Chapter Summaries

Russell persuaded Thanos to abandon his plan to eliminate half the universe and join him in exploring and building beyond it. Thanos agreed to go with Russell, while still hoping that greater power might one day let him resurrect Gamora.

• Russell explained that the universe’s resource limits could be overcome by finding new realms and expanding its capacity instead of eliminating people.
• Russell urged Thanos to share the burden of protecting the universe and join a cosmic civilization as a builder.
• Russell told Thanos that Ancient One had chosen to trust others and leave Earth’s protection to him.
• Thanos remembered pushing Gamora off a cliff, and Russell said she was truly dead but that her death could help inspire a new beginning.
• Thanos asked whether Gamora could return, and Russell said it might be possible with power beyond the universe.
• Thanos agreed to go with Russell and help build beyond the universe.

Thanos chose to join Russell and abandon his plan to wipe out half the universe, then explained his decision to the Black Order. The chapter ended with Thanos insisting that he was not being controlled and declaring, “I am still destiny.”

• Thanos agreed to go with Russell but paused to explain his decision to the Black Order.
• Thanos told his followers that he had been wrong to believe destroying half the universe would bring balance.
• Thanos introduced Russell as Earth's guardian and announced that he was joining Russell's team to build civilizations.
• The Black Order doubted Thanos's choice, and Ebony Maw accused Russell of controlling him.
• Thanos recalled the sacrifices and devastation his old mission had caused, then insisted he was not controlled.

Thanos rejected his old mission and agreed to follow Russell, while the Black Order chose to accompany him or, in Ebony Maw’s case, reserve judgment. They arrived above New York, where Magneto approached Thanos as the former conqueror looked down at the people he had once planned to destroy.

• Thanos told Ebony Maw that building a universe was better than destroying half its population, and asked whether he should reject Russell’s offer.
• Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight abandoned their weapons and pledged to follow Thanos; Cull Obsidian and Supergiant joined them, while Ebony Maw chose to go but said he would keep watching Thanos.
• Thanos led the Black Order through Russell’s spatial rift, and Russell followed as the rift closed behind them over Titan.
• Russell and Thanos appeared above New York, where Thanos saw the people he had once intended to conquer and destroy.
• Magneto flew up from the crowd and called out to Thanos.

Russell, Magneto, Jean Grey, and Thanos confronted the consequences of Thanos’s past choices as a massive whirlpool opened in the Hudson River. Ancient One revealed that a Herald of Galactus had caused the disaster, and Russell considered what the herald intended to do.

• Ebony Maw insulted Magneto, but Thanos stopped him and said the group had not come to fight.
• Jean Grey accused Thanos of killing his daughter for an Infinity Stone, and Magneto warned Thanos not to waste Russell’s chance to choose creation over destruction.
• Jean sensed a disturbance near the Hudson River as a vast whirlpool formed and began swallowing the river and the structures along its banks.
• Ancient One told Russell that a Herald of Galactus had created the whirlpool, and Russell acknowledged the threat as Thanos warned that Earth might be swallowed.

Silver Surfer arrived in the Hudson River to warn Earth that Galactus would consume it in two days. Russell challenged Norrin Radd to abandon his role as herald, but Silver Surfer doubted that doing so could stop Galactus.

• Silver Surfer emerged from the Hudson River and told Earth's guardians that Galactus had chosen the planet as food and would arrive shortly.
• Russell stopped Silver Surfer and learned his name, then reminded him that Norrin Radd had once made a deal with Galactus to save Zenn-La.
• Russell confronted Silver Surfer about the worlds he had helped Galactus devour and urged him to choose not to serve his master.
• Silver Surfer resisted Russell's argument, saying Galactus could not be defied and that his hunger maintained the universe's balance.
• Russell told Silver Surfer he could stop being Galactus's herald, but Silver Surfer replied that Galactus would still not be stopped.

Russell told Silver Surfer that an ordinary person on Earth could defeat Galactus, though he would not be the one to do it. He revealed that he had found the person he meant: Stan Lee, an old man eating a hamburger and writing about superheroes in Queens.

