Prologue

The blood dripped to the metal floor, oozing slowly down the hallway until it seeped under the massive circular door that kept the monsters at bay. J'rik leaned against the bulkhead, holding his hands against his stomach, straining to keep his insides together. He'd sent out a distress call before locking himself in the storage hold but the battering the door was taking didn't feel him with much confidence that he'd hold out until rescue came.

Suddenly the ship lurched and J'rik fell to the side, his head striking the wall. He slid to the floor, his vision beginning to darken. He whispered a prayer to the dark god Thanos, asking that his soul be escorted to the afterlife on a bed composed of the bones of virgins, the way all brave and true men should die.

And then circular door burst inwards, showering him with metallic shards. He placed his hands over his head, trying to stop the tears that came hot and moist to his eyes.

The sounds of heavy footsteps sent shivers down his spine and he found himself unable to resist taking a look. He glanced to the side to see three massive figures approaching. Their skin was a greenish-black and slightly oily. Their chins featured dangling tentacles that snaked about in the air, tiny mouths opening and closing like suckling babes. The Oris were humanoid, resembling a cross between a Terran octopus and the much-feared Dire Wraiths.

One of them paused over J'rik's body and spoke to him in deep, rumbling tones. "Why did you resist? You knew this was inevitable."

"I am not ready to die yet," J'rik croaked.

"You prayed for death. We heard you," one of the other Oris said, teasing him and moving closer to its first brother, the obvious leader of the three. "Let us send you to meet your dead virgins."

The ship lurched again to the side, eliciting cries of surprise from the Oris. J'rik felt hope swell in his heart... he'd assumed the jolting of his vessel was the work of the Oris. But if it wasn't... could it be that a ship had answered his distress call and was attempting to link up with them? I might see my little V'arla again after all, he thought.

"What is that noise?" one of the Oris asked.

The one who had first spoken to J'rik shook his head, sending his tentacles into a flurry of activity. "If it is someone coming to help this meat pocket, they will just become part of our foodstores until later."

J'rik shivered at the monster's words. The Oris hounded the spaceways, attacking any ships that they thought they could overcome. Upon boarding the captured vessel, they then took their time eating anyone onboard. It didn't even matter what race they were... Kree, Skrull, Galadorian. All of them ended up in the monsters' gullets.

Before the Oris could decide whether or not to investigate, a man wandered into view. He wore black and red, his golden skin sparkling in the light. On his forehead, a small gem of some sort flashed with power.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked, a ghost of a smile touching his honey-colored lips.

"Warlock," one of the Oris hissed, using the man's name like a curse.

"Kill him," the largest of the Oris cried. "Kill him!"

J'rik watched open-mouthed as the Oris flew down the hallway towards the stranger, who merely stood his ground. When the Oris were about to pounce upon him, the one called Warlock raised a hand, as if to ward them off. Green energy flared from the gem on his forehead, enveloping the three Oris, who vanished in a microsecond, their screams abruptly cut off.

J'rik rose to his feet, his voice quavering with gratitude. "Oh thank you! Thank you so much! By Thanos' name, I thank you. Can I do anything for you? If it's within my power, I'll do it!"

Warlock moved closer, his eyes studying the alien with barely hidden disgust. "Yes. There is something you can do for me."

J'rik's joy prevented him from noticing the threatening tones in the man's voice. "Name it!" he said.

Warlock backhanded the alien so hard that his head was separated from the rest of his body. It banged off the wall and landed on the floor, a look of surprise permanently etched on its features. "You can die," Warlock said with a laugh. He then turned away from the corpse and set about scavenging all he would need from this ship.

Marvel Anthology Presents:

Issue Number One
The Forging, Part One:
"An Error in the System"
Written by Barry Reese

Earth

Once, he had been known simply as Him. Created by human scientists to be the ultimate man, he had spurned their evil desires and fled the world of his birth. Falling into the caring clutches of the High Evolutionary, he became Adam Warlock -- hero, savior and martyr of Counter-Earth. He had died for the sins of that other world, which had been cultivated by the High Evolutionary. Three days after being crucified atop a large ankh, Adam had been reborn.

Thus began a cycle of death and rebirth, a cycle which has allowed Adam to survive brushes with death at the hands of Thanos, the Magus, the Goddess and Count Abyss. During his lifetime, he has been blessed with the power of the Infinity Gauntlet and cursed with the vampiric Soul Gem.

