The Infinity Gauntlet is notorious among Marvel comic book fans. Marvel Cinematic Universe fans got to see it in action in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and it was terrifying. The legendary Gauntlet enabled the Mad Titan Thanos to snap his fingers and impose his will on the entire universe, making him virtually unstoppable and causing audiences to worry about the Avengers' fates.
The Infinity Gauntlet is one of those weapons that comes along when a comics writer wants to menace an entire universe full of superheroes and superpowered weapons. Boasting virtually limitless power, the Infinity Gauntlet can alter the shape of reality with a mere snap of the fingers. It trumps (nearly) everything else in existence, as it is armed with the six Infinity Stones -- Time, Reality, Space, Mind, Power, and Soul. It begs the question as to what other fictional weapons, if any, can stand up to the big gold glove.
Updated by Amanda Bruce on December 6th, 2021: No matter how powerful a comic book hero or weapon seems, there's always got to be someone or something stronger. That's what keeps fans on their toes. The Infinity Stones, and the Gauntlet that combines them, seems like the strongest comic book based weapon out there when it's first introduced on the page (and in the MCU), but as the MCU recently revealed in the Loki series, even the most powerful weapon can be made useless.
Weapons That Could Beat The Infinity Gauntlet
Lanterns’ Power Rings
If fans have heard anything about the Lantern Corps power rings, they've likely heard them in the same sentence as "the most powerful weapon in the universe." There has never been any specified limit to the power of the Lanterns' rings -- since each power ring depends on the strength of a specific emotion from its wielder, there's really no telling how powerful the rings could become with the right user.
The powers the rings grant include a protective life-support suit, flight, energy beams, and virtually any construct the wielder can think of, made from an unspecified kind of solidified light. It makes sense that the most powerful weapon in DC's universe would square up against the most powerful weapon in Marvel's universe, the Infinity Gauntlet. Both of the weapons rely on the strength and imagination of their wielder to be effective in battle, and while the Infinity Gauntlet has a wider range of powers, there's really no telling what the power rings' limits are.
The Clear Cards
In the Cardcaptor Sakura anime and manga, the tarot-like cards that the titular character uses are incredibly powerful. Much like the Infinity Stones, each card has its own function. Being successful in a confrontation would depend on just how well different cards were combined and utilized. The Clear Cards are more powerful than the original Clow Cards in the series because they're created from Sakura's own magical abilities.
Amongst the cards are ones that allow Sakura the ability to fly, change the weather, bend reality to her will, and even turn back time. She has all of the same abilities as the Infinity Stones. All that matters is her own creativity to beat out the Gauntlet.
Stormbreaker
Fans who saw Avengers: Infinity War should have expected this one. Thor's Stormbreaker is a weapon forged for the kings of Asgard, a weapon that can cleave through anything, be it gods, monsters, titans, or the power of the Infinity Gauntlet. Thor makes a dramatic entrance in Infinity War and immediately changes the face of an entire battlefield as he waits for the Mad Titan Thanos to arrive. When he finally does, Thor buries his lightning axe in Thanos' chest, a seemingly final blow. The problem is, with the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos is able to rewrite reality with his last breath.
Thanos basically says it himself: if Thor had aimed at Thanos' head, it would have been an instant elimination, and Thor would have won the battle.
The Sword of Superman
The Sword of Superman is pretty weird. Introduced in a 1984 Pre-Crisis Superman issue, it has since disappeared from pretty much all DC canon because it makes almost no sense. Created by Elliot S. Maggin, the Sword of Superman was supposedly created during the Big Bang itself, long before Superman or even Earth existed. Somehow, the light of all creation coalesced into a sword that had Superman's symbol on it, and its existence explains why everyone in the universe knows who Superman is -- because they've heard the legend of the sword, or something.
The big glowing sword flies down to Superman to help him during a fight with a villain. After it somehow helps him defeat the villain, it offers to grant Superman virtual omniscience and omnipotence. Superman ends up rejecting all that power, because he thinks he's already powerful enough, but the point stands: the sword would have granted Superman virtually identical powers to those of the Infinity Gauntlet.
