After acquiring the Cosmic Cube, Thanos revealed six heroes in the Marvel Universe that he determined were worthy adversaries capable of taking him out. In Captain Marvel #31 by Marvel Comics, the Mad Titan uses the powerful cosmic artifact to put six heroes into stasis, where he admits that with them off the board, nobody could stop him. Thankfully for the frozen heroes, they manage to break free from Thanos’ trap, but not before he flexes his powers.
Thanos is a force of pure power in the Marvel Universe, as he has used the Infinity Stones on multiple occasions to reshape reality to his image. Most famously, Thanos used the six Infinity Stones to snap half of all living things from existence during the Infinity Gauntlet Saga, a conquest that was adapted in live-action in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, when Thanos first got access to the Cosmic Cube, one of his first missions was to take down six heroes he deemed worthy adversaries capable of stopping him from using the artifact’s incredible powers for his own gain.
In one of Thanos’ earlier stories in Captain Marvel #31 by Jim Starlin, Dan Green, Al Milgrom, and Tom Orzechowski from Marvel Comics, Captain Marvel and Moondragon ally with the Avengers and Drax the Destroyer to deal with the pending threat of Thanos, who acquired the Cosmic Cube. However, with the cube, Thanos can see the attack coming, as he admits that there are six worthy heroes capable of stopping him: Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Drax the Destroyer, Moondragon, Starfox, and his father, Mentor.
Thanos Takes The Six Heroes Off The Board For Very Specific Reasons
In a monologue, Thanos admits specific reasons for taking the six heroes off the board: Captain Marvel is too dangerous thanks to his cosmic awareness, Iron Man has nearly stopped him twice already and could do so again, Drax’s mission to kill Thanos makes him more determined than most heroes, and Moondragon’s Titan heritage makes her a viable threat. Thanos includes Starfox and Mentor in the group, calling out their Titan powers and connection to him as dangerous. While trapping the six heroes in a bioelectric field, Thanos even admits they are “worthy adversaries” who have “stood in his way,” which he truly admires.
Thanos’ concerns about the six heroes being his worthiest foes end up being well-placed, as they break free from his hold and battle him for the Cosmic Cube. Even with victory seemingly assured, the worthy heroes would eventually find a way to stop the Mad Titan. In the process, the six characters proved Thanos was right to use his powers to try to stop them and showed they were the greatest impediment to his victory with the Cosmic Cube.
