Who Killed Thanos in The Original Marvel Comics?

Thanos may be one of the baddest villains in the entire Marvel universe (and the very heart of the MCU given all his scheming), but even he isn’t impossible to kill. The world watched as Thor failed to kill Thanos in the epic Infinity War, then again when Iron Man sacrificed his life for the honor of vanquishing the Mad Titan in the MCU’s Avengers: Endgame. But in the comics, Thanos wasn’t as tough.

Not only is Thanos not nearly as invincible in the comics as opposed to the movies, but believe it or not, several other characters have managed to defeat or kill Thanos over the years. From his most iconic enemies to his most recent death at Gamora’s hands, the question “who killed Thanos in Marvel Comics?” provides a longer answer than most fans will expect.

The key player left out of the movie version of the original Infinity Gauntlet comic is unquestionably Adam Warlock, whose introduction to the MCU was teased at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (and hasn’t been heard from since). Initially only referred to as “Him,” Adam is one of Marvel’s more powerful characters, and was the keeper of the Soul Stone for many years – until Thanos took it, and trapped Adam inside the Soul World in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2 by Jim Starlin. Once freed by Spider-Man, Adam makes short work of his enemy by turning Thanos to stone, effectively killing him. But if comic fans are in search of a more gruesome death, they need only look to another beloved Guardian of the Galaxy: Drax.

While Drax in the MCU wanted vengeance on Thanos for murdering his family, in the comics, Drax’s story is a little different. After Thanos destroyed his home world of Titan, Thanos’ grandfather created Drax to hunt Thanos down. The two are linked, meaning they can sense each other’s presence, but that doesn’t make Drax’s job any easier. But after tracking Thanos “across a hundred galaxies,” Drax finally completes his mission to kill Thanos… in one of the most gruesome ways possible. In Annihilation #4 by Keith Giffen, Drax literally rips out Thanos’s heart. Not even the Mad Titan can survive that.

Superheroes aren’t the only ones Thanos picks fights with, though, as 2016’s Secret Wars #8 proved by putting Thanos into conflict with Doctor Doom. However, this is no ordinary Doctor Doom. This version of the iconic villain has godlike powers and omnipotence, meaning Thanos is more than a little outclassed. Still, the ever-proud purple Titan refuses to back down, calling Doom a “weak god” and “a pretender,” to which Doom responds by casually tearing out his spine. So in comparison, both deaths of Thanos in the MCU are preferable to what he got in the comics.

Thor may have failed to kill Thanos when it mattered most in Avengers: Infinity War, but in Thor #25 by Dan Jurgens, their showdown has a very different outcome. Odin intervenes and gifts Thor with armor imbued with the power of the Odinforce entrusted to the Kings of Asgard. With this armor, Thor is more than a match for the Mad Titan, and by the end of their fight, Thanos is nothing more than a burning corpse.

Out of all the heroes in Marvel’s library, Squirrel Girl actually has some of the most impressive feats to her name. Known as the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, she’s managed to take down some villains that should be way above her pay-grade, including MODOK, Doctor Doom, and Thanos himself. In the GLX-MasSpecial by Dan Slott, we see Thanos on the ground next to a victorious Squirrel Girl as The Watcher congratulates her, saying “I can confirm that this is, in fact, the one, true Thanos, and not a robot, clone, or simulacrum.” It’s unclear exactly how she accomplished this since the actual fight isn’t shown, only the results. It’s also unclear if Thanos is dead or just unconscious, but considering Squirrel Girl doesn’t look like she even broke a sweat taking him down, we’ll give it to her. Even if Thanos isn’t dead, after losing that badly, his reputation definitely is.

So for those who wonder how close the Thanos of the MCU keeps to the comics, or those who just wish to see the villain get what’s coming to him, Marvel Comics delivers.

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