Stone prominently. And prior to Infinity War, the Soul Stone had never been seen on screen.
Of course, given the events of Infinity War, the Power Stone couldn't remain in space for very long. Thanos was pretty bent on collecting all of those powerful little gems, and that meant his quest inevitably took him to Xandar, where the Power Stone is, and also to Earth, where the Time and Mind Stones were.
While he acquired the Power Stone in an off-screen attack prior to Infinity War, the Power Stone enabled Thanos to easily take the Space Stone from Loki and continue on his quest throughout the film.
It's A Remnant Of A God From A Previous Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has largely steered clear of the multiverse, at least up until now. Things got slightly confusing with the arrival of Doctor Strange, but even then they were much simpler than they could have been.
With the introduction of Thanos, though, things are set to get a little more complicated. The Infinity Stones are a reminder of the multiverse, as each one of them comes from the remnants of power that was once possessed by a god from another universe. The Power Stone is no exception and was crafted from the remnants of a god from another realm.
In the films, the origin of the Infinity Stones is simplified somewhat, and we come to understand that these objects were created when the big bang happened and are meant to represent the elemental forces of the universe. Each Stone is uniquely powerful, and each one requires some form of sacrifice from its owner.
Marvel has done a pretty good job of weaving these stones into the individual stories that it’s trying to tell, but now these Stones will be at the forefront of the story, as we see what they are capable of when they are united by a single, powerful force.
Gives The User Enhanced Strength & Durability And Allows Them To Project Energy
Although the Stone has much broader powers in the comics - ones which likely come from the Stones’ longer existence in that universe - in the movies, the stone’s powers are somewhat more narrowly defined. Based on the ways it is used in Guardians of the Galaxy, the Stone’s main powers are enhanced durability and strength, and energy projection.
The first two are fairly standard issue -- it’s no real surprise that the Power Stone grants its bearer increased strength and the power to withstand blows that may normally be crippling. That meant it was even more important for Thanos to obtain that stone as soon as he could so that he could withstand attacks from the Hulk, Thor, and the other Avengers.
Of course, there are plenty of things in the Marvel universe that are capable of energy projection, but that doesn’t mean that the Power Stone’s ability to project energy at the wearer’s enemies should be underestimated.
This Stone is powerful enough to destroy worlds on its own, and its powers of energy projection are a huge part of the reason why.
There aren’t many objects with as much strength in the universe, which is one of the reasons Thanos’s arrival may signal a new phase for Marvel.
It Was Used By Eson The Searcher
Thanos could probably have learned a lot from Eson the Searcher, the celestial who wielded the Power Stone. Eson used the Stone’s power to destroy an entire planet, and that was only the beginning of his reign of terror. Even so, Eson knew enough to wield the power of the Stone in a way that kept it from destroying him, even though it destroyed everything else on the planet he was inhabiting. He showed little regard for the living beings on this planet and was much more interested in achieving his own selfish ends.
Some have speculated that Eson wanted to reshape the planet in his own image in the same way that Peter Quill’s father Ego did. It certainly feels like something that would have been in Eson’s wheelhouse. After all, Celestials think pretty highly of themselves, and it’s unlikely that Eson was an exception to that rule -- he destroyed an entire planet just because he wanted to.
It seems like one of the points that the Marvel universe often makes is that, if there are gods in the universe, they probably aren’t the nicest people. In fact, they’re likely obsessed with their own egos and incapable of seeing anything else.
It Gives The User Invincibility And Any Superpower
If the Power Stone seems like it makes the user absurdly powerful in the movies, things are even better for the user of the Power Stone in the comics. There, the Power Stone gives its bearer invincibility, and it gives them the ability to take on any other power at will. Thankfully, it seems like this is not the case in the films. If it was, Thanos would be even more unstoppable than he already seems to be, and he might not even need the other Stones at all.
In spite of the fact that the Stone gives its wearer invincibility, it seems like most invincible creatures still have some weakness. With the Power Stone, that weakness would be the simple fact that it can be removed from its bearer.
