Jimmy Attempts To Read All Of Secret Wars XXXVII (Infinity Gauntlet Edition)

The Secret Wars version of Infinity Gauntlet has pretty much nothing to do with the original series from 1991.  It has Thanos and Infinity Stones and multiple Infinity Gauntlets, but that is where the similarities end.  Not that that is a bad thing, just a public service message that you don’t need to read the original to read this.  (Though you should, as it is a classic.)

The Secret Wars version of Infinity Gauntlet also has pretty much nothing to do with Secret Wars.  I know Ryan, in particular, really dug the disconnected, What If?-ness of most of the tie-ins, but as a sucker for chronology, they really bugged me.  Why couldn’t this series tie into the main book?  Thanos is one of the key characters there…this book takes place South of The Shield…where Thanos is banished to at one point, etc.

Ah well, I need to let it go.  That said, this is a great stand alone little mini-series.  I previously looked at issues #1 and #2, so after the cut I will finish my look at this series with Infinity Gauntlet #3, Infinity Gauntlet #4 and Infinity Gauntlet #5.

Be sure to check out our latest Secret Wars Power Rankings, which also features links to the other parts of my read through.

Infinity Gauntlet #3

Brute force has continually not worked for Thanos in obtaining the Infinity Stones he needs.  So it is time for a new tactic.  Pretend to befriend our merry family of Nova’s.  They don’t really trust him, but when he saves them from an Annihilation Wave attack and then voluntarily hands over the Time Stone, they allow him to stick around.  (Keep in mind, these people have no idea who Thanos is.)

The Nova’s and Thanos waste little time in hunting down Star-Lord and Gamorra who stole an Infinity Stone from the old Nova headquarters last issue.  Mother Nova offers them 3 Nova Stars for it and they accept, in no small part because an Annihilation Wave is inbound.  The Nova’s and our small band of Guardians of the Galaxy escape in Star-Lord’s ship, neither trusting the other.

Mother Nova orders them to put down in a forest as she can sense someone there also has an Infinity Stone.  As it turns it, it is Groot, and our GotG recruitment continues.  He hands over the stone without resistance and joins the group in search of the next stone.

Infinity Gauntlet #4

Another key character in Jim Starlin’s work with Thanos and the Infinity Stones is Adam Warlock.  For decades in the Marvel Universe he’s been a constant thorn in the side of Thanos and his quest to collect and use the stones.  He is often depicted with the Soul Stone in the middle of his forehead.  He also has an evil side that likes to take form when convenient to the story called The Magus.  (I’m no Adam Warlock expert so feel free to correct me on any of this.)

In this story, Warlock (with Soul Stone firmly implanted) is the leader of Magus City.  He’s not too accommodating when the Nova’s and Thanos come looking for his stone.  Battle ensues, and things aren’t helped when Drax The Destroyer shows up looking for Thanos.

Warlock is draining the soul of Mother Nova but she is saved by Thanos.  As usual, he saves her for his own purposes.  He collects the stones from her and Warlock and leaves them for dead.  Now, only one stone away from ultimate power, Thanos easily kills Drax and has little concern for the monster under Magus City that is destroying everything.

Infinity Gauntlet #5

As the monster runs amok in Magus City, Thanos has teleported away.  How will the Nova’s ever find the last stone before him?  Well, they have a dog…that is a Nova…so this pretty much writes itself.

The story continues on three fronts.  One, the Nova’s hunt for the last stone.  Two, the Guardians use their Nova Stars to become Nova’s and fight the Annihilation Wave.  Three, Thanos fights…Thanos?  For not the first time in this series, a Thanos from the future has used the Time Stone to come back.  Future Thanos knows where the last stone is and for some reason (plot) his Gauntlet became useless as soon as he jumped back in time.  He wants Current Thanos’ Gauntlet and to beat the Nova’s to the last stone.  Future Thanos stupidly tells Current Thanos the location of the last stone and Current Thanos with his perfectly functioning Gauntlet obliterates him.

In true Tolkien fashion, the final stone is located at a volcano.  After the battle with his future self, Thanos transports to the volcano only to find the Nova’s have beaten him there and to the stone.  He is not concerned though.  With his four stones against their one, he should be easily able to defeat them.

Things are not looking good and the Nova’s are on the brink of defeat.  Thanos offers Anwen a deal.  Hand him the final stone, the Reality Stone and he will let her and her family live.  She complies.  Thanos has assembled all the stones and now has power over everything!  Except…

It seems Anwen did not give him the Reality Stone.  She used the Reality Stone to create a new stone, the Death Stone.  Then used the Reality Stone to make Thanos see what he wanted to see and place the Death Stone in his Gauntlet.  Bye, bye Thanos.