Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== Infinity (Comic Event) ====== ===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary ===== * **Core Identity: A sprawling 2013 Marvel Comics crossover event orchestrated by writer Jonathan Hickman, //Infinity// chronicles a two-front war where the Avengers lead a galactic alliance against the ancient Builders to save the cosmos, while Earth is left vulnerable to a devastating invasion by Thanos and his Black Order.** * **Key Takeaways:** * **A War on Two Fronts:** //Infinity// is defined by its split narrative. The primary Avengers roster fights a desperate war in deep space against the universe's oldest race, the [[builders|Builders]], while a skeleton crew of heroes on Earth must fend off the opportunistic and brutal invasion by [[thanos|Thanos]] and his lieutenants, the [[black_order|Black Order]]. * **The True Motive of Thanos:** While the Mad Titan's assault is framed as a search for the Infinity Gems, his true, hidden objective is far more personal: to find and murder his secret Inhuman son, Thane, to erase the last vestige of his legacy. * **Franchise-Altering Aftermath:** The event's climax, featuring Black Bolt detonating a Terrigen Bomb over Earth, fundamentally reshapes the Marvel landscape. It devastates Attilan, creates a global outbreak of Terrigenesis that activates latent Inhuman abilities in thousands of ordinary people ([[nuhumans|NuHumans]]), and directly sets the stage for the final act of Hickman's saga, [[secret_wars_(2015)|Secret Wars]]. * **Critical MCU Distinction:** This comic event is **not** the direct basis for the film //Avengers: Infinity War//. The movie primarily adapts the plot of the 1991 storyline [[infinity_gauntlet|The Infinity Gauntlet]] (Thanos collecting the Infinity Stones to wipe out half of all life). While the movie borrows the name of Thanos's lieutenants, the [[black_order|Black Order]], from //Infinity//, the central conflict, motivations, and outcome are completely different. ===== Part 2: Prelude and Publication ===== ==== Publication History and Creation ==== The //Infinity// event was the centerpiece of Marvel's 2013 publishing calendar, serving as the culmination of the first year of writer Jonathan Hickman's ambitious, long-form narrative on the core //Avengers// and //New Avengers// titles. Hickman, known for his intricate, high-concept science fiction storytelling, had been laying the groundwork for //Infinity// since the launch of the Marvel NOW! initiative in late 2012. The event was formally structured around a core, six-issue limited series titled //Infinity//, which ran from August to November 2013. This central story was co-plotted by Hickman, with the main series art handled by a team of Marvel's top-tier artists: Jim Cheung, Jerome Opeña, and Dustin Weaver. However, //Infinity// was designed to be more than just a standalone miniseries. It was deeply interwoven with Hickman's ongoing titles, with crucial plot points and character arcs occurring in //Avengers// (Vol. 5) #14–23 and //New Avengers// (Vol. 3) #7–12. To fully understand the scope of the conflict, readers were encouraged to follow all three series. This narrative structure, while complex, allowed for an unprecedented sense of scale, with //Avengers// focusing on the galactic war against the Builders and //New Avengers// detailing the secret, desperate struggle of the [[illuminati]] against the Incursions while Thanos besieged Earth. The event also spawned numerous tie-in miniseries and issues across the Marvel line, including series like //Captain Marvel//, //Thunderbolts//, and //Avengers Assemble//, exploring how different corners of the Marvel Universe reacted to the dual threats. The creation of Thanos's generals, the Black Order (or Cull Obsidian), by Hickman and Opeña was a significant addition to Marvel lore, providing Thanos with a terrifying and memorable retinue that would later be adapted into the MCU. ==== The Road to War: In-Universe Catalyst ==== === Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) === The stage for //Infinity// was set by a confluence of cosmic-level crises, each a thread in Jonathan Hickman's overarching narrative. The first and most significant threat was the **Incursion** phenomenon, a multiversal decay causing universes to collide, with Earth-616 as a focal point. If the Earth of one universe was not destroyed before it collided with the Earth of another, both universes would be annihilated. This existential threat was being secretly managed by the [[illuminati]] (Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Namor, Beast, and Black Bolt), who were forced to make horrific moral compromises—including destroying other worlds—to save their own. Their desperate search for a solution formed the dark, parallel narrative in //New Avengers//. Simultaneously, a more ancient danger was reawakening. The **Builders**, the oldest and most powerful race in the universe, had begun a relentless march across the cosmos, destroying any civilization they deemed unworthy. Their