Thanos is one of the most powerful, durable and dangerous villains in the Marvel Universe, but even the Mad Titan can't be everywhere, all the time. Over the years, he acquired a number of loyal followers and lackeys who take care of the mundane business of clearing planets of pesky people, destroying starships or whatever simple task Thanos doesn't have time for. When it comes to identifying just who is a lackey of Thanos, it's important to make the distinction that we don't mean ally... these people have to serve Thanos willingly, at least for a little while. Thanos' allies have depended on the situation, which is why you won't find the likes of Adam Warlock on this list.
For this list, it's all about the peons... but when it comes to Thanos' underlings, he doesn't just call for a regular person to do his bidding. Anyone who serves Thanos has to bring something to the table, which means each and every one of his lackeys has proven to be immensely powerful in some way or another. To determine just who held the most power while serving Thanos of Titan, we dug through the comics, watched some movies and television shows to rack and stack the people who took it upon themselves to work for the guy who wants nothing more than to wipe out much, if not all of existence. There have been more than 45 years of Thanos stories told in Marvel Comics, so if we missed any of your favorites, sound off in the comments and let us know! Here are our picks for Thanos' lackeys, ranked from weakest to strongest!
15 THE OTHER
The Other was a character created for the MCU to act as Thanos' personal servant. He first appeared in The Avengers and went on to return in The Guardians of the Galaxy. As Thanos' servant, it was his job to run the day-to-day operations of the Mad Titan's business. Get the coffee, arrange for an army of Chitauri for the invasion of Earth... stuff like that.
He had numerous confrontations with Loki and Ronan, showing no fear in their presence. While this may have been a good strategy at first, he might have tempered his aggression a bit when he faced Ronan the final time. Not wanting to let him finish berating him, Ronan used the power of the Cosmic Staff and rotated The Other's head a full 180 degrees right in front of Thanos (who didn't even blink).
14 THE OUTRIDERS
You remember the unnamed alien horde who assaulted Wakanda in the final act of Infinity War? If you were wondering who they were, they are known as the Outriders, an alien race devoted to the Mad Titan. Their job was to scout the universe for new planets and demand tribute in Thanos' name. If the population was significantly terrified and paid up, they were welcomed into Thanos' "protection." Should they refuse, the Outriders would slaughter the entire civilization.
In the MCU, they are presented as a mindless horde willing to sacrifice themselves and stop at nothing to assault the heroes. This is something of a departure from their comic book depiction, but all the more impressive (and intimidating) to behold. The entire race was created to function as assassins, but they have powers as well, including enhanced strength, invisibility and intangibility.
13 BLACK DWARF
The behemoth whose brutality and size rivals that of the Hulk is another member of the Black Order who made his first appearance back in 2013. The character was seen in Infinity War as one of the Children of Thanos, though his name was changed to Cull Obsidian in the movie.
Black Dwarf is a lot like Thanos' version of the Hulk. He's ridiculously strong, has enhanced density and his skin cannot be broken. While he does carry a large axe, he doesn't really need a weapon, seeing as he can go toe-to-toe with the Hulkbuster Armor, which is something we got to see in Infinity War. Granted, it didn't go so well for him in the movie thanks to Bruce Banner's quick thinking of attaching his broken arm to the giant, which blasted him into the shield where he was destroyed.
12 SUPERGIANT
Supergiant is another member of the Black Order who made her first appearance back in Infinity #1 in 2013. She is a telepathic parasite, which means she feeds off the intellect of her enemies. Her mental abilities aren't simply limited to feeding off the intellect of others; she can also mentally control anyone she wants. She used this ability to take hold of Black Bolt when the Black Order seized Wakanda in the comics.
She was thought to be destroyed by Lockjaw, but eventually returned as a psychic projection intent on controlling Thor. She failed and her form was dissipated, but she may one day return. While Supergiant wasn't portrayed as a member of the Children of Thanos in Infinity War, she has made appearances in Avengers Assemble and the animated Guardians of the Galaxy television series.
