This is the first installment of the series Untold Origin Stories. In each installment, a character from the Marvel Universe (MU) will have their comic book origin story explored. Whether known by most or never heard of, each exploration will be of a character whose origin story was not featured on the cinematic screen.
Thanos. Otherwise known as the formidable purple guy with a metal glove. By now, anyone who has been remotely caught up with the current phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) knows who Thanos is. He is the guy that has been building up the entire first three phases of the MCU. Yet despite having so many instances of being referenced or teased throughout each Marvel film, no one knows quite how Thanos got to where he is when audiences first meet him on the cinematic screen. He is one of the few very significant MCU characters who never has their origin story explained to fans unaware of the comic book lore.
So who exactly is Thanos?
It’s best to start with his character conception. Along with Drax the Destroyer, Thanos was conceived by artist Jim Starlin during his time as an undergraduate in one of his psychology classes. During an interview, he describes his inspiration for the character as akin to “anger management,” with Drax serving as his foil. Starlin then went to Marvel Comics, who gave him an opportunity to work on an issue of Iron Man and Thanos was born into the Marvel Universe.
One interesting thing about Thanos' initial character design was that he was not drawn as muscular as he eventually came to be. Stalin reveals that "Thanos was a much thinner character and [editor] Roy Thomas suggested beefing him up, so he's beefed up quite a bit from his original sketches."
Source: catawiki.com
Thanos’ comic book publication history reveals surprising bits of information
Thanos first appeared in the 55th issue of The Invincible Iron Man, released in February 1973, and continues to appear in comic books to this day (his most recent appearance was in the 7th issue of Eternals released in November 2021). He plays the role of secondary antagonist in this issue and is portrayed as calculating and observant rather than violent. This is interesting in the sense that it contradicts the Thanos MCU fans know, who, while being extremely calculating, is also capable of mass violence. It also introduces the idea of his deception, as he had a robot in his place to fight against Iron Man (typical 1970s comic book move right?), but also reveals an element of cowardice, as he was not willing to face Iron Man and Drax the Destroyer head on.
Front cover of issue 55 of The Invincible Iron Man
Source: marvel.fandom.com
Okay…so what else don’t we know about Thanos?
The most MCU fans have come to know about Thanos’ background prior to Phase Four is that he is a power hungry sadist who believes death brings about peace. Eternals (2021) brings us the first concrete piece of evidence about his past with the introduction of Starfox, his younger brother – but that is all audiences know thus far.
Thanos is the oldest son of Eternals A’lars and Sui-San and was born on Titan. He was almost murdered as an infant by his mother Sui-San, who feared that he would destroy all life in the universe (...she wasn’t too far off…). A’lars put a stop to it and Thanos was able to have a childhood.
Growing up, Thanos was shockingly a pacifist but was in isolation due his unusual appearance. His only friends were Starfox and some family pets, so it’s not shocking to know that his serial killer tendencies would slowly emerge. In adolescence, he became drawn to nihilism and entropy, taking a complete 180 from his childhood beliefs. He is introduced to Mistress Death, whose involvement in his life completely changes it once more.
Mistress Death really took hold of Thanos and yet most don’t know about it
Thanos’ role in the MCU deals with the Infinity War and his desire to ‘cleanse’ the world population by exactly 50%. While this is only one of several story arcs explored in the comics, what many Marvel fans don’t know is that it was because of Lady Death. In the comics, Thanos dies after collecting the Infinity Stones (gems in the comics) and once he is resurrected, collects them again. During round two of his conquest, the Infinity Gauntlet is born and the rest is history. HOWEVER, what the MCU fails to mention is Thanos only does this because he is in love with Mistress Death. He feels as if he is not worthy of her love and consequently decides that he must do something to make himself worthy. In essence, the entire plot of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame is one big romantic gesture. However, Lady Death ignores his advance – due to Thanos being superior in power – and he is defeated. Avengers: Endgame (2019) hints at this with Thanos’ sudden destroyal of the stones and change of attitude, but even then this element remains hidden.
Comic book still in which Thanos is crying out in agony of his desire to be with Lady Death, who is pictured on the far right
Source: reddit.com
So why did the MCU leave out Thanos’ origin story?
It’s hard to say. Unlike DC Comics, Marvel tends to portray villains in a manner that garners little to no sympathy. Thanos has a compelling backstory that despite being a sociopath could garner some sympathy for his early life. He was seen as different and made fun of as a result, which fans could relate to. Touching upon his origins would bring a layer of complexity to his MCU character development that would potentially confuse audiences. It also has the potential to send across the wrong message, namely that if you are different and made fun of because of those differences, you might become a sociopath. All in all, Thanos’ origin story is intriguing and had potential to make it to the MCU, but this would stick out in their gallery of rogues.
Author Bio
Felicity Girty is an English major with a double minor in Cognitive Science and Film, Television, and Digital Media. She is addicted to all things Disney and has an enormous passion for literature and entertainment. If not reading or immersed in pop culture, you can find her listening to literally any kind of music. Felicity hopes to work her way into the entertainment industry as a producer/showrunner, starting out in the writers’ room. She is also involved in UCLA Project SPELL.
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