Infinite Stones became the central McGuffin who directed the various films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Stages 1 through 3 in what would become known as the central part of the iconic Infinity Saga. The first stone makes a small appearance in the credits of Thor before appearing in Captain America: The First Avenger and would later become the primary plotting device of The Avengers. Still, it was originally intended as the Cosmic Cube, but after the release of Thor: The Dark World it was traced to an Infinity Stone that laid the foundation for the rest of the franchise.
The presence of the Infinity Stones also meant fans knew it would lead to the arrival of Thanos and an adaptation of the popular comic book event storyline The Infinity Gauntlet, in which Thanos wielded the six stones to wipe out half of the universe. As the Infinity Saga progressed, several movies introduced a new brick, strategically arranging the pieces so that a universe would be united to stop this threat. This all culminated in the two-part Avengers story Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. It’s hard to believe this wasn’t even part of Marvel’s plan originally.
Updated October 28, 2022: This article has been updated to include additional information about the Infinity Stones to keep abreast of recent developments in the MCU.
After Avengers: Endgame, the bricks in the MCU timeline were destroyed and the ones used to bring everyone back were returned to their respective reality. The Loki series shocked audiences with the revelation that TVA employees keep the Infinity Stones as impotent clutter in their office drawers. A discouraging reminder that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure; the catastrophe of one universe is the paperweight of another. With the next phase of the MCU now focused on the Multiverse, the Infinity Stones seem far in the past, but they were such an important part in laying the groundwork for the overall connected Marvel Cinematic Universe plot. Let’s take a look at all the Infinity Stones, their powers and how they stack up against each other.
6/6 Space Stone
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The first Infinity Stone to be introduced in the MCU is the Space Stone. Like the other Infinity Stones, Space Stone is one of six remnants of singularities that predate the creation of the universe. In the earlier years of the MCU timeline, the Space Stone was located in the Tesseract. During World War II, Johann Schmidt of HYDRA (better known as Red Skull) sought out the Tesseract Captain America: The First Avenger to create powerful machines for the Nazi army, but failed as it banished him to Vormir to look over the Soul Stone.
The Space Stone came into the hands of SHIELD after World War II and Mar-Vell of the Kree Empire used the stone in Captain Marvel to make her hyperspeed engine to help the Skrulls find a new home. And last but not least, Loki of Asgard used the Tesseract to open multiple portals and send Thanos’ army to Earth to destroy the Avengers in the Battle of New York. The Space Stone’s ability to transport individuals or entire armies across the galaxy, as well as the ability to use it to create fuel sources for weapons, makes it a versatile source of power.
5/6 Soul Stone
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The only reason we have the Soul Stone fifth, we don’t know much about his powers. Since 1945 it has been kept in Vormir under the protection of Red Skull. You have to sacrifice someone you really love to get the stone – “A soul for a soul,” says the Red Skull. The Soul Stone was first acquired by Thanos in Infinite War after sacrificing his daughter Gamora. Later, when the Avengers planned the Time Heist to save the entire universe, Black Widow sacrificed himself for the greater good so that Hawkeye could go back in time with the resulting Soul Stone.
There are many theories about the stone and the knowledge of others about it. Although it is said to be one of the most dangerous stones due to its sacrifice, we haven’t really seen any evidence of its power. This is because the Soul Stone was the only Infinity Stone not previously featured in an MCU movie Infinite War.
4/6 Reality Stone
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The Reality Stone has had an interesting journey. Unlike the other stones that are solid, the Reality Stone is liquid and is called the Aether. One of the first creatures to acquire it was the Dark Elves and their leader Malekith, who wanted to return time to its original darkness. In Thor: The Dark WorldJane Foster accidentally absorbed the Aether, targeting her and causing another conflict between the Asgardians and The Dark Elves. After Thor won the war, the Aether was entrusted to The Collector on the planet Knowhere, where it was later taken over by Thanos and used to wipe out half of the universe’s population.
According to an CBR theory, many argue that Wanda Maximoff’s powers are more reminiscent of the Reality Stone than the Mind Stone, as she technically manipulated reality into WandaVision and her magic was red as the Reality Stone, but this was later revealed to her that she was the Scarlet Witch. The Reality Stone gives you absolute power over reality, creating lifelike illusions and even altering an individual’s molecular structure, like Thanos turned Drax into blocks and Mantis into rope.
3/6 Spirit stone
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The Spirit stone was the first stone Thanos possessed, and he placed it in the scepter he gave to Loki to lead the Chitauri invasion. Rather than fall into the hands of Avengers after the war, the stone was seized by HYDRA and used for experimentation, resulting in the creation of Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, although it was later reassured that the stone only unlocked the power already possessed. existed in Wanda. Analyzing the scepter resulted in the creation of Ultron, who then attempted to use The Mind Stone to create a new body before The Avengers restored it and created Vision.
As you may have guessed, the Mind Stone grants the ability to control the minds of others to whoever possesses it. dr. Selvig and SHIELD agents were controlled by the Mind Stone in the scepter Thanos gave to Loki in The Avengers. dr. Cho later became mind control and helped Ultron with his plans in Age of Ultron. It also seemed to influence the Avenger’s disdain for each other early on The Avengers, because they are all fighting each other as it glows in the room. It also increases the intelligence and knowledge of whoever owns it, giving Vision both a high intellect and the ability to sense the other stones as it begins to warn him of Thanos’ quest to retrieve them all.
2/6 Time Stone
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The Time Stone was included in the Eye of Agamotto and protected by the Masters of Mystical Arts. In the MCU, it was first seen in the possession of The Ancient One and later Doctor Strange, who used it to defeat Dormammu. The stone gives one the mastery of time, but if mishandled it can also lead to timeline ramifications and paradoxes. Doctor Strange kept it in his possession and even used it to glimpse multiple realities to determine how to defeat Thanos. This eventually leads him to voluntarily give the stone to Thanos in exchange for Iron Man’s life.
Thanos used it to revive Vision to retrieve the Mind Stone and wipe out half of the universe’s population. This essentially gives the wearer of The Time Stone some form of resurrection when needed. With absolute control over time, it is one of the most powerful artifacts in existence, especially now with the arrival of a super villain like Kang the Conqueror, who is a master of time travel and alternate dimensions.
1/6 power stone
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The power stone was first used by Eson The Searcher until it was trapped by the Orb and hidden on Morag. Thanos knew where it was and hired Ronan the prosecutor to retrieve it for him. But before he got there, Star-Lord got his hands on it and later used it to destroy Ronan with the help of the other Guardians of the Galaxy. It was placed in the custody of Nova Corps until Thanos attacked the capital of Xandar to retrieve the stone.
The Power Stone allows its users to access and manipulate all forms of energy and to improve their own physical strength and durability. It also boosts the power of the other stones, making it fitting that it is the first stone Thanos would go after. With it in his possession, he is easily able to destroy Thor and doesn’t even use it in his battle with the Hulk. He uses it to create a devastating explosion that destroys the Asgardian’s escape craft. With the ability to wipe out an entire planet if necessary, and the combined power of the Guardians of the Galaxy to physically hold it down, this makes the Power Stone the most dangerous stone. Plus, it’s in the name.