Due to a defective control crystal in his head, the Vision tried to take over the world’s computers to bring about an age of peace, sending the Avengers on various missions to distract them while he initiated his plan. The Vision eventually regained control of himself, but Captain Marvel‘s mission to check up on Sanctuary II – the warship of the deceased ‘Mad Titan’ Thanos – would actually bear fruit.
The Avengers are about to find themselves in the middle of an intergalactic civil war. Not only will side with the shapeshifting Skrulls this time, they’ll also find out that Thanos has a longer legacy…
This story is referred to in trade paperback form as ‘The Legacy of Thanos’, though I believe they opted for this title from the many story/chapter titles from the issues involved because Thanos was a more recognisable name, due to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But let’s face it, this is a Skrulls story more than a Thanos story.
Crossover: The Avengers story crosses directly into the Avengers Annual, with the Fantastic Four Annual retelling the story from their perspective; you can easily understand the whole story by only reading the Avengers issues and the Avengers Annual.
Related Events: The Spider-Man issues are directly related, priming Firelord for his inclusion in the Avengers issues.
Must-Reads: Issues marked with a ✔are essential to the story.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
Previous events that directly impact this story:
- THE FINAL THREAT (1977) – Death of Thanos; Sanctuary II abandoned
- THE TRIAL OF REED RICHARDS (1983-1984) – Galactus consumes the SKrull Throneworld
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- Avengers #255-257
- Amazing Spider-Man #269
- Avengers #258
- Amazing Spider-Man #270
- Avengers #259-260
- Avengers Annual #14
- Fantastic Four Annual #19
- Avengers #261
| Must Reads | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Avengers #255 Unaware that she’s been given ‘busy work’ by the Vision, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau) has headed into deep space to check the status of Thanos‘ abandoned command ship, Sanctuary II. She boards and reports back to the Vision who admits that there never was a signal from the ship. However, she stumbles upon a small assembly of mercenary aliens aboard Sanctuary II who force her to join them when they jump the ship further into space. Back on Earth, the US Government consider removing the Avengers‘ special status. The Vision and Scarlet Witch decide to leave the Avengers just as the Wasp officially returns to the line-up. 1st appearance: Gunthar, Kehl, Levan, Skunge, |
| ✔ | Avengers #256 The Olympian god Apollo visits Avengers Mansion to give Hercules a new costume. Government agents spy on the Avengers. Captain America hands the mantle of leadership back to the Wasp. The Avengers are summoned to the South Atlantic where a cargo ship carrying Terminus‘ spear has been wiped out. They follow the trail to Antarctica where they learn Terminus has entered the Savage Land. In space, Captain Marvel learns new ways to use her powers while she’s held prisoner by the space pirates… 1st appearance: ‘Terminus’/Jorro |
| ✔ | Avengers #257 Terminus tears the Savage Land apart in search of large technological devices beneath the surface. The Avengers save Ka-Zar and Shanna the She-Devil, but Terminus’ actions result in the complete annihilation of the Savage Land, Pangea and all the tribes and creatures who call them both home. Hercules tears Terminus out of his armour and leaves the strange creature to die in the Antarctic snow. In space, Captain Marvel meets Nebula, the leader of the space pirates who announces her plan to take over the Skrull Empire… 1st appearance: Nebula |
| ✔ | Avengers #258 (pp.1-4) Ka-Zar and the US Army locate the Avengers before the cold can do them any harm. Hercules reassures Ka-Zar that Terminus will suffer a slow death for what he’s done to the Savage Land as they all fly back towards America… |
| Amazing Spider-Man #269 After journeying through space, Firelord – a former-Herald of Galactus – returns to New York for pizza and aggressively assaults a pizzeria to make his demands. Construction workers attack Firelord, believing him to be a mutant. Sensing the threat, Spider-Man comes to the workers’ aid, but barely holds his own. Instead, the web-slinger tries to lead Firelord to the Baxter Building to ask the Fantastic Four for help, until he remembers the FF’s HQ was recently launched into space (during DOOMSDAY PLUS ONE, 1985). Out of options, Spidey prepares for the fight of his life… | |
| ✔ | Avengers #258 (p.5) Captain America laments the lives and land lost in the battle with Terminus on the Avengers’ journey home… |
