From the beginning of the MCU, with Iron Man, there were plans to conclude the first major arc of the franchise in Avengers: Endgame. And the catalyst that directed it to that conclusion was none other than the Infinity Stones, the ultimate relics of power in the MCU at that time.
Right from their introduction in Thor, these stones showcased fundamental building blocks of the reality that the MCU was based on, and how their possession could spell doom for the universe.
Thus, with their stories behind us, but still leaving us with much information either unexplored and/or forgotten, here’s a deep dive into the six Infinity Stones from both the MCU, as well as pages of the comics from Marvel.
1. The Space Stone
The Space Stone, previously known as the Tesseract, is the Infinity Stone that controls the fundamental aspect of Space in the MCU. In the comics, these stones were believed to have been created by the death of an all-powerful being in the past, possibly an extremely powerful cosmic entity.
In the MCU, their backstories were changed and were to be the result of the Big Bang bringing forth the personification of six different fundamental singularities of all reality, explained in both Guardians of the Galaxy and Eternals.
In the comics, the Infinity Stones were originally called Infinity Gems, where the space stone was purple in color, and changed to blue in the MCU.
Powers
Teleportation: At its most basic ability, the Space Stone is seen being used as a teleportation device, whether it be in The Avengers or Thor. Along with the wielder, it can transport many across the universe to anywhere they desire. It also bypasses any form of protection from outside intrusion that may be placed over the desired destination by opening a portal.
Gravity Manipulation: Since it alters and affects the fabric of space, the Space Stone also bends gravity to the user’s will, meaning they can change the fundamental laws of physics across the universe. This can further lead to the creation of massive Black Holes if the wielder collapses a celestial body under its own gravitational force.
Astral Projection: At the peak, the Space Stone can enable wielders to project themselves almost anywhere they can think of in a manner that they can be everywhere all at once, gaining god-like physical omnipresence.
MCU Appearance
While the Tesseract may have been present in 2011’s Thor in the post-credit scene, its first major introduction was in Captain America: The First Avenger, where it was procured by Red Skull. during World War II.
Since then, the Space Stone was seen in the possession of Howard Stark for a while. Later, the Tesseract was seen in the events of Captain Marvel, where Carol Danvers absorbed its energy during the explosion of the Light-Speed Engine that was being powered by the Tesseract, and became the superhero. Most popularly, it was seen in 2012’s The Avengers.
It finally ended on Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers: Infinity War, where he took it from Loki, who had stolen it from Asgard’s vaults before the events of Thor: Ragnarok took place.
2. The Mind Stone
Most popularly remembered as the Infinity Stone stuck to the forehead of Vision that powers his existence, the Mind Stone is the materialisation of the fabric of thought and intellect in all living beings across reality.
While it may be the strongest expression of the mind in the universe, when used in conjunction with other stones, its powers are amplified even further, unlocking its true potential in various forms.
In the comics, at first, this Infinity Gem was blue in color, and was changed to yellow in the Marvel films.
Powers
Psionic Powers: When in possession of the Mind Stone, an individual unlocks the full potential of their intellect and brain power, which leads to abilities like Telepathy and/or Telekinesis materialising. It also enhances the intellectual ability, such as logic, reasoning, and fundamental intelligence, to god-like levels in many cases.
In fact, if the powers of the Mind Stone are unlocked fully, it can enable its wielder to tap into the consciousness of every living being in the universe at the same time, forming a hive-mind-like connection.
Mind Control: As seen in The Avengers, the Scepter that Loki possesses with the Mind Stone at its core, one touch from it started turning people into his puppets, where he had total control over their emotions and their thoughts.
Sentience: In Avengers: Age of Ultron, it was the Mind Stone that brought artificial beings like Ultron and Vision to life through giving them a fundamental fusion of naturally occurring intelligence. And since the stone itself thinks on a universal scale, it has a separate sentience of its own, which Vision used to predict what would happen next.
MCU Appearance
The Mind Stone was first seen as the glowing jewel of Loki’s Scepter in 2012’s The Avengers, which he uses to control members of S.H.I.E.L.D. and other notable characters in the film.
Later, after Loki is defeated, it’s seen once more in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as part of the Scepter being studied by S.H.I.E.L.D. This eventually leads to being given to Tony Stark, who researches it further, leading to the creation of Ultron, and later, Vision.
