So where did Marvel’s magical Infinity Stones actually come from? You would think that’s a pivotal question, since the cosmic gems have shaped the billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe, and are regularly mentioned alongside Thanos, the biggest bad Marvel has to offer. But with The Avengers: Infinity War uniting the Stones to make the movie’s villain the greatest threat in the galaxy, even fans of the comics may be surprised to learn their true origin.

It’s hard to imagine that weapons capable of granting all the superpowers the Infinity Stones possess would be made by accident. Even harder to believe that the Infinity Gauntlet wouldn’t be a famous relic across the entire universe. But to learn the true origin of Marvel’s Infinity Stones means getting rid of expectations.

Thoae eager to see what the next Avengers movies will make of Thanos and his Gauntlet will either be thrilled or underwhelmed… either way, the origin of Marvel’s Infinity Stones isn’t what you expect.

  • This Page: How Marvel’s Infinity Stones Started As Soul Gems

How The Original “Soul Gems” Entered Marvel Mythology

It’s not uncommon for the most iconic or all-powerful comic book trinkets or even characters to come from humble beginnings. Often introduced in smaller roles to serve a standalone plot, it isn’t until years later that - through either new storytellers or the original revisiting a past story with a smirk - the “true power” of those one-off story beats or plot devices is revealed. The same goes for the famous Infinity Stones. Or as they were called when they first appeared: Soul Gems.

The first ever appearance of the objects came with the hero Warlock, created to be the perfect evolved human, and given the gift of an object called The Soul Gem, planted in his forehead. It was eventually revealed to be one of a set of six Soul Gems, all of which gained the attention ton of - you guessed it - Thanos, the immortal from Titan who fancied himself a cosmic conqueror. His plan was to combine all of the Soul Gems’ power into a single SUPER Soul Gem, capable of destroying entire planets.

All things considered, a fairly standard comic book villain scheme. Thanos was defeated in the end, but both the villain’s impact and the magic jewels sparked the imagination of writer Jim Starlin and artist Ron Lim. And so, Thanos received a new quest - and the Soul Gems became even more important.

Thanos Discovered The Secrets of The Soul Gems

The true beginning of the Infinity Stones story, in which they actually are the combined forces of Time, Space, Power, Reality, Mind, and Soul actually begins in the 1990 two-part series The Thanos Quest. The comic is also responsible for setting up the version of Thanos that would continue through the decades to come. Resurrected by Lady Death herself and imbued with extra superhuman strength and fortitude, the embodiment of death in Marvel’s Universe gave Thanos a mission. It’s actually the exact same mission Thanos is on in the Infinity War movie: to rebalance the universe by extinguishing half of all life.

But Thanos has a secret he decides not to share with his benefactor and great love, Lady Death. He now knows the Soul Gems are misunderstood, and capable of power unrivaled in the Marvel Universe… thanks to the cosmic being that unintentionally created them.

Here is where the story becomes a little far-fetched from a fiction standpoint, as Thanos gazes into something called The Infinity Well, and basically learns the true nature of the Soul Gems. Not just where they came from, but the fact that they are actually called Infinity Gems, and only one of them rightly deserved the name of “Soul Gem.” Thanos also realizes their true power, and that acquiring all six of them - now possible with the extra powers Death has given him, and his own genius - will make him a god. Even more powerful than Death, as a matter of fact, since control over life and death is just one of SIX powers he will soon unlock.

Thanos keeps this plan a secret from Death (explaining their strained, unrequited romance), but does it all to better execute the mass murder she demands. What he doesn’t tell her is how the Infinity Gems were created, or by who. Luckily, those secrets ARE explained to the reader.

The True Origin Of The Infinity Stones

Comic fans know there are too many cosmic weapons or treasured, mystical artifacts on Marvel’s Universe to count - and just as many all-powerful beings capable of making and wielding them. But the Infinity Gems represent something truly all-powerful, that came before the entire Marvel Universe - and from which came everything else inside of it. As Thanos learns from the Infinity Well, there was, in the beginning, a single cosmic lifeform. Existing beyond all reality and limitations, it was a Supreme being with no peer or name. Thanos suggests it could be called God - as in the monotheistic God of the real world religions - but for all its power, it was alone. And therefore, it was lonely.

Deciding such a solitary existence wasn’t worth living (a nice glimpse into Thanos’s own psyche there), the supreme being ended its own life. Annihilating itself, the energy, power, and life it possessed erupted into… well, everything that exists in Mars entire universe, from top to bottom. But the essence of its mastery over reality was too strong to be released.

And so, the most powerful elements possible - even fathomable - only to God were set aside. They were condensed into gems, granting the one who possessed each them one aspect of the Infinite:

  • The Time Gem: “With it, reach back into the primordial past or delve into the far distant future. Infinity is clay waiting to be molded.” The Space Gem: “Distance becomes a mere intellectual concept. Consider the possibility, and you are there… everywhere or nowhere.” The Mind Gem: “No thought shall remain a secret. Reach out and feel the dreams and aspirations of every living being. A universe of thralls.” The Power Gem: “Backs the might of the other five. It draws strength from the ends of Infinity. Enables though to become reality. The glue that holds what is in place.” The Soul Gem: “With it, the very core of what life is can be twisted and bent. Turn sinners into saints and saints into monster. And the dead–their souls are also within your control.” The Reality Gem: “How can one explain the inconceivable? Facts lose their meaning because they no longer have to be. Dream, and it will be.”

Hopefully, that explains why possessing one Infinity Gem, or Infinity Stone as they’re now called in Marvel’s movie universe is so dangerous. On their own, they provide a glimpse of their power over the fabric of the universe. But as they are united, reinforcing one another’s effects, they reach closer and closer to total power and control over the entirety of Creation.

Maybe not what that original lonely being intended. But a recipe for some thrilling cosmic adventures, and soon a universe-uniting blockbuster in The Avengers: Infinity War.

MORE: How Marvel’s Movie Infinity Stones Were Changed From Comics

  • Avengers: Infinity War Release Date: 2018-04-27