The Infinity Gauntlet.

This is the first true test of the gems power, as Thanos holds the Infinity gems on his Gauntlet and names it as such. Together the gems make him the God of Gods, and no one exists who can challenge that claim. While still getting used to the idea of the power he possessed the Titan went back to his ship and found his near dead "grand daughter", Nebula. As a tribute to Death he froze her in that state, not alive nor dead. It was here that Mephisto finds Thanos and attempts to convince him that he wishes to become an Acolyte of this new era. Thanos is prepared to dismiss the annoying creature until he learns that Mephisto has a relationship to the gauntlet which no other being has. If Mephisto speaks the truth or not in his words is still unknown, but we recite his words as such:

Mephisto: "As you know the gems were once an Omnipotent being that was all that was throughout infinity. It was an existance it found unbearably lonely and futile.

Thanos: Which is why it eventually comitted a form of cosmic suicide.

Mephisto: But before it opted for that drastic soulution, it attempted to alliviate its solitude in another fashion. This being created ME and MY KIND. You see, this great entity had no concept of good or evil. It merely took a part of itself and gave it independent life. Because it didn't will us to be good we turned out evil! Of course the demon hordes displeased outr creator. So, being the simple minded entity that he was, he chose to destroy us rather than bother us with modest modifications.

Thanos: But this destruction, I presume, wasn't a permanent condition?

Mephisto: No when his existence self-destructed, it was the birth of all that exists today. I and my brethren were reborn amist this renaissance.

Upon hearing this tale from Mephisto, Thanos decided, against better odds, to believe him and accept his proposal to become his first Acolyte. We leave the two on a random planet in space, where Thanos takes a few moments to revel in the power he now held.

With all six gems Thanos was truly Omnipotent, no force in existence could contend with him while the gems were in his possession. Now all that remained was for him to prove this fact... Here is where the Infinity Gauntlet series begins. Thanos and Mephisto disembarked to appear in the palace of Mistress Death, where he finnaly revealed to her the true nature of what he had done, and the power he had gathered. The Titan misjudged his Mistress, for upon returning she was full of spite at being mislead by him, and also at the fact that she was now nothing more than a single string in the tapestry that was Thanos. Though dishearted, Thanos was not without hope, he teleported himself, Mistress Death, and Mephisto to a massive shrine he created for her deep in the void of space. She, however, was still not impressed. It was then that Thanos remembered his vow to Death, so he raised his hand high into the air, and with a simple snap the power of the gems erased half the sentient life in existance... this still did not gain Death's favor. Eventually, however, Adam Warlock gathered together the heroes of earth and led them in a massive assult on the Titan.

Back on earth Dr. Strange began to use his mystic portals in order to retrieve those heroes who had managed to survive the initial onslaught against Thanos. Beings such as hulk were drawn back to the base on planet earth in order to prepare for the third and final assult, in case the plan Warlock had created failed.