Thanos Destroyed Himself (And Became Stronger Because of It)
In the wake of the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos’ killer instincts had waned, and he had to “destroy” himself to get them back. In 1992’s Warlock and the Infinity Watch #10, the Mad Titan fought a clone of himself, created by the evil Magus, who at the time possessed the Infinity Gauntlet; when push came to shove, the real Thanos utterly destroyed his clone—and returned to full power. The story, titled “Self-Destructive Tendencies,” was written by Jim Starlin, illustrated by Angel Medina, inked by Bob Almond, colored by Ian Laughlin and lettered by Jack Morelli.
1991’s Infinity Gauntlet saw Thanos, now in possession of all six Infinity Stones, fulfill his promise to Death by killing half the universe’s population. The Gauntlet was wrestled away from Thanos by Adam Warlock, who pledged to use the Infinity Stones wisely. However, in the first issue of Warlock and the Infinity Watch, the Living Tribunal, believing that no mortal should possess such power, forced Adam Warlock to give up the six Stones; he split the Stones up among six individuals and these heroes would become the Infinity Watch. A year later, during the Infinity War event, the Magus, an evil version of Adam Warlock, managed to reassemble the Gauntlet, using its power to try and recreate reality in his image.
Related: Marvel's New 'Reckoning War' Makes Thanos' Snap Seem Harmless
The Magus took Thanos prisoner and forced him to fight to a clone of himself. The two Titans fought, each landing blows that would have destroyed lesser beings. The Magus arrives and upon seeing the two, declares “whoever is triumphant may then join [him] within this chamber;” in essence, the Magus betrayed Thanos’ clone. The two briefly discuss forming an alliance, but quickly resume
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