Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Thanos' method of bringing up young Gamora has resulted in 1 prosthetic arm and leg. His obsession with her has helped fuel his crew's dissatisfaction with his rule, and Ebony Maw has fomented a mutiny on Zero Sanctuary. But the Titan chooses this time to take the base's shuttle Sepulcher alone to confront his adversary Magus, leaving the girl alone with the mutineers. All this has been described by present-day Gamora in flashbacks.
But we start this issue with present-day Gamora on Halfworld leading the youngster who she's telling her story to towards her friend's house.
Next we see Thanos in Sepulcher checking that no-one is leaving Zero Sanctuary to follow him. He's nearly out of range for that, and can only receive comms not send any. The last image he sees is Gamora hiding somewhere with a knife.
On Sanctuary Butcher Squadron (Ballista Grim, Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight and the Blood Brothers - Gh'Ree and R'Hos) are searching for Gamora. They find her but she escapes through a vent. She makes her way to Thanos' records room and sees the last-played image which is of the Kyln, a structure of spheres at the Crunch - the edge of the expanding universe. The Blood Brothers start to force open the locked door.
Thanos is awoken by Death to receive comms from Gamora which shows her fighting the BBs. She tells him she's going to follow him in her ship Lachesis. She also says she's worked out his plan to lure Magus to the edge of the universe where they'll both die. The Titan agrees she should leave Sanctuary but orders her not to follow him. He won't help her and he won't take any more messages.
Gamora finds BG, EM & PM waiting for her at her ship. She tries to get past them but Grim shoots her bionic arm off. Maw tries to hypnotise her to sleep but she fights him off. Midnight throws her 'pitchfork' at her which lodges in the side of Lachesis. The agile girl grabs her lost arm, gets in the cockpit and seals herself in. Ballista leaps on top and clings on to the fork as the ship exits Sanctuary. And she seems to die in space.
Thanos has reached the Kyln but he's not alone. Death and Magus are with him in Sepulcher, or at least in his mind. Magus wants to know why Thanos doesn't kill Gamora when she disrespects him. Death agrees and Thanos attacks, seemingly jealous that his love Death sides with his enemy. But Magus has the upper hand powered by the worship of his followers. He then gives the usual choice - convert to his Church Of Universal Truth or die. And he underlines the choice by steering the shuttle into collision with the Kyln.
Maw and Midnight have found the Kyln info in the records room and now know where Thanos has gone. Ebony figures that with Gamora gone Thanos won't come back. But he wouldn't just leave Sanctuary for others to use so he must have a plan for it.
Gamora's Lachesis closes with Sepulcher as *it* closes with the Kyln. They crashland together. Thanos exits Sepulcher and then destroys it to kill or severely harm his foe (but surely he was only some sort of remote projection). He confronts the girl and tells her that he's been training her to kill the Magus. She counters that she's been using *him* to survive and get trained. Then she attacks him with Proxima's pitchfork.
In the present Gamora's lone audience complains that he already knows the end of the story. Gamora killed Thanos much later. She explains that it's important to know about the connections between the 3 of them - herself, Thanos and the boy before her who is revealed to be a young Magus.