All of those things made him aptly suited for the task before him, which was a grim one. It required someone who had a steady hand and a constant heart.

Adam Warlock had come to destroy the universe.

The golden-skinned hero leaned heavily on his staff, staring out at the landscape of Monster Isle, the former home of the Infinity Watch. Warlock had led his friends to this place in hopes of finding peace and solitude. Instead, they'd found a plethora of new enemies and -- at the end -- the dispersal of the Infinity Gems. Since then the so-called Infinity Watch had splintered as well. Adam had even died and been reborn a few times... and Gamora had resumed her status as the Most Dangerous Woman in the Galaxy. She'd found solace in the arms of another man, as well... Adam knew this and it pained him, though he was far too stoic to ever let it show.

"So how many of them have you retrieved?"

Adam turned, ignoring the way the wind whipped his hair blew about him. Once, he'd been the Supreme Being in this universe... with the Infinity Gauntlet, he could have held the wind at bay easily. But no longer. His golden eyes locked onto those of Gamora. "I have the Soul Gem, of course, but I've also retrieved the Time Gem, the Space Gem and the Reality Gem."

Gamora, leaning on a rock, nodded thoughtfully. She looked beautiful, but dangerous. Adam had tasted her lips on more than one occasion and found the memories intoxicating. "So you still need the Mind and Power Gems?"

"That's correct."

"Where are they?"

"The Power Gem is in the Blue Area of the Moon. It is being reclaimed even as we speak. As for the Mind Gem... It's here on Earth."

Gamora stood up, moving towards Adam. She walked with the lithe grace of a jungle cat. "You want help getting it back?"

"I don't think it'll be a problem but I'd never turn down your assistance." Self-doubt clouded Adam's expression. "Do you understand why I have to do this?"

"I think so. I just hope you're right."

"So do I," Adam admitted. "So do I."

Operation Lightning Storm HQ, Onboard the Mini-Carrier

"That's the last one, Ms. Danvers. Everything's been unloaded."

Ms. Marvel winced slightly as she moved forward to sign off on the man's work order. Large wooden crates lined the interior of the storage facility, their various ports of call stamped loudly on the exterior of each box. "Thanks a lot, George."

"No problem, Ms. Danvers. Say... You feelin' okay? You look a little... I dunno..."

Like I've gone ten rounds with the Sub-Mariner? Thanks, George. "I'm fine. Had a little skiing accident last weekend."

"Ah. Well, you gotta be careful on them slopes, eh?"

"Sure do, George. Thanks." Carol closed the door behind them, before turning to face her treasure horde. "You can come out now, Mantis. We're alone."

The green skinned former Avenger dropped from her hiding place just above the room's air conditioning unit, landing nimbly on her feet. "This one wishes to thank you again for your assistance."

Carol felt the throbbing in her head increase. She liked Mantis, she really did... but the woman's odd manner of speech really got on her nerves. Truth be told, that wasn't the only reason she was on edge though... since coming onboard to head up this special ops unit for S.H.I.E.L.D. she'd found herself awash in a sea of red tape and it was starting to really wear on her. "It's no problem," she assured Mantis. Ms. Marvel put her hands on her hips and looked around the room. "So... is it in one of these?"

Mantis moved through the room, her eyes so narrowed that they were practically closed. Carol watched her with a mixture of exasperation and humor. Mantis had arrived quite literally on her doorstep two days ago, claiming that her powers had warned her of a dire threat to all reality... and she said that she believed the key to salvation might lie in one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s storage facilities. This had led Carol to request that all items that weren't currently being used by S.H.I.E.L.D. and which matched her rather vague descriptions be shipped to her Minicarrier.

"Here!" Mantis exclaimed, excitedly kneeling next to a large crate. "This one can sense the energies within."

Ms. Marvel walked over and read the stenciled writing on the exterior of the box. "Says it was found by the Bloodstone Corporation. Has a Level 5 reading on the Ectotheric Scale, which is just crazy. The scale only goes up to 4...." Carol reached down and yanked off the lid. Mantis hurriedly pushed past the straw that lined the box, revealing the crate's contents. It rested on a velvet pillow, protected by a glass case: a tiny gemstone glinted with power. "What in the world?" Carol wondered aloud.

