Marvel Universe: The End (2003 series) #5

Akhenaten conquered the Earth with power from the Heart Of The Universe. But Thanos took the whole power of the Heart himself and became all-powerful. He used that power to erase Akhenaten and what he had done. But what next?

Thanos' voiceover claims that he now has the power of God but there was no Supreme Being to take it from - it was just there for the taking. Previously the Cosmic Cube and the Infinity Gauntlet had given him power *over* the universe, but now he *was* the universe. He could sense everything throughout all space and time. But his awareness expanded beyond the material and even the abstract. He detected universal patterns of vibration that were threaded through the universe keeping it consistent - order holding chaos in check. But then he noticed flaws in the network which would lead to the end of the universe. He tried to stamp them out but only made things worse.

He was concentrating so much on this problem that he failed to notice the Living Tribunal and others moving against him. The LT enabled Thor's call to arms to reach all heroes (but seemingly only ones *we* know about) to oppose the cosmic usurper.

Meanwhile the Titan figured out what was causing the problem. The universe depends on the balance between its aspects Eternity & Infinity, Hate & Love, Chaos & Order. But that balance was upset when Simon Williams returned from the dead. He allowed Baron Zemo and his Masters Of Evil to make him a supervillain Wonder Man to defeat the Avengers, but he died a hero (all in original Av#9). But later (Av#151) he was resurrected, some say by Black Talon or Ultron, but Thanos says by 1 of the cosmic forces - which did again when he died again (Force Works #1) and was brought back again (Av(1999)#11). Thanos claims that this force was trying balance good and evil by bringing back other heroes to counter the growing number of baddies. But this upset the balance between life and death and messed up the universal vibrations. And this problem long-predated his ascension to godhood.

The voiceover says that Thanos took corporeal form on the planet where he had his farm base in order to think things through. He deduced now that there *was* a God before him, but he had been equally stumped by the problem so he'd arranged to pass it on to an 'unsuspecting fool'. Also Thanos was the perfect candidate for the solution - to destroy the universe. But he *wasn't* the right choice to rebuild it afterwards - he wouldn't pay the cost of such a project.

At that point Eternity turned up demanding that Thanos surrendered to him the power he'd stolen. He didn't believe the Titan's claim that he'd been *given* it. That God had abandoned the universe to its fate and only he could save it. And giving the power to Eternity would only make things worse. He says that as the new god who won't demand worship but he deserves respect. Eternity's response is an attempt to totally annihilate Thanos, which only succeeded in destroying the planet that the Titan had grown fond off. Thanos now reappears in a form large enough to crush Eternity in his hand and blow him away.

But then Living Tribunal shows up and makes the same demand. Thanos refuses and he's attacked by assembled heroes backed by Marvel's cosmic beings. This makes him angry and he declares war.