Even though Thanos doesn’t appear to have this power in Infinity War, it’s clear that he’s going to be pretty hard to destroy.
His sheer size makes him a force to be reckoned with, as do all of the other Stones that he has in the Gauntlet. Destroying Thanos is going to prove to be a tall order. The Power Stone gives its bearer plenty of power in the movies, even if that power doesn’t rise to quite the same level as it does in the comics.
The Stone Reacts To Anything Organic
The Power Stone is inherently destructive. In fact, it’s so destructive that it interacts with and destroys everything organic that is around it. The Stone is so immensely powerful that it is capable of destroying entire worlds, and when used in combination with the other Infinity Stones, it becomes essentially unstoppable. Dealing with an unstoppable force might be something of a problem for the Avengers, even though they have plenty of power of their own.
This unique property may also shine a light on just how destructive Thanos can be once he’s obtained the stone. Thanos’ belief is that half of everything living must be destroyed in order to bring balance back to the universe, and while that seems like a pretty radical idea, it’s one that becomes much easier once he has the destructive capabilities of the Power Stone behind him.
There’s a reason that Thanos was so explicitly tied to the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy. He’s the kind of villain that would have a unique interest in the properties of the Power Stone, given his fairly radical philosophy toward life as a whole. He wants to destroy, and with the strength of the Power Stone behind him, he might get his wish.
It Represents The Destructive Nature Of The Universe
In addition to the abilities that each of the Stones grants its wearer, each Infinity Stone also has a more metaphorical meaning. The Power Stone is meant to represent destruction, an essential force in the world that many often choose to ignore. It’s this destructive force that must necessarily exist, some might argue, in order to create something new of what is already there. Of course, Thanos is also a representation of this destruction, and he’s likely interested in using this stone, along with all the others, in order to bring balance to the world.
Like time or reality itself, Marvel is suggesting that destruction is one of the most basic forces in the universe.
It’s also one of the forces that may be seen the most negatively. People rarely associate happiness with destruction, and many of the villains in the Marvel universe have sought to destroy so that they could build something new that was shaped in their own image. Thanos is the perfect character to embody this metaphor, as he brings the Power Stone and the rest of the Stones in the Infinity Gauntlet to bear on the world around him in the most devastating of ways.
The Stone Was Hidden On Morag
When we first meet Peter Quill, he’s on a hunt for the Power Stone. It turns out, Quill was incredibly lucky to come along when he did, because whether he knew this or not, the Stone was only accessible once every 300 years. The Stone was hidden on Morag, the planet Quill is on at the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy.
It was put in a deep ocean that only recedes once every 300 years, which must have lined up perfectly with the story that we see in Guardians.
This is likely a storytelling convenience, but it’s one that adds to the mythology of the world and suggests just how dangerous the stone might be.
When you consider how hard the Stone was to get, it makes Guardians of the Galaxy’s introduction to Quinn even more hilarious. He doesn’t have a care in the world as he goes after the Stone, even though that Stone has the power to destroy entire planets.
Part of what made Guardians of the Galaxy worthwhile was the feeling that the movie was in on the joke, and it set that tone from its very first scene. The world may be ending, but things can still be funny.
It Disintegrated The Cosmic Beings
As we learned in Guardians of the Galaxy, the Guardians weren’t the first group to try to tame the power of the Stone, although they were the first to succeed.
Many years ago, the Cosmic Beings tried to wield the Power Stone, and they were successful, but only for a very short amount of time. Although there were nine of them - a fairly large number - the Stone ultimately proved too powerful for all of them, which proves to be a pretty substantive warning against trying to take advantage of the stone’s power for your own purposes.
That’s why, at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s such a shock to see that the Guardians can, in fact, manage the powers contained inside the stone. There are only five Guardians, but each one of them is uniquely powerful in some way that may have made them the perfect crew to take on the stone’s power.
Their ability to use the stone’s power may come in handy if they ever all come face-to-face with Thanos together again, as they can wield a Stone that most others cannot. Of course, there are plenty of people on Earth who might be willing to give the stone a try.
