Thanos Is Officially Beaten, As He Actually SURRENDERS to a Marvel Hero (And Means It)

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Avengers Annual 2024 #1!Thanos is one of the most terrifyingly powerful villains in the Marvel Universe, something that’s been made clear by his many conquests across the cosmos. Thanos has murdered Elders of the Universe, he’s wielded power that can bend and reshape the fabric of reality, and he even once killed an entire universe. However, that shouldn’t suggest that he’s unbeatable, as Thanos actually surrenders to one extremely powerful Marvel hero (and means it).

In Avengers Annual 2024 #1 by Derek Landy and Salvador Larroca, Thanos is confronting every member of the new Infinity Watch in order to obtain the Infinity Stones once more. One by one, Thanos kills each member of the Infinity Watch, subsequently claiming their Stones. After most of the team is dead, Thanos is faced with his final opponent: the Time Stone Bearer, Overtime. However, Overtime is more than prepared to deal with the Mad Titan.

Overtime uses the Time Stone to stop time the moment Thanos launches an attack, giving himself enough time to come up with a plan to beat Thanos – and he does just that. Overtime creates a temporal bubble, a closed time-loop that ends with his own death, which would then create a paradox that would rip reality apart, killing everyone in the universe (including Thanos). So, Thanos has no choice but to surrender, at which point Overtime turns back time on every one of his teammates’ deaths, effectively outsmarting and defeating Thanos.

Outsmarting Thanos is a Feat Very Few Marvel Heroes Can Boast

Adam Warlock is One of the Few Other Marvel Heroes Who Has Outsmarted Thanos

While Thanos has been beaten by a number of Marvel heroes in the past, it’s usually after Thanos himself makes a mistake. Some of his major defeats were when Thanos thoughtlessly discarded the Cosmic Cube, carelessly left the Infinity Gauntlet vulnerable, and arrogantly challenged God Emperor Doom. However, Thanos suffering defeat due to being outsmarted is incredibly rare.

Thanos is a brilliant warrior and a master tactician, that’s why he’s usually defeated by his own hand, as most heroes can’t hope to match him. But, while rare, there are moments in Marvel Comics where Thanos does get outsmarted, just like he most recently did in Avengers Annual #1 by Overtime. One other character who has outsmarted Thanos is Adam Warlock.

During one of their more notable conflicts, Adam Warlock effectively faked his own death before retreating within the Soul Stone, only to come back and kill Thanos when he least expected it. Like Overtime, Adam Warlock used a combination of power and cunning to beat Thanos when the Mad Titan was on the precipice of victory, without relying on Thanos’ own carelessness.

The Infinity Watch Just Made Thanos Their Ultimate Arch Enemy

Thanos Will Not Let This Defeat Stand

The Infinity Watch may have won this round, but they left Thanos alive, which means he will absolutely be coming back to haunt them. Thanos will never stop trying to obtain the Infinity Stones (including and especially the one Thanos created, the Death Stone), and there’s no way he will let this defeat stand. Vengeance for his humiliation will be the cherry on top of killing the Infinity Watch and taking their Stones, and Thanos won’t rest until he does so.

While it remains to be seen if Thanos will be able to recover from this defeat, it’s a near certainty that he will become the Infinity Watch’s arch enemy moving forward, allowing for more exciting stories to come. But, for now, Thanos will have to just fester in his defeat, as he actually surrendered to Overtime after the cosmic hero did what few other heroes have done before: outsmarted him.

Avengers Annual 2024 #1 by Marvel Comics is available now.