“The best defense is a good offense,” the bulky figure of the Korbinite Beta Ray Bill stated, repeating clichés he had picked up from his time on Earth, “but these things…their faces don’t really bash well!”

He swung his mighty hammer, Stormbreaker, at a pair of wispy Dire Wraiths as they swooped down on him. The head of his hammer connected with both of their skulls in one swing, colliding one with the other and sending them spiraling back out into space. For all his strength, even the Korbinite who had held aloft Mjolnir would need more than one strike to defeat these foes.

“Have faith!” the Silver Surfer hollered as he rocketed by atop his gleaming board. The power cosmic flashed to life inside his fists, spilling out purple energy over his body as he flew. “All is not yet lost and the villain that seeks to destroy us will surely find his end this day!”

Beta Ray smirked, contorting what most humans would call a grotesque mouth. He quickly regarded their ragtag group of so-called Avengers, the name that their impromptu leader, a revealed Steve Rogers, had given them. The Surfer, a powerful figure known across the cosmos as a new messiah, threw himself into a huddle of Dire Wraiths and let his normally still rage take over.

“Haaa!” Moondragon called out in a primal battle cry. Beta Ray watched her duck and weave between the limbs of four Dire Wraiths, successfully and impressively eluding all of their attacks. Out of their group he had spent the most time with her and knew that any adversary that crossed her path would surely be sorry for it.

The once stunned Starhawk caught his gaze next. His first impression of her was that she was a fish out of water, much like himself. Bounced back from a possible future Aleta had returned to their time to try and prevent the destruction of the world. The shockwave of cascading fury caused by the ultimate nullifier, the weapon that had obliterated the Earth, had also apparently disrupted her travels through the timestream, causing her to arrive mere moments after the catastrophe she had come to prevent. Now the apparent resentment of herself had formed into hatred of the enemy as she created solid light objects to pelt the Dire Wraiths with. She plunged into their numbers without a second thought.

Their two newest allies, one of which had tried to annihilate them on orders from Ego, had paired up again and were picking off the stray Dire Wraiths as they tried to flank the others. Captain Marvel, the son of the original galactic hero, used his augmented Kree strength to wring the necks of the Dire Wraiths that Quasar, now an energy being, would funnel over to him using the cosmic power at his disposal. Pink tubes were thrown around the Wraiths by Quasar, who dumped them in front of the enraged Genis-Vell.

Finally, Beta Ray Bill looked at the man leading their charge. Captain Universe, the sole possessor of the awesome Uni Power, blazed through the hordes of Dire Wraiths like a man who had nothing left to lost. In truth, it was possible that Steve Rogers no longer saw himself as having anything left to live for. He had told them that this was their last stand, their last chance to avenge the lost people of Earth.

Captain Universe swung his blue and white shield, a physical manifestation of the Uni Power, back and forth like a battering ram. The legendary shield he had been known for had been lost with the rest of the planet, making him feel like a part of himself had been torn away. He smashed through the Dire Wraiths, ignoring their feeble ranged attacks as they were too frightened of his intense presence to engage him closer. Had it not been for his full facemask the enemy would have seen righteous conviction in his eyes.

Beta Ray Bill felt something stab into his back and turned to see a Dire Wraith behind him, wielding its powers to their fullest. He pushed the pain aside and channeled the Odin power through himself, preparing to strike back. He raised Stormbreaker and refocused his attention on his own actions, content that the battle would test his mettle.

Starhawk was already being tested to her extreme, as she spawned light construct after light construct, using them to deflect the seemingly never ending army of Dire Wraiths. What had amounted to her desire to save the past in order to ensure her future had been transformed into a need to survive. Everything was now in doubt. She wasn’t the expert that some of her fellow Guardians were in the matters of time travel, but she knew enough to understand what a paradox was. If the past she had come back to protect no longer existed, what did that say for her present?

A claw suddenly swept into her view as it scraped across her face. The jagged fingers, belonging to a slim and animated Dire Wraith, drew back from her along with a few drops of blood. She panicked and pushed herself away, forming a light construct in the form of a thick wall between them. She felt the hot blood rushing down her face and nearly screamed, but she suppressed it, choosing to mimic the behavior of her more warrior-born comrades.

