When the big purple Titan named Thanos arrived during the credits of The Avengers, many people probably did not know who he was.
If you have been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe since then, it is pretty hard to not know who he is and how much trouble he means for The Avengers.
Thanos wants to collect all six of the Infinity Stones so that he can wipe out half of the world’s population, and he already has two of the gems.
Thanos has had multiple appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has had even more comic appearances. He first appeared in Iron Man #55 in 1968 and most recently in Thanos #18 earlier this month.
No matter what the team's plans are to battle Thanos, the Mad Titan will probably destroy at least one Avenger.
While the brilliant minds of The Avengers will do their best to strategize against Thanos, Thanos will have a plan of his own to collect the precious stones. While The Avengers may seem doomed in a sense, there are certain secrets that Thanos might want to keep to himself.
So sit back in your chair in the cosmos and discover 20 Secrets Thanos Doesn’t Want The Avengers To Know.
He Was Defeated By Squirrel Girl
When you think of superheroes who might be able to defeat Thanos, names like The Incredible Hulk or maybe Drax The Destroyer come to mind, but what about Squirrel Girl?
For those who do not know, Squirrel Girl, or Doreen Green, is a female superhero who has superhuman agility, strength, and senses but can also talk to squirrels.
She may not seem like that powerful of a hero, but she was strong enough to defeat Thanos in GLX-MAS #1.
It is never fully explained how she won since the battle is not depicted in the pages, but one could maybe assume she used her sharp claws and an abundance of squirrels.
It seems kind of far-fetched which is why the comic was meant as a parody, but Thanos would probably want any mention of this embarrassing moment kept under wraps.
He Spliced His DNA With Several Marvel Heroes
Having one Thanos in the galaxy is dangerous enough, but imagine having five more clones of him. Just that happened in the 2002 The Infinity Abyss storyline.
Mad with taking over the universe, Thanos attempts to splice his DNA with that of other superheroes; Professor X, Doctor Strange, Gladiator, Iron Man, and Galactus.
Mixing a mad titan’s DNA with superheroes’ is just as bad of an idea as it seems and his plan backfired on him.
These five clones called the Thanosi went by the names of X, Mystic, Warrior, Armor, and Omega and actually turned against Thanos. They wanted nothing more than to take out Thanos and end the universe.
Thanos ends up regaining his power and destroying his clones by the end of the comic, but a failed plan is not something Thanos would want to talk about lightly.
He Used To Have His Own Helicopter
Today, Thanos is known for menacingly sitting in his floating chair in the cosmos while he unleashes chaos across the galaxy. This seems like a pretty intense character, but back in 1979 in Spidey Super-Stories #39, he preferred to fly around in a helicopter.
His helicopter was infamously called the Thanos-copter, and it is infamous because well, it just looked silly.
Having a big purple titan fly around in a tiny helicopter was a sight to see that more than likely will not be featured in an Avengers film anytime soon.
The comic itself even ended on a silly note as The Cat and Spider-Man battle Thanos for a cosmic cube.
Thanos literally says, “Whoops! I let go of the cube!” which allows the heroes to save the day. Thanos would honestly be ashamed of everything that happened in this comic.
He Once Obtained The Heart Of The Universe
Thanos always seems to be getting his hands on objects that are too powerful for even him to handle. In the comic Marvel: The End, Thanos tried to control The Heart of the Universe.
The Heart of the Universe is an ancient energy source that has the ability to make the wielder the supreme being of the universe.
With a description such as this, it is an artifact that Thanos must have. He eventually obtains The Heart of the Universe and says that its power is greater than that of the Infinity Gauntlet.
The Infinity Stones are currently the six most powerful objects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It goes without saying that an object that could overpower the Infinity Stones is something Thanos would want to keep a secret.
He Tried To Collect The Cosmic Cube Before The Infinity Stones
Thanos desires any object that can help in controlling or destroying the universe. Before he began collecting Infinity Stones, he tried to obtain The Cosmic Cube.
The first Cosmic Cube appearance was in Tales of Suspense #79 in July of 1966. The Cosmic Cube has the ability to control and warp matter and energy.
Whoever has control of The Cosmic Cube can basically change reality and do anything they desire.
Three different Cosmic Cubes have been forged throughout the comic history and they always attract the attention of the most villainous individuals.
While the tesseract resembles a cosmic cube, they are actually two different items. This means that if The Avengers learn of The Cosmic Cube’s existence, they could have a chance against Thanos.
His Real Name Is Dione
Thanos The Mad Titan is quite an intimidating title, but Thanos actually has another name. Dione is Thanos’ birth name.
It is revealed in Thanos #14 that Thanos was originally supposed to be named Dione. Readers discover Thanos’ real name in this issue after a fight breaks out between an older and younger version of Thanos.
Thano’s mother was disgusted when he was born. His name was originally going to be Dione, but when his mother saw him she uttered the name, Thanos.
It is said that his mother named him Thanos after a cold wind whispered the name to her and after she looked into his eyes and saw a universal constant.
