Who the heck is Thanos? Why is everybody talking about him after The Avengers and Avengers: Infinity War? What makes me think “everybody” talks about the same things I talk about, despite clear evidence to the contrary? Keep reading to find out and see how you can read every Thanos comic ever:
Marvel did a lot of things right in their approach to the first Avengers
Whether it was Thor’s hammer, Nick Fury talking Avengers Initiative, or Loki & the cosmic cube, Marvel struck an impressive balance between fanboy nerd revelations and mass consumer curiosity.
The Avengers was no different in its after-credits buzz-building. If you saw the film any time in the first month of its release, there’s a strong chance you heard comic guys & gals in the audience inhale with the sort of excited shock generally reserved for marvels of God. Things like walking over the Grand Canyon. Watching a dolphin leap out of Hawaii’s icy blue coast. Discovering another human is willing to get naked with you.
It was an appropriate reaction, then, for as we’ll see, this after-credits revelation is truly a Marvel God: Thanos, the mad Titan (in all his high-res glory below).
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This is the first time Marvel Studios has used the credits for a major character reveal, and while Thanos is easily one of the coolest characters in the Marvel cosmic canon, he’s not exactly a household name. It’s understandable if you were one of the ones in the audience going “Wha? Huh?!” as I high-fived my wife’s shoulder excitedly (she stopped offering a hand after about the 12th time).
Who is Thanos? In short, he’s one of the single most powerful, diabolical, brilliant and riveting villains in the Marvel canon. He’s like the Dr. Doom of space, but probably even smarter, and with better gloves.
So without further ado, if you’re looking to stride into Avengers: Infinity War with the confidence of this guy, or if you’re looking to enjoy the schemes of the Titan with the Purple Scowl in full, here’s the complete Thanos reading order guide. You can click each link below for full reading information. Enjoy!
Updated 12.24.20!!
Thanos Reading Order (Jim Starlin’s Cosmic Comics!)
- The Thanos Wars: Infinity Origin Omnibus
- Collects: Iron Man (1968) 55, Captain Marvel (1968) 25-34, Marvel Feature (1971) 12, Avengers (1963) 125, Strange Tales (1951) 178-181, Warlock (1972) 9-15, Marvel Team-Up (1972) 55, Avengers Annual (1967) 7, Marvel Two-In-One Annual (1976) 2, Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) 1, Material From Daredevil (1964) 105, Logan’s Run (1977) 6
- The above omnibus edition is released in conjunction with Avengers: Endgame and includes the next four Thanos stories on the list (Thanos’ first appearance through The Death of Captain Marvel (does not include Spidey Super Stories!)).
- Thanos’ First Appearance, Captain Marvel, And the Cosmic Cube
- Collected Issues Reading Order:
- Iron Man #55
- Captain Marvel #25 to #32
- Avengers #125
- Captain Marvel #33 to #34
- Collected Issues Reading Order:
- Thanos Returns – War w/ Adam Warlock
- Collected Issues Reading Order:
- Strange Tales #178 to #181
- Warlock #9 to #15
- Marvel Team-Up #55
- Avengers Annual #7
- Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2
- Collected Issues Reading Order:
- Avengers vs. Thanos
- A lot of readers have asked me “Hey, what about the Avengers vs. Thanos trade? Where does that fit?” It’s a good question, and essentially, Avengers vs. Thanos will give you a combined package of 1) Thanos First Appearance + Captain Marvel & the Cosmic Cube & 2) The Adam Warlock adventures. It also adds a few oddball Daredevil issues that technically involve Thanos. If you’re a purist, you’ll miss out on a few Warlock issues (#12 to #14), but all in all it’s a good trade that gets you the best of early Thanos stories!
- Spidey Super Stories #39
- This out of continuity comic for kids has gone down in history as one of the more hilarious Thanos stories possible. Witness the birth of the Thanos Copter!!!
- The Death of Captain Marvel
- Marvel’s first official Original Graphic Novel is – as you’d expect – a Jim Starlin Captain Marvel story through and through. Aside from simply being a classic and all-time great, though, Starlin does weave some Thanos throughout, and the graphic novel can fit within the larger Thanos narrative.
- Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos + Thanos Quest
- Collected Issues Reading Order:
- Silver Surfer #34 to #38 (series beginning in 1987)
- Thanos Quest #1 to #2
- Collected Issues Reading Order:
- Infinity Gauntlet
- Note that the above link will provide a full event reading order for the early 90’s Infinity Gauntlet. The comics included are based on the Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus
- It’s at this point that I’d also recommend Comic Book Herald’s complete Infinity Saga reading order, which will give you all the tie-ins from Infinity Gauntlet through Infinity Crusade in the most detailed list.
