The term “Endgame” holds a dual identity in Marvel lore, one rooted in decades of comic history and the other a monolith of modern cinema.
In the comics, the most notable storyline titled “Endgame” was an Avengers arc from 1995, spanning issues #390-395. Written by Bob Harras and Terry Kavanagh with art by Mike Deodato Jr., this story featured Sersi of the Eternals descending into madness and a conflict that drew in the Avengers, the Inhumans, and other cosmic players. While a dramatic arc, it bears no thematic or plot resemblance to the later film. The concept of a climactic battle against Thanos for the fate of the universe is drawn primarily from Jim Starlin's seminal 1991 miniseries, The Infinity Gauntlet. This series, along with its follow-ups Infinity War and Infinity Crusade, established Thanos's quest for the Infinity Gems (as they are known in the comics) to win the affection of Mistress Death and his subsequent defeat by a united front of Marvel's heroes. Jonathan Hickman's 2013 event, Infinity, also served as a key inspiration, particularly for the large-scale alien invasion of Earth led by Thanos's Black Order.
In the cinematic realm, Avengers: Endgame is the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the direct sequel to 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the film was the culmination of a narrative meticulously constructed since Iron Man (2008). The decision to split the story into two parts was made early in development to properly service the massive cast and the gravity of the plot. The film's production was a monumental undertaking, filmed back-to-back with Infinity War. Its title was a closely guarded secret, with fan speculation running rampant until its official reveal. The phrase “endgame” was first uttered in the MCU by Tony Stark in Avengers: Age of Ultron, foreshadowing the immense threat he foresaw and his desperate attempts to prepare for it.
The events leading to “Endgame” differ radically between the two primary continuities, with one being a direct, cataclysmic build-up and the other a collection of unrelated crises.
There is no singular “Endgame” event in the Earth-616 timeline that parallels the MCU's version. The closest analogue, the Infinity Gauntlet Saga, began not with a surprise attack, but with a calculated plot by Thanos. After being resurrected by Mistress Death, Thanos was tasked with correcting a perceived imbalance in the universe: there were more living beings than had ever died. To court her, he embarked on a quest to gather the six Infinity Gems (soul_gem, power_gem, time_gem, space_gem, mind_gem, and reality_gem). Once he assembled the Infinity Gauntlet, his power became absolute. His first major act was the “Snap,” instantly erasing half of all life in the universe. This act was not a surprise attack on Earth's heroes; many were already aware of his quest and attempting to stop him. The surviving heroes of Earth, led by a resurrected Adam Warlock, and the universe's most powerful cosmic entities (including Galactus, Eternity, and the Celestials) mounted a direct assault on Thanos at his cosmic shrine. The ensuing battle saw heroes and gods alike fall to Thanos's omnipotent power. The turning point came not from a “Time Heist,” but from Thanos's own hubris. In his moment of triumph, he shed his physical form to become one with the cosmos, leaving the Gauntlet momentarily unguarded on his abandoned body. His bitter “granddaughter,” Nebula, seized the Gauntlet and undid his actions, leading to a further struggle for control of ultimate power that was ultimately resolved by Adam Warlock.
The path to Endgame was a decade-long journey of escalating threats, culminating in the devastating failure seen in Avengers: Infinity War. The stage was set by Thanos's acquisition of the power_stone from xandar and his interception of the Asgardian refugee ship to claim the space_stone from the Tesseract. This act scattered the surviving Asgardians, including Thor, and sent the Hulk crashing to Earth with a dire warning. Thanos's forces, the Black Order, descended on Earth to retrieve the time_stone from Doctor Strange and the mind_stone from Vision, while Thanos himself journeyed to knowhere and vormir to claim the reality_stone and soul_stone, the latter at the cost of his daughter Gamora's life. Despite the fractured Avengers and their allies mounting desperate defenses in New York, Scotland, and Wakanda, they were outmaneuvered. The final confrontation in Wakanda saw Thanos arrive with five of the six Infinity Stones. Even a newly-forged Stormbreaker, wielded by Thor, was not enough to stop him. Though grievously wounded, Thanos successfully acquired the Mind Stone from Vision and, with a snap of his fingers, accomplished his goal. Half of all life across the universe disintegrated into dust, including many of the Avengers themselves. The event, which would later be known as “The Decimation” or “the Snap,” left the survivors in a state of shock and utter defeat, setting the stage for the desperate, time-bending mission that would define Endgame.
The narrative of Avengers: Endgame is a complex, multi-act saga of grief, hope, and sacrifice. Its structure can be broken down into five key phases.
