Thanos Could Be Betrayed In Infinity War

The full trailer for Avengers: Infinity War focuses in on Thanos, the Mad Titan himself. Rightly so; he's a villain fans have been eagerly anticipating since 2012's The Avengers. But Thanos isn't alone; the trailer gave fans their first real glimpse of his servants, the Black Order, a group of characters who are lifted straight from the comics. It looks as though Thanos and the Black Order will introduce themselves by cutting a swathe through the surviving Asgardians, until Loki is brought before Thanos to present the Tesseract.The MCU has reinvented the Black Order as the "children" of Thanos, beings whose worlds Thanos has leveled, and who he has claimed as his own. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 gave a sense of just what it's like to be brought up by Thanos; Gamora and Nebula reflected on a harsh, brutal childhood in which they'd been forced to compete against one another. The Black Order may be villains, but in truth they're also Thanos's victims, just as much as Gamora and Nebula.RELATED: Hawkeye & Other Characters (Still) Missing From The Infinity War TrailersBut, because fans are focused in on Thanos himself, they're not actually asking some crucial questions; what role do the Black Order have in Infinity War? The Black Order clearly serve Thanos, but do they do so loyally? Or is it possible that they have their own reasons for being on Earth, their own plans, and their own character arcs?This Page: A Plot Lifted Straight From the Comics

A Plot Lifted Straight From The Comics

With the Infinity Stones in play, most fans have assumed Infinity War is inspired by Jim Starlin's classic Infinity Gauntlet series. That doesn't seem to be the case; in fact, far more elements seem to be lifted from Jonathan Hickman's 2013 Infinity event. That, after all, was the event that introduced the Black Order. It saw Thanos invade Earth in pursuit of a prize (in this case his son), and ultimately be drawn to Wakanda for battle. Even the recent revelation that the film is partly set on Thanos's homeworld, Titan, fits with Infinity; that saw Thanos stage his invasion from Titan, and the Avengers had to reclaim Titan before they could finally defeat Thanos's forces on Earth.

That raises some important questions about one member of the Black Order: Ebony Maw. Like the rest of the Black Order, Ebony Maw was created by Jonathan Hickman as part of the Infinity event. He's no fighter; rather, Ebony Maw is a thinker, a genius strategist who delights in outmaneuvering his opponents. This dangerous being excels at getting into his enemies' minds, and his words can coax his foes into doing his will. In Infinity, he took control of Doctor Strange - and successfully manipulated him into tearing apart the barriers between dimensions. We've already seen a few hints that the movie will reproduce a few moments from Infinity, suggesting Ebony Maw will plague Strange in a similar way to the comics.

Crucially, though, it's important to note that Ebony Maw was not loyal to Thanos. Thanos even knew it; he described Ebony Maw as an "irritant," but one he had learned to value. On Earth, Ebony Maw's agenda clashed with Thanos's own; he sought Thanos's objective, his son Thane, for his own purposes. "I want what Thanos wants," the one Thanos called the Whisperer told Strange. When Thane's powers finally manifested, it was Ebony Maw who found him. It was Ebony Maw who manipulated events to his favor - and to Thanos's cost.

Could Ebony Maw Betray Thanos In Infinity War?

Infinity War will introduce the Black Order as the "Children of Thanos," but it has hardly suggested a bond of love between them. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 gave a sense of Thanos's parenting skills, and it was small wonder both Gamora and Nebula rebelled against Him. Nebula, in particular, seems to be absolutely dedicated to Thanos's death; Karen Gillen has promised a confrontation between "father" and "daughter." There's simply no reason to assume the other members of the Children of Thanos will be any more loyal to the Mad Titan.

"I want what Thanos wants," Ebony Maw told Doctor Strange in the comics. If the same is true here, then Ebony Maw seeks the power of the Infinity Stones for himself. Set photos have already teased a confrontation between Doctor Strange and Ebony Maw in what seems to be the film's first act; Ebony Maw was seen standing over Strange's comatose body, reaching for the Eye of Agamotto and the Time Stone within. Significantly, though, the Time Stone seems to disappear from the trailer after the first act; it's not shown on Thanos's gauntlet, even in scenes from the third act. Something seems to happen to the Time Stone, something that Marvel are carefully avoiding revealing. Is it that Ebony Maw claims the Time Stone himself?

That would fit with the "torture" scene in the trailer, where Doctor Strange writhes in pain under Ebony Maw's ministrations. In the comics, Ebony Maw held Strange prisoner for some time, and used his mental hold on Strange to monitor the heroes' actions. Something similar may be happening in the film; note that Strange is partly disrobed, suggesting the passage of time. Were Strange to remain Ebony Maw's prisoner, the villain could use him to learn the heroes' plans, to discover the location of the Infinity Stones, and to prepare to steal into Wakanda and obtain the Mind Stone under cover of the battle of Wakanda.-

So far, fans have looked at the Children of Thanos as nothing more than Thanos's henchmen. In reality, they're his generals, skilled and capable warriors and strategists in their own right. There are a lot of characters in Infinity War, but the Black Order/Children of Thanos shouldn't be there just for show; rather, they should have their own character arcs. In the case of Ebony Maw, that arc may well be one of betrayal, making him a wild card in the film's plot.

At the same time, this particular arc is a possibility, not a certainty. In interviews with Screen Rant, both Chadwick Boseman and Mark Ruffalo have insisted Infinity War will be very different to the comics. Given that's the case, it's important not to assume every detail will be faithfully reproduced. Still, the fact remains that set photos and trailers have indeed signposted Ebony Maw's comic book arc. It will be fascinating to see whether Marvel turn him into a traitor.

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