11 BLACK SWAN
Black Swan lost her world during an incursion event, which led to her becoming a major player in the Earth-616 universe. After some shenanigans, she winds up a prisoner in the Necropolis of Wakanda, but eventually finds herself a member of the Cabal. While she worked with the Mad Titan in that organization, she didn't come to serve him until some time later as a member of the second incarnation of the Black Order.
She was put on a mission to acquire the Mjolnir of Earth-1610 from the Collector alongside Proxima Midnight. She possesses innate abilities to sense Incursion Events, but also has vast knowledge of languages and technology. She can fire energy beams from her ocular implants, fly, has superhuman strength, telepathy and many other abilities, which have yet to be fully explored in the comics.
10 NEBULA
Nebula may have spent most of her time in the MCU trying to take out Thanos, but the majority of her existence was spent serving her adoptive father, albeit reluctantly. For years, she served the Mad Titan as one of his closest lieutenants, but the Nebula we have seen in the MCU is different from the one in the comics.
Originally, Nebula was a space pirate who commandeered one of Thanos' ships, claiming to be his granddaughter. He was believed deceased at the time, but when he returned, he turned her into a withering husk of her former self. She became instrumental in defeating him during the Infinity War crossover event by taking the Infinity Gauntlet from his hand and undoing everything he had done the previous 24 hours.
9 GAMORA
Gamora is the last of her species -- the Zen-Whoberis -- and is called "the Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe" due to her particular set of skills. She was found and raised by Thanos when she was a child. He trained her to become the deadliest assassin in the universe and she remained loyal to Thanos for much of her life due to his promise that she would one day be able to avenge the destruction of her people.
Eventually, she realized just how evil Thanos was and rebelled against him. She joined up with the likes of Captain Mar-Vell, Drax the Destroyer and the Avengers to stop him, which led to her eventually joining up with the likes of the Guardians of the Galaxy and other superheroes. Her powers come from her speed, agility, training and unwavering resolve.
8 PROXIMA MIDNIGHT
Proxima Midnight is a member of Thanos' Black Order and the wife of Corvus Glaive. She first appeared in the comics back in 2013 and was recently portrayed in Avengers: Infinity War by Carrie Coon. Much of her history has revolved around retrieving Infinity Stones/Gems for Thanos, which is what she was all about in Infinity War.
In terms of powers, she's no slouch. Proxima Midnight is mostly invulnerable, possesses superhuman strength, speed and endurance, which enables her to survive jumping into a planet's atmosphere. She carries a lethal spear, which never misses its target. It was created by Thanos from a star trapped in a quantum singularity and has the ability to revert to stellar form, which comes with infinite mass making it handy, should she need to pin down the Hulk.
7 CORVUS GLAIVE
Corvus Glaive is another member of the Black Order in the comics (the Children of Thanos in the MCU) who is married to Proxima Midnight. He is Thanos' favorite lackey thanks, in large part, to his cruelty and refusal to stray from his intended goal, which is to serve Thanos in any way possible.
Glaive's powers are similar to other members of the Black Order in that he possesses superhuman strength, endurance, speed and enhanced senses. He is also invulnerable to harm, but makes the leap into immortality thanks to his powerful glaive. So long as it remains intact, he cannot be felled in any way. The weapon itself can cut through anything in the universe. It can also be recalled to his hand, much like Mjolnir does to Thor.
6 TERRAXIA
During the original Infinity War comics, Thanos got a little miffed when Death spurned his advances. After all, he had just culled half of all life from existence, but she simply wasn't interested and wouldn't even speak to him. In his rage, he created a new companion to make Death jealous. In an instant, he brought Terraxia into being; a woman who shared Thanos' physical traits and some of his power.
