There’s a mad Titan lurking in the shadows as Marvel Studios’ biggest movie yet, Avengers: Infinity War, is about to cause pandemonium in 2018. We are talking, of course, about Thanos of Titan. He is one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic villains and in the MCU will be played by one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, Josh Brolin. While Thanos is famous for his tyranical demeanor, his Skrull-like chin, and that shiny golden armor, there is something else that everyone knows him for: his almighty Infinity Gauntlet.
The gauntlet itself is a accessory but when it holds all six of the Infinity Gems, it becomes one of the most powerful weapons in the Marvel universe. Thanos has used it to destroy planets, turn back time, and even erase half the universe, all in the name of love.
The Infinity Gauntlet is to Thanos what Mjolnir is to Thor, but he is not the only one who’s wielded it. There have been times when Thanos has lost the gauntlet and others claimed it. There are even times when the gauntlet has found itself in a whole other publishing company, albeit via a crossover event. Thanos and his mighty gauntlet always come together, so it is to be expected that when someone else has the gauntlet, Thanos will be right behind to reclaim it.
Here are 15 Marvel Characters You Didn't Know Wore The Infinity Gauntlet.
Hulk
The Ultimate universe is famous for a lot of things, among those being Miles Morales. For a time there were two Spider-Men in the Ultimate universe, but did you also know that there are two Infinity Gauntlets as well? Instead of six Infinity Gems, the Ultimate universe has eight and in Ultimate Comics: Ultimates issue 25 (2011), none other than the Incredible Hulk wore Thanos’s favorite golden gloves.
When Kang the Conquerer ambushed S.H.I.E.L.D., who were in possession of the two gauntlets, he released the Hulk who was held prisoner. He was quickly able to apprehend the gauntlets and for a brief moment, the Ultimates (that universe’s Avengers) thought it was all over. Fortunately for them, the gauntlets weren’t equipped with all eight of the Infinity Gems and the Ultimates were able to find a way to defeat the Hulk.
There are endless possibilities of what the Hulk would’ve done if he had had the full powers of the Infinity Gauntlets. Even more, it would’ve been an even scarier scenario if it was World-breaker Hulk who had wielded the gauntlets.
Santa Claus
You read the headline right, we promise. Santa Claus in Marvel Comics is as real as Thor the god of thunder and in Marvel Holiday Spectacular 2009, Saint Nicholas himself wielded the Infinity Gauntlet.
The story goes as follows: After the Secret Invasion event, Santa Claus discovered that all of his reindeer were Skrulls in disguise. With none of his Christmas buddies around to help Santa deliver gifts to the world, he asked the Illuminati (Iron Man, Black Panther, Black Bolt, Namor, Doctor Strange, Professor X, and Reed Richards) if he could borrow the Infinity Gauntlet to carry out his yearly mission.
Why would the Illuminati say no? It’s only Santa Claus who wants to wield the most powerful weapon in the universe. Nothing could go wrong, right? With so much power in Santa’s hand, the jolliest Christmas guy became as evil and corrupted as the spirit of Krampus.
If it wasn’t for Namor throwing a snowball at Santa, every kid in the world would’ve probably received coal under their Christmas tree that night.
Nebula
While Thanos was in possession of the gauntlet in the Infinity Gauntlet comic run, he kept a half-dead, half-alive Nebula by his side. When Adam Warlock and Earth’s heroes unleashed their surprise attack on Thanos, the gauntlet was stolen off Thanos’s hand by Nebula herself. With the powers of a god, Nebula replenished her deceased-looking body and resurrected many of the dead heroes who'd fallen to Thanos’s wrath, by reversing time.
While she was able to wield the Infinity Gauntlet and hold ultimate power, her reversal of time inadvertently reverted her back to her dead-like state, which allowed Thanos to wield the gauntlet again.
With Nebula being an integral part of the Infinity Gauntlet comic, many fans have speculated that during Avengers: Infinity War, Karen Gillan’s Nebula will wear the gauntlet. Given that she will have a much deeper story in the Avengers film, it’s quite possible that Nebula could be the one to actually wield the gauntlet and defeat Thanos herself.
Reed Richards
Reed Richards is best known as Mr. Fantastic and is perhaps the most intelligent individual in the Marvel Universe. So it’s no surprise that he’s wielded the Infinity Gauntlet. Even more, there’s a whole multiversal Council of Reeds and each Reed has his own Infinity Gauntlet!
But our main Reed Richards from Earth-616 is not keen on having the gauntlet. In New Avengers: Illuminati issue 2, Mr. Fantastic possessed the Infinity Gauntlet and tries to wish the Infinity Gems out of existence. He was unsuccessful and each member of the Illuminati eventually received an Infinity Stone for safekeeping.
Much to Reed’s surprise during Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four run, he discovered the Council of Reeds and he was perhaps the only one without an Infinity Gauntlet. Though he didn’t possess the gauntlet at the time, he was still the Reedest Reed.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man doesn’t like to get into trouble, even though he always seems to be the one causing it. But whenever Spidey is not making a web of a mess, whether it be it relationships or superheroing, we can count on him saving the day. This is exactly what happened when Thanos came along and vanished half the universe in the Avengers and the Infinity Gauntlet four-issue series.
