Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Tyrant has the Reality Gem that was entrusted to Thanos by Adam Warlock, and has been learning how to create new realities with it. His end goal is to rewrite current reality with himself as its god. The Titan and Silver Surfer have come to his asteroid base to retrieve it.
Now the villain grabs the Gem and uses it to send ripples through local reality which turn his opponents into surreal versions of themselves in equally Picasso-esque worlds. But Surfer by force of will returns himself to reality to face Tyrant again. And he's almost immediately joined by Thanos who strikes the foe, causing him to drop the Gem. But only for an instant as Tyrant regains it and sends them all back to irreality, this time more Dali-esque.
As Tyrant proclaims his godhood, Thanos says effectively "Been there. Done that. It wasn't what it's cracked up to be." (the Infinity Gauntlet event of course, but also the Cosmic Cube saga). The foe boasts how Galactus created him near the beginning of the universe, but then feared his power and banished him. Now *he* will be Galactus' master. All the while of course the 3 combatants exchange mighty blasts of power. Finally as SS swoops in 1 more time on his cosmic surfboard Tyrant blasts him off it. But then the 'god' drops the Reality Gem again as the hurtling board punches through the biomechanical being's chest, apparently killing him.
Both the 'heroes' see the fallen Gem between them, but Surfer reaches it 1st. As he picks it up he subconsciously creates a longed for reality where he is still Norrin Radd but now married to Shalla-Bal and with 2 children. But after a while to tearfully savour it he brings himself back to reality.
Tyrant's body is still standing with the board through his chest. SS summons the board to him and the would-be god's body falls over. Thanos asks for his Gem back but 1st Surfer turns to a nearby skeleton and uses the Gem 1 last time to revive Jack Of Hearts. Jack had been somehow subverted to become a pawn of Tyrant in this series. Now he's recreated free, and with no memory of the events.
Surfer expresses regret on accidentally killing Tyrant because all life is sacred. Thanos opines that you should make sure your enemies can't return to plague you again. He plunges his hand into the hole in Tyrant's chest (presumably crushing something vital inside) and then rips his head off and throws it away into space. Then Surfer finally hands the Reality Gem back to him.
In epilogues we see:- The light of life returning to Tyrant's head. Silver Surfer reuniting with Legacy (from #1) at Captain Marvel's grave on an asteroid in the Solar System, who says he'll take Surfer's advice and go to Earth to learn more about his father. And Thanos contemplates the Reality Gem on his farm on an otherwise uninhabited planet.