THE MOTHER SON COMPLEXITY

I was Sui-San but now I am dead. This should be a harrowing thought. But it is not the first time my spirit has been out of my body. Nor is it the first time I had seen extradimensional entities. My spirit had never confined me in any way or shape before this but this was the first time I was going to meet the great judge. The three faced entity who was both God and the Devil.  The embodiment of cosmic justice itself. He whose power existed simultaneously in an infinite number of universes. 

In most cases, one would only hear of the Dread tri-judge if he had committed cosmic crimes or was a vastly powerful mystic entity bent on universal domination. Or one creating a mystical imbalance of such magnitude that it could endanger reality itself. However, what was not known to most, and how could it be other? Since when one meets his most majesty, most terrible, he does not usually get to tell anyone about it. But one thing is certain.  Everyone meets him, without exception.  Every soul in creation will get its chance to meet the Living Tribunal, for what is time to such a being, or even form.

"I would normally be unafraid for no vision could unsettle me. But as the lord of madness, and his polar opposite phase into the void, their hideous faces burn in my mind. A mind that is no longer there, and yet is perhaps even more so.  But the fear, although it be illusory, is not the less strong.  And even though I no longer have hands to sweat, I believe that they are perspiring, and I believe that my heart is trying to force itself out its chest.  And even as these beings that are composed of pure thought and spirit and do not truly have physical forms as they begin to phase into the void and yet there is more reality than anything I have ever known. More horrific than anything I have ever felt. Endless set of nightmares tear themselves down and ideals as perfect as when they were first conceived, truth as the philosophers of the universe have always sought. It was all here. But it was now in this form before, there was form. It was the mirror of consciousness itself. 

It was impossible to tell who were the angels and who were the devils. In this case, I believe it was all a point of view.  For angels, if one struggled against, could seem as monsters and monsters could be angels if one only could cease and be still. And when I looked into Lord Chaos’ deformed visage, an entity of whom I have had varying degrees of intimacy with while alive and one who had promised to hold me for always, it began to plague me with its twisted machinations and perhaps my murder by my son did not save me, as I believed perhaps Chaos and Order would keep me in their twisted realm despite my best efforts. Both dead and alive, a prisoner to their twisted point of view.

Suddenly, I fall prostate and the great judge arrives.  He is the supremest force that can be comprehended.  And although I no longer have eyes, the sight of his glory blinds me. So overwhelmed am I that I call out from the grave, "Thanos-"

I am now an exile from my home world of Titan.  And the veils of plenty have been lifted, my eyes truly open for the first time.  Despite the Devourer of Worlds’ failed attempt to trap me in space. I knew all I had to do was wait for the proper moment. And I knew that once I had been unshackled from the Titan’s bonds of paradise that Thanos was inevitable. I look at the craft before me. The craft that will get me from star to star, and when I am ready, I shall use it to return to Titan as a conqueror. Then I hear a voice upon the ethereal winds itself and it calls my name - "Thanos." 

The voice, although distorted through the infinite dimensions of time and space, is familiar and yet I cannot place it.  But what is clear is that it beckons from beyond the grave. But I am drawn back to reality and I soon find myself in a small room, which is no doubt a waiting point. I sit and stare at the metal doors as my eye beams force an opening.

The great gathering is not meant for human eyes. As I look upon it with my astral form, and realize as I face him that I am but a mirror for creation. And my consciousness did not stem from my brain, but the ever-elusive mind, which is not part of the body, but the universe itself. Like an Eco system on an unimaginable scale, with consciousness itself returned to the primordial well and recycled, but instead of physical components being broken down it was spiritual ones. I can only cower in awe as I am before the singular, most powerful consciousness in existence for that is truly, what this being was. And it was now my time for that which happen to all, now was the time for my judgment.

When Lord Chaos spoke, the terrible noise flowed from its maw. It was like a primordial life form oozing from the cracks of the barren terrain of a cooling planet first formed in a genesis. But I could not discern its esoteric message nor could I discern my fate, I cried once more, “Thanos.”

