Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
- Infinity Gauntlet
- Mind Gem
- Soul Gem
- Space Gem
- Time Gem
- Reality Gem
- Power Gem
- Extremis Armor
- Cerebra (Mutant Detector)
- Cloak of Levitation
- Eye of Agamotto
Vehicles:
Synopsis for 1st story
Following the defeat of the Power Gem-empowered Titania by She-Hulk[1], Mr. Fantastic decides that it's the responsibility of the Illuminati to do something about the Infinity Gauntlet and the gems. He reveals to the Illuminati that after gaining the Power Gem, he began hunting down the other gems, obtaining the Space Gem, Soul Gem, and the Infinity Gauntlet itself through unrevealed means, but is having trouble gathering the final three gems. While reluctant to assist him at first, the other members agree to help him after he reveals the Mind Gem, Reality Gem, and Time Gem's locations.
Namor, Professor X, and Dr. Strange head to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in order to utilize Cerebra to find the Mind Gem, which lies in the "collective unconscious of the universe." Soon after arriving on a vast blue plane, they realize that not only is the plane the Mind Gem itself, but it only appears massive because they believe the universe's collective unconscious should appear enormous. Eventually, Namor's subconscious mind, viewing the plane as an ocean, unleashes an attack from a sea creature. Realizing the attack to be his fault, Namor assaults the sea creature head-on, allowing it to swallow him then breaking free from the inside. With the help of Dr. Strange, the creature is eventually subdued and the three gather the Mind Gem.
Meanwhile Mr. Fantastic and Iron Man are utilizing Black Bolt's vast powers to rip a hole in reality in order to retrieve the Reality Gem. Upon tearing a rift, Iron Man sticks his hand in to retrieve the gem, finding odd readings inside. As he pulls his arm back from the rift, grasping the Reality Gem, his fingers begin to crumble. Then his arm. Then he vanishes. Donning the Infinity Gauntlet, Mr. Fantastic wills reality back to normal, adding the Reality Gem to the other gems gathered on the Gauntlet.
With the return of Namor, Dr. Strange, and Professor X, the Mind Gem is added to the other four gems, resulting in a time flux and the eventual self-retrieval of the Time Gem from the timestream. With the completed Infinity Gauntlet on his hand, Mr. Fantastic silently attempts to force the Gauntlet and Gems to destroy themselves, but fails. Thinking he's succumbed to the power within the Gauntlet, the other members of the Illuminati prepare to do whatever necessary to disarm him.
Before any actions can take place, Uatu appears, revealing his shame at Mr. Fantastic for even attempting to gather the gems in one place. After Uatu's chastising, Mr. Fantastic attempts to give the Gauntlet to Uatu so that a higher power can attend to them. Uatu says that no being should hold the full power. Agreeing, Mr. Fantastic decides to separate the gems and give one to each of the Illuminati. Iron Man takes the Reality Gem, Professor X the Mind Gem, Namor the Time Gem, Black Bolt the Space Gem, Dr. Strange the Soul Gem, and Mr. Fantastic takes the Power Gem for himself. As he leaves, Uatu reveals that the decision to split the gems amongst the Illuminati was not Reed's to make, but he's grateful to Mr. Fantastic for not succumbing to the temptation of the Gauntlet.
Notes
- The Power Gem and Reality Gem next appear in Avengers (Vol. 4) #7, where Parker Robbins recovers the Reality Gem from the catacombs beneath the former location of Attilan and steals the Power Gem from the Baxter Building. The surviving members, plus Medusa, meet to discuss this in Avengers (Vol. 4) #8.