The Infinity Stones are six immensely powerful objects tied to different aspects of the universe, created by the Cosmic Entities. Each of the stones possesses unique capabilities that have been enhanced and altered by various alien civilizations through the millennia.
Only beings of immense power can wield the stones, such as when the Celestials used the Orb to pass judgment on entire planets. Lesser beings are usually unable to grasp the full power of the stones and are destroyed by them when direct contact is made, such as the illness of Jane Foster when exposed to the Aether, the disappearance of Red Skull by the Tesseract, and the incineration of Carina by the Orb.
History
Creation
- "Before creation itself, there were six singularities. Then the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots... Infinity Stones. These stones, it seems, can only be brandished by beings of extraordinary strength. These carriers can use the stone to mow down entire civilizations like wheat in a field."
- ―Collector[src]
Before the Universe began, six singularities existed. Some time after the Universe came into existence, these were formed into the six Infinity Stones by the Cosmic Entities. Each stone represented a different aspect of the universe (Space, Mind, Reality, Power, Soul, and Time).[1]
Weapon of the Celestials
The Celestials use the Orb's destructive power
In the distant past, the Orb was used by the Celestials as a means of placing judgment upon worlds and their populaces, wiping out entire civilizations by touching it's power on the planet's surface. However, the stone was just as dangerous to its handler as it was to the societies against which it was used, as its insufficiently powerful handlers were destroyed by its power.[1]
First Dark Elf Conflict
Malekith and his army of Dark Elves attempted to harness the power of the Aether and use its destructive power to destroy all of the Nine Realms. Led by Bor, the Asgardians managed to steal the Aether and stop Malekith's war. In response to the defeat, Malekith sacrificed the majority of his people, including his own wife and son, in an attempt to wipe out the Asgardian invaders, putting himself, his second in command Algrim and a few survivors into hibernation.
With the Dark Elves seemingly having been defeated and the Aether now in the possession of Asgard, King Bor was asked what was to be done with it. Bor knew that the Aether was far too powerful to be simply destroyed as he would have preferred, so he ordered that it be buried deep underground the Asgardian Palace where nobody would ever be able to find it. Under Bor's orders, it remained underground there untouched for five thousand years.[2]
World War II
- "My weapons contain enough destructive power to decimate every hostile capital on Earth. Quite simply, gentlemen, I have harnessed the power of the gods."
- ―Johann Schmidt[src]
In 1942, having become fascinated by tales of ancient mythical powers, Johann Schmidt was ordered by Adolf Hitler during World War II to create HYDRA and locate the Tesseract to discover it's true power. Schmidt invaded Tønsberg and found the Tesseract in a box hidden behind a sculptured mural of Yggdrasil, the world tree. Schmidt took the Tesseract back to his headquarters in the Alps to be experimented by Arnim Zola. Schmidt and Zola were able to harness the Tesseract's power to create and fuel their weapons of war.
In May 1945, Schimdt intended to use the Tesseract powered Valkyrie and flying nuclear bombs to destroy several world-wide strategic points. However Schmidt was confronted by Captain America and the Howling Commandos who aimed to stop him. During the battle, Rogers damaged the machine that was using the Tesseract to power the Valkyrie. Angered, Schmidt physically handled the Tesseract, only for the object to open a portal across space, which consumed Schmidt's entire body before closing leaving his fate unknown.
The Tesseract is found by Howard Stark
With Schmidt seemingly having been killed by it's power, the Tesseract fell burning through the floors of the Valkyrie, causing it to plunge into the sea below. Some time later, it was recovered by Howard Stark, CEO of Stark Industries and a member of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, who was attempting to locate his friend Captain America. Stark had the Tesseract locked away with the SSR where it was kept and studied for the next seventy years.[3]
Chitauri Invasion
In 2012, after his defeat at the hands of Thor, Loki came into contact with the alien race known as the Chitauri, and their master, Thanos, who had already been seeking the Tesseract. Loki promised to retrieve it from Earth and give it to Thanos in exchange for his army. Through manipulation of the Tesseract's energy, Thanos teleported Loki to the Tesseract's location at the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility.
Hawkeye is controlled by the Mind Stone
Thanos also provided Loki with a Scepter containing the Mind Stone. Once Loki arrived on Earth, he found a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who had been experimenting with the Tesseract's power. Loki used the power of the Scepter to defeat them all, before putting Clint Barton, Erik Selvig and several other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents under his complete control, ordering them to kill Nick Fury and steal the Tesseract for him. Selvig continued to experiment on the Tesseract in order to learn how to open a large sustainable portal.