It finally becomes a part of the Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers: Infinity War, where Thanos pulls it out of Vision’s forehead, killing the android in the process.
3. The Reality Stone
The Reality Stone is the red stone that is the materialisation of reality itself, as the wielder of this relic possesses the ability to break the laws of reality, logic, and physics to suit their needs in whichever way they see fit.
Originally, this stone was introduced in a liquified form, which was called the Aether, that was in the possession of the Dark Elves after invading Asgard’s treasure vaults. The purpose of these creatures was to use this Aether to send the universe back into a state of nothingness, also known as the Primordial Void.
Powers
Reality Manipulation: Even at its most basic state, a strong wielder of the Reality Stone has almost perfect control over reality itself, which means they can twist and bend it to their will. This includes changing the laws of physics, altering matter and energy, and even creating things that are impossible by any logic and understanding.
Illusions: Since the wielder possesses control over the fabric of reality, they are enabled by the Reality Stone to create life-like illusions, able to affect the entire universe if the wielder is strong enough in body and mind.
Healing and Resurrection: With control over reality and matter, any wound sustained by anyone can be healed if the wielder wants it to be, no matter how fatal it is. On top of that, the Reality Stone can also bring the dead back into the world of the living in certain cases.
MCU Appearance
As stated earlier, the first time that we see the Reality Stone, it’s in the possession of the Dark Elves in Aether form in Thor: The Dark World, where Malekith invades Asgard to obtain it. And in the film, Jane Foster absorbs that Aether, which the Dark Elf leader absorbs and uses to fight Thor on Midgard, leading to his eventual destruction.
Later, the Aether is given into the hands of The Collector, who is entrusted to keep the Infinity Stone safe from falling into the wrong hands. And as it solidified into the Reality Stone, Thanos would invade Knowhere to obtain it from The Collector in Avengers: Infinity War.
4. The Power Stone
While it may not sound as strong as something like the Reality Stone, it won’t be a stretch to call the Power Stone overlooked in comparison to the rest of the Infinity Stones lineup. Instead of purple in the MCU, this Infinity Gem was first introduced as a red stone in Marvel Comics.
As the name suggests, it’s the materialisation of the fundamental aspect of power in the universe, which means any kind of concept related to strength or energy can be accessed and manipulated by the wielder of the Power Stone.
Powers
Energy Manipulation and Enhancement: Since the wielder of the Power Stone commands energy in almost every form, they can channel that energy into their own existence, making them powerful in almost every aspect.
And since unlocking the true potential of every Infinity Stone requires strength in all aspects of oneself, it also has the unique ability to boost the wielder’s power to unlock them through the energy it generates and controls.
Superhuman Traits: In typical fashion, the Power Stone gifts the wielder superhuman strength, stamina, endurance, and invulnerability. At the same time, in some cases, the wielder is also able to duplicate almost any physical superhuman ability.
Unlimited Power Supply: Since the Power Stone is the root of all energies, it can be harnessed to create power for anything and everything for the rest of eternity.
MCU Appearance
The Power Stone was first seen during the events of Guardians of the Galaxy, where Star-Lord is seen retrieving this relic, which was initially called The Orb, to hand it over to The Collector in exchange for a giant bounty. This led to the Battle of Xandar, where Ronan the Accuser’s plans to obtain it for himself were foiled by the Guardians.
And after that, the relic remained on that planet at the Nova Corps Headquarters, where, before the start of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos captured the Power Stone and destroyed Xandar with the Nova Corps.
5. The Time Stone
Initially introduced as the mystical magical relic of Kamar-Taj, called the Eye of Agamotto, the Time Stone is the conceptual materialisation of the fundamental of time in the MCU. In the comics, the color of the Time Gem was initially orange, and was changed to green in the MCU.
This Infinity Stone is by far one of the most famous relics in pop culture, popularised in its Eye of Agamotto form thanks to Doctor Strange’s playable character in the hero shooter video game, Marvel Rivals.
Powers
Time Manipulation: With its wielder gaining control of the fabric of time itself in their hands, the Time Stone enables them to gain total control over the past, present, and future. This means they can either rewind, fast forward, and even expand time, sometimes even indefinitely, changing those events or holding them in place for as long and as much as they see fit.
