Infinity Gauntlet, by writer Jim Starlin and artists George Perez and Ron Lim, is one of the most well-known Marvel event stories of all time. Dropping in the summer of 1991, it was the first Marvel summer event in years. It crossed through multiple titles and gave readers a lot to talk about with every new issue.
It also has remarkable staying power – decades later it's still considered one of the greatest event books and most important Marvel comics of the modern age. Infinity Gauntlet succeeded in ways that other Marvel events have. It remains a singular event, unlike any other.
10 Infinity Gauntlet Truly Made The Marvel Universe Feel Like A Universe
One of the problems with modern Marvel events is that they usually have a focus. War Of The Realms was Thor-centric, King In Black was Venom-centric, and the upcoming Judgement Day is X-Men/Eternals/Avengers focused. Infinity Gauntlet eschewed this completely. It was built out of affairs in Starlin's Silver Surfer but it wasn't a Silver Surfer event.
Infinity Gauntlet made the Marvel Universe live up to its name. It showcased every aspect of the Marvel Universe in one perfect package. Newer events have tried to replicate it but have never been able to, as event storytelling has changed so much.
9 Infinity Gauntlet Effectively Baited And Switched On Readers
Another drawback to most Marvel events is that they're pretty straightforward. The big bad that readers are introduced to in the beginning are usually the same throughout the book or they're introduced gradually. However, they rarely change at all in the story. Infinity Gauntlet was different, as it changed things up for readers by having Nebula grab the Gauntlet before the end of the fifth issue.
The great thing about it was that it never feels out of place in the story. Infinity Gauntlet is a story that is as much about Thanos and Adam Warlock as it is about the battle for the Gauntlet – this plot twist worked perfectly for the story. Starlin was able to switch things up on readers and make it work.
8 Infinity Gauntlet Introduced A Concept With Staying Power
The cyclical nature of Marvel events means a new concept is introduced to readers preceding the event. It's used as the event's focus, and then discarded as the cycle has to start over again. Infinity Gauntlet came long before the event cycle and played off the Soul Gem concept that Starlin introduced in his old Adam Warlock comics.
The Infinity Gauntlet and the Infinity Gems/Stones became one of the most iconic features of the Marvel Universe. No other Marvel event has introduced anything that has their staying power.
7 George Perez Drew Most Of It
George Perez is one of the greatest artists in the comic industry. Perez has an eye for composition, detail, page layout, character acting, and action that remains unrivaled.
Perez never drew any other Marvel events. While he didn't finish Infinity Gauntlet, having thought he'd have more say in the plot, he set the standard for the book going forward. Artist Ron Lim followed and did a remarkable job, drawing two more Marvel events. But Perez's art got the ball rolling.
6 Infinity Gauntlet Is New Fan Friendly
One of the problems with the modern comic industry, Marvel event books in particular, is that they aren't very friendly to new fans. It's hard to find an event book for someone who doesn’t know anything about Marvel continuity that combines all of Marvel's biggest heroes.
Infinity Gauntlet does an amazing job of laying out exactly what readers need to know without reading anything else. It's the kind of comic that can make anyone a Marvel fan, encapsulating all the great things about Marvel and doing it without bogging readers down with continuity.
5 Infinity Gauntlet Made The MCU What It Is Today
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the biggest achievements in movie history. Sequels were nothing new but the MCU set out to bring comic book style continuity to movies in unprecedented ways. In order to do this, the first three phases of the MCU revolved around one story, Infinity Gauntlet.
This continuing story arc throughout the first decade of movies hooked readers – a narrative, unlike anything casual fans experienced before. It propelled the MCU to the top of the box office heap and has made Infinity Gauntlet one of the most influential Marvel comics of all time.
4 Infinity Gauntlet Made The Cosmic Side Of Marvel Important For The First Time In Decades
Jim Starlin created cosmic Marvel as fans currently know it, playing off what Lee and Kirby created in the '60s. Starlin's return to Marvel on Silver Surfer began the process of not only building Infinity Gauntlet but also making Marvel's cosmic side exciting again.
Infinity Gauntlet left all of its main players in new places, ones that would pay off in the next few Marvel cosmic stories. Marvel events in recent years have often tried to introduce readers to new corners of Marvel, with most of them failing. IG brought cosmic Marvel back in a big way and it only died because of the comic bubble bursting in the mid-'90s.
3 Infinity Gauntlet Captured Big Action Spectacles Unlike Any Other Marvel Event
Infinity Gauntlet is a wonderfully paced comic, with the first three issues building the threat of Thanos and setting the stage for what was to come. The last three issues were action extravaganzas, giving readers the biggest battles imaginable. The fourth issue showcased Earth's mortal heroes battling against the Mad Titan, and the fifth showcased the most powerful cosmic beings in the Marvel Universe doing the same.
The sixth issue was a mad dash for the Gauntlet, finishing out the whole thing. Other events have tried to sell their spectacles, but IG delivered perfectly – balancing action and plot in a way no other event has before or since.
2 Infinity Gauntlet Was A Character Driven Event In The Best Possible Way
As discussed above, modern Marvel events are character-centric, something that sets them apart from IG. This doesn't mean that IG is all about spectacle and action, though. The story itself is as character-driven as they come, orbiting around the twin poles of Adam Warlock and Thanos. It was a unique approach to an event book and it paid off.
Adam Warlock was gone for years, but the book was able to lay out everything readers needed to know about him, as well as do amazing character work with Thanos. Modern events pretend they're character-focused but aren't – Infinity Gauntlet was.
1 Infinity Gauntlet Made The Villain Sympathetic
Infinity Gauntlet is one of the main reasons Thanos is one of Marvel's greatest villains. When many think of the greatest villain, they merely think of the most evil. What makes Thanos such a great villain is that he's more than a cackling monster trying to destroy everything in front of him, and IG illustrates that perfectly. It reveals nuances to his psyche and why he does what he does, which makes him a more complex and interesting villain.
IG was Starlin's way of not only reintroducing Thanos but doing new things with him, transforming him into a better character. The Thanos who kills half the universe at the beginning of IG is different from the one at the end of the book. Making him sympathetic was no easy feat.