Thanos is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, and made his first appearance in The Invincible Iron Man #55 (cover dated February 1973). An alien warlord from the planet Titan, Thanos is regarded as one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, and has clashed with many heroes including the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. While usually portrayed as an evil-bent villain, many stories have alternatively depicted Thanos as having a twisted moral compass and thinking of his actions as justified. He has also joined forces with his enemies on several occasions, when the situation demanded it.