Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Axe-wielding Terrax is in a gladiatorial arena on an alien planet facing 3 different aliens. He kills 2 of them in short order, 1 with a blow from his axe and the other with a blast from the same weapon, while the fat guy running the show complains about the uninspiring performance. But the big green 3rd opponent gets rid of the axe and beats unarmed Terrax up. However Tyros unleashes his superpower to control soil and chokes the green guy to death with dust from the arena floor. The fat controller is much happier with this display.
Terrax then claims his prize as the winner. The boss indicates a scantily-clad young woman in chains at the side of the arena. Tyros says he wants money not a woman. He kills the boss' bodyguard with a blast from his retrieved axe and then chops the boss in half. The woman names herself Vana and begs him to take her away from all this and back home to her family. Terrax says that's none of his business and he raises his axe as if to strike her. But instead he chops through her chains.
Later they're in a bar and a cloaked figure is watching them. Vana thinks she's touched Tyros' gentler side but he dismisses that idea. She tells him her story:- A girl from a rich provincial family runs away to the big city lights and falls victim to a bad crowd. But her family will pay him well if he returns her to them. Another patron of the bar tries to get Vana to sit with him and his friend but Terrax tells him to get lost. He tells her *his* story:- Tyros ruled his planet with an iron fist until Galactus took him to be his Herald and gave him the Power Cosmic as Terrax (the Fantastic Four were involved in their #211). He eventually escaped from his master and went his own way. We see him fighting not only the FF but also Nova (of the New Warriors), Silver Surfer and then Galactus' most recent Herald Morg. Now he seeks wealth to hire a mercenary army to conquer his old planet again. Then the intrusive alien returns with his much bigger friend to take the girl from Tyros. But Terrax punches him through a wall and then he and Vana leave.
Next we see them them riding a 6-legged beast through a desolate land towards Vana's home where she expects to be greeted by her parents and her 3 brothers. They reach the family compound and enter, but it's a ruin. Tyros feels there's something wrong and tells her to get back on their mount while he investigates. But instead she tells her 3 brothers to come out of hiding and attack him, making him drop the axe. 2 of them hold him while the 3rd aims a big gun at him. However he kicks the gun-holder in the face, punches another's jaw and slams a knee into the 3rd. But Vana has grabbed the big gun and explains that this was their usual tactic to rob men. Her life of crime hit a bump when she was thrown in the arena but Tyros got her out of that. Now they just want to steal his axe to sell. She fires the gun which staggers Terrax. But he survives and comes after her. As she runs for their 'horse' she bumps into the hooded figure from the bar. She begs him to save her from Terrax but he just lets Tyros have her and use his axe to turn her to dust.
The other guy then reveals himself to be Thanos who's come to make him an offer of alliance. The Titan reminds him (and us) of how Terrax was recently (Silver Surfer #81-82) the prisoner of Tyrant. He intends to challenge Tyrant and he's come here seeking information about the foe. He promises that when he's won the fight Terrax can have Tyrant's empire to rule. Tyros tells him that Tyrant seeks power which he siphons from his captives. He currently has Morg's Power Cosmic as his battery. He also keeps stolen energy in a containment device. However Terrax tells Thanos that someone knows even more about Tyrant - Ganymede, the last of the Spinsterhood.