[Comics] The Infinity Crusade

The concepts of Good and Evil and always regular far for the world of comic books to explore. Let's face it - comics books are defined around this polarity and depending on the situation presented to the characters, they are constantly forced to situate themselves somewhere in the spectrum in order to drive the story forward.

Image via Wikipedia Jim Starlin triggered an alternative way of exploring this dichotomy when we put together The Infinity War given the explanation that the resurrection of the Magus was due to Adam Warlock casting out all good and evil within him so only logic would rule his use of the Infinity Gauntlet. In the Infinity War, the heroes of the cosmos had to square against Adam's evil side. It was only a matter of time before the Marvel Universe would have to face the good.

In The Infinity Crusade, the embodiment of Adam Warlock's good side, now known as the Goddess, has acquired the cosmic containment units that the Magus had originally used to set his plan in motion back in The Infinity War. Using the wishing potential of the units, she brainwashes many of Earth's heroes along with some members of the Infinity Watch to join her crusade in order to cleanse the universe of all sinners.

Naturally those left behind are left to figure out what the Goddess' plans are and ultimately try to stop her. Once again Thanos of Titan plays a key role in challenging the demi-god along with Adam Warlock and his remaining Infinity Watch. This battle required more careful planning and thought given that Eternity's last ruling declared that the Infinity Gems would never again operate as one in the form of the Infinity Gauntlet regardless of how direly the cosmos was threatened.

In this story, Earth's heroes are given a somewhat larger role - at least for those who find themselves under the thrall of the Goddess. They are her army essentially and execute her will along with defending the planet she had created - Paradise Omega - while she meditated within her Cosmic Egg upon her final stratagem to cleanse the universe of all evil.

However as expected, the heroes are really just cannon fodder in the greater scheme of things and the notion of Earth's mightiest mortals being used as pawns is getting rather old. Throw in the vague and confusing character of the Goddess and the story often wobbles and has some difficulty getting around.

I will give credit to the continued interplay between Thanos and Adam Warlock in these cosmic events. They seem to have gotten very comfortable with fighting alongside one another, all the while keeping Earth's heroes in the dark about the larger plans.

I was a bit surprised and perhaps disappointed with the lack of involvement from the greater cosmic players like what Galactus, Eternity and Infinity did in the previous Infinity saga. Then again, it sort of implies that the Goddess was not a threat to them and was beneath their attention except for Mephisto, who often embodies the continued struggle of evil in the universe.

This was definitely the start of the decline in the Infinity sagas and was probably better off having never been written or at least not so soon after The Infinity War. If felt very rushed and more thought could have been put into it.