| Amazing Spider-Man #270 (pp.1-12) Spider-Man repeatedly puts New Yorkers in danger as he attempts to survive his encounter with Firelord by luring him through office buildings, Grand Central Terminal and the subway. At the Daily Bugle, Joe Robertson introduces his new City Editor, Kate Cushing, to J Jonah Jameson who immediately proves she can stand up to him… | |
| ✔ | Avengers #258 (pp.6-9) The Avengers escape the Antarctic wastes and return to New York where their liaison to the National Security Council, Raymond Sikorski, is found searching Avengers Mansion for evidence of the Vision’s attempt to take over the world’s computers. |
| ✔ | Avengers #258 (pp.9) / Amazing Spider-Man #270 (p.13) The Avengers’ heated debate with Sikorsky is interrupted by the news of Firelord’s rampage… |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis |
| Amazing Spider-Man #270 (p.13-20) Spider-Man encourages a demolition team to blow up a building with Firelord inside, then to a gas station which explodes in the middle of Manhattan… | |
| ✔ | Avengers #258 (pp.10-11) / Amazing Spider-Man #270 (pp.21-22) Spider-Man relentlessly pummels Firelord into submission, just as the Avengers arrive to ask Spidey to stand down… |
| ✔ | Avengers #258 (pp.11-22) Spider-Man departs while the Avengers take Firelord back to Avengers Mansion where Hercules berates him for his recent rampage. The Wasp and Captain America agree to cooperate with Sikorski. In space, Nebula sends Captain Marvel to disable a Skrull outpost. Instead, she boards their ships and sends an alert to the Avengers. Nebula follows up by launching an antimatter torpedo that wipes out the Skrull armada and Captain Marvel.. |
| ✔ | Avengers #259 A week later, Captain America returns to Avengers Mansion to discover the Black Knight has taken to riding an Atomic Steed, once used by the Knights of Wundagore. Captain Marvel’s message finally comes through. Firelord agrees to accompany the Avengers into space aboard a ship provided by the Titanian Eternals. They’re reunited with Captain Marvel who’s made allies out of General Zedrao and his fellow Skrulls after surviving Nebula’s assault. Firelord refuses to ally with Skrulls and takes his leave. Having successfully turned many of the Skrull factions against each other, Nebula kills the acting ruler Governor Gorth and prepares to take over… |
| ✔ | Avengers #260 Firelord returns to his home planet Xandar to discover Nebula has already killed everyone and left the world in ruins. The Avengers and the Skrulls attack Nebula’s fleet. Firelord joins the battle but is hit by a blast from Sanctuary II, landing on a nearby moon where the Beyonder questions him over the Avengers’ whereabouts. Captain Marvel overloads Sanctuary II’s defence shields, allowing the Avengers and Skrulls to board. Starfox confronts Nebula who reveals herself to be the granddaughter of Thanos. The Beyonder teleports in and, interpreting Firelord’s wish that Nebula be cast to the other side of the galaxy, he sends her there. This angers Starfox, dashing the Beyonder’s hops of joining the Avengers. The Beyonder teleports away again before the rest of the Avengers arrive… Also see SECRET WARS II |
| ✔ | Fantastic Four Annual #19 (pp.1-18) The Fantastic Four answer the Infant Terrible‘s request to head to his home planet and free it from invading Skrulls… |
| ✔ | Avengers Annual #14 (pp.1-18) While Firelord recovers, General Zedrao steers the Avengers towards an old imperial power station asteroid that could have the means of tracking Nebula’s energy signature. With help from the recently escaped Prince Dezan and the Skrulls of Kral IV, the Avengers board the Power Asteroid… 1st appearance: Prince Dezan/‘Dutch’, Myrn, Zabyk, the Big Casino |
| ✔ | Fantastic Four Annual #19 (pp.19-26) After the discovery that this was a ruse created by a female Skrull governor who wanted to earn the position of the new Skrull Empress by killing the FF, the team head to the nearby Skrull power station asteroid to find a means of preventing the Skrulls from destroying themselves. |
| ✔ | Avengers Annual #14 (pp.18-26) Aboard the Asteroid, the Avengers discover a plot by rogue Skull, Zabyk to set off something called the Hyperwave Bomb. and are coincidentally joined in battle by Thor… |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Fantastic Four Annual #19 (pp.27-31) The Fantastic Four take the captive Skrull governor to a nearby Skrull power station asteroid to find a means of preventing the Skrulls from destroying themselves… |
| ✔ | Avengers Annual #14 (pp.27-29) Hercules and Cap quickly figure out ‘Thor’ is a Skrull… |
