Synopsis
The Magus gloats that all is going according to his elaborate scheme. The Earth heroes assemble, and Reed Richards briefs them on the existence of doppelgangers trying to defeat and replace each one of them. Meanwhile, Galactus has Dr. Strange and the Silver Surfer to aid him in trying to locate the source of the energy emissions; Doctor Doom and Kang the Conqueror, who are plotting to betray one another when they have reached their goal, put a trace beam on Galactus’ ship so they can let the cosmic being do all the hard work. Thanos persuades Adam Warlock that the Magus is still alive and poses a great threat to the universe. Warlock reluctantly agrees and Thanos and the Infinity Watch (Gamora, Pip the Troll, Moondragon, Drax the Destroyer) teleport to Mistress Death’s palace to consult the Infinity Well for further information. The Well describes how Magus was created as a dark counterpart to Warlock and erased from existence, summarizes the battle over the Infinity Gauntlet, explains how the Magus was reborn when Warlock expelled good and evil from himself, and reveals how Magus acquired a mysterious power source, established a fortress in space and created an army of doppelgangers. Back on Earth, Wolverine arrives at the heroes’ summit and accuses Reed and Iron man of being impostors. A massive battle breaks out and the Reed impostor unveils, then detonates, a gamma bomb.
Also in this issue: Hulk, Thing, Human Torch, Captain America, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Daredevil, Avengers, X-Men, X-Factor, New Warriors, Alpha Flight, Nova. Cameo by the Mole Man.