The Thanos Imperative
Encyclopedia
The Thanos Imperative is a 6-issue comic book
limited series
published in 2010 by Marvel Comics
. It was written by Dan Abnett
and Andy Lanning
, and was bookended by two one-shot comics, Ignition and Devastation. The story focuses on the cosmic, or space-based, heroes of the Marvel Universe
, who band together to combat the imminent threat of the Fault—a rift in space-time formed at the end of "War of Kings"—and the Cancerverse that lies beyond it—a universe where death itself is extinct.
" and more specifically the storyline "War of Kings
", which climaxed with the opening of a hole between alternate universes
, and "Realm of Kings
", which involved different characters in conflict with the Many-angled ones and counterparts of the Earth-616
superheroes. The aftermath of this storyline was dealt with in Guardians of the Galaxy #25 and Nova
#36, after which both titles were cancelled.
and Nova
pursues the false Quasar, the Magus
and the Universal Church of Truth
tear open the Fault was opened at the end of the War of Kings
and previously sealed by Adam Warlock
. Monstrous creatures emerge from the Fault and confronted by the Kree
and Shi'ar
armadas and numerous cosmic beings. Among these creatures is their leader, Lord Mar Vell, who is an alternate version of Captain Marvel. Mar Vell kills the Magus for failing to locate Thanos.
Mar Vell is the avatar of Life, and Thanos is the avatar of Death. Because of this, the battle will only be over when one of them kills the other. While Star-Lord
leads the Guardians and Thanos into the Fault hoping to locate Lord Mar Vell, Lord Mar Vell scoures the Marvel Universe for Thanos. Nova leads Quasar, Beta Ray Bill
, Gladiator, the Silver Surfer
and Ronan the Accuser
in an attack on Mar Vell, but loses badly. When the Guardians and Thanos are attacked inside the Fault, Mar Vell feels their presence and returns to his universe.
When Mar Vell confronts Thanos and the Guardians, everyone is surprised when Thanos immediately surrenders. As he willingly prepares to be sacrificed by Mar Vell, he muses about how the Captain Marvel he knew never considered the consequences of his actions, either. Mar Vell realizes he has been tricked just as Death, summoned by his actions, arrives to claim him. This causes a chain reaction that kills Mar Vell's followers and triggers the collapse of the alternate universe and the Fault. Thanos, expecting Death to embrace him for his actions, becomes enraged when she once again spurns him. Teleporting the rest of their comrades to safety, Star Lord and Nova remain behind to contain Thanos by keeping him within the Cancerverse until its imminent destruction.
A memorial service is held for those lost in the conflicts. Quasar informs Rocket Raccoon
that without Nova, Worldmind has shut down and the Nova Force disappeared. Still reeling from the struggle, the Kree Empire on Hala is assailed by the forces of Blastaar
in a bid for easy conquest. During the battle, Ronan is aided by the other surviving members of Nova's strike force. Under Cosmo's guidance, they set up base in Knowhere
.
The newly-christened "Annihilators
" are proposing they be a loose-knit force to be implemented only as the "last resort." Abruptly, Ikon of the Spaceknights
materializes in their midst, proclaiming urgency in her errand and asking where to find "this team [she is] supposed to lead".
:
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published in 2010 by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. It was written by Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
and Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning is a British comic book writer and inker, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and for his collaboration with Dan Abnett.-Career:Lanning works primarily at Marvel Comics and DC Comics as an inker...
, and was bookended by two one-shot comics, Ignition and Devastation. The story focuses on the cosmic, or space-based, heroes of the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, who band together to combat the imminent threat of the Fault—a rift in space-time formed at the end of "War of Kings"—and the Cancerverse that lies beyond it—a universe where death itself is extinct.
Publication history
The story is the culmination of events starting with the "AnnihilationAnnihilation (comics)
"Annihilation" was a 2006 crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics, highlighting several outer space-related characters in the Marvel Universe. The central miniseries was written by Keith Giffen, with editor Andy Schmidt.-Publication History:...
" and more specifically the storyline "War of Kings
War of Kings
"War of Kings" is a comic book crossover storyline written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, published by Marvel Comics, and set in Marvel's main shared universe. The six issue limited series was published between March and August, 2009....
", which climaxed with the opening of a hole between alternate universes
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
, and "Realm of Kings
Realm of Kings
"Realm of Kings" is a crossover comic book storyline published in 2010 by Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, it is a follow-up to the 2009 storyline "War of Kings".-Publication history:...
", which involved different characters in conflict with the Many-angled ones and counterparts of the Earth-616
Earth-616
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
superheroes. The aftermath of this storyline was dealt with in Guardians of the Galaxy #25 and Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
#36, after which both titles were cancelled.