Mantis reached an aged hand into the box, carefully removing the Mind Gem from its holding place. "It is one of the fabled Gems! Do you not know what we have here?"

"I have no idea. Care to enlighten me?"

"This is one of the Infinity.." Mantis cocked her head to the side and rose, dropping into a fighting stance. "We are not alone."

Carol looked around, seeing no one in the room besides the two of them. But she did sense something, but it wasn't really her ears that detected it. It was her soul. She whirled around just in time to see a dark wraith closing in on her. It looked like a living shadow, one filled with malevolence.

It grabbed for her, gripping her left shoulder. Immediately, she felt a cold chill go through her, as ice formed on top of her clothing. She screamed, but never gave in to the pain. She'd experience far worse in her lifetime, particularly during the horrible days when she'd nearly lost everything to the mutant called Rogue... and when she'd been transformed into the Starjammer named Binary. Carol shoved the wraith away from her body, hearing more sounds of battle behind him. At least one more had also entered the room and had engaged Mantis in battle.

"Who sent you?" Ms. Marvel demanded but the wraith did not answer, instead flowing around her. Its intent was obvious -- it desired the strange Gem that had come into their possession. Carol raised both fists and released a powerful burst of energy that shattered the shadow being, completely destroying it.

Meanwhile, Mantis was finding that her martial arts skills were not enough to dispatch the shadow wraith. She lunged for the gem, shattering the glass case that surrounded it with a perfectly placed karate chop. "Carol! This one thinks you need this!"

Carol blinked as Mantis hurled the gem towards her. She caught it in her palms and suddenly staggered as her mind seemed to swell up, twice its normal size. She was aware of... nearly everything, from Mantis' thoughts to the hungry need of the shadow wraith. And she also seemed her own unhappiness at the core of her being. Carol had tried for the past couple of years to be the Best of the Best, to be the greatest hero of them all. But most of the time she'd battled losers like Modok and the Doomsday Man. She was capable of so much more....

At that moment, psychic energy erupted from Carol's mind, striking the shadow wraith. It was powerful enough to eradicate every shred of the last remaining wraith. It burned away like small scraps of paper beneath her assault.

For a long moment, Carol stared at the gem in her palm. It had embedded itself there, seemingly. "What is this?"

"The beginning," whispered Mantis, "of a terrible ordeal."

The Blue Area of the Moon

Richard Rider, the last member of the Nova Corps, rocketed through the crumbling ruins of the moon's Blue Area, trying to ignore the slightly patronizing tones of the Worldmind computer. Since the destruction of the Xandarian race, Rich had become a somewhat unwilling host to not only the full power of the Nova Corps but also to the sum total of Xandar's computer database.

We have received two more distress calls from the Loroso Cluster, the worldmind prodded.

"I know. I heard you the first ten thousand times."

There's no need for hyperbole. I've only stated the threat level of what's occuring in the Cluster 14 times so far.

"So far? That sounds like a threat." Nova came to a smooth landing near the huge dome that was home to Uatu, the Watcher. "Is that it?" he asked, gesturing towards a glowing object buried beneath a pile of debris.

I believe so. We must approach it with extreme caution.

Nova smiled and shook his head. "I figured you'd love for me to grab the Power Gem. What a boost that would be, eh? We could mondo alien butt with that thing."

All of the Infinity Gems are dangerous objects and have been known to corrupt their users. I cannot allow myself to be compromised in that fashion.

"Glad to know you're worried about me," Rich laughed. He knew what the worldmind meant, though. It's sense of self-preservation was -- by necessity -- pretty strong. "So what do you think about Warlock's offer? Should we take him up on it?"

That is for you to decide... but our paramount concern should be the restoration of the Nova Corps. Unfortunately, the cosmic landscape is very unsettled at present, thus making it very dangerous for us to do so at present. A paramilitary force that was dedicated to helping us secure peace in the galaxy could prove beneficial.

"Well, the Avengers offered me a place, too*. But I'm not feeling the Earthbound thing right now. Not when we've got so much of space to police."

