Marvel's Christopher Cantwell Reveals Thanos' Best Power And Weirdest Body Part - Exclusive

Thanos' dark actions have established him as one of the most iconic villains in the Marvel Comics pantheon. According to Christopher Cantwell, the writer of the upcoming "Thanos" four-issue series, the supervillain's greatest power isn't based on his incredible offensive abilities, but instead, his sheer force of will. The talented creative also pointed out Thanos' weirdest body part: his smile.

Later this year, Marvel is bringing Thanos back to the forefront of its storytelling initiative. The evildoer was last seen in the "Eternals" series (by Kieron Gilen and Esad Ribic), where his attempts to overthrow the ancient society that turned their back on him before his full turn into villainy ended with the heroes' near-destruction before Thanos was captured and sent away. The Mad Titan stars in a brand-new limited series (by Cantwell ("Iron Man"), artist Luca Pizarri ("X-Men: Before The Fall – Heralds Of Apocalypse"), colorist Ruth Redmond ("Deadpool"), and letterer VC's Cory Petit ("Immortal Hulk")) where he will take on a new Illuminati featuring new members Blue Marvel and Emma Frost. Thanos' mysterious quest will see him touch down on Earth with the secret group of heroes trying to prevent him from accomplishing his dark task. In our exclusive interview with Cantwell, he talked in-depth about Thanos and some of his most notable qualities.

When asked about Thanos' most incredible power, Christopher Cantwell relayed that what makes him genuinely unstoppable is a "sheer force of will." He described the Mad Titan as someone who won't stop unless he gets what he wants, making him a considerable challenge for anyone in his way.

"That's what makes him unstoppable and a force to be reckoned with more than anything else," Cantell explains. "He has that in common with other heroes and villains I've written in the past. Thanos is relentlessly persistent and when he wants something, he will stop at nothing to get it. That's certainly at play in this series."

Cantwell's comments are accurate. While Thanos is known for his amazing abilities, such as his manipulation of cosmic energy, his drive makes him truly frightening. As seen in his quest to acquire the Infinity Gauntlet in "The Infinity Gauntlet" (by Jim Starlin, George Perez, Ron Lim, Josef Rubinstein, Tom Christopher, Bruce M Solotoff, and Jack Morelli) and his subsequent attempts to gain control of the Marvel Universe, his sheer force of will to getting what he wants is unrivaled among his fellow villains. Thanos will stop at nothing to win Death's hand, topple Marvel's greatest heroes, and shape the universe in his own image.

While Thanos has rightfully earned his title as one of the most dangerous and intimidating forces in the Marvel Universe, when we asked Cantwell about his favorite strange fact about the villain, the writer pointed out the villain's teeth. Cantwell said, "I have always found it strange that Thanos has perfect white-capped teeth, like Matt Dillon in 'There's Something About Mary.'"  Looking at images featuring the very alien-looking foe of the Avengers, his perfect pearly white teeth stand out among his frightening physical characteristics. 

Check out Kendrick Lim's cover art for "Thanos" #1 from Marvel Comics, featuring the Mad Titan showing off his teeth while screaming in front of a collection of skulls in space. The accompanying text for the issue follows the artwork.

Marvel Comics

THANOS VS. THE ILLUMINATI! The Mad Titan descends upon Earth to retrieve something he has lost. And the Illuminati must band together to stop him because they're the ones who hid it from him!

Readers can see Thanos return with his incredible powers and terrifying smile when the first issue of the new "Thanos" limited series arrives at comic book stores and online retailers on October 9th, 2023.