| ✔ | Avengers Annual #14 (pp.29-32) / Fantastic Four Annual #19 (pp.31-34) The Avengers and the Fantastic Four soon run into each other aboard the Skrull power station, with each team initially believing the other to be Skrulls. Zabyk announces the activation of the Hyperwave Bomb. Captain America orders Captain Marvel to shut it down, which she reacts to faster than Mister Fantastic can tell her to stop… |
| ✔ | Avengers Annual #14 (p.33) Luckily, Captain Marvel realises the bomb has to release its energy or the Avengers and Fantastic Four will die… |
| ✔ | Avengers Annual #14 (pp.34-35) / Fantastic Four Annual #19 (pp.35-36) Zabyk activates the bomb which spreads a wave of energy throughout the galaxy… |
| ✔ | Avengers Annual #14 (p.36) the wave traps every Skrull in their current form, whatever it may be… |
| ✔ | Avengers Annual #14 (pp.37-39) / Fantastic Four Annual #19 (pp.37-39) Zabyk planned to escape this effect with specially-designed armour, but he too is effected. |
| ✔ | Avengers Annual #14 (p.40) As they depart, the Avengers learn Prince Dezan was originally imprisoned for wanting peace. |
| ✔ | Fantastic Four Annual #19 (p.40) On their journey home, the Fantastic Four ponder the fate of the Skrulls and hope that Prince Dezan can steer them in a more positive direction… |
| ✔ | Avengers #261 When Starfox causes Sanctuary II to collapse in on itself, General Zedrao advises the Avengers to return to Earth to avoid a mutiny. On their journey, Starfox announces his departure from the Avengers, choosing to focus on locating and apprehending Nebula, instead. The Avengers return to Earth to learn that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is giving them 30 days to remove their Quinjets from the city. Their meeting with the FAA is interrupted by the arrival of the Beyonder who leads the Wasp and Captain America on a playful chase through Washington. He continues to taunt them at Project PEGASUS and back to Avengers Mansion where their clash ignites the jet fuel reserves. The Wasp surprises her teammates by offering the Beyonder Avengers membership. Instead, the Beyonder restores all the damage he’s caused, declines membership and teleports away. Captain America fears what the Beyonder may decide to do with all that power… Also see SECRET WARS II |
See how this story fits into the wider Marvel Universe with these reading orders:
- SPIDER-MAN, 1984-1986 – Saga of the Alien Costume
| Must Reads | Issues & Fallout | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | Secret Wars II #4 (1985) The Beyonder continues his search for purpose and understanding. | SECRET WARS II |
| ✔ | Iron Man #202 (1986) It’s revealed that the Avengers have put Ka-Zar and Shanna up at Avengers Mansion; with a baby on the way and feeling enormous survivor’s guilt, Ka-Zar heads to the west coast to find himself; after helping Iron Man defeat the Fixer, he returns to New York. | |
| ✔ | Avengers #262 (1985) The Avengers get permission to launch their Quinjets from Hydrobase; Namor the Sub-Mariner joins the Avengers for the first time, filling the gap in the team’s roster. | |
| Amazing Spider-Man #272 (1986) The man spying on Peter Parker and Nathan Lubensky is a thug looking to collect on Nathan’s gambling debts which he does, resulting in Nathan being temporarily hospitalised. | ||
| ✔ | Avengers #265 (1986) The Avengers directly oppose the Beyonder. Secret Wars II #9 (1986) The Avengers are present for the final battle with the Beyonder, but it’s the Molecule Man who ultimately ends the potential threat he poses. | SECRET WARS II |
| Fantastic Four #293 (1986) The Fantastic Four‘s new headquarters Four Freedoms Plaza is officially completed; the FF move out of Avengers Mansion. | ||
| Fantastic Four #300 (1987) The Human Torch marries ‘Alicia Masters’. | ||
| ✔ | Fantastic Four #316-317 (1988) Ka-Zar and Shanna the She-Devil accompany the Fantastic Four to the Antarctic, returning to the site of the lost Savage Land; they investigate the origins of the Savage Land and its possible connection to the Beyonder. | SECRET WARS III |
| ✔ | Silver Surfer #2-10 (1987-1988) The loss of the Skrulls’ powers leads to a second Kree-Skrull War when the Kree learn the Skrulls’ secret. | WAR OF THE ELDERS OF THE UNIVERSE |
| ✔ | Silver Surfer Annual #1 (1988) The Super-Skrull returns and learns the Skrulls have lost their shapeshifting abilities, though he retains his Fantastic Four-inspired superpowers. | THE EVOLUTIONARY WAR I DIE LIKE THE STARS |
| West Coast Avengers #37 (1988) The Vision and Scarlet Witch join the West Coast Avengers. | WEST COAST AVENGERS DISASSEMBLE! | |