At the peak of its power, it can enable the wielder to gain temporal omnipresence, which means they can exist in all points of time simultaneously.
Precognition and Clairvoyance: With the ability to control time, the basic power that can be accessed with the Time Stone’s possession is precognition, which enables the wielders to tell of what will happen in the future.
On the other hand, skilled wielders, like Doctor Strange and the Ancient One, can perform Clairvoyance on a universal level, looking at every possibility and reality, like what happened in Avengers: Infinity War with Strange’s predictions.
MCU Appearance
After the Time Stone was found by Agamotto, who was also the first Sorcerer Supreme, it was kept in safety at Kamar-Taj until Doctor Strange started to study the Book of Cagliostro and wanted to witness the stone’s powers. Later, Strange would use the Time Stone to bargain with Dormammu during the invasion of the Dark Dimension in Doctor Strange.
Later, Strange himself became the one to give the Time Stone up to Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, which led to the only possibility of the Avengers winning against the Mad Titan in Avengers: Endgame.
6. The Soul Stone
The last stone that completes the set, the Soul Stone, is the relic that materialises the concept of souls, that is, in every living being that ever was, is, and will be, into a tangible relic. This stone, originally called the Soul Gem, was green in color in the comics and was changed to orange in the MCU.
This particular Infinity Stone was the most secretive and elusive amongst the others, since almost nothing was known about it, or even mentioned in the MCU before Infinity War and Endgame. It was later found to be the sentient stone, as the Mind Stone mentioned above, and actively collected the departed souls of the dead.
Powers
Soul Manipulation: Since it holds dominion over the souls of the living, it can be used by its wielder to hurt a living being physically and spiritually. It can force information out of anyone through the Cold Light of Truth, while it can also trap a soul in a pocket dimension, called the Soul World, which we saw Thanos slip into and talk with the young version of Gamora.
Surprisingly, the stone isn’t as affected by the strength of an individual who wields it, but is affected by the strength of their character after sacrificing the one thing they hold dearest to them. Thus, even someone with no powers can wield it relatively easily.
Protection Against Metaphysical Attacks: Along with giving the holder control over life and death itself, the Soul Stone also protects its wielder against metaphysical attacks that harm the soul.
MCU Appearance
The first time that we see the Soul Stone in the MCU is during the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Thanos arrives with Gamora on the planet Vormir to attain the Soul Stone, where we find out that Red Skull has been guarding it since his “demise” in 1945 at its shrine on the planet.
Red Skull further explains the process of attaining the stone by sacrificing what Thanos held the most dear, which we find out is nothing else than his daughter, Gamora. And with her sacrifice, the Mad Titan completes the set on the Infinity Gauntlet and snaps his fingers at the end of the film.
Here’s an overview of the Infinity Stones.
Infinity StonesFirst Appearance (Comics)First Appearance (MCU)The Space StoneAvengers Annual #7 (August 1977)Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)The Mind StoneCaptain Marvel #41 (August 1975)The Avengers (2012)The Reality StoneAvengers Annual #7 (August 1977)Thor: The Dark World (2013)The Power StoneMarvel Team-Up #55 (December 1976)Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)The Time StoneMarvel Team-Up #55 (December 1976)Doctor Strange (2016)The Soul StoneMarvel Premiere #1 (November 1971)Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Here are some FAQs regarding the Infinity Stones.
Was the Space Stone once possessed by the Illuminati in the comics?
During the Secret Wars (2015) event in the comics, the Space Stone was used by the Illuminati to stop another universe from colliding with theirs.
Who gave Loki the Scepter in the MCU?
When Loki wanted to invade Earth, he was given the Scepter, with the Mind Stone attached to it, by none other than Thanos, who actually recalimed it in Avengers: Infinity War.
Which characters in the MCU have accessed the peak potential of the Power Stone?
The strongest ability of the Power Stone has only been accessed by Thanos, Hulk, and Iron Man in the franchise.
Is the Reality Gem the most dangerous Infinity Stone in Marvel Comics?
Thanos once claimed that without the aid of at least the Space and Time Gems, the Reality Gem was extremely volatile and unbalanced to wield.
Did you learn something new about the Infinity Stones? Tell us in the comments below.
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