- Note that the above link will provide a full event reading order for the early 90’s Infinity Gauntlet. The comics included are based on the Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus
- Infinity Gauntlet: Aftermath
- You could also pick up the Infinity Watch Vol. 1
- You could also pick up the Infinity Watch Vol. 1
- Infinity War
- The Warlock and the Infinity Watch tie-ins are the most highly recommended Infinity War tie-ins. Again, for the whole reading order details, check out the Infinity Saga guide.
- Infinity War Reading Order Checklist:
- Infinity War 1-6; Fantastic Four (1961) 366-370; Spider-Man (1990) 24; Deathlok (1991) 16; Daredevil (1964) 310; Warlock And The Infinity Watch 7-10; Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme 42-47; Silver Surfer (1987) 67-69; Wonder Man (1991) 13-15; Alpha Flight (1983) 110-112; Silver Sable & The Wild Pack 4-5; Guardians Of The Galaxy (1990) 27-29; Quasar 37-40; New Warriors (1990) 27; Marc Spector: Moon Knight 41-44; Nomad (1992) 7; Sleepwalker 18; Material From Captain America (1968) 408; Alpha Flight (1983) 109; Marvel Comics Presents (1988) 108-112
- Infinity War: Aftermath
- Includes Warlock & The Infinity Watch #11 to #17
- Includes Warlock & The Infinity Watch #11 to #17
- Infinity Crusade Vol. 1
- Collects: Infinity Crusade #1-3, Warlock Chronicles #1-3 & Warlock And The Infinity Watch #18-19
- Infinity Crusade Vol. 2
- Collects: Infinity Crusade #4-6, Warlock Chronicles #4-5 & Warlock And The Infinity Watch #20-22
- Thor: Blood & Thunder
- Reading Order:
- Thor #468
- Silver Surfer #86
- Warlock Chronicles #6
- Warlock and the Infinity Watch #23
- Thor #469
- Silver Surfer #87
- Warlock Chronicles #7
- Warlock and the Infinity Warch #24
- Thor #470
- Silver Surfer #88
- Warlock Chronicles #8
- Warlock and the Infinity Watch #25
- Thor #471
- Reading Order:
- Infinity Watch Vol. 2
- Collects: Warlock & The Infinity Watch #26 to #42
- Thanos: Cosmic Powers
- Includes Secret Defenders #12 to #14, and Cosmic Powers #1 to #6.
- Ka-Zar by Waid & Kubert
- Thanos vs Thor (Thor #18 – #25)
- Captain Marvel #17 to #19
- Infinity Abyss
- Thanos Ends the Marvel Universe (Marvel Universe: The End)
- 2003 – 2004 Standalone Thanos arc (Thanos: Redemption — Thanos #1 to #12)
- I’d consider jumping to my modern Marvel cosmic reading order at this point through Thanos Imperative. That will fill in the entirety of the Marvel Cosmic landscape around Thanos. Naturally, the mad Titan is a major player in all the events leading up to The Thanos Imperative.
- Thanos and Annihilation
- It’s worth noting here that Annihilation sparks modern Marvel Cosmic, and although these books are inherently indebted to the one and only Jim Starlin, he’s not involved directly in the saga. Nonetheless, the full Thanos narrative would not be complete without Annihilation through Thanos Imperative. You can view the full reading order here.
- The Thanos Imperative
- Seriously, this will be a much better read if you’ve been keeping up with Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy since Annihilation!
- Thanos Rising
- If you’ve been following me on Comic Book Herald for any amount of time, you know that I can’t stands Thanos Rising. Nonetheless, it’s an in-continuity part of the Thanos narrative. The book deals with the origins of Thanos, meaning in theory, you could place it first on any reading order. Personally I think that’d be a horrible mistake, as there’s no way this should define the character of Thanos.
- Deadpool vs. Thanos
- The four issue miniseries starring Deadpool and Thanos references a shared history between the characters in the introduction. This reference is to Deadpool #64 (series starting in 1997) when Thanos appears for a hot 20 seconds to “curse” Deadpool with eternal life. That’s all you need to know, and unless you’re doing a ’97 Deadpool binge (not a bad idea), the issue is unnecessary for a Thanos binge.
- Infinity
- Pay close attention to the New Avengers #8 tie-in!
- Thanos: A God Up There
- Thanos Annual #1
- The Infinity Revelation
- Thanos vs. Hulk
- The Infinity Relativity
- The Infinity Entity
- The Infinity Finale
- Time Runs Out! – New Avengers #24 to #33
- For the full reading order (which includes crossover with Avengers and Avengers World), you’ll want to check out the Secret Wars reading order.
