Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Last issue the Goddess brought some superheroes who believed in her Infinity Crusade to Paradise Omega, a cathedral on a newly-created planet on the opposite side of the Sun to Earth. She now addresses her flock about what she claims is the Supreme One(ie God)'s will that they cleanse the universe of evil. The cathedral contains comms equipment to spread the good word, and teleportation devices to send them to carry out his will anywhere in the galaxy.
Meanwhile the heroes not invited have assembled in Avengers Mansion. They suspect Thanos is behind the disappearance of their fellows, but they've contacted his father Mentor on Titan who says he can't detect him anywhere. Hulk blames Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch but Thing suggests he might just be miffed because Drax of the Watch beat him (WIW#13). Human Torch is wondering where Mr Fantastic went.
It is at this point that Pip of the Watch teleports in with Drax, Maxam and Reed Richards (all from WIW#18). Nobody recognises the newbie Maxam, and Ben Grimm immediately assumes that he's the big bad who's kidnapped Reed, and the Infinity Watch are his stooges. He grabs Maxam who responds by growing bigger and bulkier and then Drax punches him to the ground. But of course this starts a general attack led by Hulk and Wolverine. Maxam just stands there and lets people punch him. Hulk and Drax have round 2. Pip just teleports out of the way to attack people from behind. It's up to Mr Fantastic to calm everyone down and explain that the Watch are on their side.
The Avengers' monitoring system has detected that no crimes have been committed in the last few hours anywhere in the world. Richards tells them of some things he discovered in WIW#18 - that their foe calls herself the Goddess and she has a load of Cosmic Containment Units (Cosmic Cubes) with which she's blanketing the Earth with telepathic waves. And it is these waves that are turning bad guys good, and have caused their missing companions to go to her willingly.
Meanwhile Goddess is claiming to her followers that it is her mere presence here which has caused the epidemic of goodness. But she can't convert the whole galaxy by herself. To that end she tells them she has gathered 30 CCUs from various realities and combined them into a huge cosmic egg which she now shows them. This will enable her awaken a comic group consciousness which will become a universal will to remould the galaxy.
Silver Surfer questions whether the 6 Infinity Gems might not overpower even 30 CCUs. But Goddess reminds him that the Supreme One's servant the Living Tribunal has decreed that the 6 Gems may not be used together. (Besides she privately knows that she's disposed of the guardians of 2 of the Gems in WIW#18. And she has 2 of the others on her side anyway.) Invisible Woman asks whether cosmic entities like the Tribunal or Eternity might interfere. Goddess claims that they are aware of what's happening (and as we saw in WIW#18 and Dr Strange #54 Eternity is definitely staying out of it). She will do her work from within the cosmic egg and she wants her troops to defend her against attack while she works. Telepathic Moondragon will be her contact with them all.
At Avengers Mansion Nomad has joined the gathering because there are no crimes out their for him to stop. And Vision has learned that all armed conflicts have stopped throughout the globe. At this point Aurora of Alpha Flight switches to her religious alternate personality Jeanne-Marie. And she feels the Goddess' call. Mr Fantastic suggests they let her go to the Goddess in a quinjet, but some of them should accompany her. (Meanwhile Johnny Storm wonders why he wasn't chosen by the Goddess alongside his sister Sue. Thing suggests it may be because he and Torch have too much doubt.)
Moondragon senses Aurora's situation but Goddess isn't concerned. MrF, Iron Man and Vision accompany Aurora in the quinjet as Goddess guides it past the Sun towards where the heroes know Counter-Earth used to be. They are watched by Surfer and Firelord (who they hadn't known were part of the Crusade), but the 2 let them pass. As they approach the planet they see it guarded by defensive satellites and an energy shield. But again they are allowed through. Crystal and Invisible Woman are on 1 of the satellites. And Sue Richards knows that if the Goddess had wanted it she would have fired on the craft which she knows contains her husband.
The quinjet lands and the passengers step out. But suddenly the planet is transformed to floating rocks, and then back again as a display of Goddess' power. She wants the 3 heroes to return to Earth to warn the others not to interfere with her plan. Mr Fantastic asks why she needs followers if she's so powerful. Goddess admits to not being omnipotent, and claims that her flock joined her willingly. MrF claims that isn't true because he detects telepathic emissions from the egg to her retinue. Moondragon protests that he's lying because her Mind Gem would have detected it. But Reed has planted a seed of doubt. Reed offers the help of he and his 2 companions but Goddess knows they would only seek ways to sabotage things. So she sends them and the quinjet immediately back to Earth orbit. They report back to Avengers Mansion before heading somewhere else.
In the Mansion Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) wonders if the Goddess' goal is maybe a good thing. Prof X agrees but others don't. Spider-Woman also wonders if bad guys like Dr Doom and Thanos would be out to stop her eradicating evil. Prof X says that the good guys at least have to monitor what she's doing to make sure the result would truly good.
Now we look in on Adam Warlock (between #1 and #2 of his new Warlock Chronicles series) as he flies to rescue the guardian of the Reality Gem and mend a rupture in reality.
And then we follow the quinjet to the Blue Area of the Moon where Mr Fantastic introduces Iron Man and Vision to the Watcher.
And then back to Paradise Omega where Goddess enters the cosmic egg and they both sink into the ground. All the way down to a hidden sanctuary in the centre of this new planet. And she expands her consciousness out into the universe.