| ✔ | Uncanny X-Men Annual #12 (1988) The X-Men learn the fate of the Savage Land; Garokk somehow entered the Terminus armour which continued its destructive mission, powered by Garokk’s life force; the X-Men defeat Garokk and remove him from the armour; the High Evolutionary converts Garokk into pure energy to restore the Savage Land; Ka-Zar and Shanna return to the Savage Land, along with their newborn son Matthew Plunder. | THE EVOLUTIONARY WAR |
| ✔ | Silver Surfer #19-20 (1989) Starfox and Firelord continue their search for Nebula, though their mission is interrupted when Firelord seeks vengeance against the Silver Surfer who he holds responsible for his friend Gabriel Lan becoming the Herald called Air-Walker. | I DIE LIKE THE STARS |
| Avengers #295-297 (1988) Having infiltrated the Council of Kangs, ‘Nebula’ goes on to infiltrate the Avengers, using Doctor Druid as her pawn; ‘Nebula’ is defeated, though her actions lead to the disbanding of the Avengers. | FUTURES IMPERFECT | |
| ✔ | Silver Surfer #25-26 (1989) With the Silver Surfer’s assistance, the Skrull Empress S’Byll regains her shapeshifting ability, as well as the power to restore other Skrulls’ shapeshifting with a touch. | THE KREE-SKRULL WAR II |
| ✔ | Avengers #301-303 (1989) Starfox and Firelord’s pursuit of Nebula is interrupted again when the last survivor of Xandar, Garthan Saal, assaults them both; Starfox manages to get to Earth in time to warn the Avengers before Saal attacks as Super Nova; Saal believes the Avengers to be an ally of Nebula due to her apparent recent involvement with the team (actually a disguised Ravonna Renslayer). | |
| West Coast Avengers #42-45 (1989) Representatives from various intelligence agencies form Vigilance and kidnap the Vision, dismantling him and rebuilding him to ensure he’s incapable of taking over the world’s computers again; with his personality now wiped clean, the Vision no longer shows any emotion towards the Scarlet Witch, effectively ending their marriage. | VISION QUEST | |
| ✔ | Avengers West Coast #48 (1989) Starfox finally tracks down Nebula and learns of her new plan to obtain absolute power; Gunthar appears to be the only member of the crew who returns. | |
| ✔ | Quasar #7 (1990) The ‘Terminus’ defeated and killed by the Avengers in the Savage Land is revealed to be a Deviant weapons-maker called Jorro; the real Terminus convinced Jorro to search out his lance in his place, though Jorro took to the role of being ‘Terminus’ a little too well; the true Terminus returns to the surface, reclaiming his lance and battling Quasar and the cosmically-powered Spider-Man. | THE COSMIC SPIDEY SAGA |
| ✔ | Avengers #314-319 (1990) With Gunthar’s help, Nebula makes a successfully bid for incredible cosmic power to rival Thanos, though she’s ultimately defeated by the Avengers and the Stranger; when questioned, Nebula is unaware of Thor‘s references to a time when she manipulated Doctor Druid. | |
| ✔ | Thor Annual #15 (1990) The origin of the true Terminus is revealed. West Coast Avengers Annual #5 (1990) The Avengers battle the true Terminus for the first time. | THE TERMINUS FACTOR |
| ✔ | Silver Surfer #34 (1990) Thanos is resurrected by Death and sent on a mission to wipe out half the universe. Silver Surfer #38 (1990) Nebula somehow gains control of Sanctuary III; the resurrected Thanos confronts Nebula over her claims that she’s his granddaughter, proclaiming that one who worships death would never spawn progeny; Thanos burns Nebula alive, though she’s taken to safety by a loyal member of her crew. Silver Surfer #44 (1991) Thanos discovers Nebula is still alive, though she’s horrifically burned and close to death; he uses the power of the Infinity Gauntlet to keep her in a state between life and death as a monument to ‘the insanity of life and death denied’. | REBIRTH OF THANOS |
| Must Reads | Issues & Fallout | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | Infinity Gauntlet #1-6 (1991) Thanos offers Nebula as a gift for Death; the shambling Nebula steals the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos, restore herself and undoing his actions; Adam Warlock retrieves the Infinity Gauntlet from Nebula. | THE INFINITY GAUNTLET |
| Fantastic Four #358 (1991) The Human Torch discovers his wife ‘Alicia Masters‘ has been a Skrull called Lyja the whole time; the real Alicia Masters returns. | ||
| Avengers #347 (1992) The Black Knight drastically changes his opinion on the Avengers’ involvement in intergalactic affairs when he kills the Supreme Intelligence for his actions in the Kree-Shi’ar War. | OPERATION: GALACTIC STORM | |
| ✔ | Silver Surfer Annual #5 (1992) Nebula is revealed to have been imprisoned on Titan by Starfox; Firelord confronts Nebula over the death of his people on Xandar; Starfox leaves Nebula in a vegetative state. | |
