Defenders: Beyond (2022 series) #2

Last issue the Cosmos gathered together a Defenders team (America Chavez, Blue Marvel, Loki, Taaia and Tigra) via a spell left to it by the deceased Dr Strange and a special Tarot deck. It then propelled them into the Neutral Zone where the multiversal Eternity sent them on to the Beyond where they met a giant-size Beyonder.

Now he explains some Cosmic history. As we learned in Ultimates (2017) #6 the 1st Cosmos was a single universe which was a single being, the 1st Firmament. Lonely, it created monochromatic beings to worship it. But some of these beings rebelliously took on colours and named themselves Celestials. The grey beings became the Aspirants, and soon there was a Celestial War between them. And it split the 1st Cosmos asunder creating the 2nd Cosmos, the 1st multiverse, and the Celestials ruled it. But the result was chaotic so the Celestials created evolving Omega beings to maintain it (like a machine or a garden). These beings had enough power to even kill their creators. But the Cosmos was based on trying *anything*, and after a few millennia it's personification successfully tried to destroy itself. The 3rd Cosmos arose and the Celestials moved in. But the Omega beings continued to maintain that Cosmos and its successors from outside in the Beyond which is the remains of the 2nd Cosmos, and they are the Beyonders. And we see 4 others with the 1st 1, and they say that they are also known as the Omega Council and the Ivory Kings. And as usual with cosmic entities they have given themselves humanoid flesh (but giant-size) for their guests' sake.

The team's response is varied. America bides her time. Blue Marvel urges caution. Loki goads them. Scienceer Taaia is awed. Tigra worries if any of them is *the* Beyonder who almost destroyed the universe in his earliest appearances. The 1 who originally greeted them reveals that it was *he*, and he shrinks down to their size and changes to the look and clothes he sported then. And he relates his history.

The Beyonders created the Molecule Man (in Fantastic Four #20) as a multiversal demolition tool. Our Beyonder was a child then in his personal womb-space, but the creation of MM made a hole through which he could see the fascinating Earth-616 and its superheroes. In Secret Wars (1984) he created a Battleworld and transported lots of heroes there to see what would happen. Then in SW (1985) he made himself human and came to Earth to experience life himself, but the limitations made him crazy. Later he became a Cosmic Cube (FF#319) which evolved into a female form Kosmos (in a backup tale in FF Annual #23). He describes these here as accelerated larval stages on the way to becoming a full-grown Beyonder here in the engine room of creation.

He says Tigra's right to fear him because his early experiences have left him a little broken. He could go rogue like some others such as the 'debaser unit' that Blue Marvel fought (Captain America & Mighty Avengers #4-7). BM says Spectrum has been investigating the mess that got left behind.

Blue Marvel points out that it wasn't rogue Beyonders that destroyed the 7th Cosmos (in the leadup to Secret Wars (2015). The Beyonders admit that but claim it was a controlled experiment to try to prevent a coming menace Dominion. Taaia recalls Loki mentioning something like that (in a tale in Thor (2020) #24). Their hosts now admit that their experiment failed and Dominion is still coming. They are placing Concordance Engines hoping their Enigma Force may limit the damage to a few realities, but 616 will definitely be a goner. BM reminds them that humanity survived their experiment and it can do so again if they tell them what the threat is. 1 of the Beyonders replies that as (temporally) linear beings they can't risk drawing the attention of this nonlinear threat. Our Beyonder says that the Defenders should definitely not go to the higher realms that the power for their Engines comes from, but he winks as he says it.

BM reminds his gang that Eternity told them to let no power bar their way. He suggests that Chavez should beat up these 'gods'. She points out that Beyonders are out of her league, even if she hadn't lost most of her power (since her Made In The USA series). But he hands her the Eternity Mask which will make her the equal of any foe. Our Beyonder persuades the others to let him be her opponent. They have an interdimensional fistfight at 'god'-size and the big guy enjoys the sensation of pain. The other Beyonders don't understand how this is happening and little Loki explains that it's her fault as Goddess Of Stories and the rules of narrative (or the extra fictional fundamental force of Narrativium as Terry Pratchett termed it) mean that plucky underdogs get to win. And their spokesman finds himself confined by shrinking panel borders. Tigra reminds them that their Beyonder says he went mad when he was limited, and she figures that's what's happening here. The mad god blasts Taaia even as Blue Marvel, the living anti-matter reactor, powers into his 'flesh-suit' destroying it.

Scorched Taaia fears she's dying but says they must go on. Tigra thinks the still-ongoing tussle between Chavez and the Beyonder is wrecking the place. Loki fears that she's trapped her friends in the story too. But BM spots a circular 'furnace' which he thinks is also a gateway to the higher dimension Beyonder said they got power from. Taaia wants to go through. BM tells America they're leaving and she abandons the fight (which our Beyonder is still enjoying) to join the others in their leap of faith, and our Beyonder follows them.

They pass through fire and find themselves falling through a white reality. A glowing being intercepts Taaia and speaks to her. And she is transformed into the Phoenix.