fleet, of a scale never before seen, was headed directly for Earth. The Builders' motivation was seemingly to judge and cull the universe, but their true purpose was a desperate, genocidal attempt to stop the Incursions by destroying the focal point: Earth. They saw Earth not as a planet to be conquered, but as a cosmic disease to be excised. Seeing this cosmic threat approaching, Captain America and the Avengers expanded their roster into a massive "Avengers Machine" and led a galactic alliance, including the Skrull, Kree, Shi'ar, and others, into space to confront the Builder fleet head-on. This heroic act, meant to save the universe, left Earth critically undefended. Observing this power vacuum was **Thanos, the Mad Titan**. Having monitored Earth for some time, he saw the departure of the Avengers as the perfect opportunity to launch his own invasion. He dispatched his elite force, the Black Order, to systematically neutralize Earth's remaining heroes and demand a tribute from its nations: the heads of all Inhumans between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two. This was a lie. Thanos's true, secret motivation was the knowledge that he had fathered an Inhuman child years ago. His entire invasion was a brutal, planet-wide search-and-destroy mission to find and kill his own son, [[thane|Thane]], before the boy could potentially grow powerful enough to challenge him. === Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) === The MCU does **not** have a direct adaptation of the //Infinity// comic event. The film titled //Avengers: Infinity War//, along with its sequel //Avengers: Endgame//, tells a story that is primarily a loose adaptation of the 1991 comic epic, **[[infinity_gauntlet|The Infinity Gauntlet]]**. The core plot of the MCU's Infinity Saga centers on Thanos's quest to acquire the six Infinity Stones to achieve his goal of wiping out half of all life in the universe, which he believes will bring balance and prevent universal resource collapse. This motivation is a significant departure from his comic counterpart's original goal in //The Infinity Gauntlet//, which was to impress the cosmic entity, [[death|Death]]. Where the MCU **borrows** from the //Infinity// comic event is in the inclusion of Thanos's lieutenants, the **Black Order** (referred to in the films as the "Children of Thanos"). The film versions of Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Cull Obsidian (named after the group's comic name, with his comic counterpart being Black Dwarf), and Ebony Maw serve the same role as their comic counterparts: elite, powerful generals who carry out Thanos's will. Their invasion of Earth to retrieve the Infinity Stones from Vision and Doctor Strange thematically mirrors their invasion in the comics to find Thane. However, the other key elements of the //Infinity// comic are absent from the MCU: * The Builders do not exist. * The Incursion crisis does not exist (this concept was later touched upon in //Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness// but is unrelated to the Infinity Saga). * Thane, Thanos's Inhuman son, does not exist. * Black Bolt and the Inhumans' role, including the Terrigen Bomb, is completely absent. The Inhumans were relegated to the short-lived //Inhumans// television series, which had minimal connection to the broader MCU narrative. Therefore, while casual fans may associate the name "Infinity War" with the comic //Infinity//, they are two vastly different stories, sharing a primary antagonist and his generals but little else in terms of plot, motivation, or outcome. ===== Part 3: Timeline, Key Turning Points & Aftermath ===== The narrative of //Infinity// unfolds across three primary fronts: the Avengers' space war against the Builders, Thanos's conquest of Earth, and the Illuminati's secret struggle with the Incursions. ==== The Galactic War: Avengers vs. The Builders ==== The Avengers, leading the Galactic Council's allied fleet, engage the Builders in a series of catastrophic battles. Initially, they are completely outmatched. The Builders' technology and sheer numbers decimate the allied forces, leading to the capture of the Avengers and the seeming total defeat of the galaxy's defenders. * **Key Turning Point 1: Captain America's Gambit.** Imprisoned aboard a Builder vessel, Captain America and the surviving Avengers orchestrate a daring escape. Using stolen Builder technology, Captain America devises a new strategy. He realizes the Builders fight with rigid, predictable logic. He unites the broken remnants of the Galactic Council's fleet, now calling them all "Avengers," and executes a series of brilliant, unpredictable guerrilla tactics that begin to turn the tide. This cements his status as the supreme strategic mind in the universe. * **Key Turning Point 2: Thor's Defiance.** Confronting a Builder in single combat, Thor, God of Thunder, is told he and his kind are flawed and must be unmade. In a moment of pure, unyielding defiance, Thor declares his own worthiness and strikes down the ancient being, proving to the galaxy that their gods are not invincible. This act of defiance inspires the allied fleets to rally and fight with renewed hope. * **Key Turning Point 3: The Starbrand's Power.