Bruce Banner unwittingly holds the Scepter
When Loki was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D., the Scepter fell into their hands and was experimented on by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. However the Mind Stone's power proved more subtle and began to infect the Avengers personally, making them more untrusting and causing a large argument between them that only ended when Banner realised he had been unwittingly made to pick up the Scepter. During the Attack on the Helicarrier, Loki regained the Scepter, which he used to murder Phil Coulson before escaping.
The Tesseract opens a portal between worlds
Selvig used the Tesseract and Stark Tower to create a portal above New York City which allowed Loki's army to pour through and attacking, beginning the Chitauri Invasion. With hordes of Chitauri and Leviathan charging through the portal, only the Avengers stood in their way. Loki tried and failed to control Iron Man with the Scepter. Eventually Black Widow was able to close the portal using the Scepter while Iron Man destroyed the Chitauri Command Center with a Atomic Bomb before Loki was captured by the team.
While Loki was taken back to Asgard with Thor to await punishment by their father Odin the Tesseract was handed over to Thor to be kept away from the World Security Council. Thor and Loki used the cube to teleport themselves back to Asgard[4] before Thor handed the cube over to Heimdall who used it's power to rebuild the Bifrost Bridge,[5] which had been destroyed during the Duel at the Bifrost Bridge,[6] finally allowing Thor and the other Asgardians to be transported across the Nine Realms with ease once again.[2]
HYDRA's Experiments
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker with the Scepter
- "What we have, is worth more than any of them ever knew. We've only scratched the surface and already."
- ―Wolfgang von Strucker to Doctor List[src]
While the Tesseract was taken to Asgard, the Scepter remained on Earth were it got in the hands of HYDRA's leader Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. In HYDRA's hands, Strucker and List began experimenting with giving normal humans gifts with the Scepter's power, killing everyone except for Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, who were granted incredible powers to be used for HYDRA's benefit in their war with S.H.I.E.L.D..[7]
Second Dark Elf Conflict
- "The Asgardians will suffer as we have suffered. I will reclaim the Aether. I will restore our world. And I will put an end to this poisoned universe."
- ―Malekith to Algrim[src]
As the Convergence began across the Nine Realms, Jane Foster accidentally discovered and began infected with the Aether, alerting the Dark Elves to it's presence. Malekith waged war against Asgard, who were protecting Foster, to regain the Aether. Eventually Foster came to Svartalfheim where Malekith reclaimed the Aether and absorbed it.
Malekith took the Aether to Earth where he attempted to use its power to infect the entire universe with eternal darkness. Thor also returned to Earth where he confronted the leader of the Dark Elves. Malekith used the Aether to battle Thor across worlds during the Convergence until eventually they became separated and Malekith unleashed the Aether's power. Thor and Erik Selvig were able to destroy Malekith before he could complete his plans.
The Aether was soon regained by Asgard who decided that it was too dangerous to keep two Infinity Stones so close together, so they kept the Tesseract where it was and decided to relocate the Aether. Evenutally Lady Sif and Volstagg decided to hand the Aether over to Taneleer Tivan, who vowed to keep it safe within the Collector's Museum. However once the Asgardians left, Tivan announced to himself that he intended to locate the other five stones.[2]
Quest for the Orb
- "I will unfurl one thousand years of Kree justice on Xandar and burn it to its core! Then, Thanos, I'm coming for you!"
- ―Ronan the Accuser to Thanos[src]
The Orb was hidden away in Morag's Temple Vault where it was eventually located by Yondu Udonta's Ravagers. Before Udonta could claim it however, Star-Lord found it and took it for himself, only to be almost immediately confronted by Korath the Pursuer who had been ordered to find it by Ronan the Accuser. During the confrontation, Star-Lord escaped with the Orb, despite being chased down by Korath's army of Sakaarans and becoming the target of Gamora, who had been sent by Thanos and Ronan to reclaim the Orb. The Nova Corps captured Star-Lord for his crimes and also took the Orb.
Star-Lord and Gamora made a deal, along with Rocket Raccoon, Groot and Drax the Destroyer to join forces to escape the Kyln and sell the Orb to the Collector. The plan worked out and eventually the group made it to Knowhere where they were greeted by Carina and the Collector, who told them the full story of the Infinity Stones. Just before the Collector could buy the Orb, Carina touched the stone inside, causing a massive explosion which destroyed the Collector's Museum and forced them to escape.
Ronan the Accuser takes the Orb's power
As a result, the Orb was located by Ronan the Accuser, whose forces of Sakaarans led by Nebula managed to overpower Gamora and claim the Orb for themselves. Having learned the true power of the Orb, however, Ronan chose not to hand it over to Thanos as he had agreed, and instead took its power for himself, planning to use it to destroy Xandar before attacking Thanos, gaining the support of Nebula and Korath the Pursuer in his plans.
