For Thanos' cosmic hideout, see Sanctuary.

"Father wants us back on the ship." ―Gamora to Nebula

The Sanctuary II[1] was a massive warship commanded by Thanos.

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History

When Thanos' forces invaded Zen-Whoberi, the Sanctuary II hovered above the capital city.[2]

In 2014, the Sanctuary II was used as an orbital base as the Black Order attacked Korbin.[3]

Attack on Thanos

"Some time ago, your sister snuck aboard this ship to kill me." ―Thanos to Gamora

In order to get her revenge, Nebula snuck aboard the Sanctuary II to try and kill Thanos. Though she came close to accomplishing her goal, she was found out and chained in the dungeon under the guard of Chitauri.[2]

The Sanctuary II tracked down the Statesman carrying the Asgardian survivors of Ragnarök, so Thanos and the Black Order could attack them.[4] In keeping with his philosophy, Thanos allowed half of the Asgardians, led by Valkyrie, to flee in the escape pods, before the Black Order slew the other half.[5] Once he inserted the Space Stone into the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos used the Power Stone to destroy the Statesman as he warped himself and his children back to his ship.[2]

After Thanos obtained the Reality Stone and kidnapped Gamora on Knowhere, he used the Space Stone to teleport both of them to the Sanctuary II. While in the ship's throne room, Thanos revealed to Gamora that he knew all along that she learned the location of the Soul Stone years ago. Revealing the captured Nebula, Thanos used the Infinity Gauntlet to torture her until Gamora confessed that the Soul Stone was on Vormir.

After Thanos and Gamora went to Vormir to obtain the Soul Stone, a Chitauri reassembled Nebula's cybernetics and was killed when she faked a malfunction and took it by surprise. After escaping from her captivity, Nebula contacted Mantis and requested that she and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy meet her on Titan, knowing that the members of Thanos' Black Order would meet him there once they found the Time Stone and Mind Stone. Nebula then took a Necrocraft and left the Sanctuary II to meet her allies on Titan.[2]

Kidnapping Nebula

"Her synaptic drive was probably damaged in battle."

"Bring her to my ship." ―Gamora and Thanos

In 2014, Thanos used the Sanctuary II as an orbital base to attack Korbin. Upon learning that Ronan the Accuser had discovered the location of the Power Stone on Morag, Thanos teleported onto Gamora and Nebula's Q-Ship, intending to dispatch them to the Dark Aster and oversee Ronan before Nebula's implants synchronized with those of her 2023 self, who had traveled to the past with War Machine to retrieve the Power Stone.

Intrigued by the recording's mention of the Power Stone, Thanos ordered Nebula brought to the Sanctuary II for a diagnostic. There, Ebony Maw discovered the time travel and anchored 2023 Nebula in their time, even as War Machine took the Power Stone to 2023. Though the Sanctuary II arrived on Morag too late to claim the Power Stone, it arrived in time to beam up the future Nebula.[3]

2014 Nebula took Pym Particles from her captive 2023 counterpart and presented them to Thanos, who passed the sample onto Ebony Maw for mass production, before she traveled to 2023 in her future self's place. Once there, she used the Avengers' time machine to pull the Sanctuary II through the quantum realm to 2023. Emerging from the time machine, the rapidly growing warship punched through the roof of the New Avengers Facility, destroying the time machine in the process.

The Avengers initially did not notice, as they were working on the Blip. Very shortly after the Snap was undone, the Sanctuary II bombarded the New Avengers Facility with missiles, destroying it completely. Thanos then beamed down from the hovering ship and commanded 2014 Nebula to find the Infinity Stones, and also deployed a group of Outriders to reinforce her.[3]

"What the hell is this?

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., what are they firing at?" ―Falcon and Iron Man

After fighting and defeating Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, Thanos summoned the Black Order from the ship alongside a vast army, consisting of many thousands of Chitauri, Outriders, Necrocrafts, Sakaarans, Leviathans, and Chitauri Gorillas. When Thanos began losing his battle against Scarlet Witch, he ordered Corvus Glaive to have the Sanctuary II direct its energy cannons at the battlefield. This bombardment stopped Scarlet Witch from killing Thanos, and it also destroyed a nearby dam, forcing Doctor Strange to leave the battle in order to prevent a flood.

However, it also resulted in massive casualties among Thanos' own forces, while the Avengers and their allies emerged much better off thanks to shields conjured by the Masters of the Mystic Arts. The Sanctuary II then detected the approach of Captain Marvel from space and directed its fire at her as she descended, but the ship's cannons had no effect on her. Captain Marvel crashed through the ship's bow and wings, functionally destroying it and sending it crashing down to Earth. What remained of the Sanctuary II was reduced to dust when Iron Man used the Infinity Stones to destroy Thanos and his army.[3]

Capabilities

The Sanctuary II was a one ship fleet, heavily armed and well supported. At least four Q-Ships could connect to the Sanctuary II at a time, held under its main wings. The Sanctuary II had dozens of heavy cannons. The Sanctuary II could also hold lots of Leviathans, Chitauri chariots, and Necrocraft as well, which could be deployed from under its hull.

Behind the Scenes

The Sanctuary II was referred during the production process as Thanos' H-Ship.[6]

References

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