Synopsis
Thanos and his ally Mangog have collected all the artefacts necessary to find the Designate and collect her tears. Drinking them will enable Thanos to destroy all life in the universe. Against him is Thor and a Rigellian Recorder (plus Balder on a secret mission from Odin).
But this issue begins with a new player entering the fray. The Seers Of The Universe have sent Firelord (ex-Herald of Galactus) to help Thor. He arrives on M'Hass (where Thanos gained the Illumination Stone last issue) to find the Rigellian Recorder watching Thor use his hammer Mjolnir to batter a huge stone guardian of the Millennium Monarch. The guardian emits eyeblasts which Mjolnir absorbs, and then 1 mighty blow shatters it. The Monarch then appears with a cowled companion. Thor asks how they might prevent Thanos' plan but she tells him she doesn't know if that's possible. And then she describes how the artefacts were created.
In the early times of the universe before most life began there was the wizard X'Hoss who could see the future. He foresaw the coming of the Designate, Tarene, who would gather all life together. He created the Chalice Of Ruins, the Map Of All-Ending and the Illumination Stone to enable her to be found when the time came. But dark beings came from the Mists Of Evil to kill him and take the artefacts. His last act was to send the artefacts into the time-stream, but not before his enemies had tainted them. So now they will change her power from good to evil.
Thor asks the Monarch if she knows where Thanos has gone, and the Recorder volunteers the information that he attached a tracker to Mangog. The Millennium Monarch and incense-waving acolyte vanish away, and the now-trio set off in pursuit of their foes.
Odin is still talking to the seer Orikal who can sense that Thor & co are still a long way behind Thanos who is closing in on the Designate. Odin hopes Balder is succeeding in the task in Svartalfheim he set him last issue.
Balder has found the monstrous Dark Elf Jagrfelm but has been captured by him for the purpose of killing and eating him. As the Elf sharpens his beheading axe Balder tries to persuade him that Odin needs his help to avert a doom that will engulf all, including the Dark Elves. Jagrfelm scoffs but his captive says that grateful Odin would grant any wish he desires. And the captor looks significantly at a large box-shape in a sack.
There is a world hidden from view and peopled by a race of white-haired, white-armoured humanoids. Suddenly for the 1st time their peace is shattered by an invasion. It's Thanos and Mangog plus war machines. Thanos demands to be given the Designate. The people claim that even they don't know which of them she is. But the Mad Titan pulls out the Illumination Stone and sends it to search the world until it finds her. Which it seems to do immediately.
Firelord, Recorder and Thor arrive where the tracker says Mangog is, but see nothing. However Firelord's cosmic senses detect a world hidden by science and magic, and he uses the Galactus-given Power Cosmic to reveal it. The trio land to find a destroyed world with everyone dead. And Recorder finds his tracker, so they don't know where to go next.
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Orikal, Recorder from Rigel.