Thanos Kills Adam Warlock
[ranking: 11]
Adam Warlock is a very powerful cosmic hero in his own right. Warlock is so powerful, Thanos needs to collect five Soul Gems before he can take him down. Warlock is the protector of the Soul Gem (Soul Stone - this was the '70s before they mercifully changed the designation of the powerful ingots to Infinity Stones).
In Avengers Annual #7, Thanos joins forces with Warlock (though, his allegiance isn't genuine) to defeat Magus, Warlock's evil self. In the end, of course, Thanos turns on Warlock, felling him with a backhand followed by a cosmic blast to the chest. He then rips the Soul Gem out of Warlock's forehead, much like what he does to Vision in Infinity War.
Thanos Blasts Galactus Through A Wall
[ranking: 7]
While it doesn't sound particularly impressive for a guy to simply blast another guy through a wall by comic book standards, when a mortal being does it to an immortal cosmic entity, it's a little more impressive. Thanos and Galacatus face off on more than one occasion, with each coming out victorious over the other.
In Thanos's 2003 series, he faces off against Galactus in defense of the universe. Galactus is consumed by Hunger, and Thanos has to snap him out of it. Even though Thanos essentially loses the fight, he does survive, and deals some damage of his own - something few in the Marvel universe could do.
Thanos Beats The Silver Surfer To Death
[ranking: 6]
If the Silver Surfer can kick the Hulk's ass (which he does on numerous occasions), then by the transitive property, anyone who can defeat him can do the same to grumpy Bruce Banner.
Enter Thanos. The two actually meet on numerous occasions, and Thanos bests the Silver Surfer each time. But their most memorable is in Cosmic Powers Unlimited #1. When the Surfer comes to Thanos, telling him he's been named Death's consort, Thanos is not too pleased. Considering he's in love with Lady Death, it wasn't wise of the Surfer to share this bit of info with him. Thanos succinctly beats the Silver Surfer to death, and carries his lifeless body to Death as a slap in her face. Child's play.
Thanos Bests Thor And Faces Odin In 'Blood And Thunder'
[ranking: 9]
In the Blood and Thunder storyline, Thor is driven mad by Dark Valkyrie and goes on a rampage. A number of heroes team up to try and stop the God of Thunder (led by Silver Surfer), but given Thor's might, they have to take drastic measures.
They enlist the help of Thanos (without his consent), who battles Thor, ultimately incapacitating him. He then travels with the Surfer and other heroes back to Asgard, where he's immediately attacked by Odin, to whom he actually loses. It's no failure to be bested by Odin, though. Merely surviving the attack puts Thanos in rare company.
Thanos The Samaritan Survives A Blast From The All-Powerful Kosmos
[ranking: 13]
To say the character Kosmos is "all-powerful" isn't 100% accurate, but she is pretty damn close. She's an amalgamation of Beyonder and Molecule Man, two cosmic beings of universal powers.
So when Thanos rubs her the wrong way and takes a blast of cosmic proportions, his survival of said attack is noteworthy. This happens in his Samaritan story arc of the mid-2000s, in which he tries to live a normal life. But he's a mighty being, and power attracts power.
King Thanos Keeps The Hulk As A Pet Dog
[ranking: 3]
In Thanos #15, we see the Mad Titan millennia in the future after he's become the King of the Universe. If there's any question about his dominance over the Hulk, that question is answered by his subjugation of the Angry Avenger.
Granted, it's thousands of years in the future, and both are old with big gray beards, but Thanos has Hulk on a leash and feeds him Captain America - you can safely say he's proven himself greater and more terrible than Bruce Banner.
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