The Thanos Imperative is another Abnett/Lanning cosmic event but, unlike the ones before it, there are relatively few tie-ins.  The final issues of Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova lead into it (but are inessential).  Other than that, it’s just the 6-issue miniseries plus two one-shots:

• The Thanos Imperative: Ignition #1
• The Thanos Imperative #1-6
• The Thanos Imperative Devastation #1 (which actually came out in January 2011)

Background: The “fault,” which was created during the War/Realm of Kings event, is basically a hole in space-time that serves as a portal to the “Cancerverse.” 

Thanos has been resurrected and is in prison, guarded by the Guardians of the Galaxy.  He escapes, of course.

Meanwhile, Nova is chasing an alternate version of Quasar, who emerged from the fault.  Finally, Magus is back as well and he unleashes all kinds of bad monsters from the Fault–led by Lord Mar-Vell.

He is an alternate Captain Marvel, who wants to “cleanse” death from the 616 Universe.

Ironically, though, he starts his mission by killing Magus.  So much for ending death, eh? Don’t worry, though. This is cosmic Marvel. Nobody dies forever.

I like the irony of this story–in the Cancerverse, they’ve abolished death and therefore life is out of control–life has become a “cancer.”

Thanos, of course, doesn’t want any of this.  He loves death.  Literally.  So he teams up with the Guardians to stop Lord Mar-Vell.

Major cosmic beings and galaxy armadas also arrive to resist the spread of Cancerverse, which is full of grotesque versions of Earth 616 heroes.

That’s the Defenders.

Of course they’re successful–it’s the telling that’s so great–and I won’t spoil the ins and outs for you.   

Important outcomes: In addition to Magus being killed by Lord Mar-Vell, Drax goes crazy from the influence of the Cancerverse, and Thanos kills him.

Lord Mar-Vell dies too.

This, I believe, is the only death from this event that actually sticks.

In the end, there’s a funeral for the fallen, which appears to include Star-Lord and Nova.

They stayed behind to keep Thanos in the Cancerverse.

The thinking was that they had put the Cancerverse on a path to destruction and Thanos would die along with it.

Thus, the heroes provide the ultimate sacrifice. But none of them end up dying. And the Cancerverse still exists.  All tales for another day.

I don’t know how Abnett and Lanning keep hitting home runs with these cosmic stories, but they do.