(*See the first two issues of Tony Thornley's Avengers series, coming soon)

Nova bent down and carefully picked up the Power Gem, quickly depositing in a special bag that Warlock had given him for the purpose of protecting him from the Gem. He was about to leave when a strange sensation crept over him and the hair on the back of his neck began to stand on end. He whirled about and found himself staring at a man who shouldn't have been there... a man who had gone insane with power and who had eventually been put down for his own good. "Genis-Vell?" Rich said aloud. "What are you doing here?"

When Captain Marvel spoke, it seemed as if he was talking not to Nova but to someone else entirely... and Rich had the distinct impression that what he was seeing wasn't from now at all... but rather from the past or the future. "She's pregnant... and I know what you must be feeling. But you and I both know that baby can't be allowed to be born. For the good of everyone... she can't be allowed to have that baby."

Rich narrowed his eyes. "Worldmind... is he really here?"

I believe we are witnessing a time distortion. Given our proximity to the home of the Watcher, it is conceivable it might even bleed over from another reality.

The image of Genis-Vell flickered and vanished, leaving Nova more confused than ever. "Send word back to Warlock. Tell him we have the Power Gem."

Already done, Richard. He has given us coordinates for where he wants us to meet him.

The Human Rocket lived up to this nickname, zooming skyward. Down below, in the now abandoned area in which he stood, the visage of Genis-Vell reappeared.

"Rich... you have to listen to me. Please. She can't be allowed to have that baby."

Operation Lightning Storm HQ, Onboard the Mini-Carrier

Carol Danvers stepped out of the bathroom, buttoning up her pajama top. She'd had a long talk with Mantis about the Mind Gem and in the end she hadn't learned much more than she'd already known. But S.H.I.E.L.D. had a lot of files on the things, particularly the events designated as the Infinity Gauntlet. The power in them was truly frightening... which made it all the more unlikely that the Gem could have simply lain dormant in a holding facility somewhere. Carol had a suspicion -- born of her brief contact with the Gem -- that the thing might have actually arranged for itself to be in hiding, waiting until the right time -- or the right person -- to find it.

She thought of William Wagner.. the restaurant owner had grown close to her lately and she could sense his attraction. But how did he really feel about her? Her eyes drifted over to the Mind Gem, which now lay on her nightstand. She thought about picking it up and seeing if she could find his mind, taking a little look through it.... and then she made a face, disgusted at herself. It would be wrong to violate him like that. So very wrong.

"It has quite a siren call, doesn't it? Heather once told me it was like a warm lover, constantly beckoning her back to bed with it."

Carol whirled around, her fists clenched. Standing in the shadows was not another wraith, however, but a tall, golden-skinned stranger. Ms. Marvel relaxed only slightly. He skin crackled with energy as she transformed into her costume. "Adam Warlock. I was wondering when you were going to show up. The files say you're almost always involved where the Infinity Gems are concerned."

Adam moved into the center of the room, remaining neutral in his stance. "Indeed. Much of my time since my own return has been spent in pursuit or possession of the Infinity Gems. The one you hold there is the Mind Gem, formerly utilized by Moondragon."

Carol nodded. "Heather Douglas. Former Avenger, Defender and general bitch."

"Yes. But a woman who cares deeply once you get past her tough exterior." Adam held out a hand. "I need you to give it to me. The longer you hold it, the more danger you're in."

Ms. Marvel glanced down, surprised to see the Mind Gem was in her hand. She didn't remember picking it up.... "What's going on?"

"Carol Danvers... this is none of your affair."

"I think it is.  Mantis shows up here, saying she's having vibes that the universe is in danger. Then here you are... a man who's had more evil duplicates of himself than I could count on two hands, and you want me to just hand the Mind Gem over to you.  Are you going to try and take it from me?"

"If I have to... Then, yes. But I'd rather not use force. I can assure you, however, that my motives are far greater than you'd suspect."

"Try me."

Adam Warlock's soul gem, embedded on his forehead, glowed with power. Ms. Marvel wondered if the vampiric gem was about to lash out at her when Adam whispered, "I'm doing this against my better judgment... but perhaps the time has come to lighten my burden by sharing it with others. Nova will be here momentarily. Gamora... will you please reveal yourself also?"

Gamora, silent and dangerous, emerged from the shadows. Carol cursed herself for not having noticed her before... she'd been trained as a special ops agent but that training meant nothing against Gamora apparently.  "I could have simply taken the Gem," she said to Warlock.

