What Has Gone Before: Odin begins his Odinsleep, while Loki continues to scheme a new plot, the details of which only he knows. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure of immense cosmic power wreaks a path of destruction throughout the ouskirts of the Rigelian Empire. Thor meets with a Rigelian explorer and the Recorder to help determine the nature of this destruction

PROLOGUE

In a castle, deep in the dark mountains at the edge of the Asgardian empire, Loki sits on a throne, plotting a new scheme, as he runs his thumb and index finster along his chin and lower cheek. To his right is a tray of uneaten food, and a large flask of fine Asgardian ale, but he is oblivious to the temptations of these things, so intent is the master schemer on his own thoughts.

Suddenly, Loki sits up in his chair, walking over to a small pond fifteen feet from the chair where he sat mere moments before. As Loki moves his right hand in a sweeping motion, the pool transforms, as images start to coalesce on the water, looking like a reflection on a still pond.

As Loki watches the still waters, the figure of Balder soon appears, seated upon Odin’s throne. The mere sight erupts a look of sheer disgust on Loki’s face, as he continues to look on. Behind Balder is Karnilla, who is rubbing the acting monarch’s shoulders affectionately.

“Karnilla,” Loki muses, his face twisting into something vaguely resembling a smile, as his thoughts drift back to nights long ago, but not forgotten, as he studies her shapely body. “’Tis a pity that Karnilla hath decided to remain with Balder. In truth, I could well use her magicks for my plan.”

Turning away from the pool, which soon fades back into the form of a normal water pool, Loki walks to a large window overlooking the snow-covered mountains that surround his castle. “No matter,” Loki considers. “There are always…other ways.”

End of Prologue

The planet Rigel stands like a technological gem in its sector of space. A highly advanced culture that is known for its commitment to precision and advanced machinery, the planet is a wonder to behold, with roads stretching hundreds of feet above the planet’s surface, and buildings reaching into the clouds. Despite its wonders, however, the planet maintains an almost robotic nature.

In the ruling consolate of Rigel, the mighty Thor stands, with the voyager he met on a distant planet* and the Recorder. The ruler calls Thor to his presence, clearly relieved to see the thunder god, under the current circumstances.

* (As detailed last issue.)

“You have been informed of the destruction, thunder god?” the ruler asks.

“Indeed,” Thor replies. “Verily, hath I seen it with my own eyes.”

“Very well then,” the ruler responds. Then, turning to another recorder, who stands in their midst. His mid-section is disproportionately-sized, and on his chest is a large consule resembling a television monitor. As the ruler nods, he flips a switch, and the monitor comes to life, with images of a solar system. “We have recently received new footage, thunder god…footage of additional destruction. This occurred mere hours ago.”

Thor, the Recorder, and the voyager all look on with interest, as the image of the planets continue on the screen. Soon, however, they seen a great shadow falling over the planets. The shadow literally stretches out along the distance of the planets, looking like a giant arm overshadowing small marbles..

As they look on with interest, their expressions soon change into surprise, and ultimately horror, as they see a giant hand reaching out to grip one of the worlds—a large world two times the size of the Earth—easily holding it in the large black hand’s grasp.

Their eyes enlarge with shock as the hand exerts a small amount of pressure on the world, crushing it within its grasp. Soon, the other two worlds in view receive the same treatment. The image then shows the hand reaching forward, as if to crush the object recording these images. The images fade, and the screen suddenly turns black.

“Question: Who recorded the images?” the Recorder asks, as he records the sights and sounds before him.

“The images were being recorded by a space probe surrounding a fourth planet,” the ruler explains.

“Conclusion: That planet hs been destroyed.” the Recorder responds in his normal tone.

The ruler merely nods, but Thor is transfixed by the images that were before him. They harken back to a memory from long ago…one that he thought long since forgotten. Stunned, he utters only one word, in a soft, whispered tone…

“Infinity.”

INTERLUDE

In a neigboring sector of space, a familiar figure sits in his large cubic ship, hunger pangs surging through his stomach. He seeks to ignore them, as he considers his next course of action. The world-devourer known as Galactus knows that his hunger must be sated…and soon.

“Without a herald,” Galactus comments, “I must use a small portion of my own power to reach out and find a suitable world to devour.”

Soon, a look of interest shines in Galatus’ eyes, as he becomes aware of an object that he cannot resist.

“Can it be?” Galactus asks, walking over to the window of his ship, looking out at the planets and stars outside the window, his hands clasped behind his back. “I have never dared take the chance before, but now…”

He walks over to his controls, and punches a course into the directional control. “I have not had the opportunity before to have a supply of power that will forever satiate my hunger before…other than the High Evolutionary’s unholy offer.”*

* (Back in Fantastic Four #175, remember?)

“Before, I could never take the risk of consuming Asgard, with Odin prepared to defend it…and Thor, who has defeated me before*,” Galactus muses, as he stands back from the controls, which start to take him towards his goal.

* (Most notably, in Thor #161.)

“But now, Odin seems to be out of the way, deep in his Odin-sleep,” Galactus considers, as his thoughts of the energy contained in Asgard make him lust for the fulfillment he can find there. “And Thor…Thor is off across the universe on some mad quest.”