The Guardians of the Galaxy unleash the Orb
Although Ronan the Accuser attempted to destroy Xandar with the Orb's incredible power, he found himself confronted by the Guardians of the Galaxy who were supported by the Ravagers and the Nova Corps who all fought against him and his army. During the Battle of Xandar, Ronan's ship the Dark Aster was destroyed and he himself was killed when Star-Lord took the Orb's power. Star-Lord handed over the Orb to the Nova Corps to be locked away for safety.[1]
Creating a Vision
Tony Stark finds and takes the Scepter
Having been held by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, the Scepter was eventually found by the Avengers and taken into the custody of Tony Stark, who decided to use it in his experiments to bring life to Ultron, who he planned to use to bring about a peaceful world with the help of Bruce Banner. However the Mind Stone's power gave Ultron too much wisdom with gave him a vicious and bloodthirsty view upon humanity and he sought to destroy it completely.
The Mind Stone gives birth to the Vision
During his war with the Avengers, Ultron stole the Scepter and used it, combined with the knowledge and resources of Helen Cho and the Vibranium he had taken from Ulysses Klaue, to create a new and powerful body known as the Vision. The being was taken from him when the Avengers stole the Cradle during the Battle of Seoul, leading to Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Thor granting the being life with the power stone embedded in its skull.
Vision destroying the army of Ultron Sentries
The Vision viewed Ultron as a danger to Earth and decided to join the Avengers in fighting him. During the Battle of Sokovia, the Vision used the power of the Mind Stone against the overwhelming army of Ultron Sentries, using its power combined with Iron Man and Thor's power to overpower and defeat Ultron, who could not match Vision's power. With the war won, Vision decided to join the Avengers and use his remarkable power to aid the protection of Earth.[8]
Thor's Vision
Thor is given a vision of the Infinity Stones
Thor went to the Water of Sights to see again the disturbing vision that Scarlet Witch had caused him to have during the Battle at the Salvage Yard. Garnering better details, Thor saw the Scepter relieved of its stone, the Aether, the Orb, and the Tesseract all lined up into a row. Thor then went to Avengers Tower and helped to bring Vision to life because he possessed the Mind Stone; Thor understood its relationship to the other Stones and how Vision could help in the final defeat of Ultron. Later, Thor related his knowledge that four of the Infinity Stones had been located.[8]
Stones
Space Stone
- Stone Color: Blue[8]
- Original Containment Unit: Tesseract[9]
- Current Location: Asgard (since 2012)
- Current Owner: Heimdall (since 2012)
- Previous Owners:
- Cosmic Entities
- Odin (until 965)
- Church Keeper (until 1942)
- Johann Schmidt and HYDRA (1942-1945)
- Howard Stark (1945-1949)
- S.H.I.E.L.D. (1949-2012)
- Loki (2012)
- Description: The Tesseract is named for its cube-like appearance and is capable of providing instant access to any location throughout the universe if used correctly. The unique element that composes the Tesseract has also been used to create advanced weaponry by races like the Humans. This stone played an important role in humanity's development during the dawn of the superhero age, attracting the attention of forces such as Red Skull and Thanos, both of whom sought to use the Tesseract's power for their own sinister intents. It is later revealed that the cuboid is a containment unit built around the actual Infinity Stone, so that it could be somewhat safely handled and controlled. In Thor's vision, the Tesseract is shattered to unveil the blue Space Stone contained within.
Mind Stone
- Stone Color: Yellow[8]
- Original Containment Unit: Scepter[8]
- Current Location: Earth (since 2012)
- Current Owner: Vision (since 2015)
- Previous Owners:
- Cosmic Entities
- Thanos (until 2012)
- Loki (2012)
- S.H.I.E.L.D. (2012-2014)
- Wolfgang von Strucker and HYDRA (2014-2015)
- Avengers (2015)
- Ultron (2015)
- Description: The Scepter was a weapon that utilized the yellow Mind Stone housed inside a blue computer module, which also masked the stone's presence. Stark originally saw the Stone as a power source, whereas once J.A.R.V.I.S. had the opportunity to study the stone he stated it was more akin to a very powerful computer. The stone within had already been in the possession of Thanos when he gave it to Loki to aide him in his invasion of Earth. This stone had the power to subjugate the minds of others, bending them to the will of the user, as well as project the user's consciousness to a higher plane of existence. The stone was also said to greatly increase the intelligence of those capable of wielding it, as shown in the cases of Loki and Wolfgang von Strucker. When Loki failed in his campaign, the Scepter fell into the possession of S.H.I.E.L.D., eventually being passed on to HYDRA via sleeper agents. The Scepter was then used in various HYDRA experiments, and other capabilities such as mind control, astral and energy projection were unearthed. The protective casing of the Scepter's gem was eventually broken by Ultron and the contained stone was used to bring life to the Vision. Thor later entrusted the stone to Vision, stating that Vision was worthy and that safety was hard to come by nowadays.
