Marvel: The End
Encyclopedia
Marvel: The End is a six-issue comic book
series published in 2003 by Marvel Comics
. It was written and penciled by Jim Starlin
and inked by Al Milgrom
. Marvel: The End is part of the The End
line of comics, and is thus far the only publication in that line to actually occur in the actual Marvel Universe
(Earth-616
). The series was collected in trade paperback
format as Thanos: The End.
Thanos
discovers the existence of a infinite source of energy, which he calls the Heart of the Universe. The power of this cosmic artifact, also known as the Heart of the Infinity, exceeded that of any other similar artifact, including the Infinity Gems
, the Cosmic Cubes, and the cosmic entities - including the all-powerful Living Tribunal
. The Heart was discovered millennia ago by a group of alien explorers who learned to harness its great energy and became the Celestial Order. The Order decided to use the power to attempt to forcibly bring peace to the universe, by appointing beings they deemed worthy of the Heart's power to rule sectors of the universe. The Order chose the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten
as their agent on Earth.
Arriving on modern-day Earth, Akhenaten uses the Heart's power to conquer the Earth, killing most of its superhumans (including the Avengers
) in the process. The villain Doctor Doom
attempts to kill Akhenaten by traveling back in time and killing him while he was still human, but this is stopped by the all-powerful pharaoh. Akhenaten goes on to kill many of Earth's deities. Thanos gathers the last of the heroes, including the Defenders
and Captain Marvel
, to seek the Order. As they fought the Order, Thanos destroyed the instruments that allowed them to access the power of the heart. However, the Celestial Order's stored energies were still too great for the heroes. Thanos then jumped into the Heart, believing that his body would be able to directly absorb the power of the Heart, as Thanos had more experience with cosmic power than either Akhenaten or the Order. Upon merging with the Heart, Thanos gained ultimate power, which he used to go back in time and destroy the Celestial Order before they found the Heart of the Universe. Akhenaten is then killed when Thanos prevents him from stopping Doom from killing his past self.
However, contact with the Heart of the Universe allows Thanos to learn that, due to a fundamental flaw, the universe is doomed to end very soon, and that this flaw could not be corrected even by the power of the Heart of the Universe. After a while, the Living Tribunal
gathers a group of the most powerful cosmic beings (including Eternity
, Infinity
, Death
, Galactus
, and the Celestials) gather to stop Thanos. Despite their virtual omnipotence, the cosmic beings are unsuccessful, since Thanos had, by absorbing the Heart of the Universe, not simply become more powerful - as was the case when he wielded the Infinity Gauntlet
- but had actually become one with everyone and everything; even the Living Tribunal had become no more than a "part" of Thanos. However, it is uncertain whether this was the true Living Tribunal or merely a manifestation, as the entity is supposedly beyond the beings and artifacts of any one universe.)
Ultimately, Thanos learns that the only way for him to repair the flaw in the universe would be to destroy the universe and re-construct it. He is finally driven to mindless rage by the attempt of the cosmic powers to usurp his reign, and decides in one fateful, final moment to absorb the entirety of the universe back into himself, so that none might ever again threaten his reign. Thanos is thus able to use the Heart's power to absorb the cosmic beings into himself - and, in doing so, he absorbs the entire universe. The cosmic hero Adam Warlock
, who was outside space-time continuum when Thanos absorbed the universe, appeared to Thanos and explained to him what had transpired. Adam convinced Thanos to sacrifice himself to restore the universe. Thanos speculated that the whole scenario had been a set-up from the beginning by a far greater power (implied to be the "God" of the Marvel Universe) to fix the universal flaw. Thus, Thanos had himself been manipulated and possibly even guided. In his last act, Thanos restores the universe but wipes himself from existence, a sacrifice remembered only by Warlock.
Despite his apparent self-destruction, Thanos either survived or was returned to life in the recreated universe. It is uncertain whether or not the Heart of the Universe exists in the recreated universe. Warlock eventually sought out and confronted Thanos over the Titan's actions.
story, like the other The End comics, Marvel: The End was later confirmed as a part of the Marvel Universe by references to the series in the Thanos ongoing series and, later, in the 2006 editions of the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe. Marvel editor Tom Brevoort
has stated that the series - or, at least, events similar to those depicted in the series - actually did occur in the Marvel Universe.
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...
series published in 2003 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 and penciled by Jim Starlin
Jim Starlin
James P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters...
and inked by Al Milgrom
Al Milgrom
Allen "Al" Milgrom is an American comic book writer, penciller, inker and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of Marvel Fanfare; his long involvement as writer, penciler, and inker on Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man; his four-year tenure as West...
. Marvel: The End is part of the The End
The End (comics)
The End is a line of comic books published by Marvel Comics. They follow possible endings for various Marvel characters, as they are set in the future...
line of comics, and is thus far the only publication in that line to actually occur in the actual 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...
(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:...
). The series was collected in trade paperback
Trade 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...
format as Thanos: The End.
Plot summary
The TitanTitan (Marvel Comics)
In the Marvel Universe, Saturn's moon Titan is the fictional home of the Titanian Eternals. It first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by Jim Starlin and Mike Friedrich...
Thanos
Thanos
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....
discovers the existence of a infinite source of energy, which he calls the Heart of the Universe. The power of this cosmic artifact, also known as the Heart of the Infinity, exceeded that of any other similar artifact, including the Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems, sometimes referred to as the Soul Gems, are six immensely powerful gems featured in the fictional Marvel Universe. Whoever holds all six gems in the Infinity Gauntlet gains omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and God-like power, and has absolute dominion over the universe...