** The newly empowered human, Kevin Connor, wielding the planet-killing power of the Starbrand, single-handedly destroys a massive portion of the Builder fleet, demonstrating the raw, untamed power of Earth's planetary defense system. This overwhelming display of force shatters the Builders' confidence and forces them to redirect their main fleet for a final, desperate assault on Earth. The war culminates in a massive battle in Earth's orbit, where the returned Avengers, the Galactic Council, and Earth's remaining heroes unite to destroy the last of the Builder fleet, ending their cosmic threat forever. ==== The Earth War: Thanos's Invasion ==== With the Avengers in space, Thanos and the Black Order descend upon Earth. His forces easily overwhelm the planet's defenses. The Black Order splits up to pursue individual objectives, all part of Thanos's plan to find his son. * **Ebony Maw** is dispatched to deal with Doctor Strange. Instead of using force, the manipulative Maw infects Strange's mind, turning him into a double agent to discover the location of the Illuminati and, by extension, Thanos's son. * **Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight** lead the main assault on the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning and Wakanda, respectively, facing fierce resistance but ultimately succeeding in their missions of distraction and destruction. * **Black Dwarf** attempts to invade Wakanda but is single-handedly repelled by Black Panther and the Wakandan army, a humiliating defeat. * **Supergiant**, a powerful telepath, targets the Inhumans on their hidden moon city of Attilan. The focal point of the Earth war becomes the confrontation between Thanos and Black Bolt, King of the Inhumans. Thanos arrives in Attilan and demands the tribute of Inhuman heads. Black Bolt, knowing Thanos's true purpose, refuses. * **Key Turning Point 4: The Fall of Attilan & The Terrigen Bomb.** In a one-on-one confrontation, Black Bolt unleashes his full quasi-sonic scream directly at Thanos. While the scream is powerful enough to tear Attilan from its foundations and send it crashing to Earth, Thanos withstands the blast. Critically, the scream also triggers the **Terrigen Bomb**, a device Black Bolt had prepared. The bomb detonates in Earth's atmosphere, releasing clouds of Terrigen Mist across the entire globe. This act has two consequences: it serves as a planetary defense mechanism against Thanos, but more importantly, it activates the dormant Inhuman DNA in thousands of humans, creating a new generation of super-powered beings known as NuHumans. ==== The Secret War: The Illuminati's Choice ==== While the galaxy burns, the Illuminati face their own crisis. Another Incursion event occurs, pitting them against another Earth. This forces Black Panther to face the horrific choice his comrades had made before: destroy a world to save their own. The stress of this, combined with Thanos's invasion, pushes the group to its breaking point. It is during their desperate work in the hidden city of Necropolis (Wakanda's city of the dead) that they discover Thane's location: a hidden Inhuman settlement in Greenland. Ebony Maw, controlling Doctor Strange, relays this information to Thanos. ==== Climax and Immediate Aftermath ==== The final battle takes place in Greenland. Thanos and the Black Order finally corner Thane, an unassuming healer who is unaware of his lineage. Before Thanos can kill his son, the returned Avengers attack. In the chaos of the battle, Ebony Maw frees Doctor Strange and reveals his true allegiance is only to himself. He unleashes Thane's latent Inhuman power. Thane's right hand gains the power of "living death," encasing any living thing it touches in an amber-like substance, while his left hand has the power to... well, the comic is ambiguous on this. In an act of poetic justice, Thane traps his father Thanos and his ruthless general Proxima Midnight in a state of "living death," frozen in a block of amber. The event concludes with several major status quo changes: * **Thanos Defeated:** The Mad Titan and his top general are captured not by the Avengers, but by his own son, Thane. Corvus Glaive commits suicide, and the remaining Black Order scatters. * **The Inhuman Outbreak:** The Terrigen Cloud circles the globe, creating thousands of new, untrained, and terrified super-powered individuals. This event launches the //Inhuman// ongoing series and makes the Inhumans a major Marvel franchise for several years. * **The Illuminati Exposed (Almost):** The Avengers find the Illuminati's world-destroying weapons in Necropolis. Captain America confronts Iron Man, demanding to know what they have been doing. This confrontation is the seed that will grow into the final conflict in //Time Runs Out//. * **A New Cosmic Order:** The Avengers have earned the respect of the entire galaxy. The