Carol frowned, her distaste for the two of them growing by the second. "I'd take you apart, you arrogant little bit--"

A knock at the door made Ms. Marvel sigh. "Who is it now?"

Mantis opened the door, revealing not only herself but also the man called Nova. "This one apologizes, Carol... but Nova has arrived. He says he is here to meet with Adam Warlock."

"Wonderful. Why don't we invite the Hulk over, too, and then the fun can really begin." Ms. Marvel rolled her eyes but some of her anger was beginning to be defused. She knew Richard Rider and trusted him... and Mantis, despite her somewhat annoying speech patterns, was an Avenger and thus automatically trustworthy. Their combined presence made her feel better about Warlock and Gamora.

"Richard. Mantis. It is good to see you both." Warlock favored them with a brief smile before waving a gloved hand through the air. As his fingers moved, they seemed to brush apart the very walls of reality, causing everyone in the room to shift to a new place. The mini-carried dissolved away in a haze, leaving them all floating in a field of white.

Nova found himself disoriented by the sudden transition. "Blue blazes! How...?"

Warlock answered with an air of smugness that made Gamora laugh. "I possess the Soul, Space, Reality and Time Gems. Transporting all of us to another realm is the smallest of my abilities."

"But why are we here? And where is here?"

Carol found that she shared Nova's confusion... but she also felt a sense of elation that surprised her. Despite not trusting Warlock, she felt like she was about to step into an adventure that was so profound that it threatened to make all her work with the Lightning Squad seem silly in comparison. Maybe this was what she'd been yearning for... an opportunity to make a difference on a cosmic scale.

Warlock's words interrupted Carol's reverie. "We're in Unreality... and the reason behind our collective journey is just ahead." Adam Warlock waved a hand and two figures shimmered into view, awe-inspiring in their majesty. One, looking like the living, breathing embodiment of the universe, floated in a fetal position. The other, a female, draped in yellow and black, lay comatose at his side. "Behold! There lie Eternity and Infinity, the sum of all that is."

Mantis looked like she was close to tears. In her lifetime she'd been dubbed the Celestial Madonna, the woman who would give birth to the coming Messiah. Her son was out there somewhere now, training himself in his abilities... and Mantis had come to recognize the glory of the cosmos through motherhood. As such, she felt a keen sense of concern for what she now saw. The beings before her did not look well. "What's wrong with them? They look... sick."

"They are more than sick, Mantis. They are dying. And it is our sad duty to perform the final rites for them." He caught Nova's shocked expression. "I've come to euthanize them."

ELSEWHERE

The Kalorian of Zalkor stared into the swirling mists, watching as his most hated foe, Adam Warlock, explained his situation to his companions. Count Abyss felt his dark heart grow heavy with frustration. He had sought out the Infinity Gems once before, playing a long and deadly game with Warlock that had culminated in the loss of his consort Maya*. But this time, dear Adam, the spoils of victory shall belong to me. I conquered my home universe and bargained away my soul, in order to gain my power. And now I seek more -- more which can only be gained by defeating you in our latest round of sparring.

(*Said game began in Warlock and the Infinity Watch # 14.)

Count Abyss straightened his back, his many shadow wraiths swirling about him. The time had come for the Endgame.

"How can they be sick?" Richard Rider's mind was reeling. It was hard enough to conceive of Eternity and Infinity, two abstract concepts, as being living beings but to accept that they could fall prey to illness....

Warlock, looking inscrutable as ever, stared at the figures before them. "Something has happened to them in recent days -- a great sundering, which split us from the prime universe. We have become a variant, a universe full of what if's, all branching off from the true timeline."

"You're saying our universe isn't real?"

"It is real enough -- for us, most assuredly. What I mean is that in all the multiverse, there is but one true timeline. It sometimes undergoes permutations and alterations, but it is always the prime universe. But sometimes, there are splinterings and new universes branch off from the original. The possibilities are endless."

Nova flew around the inert figures of Infinity and Eternity. Ms. Marvel joined him, both heroes looking amazed by the scene in which they now found themselves. "And this... sundering... somehow hurt them?"

"Yes. Flaws in the logical substructure of this universe has led me to one inescapable conclusion : in order to save our reality, I must slay the last remnants of the old."

"But what caused it to split off?" Gamora asked. She was far more at ease with all of this than the others, given her long association with Adam... but she, too, desired answers.