The doors began to open-end, then the voice in my head again, “THANOS.” I had to find where this voice was coming from, or what it wanted. Then it occurred, perhaps it was my senses being expanded by Mistress Death. Perhaps this was her baptism. Her gift to her new paramour.

When the metal doors were burst, open I saw the faces and inhabitants of the darkest parts of the universe. I saw their visage and form and it was the product of a hundred artists or a hundred mad men. But perhaps the gap between artist and mad man was no different than looking upon my own face for was I not myself both artist and mad man. 

I count twelve of them circling me in a room that is like a metal version of the great spider web I had encountered on Titan.  It was clear they thought me their prey.  But they would soon learn the difference, and I would have a starship. Finally, the prodigal would return to reclaim his inheritance.  But they seem to hold their positions as they look at me and signal their brethren to flank me on all sides. 

I concentrate, and my fists become as twin suns. They're murderous fury waiting to be unleashed. Then the unexpected happens, as the gravity is suddenly gone I find myself air born.  They are smarter than I gave them credit for. But I will not make that error again.

I feel the bite of a hell whip on my backside. A weapon first developed by the Skrulls for torture and murder, it was said to be capable of rending virtually anything with an atomic structure. The entire left side of my lattismus is torn from my body and left to float in the zero gravity simulation chamber.

They have tactics and they are well armed.  They use their environment to its fullest potential, but this still only gives them a .001 percent chance of victory for Thanos always learns from his mistakes. Then I hear the voice in my head again, "Thanos!"

Call his name, Thanos, and I wonder what my final fate will be. And when I look upon my offspring, I realize he is a monster. But he is a monster who spared me from the clutches of eternal madness. And was it not my own hand that orchestrated this? Was it not I who set him up to kill his own mother? But there are consequences in saving myself. Consequences that trickled down and by this very act of murder, I changed him forever.  I cannot help but believe that if I had not been so selfish, then perhaps the universe would not have to fear this Death worshipper.

The Living Tribunal readied himself for judgment, and I wonder what would become of me for was I not as guilty as Thanos in this cloak and dagger affair. He stood with his fearsome visage almost beyond all imagination. His great form like a supernova. And when he spoke my astral form itself began to burn, and I wondered if this is what the judgment felt like. I wondered if this was what it was like to have ones consciousness returned to the universe. I felt myself dissipating but I could still hear what he was saying.

"THIS MATTER WAS DEALT WITH ONCE BEFORE.  AND IT WAS DECLARED THAT THE DNA ALLOWED TO REMAIN BUT THIS TRIAL IS NOT ABOUT THAT. IT IS ABOUT TWO OTHER THINGS: THE FIRST BEING CHAOS AND ORDER’S CLAIM ON SUI-SAN’S SOUL."  His voice was omnipresent and omnipotent, and perhaps this was all he truly was, a voice with form being something merely cosmetic.

“THE SECOND, SINCE ALL THINGS IN EXISTENCE HAS A POLAR OPPOSITE, WITH LIFE THERE IS DEATH, WITH HOPE THERE IS DESPAIR, AND WITH LAWLESSNESS THERE IS JUSTICE.”  Across the gathering I could see his hellish glare, as the evil lord Mephisto grinned and I could feel his unholy touch wash across my mind, my very consciousness, and even in the hands of what I could only call god. I did not feel secure in the presence of the fisher of souls.

“I WOULD HAVE DONE THIS EARLIER EXCEPT THAT CERTAIN EVENTS HAD YET TO TRANSPIRE, BUT NOW THAT THOSE EVENTS HAVE UNFOLDED SO TOO CAN MY JUDGMENT.”

I called out a final time, “THANOS!” as the tribunal was declaring his final judgment.