“The time has finally come,” Galactus comments with a feeling of grandeur filling him. “Asgard will be mine. Never before has the path to endless power been so open…so inviting. Not even the living planet, Ego, could supply the power that I will find in Asgard. And I know too well the dangers of engaging Ego in combat, after my humiliation at his hands.*”

* (An event detailed in Thor #227.)

“But, I must hurry,” Galactus says with a realization, as he makes sure that his ship is prepared to travel at optimum speed. “For this window of opportunity may pass quickly, and Galactus must not perish.”

INTERLUDE II

In a dark region of space, in a sector unmarked and unnamed, a dark figure looks on with interest through a portal created with his cosmic powers. In the portal, he sees Galactus’ ship speeding through space.

“Intriguing,” the figure known as Morg remarks. “Galactus has found an unknown source of energy.”

Floating through the blackness of space, Morg considers his options, as his hatred of his former master shows through his dark eyes. “There are few times when Galactus has responded in this manner to some great, previously unknown power source,” Morg considers.

Morg’s eyes burn with rage and hatred, his metallic wristbands gleaming in the light of a sun in the distance, even as his own body glows with his power. Morg has never known loyalty, except for a time to Galactus. He felt betrayed by his former master—that word burns in his mind. Morg prefers to be his own being, and never felt comfortable subjecting his will to anyone.

Like the ultimate nullifier he tried to secure, perhaps to protect Galactus, or perhaps to convert it for his own purposes, the prospect of power that attracts the attention of Galactus intrigues Morg greatly. He thinks for a moment about the destruction he could cause if he wielded such power, and the thought brings a sinister smile to his crimson face.

“Yes,” Morg decides. He comes to the realization that he will have that power—whatever its source—regardless of what it takes to sieze it, and to wield it…even if it means that he must seize this power over the lifeless body of the world-devourer.

Monitoring the movements of Galactus, Morg takes flight behind Galactus’ ship. He stays far enough away to avoid detection. After all, Galactus’ interest is on the new power source, and he is not seeking to detect anyone following him.

As he flies through space, a long Sh’ar warship moves through this sector, which borders the Sh’ar empire. By the time it is aware of Morg’s presence, it is too late. Morg, seeing the ship, which has the misfortune of flying in his path, continues to fly directly towards it.

The ship’s warp engines fire online, but not before Morg reaches out to the exhaust pipes at the end of the ship, gripping the ship, preventing it from fleeing from his all-consuming wrath. A look of rage surging through his dark eyes, Morg effortlessly rips the ship in half, causing a tremendous explosion, as the electronics and fuel system in the ship are intermingled by the surge of Morg’s cosmic power. Morg is, for a brief moment, bathed in the energy of the ship, but not significantly affected by it.

Morg flies forward, leaving the remnants of the ship—and the lifeless body parts once carried within the ship, but now floating through space—behind as if they were a mere momentary distraction.

“Galactus must lead me to this power source,” Morg realizes. “Once he has done so, then and only then will I reveal myself.” As Morg flies behind Galactus’ ship, he thinks of the battle that awaits him, not knowing who will fall at his hands, but looking forward to the destruction and death he plans to leave in his wake.

As Thor flies through the solar system where the immensely powerful being passed through a short time before, he looks troubled by the sight of worlds transformed to rubble in the wake of the immensely powerful being he knows all too well.

“Observation: This solar system once consisted of twelve worlds, orbiting a binary sun system.” The Recorder points out, his circuits flashing, as he records the sights and sounds of the destruction they are now beholding.

“True, friend Recorder,” Thor nods in agreement, as he sees eradiated asteroids where planets existed only moments before. “Were any of these worlds inhabited?”

“Statement: No, Thor,” the Recorder responds, as he continues to record the data. “None of these worlds were inhabited by sentient lifeforms. However, some of the outer worlds in this solar system have not been fully explored. “

“Hypothesis: It may be possible that life exists beneath the surface of those worlds,” the Recorder responds, looking around.

“Aye,” Thor replies, as he flies forward, noticing that the path of destruction ended prior to the path of the outer worlds, the destruction seeming to take a direct line out of the solar system. Thor continues to fly forward, through an asteroid belt just outside of the solar system.

“Observation: There is a life form on the asteroid below,” the Recorder comments, as Thor flies down towards the asteroid, carrying the Recorder with him.

When they land on the asteroid, Thor looks around for signs of the lifeform the Recorder noticed, but can find no sight of it. “I see no sign of any living thing on this asteroid,” Thor comments, “but I also sensed a presence here.”

Suddenly, Thor is attacked from behind by a large being, who strikes him in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground. As Thor looks up, he sees the large, powerful figure that he has not seen in many years. This jade-colored warrior has four arms, and a hideous mask. In one of his large arms is a spiced mace. He lover over Thor with a look of sheer destruction, burning through his masked face. He stands well over eight feet, much taller than Thor, and menacing in his powerful presence.

“You will go no further,” the large, four-armed being demands, power surging through his body, as he steps forward, with the intention of finishing the battle. “The Guardian will destroy you long before you can reach the master.”

To be continued…