'Thanos' Finale Sets the Stage for Marvel's 'Infinity Wars'

Marvel's celebrated Thanos series came to an end this week, as the present and future versions of the Mad Titan squared off in a fight to the death, for the love of Death herself. The battle itself is an exciting read, but the end of the issue actually serves an even bigger purpose than just closing out a good story arc. Thanos has now set Marvel up for the coming Infinity Wars event series.

WARNING: Major Spoilers ahead for Thanos #18! Continue reading at your own risk...

The Thanos from the current timeline faced off against the future King Thanos in a fight to impress Lady Death. After being beaten to a pulp, King Thanos was put on his knees, and he began to beg Thanos to kill him. He revealed that the entire reason he brought his younger self to the future was to be killed so he could finally be with Death.

It was at this moment that the young Thanos realized what he had to do: change the course of history. He doesn't want to be some weak old man begging to die at the end of his life. That's not who Thanos is.

So, instead of killing the old king, Thanos decides to completely erase him from existence. The Mad Titan uses Silver Surfer's dead body and a shard of the Time Stone to open a portal into the past and tells King Thanos "I will not kill you, old man. But until I am ash and bone I will work without end to deny you."

Thanos proceeds to travel back to the present, and King Thanos is slowly erased from the timeline. The Mad Titan is now on a quest to alter his own history, and dominate existence in a much different manner than he did before.

This is what leads to the Infinity Wars storyline.

Infinity Wars is Marvel's big summer event, and all six of the Infinity Gems are floating around the universe. The Infinity Countdown comics have teased the locations of these relics, and shown that multiple battles are underway to gain control of them. Thanos is returning to this era with a mission to change the future, and nothing is going to get in his way.

Thanos writer Donny Cates teased this very thing in his letter to fans at the end of this week's issue. After assuring that the book wasn't canceled and was simply ending to make way for something big, he told readers to be sure and pay attention to what's next.

"I mean...you guys, come one," Cates wrote. "There's Infinity Gems in play right now in the Marvel Universe. And with a certain Mad Titan now on a quest to change the course of history...well... If I were you, I would PAY ATTENTION TO INFINITY COUNTDOWN."

Thanos is heading back from the future, and he's got a score to settle. Be sure to check in to the next installment of Infinity Countdown to find out what he does next.

Thanos #18, written by Donny Cates and illustrated by Geoff Shaw, is on sale now online and at your local comic shop.