Every MCU Character Who Used An Infinity Stone (Apart From Thanos)

The Infinity Saga from Marvel Studios dramatically changed the landscape of blockbuster movies. Over 23 films, Marvel carefully created a connected universe centered around six powerful Infinity Stones. These stones, each controlling a key part of reality, were the focus of a ten-year quest for Thanos (Josh Brolin) and a source of fascination for fans. For over a decade, viewers eagerly followed clues about the stones and learned about their incredible abilities, culminating in Thanos’ universe-altering snap. Even after Avengers: Endgame, the Infinity Stones continue to influence the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with their power still felt in alternate timelines and realities seen in shows like What If…?.

This list highlights characters who actually used the power of the stones themselves, not just those who were affected by them. For example, Arnim Zola used the Tesseract’s energy to build weapons, but he never physically held the stone. Similarly, Captain Marvel and Quicksilver gained powers from the stones, but didn’t directly control them. Jane Foster briefly contained the Aether, but acted more as a host rather than someone who wielded its power.

1) Red Skull

Johann Schmidt, also known as the Red Skull (played by Hugo Weaving), was the first villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to tap into the power of an Infinity Stone. Driven by a desire for ultimate power, he found the Tesseract in Norway and believed it would allow him to conquer the world. He used its energy to build powerful weapons for his army, aiming to win World War II. In a final battle with Captain America (Chris Evans), Red Skull made a critical error by touching the Tesseract directly. Overwhelmed by its energy, he was blasted across the universe. Later, it was revealed the Space Stone deemed him unworthy and exiled him to the barren planet Vormir. There, he was cursed to become the ghostly guardian of the Soul Stone, a bitter fate that forced him to help others find a treasure he could never have himself.

2) Loki

As a huge fan, I always found it fascinating how Loki really kicked things off in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! He wasn’t just a villain; he was the first one to actually use two Infinity Stones. Thanos gave him that awesome scepter, which secretly contained the Mind Stone, and he used it to control people like Hawkeye and Dr. Selvig – it was terrifying! Then, he straight-up stole the Tesseract, unleashing the Space Stone and opening that huge portal over New York. That’s how the Chitauri invasion started! Honestly, the way he combined the Mind and Space Stones made him such a dangerous enemy, and it forced the Avengers to finally team up for the first time. It was a brilliant, albeit terrifying, start to everything!

3) Malekith

Malekith, played by Christopher Eccleston, was the bitter leader of the Dark Elves and wanted to destroy all light in the universe using the Reality Stone. This stone appeared as a liquid substance called the Aether, which needed a living host to gain power. When Jane Foster became that host, Malekith took the Aether from her and used it himself. This gave him control over matter and the ability to create destructive energy waves. He planned to use the Aether’s full power during a rare cosmic event called the Convergence to cover all Nine Realms in darkness. Thor, with the help of Dr. Selvig’s inventions, was able to separate Malekith from the Aether, causing his ship to collapse on him and ultimately stopping his plan.

4) Vision

Vision, an artificial being played by Paul Bettany, came to life through a blend of cutting-edge technology, Asgardian magic, and the power of an Infinity Stone. He was initially created as a body for Ultron (James Spader), designed to house the Mind Stone. However, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) took the body and gave it life by adding the JARVIS artificial intelligence. This transformation made Vision sentient and granted him extraordinary powers, like the ability to change his density, fly, and shoot powerful energy beams. Because of the Mind Stone within him, Vision became one of the Avengers’ strongest heroes.

5) Eson the Searcher

Before the stories we know from the Infinity Saga, the Infinity Stones were used by incredibly powerful cosmic beings. The Collector, Taneleer Tivan, showed a quick but frightening look at this past. It revealed Eson the Searcher, a giant Celestial, using the Power Stone – which was built into his huge staff. With just one hit to a planet, Eson released a massive wave of purple energy, instantly destroying everything and turning the planet into a burned wasteland. This clearly showed just how dangerous the Power Stone truly is.

6) Carina

Some people wanted the stones to gain power, while others desperately needed them to escape difficult situations. Carina, a servant of the Collector, suffered greatly under his control. After learning how dangerous the Power Stone was, she saw a chance to finally become free. In a defiant act, she seized the stone and proclaimed her independence, but as a human, she couldn’t handle its immense power. A surge of purple energy overwhelmed her, causing a massive explosion that destroyed both her and a large part of the Collector’s museum on Knowhere.

7) Ronan the Accuser

Ronan the Accuser, a dedicated follower of the Kree, was originally hired by Thanos to find the Orb, which held the Power Stone. But when Ronan understood just how powerful – and dangerous – the stone was, he turned against Thanos and decided to use it himself. Even with his naturally tough Kree body, the stone’s initial energy almost overwhelmed him. He managed to contain the power by fitting the stone into his Cosmi-Rod, a Kree war hammer, allowing him to control its destructive force. Fueled by this power and his extreme beliefs, Ronan attacked the planet Xandar, aiming to destroy the Nova Corps and everyone on the planet. Fortunately, the Guardians of the Galaxy outsmarted him and stopped his plan.

8) The Guardians of the Galaxy

Okay, so the fight with Ronan was insane! It all came down to a really risky move. Rocket blew Ronan’s weapon, and the Power Stone went flying. Luckily, Peter Quill – being part Celestial – was able to grab it, but even he was struggling to handle that much power. It was tearing him apart! Thankfully, Gamora, Drax, and Rocket jumped in and linked hands with him. They somehow managed to share the burden of the Stone’s energy, and together, they redirected it right back at Ronan, which completely destroyed him and saved Xandar. It was a team effort, and honestly, a pretty awesome moment!

