It was 54 years in the past immediately that one comedian e book launched two of the preferred MCU characters of the 2010s, considered one of whom was the largest risk to all of humanity at the moment. That comedian e book launched the world, with none actual setup, to the Titans, with Thanos making his debut within the pages of an Iron Man comedian e book. The problem additionally had the debut appearances of Eros, Kronos, Mentor, and ISAAC in flashbacks, with Mentor serving to psychically later within the story. On high of that, Iron Man’s first battle with Thanos got here alongside the opposite huge debut on this subject. This was additionally the comedian e book that launched the world to Drax the Destroyer. In essentially the most unlikely subject potential, Marvel launched considered one of its deadliest villains and a being that modified the cosmic facet of the universe without end.
On October 31, 1972, Marvel Comics had Drax the Destroyer mentally contact Iron Man for assist as he took the battle to Thanos. Collectively, Iron Man and Drax battled Thanos’ goons and ultimately realized extra concerning the Mad Titan to take the battle to him. This ultimately led to considered one of Marvel’s most harmful villains, who was additionally the idea of the largest second within the MCU’s historical past.
Thanos & Drax the Destroyer Debuted in Iron Man Comics 54 Years In the past

Iron Man makes little sense in relation to introducing characters of cosmic origin like Thanos and Drax the Destroyer, however it was considered one of Marvel’s high comics of the period, so it’s the place the introduction was made. The problem opened with a large scene the place Drax the Destroyer was calling on Iron Man to assist him from “half a continent” away. This opened in the course of a battle that had already been raging between the mysterious Drax and a villain often known as Thanos. What resulted was a narrative that launched the 2 with out a lot in the best way of backstory, however a story that confirmed their energy ranges.
As anticipated from a Thanos story, it wasn’t even Thanos who was a part of many of the battle, because it was his minions, the Blood Brothers, who fought Iron Man all through the problem. These two villains seemingly beat Iron Man and took him to Thanos’ desert base to face the villain, who had already captured Drax. This subject confirmed the extraordinary hatred of Drax towards Thanos, and it additionally detailed Thanos’ vanity, setting each of those characters up for his or her huge future in each comics and the MCU.
Nevertheless, this debut subject for each characters was merely a method to convey the 2 males into comics, and whereas it hinted at future characters like Starfox and Mentor, it was only a style of what was to return. It confirmed how highly effective Drax was and in addition had Thanos look very very similar to Physician Doom ultimately. That’s as a result of, identical to how Physician Doom used his Doombots to struggle for him so he would stay secure, Thanos did the identical right here, with the Thanos who was holding Drax being a robotic, sabotaged to blow up. The story would proceed from there.
Drax the Destroyer and Thanos’ True Origin Wasn’t Informed Till 2 Years Later

This subject wasn’t the one that exposed the reality behind Drax the Destroyer and Thanos’ precise historical past collectively. That didn’t come till Captain Marvel #32 (1974), a greater place for the Thanos and Drax origin story to happen. This was the problem that not solely confirmed why Drax the Destroyer hated Thanos, however it additionally had Drax study why he had this blind hatred concurrently the readers did. That’s as a result of Drax was solely the physique {that a} former sufferer of Thanos was positioned in, and it tied him to a different Marvel character that had simply been launched to the world.
As he’s recognized to do, Thanos determined to mock Drax and torment him in the course of a battle. Thanos even stated he would “toy” with the Destroyer by displaying him his true origin, one thing that was hidden from him when he was reincarnated on this physique. Drax was as soon as a person named Arthur Douglas, and he was driving together with his spouse and daughter by way of a desert when Thanos flew overhead. To cover his existence, Thanos blew up the automotive. It killed Arthur and his spouse, and Arthur believed his daughter Heather was additionally killed.
Arthur was resurrected as Drax the Destroyer, and he had an intense want to seek out and kill Thanos, though the rationale was unknown. Nevertheless, he realized right here that his daughter Heather survived the accident. She was taken and saved by Mentor and brought to Titan, the place she was raised and educated to regulate her telepathic powers. Heather turned Moondragon, and Drax realized that his daughter was nonetheless alive, though that didn’t make his thirst for vengeance any much less.
This was much like Drax’s intense hatred towards Thanos within the MCU, the place he was additionally sworn to kill the Mad Titan. Whereas Drax was by no means human within the MCU, it was nonetheless an analogous thirst for vengeance and a want to make Thanos pay. Whereas it appears arduous to imagine, this whole warfare started in Marvel Comics within the pages of an Iron Man comedian, and the story simply constructed from there to grow to be among the best cosmic tales in comedian e book historical past.
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