"I believe that an entity forcibly entered our universe, bearing a man-made version of my own Soul Gem." Warlock continued to stare at the inert figures before them. "I have been unable to locate this entity... he is cloaked to me. But there are others who will seek to take advantage of Eternity and Infinity in their current state. We cannot delay."

Mantis moved to stand next to Warlock. "And you are sure this is the only way? What if you are wrong?"

"Then I'll have doomed this universe." Warlock looked at both Nova and Ms. Marvel as they returned. "I need the remaining Gems."

Ms. Marvel hesitated but she saw Mantis nodding at her, silently begging her to comply with the request. Carol handed over the Mind Gem, though not without regrets.

Nova did the same with the Gem he held and as Warlock took it from him, a glove appeared over the former Messiah's right hand. The glove was lined with the Soul, Power, Space, Time and Reality Gems. "The Infinity Gauntlet," Nova whispered. He had taken part in the battle against Thanos, when the Mad Titan had held ultimate power... and he still had nightmares about it.

"And now let's end this," Warlock said. The Infinity Gauntlet began to glow as it was activated. All eyes turned towards Eternity and Infinity, watching as the two cosmic entities floated in the void.

"Stop! I command you to turn over that power to me!"

Mantis saw a dark figure striding forth, inky-black wraiths swirling all around him. "Is this another ally of yours?" she asked, glancing at Gamora. The female assassin grunted and shook her head.

"Count Abyss. A dictator who uses a mix of science and magic to gain power."

Count Abyss stopped, crossing his arms over his powerful chest. "Please, Gamora. You wound me. I am a priest, a Kalorian. I want the Infinity Gems only so I can bring order to the chaos of the universe." He turned his attention to Mantis. "Adam Warlock was stripped of omnipotence by the great forces of the galaxy because he was unworthy. Two aspects of his personality -- the Magus and the Goddess -- nearly destroyed the universe. And you would trust him to responsibly handle this act?"

"This one does trust Warlock." Mantis glanced at Adam and nodded. "If this one deals with Lord Abyss, can you hurry through what you need to do?"

"No. Slaying Infinity and Eternity is only the beginning of my task. A great vacuum will appear, one that will be filled only by the birth of a new Eternity and Infinity. I'll have to be a cosmic midwife during the procedure."

"Then we'd better give the man some time," Nova began.

The Human Rocket zoomed forward and slammed into Lord Abyss. The shadow wraiths surged forward, where they were met by Mantis, Ms. Marvel and Gamora. All three found that here, in unreality, their attacks seemed to deal more damage than on the mortal plane. Gamora stabbed at one of the creatures with her sword, slicing it in two, while Mantis jumped into the air, striking out with the heel of her foot. She drove her heel straight through the chest of a shadow being. Ms. Marvel, meanwhile, fired one photo blast after another at the remaining wraiths.

Adam Warlock felt a glorious sensation flood through him... the majesty of the stars and of creation and of death and of all the universe. Adam Warlock was GOD.

Abyss growled, striking Nova with the back of his hand. The blow nearly took the Centurion's head off but Rich bounced back quickly, unleashing a concentrated burst of energy at Abyss.

"You should surrender now, Xandarian soldier," Abyss warned.  "Whoever stands at the center of this procedure will have a large say in the look and feel of the new godlings -- they will be able to shape Eternity and Infinity. Do you want a suicidal fool like Warlock at the controls?"

Nova slammed a fist into the villain's face. "Adam's proven himself time and again, Abyss. Besides, he willingly gave up omnipotence once -- I'm willing to bet he'll do it again."

Ms. Marvel saw that Nova was in the fight of his life and moved to join him. She channeled an energy blast in the villain's back, causing him to drop his guard against Nova. The last centurion delivered as strong a blow as he could muster, driving Abyss to his knees.

Abyss roared in anger and lashed out with an energy wave that caught both Ms. Marvel and Nova in its wake. They screamed as dark eldritch energy cascaded through them. Mantis saw the danger they were in and abandoned her own battles with the shadow wraiths. She sprang forward, landing atop the Count's back. Several well-placed chops followed and Abyss began a futile attempt to dislodge her, allowing both Carol and Rich to recover.

