Quoi landed on the ground in front of Avengers Mansion lightly. The breeze blew by his nose and filled him with the freshness of that day. Quoi loved the openness of Earth. It was such an expansive planet. Why his Mom ever left he couldn't be sure. He needed to stop thinking about her though. Today he was going to start fulfilling his destiny as the Celestial Messiah. He was going to join the Avengers.

"I make it sound like it's easy," Quoi sighed as he walked up to the door and knocked.

He was greeted by friendly face of Edwin Jarvis, the keeper of Avengers Mansion. Though he could be considered just as much an Avenger as any other. "Hello sir. May I help you?"

"I need to talk to Thor. I'm here on….some personal business," Quoi said sheepishly. He couldn't really just come out and say that he wanted to join the Avengers.

"Well, certainly come in. You bear some resemblance to someone I met a while ago. I'm not sure who though. Master Thor is in the living room straight ahead. I'll bring some refreshments promptly," Jarvis said as he walked away from Quoi into the kitchen.

The Celestial Messiah hadn't been this nervous in almost a week. He was going to meet the Thor that was so fabled and talked about throughout a great deal of the cosmos. This guy was one of the biggest sluggers out there and he was about to be in the same room with him.

"Just be cool. Just be cool," Quoi said as he pushed back the door to the living room slowly. Every creak of the door made the Celestial Messiah tremble in anticipation. Thor was in a couch watching wrestling. The Celestial Messiah breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he wasn't the big bad god of thunder he had heard so much about. He had expected to come in and see Thor swinging his hammer against some super powered demon or something.

"Ho Celestial Messiah! Long have you been expected friend Sequoia!" Thor exclaimed as he rose up from his seat and gripped Quoi's hand in a tight shake.

"You were expecting me?" Quoi asked with a gulp.

"Let us just say we hath friends in very high places," Thor said with a big smile.

"I guess so," Quoi said returning the smile.

Thor patted the Celestial Messiah on the back and asked, "So you seek to join the hallowed Avengers son of Mantis?"

Quoi was shocked and held his mouth open, "Well….yeah that's what I'm here for."

"Consider thou self amongst the ranks of the Avengers now," Thor grinned.

The Celestial Messiah at that moment felt very blessed. He had never thought joining the Avengers would be anywhere near this easy. All he could say in reply to Thor was, "Thank you! Thanks a lot!"

"No thanks needed friend. You seek to help those who art in need. That shalt always be a noble task. Now we wait until thou mother shows up," Thor said sitting down back to the television.

The sudden happiness of Quoi became sudden sadness. His mother was coming. Why oh why could he never escape that woman? Would he ever be able to just strike it out on his own?

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"I guess that's her," Quoi said walking to the door and opening it. It was her alright. In all her arrogant and uptight glory.

"Hello son."

"Hi Mom," Quoi said trying his best to sound excited.

Thor came up behind Mantis and with his heavy, but extremely jolly voice greeted Mantis, "Long has been since my eyes have gazed upon you Mantis. Come in to the abode of the Avengers and join my celebration Madonna. For today mother and son join the ranks of the Avengers."

"Indeed Thor. It is a time for celebration. I'm sure it will be an interesting experience," Mantis said as she winked at her son. Quoi felt any feelings of independence he once had evaporate into nothing.

Mindscape

All around Nebulon and Menace X was black. Everything in this world was black. The ground was black and the sky was black though it was a much darker shade than the ground. Even the fog filling the air was black. The only things of color in this world were Nebulon, Menace X, and the red of Cobweb's eyes.

"I surmise few travel to this place," Nebulon moaned as disappear began to overtake him. Though it had only been a few hours since they arrived here almost two weeks had passed by on Earth.

"Many travel to this place, but only in their times of unconsciousness. Though few come here in physical form such as you," Cobweb said as he slithered and expanded in the air like he was fluid as water. This was his natural environment and he was glad to be home.

