8 Smartest Decisions In Marvel Villain History

4. Thanos Acquires The Infinity Gauntlet - Infinity Gauntlet

Referring to Thanos' scheme to acquire the Infinity Gems as intelligent is probably a gross misreading of Jim Starlin and George Perez's Infinity Gauntlet, given the Mad Titan was primarily motivated by his own lust, but it's still the case the villain came closer than anyone to destroying the entire universe - or at least just half of it.

The Infinity Gauntlet is a seminal entry in the Marvel canon for several reasons, not least because it marked what was, at the time, the biggest crossover in Marvel history. It was typically ambitious, and managed to transform Thanos from being just another Darkseid clone into something truly formidable - an intergalactic monster who, for a period of time, actually succeeded in killing all of Marvel's heroes.

Ignoring for a second how the Mad Titan found himself manipulated by Mephisto, the events leading up to the terrifying snap reiterates the character's ingenuity. He fakes his own death when confronted by the Silver Surfer - a being more powerful than Thanos before he acquires the Gauntlet - and then spends time researching the Gems as a means to win Death's affections.

The tyrant is a pioneer in that sense, and while his bid to make Death love him ultimately fails, there's no denying the actual act of fashioning the Gauntlet was especially clever.