Avengers: Infinity War: The history of the Infinity Stones
By Mike McNulty
Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; from Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Before Avengers: Infinity War, a closer look at the six powerful objects dubbed the Infinity Stones, and how they’ve played a part in shaping the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Since the mid-credits scene from the first Avengers movie, fans have known that Marvel Studios was planning an adaption of The Infinity Gauntlet. A classic comic book crossover, this story involved many of major Marvel superheroes united against the evil alien Thanos who literally wield power over all creation thanks to the Infinity Stones (or Gems as they’re originally called). A live-action version of this story makes for an ambitious undertaking, and it looks like, after careful planning over many films, it will finally happen with Avengers: Infinity War.
But what are these Infinity Stones exactly? What do they do? And where did they come from?
As explained in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), during the Big Bang, six aspects of the known universe were formed into crystallized rocks, each with their own corresponding color: Space (blue), Mind (yellow), Reality (red), Power (violet), Time (green), and Soul (orange). Only those with great power can hold them; otherwise, they’re contained in some sort of vessel to control their vast energies. Whoever wields all six stones has complete control over the Universe. The second Avengers: Infinity War trailer reveals Thanos plans on using them to wipe out half the Universe as means of “restoring balance.”
Since Avengers: Infinity War will arrive in theaters soon we’ll be exploring the history of each of these stones, including where they first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how they were used. In some cases, we’ll also dive into some speculation about them, especially as it applies to the upcoming movie. Consider this article your refresher course.