Post's footsteps sunk into the soft black ground under him. He couldn't really call it soil. It felt more like silly putty. That didn't matter to him though. He just wanted to know, "When the heck are we going to get out of this place?"

Cobweb's head turned viciously, "We'll leave when we know Proctor is no longer a threat. After all we did betray him."

With a laugh Nebulon said, "Proctor is long gone. We have no need to fear him. I think it's the Olympians and the surviving Shi'ar we should be worried about. Apollo will want some type of revenge against us eventually and with the Shi'ar under Deathbird's command they will seek vengeance as well."

"Thor was such the perfect puppet. I was slowly usurping his power in the Avengers and I made sure conflict remained ever present with my mind powers. Especially between the women Crystal and Scarlet Witch because it was so easy to escalate an already present conflict. We almost had them. If only Proctor had been more patient…" Cobweb said somberly. Now he had made a few more enemies. He already had Captain America and Count Abyss on his list. Now he had the Olympians, Avengers, and the Shi'ar as well to worry about. Sooner or later his enemies would catch up to him.

Edge of the Universe

Deathbird stared out in the loneliness of space. Before her was a brand new galaxy for her people created by the being known as the Supreme Evolutionary. From what he told her only a week ago he was at another edge of the universe working his magic. Even though she was grateful for him giving her a new universe there was still a great deal of things sorrowing her.

A great deal of her people's culture was obliterated. Religious texts, monuments, museums, books, memorabilia, journals, technology, and most of all her people's pride; that hurt her the most. An Earther had humbled the Shi'ar. How ultimately tragic and ironic was that? The race they turned to help for so often would be the end of them. Who would have guessed? And now her sister was gone. Maybe she was at peace and with Xavier. Perhaps they had both found happiness.

"Are you prepared?" Supreme Evolutionary said as he came up behind Deathbird. He looked like a bald Kree, but he was really birthed from the ship of the cosmic entity known as Cosmicus.

"Of course I'm ready. Tell me again before we go what will this galaxy will provide for my people," Deathbird demanded.

Supreme Evolutionary nodded and said, "Of course Deathbird. I will go over everything. This galaxy has 300 million stars and 250 million of those stars have solar systems. In all those systems there is a combined 22 billion planets and 17 billion satellites. A fourth of these planets are gas planets and all the satellites are rock planets. Within all these satellites are sufficient supplies of metallic alloys and raw materials. More than the entire Shi'ar Empire ever could have had. I promise you this will be a grand new home for your people."

"I know. It's just that it pains me to live them," Deathbird sighed.

"And it pains me to see you go," Emperor Gladiator said as he walked through a door with Oracle and Hussar at his back.

"But she must. I promise what will come ahead for Deathbird will assure her place amongst the champions of the universe. We will find the Celestial Ring and she will bring your people to glory," Supreme Evolutionary said proudly as he enveloped Deathbird and himself in a dull blue light. Before Gladiator could even say farewell to his teacher she was gone.

"Now it's time to begin the rebuilding of our new home," Emperor Gladiator said as he looked out to see what was to be the new Shi'ar Empire.

Avengers Mansion

Wanda bent down and put a bouquet of roses on the grave of someone who she cared dearly for. Before the destruction of the Shi'ar, and the devastation wrought by Apocalypse an Avenger went mad. Not something uncommon amongst their ranks for Wanda had once turned to the dark side herself. This time though it was different because they weren't able to save their fellow Avenger and her lover from off the deep end. His name was Vision and he had died in the far away land of Wakanda.

"Times have been hard since you died Vision. Real hard. I know you would think me silly for demanding that you have a grave, but I needed somewhere that I could talk to you from. I miss you Vision. I really do. I guess by staying on the Avengers I'm still holding on to a piece of you, but times have been trying," Scarlet Witch said as a tear dropped from her eye and hit the grave of Vision.

Sucking back her tears Wanda said, "Thor's learning the ropes of being leader, but he still has some kinks to work out." Wanda let out a little giggle hearing Vision's reaction in her head.

Next Issue: The Exemplars attack!