Thanos (2003 series) #7

Thanos gained the power of 'God' in Marvel Universe: The End. But he gave it up and started making reparations for his past misdeeds in the 1st half of this series. But it's several months later and who knows what his intentions are now?

It's the town Frontline on 1 of Verge System 026's planets satirically called Eden. Cloaked and hooded in rags, Thanos walks up to the entrance of Omega Core Precinct 666. Some locals advise him not to go in. They figure he's come here for the Crunch, as every visitor does. They also warn him about someone from Earth or nearby because they're worse than Skrulls.

He enters anyway and there is an Earthman there (Cole) along with a big alien guy (Swad) and an alien female (Kika). Cole tells him to go away but he sits down. Swad's trying to get the air conditioning to work because they can't afford to pay for maintenance. Kika wants to know how many z's there are in xenophobe. Cole answers sarcastically "27" but Thanos helpfully spells it for her. Tired of being patient the Titan pulls back his hood and the 3 Core guards pull out their guns because they recognise him. Swad reads him his rights but trigger-happy Kika starts blasting. Thanos is unhurt and Cole tries apologising. The Titan says he just wants to be treated like a regular tourist.

Cole escorts him (his hood back on) to where he wants to go. He says that everyone thought he was dead (maybe after MUTE). Thanos asks how an Earthman got here. Cole says he was abducted by aliens as a kid and then abandoned to the pan-galactic care system. He fought his way up to join the Core. They pass a sign urging all folks to report any shapeshifting to the Core. So the Titan helpfully shoots someone who turns out to be a Skrull.

Inside their destination Cole explains that many come here to commune with a hologram of whatever their god happens to be. He gives Thanos a token to guarantee his safety as long as he doesn't go where pilgrims aren't allowed. He directs him to stand on a teleportation disc which will recognise the token. At the last minute Cole asks Thanos if he's going to regret letting the Titan in, and as he disappears Thanos says he probably will.

We now see a vista with starry space on 1 side and something glowing on the other. In between are mammoth spheres with circular pits of energy dotted over their surfaces. They are joined by large umbilicals and send metal tentacles into the glow. A voiceover tells us that these are Kylns, owned by a pan-galactic consortium including major enforcement agencies. They are primarily power-generators. We discover that the voice belongs to a Cleric explaining things to Thanos. A secondary function is a maximum security prison for those under sentence of death. They are put to work maintaining the facility with an average life expectancy of <5 years. Any attempt, real or suspected, of sabotaging the facility or interacting with an inmate is punishable by death. A 3rd and very minor function is as a pilgrimage site because the Kyln are on the very edge of the expanding universe and the Crunch beyond is believed by many to be where the gods live.

Now the Cleric asks him if he killed Swad, who's very big and very devout and wouldn't have let him through. But Thanos doesn't even remember the name. However he confesses he'd did kill a Skrull on the way, but the Cleric's fine with that. He then leaves and doesn't appear to see the little girl dressed in black who passes him on her way to the Titan.

It's Death and she takes Thanos' hand. They contemplate the view of the Crunch, or the Genesis Cascade as he calls it, which she thinks sounds romantic. He says he no longer serves her but she replies that he never did. And that he kept giving her gifts of death, of which of course she has all she needs. And if he kills *everything* then that will be the end of *her*. And despite his protests of no longer desiring her, her current appearance as a very *young* girl disturbs him. She ends by admitting that she *does* love him, as much as she is able to, but he needs to learn how to truly love *her*. Then she leaves him to contemplate the awe of the Crunch. (But was she really there or was she just 1 of the hologram gods provided for pilgrims?)