The Silver Crystal
As the Sailor Moon franchise progresses, the Sailor Senshi get more and more powerful with each evolution of their power set. For Sailor Moon, her power ultimately comes from the Silver Crystal. It's the same power source Queen Serenity used before it was passed on to her, and it has a ton of potential.
In addition to it actually fueling Sailor Moon's power-ups and attacks, it can also be used to heal others, reincarnate souls, and in the continuity of the live action series, bring the destroyed world back to life. it's hugely powerful, and there aren't many fictional objects that could compete with it.
Mother Boxes
Mother Boxes featured prominently in the Justice League movie, and fans may remember that when three were combined they could easily destroyed Earth. Mother Boxes are essentially small supercomputers with a vast array of powers that include teleportation, healing, transfer energy, rearranging matter, controlling machines, and even evolving sentient beings. The denizens of Apokolips are the only ones who can make Mother Boxes.
The upper limits of Mother Boxes' powers are not fully known, as they seem to be catch-all devices that can do just about anything that needs to be done. Similar to the Infinity Gauntlet, the possibilities with Mother Boxes are virtually endless. Not only that, in several storylines (including the DCEU), combing Mother Boxes makes them exponentially more powerful, so get enough of them together and they could almost certainly give the Gauntlet a hard time.
Mandarin’s Ten Rings
The Ten Rings of the Mandarin, known as the Makluan Rings in the comics, function similarly to the Infinity Gauntlet itself. Much like the separate Infinity Stones that sit on the Gauntlet, the Ten Rings each have separate powers -- though unlike the Gauntlet, that's because each ring houses the spirit of an ancient warrior. With the rings, the user can manipulate light, darkness, and gravity, produce fire, ice, and electricity, disintegrate matter, fly, change the air around him, mentally paralyze others, and emit sonic blasts. That's not even the full list.
If the Mandarin used his rings correctly and caught Thanos unawares, he would have a shot at defeating the Mad Titan. It's not yet clear if the MCU's version of the Ten Rings function in a similar way since they're repeatedly used together in Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings instead of as separate units, so this might be one time where the weapons don't line up in the comics and the MCU.
Destroyer Armor
The Destroyer may not have been too impressive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but its comics counterpart packs a much stronger punch. In the first Thor film, the God of Thunder doesn't have too difficult a time putting the Destroyer out of commission once he gets his hammer back. In the film, the Destroyer is like a guard robot, an automaton that Odin uses to guard the halls of Asgard.
In Marvel comics, however, the Destroyer is a bit more complicated. It is akin to a living suit of armor, one that exponentially increases the strength, speed, and fighting capabilities of its wearer. The most impressive thing about the armor is that its power level grows with the power of its wearer, meaning that its strength is nearly limitless. On top of its physical abilities, it can also fire deadly energy beams. With an average human inside the Destroyer, it probably wouldn't do much against the Infinity Gauntlet. But with an Asgardian? Or the spirits of multiple Asgardians (something Odin once did in the comics)? The Destroyer becomes a fearsome threat, on par with Stormbreaker itself.
The Helmet of Fate
One of the most powerful artifacts in the DC comics universe, the Helmet of Fate is what grants Doctor Fate, the agent of the Lords of Order, his power. Kent Nelson, the most recognizable character to wear the helmet, had almost no powers of his own when he wasn't wearing it. Wearing the helm, he gains the powers of flight, invisibility, telekinesis, time travel, enhanced strength and speed, astral projection, future sight, and a whole host more. Not only is he also one of the more powerful sorcerers in the DC universe, Doctor Fate also has a legitimate claim to immortality while wearing the helmet. He's even had a limited series titled The Immortal Doctor Fate.
Stack all this up and that's a weapon that could at least give the Infinity Gauntlet a run for its money. In much the same way that the Gauntlet turns its wielder into a being that can reshape the universe at will, the Helmet of Fate turns its wearer into one of the strongest DC superheroes. This is not to say the Helmet of Fate would easily defeat the Infinity Gauntlet in direct combat -- but it would at least give its wearer a fighting chance.
