When Thanos first faced off against Iron Man, he was served by a pair of alien powerhouses called the Blood Brothers, but they didn’t stick around.
Usually, Thanos does not have much trouble assembling teams or armies to fight for him. But before the Black Order or the countless armies that served him, the Mad Titan’s first minions were the Blood Brothers and his Butcher Squadron on his side.
Gh’Ree and R’Hos Blood were two of Thanos’ earliest acolytes, and they debuted alongside him in 1973’s Iron Man #55, by Jim Starlin and Mike Friedrich, but they started serving him long before then. The two aliens were present when the Mad Titan first picked up Gamora in 2019’s Thanos #2 by Tini Howard and Ariel Olivetti. The brothers, as well as the rest of the Butcher Squadron, were unsuccessful in recapturing Gamora when she escaped her cell aboard Thanos’ space station. Gh’Ree and R’hos prove they are on equal footing as some of Thanos’ veteran followers when they called out Ebony Maw for allowing Gamora to escape.
Thanos would later entrust the Blood Brothers to watch over his initial base on Earth in their shared debut. Tony Stark is seen fighting the Brothers, who easily subdue the Golden Avenger. The pair load an unconscious Iron Man aboard their spaceship before ascending towards Thanos’ desert base.
While within Thanos’ base, Stark recovers his consciousness in time to overpower and surprise the Brothers. After escaping their grasp, Stark stumbles upon Drax who is also being held prisoner by Thanos. Iron Man unsuccessfully attempts to free Drax which alerts the Mad Titan of his presence. Iron Man is able to free Drax with the help of Thanos’ father, Mentor. Stark and Drax take the fight to the Blood Brothers before setting their sights on the Mad Titan. The heroes realize that the Titan present is a robot after landing a punch that reveals his circuits and wires. The robot then creates an explosion, destroying the base. The Blood Brothers are able to escape the explosion and later return to the base they were guarding on Earth.
Later that year, Marvel Feature #12 by Friedrich and Starlin depicts Iron Man returning to the base where he initially fought the Brothers in an effort to learn more about Thanos. Luckily for Stark, he would not have to fight the Brothers alone, as the Thing is also wandering through the same desert the base is located in after a team-up with the Hulk. The Brothers get permission from Thanos before making their move, once again overpowering Stark. Realizing he is out of his league, Tony attempts to flee when he runs into Ben Grimm.
The Thing realizes that the Blood Brothers are actually Galactic Vampires, unable to take any of the heroes’ blood, as Iron Man is protected by his suit and Grimm’s skin is too thick. The two groups duke it out, destroying a mountain in the process before Iron Man and Thing are victorious. Thanos had been watching the entire fight and at the sight of the Brothers’ failure, zapped the pair away, effectively terminating his relationship with them.
Gh’Ree and R’Hoss would go on to work for a number of superpowered beings and generally cause trouble around the Marvel Universe. The pair would reappear a few years later while working for the Controller in 1976’s Iron Man #88 by Archie Goodwin and George Tuska. Iron Man faced them once again, this time with the help of Daredevil. The heroes would be victorious, and the Brothers would begin their first stint in prison. The alien brothers would continue to work for different groups, even helping the Avengers defeat Ego the Living Planet at one point. After R’Hos briefly died, the reunited Brothers were last seen on Knowhere with nowhere else to go after the conclusion of one of the Grandmaster’s contests.
The Black Order would prove to be a much more competent group than Thanos’ Butcher Squadron. Brains were never the Blood Brothers’ strong suit, as they were outwitted and beaten by Iron Man time and time again. Conversely, Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight have proven their intelligence many times over the years. While the Bloods still had their brawn, the Brothers were only at their strongest when near each other. Thanos has no further need of the Brothers’ brawn as he has recruited Black Dwarf, called Cull Obsidian in the MCU, who has proven his strength in bouts against the Hulk.
Gh’Ree and R’Hoss’ time with the Mad Titan was short-lived and rather uneventful. While the pair may have been instrumental in Thanos’ earliest plans to bring balance to the galaxy, they were defeated one too many times for his liking. The Mad Titan was able to replace the pair with much more capable allies and has probably not given the duo a second thought since their termination date.
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