Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Warlock and the Infinity Watch #20 Synopsis by
Rob Johnson
At the end of Infinity Crusade #3 Pip The Troll teleported to the Cosmic Egg at the centre of Paradise Omega, the planet Goddess created on the far side of the Sun. She had created the Egg from many Cosmic Containment Units (normally referred to as Cosmic Cubes), and she's been sitting within it broadcasting her telepathic message which is turning the Galaxy into her peaceful thralls. He'd got the location he needed to teleport to from Moondragon's mind when she mentally communicated with Prof X while Pip was touching him. The Egg shares the property of the CCUs that compose it of granting the wishes of anyone touching it. And as soon as Pip arrived he'd turned Goddess to salt.
Now he's left with the problem of what else exactly as king of the universe he wants to wish for. The obvious 1st choice is a big throne and crown befitting his station. Then he starts to daydream. A continuous supply of beer and Cuban cigars will satisfy his basic necessities. Having the super-babes of the Marvel Universe fawning over him will provide some creature comforts. Revenge comes next - Hulk, Thing, Wolverine and others will get appropriate payback for giving him a forced bath (last issue). Pip himself will get an 8 foot muscular body.
We'll take time out from Pip's fantasies to look in on 1 of the 2 interstellar Avengers quinjets carrying the assembled non-believer heroes to Omega, the 1 Pip teleported from. Hulk thinks he's gone to betray them to Goddess. Maxam thinks he's just run from the fight. Hulk counters that the Infinity Watch are probably all in league with her anyway. (He's got a down on the Watch since Drax was reported as defeating him in #13.) Wolverine is also suspicious of them because Maxam has no detectable scent.
And on board Thanos' giant spacecraft we see the result of events in Warlock Chronicles #3. Adam Warlock planted his Soul Gem on Thanos' brow to transfer his soul into the Titan, and also give him the knowledge of Goddess' ultimate goal (which we aren't party to yet). Thanos now lays Warlock's inert body down and realises that Adam has left him with the task of carrying out his counter-plan (which we also don't know about). He is somewhat amazed that Warlock trusted him since he could just defeat Goddess and take her place. Meanwhile Adam is basking in being back in the paradise that is Soul World inside the Soul Gem, which he reluctantly left (Infinity Gauntlet #1) to save the universe from Thanos.
Now back to Pip. While he continues to elaborate his fantasy we see tendrils of darkness seeping from a cannister that we saw (IC#2) Goddess had with her in the Egg. Pip imagines putting defeated supervillains to constructive work (we see Dr Doom, Mephisto and Thanos washing his imaginary sports car). Since the superheroes won't have anyone to fight other than each other they can also be better employed, say in building him a palace. Thing and Wolverine can be refuse collectors. He will improve the world in general by giving all women fit bodies. And since most problems on the world are due to excess testosterone (he heard it on Oprah) he'll give all the other men unfit bodies. All news stories will be about him. He'll get his own TV show (adding himself to an existing cartoon and renaming it The Trollsons). A star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame will follow. Then he'll successfully run for President and get his face on Mount Rushmore.
But he fears that the rest of the Infinity Watch will find some way to defeat him so he'll have to strike 1st and imprison Warlock, Drax, Gamora and Moondragon. Then he'd better deal with Eternity and Infinity. This will of course make him Pip The God. But now he realises he doesn't really want that because it would make *everything* his responsibility. Sounds too much like a job. And he realises all he really wants is for people to like him and be nice to him. So he just wishes for the biggest birthday party ever.
But then his bubble is popped as he's attacked by Silhouette who'd been hidden in the cannister. It was her Darkforce we saw seeping out of it. Goddess had placed her there just for a situation like this. She knocks him off the Egg and then uses it to wish Goddess back to life. And back to converting the Universe.