After Marvel unleashed the final trailer for Avengers: Infinity War, it took fans all of six hours to break the single-day pre-sale tickets record Black Panther set back in January. That shouldn't be a surprise; Marvel Studios has been building towards this film over the last decade, but, more specifically, since 2012's The Avengers, which was the first time their big screen team-up concept came to life. They've made us care about the Infinity Stones, which they've scattered throughout their Cinematic Universe, and this film finds Thanos finally emerging to bring his sinister plan of world galactic domination (utilizing said Stones) to the forefront.
For the comic book heads out there, this is a moment many have been waiting for. Since his debut in the pages of Iron Man back in 1973, Thanos the Mad Titan has been a force to be reckoned with. His primary quest has been self-serving and full of evil, and is always based on amassing the Infinity Stones to make him the most powerful being in the universe.
Now, as excited as many of you are, you know full well that many people are going into this film thinking: "It looks dope, but what the hell is a Thanos?" As per usual, we've got you covered. Here's a brief overview of what the non-comic book fans out there need to know about Thanos before walking into Avengers: Infinity War on April 27.