The last two Avengers movies, Infinity War and Endgame, proved to be nothing less than huge, barnstorming pop culture events. Much of this derives from the fact that Thanos is such an imposing villain. His importance to these movies cannot be overstated.
Although there have been quite a few powerful villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for many, Thanos takes the cake as the most powerful. After all, no being in the history of... anything has incited such terror with the prospect of a simple click of their fingers! In the Infinity Saga, there are several incredible, impossible actions the Mad Titan takes to prove his might. Let's take a look at some of his most formidable on-screen feats.
10 10. The Children Of Thanos Attack
Towards the beginning of Infinity War, Thanos sends his minions, the Children of Thanos, to go out and collect the Infinity Stones. A skilled team of fighters with various abilities, the Children of Thanos are an elite fighting squad that prove to be capable of going toe-to-toe with the Avengers.
Hand-picked by Thanos to be his most trusted soldiers, this team defeats powerful characters such as Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Doctor Strange in battle. With lieutenants like these, it's all too clear that Thanos himself is going to be an almost insurmountable obstacle.
9 9. Fending Off Captain Marvel
In her standalone movie, Captain Marvel is shown to be one of the strongest heroes in the entire universe. Carol Danvers' powers, gained from a Kree lightspeed engine, appear to be somewhat limitless. She can destroy entire alien ships by simply flying straight through them!
Towards the end of Avengers: Endgame, it appears that Danvers has gotten the upper hand on Thanos. Using her incredible strength, she can keep Thanos from closing his fist and using the Infinity Gauntlet. Just when it appears Thanos is about to lose, though, he pulls out the Power Stone and incapacitates the hero with a powerful punch. Such quick thinking and ingenuity prove Thanos can even beat beings on a par with himself!
8 8. Besting Doctor Strange
During the battle on Titan, Thanos faced his greatest challenge up until that point: A team of Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, assembled to try and defeat the cosmic despot once and for all.
Among this team of heroes is the Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Strange himself. Currently the Sorcerer Supreme of the MCU, Doctor Strange had truly become a formidable user of magic. Despite this, Thanos is able to defeat him quite handily.
7 7. Defeating "The Trinity"
Towards the end of Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers' iconic trinity assembles to take on Thanos together. Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor are perhaps the greatest heroes in the world up until this point. Throughout their various histories, these three heroes have defeated many of the most dangerous villains to ever live.
While the three Avengers manage to trouble the Mad Titan, he still defeats them one by one. Even when Captain America wields the hammer Mjolnir, combining his incredible combat skills with Thor's powers, he is only able to waylay the Mad Titan for a short amount of time.
6 6. Following The Avengers Back To The Future
When Tony Stark discovered the key to time travel, the Avengers knew this was their one chance to right the wrongs committed by Thanos. Hoping to avenge their fallen friends and bring everyone Thanos killed back to life, the group traveled throughout time to collect the Infinity Stones.
Virtually everyone in the cosmos was oblivious to these time travelers. Everyone except Thanos. After discovering the Avengers' plans, Thanos reverse-engineers Pym Particles as a way to follow them into the future.
5 5. Destroying Xandar
It's revealed during Avengers: Infinity War that Thanos had decimated Xandar off-screen to acquire the Power Stone. These events took place before the start of the movie, but it is easy to imagine the absolute destruction that must have taken place.
Having seen the planet of Xandar during the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, audiences are given the impression that the alien planet's military force is quite impressive. Despite this, Thanos was able to mow through those forces and take the Stone for himself.
4 4. The 'Throwing A Moon' Moment That Wasn't
During the battle on Titan, it appeared as though the heroes had gained the upper hand on Thanos. Having ambushed him, the attacks left Thanos on the defensive, simply trying to resist the multitude of attacks coming at him from every angle.
After the first few minutes of this battle, however, the Mad Titan became visibly agitated. Channelling his aggression (along with the power of his Infinity Stones), Thanos snatched vast hunks of debris from the area using the Gauntlet's power and hurled them at his attackers. It wasn't quite the "Thanos throws a moon" moment the trailers may have suggested, but it was a theatrical act of pure power on the villain's part.
3 3. Killing Loki, Heimdall, And Half The Asgardians
The opening of Avengers: Infinity War happens moments after Thanos and his forces attack Thor's ship, which was carrying Asgardian refugees. All of them possessing god-like strength and powers, the Asgardian forces would likely prove to be a problem for most enemies. Except for Thanos and his army, that is.
Thanos and his men killed half of the remaining Asgardians. After arriving on the ship, Thanos personally saw to the deaths of Loki and Heimdall, two of Thor's greatest and most formidable allies.
2 2. K/O'ing the Hulk
As the Asgardians laid in defeat, with Thanos about to take the Space Stone from Loki, the Hulk appeared. Hulk seemed to be beating Thanos quite thoroughly, as one of his children, Cull Obsidian, was about to step in. Ebony Maw held out his hand, stopping Cull Obsidian, and said, "let him have his fun."
Thanos had merely been toying with the green behemoth. Using his raw physical power and advanced fighting skills, Thanos quickly overpowered the Hulk. Few other characters in the MCU have been able to stop Banner in such a dominant fashion.
1 1. Defeating The Avengers
At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos did what no other villain had done in the MCU up until that point: he won. Fighting nearly every key hero in the entire MCU, Thanos was able to collect the Infinity Stones and snap his fingers, wiping out half of all life.
Thanos' actions devastated the Avengers. In the time between Infinity War and Endgame, every member of the Avengers suffered greatly as they struggled to cope with their many losses. There is no other villain in the MCU capable of overpowering the heroes of this universe.