• Russell challenged Silver Surfer’s belief that no one could stop Galactus, and Magneto said Russell could do it.
• Ebony Maw and Thanos doubted Russell’s claim that anyone chosen at random could defeat Galactus, while the others reacted with varying degrees of trust and skepticism.
• Russell argued that even an ordinary old man could possess power the cosmic gods overlooked.
• Russell identified Stan Lee as the old man, locating him in a Queens fast-food restaurant.

Russell brought Silver Surfer, Thanos, and the Black Order to meet Stan Lee, claiming the writer could stop Galactus from destroying Earth. Stan recognized Russell and Thanos, and suggested Russell had already found a way to confront the coming threat.

• Ebony Maw, Silver Surfer, and Thanos doubted Russell’s claim that Stan Lee could defeat Galactus, while Magneto continued to trust Russell.
• Russell opened a Portal and led Silver Surfer, Thanos, and the Black Order to a fast-food restaurant in Queens, leaving Magneto and Jean behind.
• The group found Stan Lee writing superhero stories, while the restaurant’s customers froze in shock at their arrival.
• Stan recognized Russell and identified Thanos, then listened as Russell warned him that Galactus would arrive in two days to consume Earth.
• Russell called Stan the God of Stories, and Stan replied that Russell’s visit meant he had already found a way.

Russell told Stan Lee that he was expected to stop Galactus by writing a story that would make the cosmic being abandon devouring. Stan Lee admitted he was no ordinary old man and unleashed a higher-dimensional power, bringing everything in the fast-food restaurant to a standstill.

• Russell told Stan Lee that the group’s plan was for Stan Lee to deal with Galactus, who would reach Earth in two days.
• Stan Lee insisted he was an ordinary old man, while Silver Surfer and Thanos sensed a fleeting, immense power within him.
• Russell explained that Stan Lee’s stories inspired hope and suggested he write one to make Galactus believe he no longer needed to devour.
• Stan Lee acknowledged that Russell was right and revealed his higher-dimensional power, freezing everything in the restaurant.

Russell confronted Stan Lee, who admitted he had sent Loki to the Time Variance Authority so he could grow beyond Thor’s shadow and choose his own path. Loki was seized by TVA agents in another universe, leaving Thor unable to find him.

• Russell told Stan Lee he viewed him as a creator who surpassed the God of Stories, and Stan Lee acknowledged that he could correct timelines when necessary.
• Stan Lee tapped his notebook, and Loki vanished through an orange-yellow Time Portal while standing beside Thor aboard the S.P.E.A.R. Helicarrier.
• Thor searched for Loki with Rune Power, found no trace, and struck the Helicarrier wall in anguish.
• Loki awoke in a desert in another universe and was surrounded by TVA agents carrying Time Sticks.
• Stan Lee explained that Loki did not need to become the God of Stories in this universe and said the TVA would help him see possibilities beyond Thor’s side and Russell’s shadow.
• Stan Lee admitted he had given Loki an opportunity to grow and declared that he possessed the authority of the God of Stories.

Stan Lee explained that he would transfer Galactus’s Cosmic Power to Spider-Man, making Peter Parker the new host and leaving Galactus powerless in this universe. After Stan Lee vanished to find Spider-Man, Russell put away his notebook and pen, and Silver Surfer and Thanos learned that Spider-Man was meant to defeat Galactus.

• Russell pressed Stan Lee about dealing with Galactus, and Stan Lee agreed to arrange it without confronting Galactus himself.
• Stan Lee said Spider-Man would gain Galactus’s Cosmic Power by calling out prescribed words, while Galactus would revert to his previous-universe form in this universe.
• Stan Lee left money on the table and vanished to tell Spider-Man about the plan.
• Russell stored Stan Lee’s notebook and pen, ending the frozen moment in the restaurant.
• Silver Surfer asked where Stan Lee had gone, and Russell told him Spider-Man would defeat Galactus, leaving Thanos and his allies stunned.

Silver Surfer questioned whether Spider-Man could defeat Galactus, while Russell said Galactus’s outcome had already been decided. Madame Web summoned Spider-Man and told him Galactus would reach Earth in two days, then sent him to Russell for instructions.