A name is just a name, but given the dramatic story that goes along with it, it might catch Thanos off guard if Captain America were to scream his true name during battle.
He Is In Love With The Mistress Of Death
At the beginning of The Infinity Gauntlet #1 comic, Mistress Death brings Thanos back to life so that he can destroy half the population.
She thought that having more people alive than have ever passed away was a cosmic imbalance that needed correcting.
Thanos fulfills her wishes after he collects the Infinity Gems against her approval. Thanos simply snaps his fingers and half of the population is erased.
Death is not happy with his new found power, but Thanos does everything he can to win her love.
Thanos claims that he only gained such power so that he would be worthy of her love saying lines like “She is the keeper of my heart” and “My Love is worship”.
Whether this will play a role Infinity War remains to be seen, but some people say that Hela from Thor: Ragnarok will be playing his love interest.
He Has A Brother Named Eros
Some people may not know, but Thanos has a brother named Eros. Eros of Titan first appeared with his brother Thanos in Iron Man #55 in 1968.
He is commonly referred to as Starfox and is drastically different from his brother. In the comics, Eros has teamed up with The Avengers on multiple occasions, but readers usually find Eros kind of creepy.
One of Eros’ powers is the ability to stimulate the pleasure centers in peoples' brains.
This means that he can manipulate the way people think and even make women attracted to him.
In She-Hulk Issue #6-7, Starfox finds himself in legal trouble as someone is suing him for using his powers to make a woman sleep with him.
Eros may not be as powerful as Thanos, but for the sake of everyone, it is probably best Thanos keeps his brother a secret… forever.
His Mother Despised Him
Fans of the comics know that Thanos had a rough childhood which is partly why he is the ruthless attacker most people see him as.
Thanos faced danger as soon as he was born since his mother tried to end his life after giving birth.
While his father, A’lars, was more than pleased to meet his son despite his physical appearance, Thanos’ mother Sui-San was terrified of him.
She was convinced that she had to destroy her child before he grew up because she saw danger in his eyes.
Her husband quickly called doctors in to sedate her before she could stab Thanos, but the memory has stuck with Thanos ever since.
Secrets revolving his family are best kept with Thanos and the fact that his mother tried to end his life is not something he would want to be shared with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
His Weakness Is Insecurity
Thanos may not have a ton of weaknesses but a common weakness in the comics is his insecurity about himself.
Thanos often got teased as a child for his appearance and these insecurities stuck with him even after he turned evil.
Because of his insecurities, Thanos always loses because he wants to lose. In The Infinity Gauntlet comics, the Silver Surfer tells She-Hulk that Thanos has lost battles in the past because he provided the heroes with a means to defeat him.
Whether he did it subconsciously or consciously, Thanos allows Nebula to take the Infinity Gauntlet away from him.
Thanos ends up losing the battle in the comic series because he feels that he is not worthy enough to wield the Infinity Stones.
Adam Warlock Is The Leader Of The Soul World
Whenever the Infinity Stones are in play in the comics, Adam Warlock is usually a part of the story.
While he has been teased a few times in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Warlock has not yet been introduced to viewers. Thanos would probably want to keep his existence a secret though because he is more powerful than any of the current Avengers.
Adam Warlock is the leader of the Soul World. His powers include the usual superhuman strength, speed, and durability, but he can also use quantum magic.
This means that Adam Warlock can make force fields, teleport, and also use cosmic energy as his own personal weapon.
In the comics, Warlock has gone up against Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet a few times. If the Avengers have any chance of defeating Thanos in the movies, they really need to discover Adam Warlock.
There Are Astral Deities Who Could Help
The Avengers are mortal beings, some of which will probably die in the battle against Thanos. That being said, there are other cosmic entities that could aid the team.
In The Infinity Gauntlet #3, Adam Warlock is going around the cosmos finding people to help them fight against Thanos.
After he gathers a decent sized group of superheroes, he flies to another part of the galaxy with the Silver Surfer to ask for help from the Astral Deities of the universe.
While some are unwilling to lend a helping hand, but Master Order, Lord Chaos, Epoch, Quasar, The Stranger, Love, Hate, The Celestials, Lord Kronos, and Galactus join Adam Warlock’s forces.
Thanos is still able to overpower most of these deities, but they did a lot more damage than The Avengers would have by themselves.
He Comes From Human DNA
Thanos’ origin is complicated, but it all started when the Celestials forged his ancestors. The Celestials created beings from the DNA of homo erectus and began experimenting with the genomes.
During their experimentations, the Celestials created three new species: Deviants, Eternals, and Humans.
Deviants were the first variation from homo erectus. These beings were considered a failure due to their unstable chemical makeup and physical form. Their offspring would often have varied physical bodies and superhuman abilities.
The Eternals were the second attempt. The Eternals looked like humans but had superhuman powers such as being able to use cosmic energy in order to change their physical and mental states.
Humans are self-explanatory, but the Celestials gave us the potential to have superpowers. Humans with superhuman abilities are often called Mutants.
Thanos’ parents were Eternals that were born on Earth which gives him his somewhat human characteristics.
