Best Thanos Comics (September 2025)

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As a film buff, I’ve seen a lot of villains try to defeat death, but Thanos is different. He doesn’t want to *beat* it, he wants to *court* it – no wonder they call him the Mad Titan! But there’s a real strategy to his madness, like Shakespeare said. That’s what makes him so terrifying – beneath all the insanity and brute strength, there’s a brilliant, calculating mind at work.

Thanos was first introduced in 1973 in Invincible Iron Man #55, created by Jim Starlin. He quickly became a major threat throughout the Marvel Universe and a fierce enemy of Captain Marvel. But his early stories were small in scope compared to his later pursuit of the six Infinity Gems. This storyline was famously used as the basis for the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, although the movie version of Thanos didn’t pursue a romantic relationship with the personification of Death like he did in the comics.

Best Thanos Comics as of 2025

Choosing the best Thanos comics can be tricky. He often appeared as a secondary character in stories focused on other heroes. Even when he had his own series or events, Thanos only became popular when battling Marvel’s biggest stars. Because of this, many of his best stories are found in pricey collections or hard-to-find older paperbacks. Surprisingly, it might actually be easier and cheaper to find the original individual comic issues.

The Thanos Wars (Captain Marvel Vol. 1 #25-33)

The Thanos Wars was the first big storyline to showcase Thanos as the main villain. It hinted at the powerful threat he would eventually become in the Infinity Trilogy, which came almost twenty years later. Ultimately, it solidified Thanos’s position as a growing force within the Marvel Universe.

The story revolves around Thanos and his quest for the Cosmic Cube, a powerful object he believes will make him a god. This pursuit made him Captain Marvel’s greatest enemy, and it also brought him into conflict with the Avengers and Adam Warlock, who would become a recurring rival.

Two collections gather the story of The Thanos Wars, but they aren’t exactly the same. The 2019 *Thanos Wars: Infinity Origin Omnibus* is the most complete, including the full story, most of the related comics, and the *Death of Captain Marvel* series. The earlier 2013 *Avengers vs. Thanos* paperback leaves out the return of Adam Warlock as it originally appeared in *Strange Tales* and *Marvel Team-Up*. Interestingly, this paperback *does* include some *Daredevil* issues that aren’t found in the omnibus.

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The Infinity Gauntlet

It’s surprising to learn that after seemingly dying in The Death of Captain Marvel, Thanos wasn’t used in Marvel stories for almost ten years. He was eventually brought back to life by the entity known as Death in the Silver Surfer comic series. This marked the start of a new pursuit for the Infinity Gems, which he had previously sought to defeat the cosmic villain Magus.

The Infinity Gauntlet story arc features Thanos collecting all six Infinity Gems and using their combined power to eliminate half of all life in the universe. This event kicked off a series of three large-scale cosmic stories, including Infinity War and Infinity Crusade. However, the Infinity Gauntlet is considered the most popular and impactful of the three, significantly influencing both modern Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It’s no surprise that several collections feature the Infinity Gauntlet story. A standard trade paperback includes the original six-issue series. A deluxe edition offers bonus content about how the series was made. And for a complete experience, there’s an Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus, which includes all the related comics, as well as the story of Thanos’ return in the Silver Surfer series.

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Thanos: Redemption (Thanos Vol. 3 #1-12)

I’ve always wondered if even someone who’s done terrible things can truly find forgiveness, and it’s fascinating to see Thanos grappling with that very question. After a lot of thought, he actually starts trying to make up for everything he’s done – it’s honestly his most surprising journey yet, a real attempt at redemption.

The story starts on Rigel-3, a planet destroyed by a version of Thanos. Even when Thanos tries to help, things often end badly, leading to conflict. For example, he once offered to strengthen the Rigelians – both their population and army – by simply killing their top general.

Thanos briefly tried to be a hero, which was a surprising twist. This 12-part story was originally published in two collections, *Epiphany* and *Samaritan*, and later as *Thanos: Redemption* in 2013. However, all three versions are now out of print and hard to find.

Thanos: Return of the Mad Titan (Thanos Vol. 4 #1-4)

In 2024, Thanos returned from the dead, continuing his pursuit of Death. However, he found Death had relinquished her cosmic abilities to experience life as a human on Earth. Even after restoring her powers, she still refused his advances.

He decided she didn’t deserve her power and resolved to defeat Death instead of trying to win her over. This led him to create a new Infinity Gem, hoping to capture the very essence of Death itself. However, the gem didn’t give him the power he wanted, so he began searching for the original Infinity Gems, believing they held the key to controlling Death completely.

The ‘Thanos: Return of the Mad Titan’ storyline significantly changed the role of the Infinity Gems within the main Marvel comic universe (Earth-616). It’s important for fans of Marvel’s space-focused stories because it introduces a new version of the Infinity Watch. The story also reimagines Thanos, establishing him as a villain motivated purely by a desire for power, rather than any grand philosophy.

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Thanos Rising (Thaos Rising #1-5)

Thanos Rising originally appeared as a five-part comic series in 2013 and tells the story of Thanos’s beginnings. It starts with his birth, and reveals that his own mother tried to kill him immediately after seeing him, initially believed to be due to his unusual appearance. Later, some theorized she recognized the evil he would become.

The story explores why Thanos tried to impress Death, suggesting it stems from a childhood experience. A girl he liked led him to believe killing was acceptable if done for love. This initial act motivated him to kill the animals responsible for the deaths of his only friends, though he was then wrongly blamed for those deaths himself. This event ultimately started him down a path of unusual and harmful behavior, leading him to become both a scientist and a space pirate.

Jason Aaron’s writing and Simone Bianchi’s art are fantastic in *Thanos Rising*. While it tells Thanos’s origin story, it’s actually more impactful if you’ve already read *Infinity Gauntlet*. Knowing what Thanos becomes makes his past even more disturbing and meaningful.

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How we chose the best Thanos comics

As a huge comic book and movie fan, I’ve always been fascinated by Thanos. When putting together this guide to his best comic appearances, I quickly realized there’s a lot of Thanos out there… but a lot of it is *really* complicated! Many stories assume you already know tons about the Marvel Universe, which can be a real barrier to entry. So, I focused on arcs that are great even if you’re not a lifelong Marvel reader. I also wanted to highlight stories where Thanos was motivated by more than just trying to impress Death – his goals needed to be a bit more nuanced and interesting!

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2025-09-22 22:00