The film opens mere weeks after the Snap. The surviving heroes—including Tony Stark and Nebula, who are stranded in space aboard the Benatar—are grappling with their catastrophic failure. Tony and Nebula are rescued by Carol Danvers, who brings them back to the Avengers Compound on Earth. Here, the reunited team learns from Nebula that Thanos has traveled to a secluded planet, “the Garden.” Driven by a need for vengeance and a slim hope of reversal, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Thor, Bruce Banner, James Rhodes, Rocket, and Captain Marvel track Thanos to his retirement planet. They find him weakened and alone, but their hopes are shattered when Thanos reveals he used the Stones' power to destroy the Stones themselves, preventing his work from ever being undone. In a fit of pure rage and grief, Thor decapitates the defenseless Titan, an act that provides no solace, only the grim finality of their defeat.
The narrative leaps forward five years, revealing a somber and desolate world. Humanity is struggling to cope with the loss. Steve Rogers leads a support group for survivors, Natasha Romanoff grimly manages the skeletal Avengers' intelligence network, and Bruce Banner has successfully merged his intellect with the Hulk's strength to become “Smart Hulk.” Other heroes have fared worse: Clint Barton, having lost his entire family, has become the vengeful, brutal vigilante Ronin, and Thor has retreated into a drunken, slovenly depression in New Asgard. The catalyst for change comes from an unexpected source: Scott Lang. Trapped in the quantum_realm for the entire five years, he is accidentally released. To him, only five hours have passed. He rushes to the Avengers Compound with a revolutionary idea: if the laws of time are different in the Quantum Realm, perhaps it could be used for time travel. This sliver of hope is the first the heroes have had in years. They approach Tony Stark, now living a quiet life with his wife Pepper Potts and their daughter Morgan. Initially resistant to risk his newfound peace, Tony's conscience and intellect get the better of him. He solves the problem of temporal navigation, and the plan for the “Time Heist” is born.
The plan is to travel back to specific points in time to “borrow” the six Infinity Stones before Thanos acquired them, bring them to the present, use them to undo the Snap, and then return the Stones to their exact moments in time to prevent creating catastrophic alternate timelines. The team splits into three groups.
The teams return to the present, minus Natasha. After a moment of mourning, they construct a new “Nano Gauntlet.” With the immense gamma radiation it emits, Smart Hulk is the only one strong enough to withstand its power. He puts on the gauntlet and, with immense effort, snaps his fingers. For a moment, nothing happens. Then, Clint receives a call from his wife. The Blip is a success; they have brought everyone back. Their victory is short-lived. The “bad” 2014 Nebula, masquerading as her future self, uses the time machine to bring 2014 Thanos and his entire warship, the Sanctuary II, to the present. The ship obliterates the Avengers Compound. A dazed Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America confront Thanos amidst the rubble. Thanos, now aware of his future “victory” and its ultimate failure, declares his new goal is not to balance the universe, but to shred it down to its last atom and create a new, grateful one. What follows is one of the most iconic battles in cinematic history.
Tony's snap instantly turns Thanos and his entire army to dust. The cosmic energy proves too much for Tony's mortal body, and he dies surrounded by Rhodes, a returned Peter Parker, and Pepper Potts. The world mourns its savior with a funeral at the Stark lake house, attended by nearly every hero in the MCU. Following this, the world begins to heal and rebuild. Thor abdicates the throne of New Asgard to Valkyrie and joins the Guardians of the Galaxy. The final major thread is resolved by Steve Rogers. He volunteers to return the Infinity Stones and Mjolnir to their proper places in the timeline. However, he does not return immediately. Instead, he chooses to stay in the past with his long-lost love, Peggy Carter, and live the life he was denied. He reappears in the present as an old man, sitting peacefully on a bench. He passes his iconic shield, and the mantle of Captain America, to his trusted friend Sam Wilson.
Endgame is as much about character as it is about plot, serving as the definitive final chapter for several of the MCU's founding heroes.
Tony's arc across the entire Infinity Saga was a journey from selfish industrialist to selfless hero. Endgame provides the ultimate test of this transformation. He begins the film broken and resentful but finds a perfect life with his family. His decision to rejoin the fight is not driven by ego but by a profound sense of responsibility for those who were lost, particularly Peter Parker. His journey back to 1970 allows him to find closure with his father, understanding the man behind the myth. His final act of sacrifice is the ultimate fulfillment of his arc; the man who started it all by declaring “I am Iron Man” ends it with the same words, but this time they mean not arrogance, but the salvation of the entire universe at the cost of his own life.
Steve's journey was that of a man out of time, always putting duty and the needs of others before his own. He is the anchor of the team during the bleak five-year period, refusing to “move on.” The Time Heist allows him to prove his ultimate worthiness by wielding Mjolnir, a moment fans had long awaited. But his final act is for himself. After a lifetime of sacrifice, he finally chooses personal happiness, returning the Stones and then staying in the past to live a full life with Peggy Carter. His resolution is not one of death, but of peace, passing his legacy on to a worthy successor.
