7 Best Thanos Comics of All Time, Ranked

Thanos has become one of the popular villains in the superhero sphere. The villain was always popular among comics fans, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe made him into one of the most well-known villains in fiction. Looking over the character’s long existence, he’s always been one of the most interesting villains in comics; he seems simple — a nihilist who fell in love with Death and tries to kill everyone — but the more stories you read with him shows just how deep he is. The villain has starred in some amazing stories, ones that have gone down in the pantheon of the best comics ever.

Over the years, we’ve gotten numerous appearances from Thanos, and some of them have jump out more than others. These stories are the Mad Titan at his best, and they’ve become legendary. These seven Thanos comics are the greatest of them all, enthralling readers for decades.

7) Eternals (Vol. 5) #1-12

Eternals (Vol. 5) #1-12, by Kieron Gillen and Esad Ribic, is one of the underrated greats of the 2020s and the Mad Titan was the main villain. He battled the Eternals and then teamed with Druig to become Prime Eternal, honing the Eternals of Earth into a weapon in his hands. Gillen understands Thanos in a way few creators have since Jim Starlin, capturing every facet of the villain. Also check out the one shots Eternals: Thanos Rising and Eternals: Heretic, which builds the story of the villain in the main book. This is peak Thanos and honestly some of the best moments in the 21st century for the character.

6) Infinity

Infinity is the middle of Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers/New Avengers run and is one of the coolest sci-fi events ever. The six issue series, by Hickman, Jerome Opena, Dustin Weaver, and Jim Cheung, saw the Avengers go to space as Thanos decides to attack Earth, with the only Illuminati in his way. Hickman writes an awesome Thanos and the last issue of the book sees the most powerful Avengers team ever throw down with him. Buying the collected edition gives a fuller look at the story, as it includes the Avengers and New Avengers tie-in issues, with even more Thanos goodness. This story is an amazing epic, and never really gets the praise it should.

5) “Thanos Wins”

“Thanos Wins”, by Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw, lit a fire under the comic industry for six issues in 2018 (including an annual which is included in the collected edition of the story). Thanos is pulled to the end of the universe by King Thanos and the Cosmic Ghost Rider, where the villain has destroyed nearly everything in existence. This future Thanos wanted one thing from younger self: to kill him. The story goes on from there, as the two Thanos have a tete-a-tete over what to do next, just as the last gasps of resistance against the Mad Titan rear their head. This was Cates’s ticket into the Marvel Universe, and it was a great alternate future story starring the Mad Titan, with excellent art from Shaw. Cosmic Ghost Rider alone is the worth the price of admission, so if you haven’t read this one yet, give it a try.

4) Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch #10

Adam Warlock and Infinity Watch is an awesome forgotten cosmic Marvel series from Jim Starlin, starring a bevy of characters he created and the Infinity Gems in adventures after Infinity Gauntlet. Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch #10 saw Thanos, working with the Watch during Infinity War, taking on his doppelganger, created by Infinity War big bad the Magus. This second Thanos was more powerful and vicious and this issue, from Starlin and Angel Medina, features the two of them beating on each other the entire issue. Starlin is able to build Thanos as a character during this fight, with the captions putting us in the mind of the Mad Titan. Medina’s art is offbeat but sensational, and it’s a classic that most fans don’t even know exists.

3) Infinity War

Infinity War is a classic that more people need to read. This sequel to Infinity Gauntlet is in a lot of way a better story than its predecessor, and its treatment of Thanos is one of the best parts of an awesome story. Jim Starlin and Ron Lim gave readers the return of the Magus, an evil future Adam Warlock, who has a plan to become god. Warlock and the Infinity Watch team up with Thanos to stop him, as the heroes of Earth are manipulated into the mix. Starlin gives readers an entirely different Mad Titan and it’s wonderful. I read this the year after Infinity Gauntlet and loved every page of this story, the story making me love Thanos in an entirely new way.

2) Thanos Quest

Thanos was killed in the early ’80s, but would return to life when Jim Starlin returned to Marvel in the early ’90s. This led to Thanos Quest, a story that saw the Mad Titan use what he had learned from Death’s Realm to go after the Elders of the Universe to get the Infinity Gems and become god. This is the prelude to Infinity Gauntlet and it is perfect. Starlin focuses on his favorite monster beautifully, and seeing him defeat the most powerful beings in existence with his intellect rather than his power is such a treat. This is peak Thanos action, with artist Ron Lim, who would draw Thanos a lot with Starlin over the first few years of the ’90s, wowing readers on every page. This story is excellent, and it should be included in every Infinity Gauntlet collected edition.

1) Infinity Gauntlet

Infinity Gauntlet is Marvel’s most beloved event, and Thanos is a key reason why. This six-issue series from Jim Starlin, George Perez, and Ron Lim takes place in the aftermath of Thanos Quest and sees the Mad Titan begin his reign as God. This leads to suffering for everyone, and two of the greatest fight comics ever in Infinity Gaunlet #4 and #5. Starlin really digs into Thanos in this one, revealing so much about who the villain really is under all the hatred and nihilism. It’s everything you could want from an event comic, and made Thanos into the superstar he is today.

What’s your favorite Thanos story? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!

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