9) Doctor Strange

Doctor Stephen Strange, as the Sorcerer Supreme, was responsible for safeguarding the Time Stone, kept within the Eye of Agamotto. He first showed his skill with it in his initial film, using its power over time to trap the powerful Dormammu in a never-ending loop, ultimately forcing Dormammu to call off his attack on Earth. Later, in Avengers: Infinity War, Strange famously used the stone to explore over 14 million possible futures in an attempt to find a way to defeat Thanos. During the fight on Titan, he also used the Time Stone to reverse one of Thanos’s attacks that damaged the moon.

The Doctor Strange from the What If…? universe, known as Doctor Strange Supreme, had a much deeper connection to the Infinity Stones. Driven by his inability to save Christine Palmer, he repeatedly used the Time Stone, ultimately becoming incredibly powerful but corrupted in the process. During the fight with Infinity Ultron, he took control of all five stones after Killmonger turned against the heroes. Using their combined power, he created a separate dimension where the villains – and the stones themselves – were trapped forever, with Strange acting as their eternal, all-powerful warden.

10) Bruce Banner

In Avengers: Endgame, after the Avengers went back in time to collect the Infinity Stones, it was Bruce Banner – as Smart Hulk – who stepped up to reverse Thanos’ snap. Because his body could withstand gamma radiation better than anyone else, he was the only one who could handle the massive energy from the gauntlet. He successfully snapped his fingers, using the power of all six stones to bring back everyone Thanos had wiped out five years before, in a truly heroic moment.

During the Marvel Zombies storyline, after the heroes beat a zombie version of Thanos, the Infinity Stones were broken, which risked unleashing a devastating energy storm. To prevent this disaster, the Hulk of that universe absorbed the stones’ immense power. This heroic act turned him into the Infinity Hulk, a being who became a living container for the stones’ combined energy, permanently holding it back and saving his world from total destruction.

11) Tony Stark

Tony Stark, the character who launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, made the ultimate sacrifice to defeat Thanos and end the Infinity Saga. During the final, universe-deciding battle, he understood that only one of the millions of possible futures Strange had seen would lead to victory. In a desperate move, he secretly used his Iron Man suit’s advanced technology to transfer the Infinity Stones from Thanos’ glove to his own. Knowing this would kill him, he snapped his fingers and famously said, “I am Iron Man,” destroying Thanos and his army. His brave act saved the universe, bringing a fitting end to his remarkable story.

12) Ultron

In the Disney+ series What If…?, a version of Ultron manages to achieve his goal of building a perfect robotic body. After defeating Thanos with the Mind Stone and collecting all five remaining Infinity Stones, he becomes Infinity Ultron – a massive threat to the entire universe. With the full power of the Stones, he destroys all life in his own universe and then sets out to conquer the multiverse. He uses the Stones to build an enormous army of robots, transform himself into an incredibly powerful being, and even gains the attention of the Watcher, a being who observes all realities but never interferes – a feat that breaks the rules of existence and puts everything at risk.

13) Killmonger

In the final battle against Infinity Ultron, the Guardians of the Multiverse received help from a surprising source: Erik Killmonger. When Arnim Zola took over Ultron’s body, Killmonger saw an opportunity to gain immense power. He quickly grabbed the abandoned armor and the five Infinity Stones inside, hoping to use them to reshape his world and the worlds of other heroes to match his ideals. However, Zola regained control of Ultron and took back the stones, leading to a never-ending conflict. To resolve this, Doctor Strange Supreme imprisoned both Killmonger and Zola in a separate dimension, where they would fight each other for eternity.

14) Arnim Zola

Arnim Zola, existing as a digital mind and voiced by Toby Jones, unexpectedly crossed paths with the Guardians of the Multiverse while they fought Infinity Ultron. The heroes managed to transfer Zola’s artificial intelligence into Ultron’s body using a special arrow, which effectively erased Ultron’s programming and gave Zola full control. Immediately after, Zola tried to steal the five Infinity Stones that Killmonger had already taken. This led to a continuous fight between Zola and Killmonger, until Doctor Strange Supreme stepped in and imprisoned them both, eliminating two significant dangers to the multiverse.

15) Kahhori

Kahhori, a Mohawk warrior voiced by Devery Jacobs, gained powers from the Tesseract when it fell to Earth in her time. Later, she directly used an Infinity Stone in a battle against an evil Doctor Strange Supreme who had broken free. Fighting alongside Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), who was using all six Infinity Stones, they eventually won. The reformed Strange Supreme then helped Kahhori return home, giving her the Tesseract as a sign of his trust. By taking the Space Stone, she became its official protector. Finally, she used its power to send Strange Supreme back to his own universe and took on the responsibility of guarding the powerful artifact in her own world.

16) Captain Carter

The season finale of What If…? saw Captain Peggy Carter become incredibly powerful. To defeat Doctor Strange Supreme, who was trying to bring back his destroyed universe, she used a special suit called Infinity Armor and all six Infinity Stones. With help from Kahhori, who protected her from the stones’ dangerous energy, Carter fought the incredibly powerful sorcerer. Her bravery and selflessness proved she deserved such immense power, establishing her as a true guardian of the multiverse.

17) Wanda Maximoff

The animated series Marvel Zombies features a zombie version of Wanda Maximoff, voiced by Elizabeth Olsen, who rises to become the Queen of the Dead and leads a huge army of zombies. She seeks the incredible power of the six Infinity Stones, which are held by the Infinity Hulk. In a final showdown at Kamar-Taj against the remaining heroes, the Scarlet Witch overpowers the Hulk and takes the Stones for herself. Instead of destroying everything, she uses their power to alter reality, creating a perfect, but illusory, world that hides the zombie apocalypse and traps everyone inside.

What’s the most memorable moment for you when the Infinity Stones appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-11-04 23:19