Synopsis / Summary / Plot
It's a 2nd issue with no Iron Man in it. Last issue focused on Hellcat, this 1 on Korvac, especially his origin. The Golden Avenger was whisked off to an alien planet in #7.
This issue begins in 2997 where a human resistance cell has been tortured by Badoon. Suddenly a 4th member Michael Korvac joins them, conspicuously unharmed, and kills them. He returns to his Badoon masters. The coward has betrayed the Earth in return for his life and a lowly position in the Badoon Empire. Now he resumes his job tending computer systems. But he's found slacking off and punished by having his top half permanently grafted to a computer module, and his left eye replaced by an implant.
Korvac remembers this as his spaceship lands on the moon of Rivalis. He and his crew (Blizzard, Controller and Unicorn) go in search of someone who has deliberately buried himself to get away from everyone. It's the original android Human Torch, Jim Hammond. But Korvac calls him Adam I because he himself has been 'reborn' as an android called Adam IV based on HT's design. But Jim objects that he's no longer that android because that body was destroyed and Tony Stark gave him his current mechanical 1 (Invaders (2019) #6-7). But now we learn he hates this body, which is why he's fled the Solar System which gave it to him. But Korvac says he can have an android body again.
Torch goes with them back to the ship. Korvac says he too had his body forcibly remade. But he solved the problem by accessing a power which made him a god, and he's going to regain that perfection. Jim says *he* doesn't want godhood, but Korvac explains that he only wants that power so he can remake the universe into a place of peace. He'll show him what he means, but 1st they'll restore Jim's body if he wants it. Hammond agrees.
As they rebuild his old body, even better than before, Korvac reveals that he's doing this because he wants an ally, someone like him who will be able to understand the sublime truth of his vision. The rebuild includes aspects of Korvac's mind that will enable Jim to see the beautiful truth.
Meanwhile we get more of Korvac's past. We see his half man/half computer form accessing the cosmic power (which previous issues have reminded us was obtained from Galactus' worldship Taa-II). But it turns out this was a memory/dream of humanoid Michael Korvac on 20th Century Earth with his wife Carina. It's Avengers #176 and the extended team arrive at the couple's door causing Korvac to kill them all (#177). And as *this* is a memory of the current Korvac he dwells particularly on killing Iron Man.
Now JH has experienced Korvac's plan. But he has also seen Michael's memories including the death of the Avengers. Korvac protests that he immediately sacrificed his own life to restore the heroes. But Jim has also seen his 'work' with the Badoon and knows this is not a man to be trusted with the future.
However Korvac had a backup plan for this eventuality. Controller sticks a special version of 1 of his discs on Hammond's neck. HT will now be a mindless automaton controlled by them. But Michael mourns the loss of a potential brother.