The Mad Titan is about to kill Earth's fighting force when Mephisto tells Thanos that in order to win the heart of Mistress Death he should show courage . Thanos agrees and wills his power level down . He has cut off all sensory input from all but the power gem . The master of deceit is playing upon the confusion Thanos is experiencing adjusting to his newly elevated state of being . It seems the forces of life have a most unlikely comrade .
Time resumes it's normal flow with bone-jarring results .
How out of character . I doubt it . They are but bothersome fleas to Thanos . Though their cause is hopeless , I must hand it to Earth's defenders . Their battle strategy is first rate and flawlessly executed .