• Silver Surfer gathered information about Spider-Man and asked Russell if he could defeat Galactus, and Russell told him to wait and see.
• Spider-Man rescued a cat in Queens and reflected on how mutants had made the city peaceful and left him with little to do.
• Spider-Man wondered about S.H.I.E.L.D. and Tony Stark in the Spatial Cage before his Spider-Sense warned him and green smoke carried him to an unknown space.
• Madame Web told Spider-Man that Galactus would arrive in two days and devour Earth.
• Spider-Man suggested Madame Web should ask Russell for help, but she told him to go to Russell and sent him back to reality.

After Madame Web warned Spider-Man that Galactus would devour Earth, Spider-Man set out to find Russell for guidance. Madame Web then revealed that the Beyonder had arranged the meeting to repay a favor and ordered her to mark the universe for his reserve list before he departed.

• Spider-Man remembered Madame Web's warning about Galactus and decided to find Russell, then heard Russell call to him and swung toward him.
• Madame Web questioned why the Beyonder had sent her to find an ordinary Spider-Man and direct him to Russell.
• The Beyonder explained that he was repaying a favor and confirmed that he had arranged for Spider-Man to seek Russell's help.
• The Beyonder observed Russell, Thanos, and Silver Surfer, then ordered Madame Web to place the universe on his reserve list.
• Madame Web formed a miniature model of the universe, tucked it into her cloak, and confirmed that she had marked it as the Beyonder began to depart.

Spider-Man met Russell and his cosmic allies after Madame Web warned that Galactus would destroy Earth in two days. Silver Surfer tested Spider-Man and judged him too weak, but Russell said it was time for something.

• Madame Web told Spider-Man to grow stronger before leaving Earth to follow the Beyonder.
• Spider-Man told Russell that Madame Web had warned him Galactus would destroy Earth in two days, and Russell confirmed it.
• Russell introduced Spider-Man to Thanos, Silver Surfer, and the Black Order as allies against Galactus.
• Silver Surfer attacked Spider-Man to test his strength, then restrained him with Cosmic Energy.
• Silver Surfer called Spider-Man too weak, and Russell said, "It's time."

Russell transported Spider-Man, Thanos, Silver Surfer, and the Black Order to Kree Lal, where Galactus’s herald Tyrant was destroying the planet ahead of Galactus’s arrival. As Spider-Man learned that they would face Galactus after confronting his herald, a Shi'ar commander discovered Thanos and the others on the planet.

• Russell told Spider-Man he could not defeat Galactus, then transported him, Thanos, Silver Surfer, and the Black Order to Kree Lal.
• Russell explained that Tyrant was ravaging the planet to prepare it for Galactus, who was expected to arrive in two hours.
• Silver Surfer recognized Tyrant and described him as a brutal herald who destroyed civilizations before Galactus devoured them.
• Spider-Man questioned Russell’s plan, and Russell said they would defeat Tyrant and then face Galactus.
• Commander Korath learned that Shi'ar squads sent to Kree Lal had been destroyed and that Galactus would arrive in two hours.
• Korath’s crew detected Thanos and the others on the planet, and Korath ordered their image displayed on the main screen.

Korath identified Silver Surfer as another Herald of Galactus and reported the new threat on Kree Lal to Shi'ar Empire headquarters. Tyrant's Herald confronted Silver Surfer and his allies, then prepared to attack them.

• Korath's crew detected that the silver humanoid was a Herald of Galactus, and Korath ordered them to send their findings to Shi'ar Empire headquarters while monitoring the group.
• Ebony Maw offered to deal with the Shi'ar warship watching them, but Thanos said it posed no danger.
• Tyrant's Herald appeared before Silver Surfer and accused him of trespassing and bringing potential food for Galactus without following procedure.
• Spider-Man introduced himself and said the group had come to defeat Galactus, prompting Tyrant's Herald to mock him and call Silver Surfer a traitor.
• Tyrant's Herald gathered dark red energy and declared that he would wipe out Silver Surfer and the others himself.

Silver Surfer fought Tyrant's Herald on Kree Lal, gaining the upper hand with faster attacks while refusing to let Russell and Spider-Man intervene. As Korath ordered the battle footage sent to Shi'ar headquarters, the communications officer identified Russell in the recording.