The Heart of the Universe
In an alternate Marvel comics universe created specifically for a series called simply "The End," there exists something even stronger than the Infinity Gauntlet: The Heart of the Universe. How could something be stronger than the Infinity Gauntlet, which can control reality, time, space, minds, and souls with its power, you ask? Simple. The Infinity Gauntlet allows its wielder to control the universe, but it is limited by its wielder's imagination and attention. The Heart of the Universe solves that problem, because its wielder doesn't just control the universe -- they become the universe.
In Marvel's "The End" storyline, Thanos manages to become one with the Heart of the Universe. He is then attacked by eternal, cosmic beings like the Living Tribunal, Eternity, Infinity, and many others, but they can't do anything to stop him. The Heart of the Universe may not be a part of Marvel's prime continuity (which resides in Earth-616, as opposed to "The End's" Earth-4321), but if it did, it could take on the Infinity Gauntlet and win handily.
Weapons That Are Worthless Against The Infinity Gauntlet
Harley Quinn's Bat
Harley Quinn is a favorite of movie, animation, and comic book fans alike. She's known for her acrobatic skills during fights and for turning any blunt object into a weapon. The weapon fans might associate with her most thanks to the DCEU is, however, her trusty baseball bat.
That baseball bat is just a garden variety bat. It's covered in Harley's own particular brand of graffiti, and it's great for smashing things... but that's about it. While Harley could come up with some pretty creative ways to evade an enemy, even she couldn't use a baseball bat to stave off teleportation, enhanced strength, or time travel. The bat wouldn't be strong enough to destroy the Infinity Stones or the Gauntlet, so it wouldn't do her much good.
Widow's Bite
The portrayal of Black Widow in the MCU and Marvel comics differs slightly. One thing in common though is her stealth suits and variety of weapons she's proficient with. One in particular gets used an awful lot against Black Widow's enemies in the MCU -- the Widow's Bite.
The Widow's Bite is actually the result of small discs she keeps on her person and can throw at her enemies to give them an electrical shock. It's as though a taser was made into small pellets. While the charge is enough to knock the average human off their feet, electricity isn't going to be much of a match for the Infinity Stones. Black Widow wouldn't stand a chance against someone wielding them on her own unless she could outsmart them.
Iron Man’s Suits
Fans know that Iron Man's suits can't do much against the Infinity Gauntlet, because they watched Tony Stark use his most technologically advanced suit to fight Thanos while he wielded the gauntlet in Infinity War. Thanos didn't even have all of the Infinity Stones at this point, but he was more than a match for Iron Man, Dr. Strange, Spider-Man, Star-Lord, Mantis, and Drax the Destroyer all at once.
Iron Man's suits are cutting edge technology in the Marvel universe (at least outside of Wakanda), but they don't have the overwhelming power of even one Infinity Stone, let alone several combined. In a straight-up fight, Iron Man could never stand a chance against an opponent with the Infinity Gauntlet. Iron Man's suits are too bound by manmade technology. They don't have any spirits of wizards or Asgardian magic or time travel to help them -- they're pretty much just rockets and lasers.
Hawkeye and Green Arrow’s Bows
This is kind of a no-brainer, really, and also a pretty decent explanation of why Hawkeye didn't appear in Infinity War. It's near impossible to beat an almighty Titan with a regular bow, even with a bunch of snazzy trick arrows.
Green Arrow and Hawkeye are fun superheroes who bring tons of skills to the table, but they'd have trouble beating Thanos, even without any Infinity Stones. When Thanos has the Infinity Gauntlet, with the six most powerful objects in the universe strapped to it? The Power Stone alone would be too much for Green Arrow and Hawkeye to deal with. Yes, their bows each pack a punch with arrows that explode or electrocute or ensnare, but sometimes tricks are just no substitute for raw power.
The Byakugan
The Naruto franchise is unique in that there are less artifacts as weapons in it, and more the abilities of the characters used as weapons instead. One ability inherited through the Hyuga bloodline is the Byakugan. It's essentially the ability to see everything, even the chakra (or energy) pathways in the human body.
