Knowhere, far from Midgard.
The Collector was examining his newest acquisition.
It was a curiosity from another world, purchased from his brother, the Grandmaster, at a hefty price.
An enormous lizard.
It was locked inside the collection gallery he took such pride in.
The lizard was virtually immortal, with extraordinary evolutionary abilities that allowed it to survive any attack.
"Unparalleled!"
The Collector admired the lizard struggling inside his display cabinet.
The Arena that the Grandmaster had obtained from John made even the Collector jealous.
Yet the foolish Grandmaster focused only on the warriors, never paying attention to the wonderfully bizarre collectibles made available by its connections to hundreds of worlds.
To the Collector, that was sheer idiocy.
That place had captivated the Elders of the Universe.
The Collector had even considered claiming Sakaar for himself.
But the Grandmaster vehemently opposed the idea.
Even though the place no longer belonged to him.
The Grandmaster had long since been blinded by the Arena.
Just as the Collector was setting his sights on Sakaar, an enormous spaceship quietly approached.
Thanos had arrived.
The foolish Asgardians had entrusted the Reality Stone to the greediest Collector. The sheer stupidity of that decision made Thanos scoff.
The Collector's greed was infamous throughout the universe.
Thanos landed on Knowhere. As his feet touched the ground, he mused, "The skull of a Celestial?"
His expression grew meaningful.
A mere skull was the size of a planet.
These creatures infested planets like parasites, sustaining themselves by draining the nourishment from every living thing on them.
Thanos walked inside.
The Collector noticed someone entering, but he never imagined that someone would be Thanos.
The moment they met, alarm bells rang in the Collector's mind.
The Elders of the Universe had limitless lifespans, but not limitless power.
Thanos's arrival also made