Gamora then appeared at the villain's side, sword in hand. She wore a chilling smile on her emerald lips. "For all your bluster, you've never been more than a poor man's Thanos, Abyss." Gamora drove her sword through the man's chest, piercing his alien heart. Gamora's weapon was no normal blade, for it had been dipped in some of the most deadly poison in the known cosmos. Abyss reacted immediately, staggering under the sudden pain. He blinked at Gamora in shock.

"You... you have killed me."

"I doubt it. People like you always seem to return. But if you do... then I'll get to kill you again, won't I?"

As Count Abyss collapsed, Adam Warlock used the Infinity Gauntlet to its fullest. Power gushedfrom him, each of the gems doing their part in the deadly scheme. He eradicated Eternity, from the beginning of time to the end of time, while wiping out the creature known as Infinity. This universe, forged so recently in the grand scheme of things, jerked and whined. A heart-wrenching sound filled the void as both great beings fell into each other, whisking away into nothingness.

Nova watched in amazement. "That sound...."

Ms. marvel heard it, as well. It was the sound of complete, utter nothing. It was a painful non-sound, one that reached into one's heart and twisted it. "My God...."

Adam Warlock turned to face them, stars floating past in his eyes. In this moment, he was the sum of all creation. He tilted his head back, his mouth stretching open wider and wider. A stream of stars spewed forth, solidifying into the forms of Eternity and Infinity.

With his last words, Abyss beseeched those around him for help. "Do not trust him with this power! Wrest the glove from him now, while he is entranced! Only I should have such power--"

"ENOUGH."

The booming voice froze Abyss in place.

Eternity rose above them all, the scope of everything shining within his eyes.

"Warlock -- you have done well. Though my predecessor doubted you on many occasions, you have proven yourself to Eternity."

Adam Warlock sagged forward, looking drained and weary. "You... remember all?"

"Of course. I am Eternity."

"Of course." Adam smiled softly.

Infinity gazed upon them all. "Such an intriguing grouping of champions. Great things await all of you."

Eternity held a hand in front of his female companion. "Enough. To reveal more is to spoil the surprise. As for you, Warlock -- the Gems must once more be scattered."

Adam nodded. "With your agreement, I would like the Gems scattered throughout the multiverse. Your old admonition that they not be used in conjunction still makes them too tantalizing for thieves."

"It is agreed. The Infinity Gems shall be dispersed, save for the Soul Gem."

The Infinity Gauntlet vanished in the wink of an eye and the Soul Gem returned to its normal position on Adam's forehead. Warlock then turned to face his companions. "Before this affair began, I made an offer to Richard Rider. It's one I would like to repeat to the rest of you. The universe is in a precarious state... and somewhere out there is a being with a false Soul Gem of his own. I would like to find him... but I would also like to offer my services to the galactic community at large. On Earth, there are the Avengers... I believe there should be a similar organization for the rest of the universe."

Nova nodded without hesitation. "I'm in... as long as I get a promise that I'll receive help in rebuilding the Corps."

Warlock accepted this and turned his gaze to Mantis, who knelt before him.

"This one would be honored."

"You know I'm in," Gamora added, eliciting a smile from Warlock.

"And you, Carol Danvers?"

Ms. Marvel pursed her lips and then laughed. "Fine. I'm in. But where are we going to be based?"

Warlock's eyes sparkled. "I have a place in mind."

EPILOGUE

It hung in the void, gleaming and bright. Forged of alien metals, the structure christened Infinity Station beckoned to one and all.

In the center of the city-sized space station, Adam Warlock stood. The Infinity Gauntlet was gone, but he had created this as his last act of omnipotence. Here he would forge his new home, a home that would be welcome to all those who had been rendered homeless through acts of cosmic destruction.

"Home," he murmured, surprised at how foreign the word sounded to him. He had never truly been 'home,' unless you counted his time in Soul World.

But there were bright days ahead for this station... Warlock could sense them. And, in time, this will be home. For myself and for all my friends.

TO BE CONTINUED

INFINITE MUSINGS

Welcome to the first installment in the Infinity series. Over the next few issues, we will see our various members adapting to their new home and getting to know one another. While this series bears some superficial resemblance to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, I can assure you that we're headed in very different directions. A few teasers for you, giving you an idea of what's coming over the next few issues:

Hope to have all of you around for the long haul.

Barry