Thoughts on Marvel Universe: The End?

[Ite]

Just got this off Ebay and read it again after a few years. I originally read the whole thing online.

I tried searching for a old thread on this but couldn't find one. What are everyone's thoughts on it? It started off cool with the Pharaoh taking over and Thanos and Defenders stopping him, but after that it became a mess in my opinion. It just became another Thanos taking over story, and in the end what was the point? For there never to be another hero ressurection in the Marvel Universe? Funny that there have been some since. Also when Thanos gets supreme power he said there was never "One Above All" just limitless power. So does that debunct the idea of a Almighty God figure in the Marvel Universe or was it a trick on Thanos? Also how did Thanos yet again come back from the dead after this or did he revert himself back to normal?

[DeadXMan]

Just got this off Ebay and read it again after a few years. I originally read the whole thing online.

I tried searching for a old thread on this but couldn't find one. What are everyone's thoughts on it? It started off cool with the Pharaoh taking over and Thanos and Defenders stopping him, but after that it became a mess in my opinion. It just because another Thanos taking over story, and in the end what was the point? For there never to be another hero ressurection in the Marvel Universe? Funny that there have been some since. Also when Thanos gets supreme power he said there was never "One Above All" just limitless power. So does that debunct the idea of a Almighty God figure in the Marvel Universe or was it a trick on Thanos? Also how did Thanos yet again come back from the dead after this or did he revert himself back to normal?

that's how Marvel issused Dead means dead. which was given up a few years later.

Thanos made people he was dead, gave up his evil ways and then was killed by Drax in Annihilation

[Ite]

Was it ever explained how he came back?

[paulski]

In answer to the original question, this story was complete dreck. :frown:

[Chris N]

I spotted several lines of dialogue unapologetically lifted almost verbatim from the Infinity Gauntlet.


I'd summarize the story as, "Starlin had bills to pay".

[Alexrules]

Never heard of it, personally. They finally put out a reprint of Hulk:The End some time ago, that was great.

I think Civil War was the end of Marvel. You'd never see them put out a book of that 'quality' before. Ugh.

[Expletive Deleted]

Was it ever explained how he came back?Starlin's six issue run on the THANOS ongoing were a direct sequel, more or less. I don't remember the details, but that's where I'd assume it's dealt with. Don't expect too much, though. Quality-wise, it's about on the same level as THE END.

By the way, it's arguable whether or not this mini is entirely in continuity. The 2006 Official Handbook series said it took place on "Earth 4321," with the proviso that something similar had to have happened in the regular MU in order to get everything to sync up.

[agrich]

I'm a big Starlin fan but even I didn't care for the thing. Had too much of a been there, done that sort of feel.

The stuff with Dr. Doom was probably the highlight of the series.

I remember the debate over whether it was in continuity or not, which is just crazy. Nothing actually happens to any characters that prevents it from being in continuity, and plus the events of the series are referenced in the Thanos series, which is in continuity. So making it out of continuity is not only unnecessary but nonsensical.

I liked Infinity Abyss; had that been Starlin's last word on Thanos, Warlock, Gamora et al, I would have been fine with it. Sometimes I just pretend that it was.

[Shellhead]

I enjoyed it, but it wasn't exactly Starlin's best work. It was like hearing your favorite aging musician play a half-hearted medley of some of his hits. However, I really liked the short-lived reunion of the Defenders during that storyline. Starlin wrote them better than anybody has in the last 30 years.

[Ite]

Yeah The Defenders reunion and Dr Doom's time traveling were my favorite parts.

So what about the issue of there being no Marvel "God", I hated that idea.

[Lord S]

MU: The End was an interesting story. Obviously not one of Starlin's best, but certainly not his worst...and definitely better than most The End stories out there, with the exception of FF: The End, which was the best one, IMO.

I too loved the Doom subplot. Starlin definitely knows how how to write a good Dr. Doom. I was rooting for him the way I was when reading Infinity War.

Continuity-wise it was supposed to be set in an alternate universe, (like all The Ends), but Thanos of 616 did reference the event in a later book, and Marvel's explanation for that was that something similar to The End took place in the 616 universe, yet totally off-panel. So all the goofy parts of The End can be dismissed because it wasn't canon...ie. Thanos usurping God with a capital G, (which is just stupid), and defeating LT, etc. I've seen fierce debates on other forums about whether or not Thanos became God of just one universe, or the entire multiverse...and all signs point toward just one universe. He mentions "this reality", so it definitely wasn't the multiverse.

[XPac]

I enjoyed the story right up until the point where Starlin had Thanos cumberstomping all the cosmics... by that point, it became obvious that he really did run out of ideas. The well was dry.

I also think it's lame that the story isn't cannon, but something very similar to it occured off panel in cannon. Either make it the story, or ignore it completely... saying something similar happened off panel completely misses the point of storytelling.

[Westgarth J]

Gotta love off-panel events. If it weren't for the phenomenon, we could just dismiss lazy/poor writing for what it is.

[worstblogever]

Underwhelming. Mailed in. Still think it's better than the 18 part X-Men: The End, but that's because at least this costed less, in total.

[Make Mine Mar-Vell]

Maybe Starlin realized that for such a complex villain, he needed it's original heroic opponent.

[striderhirryu2]

Just wiki'd it and it sounds like the exact same story as the What If Dr. Doom kept the Beyonder's powers story. Buddy gets supercharged, kills some big players, /flex, gives up power to hit the reset button. Looks like a major pass to me.

[agrich]

Maybe Starlin realized that for such a complex villain, he needed its original heroic opponent.

.....Iron Man?

[Shellhead]

.....Iron Man?

Ha-ha, so true!

Thanos first appeared in Iron Man #55.