Welcome back to Strange Times & Places, where today we’re celebrating the release of Avengers Infinity War this weekend with a look at What If? Infinity: Thanos, which asks the question “What If Thanos Joined The Avengers?”
How’s It Different?
It’s a For Want of a Nail story, in which Thanos is tapped by J’Son of Spartax to aid The Avengers and the Galactic Council against the Builders during Marvel’s Infinity crossover.
What’s The Story?
The incredibly powerful Builders, a race that inhabits the Superflow between realities and uses armies of genetically engineered servants to reshape planets as they see fit, are laying waste to our galaxy. The Avengers have joined forces with the Galactic Council (combining the power of the Shi’ar, Skrull, Kree, Spartax, The Badoon, The Annihilation Wave, and the Brood) to end the threat, and the war is still proving to be a losing one. Thanos and his Black Order propose a desperate alliance, one the Council is in no position to refuse, and fights beside The Avengers to turn the tide against The Builders
But Captain America doesn’t trust Thanos, and those suspicions will turn out to be well founded…
Best of Differences
- The Thanos of this tale is a very strategically minded figure, using The Avengers as his pawns to get what he wants in what I’d call a very Jim Starlin take on Marvel’s biggest bad.
- Thor and Thanos get along surprisingly well when they have the chance to fight alongside each other, both being gods who enjoy a good scrap.
- Captain America won’t let Thanos subvert The Avengers without a fight. Which, admittedly, goes about as well as Super Soldier vs. Cosmic God can go, but points to Steve for not folding.
- Thanos uses Captain America’s death, which he naturally doesn’t take credit for, to take up his shield as leader of The Avengers and a member of The Illuminati. The latter leads them to what can only assume are mildly less heroic choices in dealing with the Incursion Crisis.
Worst of Differences
- Every Avenger not named Steve Rogers is entirely too quick to get on board with trusting Thanos. Super-villains joining the team has worked out in the past (Wonder Man, Swordsman, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Quicksilver & the Scarlet Witch, Living Lightning, the list is actually pretty long), but c’mon. Thanos is an omnicidal maniac. That’s a bit different from “Russian Spy”.
- Thanos takes up Cap’s shield, but doesn’t actually don the costume like on the cover.
Come Back Next Week for Another On-Theme Installment of 1 out of 5 – Would Recommend!