The Infinity Gauntlet
Cover of Infinity Gauntlet  (2000 - 2rd printing), trade paperback collected edition. Art by George Pérez.
Series publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Limited series
Genre	Science fiction, superhero
Publication date	July – December 1991
Number of issues	6
Creative team
Writer(s)	Jim Starlin
Artist(s)	George Pérez and Ron Lim
Collected editions
Infinity Gauntlet	ISBN 0-7851-2349-0
Infinity Gauntlet
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Created by	Jim Starlin and George Pérez
In-story information
Type	Mystic item/artifact
Element of stories featuring	Thanos

The Infinity Gauntlet is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics from July to December in 1991. The series was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by George Pérez and Ron Lim.

The storyline is a continuation of the events — involving resurrected Starlin-character Thanos^[1] — featured in the third volume of the Silver Surfer title^[2] and the two issue The Thanos Quest limited series.^[3] The storyline leads directly into two consecutive limited series, Infinity War and Infinity Crusade.

Additional elements of the storyline, told from other character's perspectives, are featured in the titles Cloak and Dagger;^[4] Doctor Strange: Sorceror Supreme;^[5] Hulk;^[6] Quasar;^[7] Silver Surfer^[8] and Sleepwalker.^[9]

[edit] Plot summary

Thanos mounts the six Infinity Gems, (collected in the The Thanos Quest limited series), on his left glove to form the Infinity Gauntlet, the focus of the title of the series. Each Gem grants its bearer complete mastery over one aspect of the universe, being Time; Space; Mind; Soul; Reality and Power respectively. Desperate to win the affections of Death, Thanos decides to offer the entity a gift of love by erasing half the sentient life in the universe.

The surviving heroes on Earth band together — guided by a newly-resurrected hero Adam Warlock — to battle Thanos. In a bid to impress Death, Thanos allows the heroes a slight chance of winning, but defeats and kills almost all of them. Thanos then goes on to imprison the cosmic pantheon — consisting of Galactus; the Stranger; the Titan Chronos; Epoch; the entities Love and Hate; two Celestials; Master Order and Lord Chaos; and Eternity — before losing the Gauntlet in a moment of carelessness to space pirate Nebula.

Nebula inadvertently undoes all of Thanos' actions, and after another battle with the heroes and cosmic deities loses the Gauntlet to Adam Warlock. Thanos then appears to commit suicide by detonating a nuclear bomb rather than be taken prisoner, but actually retreats to contemplate his loss.

[edit] Other versions

The Infinity Gauntlet is featured in several issues of the alternate universe title What If. The first explores the outcome if the Silver Surfer^[10] and Impossible Man^[11] respectively had possessed the artifact. A third one-shot publication depicts a new version of the Fantastic Four - who replace the deceased original members - consisting of the Hulk; Iron Man; Spider-Man and Wolverine. The quartet successfully trick and defeat Thanos.^[12]

[edit] Collected editions

• Infinity Gauntlet (collects Infinity Gauntlet limited series, 256 pages, March 2000, ISBN 0871359448, December 2004, ISBN 0-7851-0892-0, July 2006, ISBN 0-7851-2349-0)

[edit] In other media

[edit] Video games

Capcom released two games based on the events of the Infinity Gauntlet storyline, the 1995 Marvel Super Heroes and 1996 Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems.

[edit] Trading cards

The Gauntlet has been featured in the Impel Marvel Universe set (1991); the Fleer Overpower game (1994) and the Upper Deck Entertainment Heralds of Galactus expansion set for the VS System (2006).

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• Infinity Gauntlet at the Grand Comic-Book Database
• Infinity Gauntlet (storyline) at the Comic Book DB