Who would Thanos say is "The One"?

[JudicatorPrime]

Most people who are daring enough to endeavor and compete have at least one rival who pushed them, tested them, matched them tooth and nail, and perhaps got the better of them on more occasions than one cares to admit. They're the ones who made you better because they were always opposite you, forcing you into that uncomfortable place where you have no choice but to hone your skills; get better, or quit. Let's imagine Thanos is old and gray, sitting on a porch in a rocking chair, iced ambrosia in one hand, a neutron star smoking pipe in the other, waxing philosophical on days long gone. Who would Thanos say was his one true rival? Not an abstract entity or group, but one individual. Does one exist? If not, should there be?

[Skedatz]

Would've said it was Marv until he died.

Now it's Adam Warlock.

[XPac]

I think it's Adam Warlock.

Thanos respects Warlock almost to the point where they are friends at times. He's literally the last person I think Thanos ever wants to be on the opposide end of in a fight if it can be helped.

[jump]

I would say Adam Warlock too but Warlock also said Thanos is his own worst enemy and lets himself get defeated, so my answer is neither of them, it's Squirrel Girl!

[Tony Stark]

Adam Warlock. No doubt.

[davew128]

Agreed its Adam Warlock. Mar-Vell was a nemesis, but truth be told he was never a match for Thanos. Mar-Vell stopped him only once, when Thanos first used a cosmic cube. When he used the soul (now infinity) gems, Mar-Vell was taken out quite easily.

[Frontier]

Would've said it was Marv until he died.

Now it's Adam Warlock.

Agreed its Adam Warlock. Mar-Vell was a nemesis, but truth be told he was never a match for Thanos. Mar-Vell stopped him only once, when Thanos first used a cosmic cube. When he used the soul (now infinity) gems, Mar-Vell was taken out quite easily.

Agreed.

No one had Thanos' respect or enmity as much as Adam did, or Mar-Vell did back in his heyday.

[JudicatorPrime]

I want to say Adam, too, but unless I've missed a recent issue or two, Warlock never soloed Thanos and won definitively as far as I recall. His soul gem-boosted spirit did turn Thanos into stone waaaaaaaaay back when after he had been killed by Thanos and thanks to Spidey's help, but I don't recall any other battles the two had where Warlock owned Thanos. Please fill me in if I've missed any significant issues. I'm still catching up on the last 2 decades.

[Michael Watkins]

Deadpool ....

[legion_quest]

Adam, always Adam. Even when Mar-Vell was alive he only stopped a few plans, but Adam has always been there. His constant counterpart, frenemy and foil.

[JKtheMac]

Would've said it was Marv until he died.

Now it's Adam Warlock.

Yes that just about sums it up. But of course the rivalry with Warlock is not so much antagonist as philosophical and often almost friendly.

[K7P5V]

In the mini-series "Cosmic Powers", it would be Tyrant.

[davew128]

I don't recall any other battles the two had where Warlock owned Thanos. Please fill me in if I've missed any significant issues. I'm still catching up on the last 2 decades.

Its not about Warlock beating Thanos. It's about him being able to read and understand him like no other due to his time wearing the Soul Gem.

[Skedatz]

I want to say Adam, too, but unless I've missed a recent issue or two, Warlock never soloed Thanos and won definitively as far as I recall. His soul gem-boosted spirit did turn Thanos into stone waaaaaaaaay back when after he had been killed by Thanos and thanks to Spidey's help, but I don't recall any other battles the two had where Warlock owned Thanos. Please fill me in if I've missed any significant issues. I'm still catching up on the last 2 decades.

You meant physically?

That's a pretty tall order. Thanos wasn't really conceived to have things like an equal. That's why all of his stories revolve around dealing with him on a philosophical or psychological level or as a group going in on him. What's more dangerous: His power, will, or mind? And in recognizing that, how would someone match those mark for mark without just being another Thanos?

Should he? I think just giving characters "just as strong" foes only works for characters who have a stake in not letting their foe succeed. He doesn't really need one in my opinion. He's more the person people test themselves against, and I really don't think we need a "Thanos but better" or "Space Hulk/Doomsday" concept.

[davew128]

Thanos wasn't really conceived to have things like an equal.

I disagree. Were to have no equal, he wouldn't have died way back when. Presumably Thor and Hulk would have been his physical equal before his resurrection. Even now, he shies away from fights with Gladiator.

Even after his resurrection, we see that he is not invincible where he can't beat higher level beings such as Galactus, Odin, or Tyrant, Thor with the power stone, and Inbetweener.