When Thanos suddenly let the Infinity Gauntlet slide off his hand while fighting a Doom bot, Spider-Man took advantage of the situation and wore it himself. He then undid everything Thanos had done, eventually saving the day. Unfortunately for Spidey, he was the only with memory of what had just transpired.
Perhaps Spider-Man’s luck will be different when Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 comes around. If the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming is supposed to start Phase 4 of the MCU, then Spidey must be doing something big in Avengers 4 to be given such a privilege.
Ultron
While Ultron hasn’t worn the Infinity Gauntlet in the comics, the super AI outsmarted the Avengers and Thanos himself when he absorbed the powers of all the Infinity Gems in Disney XD’s Avengers Assemble. In the episode, Tony’s contingency plan in case they couldn’t defeat Thanos was a robot named Arsenal. But when Arsenal was in possession of the gauntlet with all six Infinity Gems, the robot revealed himself to be none other than Ultron in disguise.
Ultron then absorbed all six Infinity Gems and made his way into space. Technically, Ultron never wore the gauntlet in the episode, but he essentially became the gauntlet, in a way. He has worn the gauntlet in another outlet though: video games.
In the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Ultron merged himself with Sigma to become Ultron Sigma. As seen in the trailers and game demo, Ultron Sigma is in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet, and using it with no intention of holding back.
Adam Warlock
The superhero (or antihero, if you’d prefer) we know as Adam Warlock is as famous for wielding the Infinity Gauntlet as Thanos himself. The two cosmic powerhouses are like two sides of the same coin. Their mythology and adventures are so interconnected that it’s truly startling that Warlock won’t be appearing in Avengers: Infinity War.
One of the first times Warlock came in contact with the Infinity Gauntlet was during the Infinity Gauntlet comic run. Thanos had already collected all six Infinity Gems and willed half the universe out of existence. Warlock gathered the help of the Silver Surfer and Doctor Strange and later assembled many of Earth’s heroes to fight Thanos.
While almost all the heroes died, Warlock was eventually successful and stole the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos. With the power of omnipotence Warlock decided to separate his evil and good sides from himself, making him a sole entity of pure logic. This was a mistake, as his good side became sentient as The Goddess and his evil side as Magus.
Magus
The events of Infinity Gauntlet immediately led to the events of Infinity War. Here, Magus planned to wield the Infinity Gauntlet, but he had one problem: the Infinity Gems were each kept by a member of the Infinity Watch. Even more, the Living Tribunal had taken away the combined power of the Infinity Gems, so the Infinity Gauntlet was essentially useless. Despite the issues at hand, Magus had a grand plan.
By paralyzing Eternity, Magus was able to force Galactus and the Living Tribunal to revive the Infinity Gauntlet, a task the Tribunal delegated to Eternity initially. Once the Infinity Gauntlet reverted back to normal, Magus then followed to collect all of the Infinity Gems and take Adam Warlock prisoner.
With the Infinity Gauntlet now in his possession, Magus became unstoppable. Despite his great power, Magus was fooled. He was missing one Infinity Gem: the Reality Gem. The one he had obtained was a fake. It was this simple mistake that ultimately saved the universe from total annihilation.
Silver Surfer
Norrin Radd, aka the Silver Surfer, wore the mighty Infinity Gauntlet in What If Vol. 2 issue 49. Here, he turned the world into paradise and brought his dear love Shalla Bal back from the dead. Eventually, Shalla Bal convinced Silver Surfer to give up his divine powers before he became corrupted by the gauntlet.
The Surfer also wielded the Infinity Gauntlet in the cartoon TV show The Superhero Squad. Here the Surfer is the herald of Galactus and is given the Infinity Sword by the Avengers and Iron Man. Later, when Thanos attacks, we discover that the Silver Surfer had become corrupted with power, so he steals the gauntlet from Thanos. With the Infinity Sword and the Infinity Gauntlet in his possession, he becomes so corrupted he calls himself the Dark Surfer.
While all of this is unlikely to ever transpire on the silver screen, perhaps someday the Silver Surfer will at least be present in a good movie. Especially since Stan Lee already has cameo ideas ready if such a thing ever comes to pass.
Iron Man
In Avengers issue 12 (2011), the villain known as The Hood came in possession of one of the Infinity Gems. Hungry for more power, he proceeded to collect the rest before being stopped by the Avengers and the Illuminati. During the fight, Iron Man was able to take the stolen Infinity Gem back and in the moment wielded the Infinity Gauntlet with all its power. The Hood was easily defeated and everything then turned back to normal.
Seeing Iron Man wield the Infinity Gauntlet on the panels of Avengers issue 12 was definitely a mesmerizing moment for fans. Avengers: Infinity War comes around in 2018 and seeing that panel come to life in the MCU is one of the top wishes of some the MCU’s most devoted fans.
