(Image Source: Marvel / Chad Hardin)
There are many villains who sought to conquer death, but only one who sought to woo it. Small wonder then that Thanos is known as the Mad Titan. But to borrow a line from Shakespeare, “though this be madness, yet there is method in it.” This makes him all the more dangerous, for there is a vast intellect even mightier than his petrous physical form backing his insanity.

Created by writer/artist Jim Starlin, Thanos first appeared in 1973’s Invincible Iron Man #55. He soon grew to menace the entire Marvel Universe, and became an archenemy of Captain Marvel. However, his earliest adventures were as nothing compared to his quest to secure the six Infinity Gems. This storyline was famously adapted for the MCU, though the cinematic Thanos did not seek to literally romance the physical embodiment of Death.

Best Thanos Comics as of 2025

Picking out the best comics featuring Thanos is a difficult prospect. The chief issue is that most of his appearances are as a supporting player in other characters’ comics. Even after he began headlining his own series and events, Thanos was not a major draw unless fighting Marvel’s most popular heroes. As a result, many of his best stories are only available in expensive omnibus editions or out-of-print trade paperbacks. Ironically, tracking down the original monthly comics may be easier and less expensive.

The Thanos Wars (Captain Marvel Vol. 1 #25-33)

The Thanos Wars was the first major event to feature the Mad Titan as the chief villain. In many ways it foreshadows the threat he would become in the Infinity Trilogy nearly two decades later. In any case, it firmly established him as a rising power in Marvel Comics‘ cosmology.

The story centers around Thanos and his efforts to acquire a reality-altering Cosmic Cube. With this artifact, he hoped to attain godhood. It was this effort that cemented his status as the archenemy of Captain Marvel. However, this battle also pitted him against the Avengers and his soon-to-be longtime frenemy Adam Warlock.

There are two collected editions which contain The Thanos Wars. However, their contents do not overlap perfectly. The 2019 Thanos Wars: Infinity Origin Omnibus contains the complete story, most of the tie-ins, and The Death of Captain Marvel miniseries. Contrastingly, the 2013 Avengers vs. Thanos paperback omits the reintroduction of Adam Warlock from Strange Tales and Marvel Team-Up. Curiously, it does contain several Daredevil tie-in issues the omnibus does not.

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The Infinity Gauntlet

As amazing as it may seem today, Thanos went unused for the better part of a decade following his apparent death in The Death of Captain Marvel. He was resurrected by Death herself in the pages of Silver Surfer. Thus began a new quest for the Infinity Gems, which he had once tapped to fight the cosmic villain known as the Magus.

The Infinity Gauntlet storyline found Thanos uniting the six gems and using their power to kill half the universe. This started a trilogy of cosmic events, with Infinity War and Infinity Crusade following soon after. It is Infinity Gauntlet, however, which is the best regarded. It also had the greatest effect upon modern Marvel Comics and the MCU.

Unsurprisingly, there are several print collections containing the Infinity Gauntlet storyline. The trade paperback collects the original six-issue miniseries. The deluxe edition contains special materials on the making of the miniseries. There is also a Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus, which contains all the comics tying into the miniseries. It also collects the comics detailing Thanos’ resurrection in the Silver Surfer series.

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Thanos: Redemption (Thanos Vol. 3 #1-12)

Can even the darkest of souls earn redemption? This is a question that comes to concern Thanos, who speaks on this point with Adam Warlock after much contemplation. Thus does Thanos begin his most unlikely quest yet; to make amends for his many crimes.

This quest begins with the world of Rigel-3, whose destruction was arranged by one of Thanos’ doppelgangers. Unfortunately, even the Mad Titan’s most honest efforts at assistance yield strife and violence. For instance, he offers to improve the Rigelian gene pool and the efficiency of their military with a single action. That action is to kill their head general.

While this effort at self-improvement was short-lived, it was an interesting change of pace to see Thanos attempting heroism. The 12-part story was collected twice. First, in two volumes titled Epiphany and Samaritan, and then in 2013’s Thanos: Redemption. Unfortunately, all three books are long out-of-print.

Thanos: Return of the Mad Titan (Thanos Vol. 4 #1-4)

In 2024, Thanos rose from the dead yet again, resuming his quest to woo Death herself. This proved difficult, as Death had given up her cosmic power to live as a mortal woman on Earth. Despite this, Thanos restored her power, only to once again be rejected for his efforts.

This led him to conclude that she was unworthy of her power and set about conquering Death if she would not be romanced. This entailed forging a new Infinity Gem which trapped the essence of Death itself. Unfortunately, the gem did not grant Thanos the power he sought. This inspired another quest to seek the original Infinity Gems, presuming they would enable him to finally claim absolute power over Death.

Thanos: Return of the Mad Titan set the new status quo for the Infinity Gems in the modern Earth-616 reality. That, and how it sets up the new Infinity Watch, make it noteworthy for fans of Marvel’s cosmic comics. Beyond that, it also sets up a new status quo for Thanos as a villain who seeks power for his own sake and not some abstract ideal.

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Thanos Rising (Thaos Rising #1-5)

Originally published as a five-issue miniseries in 2013, Thanos Rising examines the origins of the Mad Titan. It begins with his birth, where his own mother sought to kill him upon seeing him for the first time. This was presumed to be because of her horror at his malformed appearance. In time, however, some would come to believe she was the first to see Thanos for what he truly was.

The story offers a psychological explanation for Thanos’ efforts to woo Death. Namely, a girl he had a crush convinced him it was okay to kill in the name of love. This leads him to kill the wild animals that slaughtered his only friends, whom he was later accused of killing. This sets him on a road of deviant behavior as both a scientist and space pirate.

The script by Jason Aaron and artwork by Simone Bianchi are excellent. However, despite being an origin story, Thanos Rising is best enjoyed after reading the Infinity Gauntlet. The horrors of the Mad Titan’s youth resonate more deeply after seeing all he accomplished.

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How we chose the best Thanos comics

Accessibility, rather than availability, was the main concern in compiling this guide to the best Thanos comics. While the Mad Titan has appeared in many stories, most of them are dense in continuity and require extensive knowledge of Marvel’s cosmology. They are good reads, yet they are also impenetrable to most audiences. With that in mind, we chose story arcs that don’t require extensive knowledge of Marvel trivia beforehand. An effort was also made to pick stories in which Thanos had goals beyond simply winning over Death.