All 7 MCU Characters Who Have Held All 6 Infinity Stones

The Infinity Stones are among the most powerful artifacts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). They represent fundamental aspects of existence: Space, Mind, Reality, Power, Soul, and Time. When combined, these stones grant their wielder near-omnipotent power, capable of altering the fabric of reality, life, and even the universe itself. Their influence has shaped countless destinies and instigated the most significant events in MCU history. 

The saga of the Infinity Stones reached its zenith with the Mad Titan, Thanos, and his devastating snap, an act that erased half of all life in the universe. However, this was not the only instance of a character wielding all six stones. The consequences of such power are immense and often come at a great personal cost to the wielder, some greater than others.

Every MCU Character Who Has Held All Six Infinity Stones

Thanos 

Thanos, a ruthless warlord from the ruined world of Titan, was the first character to be fully dedicated to amassing all six Infinity Stones and utilizing their combined power. Thanos believed the universe was suffering from overpopulation, embarked on this mission, and used the power of the stones to wipe out half of all life. He commissioned Eitri to create the Infinity Gauntlet on Nidavellir to contain the immense power of the stones.

With all six stones in the Gauntlet, Thanos snapped his fingers, wiping out half of all life, an event known as the Decimation or the Blip. 

To prevent anyone from reversing his actions, Thanos used the Stones to destroy themselves, leaving the Gauntlet severely damaged and his left arm crippled.

Hulk

The Avengers' desperate effort to undo Thanos's snap hinged on replicating his action with their own gauntlet. The team created the Nano Gauntlet, a version powered by Stark's nanotechnology. They determined that only the Hulk, with his unique resistance to gamma radiation, could survive its raw power. 

In Avengers: Endgame, Professor Hulk bravely wore the Gauntlet and, with immense struggle, snapped his fingers to bring back everyone who had been blipped away.

The act was excruciating. The stones’ energy scorched his arm, leaving significant damage. Thankfully, his snap successfully restored the vanished half of the universe, making his sacrifice worth it.

Tony Stark (Iron Man)

During the climactic battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark recognized that he was the universe's last hope. In a pivotal, high-stakes moment, he used the advanced nanotechnology of his Mark LXXXV armor to subtly transfer the Infinity Stones from a distracted Thanos's Gauntlet to his own. 

With the full power of the cosmos coursing through his suit and with the fate of all existence in the balance, Stark declared, "I am Iron Man" and snapped his fingers. 

This final act vaporized Thanos and his army, but the immense energy proved too much for his human body. The snap instantly dealt a fatal blow, making his sacrifice the most iconic in the history of the MCU.

Infinity Ultron

The animated series What If...? introduced a terrifying alternative reality where Ultron successfully transferred his consciousness into Vision's vibranium body, eventually acquiring all six Infinity Stones. In this reality, the synthezoid overpowered and killed Thanos with an effortless display of power before the Mad Titan could even begin his mission. 

With the Mind Stone in his head and the other five embedded in custom armor, Ultron embarked on a genocidal crusade, eliminating all life in his home universe.

His newfound cosmic awareness and control over the stones allowed him to pierce through the barriers between realities, making him a multiversal threat powerful enough to engage in a devastating war with the Watcher himself. 

This version of Ultron became the living embodiment of the stones' ultimate destructive potential, unbound by any moral compass. To make matters worse, Ultron's menace is not over (read more about his return to the MCU in 2026).

Doctor Strange Supreme

In a tragic alternate reality, Doctor Strange Supreme, driven by grief to save his love Christine Palmer, accumulated vast magical power and acquired the Time Stone. Absorbing countless mystical beings and artifacts, he sought to undo her death, a fixed point in time, and his reckless pursuit of power caused the collapse and destruction of his universe. 

Following his reality's demise, the Watcher recruited Strange to help defeat Infinity Ultron. In the final confrontation, Strange proved instrumental. He used his power to trap Killmonger and Arnim Zola, battling for the stones within the Infinity Armor in a pocket dimension. 

The Watcher then tasked Strange Supreme with the eternal duty of holding this shrunken pocket dimension within his hands, safeguarding the Multiverse from the trapped villains and the Infinity Stones. 

Captain Carter

In an epic confrontation within the Forge, a Thanos variant wielding a completed Infinity Gauntlet was released from Strange Supreme's collection of prisoners. This Thanos, however, was swiftly dealt with by a Killmonger variant wearing the Infinity Armor. 

After Killmonger, armed with the Infinity Stones, disintegrated, Thanos, Kahhori, in the company of Carter, used her Space Stone powers to remove Killmonger from the armor. 

Captain Carter then seized the opportunity, taking the Infinity Armor and the stones for herself. Using the combined power and aided by the weapons of other heroes, Carter fought against a grief-maddened Strange Supreme, managing to temporarily restore his sanity with a punch powered by the Infinity Stones.

Killmonger

In an alternate history from What If...?, Erik Killmonger's ambitions led him to acquire the same Infinity Armor worn by Ultron. After betraying the Guardians of the Multiverse, who had just defeated Infinity Ultron, Killmonger took control of the armor and the stones. 

He sought to use this power to reshape the universe according to his vision of a new world order. Doctor Strange Supreme ultimately foiled Killmonger and imprisoned him in a pocket dimension.

Bonus: Characters Who Held the Infinity Gauntlet

While not actively wielding the stones' power, several characters held the Nano Gauntlet containing all six gems during the final battle of Avengers: Endgame. Their moments with the Gauntlet were fleeting but crucial to its journey across the battlefield:

• Hawkeye: After the destruction of the Avengers Compound, Clint Barton recovered the Nano Gauntlet from the rubble and protected it from invading forces.
• Nebula: An alternate timeline version of Nebula, loyal to Thanos, briefly tricked Hawkeye into giving her the gauntlet before being stopped by her prime timeline counterpart.
• Black Panther: T'Challa took the Gauntlet from Hawkeye during the final battle and courageously carried it toward its intended destination.
• Spider-Man: Peter Parker received the Gauntlet from Black Panther and attempted to secure it, using his speed and agility to navigate the chaotic battlefield.
• Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers took the Gauntlet from Spider-Man, flying toward the Quantum Realm portal to end the fight swiftly before being intercepted by Thanos.
• Captain America: Tasked with returning the Infinity Stones to their proper timelines, Steve Rogers held them in his possession for one final, monumental journey before living out a life of peace and returning as an old man.