After years in the fandom wildnerness, I finally understand how using the Infinity Gauntlet increases the Infinity Stones' powers, and why Thanos insists on using some version of the Gauntlet whenever he makes a play for ultimate power. It's a question that's always seemed like it should have some kind of official answer, and yet one about which the comics (and even fellow comic fans) have been frustratingly vague.

In 1991's The Infinity Gauntlet - from Jim Starlin, George Pérez and Ron Lim - Thanos collects the Infinity Gems (formerly the Soul Gems, later the Infinity Stones), placing them in a golden gauntlet that gives him control of the building blocks of reality, with ultimate power over the fundamental forces of Time, Space, Reality, Power, the Mind and the Soul. While he's eventually defeated, the visual quickly established itself in Marvel mythology, making the gauntlet an essential part of any quest for the Stones.

But... why? In the comics, the Stones can be used easily by anyone who's holding them. The Gauntlet is a handy way to keep them together, but that seems to be about it. In adapting Infinity Gauntlet, the MCU seemingly had the same questions as I did - the movies make it deadly for any individual to hold the Stones, with the Gauntlet being a powerful artifact forged by the Dwarves of Nidavellir to harness the Stones' immense power. It's a satisfying explanation, turning the Infinity Gauntlet into a kind of cosmic oven glove, however it's also a new creation for the movies. So why, if the Stones are perfectly safe in the comics, do they need to be set in a gauntlet?

Thanos gathering the Infinity Stones in his gauntlet was actually the second time he'd used them. In a prior story, Thanos uses the 'Soul Gems' to power a device meant to destroy the Sun. It's only later that he 'realizes' what the Stones can really do and sets out to use them to their fullest potential (thanks to a handy retcon and renaming.)

The Infinity Gauntlet Combines the Stones into a Single Form

Fans Have Debated the Gauntlet's Purpose for Years

Apparently, someone working on The Avengers Annual #1 - from Derek Landy, Salvador Larroca, Cory Petit and Guru-eFX - had the same question as me. In the issue, Thanos battles the new Infinity Watch - a ragtag group of superhumans who have each bonded with one of the Stones. During the fight, Thanos conveniently lays out what the Infinity Gauntlet actually does - it's used to forge the Stones into a perfect circuit, unlocking the full extent of their powers. Each of the Stones enhances another, and they grow more powerful when in proximity, but it's only when they become 'one' through some kind of housing that they're omnipotent.

It's easy to accept that the Stones have always needed to be combined via an artifact because - in following the template set by the original Infinity Gauntlet - Marvel has always treated them as if that's the case. And it's a better answer than the idea that the Stones were only combined out of convenience, and that most of the people who've gathered them since - from Iron Man to the multiversal Council of Reeds - have done so with a golden gauntlet simply because they're copying Thanos' fashion sense.

Granted, the idea of the Infinity Stones as a circuit is relatively new lore (a result of the Marvel Multiverse being recreated in 2015's Secret Wars), but this still answers my question and fits in well with previous comic lore. Coming from Thanos, it's also an incredibly clear explanation from the authority on the Stones (other than the Infinity Stone expert feared across the galaxy that Marvel introduced once then forgot forever.)

This Explanation Works Surprisingly Well With Prior Infinity Stone Lore

Including Their Controversial 'Origin'

The idea of needing to combine the Stones works with their original origin, explored in the ill-fated and little-ed Ultraforce/Avengers crossover. There, it was revealed that the Stones were originally part of a single cosmic being who, suffering intense loneliness, sacrificed itself to create the universe. The story introduces the Ego Gem, which contains the consciousness of this original being and wants to regain its prior form and solitude. Of course, things don't work out, either for the cosmic being or for Marvel's acquisition of Malibu Comics' Ultraverse characters, who populated the crossover alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Thanos isn't the only character who has collected the Infinity Stones, and on other occasions, different characters have also combined them, albeit in different ways. Galactus inserted them into an 'Infinity Crux' to try and end his cosmic hunger, while the Inhumans' teleporting dog Lockjaw wore them embedded in a collar and What If...?'s Ultron made them part of his armor. Even Thanos doesn't always use a Gauntlet - Avengers Annual debuts a new 'Infinity Crown' with an extra space for the new Death Stone, and Thor has suffered visions of Thanos bedazzling Mjolnir with the Stones.

The Infinity Watch Might Actually Stop the Danger of the Stones

The Stones Are Together Again, But They're Not a Single Force

What's gratifying about this new lore isn't just that it answers my longtime question, but that is sets clear rules for the new Infinity Watch ahead of their solo series. These characters were set up by 2018's Infinity Wars comic event, but they've only now gathered together as a team. The idea that they have limited reality warping because, while the Stones are close together, they're not actually bonded, is a smart way of creating a powerful new team without depicting them as omnipotent gods.

To be a fan of superhero comics is to make your peace with constant retcons, for good or bad, but in this case Marvel made the right decision in 'clarifying' (or more likely creating) the rules that make artifacts like the Infinity Gauntlet necessary. Thanos' logic fits in with prior appearances of the godlike gems, plus it sets up the Infinity Watch with an impressive but manageable power level. It may have taken 33 years since Infinity Gauntlet, but Thanos' explanation has actually satisfied me that the Gauntlet is an important (but not specifically essential) part of Infinity Stone lore.

The Avengers Annual #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.