Since Infinity War and Avengers 4 might see the end of Robert Downey Jr.’s run as the billionaire-playboy-genius-philanthropist, it’s no question having Iron Man don the gauntlet would be the right way of saying goodbye to the character. He obviously was the one who started it all in 2008 and with the MCU seemingly coming to an end by 2019, then Iron Man wielding the gauntlet is a possibility.
Black Panther
Black Panther is the king of Wakanda, so it totally fits for a king to be in possession of one of the most powerful weapons in the Marvel Universe. In Secret Wars issue 6 to 9 (2015), Black Panther comes in contact and wears the gauntlet in Doctor Doom’s Battleworld. He eventually defeats Doom and goes back in time to warn Reed Richards about the events that would lead to the destruction of the multiverse itself. As it always goes, the multiverse was saved.
Black Panther is one of the most interesting superheroes to debut in the MCU and his own solo movie in 2018 might hold the resting place of the last Infinity Stone, the Soul Stone. Many fans speculate that his Black Panther supernatural powers may derive from the Soul Stone itself. This brings up the possibility that Black Panther might then come into possession of the Infinity Gauntlet sometime in Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers 4.
While this only exists in the realm of speculation, one can’t deny that seeing Black Panther with the powers of a god would be an MCU highlight.
Captain America
In the events before Secret Wars (2015), the Illuminati was faced with a serious issue. Earth-616 and an alternate Earth were in the brink of collision, so they decided that one of the Illuminati members would wield the Infinity Gauntlet to stop the terrible event from happening. Of course, this person was the always righteous Captain America.
In the midst of carrying out the deed, the power of the gauntlet was so vast that it exploded. Yup, exploded. This left the Illuminati with only one choice: the alternate Earth and all of its inhabitants must be destroyed. Obviously, Captain America opposed this idea. As a result, his memories were wiped. All of this led to the events of Secret Wars.
It’s no surprise Captain America would be opposed to such an idea, but would MCU Captain America hold the same position? Absolutely. Steve Rogers in the MCU may not be an Avenger at the moment, but he would still protect anybody no matter the universe. Which begs the question: will Cap wield the Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers: Infinity War? Only time and a movie ticket will tell.
Doctor Doom
Remember the aforementioned Council of Reeds? It was there where Doctor Doom first wore the Infinity Gauntlet. He seemingly died saving the universe from evil Celestials, but then wakes up in the middle of a discussion in the Council of Reeds. Doom then follows to steal two Infinity Gauntlets and finds a whole bunch of imprisoned alternate versions of himself. As any Doctor Doom would do, our Doom gets the idea of forming his own evil council of evil Dooms.
Another time Doctor Doom came in contact with the Infinity Gauntlet was in the Capcom arcade video game Marvel Super Heroes. But perhaps the best time Doctor Doom wielded the Infinity Gauntlet was in the story What If Doctor Doom Kept The Beyonder’s Powers by Karl Bollers. Not only does Doctor Doom keep the powers of the Beyonder, he also comes in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet! Oh, and he also destroys the entire Marvel universe.
Darkseid
As far as heated debates go, the debate between who would win in a fight between Thanos and Darkseid is definitely the most polarizing one. Many fans argue that if Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet faces Darkseid, then Thanos would be the clear winner, because of the gauntlet’s divine powers. But say, what if Darkseid wears the gauntlet instead? That’s exactly what happened during the Avengers/JLA crossover series by DC and Marvel.
When powerful artifacts from both the DC and Marvel universe were scattered in both worlds, Darkseid came in contact with the Infinity Gauntlet and wore it like a boss. Unfortunately, Darkseid was unable to use the Infinity Gauntlet as the gauntlet won’t work outside its parent universe. But still, the chances are endless to what Darkseid could do if he ever had such godly Marvel powers.
If Superman was able to lift Thor’s hammer, imagine what Darkseid could do with the mighty Infinity Gauntlet.
Lockjaw
Marvel Comics has some very interesting stories and the time Lockjaw and the pet Avengers found all of the Infinity Gems is no exception. Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers was a four-issue series revolving around Lockjaw and his quest to find all of the Infinity Gems. Mr. Fantastic had arrived on the Inhuman City of Attilan in search of the gems, and lucky for Lockjaw, he had stumbled on the Mind Gem. With god-level intelligence, Lockjaw decided to collect all of the Infinity Gems and a gathered a team consisting of Throg, Hairball, the dragon Lockheed, Redwing, and the dog Ms. Lion.
When they are successful in finding all of the gems, Thanos appears with intentions of stealing them. To battle the Titan, Throg creates a temporary dog collar to hold all of the gems akin the Infinity Gauntlet and Lockjaw becomes a god. Eventually, Thanos is defeated and the pet Avengers present all of the Infinity Gems to very astonished Mr. Fantastic.
This was an amazing story indeed. While it presented us with a very different kind of Lockjaw, don’t expect this to happen anytime soon in the upcoming ABC series the Inhumans.
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Who else has worn the Infinity Gauntlet? Let us know in the comments.