Bending the light to her will, she caused her created wall to twist around the Wraith and contain it. It struggled with fury but her powers altogether were stronger than its will. With a swing of her arm to dramatically cast aside the Wraith, her light construct rocketed off into deep space, bringing the space demon along with it.

“Don’t worry,” Moondragon told her as she flew beside Starhawk. “They have greater numbers, but we have something they never will.”

“What’s that?” Starhawk asked as she eyed up her next target.

“A riddle my instructors once plagued me with. We have nothing left to lose, and that is a mighty weapon in and of itself.”

The bald warrior smirked as she ascended over Starhawk, charging into another contingent of Dire Wraiths. Aleta possibly understood the meaning of Moondragon’s cryptic message more than Moondragon herself did. Starhawk no longer held doubt that her world was gone. Her future was gone. The act of a desperate woman was best left avoided, as the Wraiths would soon see.

At the center of the maelstrom sat the bulbous Ego, content to watch the battle unfold in front of him. The planet-sized monster, older than most of the Elders that the universe had to offer, stared at the rampant chaos that he had been the cause of. Nearly a hundred Dire Wraiths, freshly rescued from the depths of Limbo, encircled Ego like the electrons of an atom. They were held back to be his last line of defense in case the heroes had been able to pierce his army.

The towering mountains and vast landscapes that made up his face rumbled from the displeasure he felt at witnessing the heroes dispatch his forces. The Dire Wraiths were known for their ruthlessness and ability to mimic the abilities of others, but at the moment they appeared to be nothing more than cannon fodder.

“Gthox!” Ego bellowed. “Approach!”

A lone Dire Wraith fell out of its orbiting path around Ego and centered itself in front of him. The pale skin looked worn and beaten, a result of its imprisonment and newfound loyalty to Ego. “Yes, my sire?” the Wraith, Gthox, answered. The Wraith quivered as it prepared itself for another harsh lesson from its master.

“I did not free the Dire Wraiths from Limbo to be totally useless! Explain to me, Gthox, why your brethren fall like worthless flies. Why do they not feed off of the powers of their targets, using that same force against their foes? Was I misled to believing that the mighty Dire Wraiths could do such a thing?”

“It was just so,” Gthox answered, “but having been stuck in Limbo for so long has deadened our powers. The vagrant known as Rom took most of our abilities from us when he imprisoned us, leaving only the husks you see now. We have a base understanding of matter and energy manipulation, a trait we drew upon to fend off the predators in Limbo, but our original powers have been shunted.”

“Did you think this information unimportant when I freed you?” Ego demanded. The Living Planet’s face, composed of a large landmass that was formed into a face, scrunched in agitation.

“My master—” Gthox began, but his words were falling on deaf ears.

Ego’s mouth opened and unleashed a torrent of energy that engulfed the feeble Dire Wraith, bathing him in destruction energy. As soon as Ego closed the breach in his terrain, cutting of the outflow of power, there was nothing left of Gthox.

“Insolent worm!” Ego roared. Had he known of the general worthlessness of the Dire Wraiths he never would have freed them to begin with. The pact he had made with them had resolved to become fruitless, meaning if he wanted to see a victory he would have to become more involved.

The swarming Wraiths around him dispersed and joined the fray, accompanying their quickly falling brethren. Ego lumbered forward, his massive bulk slowly gaining momentum.

“Ego!” cried Captain Universe. He slung his shield out, sending it spiraling around the clip the heads of several Wraiths before returning to his arm. While his right appendage waited for the weapon to return, his left unleashed a concentrated beam of Uni Power at the last remaining pack of Dire Wraiths that stood between him and the Living Planet.

“The last survivor of Earth,” Ego bellowed. “I shall squash out your life like I did your planet!”

Steve Rogers charged toward the gargantuan figure, leading the way with his shield. “We’ll see about that,” he stated coolly.

Ego opened his massive mouth once more, vomiting forth a thick stream of powerful energy. Captain Universe dove straight for the beam, taking up the challenge willingly. His shield, created and empowered by one of the strongest forces in the cosmos, deflected the blast. Captain Universe pressed against the back of his shield, feeling the intense impact but still holding his place in space. Ego poured more energy into his attack, relentlessly keeping up the onslaught against the Captain.

