Thanos

Thanos is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, he first appeared in The Invincible Iron Man #55 (1973). Thanos is a Titan from Saturn's moon Titan and is a genetic offshoot of the Eternal lineage, often characterized by his extraordinary strength, longevity, and distinctive purple skin.

In the comics, Thanos is driven by a nihilistic quest for power and a fixation with the personification of death. He repeatedly schemes to acquire near-omnipotent power, most famously by collecting the six Infinity Stones to form the Infinity Gauntlet, which grants control over reality, time, space, mind, power, and soul. This leads to the landmark Infinity Gauntlet storyline (1991) and its sequels, including Infinity War and Infinity Crusade. He frequently clashes with major Marvel heroes such as Iron Man, the Avengers, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Thanos is a master strategist and a formidable combatant, wielding advanced weaponry and cosmic energies, with feats spanning energy projection, matter manipulation, and near-immeasurable durability.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos is portrayed by Josh Brolin. The character appears in films including The Avengers (2012), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). In the films, his central motivation is to restore balance to the universe by eradicating half of all life, a goal he pursues by obtaining the Infinity Stones and reshaping reality. Thanos remains one of Marvel’s most enduring and influential antagonists.