- Secret Wars
- Infinity Gauntlet: Warzones!
- The “Warzones!” Infinity Gauntlet tie-in to Secret Wars is a fantastic miniseries from Gerry Duggan and Dustin Weaver. Obviously an out of standard continuity Thanos appearance, but an excellent read for fans.
- Infinity Gauntlet: Warzones!
- Thanos: Death Sentence
- “Death Sentence” is a prose novel by Stuart Moore and does not need to be included as part of any standard Thanos continuity. In fact, the novel falls in a nebulous modernized Infinity Gauntlet timeline, effectively beginning at the conclusion of Infinity Gauntlet but including the modern Guardians of the Galaxy and others. It’s an interesting read for Thanos-heads, and at its best reminds me of George R.R. Martin’s excellent Tuf Voyaging
- “Death Sentence” is a prose novel by Stuart Moore and does not need to be included as part of any standard Thanos continuity. In fact, the novel falls in a nebulous modernized Infinity Gauntlet timeline, effectively beginning at the conclusion of Infinity Gauntlet but including the modern Guardians of the Galaxy and others. It’s an interesting read for Thanos-heads, and at its best reminds me of George R.R. Martin’s excellent Tuf Voyaging
- Ultimates: Omniversal Vol. 2
- Although Ultimates Vol. 1
- Although Ultimates Vol. 1
- The Unworthy Thor
- Thanos Vol. 1: Thanos Returns
- For the most accurate continuity between Unworthy Thor and Thanos by Jeff Lemire and Mike Deodato, I recommend reading:
- Thanos #1
- Unworthy Thor #1 to #5
- Thanos #2 to present
- Note also that Unworthy Thor is very much a Thor story that happens to feature Thanos, rather than the other way around. Familiarity with Jason Aaron’s extended run on Thor will go a long way to understanding the story.
- Speaking of Jason Aaron’s time writing Thor, issues #3 and #4 of Thor (2018)
- For the most accurate continuity between Unworthy Thor and Thanos by Jeff Lemire and Mike Deodato, I recommend reading:
- Thanos Vol. 2: The God Quarry
- Thanos: The Infinity Siblings
- Thanos: The Infinity Conflict
- Thanos: The Infinity Ending
- These three graphic novels mark the second trilogy by Jim Starlin and Alan Davis, and by all accounts, the final Jim Starlin Thanos stories ever told. Like the preceding 2010’s Starlin Thanos graphic novels, these stories are loosely part of Marvel canon, referencing modern events but not strictly occurring directly in the timeline. For example, there’s a specific reference to, I think, Rage of Ultron
- These three graphic novels mark the second trilogy by Jim Starlin and Alan Davis, and by all accounts, the final Jim Starlin Thanos stories ever told. Like the preceding 2010’s Starlin Thanos graphic novels, these stories are loosely part of Marvel canon, referencing modern events but not strictly occurring directly in the timeline. For example, there’s a specific reference to, I think, Rage of Ultron
- Thanos Vol. 3: Thanos Wins
- Cosmic Ghost Rider
- I feel pretty weird about including a “Punisher as the Ghost Rider” story on a Thanos reading list, but trust me, it fits. This five issue miniseries follows hot on the heels of Donny Cates writing in “Thanos Wins” in a story titled “Baby Thanos Must Die!”
- Infinity Wars
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Thanos by Tini Howard
- Eternals by Kieron Gillen & Esad Ribic
Latest Additions:
Collects: Silver Surfer Rebirth (2022) #1 to #5
Eternals Vol. 1: Only Death Is Eternal
Collects: Eternals (2021) #1 to #6
Collects: Eternals (2021) #7 to #12
Thor by Donny Cates Vol. 5: The Legacy of Thanos
Collects: Thor (2020) #27 to #28, Thanos: Death Notes (2022) #1, Thor (2020) #29 to #30
Thor by Donny Cates Vol. 6: Blood of The Fathers
Collects: Thor (2020) #31 to #35
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1 2 3 4 Next »Hey Dave. Do you mind mentioning which books are necessary to understand the character of Thanos or necessary for his life plot as a whole (meaning which books are relevant back stories to a lot of others)?
Also, which stories do you recommend to read/have a more interesting plot?
I've felt that peak Thanos was in the 90's starting with Infinity Gauntlet. From there we see an evolution from nihilist Thanos to a much more dynamic anti-hero style Thanos that runs all the way through Annihilation.