• Tyrant's Herald attacked Silver Surfer with dark red energy and summoned cosmic creatures, but Silver Surfer dodged and cut down the creatures with a blade of cosmic energy.
• Silver Surfer shattered his mirror into blades that sliced Tyrant's Herald apart, and Tyrant's Herald reassembled and admitted Silver Surfer had grown stronger.
• Silver Surfer and Tyrant's Herald clashed their energy attacks, unleashing an explosion that drove Spider-Man back; Russell told Spider-Man to let Silver Surfer handle the fight.
• Korath ordered his crew to monitor the Heralds' battle and send the footage to Shi'ar headquarters.
• Tyrant's Herald claimed Galactus would reward him for defeating Silver Surfer, while Silver Surfer said he only wanted to stop being Galactus's tool.
• A communications officer told Korath that the man standing with his hands in his pockets in the footage was Russell.

Korath recognized Russell and ordered the Shi'ar warship to retreat while keeping watch. After Galactus arrived to consume Kree Lal, Russell gathered Thanos, the Black Order, Silver Surfer, and Spider-Man to confront him, then told Spider-Man that a few words could defeat Galactus.

• Korath recognized Russell from the Shi'ar Empire's top-secret order and ordered his warship to retreat another light-year while monitoring the group.
• Silver Surfer and Tyrant's Herald continued their battle above Kree Lal as Russell explained to Spider-Man that Heralds could fight as long as their cosmic energy lasted.
• Galactus arrived, and Tyrant's Herald told him that Kree Lal's three hundred million lives were ready as food and that Silver Surfer had betrayed him.
• Russell opened a rift and led Thanos, the Black Order, Spider-Man, and Silver Surfer into space to face Galactus.
• Galactus asked if they could stop him, and Russell said he was certain before telling Spider-Man that he only needed to say a few words.

Russell told Spider-Man to shout “Come into my body!” and the command caused Galactus’s power to flow into him. Spider-Man became Cosmic Spider-Man, still himself but wielding Galactus’s power.

• Galactus reclaimed Silver Surfer’s Cosmic Power and threatened to devour Zenn-La for his betrayal.
• Spider-Man told Russell that he wanted to fight Galactus, and Russell instructed him to shout, “Come into my body!”
• Spider-Man shouted the words, and Galactus’s energy began pouring into him, leaving Galactus stunned.
• Spider-Man felt the galaxy through his new power, and Russell called him Cosmic Spider-Man.

Spider-Man gained Galactus's cosmic power and learned it came with an endless hunger to devour planets. He refused to let the curse change him, shared some power with Silver Surfer, and left Kree Lal safe as Korath reported the outcome to headquarters.

• Galan revealed that the cosmic will had chosen Spider-Man as its new host and that Galactus's hunger had passed to him.
• Spider-Man rejected Galan's warning that the hunger would make him devour planets and vowed to use his powers to help people.
• Spider-Man sensed suffering across the universe and decided to use his new power for good.
• Spider-Man restored Silver Surfer's powers by sharing some of his cosmic energy with him.
• Korath ordered the footage sent to headquarters and reported that Russell and Spider-Man had saved Kree Lal.

Spider-Man absorbed the Cosmic Power of three of Galactus's Heralds after Russell prompted him to invoke the Cosmic Will, leaving him transformed into one of the universe's most powerful beings. The Shi'ar Empire congratulated Russell and Spider-Man, while Spider-Man wondered whether his new power could let him defeat Russell and quickly decided not to test it.

• Spider-Man absorbed the Cosmic Power of Tyrant's Herald and the other two Heralds, leaving them powerless.
• Korath learned that Spider-Man had absorbed the Heralds' power and received word that the Shi'ar Empire had saved Kree Lal and wanted to honor Russell and Spider-Man.
• Ebony Maw and Thanos watched Spider-Man's transformation, and Thanos asked Russell how he had made it happen.
• Russell said Spider-Man had gained the Cosmic Will's recognition after speaking a line Russell suggested.
• Spider-Man asked Russell whether he could now defeat him, then backed down and joked about being unable to afford rent.