| ✔ | Silver Surfer #69 (1992) One of Nebula’s loyal crew steals her away from Titan. | THE INFINITY WAR |
| ✔ | Silver Surfer #70-74, 76-78 (1992-1993) Nebula is brought out of her vegetative state and given cybernetic upgrades; she tries to free her lost crew from the corrective installation Annoval 14, but is thwarted by the Silver Surfer and Jack of Hearts; in order to avoid capture, she sacrifices her entire crew. | |
| Avengers Annual #21 (1992) The ‘Nebula’ who manipulated Doctor Druid and the Avengers is finally revealed to have been Ravonna Renslayer disguised as Nebula in an inexplicable plot to get back at Kang. | THE KANG DYNASTY | |
| ✔ | Captain America #416-417 (1993) AIM scientist Mark Macross discovers the remains of Jorro’s Terminus armour, using it to attack the High Evolutionary’s High Technician; Captain America, Ka-Zar, Falcon and the Black Panther destroy the armour using Antarctic Vibranium (also known as Anti-Metal). | |
| ✔ | Nova #41-42 (1993) Nova (Richard Rider) reboots the Xandarian Worldmind, initiating its cloning technology and resurrecting Queen Adora and her fellow Xandarians. | THE STARLOST |
| ✔ | Spider-Man Team-Up #2 (1996) The Silver Surfer encounters the Skrulls’ Big Casino ship; Starfox believed Sanctuary II had been destroyed, but it was actually saved by the robotic consciousness of Quasimodo whose drifting intelligence had been blasted into space and uploaded itself into Sanctuary II; Quasamodo made it look like Sanctuary II was destroyed and teleported it to safety; Spider-Man (Ben Reilly) and the Silver Surfer release Sanctuary II from Quasimodo’s control. | |
| ✔ | Maximum Security #1 (2000) Gunthar is among the alien criminals imprisoned on Earth when the Intergalactic Council turn the planet into a penitentiary, | MAXIMUM SECURITY |
| She-Hulk #6-7 (2006) Starfox is put on trial over the dubious use of his powers; Starfox’s father, Mentor, pays She-Hulk to defend his son, but she beats Starfox to a pulp when she discerns that he’d used his powers to manipulate her into sleeping with him while they were both Avengers. | ||
| Annihilation Prologue #1 (2006) The population of Xandar is wiped out all over again by the Annihilation Wave. | ANNIHILATION | |
| ✔ | She-Hulk #12-13 (2006) Starfox stands trial again over the use of his powers, this time on Titan; She-Hulk is called upon by the Living Tribunal to stand for the prosecution; it’s revealed that Thanos implanted false memories in Starfox that mentally unbalanced him and caused him to behave uncharacteristically; Starfox arranges for Moondragon to shut down his powers . | I MARRIED A MAN-WOLF |
| ✔ | New Avengers #43 (2008) A flashback sequence reveals how a Skrull ‘Captain America’ was allegedly ‘captured’ around the time of the Skrull Civil War. | SECRET INVASION |
| ✔ | Guardians of the Galaxy: Best Story Ever #1 (2015) Nebula is referred to as the adopted granddaughter of Thanos; Nebula uses the Graces against Gamora and reveals her jealousy over her own connection with Thanos. | |
| ✔ | Gamora #1 (2017) Nebula’s origin is tweaked, turning her into the adopted daughter of Thanos who was raised alongside Gamora. | MARVEL NOW! |
| ✔ | Thanos #2, 4-12 (2017) Thanos’ secret son Thane turns to Nebula, Starfox and the Champion for help in killing his father; Nebula realises Thane has tricked her and kills him, accidentally activating the Phoenix Egg which transforms Thane into the Phoenix; Nebula ends up siding with Thanos against Thane. | |
| ✔ | Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1 (2019) Prince Dezan doesn’t get to play a major role in the formation of a more peaceful Skrull Empire, though he’s revealed to have survived the destruction of Kral IV when it’s destroyed by a Pyre bomb. | |
| Scarlet Witch #6 (2023) The planet Klarr is taken over by Blood Skrulls. |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Avengers: The Legacy of Thanos | Avengers #255-261 Avengers Annual #14 Fantastic Four Annual #19 |
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| Secret Wars II Omnibus Secret Wars Battleworld Box Set | Avengers #260-261 |
| Avengers vs Fantastic Four Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus vol.2 Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne vol.7 Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four vol.26 Secret Invasion: Rise of the Skrulls | Avengers Annual #15 Fantastic Four Annual #19 |
| Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Ghosts of the Past (vol.15) Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man vol.25 | Amazing Spider-Man #269-270 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2025
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