The Old "Fake Faking Your Death" Trick

At some point last month, I got a look at the first issue of the new Guardians of the Galaxy series. I was curious as to what the solicits had meant by 'who is the new Thanos'.

I'd forgotten Thanos died in that Infinity Whatever that came out last year, and stayed that way through the end of that event. In Guardians of the Galaxy, a bunch of people gather to see his video will, and it's in that recording Thanos reveals his mind has already been reborn, or transferred, something, to another body. He's out there, somewhere in the universe.

Which doesn't really seem like a "new" Thanos. He's still the same mind, and still going to behave the same way. All that's different is the external appearance. That's assuming he's telling the truth. My first thought (besides "Goddamnit, just leave him in the ground.") was, "This is a fakeout."

Thanos has pulled this move before. Back before Infinity Gauntlet, he let the Surfer believe he'd killed him (I think to throw everyone off his trail while he hunted down the Gems). Not content with that, he had gained citizenship in Dynamo City, and suckered the Surfer in with a messenger stating the Surfer was mentioned specifically in. . . the video recording of Thanos' will and testament. As it turned out, he'd set all that up just so the Surfer would be trapped powerless in that craphole city, looking for work to earn enough money to pay the exit fees.

I can see Thanos recording this just to throw the entire universe into a panic. A last joke played on everyone so happy he's dead. You thought you were free of me? I'm still out there, somewhere. Booga-booga! I could be anyone, and I'm plotting. . . things. Nefarious things. Better turn over every rock in the cosmos looking for me!

Then he can sit back in the afterlife and chuckle as everyone gets more and more desperate to find him, until they inevitably grow suspicious of each other. I mean, sooner or later, someone is going to decide they aren't finding Thanos because he's hiding inside one of them. Imagine Gladiator with a more powerful will and intellect, or Beta Ray Bill. Although I guess Thanos wouldn't be able to lift Stormbreaker*. But at that point, everything probably goes to hell.

This probably isn't what's happening, but it'd be fun. Or Thanos could be truly dead, and he's just doing this to keep everyone disorganized while he waits for Death to inevitably get tired of him hanging around and boots his purple butt back into the land of the living. So when he reappears, everyone's worn to a frazzle and pissed at each other, and he rolls over them.

* Unless Jim Starlin is writing the story. Then all bets are off.