It Has Been Wielded By Thor, Drax, She-Hulk, and more
Although the Power Stone had only been in one Marvel movie pre-Infinity War, in the comics it’s been around for quite a while. In fact, it’s been around so long that a vast array of characters have taken advantage of its powers.
This list of characters includes Thor, Drax, She-Hulk. and many others. It’s unclear whether the film versions of these characters could wield the Stone on their own, although it may be a stretch for Drax, considering that he has wielded the Stone, but only with the rest of the Guardians at his side.
Although She-Hulk has yet to make it into the films, it would be interesting to see what a force like the Hulk might do with the Stone, especially considering how unpredictable he is. Giving the Hulk the Stone would be only marginally better than giving the Stone to a total villain, as it’s hard to say exactly what Hulk might use it for, considering that he’s already immensely powerful.
Thor is another character that, like Quill, may have the power to wield the Stone because he is a god, and it might be funny to see the kinds of rollicking exploits that he would use the Stone for.
Lord Pumpkin Once Wielded It
Comic books tell never-ending stories by their very nature, and they often take advantage of hugely connected universes that may be difficult for even the biggest fans to keep track of. Because these universes are so sprawling, they sometimes introduce characters that may seem ridiculous to the casual fan who only knows Iron Man and Captain America.
Lord Pumpkin is one of these ridiculous characters. This magical being has a pumpkin for a head and draws his power from the candle inside that pumpkin.
Although Lord Pumpkin is undoubtedly a ridiculous villain, he was also blessed enough to possess the Power Stone for a brief time in the comics.
The Power Stone granted him nearly unlimited power, but all he chose to do with it was build himself a neat new suit of armor. That armor was probably pretty hard to use, but for a villain who was supposed to be as scheming and treacherous as Lord Pumpkin, he used his unlimited power to build something fairly ordinary.
Villains often find that they don’t really know what to do with power once they attain it, and it seems like Lord Pumpkin might fall into that camp -- a character with plenty of power and no imagination.
The Stone Can Boost The Effects Of Other Gems
Although the Power Stone is powerful enough on its own, it’s even more powerful when it is used in combination with the other Infinity Stones. It’s no wonder, then, that Thanos is so hellbent on combining the powers of all the Stones together in his Infinity Gauntlet.
If the Power Stone can enhance the power of every other Stone, then the Stones are even more powerful together than they are separate.
It’ll be interesting to see what exactly the effect of the Stone is, especially because the powers of many of the other Stones are still somewhat unclear. Doctor Strange’s Time Stone has pretty clear rules, but it’s tough to say exactly how the Power Stone could make the Time Stone better at traveling through time. Of course, the Time Stone is likely to play a pivotal role in this story, as it will give characters the chance to relive moments in which mistakes might have been made - ones that may have ultimately led to losses that could have been avoided.
How the Power Stone really interacts with the rest of the Stones in the Infinity Gauntlet is still remains to be seen, but it’s probably safe to say that the results won’t be good for anyone who tries to stand in the wearer’s way.
Normal Humans Can't Wield It
The Infinity Stones are all insanely powerful, and that’s doubly true of the Power Stone. In fact, the Stone is so powerful that no one human could ever wield it. While Thanos was certainly powerful enough to use the Stone’s power, as was Ronan, it came as something of a shock when Peter Quill was able to handle the stone without disintegrating into a million pieces immediately.
Of course, he was able to hang onto the stone because his father is a Celestial, which means Peter is a demigod with powers that he doesn’t totally understand yet. For a moment, it looks like the power of the stone may even be too much for Quill, but he ultimately tames its power by uniting with the other Guardians to destroy Ronan.
The fact that humans can’t wield the stone is the point, though. The Power Stone seems designed to test the hubris of those who attempt to wield it, with the ultimate truth being that the Stone is meant to be used communally, by a group of worthy people who want to use its powers for good. That’s what the end of Guardians seems to suggest -- whether the stone should be used at all is another question entirely.
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Do you have any trivia about the Power Stone from Avengers: Infinity War? Leave it in the comments!