Marvel Comics has put out a lot of stellar events, but the most popular is Infinity Gauntlet.The 1991 six-issue series from Jim Starlin, George Perez, and Ron Lim brought back Thanos, Adam Warlock, Gamora, and Pip the Troll, with the Mad Titan assembling the Infinity Gems (much better name than Infinity Stones, by the way) in order to kill half the universe. The story came out in the summer of ’91 and was an immediate hit. Marvel had mostly been doing crossover events in the years leading up to this story – big stories that ran through multiple titles but had no titular series – so this was a taste of something different. This the story that made Thanos into everyone’s favorite Marvel villain and would become the inspiration for the first three Phases of the MCU.
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1991 was an amazing year for Marvel Comics. The X-Men were going through their major reboot, Spider-Man was dealing with the symbiotic madness of Venom and Carnage, Wolverine was getting “Weapon X” and had an A-list creative team on his book, and much, much more. Infinity Gauntletcame around right at a time when numerous characters were going through some of the best times in their existences. While their appearances in the story may not have all been important, they were at their most interesting. These seven Marvel heroes were at best during Infinity Gauntlet, their appearances in the story coming at their most interesting times.
7) Hulk
The Hulk was one of the survivors of Thanos’s snap, recruited by Adam Warlock to fight against the newly-minted god. He was one of the heaviest hitters of the bunch and was able to land some good hits. However, Thanos would shrink him and he’d up back on Earth, acting as the conscience of the Abomination in the sewers under New York City. He’d come back for the last battle and help defeat Nebula, who had grabbed the Gauntlet in issue #5. 1991 was an amazing year for the Hulk. Not only was his role in Infinity Gauntlet pretty awesome, but he was in the midst of Peter David’s legendary run on The Incredible Hulk. He was Professor Hulk at this point, having just integrated all of his alters, and his book was reaching new heights. Readers were getting the best Hulk series they had been getting years, David working with regular artist Dale Keown to give readers some brilliant stories. He was integral to Infinity Gauntlet and at the highest point of his existence.
6) Cyclops
Cyclops is the X-Men’s greatest leader, his optic blasts and tactical skills making him a potent combatant. In Infinity Gauntlet, Cyclops was the only survivor of X-Factor and joined the battle against Thanos. He and Scarlet Witch ganged up on the Mad Titan, but Wanda would get fried by energy feedback. Cyclops doubled his efforts, but Thanos put an unbreakable cube around his head, suffocating him. There are many fans out there who would say that Cyclops’s best years came in the ’00s and ’10s, but 1991 was an amazing year for him. He began the year with X-Factor, killed Apocalypse, sent his son to the future, and rejoined the X-Men. He’d end up starring in the bestselling comic of all time, X-Men #1, got his classic Jim Lee costume (oh and the costume he was wearing in Infinity Gauntlet was excellent as well), and went back to the team that started it all for him. Definitely an amazing year for the character.
5) Wolverine
Wolverine is the best there is at what he does, and in Infinity Gauntlet that was dying. Logan survived the snap, had a cool moment with Hulk, and then joined the other heroes in battle with Thanos. Because this was the ol’Canucklehead, he jumped right in and stabbed the Mad Titan in the chest with both sets of claws. The two locked eyes, and then Wolverine’s bones were turned to spongy rubber, ending the fight for him. Beyond that, 1991 was an excellent year for the ol’Canucklehead and his fans. To begin with, “Weapon X” was running through Marvel Comics Presents #72-84. This told the story of when Wolvie got his adamantium and the resulting slaughter that saw him wander out into the night with unbreakable bones, covered in the blood of the people who tortured him. In his solo book, he was in the midst of the excellent Larry Hama/Marc Silvestri run, giving readers some awesome stories. Finally, there was the X-Men, where he was basically the star of the show. Wolverine was amazing in 1991 and anyone who didn’t think so wasn’t reading back then.
4) Pip the Troll
Pip the Troll is a character that most modern Marvel fans, at least any who didn’t start reading in either the ’70s or ’90s, have never heard of (or only know because of his Eternals cameo). He first appeared in the days when Adam Warlock and Captain Marvel were the pinnacle of cosmic Marvel, under the capable pen of Jim Starlin. Pip was a Laxidazian prince who liked art and drinking. He ended up drinking a mutagenic ale given to him by some trolls and transformed into one of them. He joined Adam Warlock’s inner circle, a loud, drunk presence in the battles against the worst threats in the universe. He was eventually killed along with Warlock and Gamora, ending up in the Soul Gem. When Thanos brought the Gems together, they were able to escape and became the main movers against the Mad Titan. Pip basically just smoked, drank, and complained but that was pretty much his whole thing anyway. He starred in the hottest event of the year and was set up for his biggest push (go and hunt down Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch; it’s excellent) ever. Since then, he’s almost completely faded away, unfortunately, but he’ll always have 1991.
3) Gamora
Gamora was the adopted daughter of Thanos, trained by him to be the ultimate killing machine. She ended up an ally of Adam Warlock, helping him battle the person who made her into the deadliest woman in the universe and eventually ended up in the Soul Gem. As far as the actual story, she didn’t really do all that much. Warlock held her in reserve; she was mostly there because she knew her “father” better than anyone. Gamora had never been all that popular of a character before, and her role in Infinity Gauntlet was the biggest spotlight that she had ever gotten. She fit perfectly into the Marvel Universe of the ’90s and much like Pip would end up in Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch, given the Time Gem by the hero. She was amazing in that book and it planted the seeds for her to become one of the most important cosmic characters ever. It all led to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she became more popular than anyone would have ever figured.
2) Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is most iconic Herald of Galactus, premiering alongside the giant purple planet eater and becoming one of the most important cosmic Marvel heroes. He played an integral role in the build-up to Infinity Gauntlet, with Jim Starlin and Ron Lim pitting him against a returned Thanos. In Infinity Gauntlet, Surfer ended up becoming Adam Warlock’s right hand man and was part of his plan to get the Gauntlet while Earth’s heroes attacked the Mad Titan, although he failed. He’d end up in the final battle as one of the heavy hitters, helping save the day. Starlin and Lim stayed on the book for a while, then Ron Marz took over his solo book and continued the excellence that Starlin had started. I’m not going to lie to you – Silver Surfer(Vol. 3) was one of the best Marvel comics of the early ’90s. He wasn’t X-Men popular in the ’90s, but he was still a major Marvel character and this book helped keep him in the public eye.
1) Adam Warlock
Cosmic Marvel is full of powerful heroes, with Adam Warlock being mid-level in power but high-level in everything else. This Stan Lee/Jack Kirby creation was taken over by Starlin in the ’70s and became an icon. He’d battle Thanos, the High Evolutionary, and the Magus, before being sucked into his own Soul Gem. He’d lead Gamora and Pip out and they would rally both the heroes and the cosmic beings to battle the Mad Titan. He was the general of Infinity Gauntlet, planning the battles, and keeping his true plan to himself. Nebula getting the Gauntlet led to Warlock and Thanos working together and in the final battle, Warlock used his connection the Soul Gem to mess with the Gauntlet, taking it off Nebula. Everyone scrambled for it and then Warlock appeared wearing it after teleporting out of the Gem. He became God for a short time and would later become the star of Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch. 1991 made him a superstar for the first time.
Who do you think was at their best in Infinity Gauntlet? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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