Time healed all wounds, whether those of a person or a universe.
Years after Link had become the laws of the universe and ended the final battle, Earth and the wider cosmos entered an unprecedented, vibrant new era.
Human scientists deciphered and put some of the technology Link had left behind to use. Interstellar travel was no longer the preserve of a few major powers. Led by the Interstellar Development Corporation, founded by Tony Stark and Princess Shuri, humanity's colony ships reached the first habitable planet beyond the Solar System.
And the superheroes who had once struggled to breathe under the weight of Link's divine power finally rediscovered their true calling.
The Justice League and the Avengers Alliance had once belonged to different universes, until Link's Reality Warping forced those universes together. After a brief period of adjustment and disputes over jurisdiction, the two organizations chose to merge, forming a stronger alliance of guardians: the Earth Guard.
Batman and Iron Man became the Earth Guard's technological and financial backbone.
Captain America and Wonder Woman took charge of training the next generation of heroes, passing on the indomitable spirit with which mortals protected one another.
Superman had briefly been revived by Link with the Time Stone, only to die again. His deeds were remembered forever. People raised an enormous statue in his honor, and he became an enduring symbol of sacrifice and hope.
Across the cosmos, Thanos's shadow was gone, as was the threat of Apokolips. The Kree Empire and the Nova Corps had suffered such heavy losses in the final battle that neither could launch another large-scale interstellar war. A fragile peace settled over the Milky Way Galaxy.
Of course, crime had not vanished.
On Earth, robbers, schemers, and all manner of supervillains still emerged. Across the cosmos, space pirates