10 Comic Stories You Should Read Before Phase 3 Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe

5. The Thanos Quest

If you were to rewind to the first Avengers film back in 2012, and poll the audience as they exited the theatre about the Thanos after credits scene, you€™d most likely get one of two responses: super excited or super confused. Thanos is both a fan favourite as well as a deep cut within the Marvel universe. Before his debut in the first Avengers film, he had rarely made any in para-comic appearances. Nevertheless, if you have spent any extended period of time reading Marvel Comics, there€™s a good chance you have run into him. His origin date back to 1973 in Iron Man #55, and since then has always been a cosmic character with extraordinary power and influence within the Marvel universe. Created by comic book legend, Jim Starlin, Thanos is featured a myriad of fantastic stories; however, finding a place to start can be a bit daunting considering the character has been around for 42 years and has made various appearances across a number of different titles. Unless you want to read all the way from the beginning, the best Thanos story to start with the two-issue mini-series called The Thanos Quest. Written by Jim Starlin with Ron Lim on pencils, The Thanos Quest chronicles the mad titan€™s rise to power as he travels across the universe searching for the Infinity Gems. It€™s also recommended that you read the prequel to this story found in Silver Surfer issues #34-38 (also by Jim Starlin and Ron Lim). These seven issues serve not only as a perfect introduction to Thanos but also a wonderful primer for the cosmic section of the Marvel universe. Considering that both Thanos and the cosmic portions of the Marvel universe are due to play a major role in Phase 3 of the Marvel CU €“ specifically Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 €“ this story is pretty much a must read.