Infinity Stones

"Oh, my new friends, before creation itself, there were six singularities, then the universe exploded into existence and the remnants of this system were forged into concentrated ingots... Infinity Stones."

- The Collector

The Infinity Stones are six immensely powerful objects tied to different aspects of the universe, created by the Cosmic Entities. Each of the stones possesses unique capabilities that have been enhanced and altered by various alien civilizations through the millennia.

Only beings of immense power can wield the stones, such as when the Celestials used the Orb to pass judgement on entire planets. Lesser beings are usually unable to grasp the full power of the stones and are destroyed by them when direct contact is made, such as the illness of Jane Foster when exposed to the Aether, the disappearance of the Red Skull by the Tesseract, and the incineration of Carina by the Orb. Only once in recorded history was the power of all six stones harnessed. This was achieved by six cosmic beings, each with one stone, linking themselves together. The effects were short-lived, as the energy of the stones disintegrated all six beings after a few moments. Despite being referred to as "stones," the Infinity Stones appear in different shapes and states.

Tesseract

 * Type: Space Stone
 * Current Owner:
 * Heimdall
 * Previous Owners:
 * Odin (until 965)
 * Church Keeper (1942)
 * Johann Schmidt and HYDRA (1942-1945)
 * S.H.I.E.L.D. (1945-2012)
 * Loki (2012)
 * Location: Asgard
 * Description: The Tesseract is named for its cube-like appearance, and capable of providing instant access to any location throughout the universe if used correctly, moving any object anywhere through reality. The unique element that composes the Tesseract has also been used to create advanced weaponry by races like the humans and the Chitauri. This stone played an important role in humanity's development during the dawn of the superhero age, attracting the attention of forces such as Red Skull and Thanos, both of whom sought to use the Tesseract's power for their own sinister intents.

Aether

 * Type:
 * Current Owner:
 * Taneleer Tivan
 * Previous Owners:
 * Malekith (until 2987 BC)
 * Bor (2987 BC)
 * Jane Foster (2013)
 * Malekith (2013)
 * Asgard (2013)
 * Location: Collector's Museum
 * Description: The Aether appears as a dark, red, viscous liquid that can float in the air. The Aether acts like a symbiotic force capable of being absorbed into the body of a living host, granting that person immense strength, power, and seemingly unlimited capabilities. Only two people, Jane Foster and Malekith, are known to have been hosts for the Aether, but circumstances prevented the full extent of the Aether's potential from being explored.

Orb

 * Type: Power Stone
 * Current Owner:
 * Nova Corps
 * Previous Owners:
 * Celestials (Before 20th Century)
 * Peter Quill (2014)
 * Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
 * Ronan the Accuser (2014)
 * Location: Xandar
 * Description: The Orb is the protective housing of an Infinity Stone closely resembling a purple gem. The gem is an incredible power source, which, when used at full potential, has enough power to obliterate an entire planet. This stone was sought by Thanos, who tasked Ronan the Accuser to acquire it from the dead planet of Morag. Star-Lord acquired the stone instead and was prepared to give it to Taneleer Tivan until its destructive power was unleashed inside of  Knowhere. Soon after, Ronan obtained it and harnessed its energy with the intent of destroying all life on Xandar and killing Thanos. Quill and the Guardians of the Galaxy were able to take the stone from Ronan and collectively harness its power to destroy him. They then gave the stone to Nova Prime Irani Rael for safe-keeping.

Powers and Abilities
Each of the Infinity Stones have the ability to be used individually by powerful beings or collections of lesser beings who focus their intent. The power of all six stones can be harnessed collectively, but none who have attempted this have survived.

Trivia

 * In the comics, the six Infinity Stones, known as the Infinity Gems, consist of Mind, Soul, Power, Space, Time and Reality. It was confirmed the Tesseract represents the Space Stone, and the Orb has been revealed to be the Power Stone, but it has not been revealed what the other Stones represent.
 * Due to the appearance of Thanos, fans have speculated the blue crystal within the Chitauri Scepter is the Mind Stone.