Summary
AsThanosbegins exploring the power of the new seventh Infinity Stone, Marvel fans just learned that theDeath Stoneis the ultimate weapon against the original six.Thanos recently forged the Death Stone, creating a seemingly impossible artifact with supreme control over mortality. However, he needs the other Infinity Stones to fully break it to his will.
InThanos Annual 2024 #1, Thanos attacks Star, aka Ripley Ryan, who is the current wielder of the Reality Stone. Star fights back using her reality-manipulation powers, turning the floor to lava and Thanos' weaponry into butterflies.Thanos survives the attacks, then downs Star with asingle blastof the Death Stone, which currently is nowhere near its full power.
Thanos then proceeds to fight Star, Overtime and Quantum - the Reality, Time and Space Stone bearers. Despite their Stones all powering each other up, the trio barely get away alive. Indeed, they technically didn’t - Overtime reveals that he’s from the future and came back to do the fight over again, hinting thatthe first time they tangled with Thanos, Star was permanently killed.
Thanos' Snap Had a 50% Chance of Turning Him into a Gorilla (Really)
The Marvel Universe is a big, weird place, and when someone like Thanos kills half of all life, there are going to be some unintended consequences.
Thanos' Death Stone Immediately Took Down the Reality Stone Bearer
Thankfully, the Stone Is Now in the Hands of a Hero
In 2023’sThanosseries (from Christopher Cantwell and Germán Peralta), Thanos discovered that Death had incarnated on Earth as a human, wanting to experience life. Feeling that she’d abandoned her cosmic purpose, Thanos trapped her in an artificial Infinity Stone, creating the Death Stone. Despite this move, Death is still resisting her captor, prompting Thanos to seek out the other Stones to break her will. Thankfully, this issue sees the Death Stone flee Thanos, finding anew host in the resurrected Phil Coulson.
The ORIGINAL Seventh Infinity Stone Explains the Death Stone’s Primacy
There Was Always Meant to Be a Binding Intelligence
While the Infinity Stones have always been powerful, it’s never been apparent that one was wildly more powerful than the rest - indeed, they actually create a circuit where each draws its power from the next. However, Thanos downing the Reality Stone bearer with a single shot of living death - then taking out three bearers working together - suggests the Death Stone holds primacy over the other six. This is interesting in relation to Infinity Stone lore, as previous stories established that theStones were controlled by the Ego Stone. The Ego Stone contained the trapped consciousness of the godlike Nemesis - the primordial god from which the original Stones were formed.
Marvel hasn’t really acknowledged the Ego Stone since its 1995 crossover with the ‘Ultraverse’ publishing line, essentially ignoring its place in the Stones' lore. However, the story does exist, and it would suggest thatthe Stoneswerealways meant to be controlled by a central Stone with its own consciousness. This is something Nighthawk points out inSpider-Man Annual 2024, speculating that maybe there was always meant to be a seventh Infinity Stone.
Marvel’s Biggest Infinity Stone Expert Is So Dangerous, He’s Guarded by the Watchers, Thanos, Galactus & Dormammu
One entity in the Marvel Universe holds the secrets to the Infinity Stones, and his knowledge is so crucial, he’s protected by powerful cosmic beings.
The Death Stone Gives the Infinity Watch a Real Leader
Thanos AnnualandSpider-ManAnnualare both part of the ‘Infinity Watch’ event taking place across Marvel’s 2024 annuals, which the publisher has promised will create anew version of the cosmic Infinity Watch team. Currently, each Stone has a superhuman wielder bonded to it on a physical level, with only the Mind Stone’s bearer still to be officially introduced:
Short-range reality manipulation
Former Thunderbolts member and Captain Marvel enemy
Close-range teleportation and portals
Former henchman for the Assessor and Miles Morales enemy
Can summon lifelike energy constructs
Solo operator
Time Stone
Overtime (aka Hector Bautista)
Low-power time manipulation, including pausing events and very short-range time travel
Enhanced physique and ability to enhance powers of others
Galactic mercenary and Guardians of the Galaxy Ally
Phil Coulson
Resurrected from death, other powers not yet known
Former SHIELD operative who later turned against superheroes - close friend of Nick Fury.
Battle Scars #6by Chris Yost, Matt Fraction, Cullen Bunn and Scot Eaton
Given the Death Stone’s power over the others, it’s now very likely that this team will assemble under the leadership of Phil Coulson - the current wielder of theDeath Stone, and Death’s chosen ally after escapingThanos' influence.
