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Thanos Reading Order

The Marvel Comics supervillain Thanos first appeared in The Invincible Iron Man #55 in February 1973. He was created by writer and artist Jim Starlin, who was inspired by Jack Kirby’s work on DC’s New Gods. He was Marvel’s response to Darkseid, following instructions from Roy Thomas, but Starlin also drew inspiration from his college psychology classes when creating Thanos and Drax the Destroyer.

Hailing from Titan, Saturn’s moon, Thanos is the son of the Eternals A’lars and Sui-San. After falling in love with the physical embodiment of Death, Thanos finally became the murderous nihilist monster feared by the universe. He killed millions on Titan, but that was just the beginning. In order to do more, he started seeking universal power in the form of the Cosmic Cube.

This quest led to the creation of his enemy, Drax the Destroyer, and confrontations with Captain Marvel and other superheroes. But his story ended… for a time. He was resurrected in the 1990s, when Jim Starlin launched his Infinity Saga — a classic Marvel tale of epic proportions. Thanos resumed his quest to find the Infinity Gems.

After that, he became a constant menace, concocting evil plans that only made sense to him. Even when defeated, he always came back.

Thanos Reading Order

Thanos during the Silver Age era

During the 1970s, writer and artist Jim Starlin developed the character of Thanos in several Marvel comic books. Through his serialised storytelling, Starlin gradually expanded Thanos’s role in the Marvel Universe, transforming him from a one-off antagonist into a major cosmic threat. These appearances have since been collected in several editions, listed in the next section. Before taking a look at these collected editions, here is a chronological list of Thanos’s original appearances in this era.

  • Iron Man (1968) #55
    • Logan’s Run (1977) #6 (backup story)
  • Captain Marvel (1968) #25-29
  • Marvel Feature #12
  • Captain Marvel (1968) #30-32
    • Daredevil (1964) #105-107
  • Avengers (1963) #125
  • Captain Marvel (1968) #33-34
  • Strange Tales (1951) #178-181
  • Warlock #9-15
  • Marvel Team Up #55
  • Avengers King Sized Annual #7
  • Marvel Two in One Annual #2
  • Marvel Graphic Novel #1: Death of Captain Marvel

The Thanos War: Collected Editions

The following collected editions compile the core Thanos stories written by Jim Starlin during the 1970s, often referred to collectively as “The Thanos War.” These volumes reprint Thanos’s early appearances, and you have the choice between multiple editions:

  • 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, Logan’s Run (1977) #6, Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) #1, material from Daredevil (1964) #105.

Those were previously collected in the following book:

  • Avengers vs. Thanos
    Collects Iron Man (1968) #55, Captain Marvel (1968) #25-33, Marvel Feature (1971) #12, Daredevil (1964) #105-107, Avengers (1963) #125, Warlock (1972) #9-11, 15, Avengers Annual (1967) #7, Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2, material from Logan’s Run #6.

…but also in a lot more books:

Thanos in The Infinity Saga

Jim Starlin’s Infinity Saga is a trilogy of Marvel cosmic crossover events published in the early 1990s. Centred on Thanos’ pursuit and acquisition of the Infinity Gauntlet — a device that grants total control over time, space, power, reality, mind, and soul — the saga explores the consequences of omnipotence and its impact on the Marvel Universe.

While a detailed reading order is provided in our guide to reading the Infinity Saga, the essential collected editions are listed below.

Prelude to the Infinity Saga

Before the Infinity Gauntlet saga formally began, Jim Starlin returned to Marvel in the late 1980s to resume his cosmic story. These comics reintroduced Thanos and set the stage for the events to come, reestablishing key characters and themes that would define the Infinity Saga. The following books form the essential prelude.

The Infinity Saga

The Infinity Saga proper consists of three limited series written by Jim Starlin: The Infinity Gauntlet (1991), The Infinity War (1992), and The Infinity Crusade (1993). Each story expands upon the cosmic mythology of the Marvel Universe and explores Thanos’s evolving role as both the ultimate antagonist and a complex antihero. Together, these stories form the foundation of Marvel’s cosmic universe in the 1990s.

  • Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus
    Collects Silver Surfer (1987) #34-38, 40, 44-60, Thanos Quest (1990) #1-2, Infinity Gauntlet #1-6, Cloak & Dagger (1988) #18, Spider-Man (1990) #17, Incredible Hulk (1968) #383-385, Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme (1988) #31-36, Quasar (1989) #26-27, Sleepwalker (1991) #7.
  • Infinity War Omnibus
    Collects 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 Crusade Omnibus
    Collects Infinity Crusade (1993) #1-6, Warlock Chronicles (1993) #1-5, Warlock And The Infinity Watch (1992) #18-22, Thor (1966) #463-467, Iron Man (1968) #294-295, Avengers West Coast (1989) #96-97, Darkhawk (1991) #30-31, Cage (1992) #17, Alpha Flight (1983) #124-125, 127, Marc Spector: Moon Knight (1989) #57, Silver Surfer (1987) #83-85, Deathlok (1991) #28, Material From Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme (1988) #54-56, Alpha Flight (1983) #122-123, 126, Web Of Spider-Man (1985) #104-106, Silver Sable & The Wild Pack (1992) #16-17, Deathlok (1991) #29.

Thanos - Infinity Reading Order, a Marvel Event

After The Infinity Saga

The conclusion of The Infinity Crusade transitions directly into Blood and Thunder, a crossover storyline that primarily features Thor, but which continues themes and character arcs from the Infinity Saga. This storyline explores the aftermath of the cosmic events and Thanos’ evolving role in the Marvel Universe.

Following the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, Thanos made sporadic appearances in various storylines and limited series throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. These appearances served to further develop his character and maintain his presence within Marvel’s cosmic universe.

Thanos and the Annihilation Saga

In 2003, Thanos received his first ongoing solo series, which expanded his story beyond crossover events. Shortly thereafter, he became involved in the Annihilation Saga, a major revival of Marvel’s cosmic universe. Although Thanos’s involvement was primarily limited to the initial phase, particularly in the Annihilation miniseries, his presence was once again central to the ongoing cosmic conflict.

  • Thanos: Redemption
    Collects Thanos #1-12.
  • Annihilation Omnibus
    Collects Drax The Destroyer #1-4, Annihilation: Prologue, Annihilation: Nova #1-4, Annihilation: Silver Surfer #1-4, Annihilation: Super-Skrull #1-4, Annihilation: Ronan #1-4, Annihilation #1-6, Annihilation: Heralds Of Galactus #1-2 And Annihilation: Nova Corps Files.

Soon after, Thanos returned in The Thanos Imperative, a cosmic event miniseries that brought together ongoing storylines from Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy. Familiarity with these series helps understand the plot, as they provide important background information on the conflict and the characters’ relationships.

  • The Thanos Imperative
    Collects The Thanos Imperative 1–6, The Thanos Imperative: Ignition, The Thanos Imperative: Devastation, and the Thanos Sourcebook.

Thanos - Infinity Reading Order, a Marvel Event

During the Marvel NOW! publishing initiative, Thanos reentered the spotlight with Thanos Rising (2013), a limited series written by Jason Aaron that explored his origin and early descent into nihilism. Following this, Thanos had an unexpected encounter with Deadpool, blending cosmic gravitas with dark humor.

Recent Marvel events can be challenging to navigate due to their titles often echoing classic storylines. The 2013 Infinity event, written by Jonathan Hickman, sees the dramatic return of Thanos: ‘The Mad Titan makes his world-shattering comeback as his armies ignite a galactic war fought both on Earth and in deep space, with heroes caught in the crossfire’. The event expands the cosmic scope of the Marvel Universe, revisiting key themes associated with Thanos’s character.

The New Infinity Saga by Jim Starlin

After the Infinity event written by Jonathan Hickman, Jim Starlin returned to create a new Infinity saga, which explores Thanos’s ongoing quest for cosmic domination. This storyline sees significant developments in Thanos’s character, including his evolving relationship with Adam Warlock and a pivotal confrontation with Annihilus during his invasion of the universe. The story raises questions about sacrifice and the limits of power.

