Understanding the Survival of the Infinity Stones in Guardians of the Universe and Beyond

When Thanos did the snap in Avengers: Infinity War, it led to the destruction of the Infinity Stones and the annihilation of half of all life across the universe. However, in Avengers: Endgame, the stones appeared to survive multiple snaps. This article delves into the explanation behind this phenomenon, exploring the nuances of time travel, alternate timelines, and the unique nature of the Infinity Stones.

The Snap and the Destruction of the Stones

At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos uses the Infinity Gauntlet to execute the snap, wiping out half of all life in the universe. In a subsequent scene, he employs the stones once more to destroy them, aiming to prevent any potential undoing of his work. This act effectively makes the stones non-functional in the present timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Persistence of the Infinity Stones After the Snap

When diving into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's essential to bend our rational minds a bit to accept the magical, powerful, and sometimes inconsistent nature of superhero lore, particularly when discussing the notorious Infinity Stones. Thanos’s snap, also known as The Decimation, not only obliterated half of all life but seemingly destroyed the stones in the original timeline. However, in Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers perform a time heist, traveling back in time to extract the stones from various points in the timeline. The stones they collect from these moments before Thanos’s destruction seem receptive to multiple snaps, which raises the question: why did the stones not self-destruct again?

Key Factors in the Stones' Survival

To comprehend this phenomenon, it's crucial to understand the different contexts of these events. Thanos claims to have used the stones to destroy themselves, exerting their power to the maximum in a self-sacrificial act. This event, described as the heat of a thousand suns imploding in the palm of his gauntlet, was a one-off scenario.

Jumping to Avengers: Endgame, the heroes gather the stones from different points in time. This is significant because these stones are essentially untainted by Thanos’s self-destructive snap. They are pristine, brimming with cosmic possibilities. The Avengers then engineer their own gauntlet and perform two snaps using Hulk and Iron Man. Each snap taps into the stones’ energies but does not unleash their power against themselves. This detail is crucial to consider: the stones are indestructible by any means we conventionally understand. When Hulk brings back all of Thanos’s victims, and Stark rids the world of Thanos and his minions, they are using the stones without triggering a catastrophic meltdown.

Contextual Differences in Stones' Use

The core difference lies in how the stones are used. The stones in Avengers: Infinity War were used to affect external reality, specifically to end life, while in Endgame, they are used on external threats and to undo the damage caused by Thanos. It is possible that the destruction of the stones by Thanos was a result of his specific method of wielding their power, leading to a catastrophic outcome.

Furthermore, the wielders—Hulk for the return snap and Stark for the Thanos-be-gone snap—had no intention of destroying the stones but rather using their power to achieve specific goals. This distinction between using the stones to affect the universe and using them to undo their power might be the key to the stones' survival.

Conclusion

In summary, the stones survived multiple snaps because the Avengers retrieved them from the past before Thanos destroyed them, thereby creating alternate timelines. The stones from these alternate timelines are pristine and unaffected by Thanos’s destruction, making them receptive to multiple snaps in a way that does not lead to their self-destruction. The nature of the stones themselves and the context in which they are used play a critical role in their survival.