Shi'ar, Kree, and Skrulls now see Earth as the center of the universe and its heroes as the ultimate power brokers. ===== Part 4: Key Players & Factions ===== ==== The Avengers & The Galactic Alliance ==== Led by Captain America's unassailable strategy and Iron Man's technological genius, the Avengers expanded into a global and eventually galactic fighting force. * **[[captain_america|Captain America (Steve Rogers)]]:** The supreme commander of the allied fleet. His leadership and strategic mind are the single most important factor in the victory against the Builders. * **[[iron_man|Iron Man (Tony Stark)]]:** A core member of both the Avengers in space and the Illuminati on Earth, forcing him to juggle a galactic war with a secret multiversal one. * **[[thor|Thor Odinson]]:** The heart of the Avengers' fighting force. His individual battle against a Builder was a major turning point, inspiring the entire galaxy. * **[[captain_marvel|Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)]]:** A key commander in the space fleet, her cosmic power and military experience were invaluable against the Builder armada. * **The Galactic Council:** For the first time, the great empires of the [[kree]], [[skrull]], and [[shi'ar]], along with other races like the Brood and Spartax, put aside ancient enmities to form an alliance under the Avengers' leadership to save existence itself. ==== Thanos and the Black Order (Cull Obsidian) ==== The primary antagonists of the Earth-based conflict, a group of Thanos's most feared and powerful followers. * **[[thanos|Thanos]]:** The Mad Titan. His invasion of Earth is a ruse. He cares nothing for the Infinity Gems during this event; his sole purpose is to commit filicide and destroy his Inhuman son, Thane. * **[[corvus_glaive|Corvus Glaive]]:** Thanos's right-hand man and most favored general. His cosmic glaive grants him immortality as long as it remains unbroken. He leads the primary assault forces. * **[[proxima_midnight|Proxima Midnight]]:** A master combatant and Corvus Glaive's wife. Her spear contains the power of a sun, making her one of the deadliest physical threats in Thanos's army. * **[[ebony_maw|Ebony Maw]]:** A master manipulator and psychological threat, not a physical fighter. His "powers of persuasion" allow him to control even the strongest minds, like Doctor Strange. * **Black Dwarf:** The powerhouse of the group, possessing immense strength and durability. He is publicly shamed when he fails to conquer Wakanda. (His name was changed to Cull Obsidian in the MCU). * **Supergiant:** A powerful mental parasite and telepath. She is able to control minds and feed on intellect. She is killed by Lockjaw and Maximus the Mad during the final battle in Attilan. ==== The Builders ==== The cosmic antagonists of the event. They are an ancient, seemingly omnipotent race who seeded life throughout the universe billions of years ago. * **Creators:** The Builder caste responsible for engineering and creating life and technology. They are the architects of the fleet. * **Curators:** The record-keepers and observers. * **Abyss:** The warrior caste, bred for destruction and combat. * Their goal in //Infinity// is to destroy Earth, which they have identified as the epicenter of the multiversal Incursion phenomenon, in a misguided attempt to save reality from total collapse. ==== The Illuminati ==== A secret cabal of Earth's most brilliant and powerful leaders working from the shadows to solve the Incursion crisis by any means necessary. * **[[black_panther|Black Panther (T'Challa)]]:** The host of the group in Necropolis. He is morally opposed to their methods but sees no other choice. * **[[namor|Namor the Sub-Mariner]]:** The most ruthless member, willing to do what the others will not. He is the first to destroy an alternate Earth to save their own. * **[[doctor_strange|Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange)]]:** The magical expert, who falls victim to Ebony Maw's manipulation, compromising the group's secrecy. * **[[black_bolt|Black Bolt]]:** King of the Inhumans. His actions in the finale—detonating the Terrigen Bomb—are a direct result of the pressure from both Thanos's invasion and the Illuminati's dilemma. ===== Part 5: Key Issues and Reading Order ===== While the event included dozens of tie-in issues, the core narrative can be experienced by following three main titles. A simplified, essential reading order is as follows: === **Act I: The Fall** === The initial setup, where the Avengers leave for space and Thanos arrives on Earth. - //Infinity// #1 - //Avengers// (Vol. 5) #18 - //New Avengers// (Vol. 3) #9 - //Avengers// (Vol. 5) #19 - //New Avengers// (Vol. 3) #10 === **Act II: The Hunt** === The Avengers are defeated and captured in space, while Thanos hunts for his son on Earth. - //Infinity// #2 - //Infinity// #3 - //Avengers// (Vol. 5) #20 - //Infinity// #4 === **Act III: Victory** === The Avengers turn the tide against the Builders, and the final confrontation with Thanos occurs on Earth. - //Avengers// (Vol. 5) #21 - //New