Marvel Theory Time: Did Thanos Snap Before the Illuminati Defeated Him?

Why does everyone wear black on Earth 838?

Image Credit: Disney

Warning: Spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

When watching Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, I noticed something… er… strange.

While Earth 838 — the one that has the Illuminati and features cameos from two Star Trek captains and an office employee — looked like a veritable utopia, damn near everybody walking in the streets who aren’t Stephen Strange and America Chavez are wearing drab blacks and grays. In fact, the only people that we see wearing any other colors are those working for the Illuminati, 838’s Wanda Maximoff and her kids, and the pizza ball guy.

Now, this could be just a fashion statement for this reality, but to me, this seems to clash with the otherwise vibrant world that the Illuminati inhabit (or rule? They kinda feel like rulers, here) and may signal that not everything is as happy as it should be. After all, these are the colors of mourning (or maybe they aren’t on 838… after all, they go on red, don’t they?). But why would literally everyone on Earth be in mourning?

Let’s jump ahead to Strange’s conversation with the Illuminati. After seeing a statue dedicated to 838’s Doctor Strange, who “gave his life defeating Thanos”, he’s informed by Captain Picard… er… Professor X that the Illuminati defeated Thanos, but because their Strange used the Darkhold to accomplish this task, they in turn killed him to protect their reality. If you pay attention during the scene in which we see 838 Strange being killed by Captain Pike… er… Black Bolt, you’ll notice that it takes place on Titan and there’s a very dead Thanos laying nearby.

But I’m finding myself wondering whether the Illuminati defeated Thanos before he used the Infinite Gauntlet… or after?

When the Illuminati explains what happened with their Stephen Strange in the fight with Thanos, Professor X specifically says that they…