Infinity Gauntlet, by author Jim Starlin and artists George Perez and Ron Lim, is one of the most famous Marvel event stories ever. It dropped in the summer of 1991 and was the first Marvel summer event in years. It crossed several titles and gave readers a lot to talk about with each new issue.
It also has remarkable endurance – decades later it is 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 unique event, unlike any other.
10 Infinity Gauntlet really made the Marvel universe feel like a universe
One of the problems with modern Marvel events is that they usually have a focus. The war of the kingdoms was Thor-centered, King in black was poison-centered, and the coming Judgment Day is X-Men / Eternals / Avengers focused. Infinity Gauntlet avoided this completely. It was built out of affairs in Starlin’s Silver surfer but it was not a Silver Surfer event.
Infinity Gauntlet made the Marvel universe live up to its name. It showed all aspects of the Marvel universe in one perfect package. Recent events have tried to copy it, but have never been able to, as event storytelling has changed so much.
9 Infinity Gauntlet effectively lured and turned on for readers
Another disadvantage of most Marvel events is that they are quite straightforward. The big bad that readers are introduced to in the beginning is usually the same throughout the book, or they are introduced gradually. However, they rarely change at all in the story. Infinity Gauntlet was different as it changed things for readers by getting Nebula to grab the glove before the end of the fifth issue.
The great thing about it was that it never feels out of place in history. Infinity Gauntlet is a story that is as much about Thanos and Adam Warlock as it is about the battle of Gauntlet – this plot twist worked perfectly for the story. Starlin was able to change the things of the readers and make it work.
8 Infinity Gauntlet introduced a concept of endurance
The cyclical nature of Marvel events means that a new concept is introduced to readers prior to the event. It is used as the focus of the event, and is then discarded as the cycle must start over. Infinity Gauntlet came long before the event cycle and played the Soul Gem concept, which Starlin introduced in his old Adam Warlock comics.
Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity Gems / Stones became one of the most iconic features of the Marvel Universe. No other Marvel event has introduced anything that has their endurance.
7 George Perez drew most of it
George Perez is one of the greatest artists in the comics. Perez has an eye for composition, detail, page layout, character acting and action that remains unsurpassed.
Perez never drew other Marvel events. While he did not finish Infinity Gauntlet, after thinking he wanted more to say about the plot, he set the standard for the book going forward. Artist Ron Lim followed suit and did a remarkable job, drawing two more Marvel events. But Perez’s art made the ball roll.
6 Infinity Gauntlet is new fan friendly
One of the problems with the modern comic book industry, especially Marvel event books, is that they are not very friendly to new fans. It’s hard to find an event book for someone who knows nothing about Marvel continuity that combines all of Marvel’s greatest heroes.
Infinity Gauntlet does a great job of setting up exactly what readers need to know without reading anything else. It’s the kind of cartoon that can make anyone a Marvel fan, encapsulating all the amazing things about Marvel and doing so without confusing readers with continuity.
5 The Infinity Gauntlet made the MCU what it is today
Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the greatest achievements in movie history. Sequels were nothing new, but the MCU set out to bring cartoon-style continuity to movies in unprecedented ways. To do this, the first three phases of the MCU revolved around a story, Infinity Gauntlet.
This continuing story stretched through the first decade of films that captured readers – a tale that looks like no casual fans have experienced before. It drove the MCU to the top of the box office and has made Infinity Gauntlet one of the most influential Marvel comics ever.
4 The Infinity Gauntlet made Marvel’s cosmic side important for the first time in decades
Jim Starlin created cosmic Marvel, as fans know it at the moment, and played out what Lee and Kirby created in the 60s. Starlin’s return to Marvel Silver surfer began the process of not only building Infinity Gauntlet, but also makes Marvel’s cosmic side exciting again.
Infinity Gauntlet left all its main players new places, the ones that would pay off in the next few cosmic stories from Marvel. Marvel events in recent years have often attempted to introduce readers to new corners of Marvel, where most of them failed. IG brought cosmic Marvel back in style, and it died only because of the comic bubble that burst in the mid-90s.
3 Infinity Gauntlet captured great action glasses unlike any other Marvel event
Infinity Gauntlet is a cartoon at a wonderful pace, where the first three editions build the threat from Thanos and set the stage for what was to come. The last three issues were action extravaganzas that gave readers the biggest fights imaginable. The fourth issue featured Earth’s deadly heroes fighting the mad Titan, and the fifth featured the most powerful cosmic creatures in the Marvel universe doing the same.
The sixth number was an insane touch for Gauntlet, ending it all. Other events have tried to sell their glasses, however IG delivered perfectly – balances 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-centered, something that sets them apart IG. That does not mean it IG however, is about acting and action. The story itself is as character-driven as they come, and revolves around the two 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 account for everything readers needed to know about him, as well as do amazing character work with Thanos. Modern events pretend to be character-focused, but are not – Infinity Gauntlet was.
1 Infinity Gauntlet made the villain sympathetic
Infinity Gauntlet is one of the main reasons why Thanos is one of Marvel’s biggest villains. When many people think of the greatest villain, they simply think of the most evil one. What makes Thanos such a great villain is that he is more than a cackling monster trying to destroy everything in front of him, and IG illustrates it perfectly. It reveals nuances to his psyche and why he does what he does, making him a more complex and interesting villain.
IG was Starlin’s way not only to reintroduce Thanos, but to do new things with him and transform him into a better character. Thanos, who kills half of the universe in the beginning of IG is different from the one at the end of the book. Making him sympathetic was no easy feat.
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