When the heroes of Earth invaded Thanos' palace in an attempt to stop him, Terraxia demonstrated how much like her creator she truly was. She ripped off Iron Man's head and beat Spider-Man with a rock. Ultimately, the Infinity Gauntlet went to Nebula, who transported the two Titans into space. Thanos had forgotten to give Terraxia an ability to survive without oxygen and was forced to watch her perish.
5 RONAN THE ACCUSER
In Guardians of the Galaxy, Ronan the Accuser takes on the role of the primary villain in the film. He is a Kree fanatic intent on obtaining the Power Stone while working for Thanos... who he ultimately rebels against. He uses his vast resources and powerful ship to take the fight to the Nova Corps in a last-ditch attempt to acquire the Stone. Unfortunately, his dance moves prove incapable of taking on the mighty Star-Lord, and he is defeated.
Ronan has been a major player in the comics since he first appeared in Fantastic Four #65 all the way back in 1967. His title, "The Accuser," comes from his role as a judicial officer for the Kree Empire. His powers aren't limited to his office; he also has superhuman strength, agility and durability thanks to simply being a Kree.
4 EBONY MAW
Ebony Maw is another member of the Black Order who was first introduced in 2013. He made a memorable appearance in Infinity War as a member of the Children of Thanos thanks to an amazing performance by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. He sits higher on the list in terms of powers thanks to his genius-level intellect, which allows him to manipulate pretty much anyone with his "black tongue that spreads mischief and evil wherever he goes."
Additionally, he uses specialized technology to teleport and generate electromagnetic fields. He also possesses telepathy, the ability to control people's minds, flight and telekinesis. In the MCU, his abilities lean into these abilities, enabling him to easily defeat the Sorcerer Supreme in battlerather than just controlling his mind, as he does in the comics. Ebony Maw is completely devoted to Thanos and is easily one of his most powerful lackeys in the comics, as well as the cinematic universe.
3 LOKI
Loki isn't normally anyone's lackey, but he took up the charge of working for Thanos in Avengers. In the film, he was given a scepter, which housed the Mind Stone. He used that and his considerable powers to attempt an invasion of Earth. With the scepter and the help of various people he manipulated into working for him, he opened a gateway, allowing the Chitauri to invade New York City.
Eventually, Loki was defeated by the Avengers and was returned to Asgard, which effectively ended his time working for Thanos. He proved his true intentions when, in Infinity War, he attempted to take out the Mad Titan with a dagger in an attempt to save Thor (and himself) from Thanos' rage. Sadly, it didn't work and Loki was easily choked and taken out by his former master.
2 COSMIC GHOST RIDER
After Frank Castle watches Thanos take over his world, he makes a deal with Mephisto to house the Spirit of Vengeance and become the Ghost Rider. His intent was to take vengeance upon Thanos, but he returns to find the planet destroyed by the Mad Titan. When Galactus shows up looking for help, Ghost Rider takes up the mantle of Galactus' herald, becoming Cosmic Ghost Rider!
When they finally meet up with Thanos, the Mad Titan easily dispatches Galactus and offers another option to Cosmic Ghost Rider. He ends up joining with the Titan he intended to destroy, which led him to travel through time and escort a past Thanos to greet himself. In the end, he ends up raising the baby Thanos, which effectively means a former lackey became Thanos' nanny... from a certain point of view.
1 MEPHISTO
During the Infinity Gauntlet crossover event in the comics, there was one character who appeared to support Thanos from the beginning: Mephisto. Granted, it's clear that Mephisto's intent wasn't necessarily to support Thanos in his goal of obtaining all six Infinity Gems; he wanted the power all to himself. That's not surprising, given who and what Mephisto is in the Marvel Universe.
Mephisto is an immortal demon who has incredible magical abilities. He can alter time, reality, change people's memories throughout the universe (he made everyone forget Peter Parker was Spider-Man, for example), project illusions and alter his size and appearance at will. He enjoys collecting people's souls and is incredibly manipulative. He is essentially the Devil, Satan or whatever you want to call him, but whatever name he goes by, he's far more powerful than anyone else on this list.