—Silver SurferI know you have struggled mightily to bring life to the galaxy... I am proud to see you atone for our shared legacy of destruction, but now all life as we know it is imperiled by a heinous evil, armed with the Soul Gem. I was almost... devoured by power wielded by Ultron. I would not ask if it were not a last resort. What say you, Galactus the Lifebringer? Will you consume one world... to save the entire galaxy?
Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Gamora (Main story and flashback)
- Groot
- Star-Lord (Peter Quill)
- Rocket Raccoon
- ⏴ Ant-Man (Scott Lang) ⏵
- Adam Warlock
- Drax (Arthur Douglas)
Supporting Characters:
- Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) (Cured of the Ultron Virus)
- Nova Corps
- Nova (Commander Scott Adsit)
- Nova Centurion (Commander Eve Bakian)
- Nova (Rich Rider)
- Numerous other members
Antagonists:
- Unnamed aliens infected with the Ultron Virus
- ⏴ Ultron / Hank Pym ⏵
- Fraternity of Raptors
- Talonar (Robbie Rider)
- Numerous unnamed members (Death of several)
- Chitauri Empire
- Warbringer (Apparent death)
- Numerous unnamed soldiers (Apparent death)
Other Characters:
- Unnamed Dwarf (Only in flashback)
- Magus (Mentioned) (Deceased)
- David Bowie (Mentioned) (Deceased) (Topical Reference)
- The Silver Surfer's trillions of victims (Illusion or holographic simulation)
- Thanos (Mentioned)
- Eve's unnamed daughter
- "Old Woman Gamora" (Mentioned)
- Galactus
Races and Species:
- Dwarves (Only in flashback)
- Zen-Whoberis (Main story and flashback)
- Cyborgs
- Zenn-Lavians
- Cosmic Beings
- Numerous unidentified alien species
- Alien Gods (Mentioned)
- Flora colossi
- Human-Spartoi Hybrids
- Shi'ar
- Halfworlders
- Chitauri
- Humans
- Flarks (Invoked)
Locations:
- Prime Marvel Universe (Main story and flashback)
- Unidentified location (Only in flashback)
- Nidavellir (Mentioned) (Only in flashback)
- Milky Way
- Orion
- Orion's Belt
- Unnamed star
- Orion's Belt
- Earth, Solar System (Mentioned)
- Orion
- Soul World (Mentioned)
- Xitaung (Destruction)
- Red Rock (Destruction)
- Chitauri Prime (Mentioned)
- Hell (Invoked)
Items:
- Requiem's armor (Only in flashback)
- Ultron Virus
- Power Cosmic
- Infinity Stones
- Element Guns
- Star-Lord's Uniform
- Nova Stars
- Raptors
- Chitauri Guns
- Ant-Man's Helmet and Suit
- Nova Force
- Nega-Bands
- Inquisitor (Mentioned)
Vehicles:
- Silver Surfer's Surfboard
- Nova Corps' transports
Synopsis for 1st story
Adam Warlock and Ultron resume their fight over the soul stone. Ultron uses his new Silver Surfer captive who is infected with the Ultron Virus, at his disposal to fight Adam Warlock by forcing him to fight OR to listen to the screams of the trillions of victims from his and Galactus' conquests. But Silver Surfer begs Adam Warlock to be killed but Adam Warlock instead heals him by placing him a cocoon similar to his. Silver Surfer erupts from the cocoon healed but instead of fighting immediately leaves the planet while Ultron shows Adam Warlock his many rockets that will soon launch to begin ravaging planets across the galaxy.
The Nova Corps and Guardians continue to fight for the Power Stone against the Chitauri and the Fraternity of Raptors but it become a losing battle which they begin to realize. They determine they can not beat Warbringer. In battle Ant Man is blasted away and lands on a Nova Corps body who is being evacuated by medics. He is seperated from the Guardians. Overall the Nova Corps begin to retreat and the Guardians and Commander Eve with her newborn decide they will stick around to cover them.
Meanwhile Nova connects with his recently reunited brother Talon-R who is gravely injured. Talon-R warns Nova that Warbringer can not get the Power Stone at all costs and that he realizes they maybe in the midst of a "simulation" and to remember "Mind over Matter."
As the Guardians begin to accept their imminent defeat Drax whips out his saxophone and plays a tune, which the Chitauri believe is their own Horn of Doom. Nova tells the Guardians he believes the battle is "Mind Over Matter" which leads Starlord to approach the power stone with the mindset it is not actually so large. It works and he and Drax via his saxophone use the power stone to defeat the Chitauri momentarily but realize they need Nova to spirit the group away from the planet.
Finally, Silver Surfer has now approached Galactus in space asking him if he will upend his pacifist, Lifegiving ways to consume one planet (Xiatung where Ultron is) to save the Galaxy.