While it's a powerful tool during a fight, it's useless if the person wielding it doesn't fully understand how to use the power. Hinata Hyuga, for example, only has a loose grasp on how powerful it can make her at the start of the franchise, but by the end of her teen years, she's using it to help her create new fighting methods. That being said, it wouldn't be a match for the Infinity Stones, unless it could somehow give her a way to see how to destroy them, but the Byakugan isn't exactly x-ray vision, and it's not going to do the work for the person using it.
Wonder Woman’s Lasso
Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth is a great tool. Known primarily as a device that forces those ensnared in it to tell the truth, it also happens to be indestructible. It appears to be of whatever length Wonder Woman needs it to be, and it can even encircle large amounts of people at once and make them all tell the truth. However, none of that would stop the powers of the Infinity Gauntlet. Even if the Lasso's original powers of causing those caught in it to submit to its wielder are included, the Infinity Gauntlet has powers that protect its user from mind control.
In the end, the Lasso of Hestia would be pretty much useless against the Mad Titan and his Infinity Stones. It's a perfect lie detector and a great way for Wonder Woman to win people to her cause. While the weapon itself wouldn't compete with the Infinity Gauntlet, in Wonder Woman's hands it could perhaps have convinced Thanos to give up his evil desires.
Captain America’s Shield
As it turns out, not everybody must yield when Captain America throws his mighty shield. Cap's shield is certainly a useful weapon, with offensive and defensive capabilities thanks to its vibranium construction, but it just isn't on the same level as a weapon that could destroy the entire universe. Using his shield, Cap can stall Thanos pretty effectively. The problem would come from its offensive side.
The shield just wouldn't be able to bother Thanos much. Yes, it could defend Cap well enough, but there isn't much it could do in the way of actually defeating the Gauntlet. The most Captain America can do with the shield is throw it really hard, and it takes more than that to beat someone wielding the most powerful weapon in existence. Thanos could go back in time, teleport, blast the shield out of the air, or even change all of reality before Captain America's shield could do anything to hurt him while he had the Infinity Gauntlet. It might be useful in saving lives from the gauntlet's blasts, but the shield couldn't actually defeat it.
Wolverine’s Claws
Wolverine's claws are powerful weapons. They're made of adamantium, the hardest metal in the Marvel comics universe. It's a metal so unbreakable the only way to even bend it is to heat it up and melt it down. Because of this, Wolverine's claws cannot be worn down or broken, so they're always razor sharp and ready to go.
Thanos doesn't care about all of that because he has a weapon that can destroy Wolverine instantaneously, whether his bones are metal or not. Wolverine may have real tough bones and real sharp knuckles and heal real fast, but it just wouldn't make a difference to Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet. The Infinity Gauntlet could destroy even adamantium without any trouble at all.
Batman’s Gadgets
Much like Iron Man, Batman may be a technical wiz, but his gadgets are still bound by more conventional interpretations of physics. No Batarang, no smokescreen, no Batvehicle would be able to stop Thanos with even one Infinity Stone, much less all six. Just imagine the World's Greatest Detective as he uses his grapnel gun to swing around Thanos, who is holding in his hand a weapon that could reorder Batman's molecules in an instant.
Thanos could turn Batman into an actual bat before Batman's gadgets had any effect on the Mad Titan at all. Batman would need a much more powerful weapon than ropes and throwing bats to beat Thanos.
Hellboy’s Good Samaritan
The Good Samaritan is Hellboy's signature handgun, which is known for being very large and also for firing very large bullets. The gun is a powerful one, and its large caliber bullets allow it to penetrate through just about anything. However, while the Samaritan has been blessed by Catholics and its metal was forged from church bells and other sources of spiritual power, all of this would mean very little to the Infinity Gauntlet. Just like Batman's gadgets or Iron Man's suits, the gun is still just a gun, and its bullets are still just bullets. The Good Samaritan may be able to penetrate most Earthly surfaces, but they'd still melt in the face of energy beams like the ones the Power Stone can fire.
If Hellboy managed to get a clean shot off at Thanos, the powerful bullets might have a chance of getting through his skin -- maybe. With the entire Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos would have no trouble withstanding a shot from a mere pistol, however large it is. Hellboy's power comes from Hell itself, and he has his own ways of destroying worlds, just like Thanos, but he'd have to rely on other means to take down something as powerful as the Gauntlet.