Thanos | My task was to save Rigel-18. But my foe moved too quickly for me to thwart his plans. I have failed. |
Pip the Troll | Don't let it get you down, big guy. You saved a lot of Rigellian lives. Besides, everybody strikes out occasionally. |
Thanos | Thanos is not everybody. I know not how to accept defeat with any sort of grace. This affair is yet to be concluded. |
Appearing in "Alone!"
Featured Characters:
- Thanos (Main story and flashback)
- Adam Warlock (Main story and flashback)
Supporting Characters:
- Rigellian Grand Commissioner (As hologram)
- Rigellian Recorder
- Galactus/Galan (Main story and flashback)
- Moondragon
- Pip the Troll
Antagonists:
- Hunger (Shadow only)
Other Characters:
- Eternity/The Sentience of the Universe (Only in flashback)
- Rune (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Galan's fellow scientists (Only in flashback)
- Skrulls, Kree, numerous others alien species (In vision)
- Death (Mentioned)
Locations:
- Earth-616 (Main story and flashback)
- System Star 1857-C (Possible destruction)
- Rigel-18 (Destruction)
- Cosmic Egg (Only in flashback)
- System Star 1857-C (Possible destruction)
Items:
Synopsis for "Alone!"
Galactus's background is revealed in flashbacks; he was among a group of scientists from Taa who plunged into the cosmic egg that caused the extermination of all reality and its re-formulation into a new universe at the time of the Big Bang. At first his need to devours worlds caused him pangs of guilt he learned not to sleep. Recently he discovered an energy signature that, startlingly, matches his own when he devours planets. He sees this as the solution to his own dilemma of having to devour worlds.
Galactus is contacted telepathically by Thanos, using the powers of Moondragon as a conduit. They meet as equals on a mental plane and Thanos asks what he is trying to harvest from Rigel-18. He proposes to aid him in exchange for knowledge, which Galactus refuses to provide and so Thanos tries to mind-meld with him to learn his intentions. Galactus fights off this effort and, upset by his effrontery, resolves to kill Thanos. Thanos says it was only diversionary anyway; during the process Pip the Troll was able to plant various bugs in Galactus’s ship to hack into his databases. Galactus powers up his array and begins the process of retrieval. They realize Galactus intends to make the system’s sun go nova. Thanos and company must race away, but he scans the exploding star to find Galactus at the center of it, retrieving something from within an interdimensional portal that has opened there. Thanos cannot tell what Galactus has purloined from the other reality, but we see that it is the skeleton of Rune, with an Infinity stone affixed to its chest.
Meanwhile the shadowy apparition suddenly notices the reader's presence and says it is time to talk.