I heard the voice upon the ethereal winds as my hand wrapped around his alien skull. He attempted to struggle, but he was no match for my eternal heritage. I heard bones crack as my fingers push their way through his temple and the green life fluids painted a trail in the zero gravity environment, like paint on the canvas. Some of my attackers surrounded me and began to assemble a molecular decomposer. The device was potent and may have even been able to injure me. I grasp upon the web and pushed myself to the ceiling where I was pursued quickly by more than half their ranks ... and then when they were in position, I shattered the ceiling with my eye beams causing them to be sucked into space.  I grasp onto the web and held on until the automatic assemblers repaired the damage. I then followed them back to their place of origin and began tapping into the ship’s computer system. I used the experience I gained on Titan in cybernetics when I plug my mind itself into the ships computer central system. I had done this on Titan when attempting to gain knowledge, and although I might have engaged in a physical confrontation for exercise or a challenge, I normally preferred to do things through the intellect. I quickly overrode the computer system and used the assemblers and other robots to take over the ship.  And when I finished, I returned to the flesh.

Only to be confronted by a woman with light blue skin and what appeared to be a sword. She boldly declared, "Ýou have been challenged and are honor bound to face me on the combat field.”

She held her sword with great skill, but such a weapon would avail her naught against Death’s paramour. She screamed as she attacked, “AAAAAAAA!” and ran at fantastic speeds and then kicked me with incredible force for a woman of her size. She then used the momentum she got from me to propel her into the air where she landed smoothly and in a crouched position with her sword protecting her flank.

"I am impressed,” I said.

“It is sad that we must oppose each other and even sadder you must die, I was thinking you could serve me."

She ran at me once more, her blade whipping at fantastic speeds so quickly that it made the air itself sting. This time she cut me twice before I could even react. I touched at my throat and felt my life fluids course through my body like quicksilver.  The blade truly must have been unique and must have been forged by a genius. However my powers of recuperation easily healed the wounds, but I was now determined to show my new attacker that Thanos was to be feared.  Our eyes met for perhaps the last time and in our glance the victor was decided.

She struck me full and her blade drove completely through my chest.  I was even more impressed as she demonstrated the strength to push it all the way to the hilt of the blade. A small trickle of blood came from her mouth as I pulled her heart out of her body from behind.  I then allowed her to gaze at it as I crushed it in my grasp, she looked surprised that I was still alive with a sword driven completely through my physical form, however she must have been unaware that Eternals are capable of moving vital organs with ease. Even the lowest of Eternals possess such abilities.

She fought valiantly and her skills were unlike anyone I had encountered before, her speed and fortitude were something to be noted and cataloged for later retrieval. But then I heard the voice again, “Thanos,” and then I was literally pulled from my very body and was in a great hall where I saw my mother and Mistress Death, along with a gathering of some of the universes most advanced life forms. My mind quickly adjusted as the being that calls him the Tribunal spoke, “THANOS YOU HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO HEAR THE VERDICT FOR IT INVOLVES YOUR DNA.

“LORD CHAOS AND MASTER ORDER’S CHARGE CANNOT BE DENIED, THE UNIVERSE MUST HAVE A BALANCE AND THE CELESTIAL DNA MUST HAVE ITS OPPOSITE SO I AM PLACING THE COPY IN THE HANDS OF CHAOS AND ORDER FOR THEM TO DECIDE WHO SHALL OPPOSE THANOS.

“FURTHER, SUI-SAN’S CONSCIOUSNESS WILL BE RETURNED TO THE UNIVERSE WHERE HER GUILT FOR HER ACTIONS OF MANIPULATING HER SON’S LIFE SHALL BE USED WHEN HE BECOMES ONE WITH THE COSMIC CUBE AND HE SHALL FACE DEFEAT IN THREES.

“AND ALL IN THE GATHERING SHALL FORGET WHAT TRANSPIRED THIS DAY, SO AS NOT TO AVERT THE GRAND DESIGN.”

Continued in Thanos: Dead Men Tell No Tales #9

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