Marvel Universe: The End (2003 series) #1

The issue opens with (a) Thanos in abstract surroundings (large letters spelling The End) telling us that he destroyed the universe because he gained ultimate mastery of it and then discovered that his win was hollow. He adds that his whole life destined him to do this. The visits by Mistress Death to the young him prepared him for a life of killing to gain power. His philosophy was nihilism. Twice he gained great power (via the Cosmic Cube and then the Infinity Gems) but both times he lost it. (In between) he died and became Death's servant, but was restored to life. But the story he tells now began long before that ...

... in Ancient Egypt in the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten. The voice of a female takes over narration:- Inbred Akhenaten believed himself spokesman for the god Aten. He banned the worship of Amun and move his capital from Thebes to a new slave-built city Akhetaten. His autocratic reign lasted 17 years. His death is unknown and his tomb is empty, possibly emptied by Pharoah Horemheb as part of expunging Akhenaten from history. The narrator doesn't know what really happened to him but we see him but we see him being taken away alive by a 'flying saucer'.

We now discover that the narrator was Jean Grey who doesn't know why she felt compelled to say it to Beast in the Westchester Mansion kitchen. Prof X turns up with Cyclops and says that he's been thinking about the same subject for the last hour. They need to figure out what's going on.

Thanos then reminds us what we learned in the Infinity Abyss mini-series that the realities in the multiverse exist within a cosmic vortex where they have to resist falling into an abyss. This reality is anchored by a being who is currently a very young child named Atleza from Earth. We see her in her pavilion outside of reality where she's still being 'babysat' by Adam Warlock and Gamora. Adam thinks she's almost mastered her role so they may soon be able to leave her. Atleza herself announces that "everything is about to change".

Thor, Lord of Asgard, is conferring with his advisor Thialfi when a jet-black face with glowing eyes and mouth addresses him from the sky. It declares that he has returned to reclaim Midgard and Thor had better keep away or else. After it leaves Thor says he felt power possibly even greater than Odin's.

Silver Surfer finds the Shi'Ar spacefleet obliterated and Gladiator fatally wounded. The Imperial Guardsman tells him how they were sent to investigate a massive approaching energy signature which didn't even slow down as it killed them. Then he dies.

Thanos tells us that he'd been aware of the mysterious power and had been seeking it for a year. He didn't want the power for conquest but for protection against the many enemies he'd accumulated. But yesterday he detected it heading for Earth.

On Earth Mr Fantastic has also detected it, as has Vision of the Avengers. They decide to pool resources.

Meanwhile in the X-Mansion the various X-teams have gathered together. Charles Xavier and Jean Grey, as the 2 most powerful telepaths, are going to link their minds with Cerebra to contact the incoming threat. Beast isn't with them to control Cerebra because if it goes drastically wrong he wants Henry McCoy to survive to co-ordinate defence. They succeed and the being tells them he's Akhenaten representing a group called the Celestial Order. He tells them he's here to bring order and banish chaos. Those who accept his truth will be rewarded while those who oppose him will be dealt with. He senses that Charles and Jean will never submit so he sends a mighty blast which destroys the X-Mansion and all within.

Thanos tells us that Dr Doom realised that Earth was menaced by a superior alien power while others on Earth thought it was just mutant infighting. Meanwhile archaeologists at Tell-El-Amarna, the site of Akhetaten city, are amazed to see a pyramid descending from the sky. Then the rulers of Earth's nations (including Black Panther, Dr Doom, Kro of the Deviants, Mole-Man and Sub-Mariner) are teleported to the rebuilt Akhetaten. The scene appears on all TV channels as Akhenaten tells them that he's taking over the world. To demonstrate the benefits he brings he cures all in the world suffering from cancer or AIDS. Then he teleports his guests all back to their countries to await his orders. But before he left Doom left behind a tiny flying spy camera which is following the foe into his palace undetected.

Back in New York the Fantastic Four have gone to Avengers Mansion to join all the Avengers present and reserve (but not Thor). They are in contact with Nick Fury who says missile strikes on the Pharaoh's city haven't succeeded. But Akhenaten pops in to 'greet' them and gives them all a choice - become his bodyguards or die. He gives them an hour to decide but reckless Thing gives his answer straight away with a punch. Which has no effect except all the heroes disappear. Doom's watching everything.

Surfer is heading to Earth when a teleportation gate pops up and takes him to Thanos who already has other guests:- Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell) and Norrin Radd's fellow original Defenders Dr Strange, Hulk and Sub-Mariner. Daredevil meets Spider-Man and they view rows of cross-shaped transparent containers floating above a New York street, each holding an Avenger or FF member dead. Thor goes to Zeus for an alliance where he learns that Hercules and all the other Avengers are dead. They fear that they won't be enough to defeat the enemy.

Elsewhere Lord Chaos & Master Order meet Eternity & Infinity (separate again after the IA event). They all know something's going on but they don't know what it is.

And future-Thanos tells us we ain't seen nothing yet.