Infinity Gauntlet

Infobox comic book title
title = Infinity Gauntlet


caption = Thanos wields the Infinity Gauntlet. Cover of "Infinity Gauntlet" collected edition trade paperback (Aug, 1992). Art by George Pérez.
schedule = Monthly
limited = y
Superhero = y
SciFi = y
multigenre = y
publisher = Marvel Comics
date = July - December 1991
issues = 6
main_char_team =
writers = Jim Starlin
artists = George Pérez and Ron Lim
editors =
pencillers =
inkers =
colorists =
creative_team_month =
creative_team_year =
creators =
TPB = Infinity Gauntlet
ISBN = 0-7851-2349-0
subcat = Marvel Comics
sort = Infinity GauntletThe Infinity Gauntlet is a fictional artifact that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.

The Gauntlet is a glove mounted with the six Infinity Gems. Each Infinity Gem grants its bearer complete mastery over one aspect of the Universe, being Time; Space; Mind; Soul; Reality and Power. A seventh gem, Ego, is revealed later to exist. ["Avengers/Ultraforce" # 1 - 2 (1995)]

A wielder of all six Infinity Gems has, in theory, virtual omnipotence and can manipulate the universe on whim. Only the cosmic entity Living Tribunal has been implied to be beyond the power of the Gems, as it managed to prevent them from being used in conjunction. ["Warlock and the Infinity Watch" #1 (1991)]

Publication history

In 1991, Marvel Comics produced "The Infinity Gauntlet", a six-issue limited series written by Jim Starlin and penciled by George Pérez and Ron Lim. The mini-series "The Thanos Quest" is the stories prologue and other titles, like "Doctor Strange" and "Silver Surfer" dealt with related events.

In 1992 and 1993, respectively, two six-part sequels — "The Infinity War "and "The Infinity Crusade" — were published dealing with the ramifications for the Marvel Universe. These two series were also written by Jim Starlin and illustrated by Ron Lim.

Fictional artifact history

The Titan Thanos, desperate to win Death's affections, decides to offer her 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 still manages to kill 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 his granddaughter Nebula. After another battle with the heroes and the cosmic pantheon (as Nebula inadvertently undoes their defeat) Nebula 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.

JLA/Avengers

In a temporarily shared universe, the Avengers and Justice League of America, compete to collect twelve items of power, one of which is the Infinity Gauntlet. The gauntlet is discovered by Darkseid on Apokolips, but he dismisses it when he learns that it cannot affect reality in the DC universe. ["JLA/Avengers" #1-4 (Sept. 2004 - Apr. 2005)]

Illuminati

Mr. Fantastic and the other members of the "" locate all six gems, and each take one for safekeeping. To prevent any misuse of power, each member keeps the location of the gem in his possession a secret. ["Illuminati" #2 (Mar. 2007). ]

Collected editions

The series has been collected into a trade paperback:

*"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)

In other media

Video games

In 1995, the company Capcom released a game loosely based on the events of the Infinity Gauntlet storyline, titled "Marvel Super Heroes".

Trading cards

In 1995, the company Fleer released an Overpower game that features the Infinity Gauntlet.

In 2006, Upper Deck Entertainment released the "Heralds of Galactus" expansion set for its VS System trading card game. It features the Infinity Gauntlet.

Notes

References

*gcdb series|id=4245|title="Infinity Gauntlet"
*comicbookdb|type=title|id=672|title="Infinity Gauntlet"
*comicbookdb|type=storyarc|id=277|title=Infinity Gauntlet (storyline)