Reality Stone
- Stone Color: Red[8]
- Original Containment Unit: Aether[10]
- Current Location: Knowhere, inside the Collector's Museum (since 2013)
- Current Owner: Taneleer Tivan (since 2013)
- Previous Owners:
- Cosmic Entities
- Malekith (until 2988 BC)
- Bor (2988 BC)
- Jane Foster (2013)
- Malekith (2013)
- Asgard (2013)
- Description: The Aether appears as a dark, red, viscous liquid, unlike the other encountered Infinity Stone containment units that appear solid. The Aether acts like a symbiotic force, capable of being absorbed into the body of a living host, granting that person immense strength, power, and seemingly unlimited capabilities. Malekith planned to use the Aether's reality bending abilities to cover all Nine Realms in darkness; however, he was stopped by the combined efforts of Thor and Jane Foster. Only two people, Jane Foster and Malekith, are known to have been hosts for the Aether, but circumstances prevented the full extent of the Aether's potential from being explored. It is later shown that the Aether is actually an Infinity Stone contained in liquid form, and in Thor's vision this liquid solidifies into the red Reality Stone.
Power Stone
- Stone Color: Purple[1]
- Original Containment Unit: Orb[11]
- Current Location: Xandar (since 2014)
- Current Owner: Nova Corps (since 2014)
- Previous Owners:
- Cosmic Entities
- Celestials (before 20th Century)
- Peter Quill and the Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Ronan the Accuser (2014)
- Description: The Orb is the protective housing of the purple Power Stone. The stone is an incredible power source, which, when used at full potential, has enough power to obliterate an entire planet. This stone was sought by Thanos, who tasked Ronan the Accuser to acquire it from the dead planet of Morag, in exchange for destroying Xandar. Star-Lord acquired the stone instead and was prepared to give it to Taneleer Tivan with Gamora until its destructive power was unleashed at Knowhere. Soon after, Ronan obtained it and harnessed its energy with the intent of destroying all life on Xandar and killing Thanos. Star-Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy were able to take the stone from Ronan and collectively harness its power to destroy him. They then gave the stone to Nova Prime Irani Rael for safe-keeping on Xandar.
Capabilities
(From Left to Right) The Mind Stone, Power Stone, Reality Stone, and Space Stone
Each of the Infinity Stones has the ability to be wielded and used by either a single being of exceptional power, or collections of lesser beings who focus their intent. The power of all six stones can be harnessed collectively with the help of the Infinity Gauntlet, but none who have attempted this have survived. The Stones are also completely indestructible, as not even the incredible power of Mjølnir is able to destroy the Reality Stone, for instance. Thor describes the Infinity Stones as the greatest power in the universe, and "unparalleled" in their destructive capabilities.
Trivia
- Only certain powerful beings can wield Infinity Stones without being harmed. These include the Celestials, the Dark Elves (namely Malekith), the Kree (namely Ronan, but only briefly), and the half-human Star-Lord, whose father is a member of an ancient race that is powerful enough to hold the stone. All others, such as Humans and Krylorians, are promptly killed by its power.
- In the comics, the stones were originally referred to as "Soul Gems" before Thanos decided "Infinity Gems" was a more appropriate name. The six gems consist of Mind, Soul, Power, Space, Time and Reality. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Infinity Gems are named the Infinity Stones. Of the stones, the Aether is the only one that is fluid and ever-changing, while the other stones were contained in objects, such as the Tesseract, the Orb, and the Scepter. Only the Soul and Time stones have yet to be revealed, though Guardians of the Galaxy implies that the two stones' colors are either green or orange.
- Ultron's use of the Mind Stone is a substitute for the encephalo-ray he uses to brainwash or mind-read his victims in the comics.
- Vision's Mind Stone is the substitute for the Solar Gem he uses in the comics.
- A deleted scene from Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Thor goes to the Water of Sights, explains how he knew that four Infinity Stones were found at that time, despite being ignorant of the events in Guardians of the Galaxy.[12]
- Prior to the movie Doctor Strange, the Time Stone was hinted by Kevin Feige to be the Eye of Agamotto.[13]
Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Guardians of the Galaxy
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Thor: The Dark World
- ↑ Captain America: The First Avenger
- ↑ The Avengers
- ↑ Thor: The Dark World Prelude
- ↑ Thor
- ↑ Captain America: The Winter Soldier Mid-credits Scene
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Avengers: Age of Ultron
- ↑ Kevin Feige Lays Down Details on Marvel's Cinematic Infinity Gems
- ↑ Exclusive Interview: Kevin Feige on The Infinity Stones, Civil War and More
- ↑ James Gunn on Twitter
- ↑ Avengers: Age of Ultron/Home Video
- ↑ Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige explains the powers of Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange
