Thanos (2003 series) #4

Thanos is trying to make reparations for past misdeeds, starting with the Rigellians. He went to Rigel-18 to stop Galactus devouring it. Adam Warlock was unaccountably compelled to go there too. But it turned out Big G's real aim was to make the star of the system go Nova so he could open a portal at its heart to retrieve something from another dimension. And we saw that it was the skeleton of Rune from the Ultraverse with the Space Gem on his chest. We also know that this is the 5th of 6 objects he needs to create a cure for his eternal hunger. We suspect they are the Infinity Gems, and the missing Soul Gem is on Warlock's brow.
Meanwhile a set of glowing eyes and mouth have been watching the proceedings from yet another dimension, and at the end of last issue the watcher became aware of us readers.

Now the entity names itself Hunger and explains how it's been studying this reality since it detected the 6 Infinity Gems combined in the Infinity Gauntlet event. It couldn't isolate this particular reality at 1st until the combo was used again (by the Magus in the Infinity War event). A problem was that this reality is spherical. Hunger could easily enter parallel dimensions but spherical ones needed someone to cooperate from the inside to let him in. He needed someone with great power to collect the Gems and great intellect to create the apparatus to use them, but also with a weakness that could be exploited. He settled on Galactus who was desperate to escape from his hunger. He altered the energy patterns that G recorded of the 6 Gems so that they appeared to match the energy that G lived on. And he messed with G's brain to make him conceive the plan and create the device which he thinks will siphon off the energy for his consumption. But in reality the device will let Hunger into this universe, and then he will consume the whole reality.

In that reality a small horde of Galactus' robot enforcers called Punishers fly through space. Meanwhile Thanos has deciphered Galactus' files written in the language of Taa, the planet that Galan came from in the previous universe. He tells Pip the Troll that he intends to continue to aid the Rigellians against Big G even though he failed to save Rigel-18, and for that he needs to learn all he can about his foe. Having helped T get that data last issue Pip intends to go on his way, but the Titan tells him to stay or he'll dissect him for the purpose of discovering why the Troll's teleportation is undetectable. But for the time being he tells him to go bother Warlock or the Rigellian Recorder.

Pip teleports to Adam who was just enjoying time away from the Recorder's incessantly stating everything he is recording. Warlock says he's having trouble reconciling himself to a recent change (at the end of Marvel Universe: The End) such that superchars will no longer get resurrected after they die, which also applies to himself and his cocoon. His mortality is particularly worrying now that he and Gamora have fallen in love (after the Infinity Abyss series). When the current crisis is over he'll return to her where they are looking after the child Atleza (see IA again).

Meanwhile Thanos has discovered Galactus' file called Project Redemption which describes how he's found a substitute for the energy he consumes from living planets, which could end his role as the Devourer Of Worlds. He also finds a Retrieval file which reveals that the substitute is the 6 Infinity Gems. T can't understand why G has created a machine to access the energy of the Gems when he could have just used the Gems to attain godhood and then wish his hunger away. He also discovers that the analysis of the Gems in Galactus' data doesn't match his own. He deduces that someone is tampering with G's data, and possibly his mind.

All this musing is interrupted when the Punishers invade his starship Sanctuary. Thanos easily defeats the robots that attack him, but realises this is just a diversion and the real target is Warlock's Soul Gem. Adam's not faring quite as well while Pip cheers from the sidelines and the Recorder gets accidentally broken in half. Thanos pops in to blast the Punishers but not before 1 of them plucks the gem from recumbent Warlock. It and some others teleport away but 1 remains which T says is going to self-destruct and destroy the ship. He tells the Troll to teleport Warlock to Rendezvous #7 while he himself collects some necessary stuff, leaving the Recorder to his fate. The Titan gathers data he needs and summons a replacement spaceship. He declares that Galactus erred by not killing him, and he creates a portal to escape through as his ship explodes.

An hour later Pip joins him with Adam at Rendezvous #7. He explains that he couldn't remember which rendezvous point was which and has spent the time teleporting all over the galaxy. Thanos remarks that Warlock will be no use in the upcoming conflict, and Pip's tardiness means they don't have time to recruit any more allies. So it's up to the 2 of them to save the universe from whoever's manipulating Galactus.

G attaches the Soul Gem to a device which holds the other 5 and prepares to turn it on. Which the watching Hunger eagerly anticipates.