Hi Dave, Which comic series is it that details Thanos as a young and brilliant teen who just wants to save Titan? Is it "Thanos: Rising" or a different one? Thanks.
Teenage Thanos sounds like Thanos Rising, but not sure about the saving Titan bit... and I won't be returning to find out!
Hey can you I include the civil war 2,. And tiwhe issues please
Hey the civil war 2 apperances are missing after secret wars
Thanks for the guide!
There are elements in the first Starlin trilogy that place it after Secret Wars, at least the Finale I think. Also, I was curious to see how you’d fit the second trilogy as well but it’s missing altogether.
I think that both series just don’t fit with the official Thanos story and Starlin himself has acknowledged that and it’s part of the reason he had his fallout with Tom Brevoort.
Where does the second Jim Starlin Thanos trilogy of books best fit into this reading order?
Just curious why the Infinity Relativity/Entity/Finale series comes before Time Runs Out? A key piece seems to definitely come after.
I’ve been recently catching up on my Thanos reading since Infinity Wars came out. My question is, where do the following fit in to this exceptional Thanos reading list?
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 4: Original Sin
- Avengers Assemble (Brian Michael Bendis)
- Infinity Incoming!
- Thanos: The Infinity Siblings
- Thanos: The Infinity Conflict
Are these duplicate efforts, have a place in this list, or perhaps are intentionally excluded? Thanks!
Hello Dave,
Thanks for the helpful reading guide and order on all things Thanos! I just wanted to send a word of thanks and mention an addition to the list that should be of interest. During the period involving the Thanosi (following the Ka-Zar and Thanos vs Thor storylines), the Avengers also face a doppleganger in the Celestial Quest story-arc (available as TPB at Amazon here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/078516233X/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I mention this for completeness sake. Thanos refers to each of these three episodes in conversation with Gamora (in Infinity Abyss #3).
Thanks for sharing the order and collection.
Is that Spidey Super Stories issue listed here on MU? Can't seem to find it anywhere.
Hey man, thanks for this awesome guide!
I do have a question though: In the big slipcase that was released, a lot of crossover stuff is included, relating to infinity War and Infinity Crusade. How necessary is this? Only some if it; the ones relating to the Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus and Infinity War are mentioned in your list, and I'm not quite sure what this crossover stuff really is.
Good question! I pass one of these mega sets in my comic shop every week now, and it's all I can do to restrain from throwing $500 at the register and walking out with it.
I'm working through a lot of the more obscure tie-ins now actually as part of a mega Infinity Gauntlet guide. In general, I'd say if you've never read the events, these tie-ins aren't going to make or break your enjoyment, but as I'm nothing if not obsessive, I'll find a place for them!
Thanks man.
I'm kinda obsessive myself, and I know that if there's a possibility for more stories and background to be had, I'll want to have it.
I guess if some crossovers are worth reading, the rest of them probably are, too? I'm think because of what they add to the overarching story?
Where does Guardians of the Galaxy #19 fit into this reading order?
Which volume?
The last issue of GOTG written by Bendis, which was released around the same time as Unworthy Thor and Thanos #1.
First off I want to just say thank you for helping me collect these series of comics thus far it has been one of the best read through sagas EVER!!! However, I have almost all of this, albeit the annihilation series I will be ordering it soon, my question is where the hell did the gauntlets come from; who or what made them to house all that power, I have been reading and searching for this information and not one of these stories has been able to clarify what they are at this present moment, any help would be more than welcome
Does someone know if there is a reading order if you have Infinity volume 1 and volume 2? I just can't find something on the internet. Thanks!
Hickman's "Infinity" does not exist in two volumes, and there's a ton of Thanos stuff with "Infinity" in the title, so you're going to have to be a lot more specific.
If you take a close look at Thanos' "stock", unadorned classic suit gauntlets, their design is identical to that of the Infinity Gauntlet, with the exception of the six scalloped recesses made to accommodate the Infinity Gems (and, in some depictions, raised piping surrounding them).
One can infer that the gauntlet on which the Gems were joined, then, was simply a lightly modified version of Thanos' standard costume gauntlets. AFAIK this process has not been explicitly addressed and described.
Well I bought all the books, but I've some questions...after infinity watch vol. 2 what comes next?because there's no continuity for thanos and Gamora.(!)
Also after Thor vs Thanos comes infinity abyss, but how?after the events on TvsT what happened???how is gamora with warlock again...and how is thanos alive again?
That was not Thanos fighting Thor, but one of his Thanosi simulacra.
The Infinity Abyss performs a really good retcon with how those events unfolded. I thoroughly enjoyed Abyss.