He Celebrates Christmas
You wouldn’t think Thanos would celebrate very many holidays unless a holiday revolved around destroying millions of people.
Christmas is not a holiday you would think Thanos would be keen on celebrating, but he does just that in the 1992 Marvel Holiday Special Vol. 1.
In the Yule Memory chapter, you can find a panel where Thanos is sitting by a Christmas tree while Gamora, his adopted daughter, opens gifts.
It may seem like a touching moment but not when you think of the context behind it.
Thanos adopted Gamora after he took out her parents. He is only celebrating Christmas with her so that she thinks everything is normal and so that she will serve him when she gets older.
Still, Thanos would not want The Avengers to see him in such a festive environment.
His Allies Often Turn Against Him
When it comes to finding dependable help around the galaxy, Thanos is not known for finding trustworthy people.
We saw in Guardians of the Galaxy that Ronan the Accuser had plans of his own which outweighed his loyalty to Thanos.
After Thanos threatened to bathe the star-ways in his blood and Ronan had collected the Power stone, Ronan turned against Thanos.
People often betray Thanos in the comics as well. In The Infinity Gauntlet, the demon character Mephisto is seen as being Thanos’ right-hand man during his battle against The Avengers but he eventually tries to take the Infinity Gauntlet for himself.
In the same comic, Nebula also turns against Thanos. In this particular comic Nebula is just a walking corpse, but she musters up the strength to get control of the Infinity Gauntlet which grants her a younger body.
You never know which of these foes would join forces with The Avengers to take down Thanos.
He Has A Powerful Father Named Mentor
Thanos’ father was another character introduced in Iron Man #55 in 1968. A’lars, or better known as Mentor, is the father of Thanos and Eros and husband of Sui-San.
Mentor is part of the Eternals race, leader of Titan, and is quite powerful. Since he is an Eternal, he has superhuman stamina and durability and the ability to manipulate cosmic energy to his will.
A’lars is also the person who asked his father Chronos for help in defeating Thanos.
While a lot of superheroes have powerful parents, hence Star-Lord, Thanos would not want this information finding its way to The Avengers.
A’lars is known for trying to take down Thanos and his reputation could help The Avengers in a big way.
He Has Other Children Besides Nebula And Gamora
While Nebula and Gamora are said to be Thanos’ children, they really are not. Both Nebula and Gamora were adopted by Thanos but Thanos does actually have some children who are related to him by blood.
Thanos does have a son named Thane who was introduced to Marvel comics in New Avengers Vol. 3 Issue #10.
Thane was the offspring of Thanos and an unknown Inhuman woman. Thane grew up in an Inhuman city and Thanos eventually found out and tracked him down.
A sentient being known as Rot was also an offspring of Thanos and Death herself.
Rot was created when Thanos passed away and his energies were combined with Death’s.
The Children of Thanos as seen in the Avengers: Infinity War promos are not actually related to Thanos. They are part of the Black Order and more like minions to Thanos rather than children.
Farming Is His Hobby
Another revelation about Thanos you might find surprising is that he has a hobby besides destroying the universe; farming.
Sixty days after failing to conquer the galaxy and win the love of Mistress Death, Thanos was found on an unnamed planet as a farmer.
Adam Warlock, now the wielder of the Infinity Gauntlet, visits Thanos with Gamora and Pip the Troll. They discover that Thanos has literally hung up his villainous suit and made scarecrows from his old clothes.
At the end of The Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos is happy to be rid of the power and responsibility the gauntlet contained. Instead of scheming a plan to get it back, Thanos is content living from the soil and farming.
Maybe if The Avengers offer to trade him a pitch-fork for the Infinity Gauntlet he will back down!
He Has A Genetic Disorder Called Deviant Syndrome
Even though Thanos the Mad Titan comes from two people who are Eternals, he still came out looking like… well purple. Thanos looks unlike any other Eternal because he has a disorder called Deviant Syndrome.
Mutants are a variation of homo sapiens because of a mutation in the X-Factor chromosome. This is similar to how the Deviant Syndrome comes about.
The Deviant Syndrome takes place when an Eternal has the Deviant gene within their genetic code.
Thanos is one being who has this syndrome. This explains how Thanos is an Eternal, but he appears to look like a Deviant.
This detail may not seem like a crucial point to taking down Thanos, but anything about his genetic makeup could be important.
His Relatives Created Drax The Destroyer To Take Him Out
In Iron Man #55, Drax the Destroyer was also introduced. The story goes that when Thanos tried creating weapons on Titan, Mentor exiled him. Titan was a peaceful planet that did not have any weapons yet.
The angry Thanos left in peace but told his father he would return with vengeance. Thanos traveled across the galaxy forming an army in which he could use against Titan.
This caused Mentor to visit his father Cronos who created Drax the Destroyer to put an end to Thanos’ rule.
While this has not been confirmed as canon for the Marvel Cinematic Universe it has not been completely ruled out.
Drax has already been introduced and if they decide to follow the comics, it means that Drax is one of the only people who was made to defeat Thanos.
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Do you know any of Thanos’ other little secrets? Sound off in the comments!