Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Thanos has come to Earth looking for someone in Fresno, the centre of which he has transported into space. The Illuminati (Blue Marvel, Dr Strange, Emma Frost, Iron Man and Mr Fantastic) are there protecting someone named Roberta Marshall, who looks like someone else named Marie who is probably dead.
Now the Mad Titan is rampaging through Fresno in his mobile chair/throne demanding that his target show herself. The Illuminati explain to each other and us that the flying city is protected by a force dome to keep the atmosphere in, and that they aren't taking up White Queen's offer to facilitate a telepathic board meeting. Also Iron Man asks Emma why she's not in her non-mutant disguise (as Tony Stark's 'wife' Hazel Kendal) but she says they need her free to use her powers. (See the Fall Of X event, especially the parts in the IM series.) Roberta asks why they're helping *her* when they could split up to help lots more people. Emma says it's because she asked them to, which she doesn't remember doing.
Reed Richards organises a plan to get Fresno back to Earth. He sends Blue Marvel to disable the weapons of Thanos' ship Sanctuary. He details IM and Strange to separate Thanos from his space throne (which can transport him to any place or time). I don't remember it being part magical but DrS thinks it is. Tony and Emma think they should call on an unspecified *him*, but Reed thinks he might be more dangerous to Fresno than Thanos. The other 2 persuade him, but neither IM nor MrF think he'd answer a call form *them*. They in turn persuade DrS to call him telepathically and use a mind-dump to give him the big picture all in 1 go. Strange makes the call and he and IM go off to attack the foe. MrF tells Emma to stay and guard Roberta while he goes to find a way to get all the innocent bystanders out of town.
We see a big green bare foot land with a thump in Colorado. Everyone should now be guessing that *him* is the Hulk. Except those who looked at the cover who will *know* it's him.
Adam Brashear approaches Sanctuary which is holding Fresno in space with a tractor beam. It also blasts him with a starburster cannon which knocks him back but also supercharges him with energy. Which he fires back and destroys the ship's weapons. Then he heads inside to find the tractor beam controls. As the scientific genius studies the system he's interrupted by some of Thanos' alien minions. But he disposes of them easily and starts to lower the city back into position.
The green foot lands in Utah as Stark and Strange approach Thanos in his chair. Iron Man blasts him out of the chair which falls onto someone's classic car while Dr Strange studies the object trying to fathom its ancient alien magicks. The city lands with a whumph as Thanos blasts IM into the distance, and the green foot lands in Nevada and DrS claims that the throne is immobilised. He then tries to turn his magic on the Titan but the villain grabs him and slams him into the ground.
And then Hulk arrives. Thanos tries to dismiss Bruce Banner but the green 1 says Banner's not here as he wades through the Titan's blasts and punches him across town into a used car dealership. Meanwhile Stephen Strange recovers and calls on the Vishanti to block Thanos' access to his energised strength in Fresno and even further afield. But the Titan digs his way out of a pile of cars and is suddenly menacing the mage again. Except Hulk is also there. Thanos deduces that the Illuminati are all here hiding the female he seeks, and he demands that Banner tell him where she is.
We presume he's seeking Roberta who is still with Emma as they watch Reed Richards modifying a satellite dish on top of a tower while communicating with Adam Brashear up in Sanctuary at the transporter array controls. Roberta still has no idea what's going on. Emma explains that they intend to redirect the ship's transporter via the comms tower to teleport everyone out of Fresno. Meanwhile DrS blinds Thanos with his cloak of levitation so that Hulk can punch him away again. The 2 scientists do their magic and all civilians are transported to Sacramento. We haven't seen Iron Man for a while but now he returns to help Hulk against Thanos. The Titan now notices people being transported and assumes the Illuminati are trying to take his target away. So he gets rid of his annoying attackers and steals a truck from the car lot and drives off, his bulky body sticking up through the cab roof.
The old woman from last issue now re-enters the picture driving around looking for Marie. She spots Roberta and Emma and gets out of her car calling Roberta Marie. Roberta told her to escape last time and now continues to insist she *isn't* Marie. But then Thanos drives up and insists Roberta is the 1 he's been searching for. White Queen takes over his mind and mentally tells Stephen she could kill him, but DrS warns her not to try. And the Titan takes advantage of the hesitation to bat her away. He then grabs Roberta, ignoring the old woman's pummelling fists, and drags her into his truck. As they drive off he tells her that she is his love Death.