Marvel Admits Which Infinity Stone Is the Most Powerful, Proving Thanos Wrong Once and For All

Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead for Marvel's Infinity Watch #1

Marvel has just made a shocking change to its cosmic lore, confirming which of the Infinity Stones is the most powerful – proving it is not the one Thanos thinks it is. Though the Mad Titan previously cited the Time Stone as the most dangerous of the set, the debut issue of the new Infinity Watch series declares that, in fact, the Mind Stone is the most essential.

Infinity Watch #1 – written by Derek Landy, with art by Ruairí Coleman – ends with a shocking cliffhanger, as the final page reveals that new antagonist Avery Zavala has killed Colleen Wing, the bearer of the Mind Stone, and claimed it for himself.

With this, Zavala threatens to overwrite Marvel's mainstream universe with his own home reality, and previews for the next issue suggest his first step toward achieving this goal will be to turn Phil Coulson, now Marvel's avatar of Death, against his friends and allies.

Marvel Names The "Mind Stone" The Strongest Infinity Stone – Something Not Even Thanos Had Right

Infinity Watch #1 – Written By Derek Landy; Art By Ruairí Coleman; Ink By Scott Hanna; Color By Brian Reber; Lettering By Corey Petit

Colleen Wing's violent death will have a huge impact on Marvel readers in its own right; the character has steadily grown into a fan-favorite over the years, and her inclusion among the Infinity Watch roster was considered to be her opportunity for a breakout storyline. Given the cosmic scope of the plot, however, combined with the superheroic tendency to circumvent mortality, readers must wait for Infinity Watch #2 before judging this creative decision. It is not just possible, but likely that Wing will return – and when she does, her role in the Marvel Universe will have taken on even greater importance.

The fact that the Mind Stone's supremacy is at the crux of the plot, rather than a throwaway assertion, suggests that this can be taken as Marvel's official position.

That is because Infinity Watch #1 makes a pivotal change to Marvel canon, establishing the Mind Stone as the greatest of the Infinity Stones. In the issue, Colleen Wing's killer targets her first because she wields the Mind Stone, and by claiming it for himself, he can in turn make himself the master of the rest. The fact that the Mind Stone's supremacy is at the crux of the plot, rather than a throwaway assertion, suggests that this can be taken as Marvel's official position. Whereas, early stories had characters, including Thanos, express their "in-universe" opinion of the strongest Stone.

Who Is Colleen Wing's Killer, Avery Zavala, And Can His Take On The Strongest Infinity Stone Be Trusted?

Marvel Is Rewriting The Infinity Stones' Role In The Universe

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Avery Zavala is a rare, truly new character in the Marvel Universe, and his introduction has already made him one of the most dangerous figures in Marvel canon right now. Zavala reveals his identity to the team in Infinity Watch #1, claiming to be a Stone-bearer like them, from one of the few alternate timelines in the Marvel Multiverse that also has Infinity Stones. Zavala further states that a force called the Apeiron "consumed" his fellow Stone-Bearers, and begs the Watch to use their collective powers to create a new universe, which he can populate with his allies' lost souls.

Like with the death, or survival, of Colleen Wing, readers will have to stick with Infinity Watch to find out if the assertion that the Mind Stone is the most powerful actually proves to be true.

When the Infinity Watch hesitate to "play God," Zavala quickly turns on them, reverting to his "Plan B" – to take the Stones from the Watch, and use them to overwrite the mainstream Marvel Universe, replacing it with his own. However, given that Zavala had already killed Colleen Wing and stolen the Mind Stone before he even appealed to the team to help him with "Plan A," readers should question the extent to which Zavala truly anticipated that he wouldn't have to resort to violence.

Admittedly, this could call into question the objectivity of Zavala's own diagnosis, that the Mind Stone is the most powerful. Zavala is clearly acting out of desperation, which may have clouded his judgment. Like with the death, or survival, of Colleen Wing, readers will have to stick with Infinity Watch to find out if the assertion that the Mind Stone is the most powerful actually proves to be true in the long-run. The advanced previews for the upcoming second issue lend credence to this theory, though, as it seems the Watch will be pushed to the brink of destruction.

The Second Issue Of "Infinity Watch" Just Became One Of Marvel's Most Highly Anticipated Upcoming Releases

Infinity Watch #2 – Available February 19, 2025 From Marvel Comics

The cover for Infinity Watch #2 shows Phil Coulson standing over the slain bodies of the rest of the Watch, while the synopsis for the issue ominously asks whether Zavala has "mastered Phil Coulson, a.k.a. DEATH HIMSELF?!" The implication here is that, using the Mind Stone, Zavala will turn Coulson and his Death Stone against the Watch in order to eliminate them. Then, he can presumably take out Coulson himself, and the Infinity Stones will be entirely in his possession – making him a threat on an order of magnitude greater than even the Stones' most infamous pursuer, Thanos.

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Given the fact that Infinity Watch is chronicling the adventures of Marvel's newest, most cosmically-powerful superteam, it is highly unlikely that this story will end in their defeat. The real question is how they will surmount this incredible first challenge in the short-term, and in the longer-term, whether Avery Zavala will become a permanent fixture in the mainstream Marvel Universe, and a perennial threat to its security. For now, readers can dissect Marvel's latest change to Infinity Stone lore, including its implications for future Thanos stories.

Infinity Watch #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.