The saga spans multiple miniseries and original graphic novels, which have been compiled into the following omnibus edition:

  • Thanos: The Infinity Saga Omnibus
    Collects Thanos Annual (2014) #1, Thanos: The Infinity Revelation (2014), Thanos vs. Hulk (2014) #1-4, Thanos: The Infinity Relativity (2015), Infinity Entity (2016) #1-4, Thanos: The Infinity Finale (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy: Mother Entropy (2017) #1-5, Thanos: The Infinity Siblings (2018), Thanos: The Infinity Conflict (2018), Thanos: The Infinity Ending (2019).

The omnibus edition collects not only the new Infinity saga but also additional related stories that provide broader context to Thanos’s cosmic journey. Below is the recommended reading order for what you’ll find in the omnibus:

Thanos - Infinity Reading Order, a Marvel Event

The 2015 Secret Wars event effectively rebooted the Marvel Universe. Central to the story were the interdimensional Incursions, which systematically destroyed alternate realities. Despite the efforts of scientists, mystics, and superheroes to avert disaster, the Marvel and Ultimate universes ultimately collided and were destroyed, resulting in a new status quo in the Marvel continuity.

Following the conclusion of Secret Wars, the All-New, All-Different Marvel era began. During this period, Thanos appeared in the following titles:

Civil War IIWhen a new Inhuman emerges with the ability to profile the future, Captain Marvel wants him to work with the Ultimates in order to preemptively tackle disasters before they happen, but Iron Man opposes the idea, suggesting it is dangerous to take his visions for granted for several reasons.

Thanos plays a pivotal role as one of the cosmic threats emerging amid the conflict between heroes divided over the use of precognitive justice. For a detailed breakdown of Civil War II and its tie-ins, please refer to our guide to reading Civil War II in order.

These events paved the way for a new Thanos ongoing series, written by Jeff Lemire with art by Mike Deodato Jr., which further explores the character’s complex motivations and cosmic ambitions.

During this period, Jim Starlin returned to conclude his Infinity Trilogy with three original graphic novels that largely exist outside of the mainstream Marvel continuity. While these stories can be read independently or at an earlier point in the timeline, they provide thematic closure to Starlin’s exploration of Thanos. All three graphic novels are included in Thanos: The Infinity Saga Omnibus.

Following the conclusion of Jeff Lemire’s run, Donny Cates took over the writing duties for Thanos. Although not officially branded as a relaunch, Cates’ tenure effectively reset certain aspects of the character and narrative. Notably, he introduced Cosmic Ghost Rider, whose complex relationship with Thanos was explored further in a spin-off series dedicated to the character.

These developments culminated in Infinity Wars, followed by the launch of a new Guardians of the Galaxy series that continues to expand Marvel’s cosmic universe.

Thanos - Infinity Reading Order, a Marvel Event

A new Thanos miniseries was released in 2019, though it focuses more on Gamora’s backstory than on Thanos himself. The character made a significant return in Kieron Gillen and Esad Ribic’s Eternals series. As the Eternals confront revelations about their origins and their society begins to collapse, Thanos emerges as a potential new leader, influencing the direction of their community.

After the events of Eternals, Thanos is presumed missing or dead. However, in Donny Cates and Torunn Grønbekk’s Thor run, Thor experiences a vision foretelling Thanos’s imminent return, suggesting that the Mad Titan’s story is far from over.

In the 2023 four-part miniseries Thanos, written by Christopher Cantwell and illustrated by Luca Pizzari and Germán Peralta, the Mad Titan embarks on a quest to reclaim a treasured item that has been lost. Having concealed this object from him, the Illuminati must reunite to prevent his success, setting the stage for a high-stakes cosmic confrontation.

Jean Grey, The Phoenix, is now in space and faces the Dark Gods, but also has to take a stand against the Mad Titan!

More coming soon, as Thanos always comes back!

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