Summary

• Thanos spared the Watcher to show off his power, not out of kindness, confirming his true villainous nature.
• The Watcher's purpose is to observe everything without ego, contrasting with Thanos' desire for attention.
• Thanos spared his entourage and the Watcher during the Snap to ensure he had an audience for his godlike powers.

Thanos famously erased half of all life in the universe with the snap of his fingers during Marvel Comics’ Infinity Gauntlet, and he did so indiscriminately - at least, mostly. The Watcher was made immune to the potential of being erased from existence, and it wasn’t because Thanos decided to be merciful, as the Mad Titan’s reasons were decidedly much darker than that.

There were a number of reasons why Thanos sought the power of the Infinity Gems. One reason was the very power itself, as Thanos literally went on a quest to attain godhood in the storyline leading into Infinity Gauntlet. Another reason was to win the affection of Mistress Death. Thanos had been in love with the cosmic embodiment of Death for some time, and he thought that being the most powerful entity in existence would be enough to win her heart. However, there’s yet another reason that Thanos doesn’t outwardly : his ego.

The Watcher, specifically Uatu the Watcher, is of a species practically without ego. The Watcher’s only purpose in the universe is to observe what happens - everything that happens - for its own sake. Everything has meaning and importance, and the Watcher’s existence is to ensure nothing goes uned. However, during Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos wanted to ensure that the most important thing in the universe was getting the attention he believed it deserved, which is why Thanos kept the Watcher alive for the sole purpose of observing him.

Thanos Spared the Watcher to be a Witness to His Power

Infinity Gauntlet #4 by Jim Starlin and Ron Lim

In this issue of the Infinity Gauntlet event, Thanos is being attacked by Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, as the Avengers and their allies work to separate Thanos from the Gauntlet and restore the half-exterminated universe. During that time, the book’s narration reflects on what these heroes are fighting for, and what Thanos has done with the raw power he fought so desperately to attain - including the Infinity Snap.

The comic states that Thanos wasn’t as indiscriminate with the snap as he made it seem, as he actively spared his own entourage as well as the Watcher. However, Infinity Gauntlet makes it clear that Thanos didn’t do so out of the kindness of his heart, but because, “What use is godhood if you have no audience to flaunt it before”, and there’s no better audience than the Watcher himself.

Thanos Sparing the Watcher Ironically Confirms His Villainy

When Thanos gathered the Infinity Gems, he began playing a cosmic game with the highest stakes. Thanos was trying to win the heart of Mistress Death, an abstract entity that oversees the fate of every living thing in the universe. How does one get her attention? By killing half of all life in said universe. It’s heartless, but - at this level - necessary to achieve his goal and earn the affection of his one true love. However, by leaving the Watcher alive, Thanos proves that this wasn’t a cosmic love letter to Death herself, just the actions of an egotistical maniac.

Thanos wasn’t a would-be god who sacrificed trillions for the sake of love, he was a cosmic villain who killed all those life forms for no other reason than because he could, and he wanted Uatu to watch. And it was for this dark reason that Thanos made the Watcher immune to his Infinity Snap.