The Dire Wraiths were nearly defeated, leaving a few of the Avengers free to act upon the awesome sight they saw. “Captain!” Quasar screamed as he and Genis made a beeline for the struggle.

A cluster of regrouped Wraiths appeared in their path in a feeble attempt to divert them from their master. Quasar and Captain Marvel both readied the power emanating from their bracelets, fully intending to just plow through the barrier comprised of the pale bodies. The cluster would be enough to hold them from aiding Captain Universe, but they had no other option.

Twin blasts of purple energy suddenly cut through the pale swarm, chopping their numbers in half. The two heroes approaching at breakneck speed followed the dissipating trail back to its source, yielding a sight that brought a smile to both their faces: the Silver Surfer was charging the same pack of Wraiths from the side, flanking them. Crouched at the front of his metallic board waited Moondragon, whose face was etched with the anticipation of battle.

“Faster, Surfer!” she commanded. “If we divert enough of the remaining cretins them our friends there can join the Captain and add their power to his, ending this!”

“Rest your tongue,” the Surfer responded. The normally neutral expression on his face had been exchanged for one of battle-inspired rage. “Quasar! Marvel! Make haste and leave these foes to us.”

Swiftly moving around the conflagration, both Quasar and Captain Marvel moved to back Steve Rogers in his struggle against Ego. Captain Universe was slowly being pushed back by the awesome outpour of Ego’s raw and unbridled power, losing the metaphorical ground that he had gained.

The two heroes rallied behind the Captain, pressing their palms against his back in support of his struggle. They proceeded to channel their power through him, providing a stronger foothold in space. Captain Universe didn’t visibly acknowledge the aid, but he redoubled his efforts and leaned into the back of his shield, pouring everything he had into his defense.

Entire continents around Ego’s “skin” began to shift, forming a second mouth at the base of his first. While the top opening continued to unleash a torrential storm of cosmic energy upon the heroes, the second one openly mocked them. “Ignorant fools,” Ego spat out, the voice from his new mouth slightly different in tone. “Did you really think to oppose me with power I granted?”

The pink energy swimming down Quasar’s arm and into Captain Universe’s back began to shimmer and fade, before it finally changed its hue. Before the others could react, Quasar exploded as he hovered right next to the two Captains. Just before Wendell Vaughn perished his last thought was that of pride, having stood against his would-be controller while next to the galaxy’s greatest champions.

Steve Rogers and Genis-Vell were both overtaken by the resulting explosion colliding with Ego’s assault, pummeling them with such intensity that they nearly passed out. Once the initial shock washed over them they were catapulted away from Ego at such a speed that had there been an atmosphere to pass through they would have ignited several sonic booms.

Beta Ray Bill slammed two of his enemies’ heads together, causing their malleable bodies to mash like blobs of clay. He caught sight of the two Captains and followed their trajectory. Summoning his strength and gripping his warhammer from wear it dangled on his wrist, the Korbinite swung off to catch his allies. He merely misgauged their speed, but just as they almost slipped through his outstretched fingers a ball of yellow light engulfed them all.

“It’s okay,” Starhawk said as she descended to them. “I’ve got you.”

The glowing sphere hummed with energy as she pierced its edge and joined them inside. “Are they…” she began to say but couldn’t quite find the rest of the words to finish the question.

“They’re alive,” Bill said after looking them over. “Just knocked out it seems. Even those two have their limits, but they were our heavy hitters.” The Korbinite looked toward the approaching Living Planet. “And Quasar… Wendell. We’re in some serious shit here.”

Aleta touched one of the Nega Bands around Genis-Vell’s wrists. Her fingers brushed over the golden metal, which was cool to the touch even though the wielder had just been using them to their full potential. She suddenly had an idea, realizing that the concept of potential hadn’t yet been reached in herself.

If she was right, she could end this right now. Seeing the Captains look helpless for all their might made her feel like there was no hope for the future, her future. She thought of Vance and all the others, finally acknowledging why it had been her that was chosen to go back. This was her moment to act.

She looked to the Korbinite beside her. “Keep him safe,” was all she said. Beta Ray looked confused, but noticed that the light bending around them had sealed them off into separate chambers. The sphere split into two and he found himself pressing against the translucent bubble. He, Genis, and Steve Rogers were in one bubble and Aleta had contained herself in another.