Endgame finds Thor at his lowest point. Crushed by his failure to kill Thanos in Infinity War, he has let himself go completely, a shadow of the mighty god he once was. The film is about him rediscovering his self-worth. His conversation with his mother reminds him that it's okay to fail and that true strength is about “who you are,” not “what you're supposed to be.” Reclaiming Mjolnir is the physical manifestation of his returning worthiness. By the end, he relinquishes the burden of leadership, which he never truly wanted, and sets off for a new adventure, no longer bound by destiny but free to discover himself.
For five years, Natasha held the Avengers together, driven by a desperate need to fix what was broken. Her past as a spy and assassin left her with “red in her ledger,” a debt she felt she could never repay. Her role in the Time Heist brings her to Vormir, where she is faced with an impossible choice. Her sacrifice is the ultimate act of love for her found family, the Avengers. She ensures that they can succeed and that Clint can return to his family, wiping her ledger clean not with violence, but with the ultimate act of selflessness.
Both characters undergo significant transformations. Clint's grief turns him into the murderous Ronin, a dark path from which Natasha pulls him back. His arc is about reclaiming his humanity and fighting for the family he lost. Bruce finally achieves balance, merging his two warring personalities into Smart Hulk. He becomes the brains and the brawn of the team, the one capable of wielding the Stones to bring everyone back, though the act leaves him permanently scarred.
While Avengers: Endgame is a unique creation of the MCU, its DNA is deeply rooted in several landmark Marvel Comics storylines.
This is the foundational text. Created by Jim Starlin, George Pérez, and Ron Lim, this six-issue series provided the core premise: Thanos acquires the six Infinity Gems and wipes out half of all life in the universe with a snap of his fingers. Many iconic moments are lifted directly or adapted from this series, including Thanos's solitary life as a farmer after his victory, the united front of heroes attacking him on a distant world, and his ultimate defeat through hubris and the Gauntlet being taken from him. However, the comic differs significantly in key ways: Adam Warlock is the central strategist against Thanos, not the Avengers; the motivation for the Snap is to impress Mistress Death, not a philosophical belief in “balance”; and there is no time travel involved in reversing the Snap.
This sprawling event by Jonathan Hickman was a major visual and thematic influence. The concept of Thanos's invading army, spearheaded by his lieutenants (the Black Order, called the “Cull Obsidian” in the comic), laying siege to Earth while the Avengers are off-world is central to this story. The sheer scale of the final battle in Endgame, with massive armies clashing on a battlefield, owes a great deal to the epic conflicts depicted in Infinity.
While sharing a title, this 1995 comic storyline has no plot connection to the film. It involves the Eternal, Sersi, being driven mad by a villain named Proctor and the Avengers having to team up with the Inhumans to stop her. Its inclusion in this discussion is primarily to distinguish it from the cinematic event and to satisfy queries from fans who may have encountered the name in older comics.
The jaw-dropping moment of Steve Rogers lifting Thor's hammer is not an MCU invention. This first occurred in Thor #390 (1988). During a battle where Thor is incapacitated, Captain America, in a moment of dire need, is able to lift the enchanted hammer and use it against Grog and the Demons of Death. This established his profound worthiness in the comics long before it was realized on screen.
Avengers: Endgame was not merely a film; it was a global cultural event, the culmination of a decade of serialized storytelling unprecedented in cinema history. Its release in April 2019 was met with feverish anticipation. The film shattered nearly every box office record imaginable. It had the highest-grossing opening weekend of all time, both domestically and worldwide. It became the fastest film to gross $1 billion, $2 billion, and eventually surpassed $2.798 billion, briefly unseating Avatar (2009) as the highest-grossing film of all time (a title Avatar later reclaimed after a re-release). Critically, the film was lauded for its emotional weight, its satisfying conclusions for long-running character arcs, and the sheer ambition of its scale. It was praised as a masterclass in blockbuster filmmaking and a fitting end to the “Infinity Saga.” The fan response was overwhelming, with sold-out theaters cheering at iconic moments like Captain America wielding Mjolnir and the “Avengers Assemble” call. Phrases like “I love you 3000” entered the pop culture lexicon, and the deaths of Iron Man and Black Widow sparked widespread discussion and mourning among the fanbase. Endgame's legacy is its validation of the shared universe model. It proved that audiences would follow complex, interwoven narratives over dozens of films, building a connection with characters that rivaled any other medium. It set a new standard for event cinema and fundamentally altered the landscape of the film industry, solidifying the dominance of the superhero genre for years to come.