quote:
So this may be a dumb question, but I'm just a casual watcher of the Marvel movies. What's the deal with all the stones? Why do I need to care about them? Who currently possess which ones?
Any other background I need to know to enjoy Civil War? I'm actually going on a Disney Cruise the week it premieres and will get to see it on the boat.
Thanks for the help.
Per MCU wiki (because I think this will explain better than I could):
The
Infinity Stones are six immensely powerful objects tied to different aspects of the universe, created by the
Cosmic Entities. Each of the stones possesses unique capabilities that have been enhanced and altered by various alien civilizations through the millennia.
Only beings of immense power can wield the stones, such as when the
Celestials used the
Orb to pass judgment on entire planets. Lesser beings are usually unable to grasp the full power of the stones and are destroyed by them when direct contact is made, such as the illness of
Jane Foster when exposed to the
Aether, the disappearance of
Red Skull by the
Tesseract, and the incineration of
Carina by the Orb.
Each of the Infinity Stones have the ability to be used individually by powerful beings or collections of lesser beings who focus their intent. The power of all six stones can be harnessed collectively, but none who have attempted this have survived. The Stones are also indestructible; no weapon can destroy them. Thor describes the Infinity Stones as the greatest power in the universe and "unparalleled" in their destructive capabilities.
The stones are:
Space Stone
- Stone Color: Blue
- Original Containment Unit: Tesseract
- Current Location: Asgard (since 2012)
- Current Owner: Heimdall (since 2012)
The Tesseract is named for its cube-like appearance and is capable of providing instant access to any location throughout the universe if used correctly. The unique element that composes the Tesseract has also been used to create advanced weaponry by races like the Humans. This stone played an important role in humanity's development during the dawn of the superhero age, attracting the attention of forces such as Red Skull and Thanos, both of whom sought to use the Tesseract's power for their own sinister intents. It is later revealed that the cuboid is a containment unit built around the actual Infinity Stone, so that it could be somewhat safely handled and controlled. In Thor's vision, the Tesseract is shattered to unveil the blue Space Stone contained within.
Mind Stone
- Stone Color: Yellow
- Original Containment Unit: Scepter
- Current Location: Earth (since 2012)
- Current Owner: Vision (since 2015)
- Previous Owners:
- Description: The Scepter was a weapon that utilized the yellow Mind Stone housed inside a blue computer module, which also masked the stone's presence. Stark originally saw the Stone as a power source, whereas once J.A.R.V.I.S. had the opportunity to study the stone he stated it was more akin to a very powerful computer. The stone within had already been in the possession of Thanos when he gave it to Loki to aide him in his invasion of Earth. This stone had the power to subjugate the minds of others, bending them to the will of the user, as well as project the user's consciousness to a higher plane of existence. The stone was also said to greatly increase the intelligence of those capable of wielding it, as shown in the cases of Loki and Wolfgang von Strucker. When Loki failed in his campaign, the Scepter fell into the possession of S.H.I.E.L.D., eventually being passed on to HYDRA via sleeper agents. The Scepter was then used in various HYDRA experiments, and other capabilities such as mind control, astral and energy projection were unearthed. The protective casing of the Scepter's gem was eventually broken by Ultron and the contained stone was used to bring life to the Vision. Thor later entrusted the stone to Vision, stating that Vision was worthy and that safety was hard to come by nowadays.
Reality Stone
- Stone Color: Red
- Original Containment Unit: Aether
- Current Location: Knowhere, inside the Collector's Museum (since 2013)
- Current Owner: Taneleer Tivan (since 2013)
- Previous Owners:
- Description: The Aether appears as a dark, red, viscous liquid, unlike the other encountered Infinity Stone containment units that appear solid. The Aether acts like a symbiotic force, capable of being absorbed into the body of a living host, granting that person immense strength, power, and seemingly unlimited capabilities. Malekith planned to use the Aether's reality bending abilities to cover all Nine Realms in darkness; however, he was stopped by the combined efforts of Thor and Jane Foster. Only two people, Jane Foster and Malekith, are known to have been hosts for the Aether, but circumstances prevented the full extent of the Aether's potential from being explored. It is later shown that the Aether is actually an Infinity Stone contained in liquid form, and in Thor's vision this liquid solidifies into the red Reality Stone.
Power Stone
- Stone Color: Purple
- Original Containment Unit: Orb
- Current Location: Xandar (since 2014)
- Current Owner: Nova Corps (since 2014)
- Previous Owners:
- Description: The Orb is the protective housing of the purple Power Stone. The stone is an incredible power source, which, when used at full potential, has enough power to obliterate an entire planet. This stone was sought by Thanos, who tasked Ronan the Accuser to acquire it from the dead planet of Morag, in exchange for destroying Xandar. Star-Lord acquired the stone instead and was prepared to give it to Taneleer Tivan with Gamora until its destructive power was unleashed at Knowhere. Soon after, Ronan obtained it and harnessed its energy with the intent of destroying all life on Xandar and killing Thanos. Star-Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy were able to take the stone from Ronan and collectively harness its power to destroy him. They then gave the stone to Nova Prime Irani Rael for safe-keeping on Xandar.
