Thanos
Thanos is a mutant Titanian Eternal.
In the comics: First appearing in Iron Man #55, having been created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, Thanos is revealed to be the child of Eternals mentor Sui-San, and was born on Titan – a moon of Saturn. Though he was born to an Eternal, he possesses the Deviants gene, which is apparent in his appearance. The Eternals and The Deviants are two different races both created by the process of the alien Celestials creating life on Earth – while the Eternals are godlike and beautiful, the Deviants are not, and the two are locked in conflict. This conflict causes the mother of Thanos to attempt to murder him.
Thanos grows from a pacifist child to a teenager obsessed with death, who develops romantic designs on the physical manifestation of death, Mistress Death. When she visits him as an adult, he murders his family for her. His ongoing actions are motivated by his desire to impress Mistress Death.
In the movies: After a brief appearance in the closing credits of 2012’s The Avengers – revealing him to be a supporter of that movie’s antagonist, Loki – Thanos features in 2014’s Guardians Of The Galaxy as the adoptive father of sisters Gamora and Nebula. When Ronan The Accuser crosses paths with Thanos to complain about a betrayal perpetrated by Gamora, Thanos attempts a manipulation that goes awry. He is set to reappear in Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 and Avengers: Infinity War Part 2.
Powers: His unique combination of heritage – being a Titanian Eternal with a Deviants gene, coupled with power bestowed by Death – gives Thanos a formidable range of amplified powers. He has superhuman strength, stamina and endurance, telepathy, the power of matter manipulation, and the ability to absorb and project enormous amounts of cosmic energy. He is highly accomplished in hand-to-hand combat and possesses genius-level intellect. He can travel through time and space, use force field projection, teleportation and a method of travelling through alternate universes.
Enemies: As such a constant presence in the Marvel comic book universe, Thanos has clashed with many enemies. His greatest conflicts, however, have involved the Avengers, the Guardians Of The Galaxy, Spider-Man and Captain Marvel.
Casting: In animation, Thanos has been voiced by Gary Krawford, Steven Blum, Isaac C. Singleton Jr., and Patrick Seitz. In The Avengers, he was portrayed by Damion Poitier, and in Guardians Of The Galaxy, he was played by Josh Brolin, who will reprise the role for future movies.