Warning: contains spoilers for The Infinity Watch #4!

There is no more Infinity Gauntlet, as the Infinity Stones’ new powers are redefining Marvel lore. The Infinity Stones are some of the most powerful objects in the Marvel Universe. Each Stone is formidable in its own right, but when put together, their becomes a god. However, there has been one key limitation to the Infinity Stones, but that has been overcome in The Infinity Watch #4.

The Infinity Watch #4 was written by Derek Landy and drawn by Enid Balam and Ruairi Coleman. The Infinity Watch is fighting a Norman Osborn variant who has channeled the power of the Infinity Stone through a sword. Once Osborn is defeated, Avery Zavala, another multiversal castoff, channels the power of the Infinity Stones into his body, using them to destroy the Apeiron. With their threat now gone, Zavala decides to take the Infinity Stones power and use it to resurrect his reality, with a total disregard for the Infinity Watch.

The Saga of the Infinity Stones Is One of Marvel's Best Stories

The Infinity Stones Are Also Some of Marvel's Most Powerful Objects

The saga of the Infinity Stones is warp and woof with the Marvel Universe as well as the MCU. First introduced in the 1970s work of writer/artist Jim Starlin, the Infinity Stones (or “Gems” as they were first called) give their s total mastery over the fundamental forces of the universe. Each of the six Stones commands an aspect of reality, such as Time, Space and Soul. Various entities have held the Infinity Stones throughout the millennia, including the Elders of the Universe and Thanos, the Mad Titan.

Thanos’ quest for the Infinity Stones was motivated by personal reasons, namely his obsessive veneration of Death. In order to impress Death, Thanos challenged the Elders of the Universe for their Stones, as detailed in 1990’s Thanos Quest. After besting the Elders through trickery and deceit, Thanos placed the Stones in a glove specially designed to channel their power. This glove, called “the Infinity Gauntlet,” was then used by Thanos to kill half the universe’s population as an offering to Death. In 1991’s The Infinity Gauntlet, Earth’s heroes fought, and defeated, Thanos.

The Infinity Stones Have Some Serious Limitations

Will Future Infinity Stone s Be Able to Duplicate Zavala's Feat?

Despite being some of the most powerful objects in the Marvel Universe, there are limitations to the Infinity Stones’ powers.

Despite being some of the most powerful objects in the Marvel Universe, there are limitations to the Infinity Stones’ powers. For example, the Stones only work in their respective universe, otherwise they are just useless gems. Another limitation of the Stones is they need a device to fully utilize their power, be it the Infinity Gauntlet or the sword used by Norman Osbron in The Infinity Watch #4. Without a device such as the Gauntlet or Osborn’s sword, the Infinity Stones’ power is too great for mortals to handle.

Yet Avery Zavala has somehow overcome this limitation, infusing his body with the power of the Infinity Stones, giving himself a massive upgrade. Without a device such as the Infinity Gauntlet to slow him down, Zavala was able to use the Stones’ power far more effectively than the of the Infinity Watch. With this much unfettered power at his disposal, Zavala has become one of Marvel’s most powerful characters, showing the true power of the Infinity Stones. Unfortunately for the Marvel Universe, he has chosen to use this power for nefarious ends.

The Infinity Watch #4 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!