“Tell them I don’t regret this,” she said to Bill. “Tell the Guardians that I know why it was me that was sent back. Vance knew what was happening the whole time, and he understood that while the others might have had a better shot in the beginning, if we had somehow missed our window of opportunity I would always be in my element.”

Beta Ray Bill recognized the tone in her voice as belonging to a person who was ready to become a martyr. He pounded against his sphere but didn’t dare pierce it for fear of letting the unconscious Captains fall prey to the vacuum of space.

“Tell them that a shining light never dies,” Starhawk said.

A few tendrils of light flowed off of Starhawk and journeyed out into space, searching and feeling for something. She ignored the protests of Beta Ray Bill and continued to let her powers overtake her. Her entire body began to glow and hum with the same resonance as that displayed by her light constructs.

Aleta Ogard, the time-tossed Guardian of the Galaxy, was converting her own body to solid light.

The tendrils drifting out from her body latched on to something and stiffened. Small deposits of pink light formed at the tips of the tendrils briefly before rocketing back up them and into Starhawk. It had been a long shot, but Aleta remembered something that Quasar had said after they had rescued him from he bowels of Galactus. She wouldn’t let his death be in vain.

Her powers enabled her to became a master of light, and by way of that, energy. Through the tendrils she found the last ebbs of Quasar’s essence and pulled it into herself, thus empowering her beyond what she thought possible. Her solid light body floated toward Ego and began to pick up speed. Within a blink of an eye she was moving at the speed of light.

She stretched out her arms as she flew and the residual light flowing off of her made her appear like a comet amongst the stars. Her arms formed a point, which creted a cone of energy running back over her body. As she aimed herself for Ego, she felt like she was doing the right thing. She knew that this really was the last bid for their lost world, and as one of its protectors it was her duty to avenge it no matter the cost.

She struck Ego like a harpoon, stabbing into his upper hemisphere without mercy. The Living Planet tilted back first from shock, then from unimagined pain. As one of the oldest living creatures in the universe, Ego had never experienced something that actually threatened his physical form in such a way. The upper portion of his face was smashed open, which meant an entire quadrant of himself had been obliterated. He screamed loud enough to cause tremors to rumble throughout the continents across the remainder of his body. A burning white light flared in the gigantic crater for a few moments before slowly dying down, its pink essence slowly diminishing.

Ego had survived, but barely. Where his eye had once been formed there was now a gaping hole. It appeared as if something had ripped a chunk of the Living Planet entirely out, leaving the globe that was his body ruptured.

It was easily the greatest blow ever struck against Ego, but it had come at a cost. Now not just one of the heroes’ number had been take from them, but an additional one was gone as well.

The Silver Surfer approached Beta Ray Bill and the two Captains with Moondragon again sitting on the tip of his board. The reflective skin of the Surfer, once appearing polished and near perfection, now seemed dulled from the harsh battle they had underwent. A small crack ran up the side of his torso, which he held a hand over.

“This monster must be stopped,” was all the Surfer could manage to say.

“The Dire Wraiths won’t keep us from him anymore,” Moondragon added. Her own green armor was tarnished and worn. “We wiped out the last of them, but I fear that we are too late to help save our friends.”

Ego looked just as furious as before and with the added destruction of his face he looked even more malicious. He drifted toward them at a growing rate, intent on finishing off the last of his opposition.

A circle formed behind him in space, which quickly filled in to create a humongous tear in the fabric of reality. Ego paused and spun on his axis to look at the portal that had been created, ready for whatever new foe would dare challenge him.

A giant foot nearly as large as Ego himself stepped out of the portal, planting itself on the nothingness of space. The rest of the giant’s body quickly came through, revealing the glory that was a Celestial. The titans of the universe, strangers to nearly the entire cosmos, began to funnel out of the portal and surround the wounded Ego.

The first raised its hand, stretching its fingers out toward Ego. “You would dare?” Ego spat out contemptuously. “Are you so desperate and fearful of me that you must engage me directly now?”

