After three miniseries and the launch of the Nova series, the background for main event is established and ready to start.
The Phalanx have assimilated the Kree and several powerful cosmic characters. Teams of heroes have formed to fight them. We start with the last stand of Blastaar…
They fall, and are assimilated.
Warlock’s team, which has the new Quasar and Moondragon-who-is-now-the-Dragon-of-the-Moon learn that the Phalanx are being led by the greatest technological assimilator of all, Ultron.
Yes, that’s Xemnu and Korath–assimilated by Phalanx and working with Ultron. Shattarax is also assimilated.
Ultron ends up using the Phalanx infection to take over Korath’s body, killing him. When they are losing the battle, they teleport away to meet up with High Evolutionary to try to get him to join the biological battle against technological annihilation. But Ultron follows them there and kills Moondragon.
Daaaaaaamn.
Ultron then captures High Evolutionary and uses him to infect Warlock with Ultron’s own programming.
While this has been going on, the other teams are doing their part in the conflict.
Ronan, Super Skrull, and some Kree Sentries conduct a land-war on Hala and manage to destroy most of the Phalanx occupation. They’re joined by Nova’s team, from his own series, during the final issues of this miniseries.
Starlord (alternatively called “Star-Lord” with the hyphen) and his team (the future Guardians of the Galaxy) have been cuasing problems for the Phalanx.
Their adventure is fun even if the details don’t matter as much–and part of what makes it great is watching them learn how to work together, like Mantis and Groot figuring out that their powers can work together to make Groo much more powerful. There’s a scene in the GotG movie where Groo sacrifices his own life to save the rest. That happens here, too…
It’s not as emotionally resonant as the film because haven’t gotten to spend that much time with him as a character.
But the main story is still the one with Warlock. We learn that Ultron’s plan is to mass-produce Adam Warlocks using High Ev’s technology, infect and control them all, and destroy all life on Earth.
Nova’s arrival brings the Technarch Warlock and his new son Tyro. Have you ever noticed how confusing it is to have two Warlocks who are aliens, both of whom have relatives named Magus (Adam’s evil twin and Technarch Warlock’s daddy)? The Phalanx, it turns out, were created by the Technarch’s own assimilation virus (very nice continuity touch!). Along with the heroes, they manage to infect Ultron with their own Techno-Organic Virus, destroying the Phalanx and forcing him to pull the Phalanx together and form a giant Ultron. To counter, Adam Warlock and Quasar use their Quantum Bands to pull in the souls of all Kree taken by the Phalanx, thus empowering her quantum sword with the collective Kree power. Collective life versus collective tech, and life wins.
Ultron appears to be dead at the end. But of course he had a planned escape and survived.
In the aftermath, Warlock forms a team to protect the galaxy. Guess what they’re called?
Also, Groo isn’t dead.
English (US) · 