The Power of the Gauntlet [Part I] (Patreon)

This was a story commission for one of the top tier patrons - hope you all enjoy!

Thor had absolutely no idea if his plan was going to work but with the whole world - no, the whole universe - at risk, he knew that this was the moment for him to try everything he could. 

Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet threatened to wipe out half of the population of the galaxy, an act that would be irreparable and cause chaos on every planet and in every dimension. Having already lost Loki and a number of his Asgardian comrades to Thanos and his forces, Thor was unwilling to let the destruction spread any further. He had to be the one to end it before anyone else could be hurt by the tyrant’s evil mission.

The ancient device he had uncovered on his quest to find something that would give him, the Avengers and the Guardians an edge against Thanos was rather unlike anything he had encountered before. It took the form of the mighty axe but the stone warrior who had protected the weapon cautiously warned him that the axe could do far more than simply carve down an opponent.

With the warrior’s warning kept in mind, Thor knew that he had little time to waste. Thanos had brought the battle to Midgard and the great nation of Wakanda and it was there that Thor would confront him with his newly forged weapon. He waited for the perfect moment to strike and finally, once Captain America had momentarily dazed the Titan, Thor leapt forward and buried the blade of the axe into Thanos’ chest.

Dropping to his feet, Thor left the weapon lodged in the other’s chest and watched with bated breath to see how it would affect the other. Sure enough, the warrior’s warning about the weapon’s mysterious features came to mind as Thanos’ deep purple skin began to turn a light grey, spreading out from the point of impact. The great Titan raised his hand, lifting the Infinity Gauntlet into the air, and then grew still. His face was twisted into a visage of fury but not one single inch of him moved. Indeed, there was no signs of life from the villain at all. To any outsider, he looked like nothing more than a majestic statue memorializing one of the greatest threats the Avengers had ever taken on. 

Only one part of Thanos appeared to remain unaffected by his transformation - the Infinity Gauntlet, which remained its usual shining bronze while all five Infinity Stones twinkled in the setting sunlight of the battlefield which had grown quiet in the moments since Thanos’ apparent defeat.

“Is… is the battle won?” Thor asked, turning to his closest compatriots. Captain America looked between him and the stone statue, clearly disturbed by what he had witnessed. Black Panther looked equally as unsettled, careful to keep his distance from the great stone Titan.

“The Gauntlet,” Cap started, his voice grave. “We need to destroy the gauntlet. Lives are still at risk.”

“The Captain is correct. We do not know if this… transformation is permanent,” T’Challa agreed. Despite the immediate threat being neutralized, the tension in the air was still thick and uncomfortable. 

Reaching up, Thor grabbed at the Infinity Gauntlet and with some struggle, removed it from Thanos’ hand. The moment it was free from the stone statue, the God of Thunder felt a strange power course through him, originating from the object held between his hands. That power… it felt good.

“Thor?” Cap’s voice suddenly felt like a long distance away as Thor stared down at the gauntlet in his hands, wondering just what that power was. “Is everything alright?” His friend’s concern was all but ignored as Thor continued to be fixated by his new possession. He could feel it calling to him, begging him to put it on. His rational brain kept that call at bay, reminding him that they needed to destroy it, but those walls swiftly crumbled as the power truly became too tempting to resist.

With seemingly no control of his actions, Thor placed his hand into the gauntlet and gripped his fingers together into a fist. As he did so, the Infinity Stones shone brighter and that power Thor felt from the gauntlet multiplied throughout his body, causing him to erupt with a mighty roar!

“Thor, no!” The Avengers could do little more than watch as Thor fell under the corruption of the Infinity Gauntlet, frozen in place by some unseen power and unable to help their Asgardian ally. Captain America’s heart raced as he stared at his friend and began noticing the faintest traces of a transformation begin to take hold of Thor. 

The super-soldier struggled against whatever force held him in place but was utterly helpless to do anything more than watch as the skin on Thor’s arm turned from his usual tanned flesh tone to a deep purple, one that was far too familiar. The purple spread from his wrist to elbow, then up his thick biceps to the shoulder and from there, all across his body. Every exposed part of Thor’s flesh soon appeared to have taken on the new color, giving him a rather unsettling appearance.

“You can fight this, Thor! Fight it!” Cap called out. He locked eyes with his teammate and was terrified by what he saw. There was no warmth in Thor’s eyes anymore. Instead he was met by something cold and cruel with a glare that sent shivers down the Captain’s spine. That was not the face of the man he had fought side-by-side with in New York and Sokovia, that was for sure.

Although already muscular, Thor’s body began to expand and grow over the next few moments he rose to over eight feet tall, towering over everyone else on the battlefield. All heads had turned to watch him as he let out another roar, the bass in his voice making it even deeper and more unsettling. The Infinity Gauntlet began to fit much better on him as his forearms grew large with muscle, allowing him to lift it high into the air. He cast an imposing shadow on the ground as his shoulders grew even broader and his feet expanded to an almost monstrous size.

The short blond hair on Thor’s head retreated into his scalp while his stubble did the same around his jawline which grew more pronounced and much wider. A number of scars began to line the God’s face across his lips and eyes, perfectly mimicking those of the stone stature he stood beside. Within moments he had totally assumed Thanos’ appearance and with one swift motion, smashed the stone statue with his fist.

A grin began to form across the new Thanos’ face as he stared down at the heroes who thought they could stand against him and the power of the Infinity Gauntlet. They were foolish, all of them and would soon be destroyed with a single snap. 

With the power of the Reality Stone though, Thanos would be able to enslave the likes of Captain America to do his bidding as a mindless soldier. Yes, that would be most pleasing. The Captain had been a worthy opponent and put up a good fight  - but nobody could truly withstand the might of the great Titan, Thanos!