Thanos with the help of the Infinity Gauntlet. Fans are all too familiar with the consequences the Infinity Stones can bring when united by one person with the will to wield them. But those consequences mean nothing to the smartest man alive, Mr. Fantastic.
Reed’s curiosity has always been both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness, especially when he is surrounded by a group of notable geniuses. The Illuminati is a small council of the smartest superheroes and leaders in the Marvel Universe, who gather in secret to discuss how they can defend the world after the Kree-Skrull War. The original team consists of Iron Man, Professor X, Namor, Black Bolt, Doctor Strange, and Reed Richards, who decides to take matters into his own hands to protect the world. In 2007's New Avengers: Illuminati #2 by Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Reed and Jim Cheung, Reed Richards does the unthinkable when he gathers all six Infinity Gems in for all his friends to see. They are even more appalled to see Mr. Fantastic wearing an Infinity Gauntlet of his own, similar to the Mad Titan, Thanos.
Reed Richards Has No Idea How Dangerous The Infinity Gauntlet Is
Mr. Fantastic almost becomes the next wielder of the Infinity Gauntlet, much to the Illuminati’s despair. Not only can the Infinity Gems alter reality, space, time, and more with just a simple thought, but even Reed can become hypnotized by their godly power. As Reed stares in awe at the power he now wields, the Illuminati can see the gems taking over his mind and Namor attempts to fight his friend to the death to free him. However, to prove he is of sound mind and body, Reed offers a gem to each of his friends in order to safeguard the temptation of ever using the gems for evil. As the Watcher condemns Reed’s insubordinate behavior but praises his resilience against the gems’ power, Charles Xavier is seen staring intensely at Mr. Fantastic, implying that it was his psychic influence that made Reed give up the Infinity Gems.
Mr. Fantastic Would Not Give Up The Infinity Stones On His Own
It makes sense that Professor X would use his telepathy to stop Reed from using the Infinity Gauntlet. Charles has little trust for this room full of egos and opinions that is the Illuminati. But he knows the destruction the gems can bring thanks to Thanos’ turn with the Infinity Gauntlet. He’s heard of the death and chaos that his allies like Wolverine, Scarlet Witch and Namor had to face during the 1991’s Infinity Gauntlet storyline. Since Thanos can use the gems to wipe out half of the universe, Xavier doesn’t hesitate to force Reed to rethink his dangerous plan. Though he is thinking of protecting this council, Charles sows more seeds of descension in the Illuminati, which leads to the group’s ultimate downfall.
Thanks to Professor X, Reed Richards’ plans to wield the Infinity Gauntlet are dashed. Mr. Fantastic is always searching for ways to improve humanity or stop a war before it’s already started. However, by gathering the Infinity Gems without informing the Illuminati first, Reed proves he obviously doesn’t have faith in his team being in favor of his grand scheme. Professor X feels in his mind that the combined power of gems is too much for the smartest man alive to handle. Thankfully, Charles and the Illuminati pull Reed back to safety thanks to the X-Men leader’s telepathy. It is a sneaky tactic, but thanks to the Illuminati's influence, Reed Richards does not fall victim to the same thirst for power that Thanos did.