Plot synopsis
As the Guardians of the Galaxy watch over the newly resurrected and imprisoned ThanosThanos
Thanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books and other media published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin....
and Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
pursues the false Quasar, the Magus
Magus (comics)
The Magus is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. He is an evil version of the hero Adam Warlock.-Publication history:The Magus was created by Jim Starlin, and appears as an image in Strange Tales vol...
and the Universal Church of Truth
Universal Church of Truth
The Universal Church of Truth is a star-spanning religious empire in Marvel Comics' fictional shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe. Composed of diverse alien species, it first appeared in Strange Tales vol 1 #178 , written by Jim Starlin.In the original stories, its seat of government was...
tear open the Fault was opened at the end of the War of Kings
War of Kings
"War of Kings" is a comic book crossover storyline written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, published by Marvel Comics, and set in Marvel's main shared universe. The six issue limited series was published between March and August, 2009....
and previously sealed by Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #66 and #67 Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel...
. Monstrous creatures emerge from the Fault and confronted by the Kree
Kree
The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
and Shi'ar
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar are a fictional species of aliens in the Marvel Comics universe. The Shi'ar Empire also called the Aerie, is a vast collection of alien species, cultures and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empires, and alongside them, is one of the three main alien empires...
armadas and numerous cosmic beings. Among these creatures is their leader, Lord Mar Vell, who is an alternate version of Captain Marvel. Mar Vell kills the Magus for failing to locate Thanos.
Mar Vell is the avatar of Life, and Thanos is the avatar of Death. Because of this, the battle will only be over when one of them kills the other. While Star-Lord
Star-Lord
Star-Lord is the name of three fictional characters that appear in publications from by Marvel Comics.The first Star-Lord was Peter Quill, who first appeared in Marvel Preview #4 , and was created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan...
leads the Guardians and Thanos into the Fault hoping to locate Lord Mar Vell, Lord Mar Vell scoures the Marvel Universe for Thanos. Nova leads Quasar, Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Thor #337 and was created by writer-artist Walt Simonson....
, Gladiator, the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
and Ronan the Accuser
Ronan the Accuser
Ronan the Accuser is a fictional character that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. A member of the alien race the Kree, he exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe. Ronan first appeared in Fantastic Four #65 , and was created by Stan...
in an attack on Mar Vell, but loses badly. When the Guardians and Thanos are attacked inside the Fault, Mar Vell feels their presence and returns to his universe.
When Mar Vell confronts Thanos and the Guardians, everyone is surprised when Thanos immediately surrenders. As he willingly prepares to be sacrificed by Mar Vell, he muses about how the Captain Marvel he knew never considered the consequences of his actions, either. Mar Vell realizes he has been tricked just as Death, summoned by his actions, arrives to claim him. This causes a chain reaction that kills Mar Vell's followers and triggers the collapse of the alternate universe and the Fault. Thanos, expecting Death to embrace him for his actions, becomes enraged when she once again spurns him. Teleporting the rest of their comrades to safety, Star Lord and Nova remain behind to contain Thanos by keeping him within the Cancerverse until its imminent destruction.
A memorial service is held for those lost in the conflicts. Quasar informs Rocket Raccoon
Rocket Raccoon
Rocket Raccoon is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He first appeared in Marvel Preview #7 . Rocket Raccoon is an intelligent, anthropomorphic raccoon.-Publication history:...
that without Nova, Worldmind has shut down and the Nova Force disappeared. Still reeling from the struggle, the Kree Empire on Hala is assailed by the forces of Blastaar
Blastaar
Blastaar, sometimes called the Living Bomb-Burst and Blasstaar, is a Marvel Comics supervillain. Blastaar is an opponent of the Fantastic Four and lives in the Negative Zone...
in a bid for easy conquest. During the battle, Ronan is aided by the other surviving members of Nova's strike force. Under Cosmo's guidance, they set up base in Knowhere
Knowhere
Knowhere is a fictional location in the Marvel Comics universe. It is an interdimensional crossroads and scientific observatory. It was created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and first appeared in Nova #8 .-Development:...
.
The newly-christened "Annihilators
Annihilators
The Annihilators are a fictional team in the Marvel Universe and appear in publications from Marvel Comics. They are a collection of powerful space-based characters from various alien races. They act as a deterrence to galactic war.-Publication history:...
" are proposing they be a loose-knit force to be implemented only as the "last resort." Abruptly, Ikon of the Spaceknights
Spaceknights
Spaceknights is a name used by at least three distinct groups of characters in the fictional . The better known group is a core concept of the 1980s comic book Rom Spaceknight, while the other two are far more recent creations and not much is yet known about them.-Galador's Spaceknights:The...
materializes in their midst, proclaiming urgency in her errand and asking where to find "this team [she is] supposed to lead".
Collected editions
The series has been solicited for release in a collected edition individual volumeTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- The Thanos Imperative (collects The Thanos Imperative 1-6, The Thanos Imperative: Ignition, The Thanos Imperative: Devastation, and the Thanos Sourcebook, 208 pages, hardcover, February 2011, ISBN 0-7851-5183-4)