The titan remained stoic, but its intent was clear. Invisible energy hummed to life between its lumbering fingers, noticeable only by the sheer presence of new force pressing against them all. The heroes watched in amazement as all seven of the Celestials made similar motions, apparently engaging the enemy in their own way.

“I am Ego! I am master of all and subject to no one! You are arrogant as always, content to sit back and do nothing while I engage myself in your imposed war. How dare you enter the conflict now! Was I unworthy of your notice before? Am I only now marked as an equal?”

The Celestials said nothing in return, letting their body language speak for them. The energy humming between them condensed together and entered Ego through the wound that weighed the Living Planet down. What was left of his face contorted in rage as the Celestial’s power began to eat him from the inside out. Ego let out a death cry as his outer crust cracked and broke away, literally breaking him into pieces.

With a righteous explosion, Ego was shattered and finally destroyed. The watching heroes were bowled over, held barely in place by the efforts of Beta Ray Bill and his warhammer. The twin Captains awoke upon being shaken by the rioting shockwave, instantly seemed off from the deadly vacuum around them by their own auras. The opened their eyes just in time to see the last of Ego’s huge body be vaporized by the Celestial’s power.

Then, just as suddenly as reality had been shaken by the explosion, the stark stillness of space returned to its hollow silence.

“What just happened?” Genis-Vell demanded. “Are those seriously Celestials? We don’t have to fight them, do we?”

“No,” Norrin Radd answered. “No, Marvel. I think our conflict is finally at an end.”

“Where in Titan have they been all this time if that was all they had to do then?” Genis proclaimed. “Would have been nice if they had showed up a little earlier!”

Steve Rogers looked at the towering giants and said, “You’re right.”

Moondragon looked at the revived Captain Universe, the Uni Power freshly brimming over his costume. “Be careful, Captain. It is unwise to challenge the Celestials on matters of conduct.”

“Even still, they’ve got some explaining to do.”

Captain Universe drifted away from the others and approached the closest Celestial. They all looked toward him, which was typically more notice than they ever gave anything. He didn’t say anything, but merely hovered in the center of their attention with his arms crossed. Then something happened that Steve Rogers never thought possible.

The Uni Power lanced out and connected with one of the Celestial’s foreheads, latching the Captain’s consciousness with that of the giant. There would be no way he could describe the experience to his fellow Avengers save that no words were spoken. Memories passed from the Celestial to the Captain in a fleeting moment before the connection was broken and Steve Rogers was left heaving.

The Celestials turned one by one and stepped back into the portal they had ripped open, and simply left.

“Captain!” Beta Ray screamed as the others swarmed around him. “Are you okay?”

Captain Universe struggled to catch his breath on the oxygen being supplied to him through his aura. “Fine,” he finally blurted out. “I…I understand what we’re been caught up in. The Celestials…Ego was trying to destroy them in the only way he knew how.”

“I don’t understand,” Moondragon said. “What did Earth have to do with his little feud?”

“Our home was much more than a place,” the Captain answered as he drew upon the information forced into his mind. Without the protection of the Uni Power he might not have survived the transfer. “It was an egg. More appropriately, there was a Celestial seed laying dormant deep in the Earth’s core. Ego destroyed the Earth to kill one of them, the unborn Celestial that was rooted inside the planet.”

The heroes floated in silence, shocked by the revelation. Earth had been home to all of them at one time or another and its memory now seemed somehow tainted by the implication that it had been an orbiting fetus. After a moment of allowing the information to sink in, Captain Universe continued to speak.

“Ego’s hatred of the Celestials ran so deep that the only way he could attack them and gain their notice was to do something so drastic. They finally intervened when we had taken up the challenge, appearing when they did because only after Aleta’s sacrifice could they actually kill Ego. Without her final blow rupturing his crust, they couldn’t assure his death.”

“So that’s it then?” Genis blurted out. “We lose a planet, not to mention two of our own out here, and they just show up at the last minute and take off?”

“The Celestials are known for their mysterious intent,” the Surfer answered. “I doubt they’ll ever see fit to provide a concept we deem as justice. Their interference in other races runs deep as I’ve seen in my travels.”

“They haven’t left us completely alone,” Captain Universe said as he gazed off into the void of space. “The last thing they told me before leaving was that they had provided us with a sanctuary. Regroup, Avengers. We have one last stop to make.”