Every Marvel Character Who Used The Infinity Stones (Besides Thanos)

Most people associate the Infinity Stones with Thanos, but he isn’t the only one who’s wielded their power. While Thanos caused immense destruction in the Infinity Gauntlet story – eliminating half of all life in a misguided attempt to impress Death – others have used the Stones for both terrible and noble purposes. Regardless of the user, the Infinity Stones always seem to corrupt those who possess them, making it necessary to remove them to protect the universe.

Whether it’s through secret societies like the Illuminati or powerful Marvel characters, many have wielded the Infinity Stones. Here’s a look at who used them and how.

10) Lockjaw

Because Lockjaw is a dog, he couldn’t use the Infinity Gauntlet. Instead, in the comic book series Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers, he wore a special collar with each of the Infinity Stones attached. This collar let him connect telepathically with the other Pet Avengers, forming a strong and unbreakable psychic link.

Okay, so this wasn’t just any Lockjaw, it was the one from Earth-97161. Things got wild when he accidentally ate the Mind Gem! Suddenly, he was rounding up this seriously adorable team – Throg, Lockheed, Redwing, Hairball, and Ms. Lion – to track down the remaining Infinity Stones. And let me tell you, this Lockjaw was powerful. He actually went toe-to-toe with Thanos and banished him to another dimension! But in a surprisingly selfless move, he ultimately handed the Stones over to Reed Richards. It was a fantastic display of power and responsibility, honestly.

9) Deadpool

Deadpool briefly obtained the Infinity Stones and, predictably, used them for his own amusement. In Deadpool Vol. 3 #45, a story called “Deadpool Roasts the Marvel Universe,” Thanos actually hired Deadpool to retrieve the Cosmic Cube. However, after finding it, Deadpool stole the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos instead.

Deadpool got his hands on the Infinity Stones and used them to assemble all the Marvel heroes he felt had wronged him, then proceeded to hilariously insult them. Howard the Duck hosted the roast, targeting characters like Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, and Nick Fury. The whole issue was a comedy, complete with Thanos arriving in a special helicopter. After the roast, Deadpool returned the Infinity Stones, bringing the story to a close.

8) Nebula

In the sixth issue of Infinity Gauntlet, Nebula briefly possessed the Infinity Gauntlet and nearly caused total destruction. While the series centers on Thanos eliminating half of all life, by this point, events had spiraled out of control. Nebula had taken the Gauntlet from Thanos, whom she considered her father, and began using its power herself.

Nebula was deceived by Thanos and ultimately turned against him. She reversed all of his actions, restoring everyone he’d erased from existence, including heroes who had died like Iron Man. She also freed the cosmic entities Thanos had imprisoned before the heroes confronted her to take the Infinity Gauntlet.

7) Santa Claus

Believe it or not, Santa Claus actually exists within the Marvel Comics universe! He’s portrayed as a mutant, and at one point, he even wielded the powerful Infinity Stones. Unfortunately, using those stones started to change him for the worse. This happened in a unique Christmas story where Santa couldn’t make his deliveries because his reindeer had been secretly replaced by Skrulls.

The Illuminati, possessing the Infinity Stones, stepped in to help Santa finish delivering presents. Although Doctor Strange warned against it, they gave Santa the Infinity Gauntlet. Unfortunately, Doctor Strange was right to be concerned – the Gauntlet’s power corrupted Santa, driving him mad. The Illuminati were forced to battle him, and ultimately, Namor defeated Santa with a well-aimed snowball.

6) Iron Man

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man famously used the Infinity Gauntlet to defeat Thanos and sacrificed himself to save everyone. But in the comic books, the story of who wielded the Gauntlet was quite different. Back in 2012, in Avengers #12, a villain named the Hood attempted to collect the Infinity Stones. He managed to find three, but Iron Man intervened, stole the Stones, and then used the Infinity Gauntlet himself.

Despite his past mistakes, Iron Man made a particularly brilliant move with the Infinity Gauntlet. He first used its power to imprison the villain known as Hood, and then wisely eliminated the gauntlet and the Infinity Stones themselves, preventing anyone else from misusing them.

5) Reed Richards

The Illuminati possessed the Infinity Stones for quite some time, and various members have used them over the years. Both Iron Man and Reed Richards have wielded the Infinity Gauntlet. Richards, specifically, researched the stones in the New Avengers: Illuminati comic series. He was aware the gauntlet had previously erased him from existence and believed it needed to be secured to prevent further danger.

Reed originally intended to collect and destroy all the Infinity Stones and the Gauntlet itself. Predictably, though, the immense power proved too tempting for him, and even the Watcher intervened, trying to convince him to reconsider. Eventually, the Watcher succeeded, leading the Illuminati to decide to divide the Stones amongst themselves.

4) Captain America

Captain America was part of the Illuminati and, like others, used the Infinity Gauntlet and its powerful Infinity Stones. The Illuminati believed the growing number of dimensional incursions were destroying realities, and they saw the Stones as the only solution. Their gamble paid off: Captain America successfully used the Gauntlet to divert one Earth, preventing a catastrophic collision and saving two worlds.

Then, something unexpected occurred: the strain of moving the planet and halting the invasion caused the Infinity Gauntlet and its powerful stones to break. This convinced the Illuminati that they had to eliminate other versions of Earth, and they erased Captain America’s memories to prevent him from getting involved.

3) Black Panther

Black Panther was revealed to be a member of the Illuminati and, like others, wielded the Infinity Gauntlet. He used the Infinity Stones after the multiverse was destroyed in the 2015 Secret Wars storyline. This event saw Doctor Doom create Battleworld and establish himself as its ruler. Black Panther was among the heroes fighting to break free from Doom’s control.

I’ll never forget when Black Panther showed up in Secret Wars #6 wielding the Infinity Gauntlet! It’s incredible to think about, considering that Gauntlet is supposed to be the most powerful weapon in the Marvel Universe. But even with all that power, when he fought Doctor Doom, it just wasn’t enough. Doom, fueled by the Beyonders, was too strong. It was an amazing battle, honestly one of the best I’ve ever read, but even the Infinity Stones couldn’t secure the win.

2) Gamora

During the Infinity Wars storyline, Gamora – Thanos’ adopted daughter – actually caused more destruction with the Infinity Stones than Thanos himself. She gathered all six Stones and, without needing the Infinity Gauntlet, did something incredible: she folded the universe in half. This bizarre act merged heroes together, creating strange combinations of different characters.

Characters started merging together – Iron Man and Thor became Iron Hammer, Captain America and Doctor Strange became Soldier Supreme, and Ghost Rider and Black Panther combined into Ghost Panther. Meanwhile, Gamora created a strange new realm called Warp World, and the heroes needed to figure out how to fix it.

1) Adam Warlock

After Thanos, Adam Warlock famously wielded the Infinity Stones using the Infinity Gauntlet. He believed he could safeguard them better than anyone, but he was mistaken. While protecting the Gauntlet, its power began to corrupt him, ultimately creating a sinister version of himself known as Magus.

This time, Thanos joined forces with the heroes to defeat Adam Warlock, who had become a dangerous being known as the Magus. The battle escalated, drawing in cosmic entities like Eternity and Infinity to help. Ultimately, they were forced to imprison Warlock within the Soul Stone to eliminate the threat for good.

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2025-11-03 22:18