This classic confrontation took place in the Infinity Gauntlet Mini-Series. Thanos wrestled the infinity gems that control the soul, mind, power, time, reality and space from those that possessed them. He then placed them into a glove that gave him the unbridled power of a god. The mad titan's gaining of this supreme might meant the beginning of a black nightmare for the universe. At the edge of Armageddon, Adam Warlock, a man Thanos was supposed to have killed years earlier, returned to lead Earth's super heroes in a desperate attempt to thwart this nihilistic god's insane plans for galactic destruction. This cosmic event reintroduced Warlock to a new generation of fans and spawned the incredibly popular Infinity War and Infinity Crusade cosmic themed epic mini-series.

In a shocking story line from Amazing Spider-Man #122, the original Green Goblin captured Peter Parker's girlfriend Gwen Stacy and pushed her off the top of a bridge. Spider-Man arrived in time and caught her with his webbing before she could hit the water below, but the impact broke her neck. Immediately following this horrific event, Spider-Man had his final confrontation with the Goblin, who accidentally impaled himself on his own goblin glider. This classic storyline was a turning point in Marvel's history and showed that happy endings for leading characters were not assured. Soon after the Marvel Universe began to turn into a darker, grimmer place.