, the Cosmic Cubes, and the cosmic entities - including the all-powerful Living Tribunal
Living Tribunal
The Living Tribunal is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #157 June 1967 and was created by Stan Lee, Marie Severin and Herb Trimpe.-Publication history:The Living Tribunal debuted in a storyline called "The...
. The Heart was discovered millennia ago by a group of alien explorers who learned to harness its great energy and became the Celestial Order. The Order decided to use the power to attempt to forcibly bring peace to the universe, by appointing beings they deemed worthy of the Heart's power to rule sectors of the universe. The Order chose the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten
Akhenaten (comics)
Akhenaten is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Based on the real life Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt, circa 1351-1334 BC, the character first appeared in the Incredible Hulk #457 Akhenaten is a fictional character that appears in comic books...
as their agent on Earth.
Arriving on modern-day Earth, Akhenaten uses the Heart's power to conquer the Earth, killing most of its superhumans (including the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
) in the process. The villain Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
attempts to kill Akhenaten by traveling back in time and killing him while he was still human, but this is stopped by the all-powerful pharaoh. Akhenaten goes on to kill many of Earth's deities. Thanos gathers the last of the heroes, including the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
and Captain Marvel
Genis-Vell
Genis-Vell, also known as Legacy, Captain Marvel, and Photon, is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is depicted as the son of Mar-Vell of the extraterrestrial Kree Empire, who was the first character to be known as Captain Marvel in the Marvel Universe...
, to seek the Order. As they fought the Order, Thanos destroyed the instruments that allowed them to access the power of the heart. However, the Celestial Order's stored energies were still too great for the heroes. Thanos then jumped into the Heart, believing that his body would be able to directly absorb the power of the Heart, as Thanos had more experience with cosmic power than either Akhenaten or the Order. Upon merging with the Heart, Thanos gained ultimate power, which he used to go back in time and destroy the Celestial Order before they found the Heart of the Universe. Akhenaten is then killed when Thanos prevents him from stopping Doom from killing his past self.
However, contact with the Heart of the Universe allows Thanos to learn that, due to a fundamental flaw, the universe is doomed to end very soon, and that this flaw could not be corrected even by the power of the Heart of the Universe. After a while, the Living Tribunal
Living Tribunal
The Living Tribunal is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #157 June 1967 and was created by Stan Lee, Marie Severin and Herb Trimpe.-Publication history:The Living Tribunal debuted in a storyline called "The...
gathers a group of the most powerful cosmic beings (including Eternity
Eternity (comics)
Eternity is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by scripter-editor Stan Lee and artist-plotter Steve Ditko, the character is first mentioned in Strange Tales #134 and first appears in Strange Tales #138 Eternity is a fictional character that...
, Infinity
Infinity (Marvel Comics)
Infinity is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Infinity first appears in Quasar #24 . The character was created by Mark Gruenwald and Greg Capullo.-Publication history:...
, Death
Death (Marvel Comics)
Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional...
, Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
, and the Celestials) gather to stop Thanos. Despite their virtual omnipotence, the cosmic beings are unsuccessful, since Thanos had, by absorbing the Heart of the Universe, not simply become more powerful - as was the case when he wielded the Infinity Gauntlet
Infinity Gauntlet
The Infinity Gauntlet is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics from July to December in 1991. The series was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by George Pérez and Ron Lim.- Publication history :...
- but had actually become one with everyone and everything; even the Living Tribunal had become no more than a "part" of Thanos. However, it is uncertain whether this was the true Living Tribunal or merely a manifestation, as the entity is supposedly beyond the beings and artifacts of any one universe.)
Ultimately, Thanos learns that the only way for him to repair the flaw in the universe would be to destroy the universe and re-construct it. He is finally driven to mindless rage by the attempt of the cosmic powers to usurp his reign, and decides in one fateful, final moment to absorb the entirety of the universe back into himself, so that none might ever again threaten his reign. Thanos is thus able to use the Heart's power to absorb the cosmic beings into himself - and, in doing so, he absorbs the entire universe. The cosmic hero 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...
, who was outside space-time continuum when Thanos absorbed the universe, appeared to Thanos and explained to him what had transpired. Adam convinced Thanos to sacrifice himself to restore the universe. Thanos speculated that the whole scenario had been a set-up from the beginning by a far greater power (implied to be the "God" of the Marvel Universe) to fix the universal flaw. Thus, Thanos had himself been manipulated and possibly even guided. In his last act, Thanos restores the universe but wipes himself from existence, a sacrifice remembered only by Warlock.
Despite his apparent self-destruction, Thanos either survived or was returned to life in the recreated universe. It is uncertain whether or not the Heart of the Universe exists in the recreated universe. Warlock eventually sought out and confronted Thanos over the Titan's actions.
Status in canon
Although originally solicited as an out-of-continuityContinuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
story, like the other The End comics, Marvel: The End was later confirmed as a part of the Marvel Universe by references to the series in the Thanos ongoing series and, later, in the 2006 editions of the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe. Marvel editor Tom Brevoort
Tom Brevoort
Tom Brevoort is an American comic book editor, known for his work for Marvel Comics, where he has overseen titles such as New Avengers, Civil War, and Fantastic Four. He became Executive Editor in 2007, and in January 2011 was promoted to Senior Vice President of Publishing...
has stated that the series - or, at least, events similar to those depicted in the series - actually did occur in the Marvel Universe.