Editing Infinity Gems (section)

==Publication history==
{{Overly detailed|section|date=November 2016}}
The first appearance of an Infinity Gem occurred in 1972 in ''[[Marvel Premiere]]'' #1. It was originally called a "Soul Gem".<ref>''The Power of Warlock'' #1–8 (Aug. 1972 – Jun. 1973: bi-monthly)</ref><ref name="ComicsAlliance">{{cite web |last1=Shiach |first1=Kieran |title=The History Of The Infinity Stones Explained |url=http://comicsalliance.com/marvel-infinity-stones/ |website=[[ComicsAlliance]] |access-date=May 6, 2018 |language=en |date=November 10, 2016}}</ref> In 1976, a second "Soul Gem" appeared in a ''[[Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell)|Captain Marvel]]'' story which established that there were six Soul Gems, each with different powers.<ref name="Captain Marvel #45 July 1976">''Captain Marvel'' #45 (July 1976)</ref> One year later, two more "Soul Gems" were introduced in a Warlock crossover involving [[Spider-Man]].<ref name="ComicsAlliance" /> The main six Gems appeared when the death-obsessed villain [[Thanos]] attempted to use them to extinguish every [[star]] in the universe.<ref name="ComicsAlliance" /><ref>''Avengers'' Annual #7 and ''Marvel Two-In-One'' Annual #2 (1977)</ref> In a 1988 storyline in ''[[Silver Surfer (comic book)|Silver Surfer]]'' vol. 3, the [[Elders of the Universe]] tried to use 6 of the "Soul Gems" to steal the energy of the world-eating entity [[Galactus]].<ref name="ComicsAlliance"/>

In the 1990 limited series ''[[The Thanos Quest]]'', Thanos refers to the entire main set as "Infinity Gems" for the first time. In this storyline, he steals most of the Gems for the second time and reveals the Gems to be the last remains of an omnipotent being.<ref>''Thanos Quest'' #1–2 (Sep.–Oct. 1990)</ref> Thanos then places all six main gems within his left gauntlet.<ref>''Silver Surfer'' (vol. 3) #44.</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=September 2018}} In the miniseries ''[[The Infinity Gauntlet]]'', Thanos uses the Gems to become nearly omnipotent and kills half the universe's population as a gift to his love, the cosmic embodiment of [[Death (Marvel Comics)|Death]]. Although he easily repels an attack by Earth's heroes and other cosmic entities including [[Eternity (Marvel Comics)|Eternity]], the Gauntlet is eventually stolen from him by [[Nebula (comics)|Nebula]], who undoes the last 24 hours, including his mass killings. Adam Warlock then recovers the Gauntlet and, by order of the [[Living Tribunal]], divides the Gems that fit in the gauntlet among a group he calls "the [[Infinity Watch]]", consisting of himself, the superheroes [[Gamora]], [[Pip the Troll]], [[Drax the Destroyer]], [[Moondragon]], and his former adversary Thanos. The group's adventures in defending the Gems appear in the series ''Warlock and the Infinity Watch'' (1992–1995).<ref>''Warlock and The Infinity Watch'' #1 (Feb. 1992)</ref>

The 6 main Gems are next gathered by Warlock's evil [[alter ego]], the [[Magus (comics)|Magus]], in the 1992 limited series ''[[The Infinity War]]'', where he is defeated by Warlock and Earth's heroes, including Thanos.<ref>''Infinity War'' #1–6 (June–Nov. 1992)</ref> In the 1993 limited series ''[[The Infinity Crusade]]'', the embodiment of Warlock's goodness, the Goddess, attempts to destroy evil in the universe by destroying free will. The 6 main Gems are then once again retrieved by the Infinity Watch.<ref>''Infinity Crusade'' #1–6 (June–Nov. 1993)</ref>

Then, 6 of the gems appeared in the crossover between the Marvel universe and the [[Ultraverse]], when the vampiric Rune stole the gems from the Infinity Watch.<ref>''Rune/Silver Surfer'' #1 (June 1995)</ref> The gems were dispersed in the Ultraverse and [[Loki (Marvel Comics)|Loki]] looked for them. The reunion of the gems with a seventh gem, the Ego Gem, revealed the existence of the entity Nemesis, that said that she was the conscience of the gems.<ref>''Avengers/Ultraforce'' #1 (September 1995)</ref> Nemesis was slain and the gems dispersed again.

In a story arc of the ''Thanos'' series (2003–2004), [[Galactus]] gathers six of the Gems but accidentally allows an interdimensional entity named Hunger access to the [[Earth-616|Marvel]] universe. Thanos and Galactus banish the entity and the Gems are scattered again with the exception of the Soul Gem, which Thanos retains for its customary custodian Adam Warlock.<ref>''Thanos'' #1–6 (Dec. 2003 – Apr. 2004)</ref> In ''[[New Avengers: Illuminati]]'', a 2007–2008 limited series, a cabal of Earth's heroes gather the Gems and attempt to wish them out of existence but discover that they must exist as part of the cosmic balance. Instead, the Illuminati divide and hide the Gems.<ref>''New Avengers: Illuminati'' #1–5 (Feb 2007 – Jan 2008)</ref>

In a 2010 ''Avengers'' storyline, [[The Hood]] steals several Gems but is defeated by use of the remaining Gems; the Illuminati attempt to hide them again.<ref>''The Avengers'' #7 (November 2010)</ref><ref>''The Avengers'' #10 (March 2011)</ref><ref>''The Avengers'' vol. 4 #12</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=June 2018}} The Illuminati later wield the 6 main Gems to stop another universe from collapsing into their own but the cost of this however, was the destruction of the gauntlet and all gems minus the Time Gem which simply disappeared.<ref>''New Avengers'' vol. 2 #2–3</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=June 2018}} Afterwards, the previously vanished Time Gem appears to [[Captain America]] and some of the Avengers and transports them into future realities, shattering time in the process.<ref>''Avengers'' vol. 5 #34</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=June 2018}}

As a result of the Incursions, the entire Multiverse is destroyed. However, [[Doctor Doom]] combines fragments of several alternate realities into [[Battleworld]]. [[Doctor Strange]] gathers the 6 main Infinity Gems from various realities into a new Infinity Gauntlet, which he leaves hidden until the surviving heroes of Earth-616 return.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}} The Gauntlet is subsequently claimed by [[Black Panther (comics)|Black Panther]], who uses it to keep the [[Beyonder]]-enhanced Doom occupied until [[Mister Fantastic]] can disrupt his power source.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}

After the multiverse is recreated, the Gems become known as the Stones and have altered powers. The Stones are shown to have a [[pocket universe]] existing within each of them.<ref>''Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker'' #1–4 (Oct. 2018 – Jan. 2019)</ref> Loki would later discover the Stones are originated from the primordial universe where Celestials reside, guarding a deposit of countless Infinity Stones which they infuse with their cosmic energy and deliver to different realities across the Multiverse. Warlock later uses the Soul Stone to grant the other Stones sentience and enable them to choose their own wielders.<ref>''Infinity Wars: Infinity'' #1 (Jan. 2019)</ref>