Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Morg is a shackled prisoner of Tyrant who refuses to submit to him because he is loyal to Galactus who gave him the Power Cosmic. Tyrant scoffs that Big G is nothing compared to *him*. He sends physical probes into Morg's brain which uncover his origin.
Morg was a pre-eminent barbarian warrior on his own world who threw in his lot with a rebel army because he thought they would succeed in overthrowing the rulers. But the Imperial troops smashed them, and Morg was 1 of the few survivors brought in chains to the Queen. She promised to free them if they pledged loyalty. The rebel General refused and most of then others followed his example. But mercenary Morg accepted because he was a pragmatist not an idealist. She made him her executioner and he gave the rebels the martyrdom they desired. Then Galactus came to consume his world. Morg opposed him but G killed his world anyway and made Morg his new Herald. Morg truly swore loyalty to the being that gave him such power. Silver Surfer was dismayed at Morg's brutality and assembled other ex-Heralds to oppose him, and he was eventually killed by Terrax (SS#69-75). Galactus resurrected him but he was captured by Tyrant along with SS and others until Galactus intervened and freed all but Morg (SS#77-82).
Tyrant takes from all this that Morg respects and gives loyalty to power, so he can't understand why Morg won't transfer his loyalty from Big G to him. Morg says it's because Galactus is more powerful. Tyrant flies into a rage and tries to throttle his victim into admitting that *he* is mightier than G.
Thanos is also trying to use threats to get what he wants. In #3 he and Terrax kidnapped Ganymede from the company of Jack Of Hearts for the knowledge she possesses. But the last of the ancient Sisterhood refuses to tell him anything. Until he mentions that he wants the information in order to oppose Tyrant. Since that's the only goal of the Sisterhood she says she'll tell him whatever he wants to know, and if he undoes her bonds she'll help him. He tells Terrax to release her. Terrax bridles at being bossed around, so Thanos 'asks' his 'partner' to release her and he complies.
She tells them she doesn't know his origin because he's way older than the Sisterhood (and she's been in suspended animation for a long time). It took them centuries to drive him out of known space by brute force and persistence, so she doesn't know how to kill him. But she *can* sneak them into his fortress. So Thanos' spacecraft Demeter heads there.
Meanwhile Jack has recruited Legacy, son of the original Captain Marvel, to help him find and rescue Ganymede who he's falling in love with. They fly through space tracking Thanos' energy signature.
Tyrant tells Morg that he could just siphon off the rest of his Power Cosmic to add to his power batteries but he'd rather have the Herald Of Galactus as his servant/weapon. Morg still refuses to submit. But a drone interrupts his master to draw his attention to the fact that the fortress has been invaded by enemies led by 1 of the Sisterhood. He recognises the Spinster and Terrax but has never seen Thanos before. He watches them laying waste to his armoured drones until the Titan destroys the surveillance camera. So Tyrant gives his prisoner back his full Power Cosmic and tells him he *will* serve as a weapon.
Next we see Morg attacking the 3 invaders. There are things dug into his skull which seem to make him a mindless automaton. But he has his strength, his axe and the Power Cosmic. A blast takes Terrax out of the picture. Ganymede's acrobatics and blows from her staff don't stop him from knocking her down. He even initially bests Thanos. Then the Titan picks up Terrax' dropped axe, leading to an axe duel. Ganymede recovers and leaps on Morg's back to pull her energy-emitting staff against his throat. He breaks free but Thanos blasts him. Terrax asks for his axe back and then restarts the duel with Morg that was interrupted by Tyrant's troops in SS#80. Thanos prevents Ganymede from interfering, and a blow from Terrax' axe shatters the machines that control Morg's brain.
Morg is now free to do what he wants. He declines to fight Terrax now, preferring to exit and return to his true master Galactus. And off he goes, saying he'll be back to kill Terrax later. Simultaneously JOH and Legacy blast in through a wall of the fortress. Jack immediately assaults Thanos who knocks him back with an armoured and energised fist. Ganymede tells him that she's working *with* the Titan against her sworn foe Tyrant. Jack reminds her that Thanos left him for dead when he kidnapped her, but the woman says that nothing matters more to her than the destruction of Tyrant. JOH refuses to ally himself with the Mad Titan. Legacy keeps quiet until he can figure out what's going on. Thanos tells them they must *all* combine to survive against Tyrant. And the big bad pops up to assure them that they *won't* survive anyway.