The Philippines has once again made it to foreign publications, this time thanks to Sen. Nancy Binay’s search for a comic book villain at the country’s world wonder.
Foreign news outlets have picked up on the senator’s series of tweets from the Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao, also the chosen getaway for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s greatest villain, Thanos.
From Ifugao to the world
Just around the release of Marvel Studios’ hit “Avengers: Infinity War,” the first-term senator posted a series of photographs showcasing the scenic beauty of the rice terraces in Mayuyao, Ifugao.
In the accompanying text, Binay jokingly asks if the blockbuster’s big baddie could be found in the area.
The rice terraces in the Philippines’ mountainous region made a surprise appearance at the end of “Infinity War” as the antagonist Thanos’ hideout following the film’s harrowing climax.
Binay was later quoted by the media to have joked about being “the wife of Thanos” at a celebration for her 45th birthday at popular eat-all-you-can chain.
News of the lawmaker’s appreciation for Marvel comics’ biggest villain has been picked up by foreign news outlets.
The article by Comicbook.com discusses Binay’s joke, and asks whether she had actually seen the film or because she appreciated how the film spurred tourism in the rice terraces.
Indian news source Hindustan Times has also picked up on Binay’s unexplained fondness for the villain.
The problem with being Thanos’ wife
Both articles emphasize that the original Thanos’ love interest was an anthropomorphic personification of death.
In Infinity Gauntlet, the crossover comic book event “Infinity War” is based on, Thanos seeks widescale annihilation not to preserve the universe’s finite resources, but because his crush Death tells him to.
Despite Thanos’ campaign making significant gains, Death continues to turn a blind eye to his declarations of love.
When Death continues to reject Thanos’ advances, he creates a doting partner and companion for himself, Terraxia—with the power of the Infinity Gauntlet nonetheless.
Given Thanos’ bizarre dating tendencies, it is easy to see where both the fans’ and the media’s confusion comes from.