Avengers// (Vol. 3) #11 - //Infinity// #5 - //Avengers// (Vol. 5) #22 - //Avengers// (Vol. 5) #23 - //Infinity// #6 ==== **Iconic Moment: Black Bolt vs. Thanos** ==== The confrontation in //Infinity// #4 is a standout. When Thanos demands the heads of Inhuman children, Black Bolt responds not with words, but with a planet-shattering scream. The raw power on display, the destruction of the Inhumans' ancient home, and the silent resolve of their king make this one of the most memorable moments in modern Marvel comics. It is an act of ultimate sacrifice and defiance that changes the world forever. ===== Part 6: Adaptations and Legacy ===== ==== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ==== As detailed previously, the MCU's //Avengers: Infinity War// is **not a direct adaptation** of this comic. It borrows two key elements: * **The Black Order:** Thanos's generals are visually and conceptually lifted from the //Infinity// comic, though their personalities are simplified and their power levels adjusted for the screen. * **The Invasion of Earth:** The scenes of the Black Order attacking New York and Wakanda are thematically similar to their assaults in the comic, but the motivation is different (seeking Infinity Stones instead of Thane). The actual plot of //Infinity War//—Thanos's quest for the Infinity Stones to erase half of all life—is an adaptation of the 1991 comic series //[[infinity_gauntlet|The Infinity Gauntlet]]//. The title "Infinity War" was likely chosen for marketing purposes due to its epic sound, and to acknowledge the inclusion of the Black Order, despite the film having no connection to the 1992 comic also named //The Infinity War// (which featured the Magus and evil doppelgängers). ==== Video Games ==== The legacy of //Infinity// is most felt through the popularization of the Black Order, who have become recurring villains in Marvel media. * **//Marvel: Avengers Alliance// (2012-2016):** This Facebook/mobile game featured a Special Operation mission that loosely adapted the plot of //Infinity//, introducing the Black Order as antagonists. * **//Marvel Future Fight// (2015-Present):** The Black Order are prominent world bosses and playable characters, with many of their designs and abilities inspired by their appearance in //Infinity//. * **//Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order// (2019):** This Nintendo Switch exclusive features the Black Order as the primary antagonists serving Thanos, cementing their status as his main lieutenants in the modern Marvel canon, a direct result of their introduction in this comic event. ==== Long-Term Comic Impact ==== //Infinity// was not just an event; it was a crucial chapter in Jonathan Hickman's epic Avengers saga. Its consequences were the driving force for the next phase of his story, //Time Runs Out//, which detailed the final months before the collapse of the multiverse. The discovery of the Illuminati's actions by Captain America at the end of //Infinity// creates the central conflict between him and Iron Man that defines that final arc. Ultimately, the entire narrative thread, from the Builders to the Incursions to the final war between heroes, culminates in the universe-rebooting epic, [[secret_wars_(2015)|Secret Wars]]. ===== See Also ===== * [[thanos]] * [[black_order]] * [[illuminati]] * [[incursions]] * [[secret_wars_(2015)]] * [[infinity_gauntlet]] * [[inhumans]] ===== Notes and Trivia ===== ((The //Infinity// event served as a major push by Marvel to elevate the [[inhumans|Inhumans]] franchise, positioning them as a replacement for the [[x-men|X-Men]], whose film rights were held by 20th Century Fox at the time. The creation of the NuHumans via the Terrigen Bomb was a way to introduce new, relatable super-powered characters without using the "mutant" concept.)) ((Jonathan Hickman is famous for long-form, "architectural" storytelling. The seeds for //Infinity//, particularly the language of the Builders and the impending universal threat, were planted in his earlier //S.H.I.E.L.D.// series and his run on //Fantastic Four//.)) ((The design of the Black Order was a collaborative effort between Hickman and artist Jerome Opeña. Their goal was to give Thanos a cadre of followers who were each formidable in their own unique way, representing different facets of his evil: the strategist, the warrior, the manipulator, etc.)) ((In the original script, the character Black Dwarf was meant to be Corvus Glaive's brother. While this is not explicitly stated in the comic, some of their interactions hint at a deeper connection.)) ((The final confrontation between Captain America and Iron Man at the end of //Infinity// #6, where Steve Rogers remembers Tony wiping his memory of the Illuminati, is a direct call-back to the beginning of Hickman's run in //New Avengers// #3.)) ((The question of "What does Thane's left hand do?" became a minor fan mystery. While his right hand's "living death" power was clearly defined, the power of his left hand was never explicitly shown or stated, leaving it open to interpretation.))