View source for The Infinity Crusade

{{Short description|1993 Starlin-Lim comic book series}}
{{Primary sources|date=April 2023}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox comics story arc <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics--> 

|image          = Infinitycrusade1.png
|imagesize      = <!-- default 250 -->
|caption        = {{Descript-cvr|The Infinity Crusade||1|Jun 1993|art=[[Ron Lim]]}}
|publisher      = [[Marvel Comics]]
|startmo        = June
|startyr        = 1993
|endmo          = November
|endyr          = 1993
|multigenre     = y 
|titles         = ''Infinity Crusade'' #1-6<br><!--
-->''[[Warlock and the Infinity Watch]]'' #18-22<br><!--
-->''[[Adam Warlock|Warlock Chronicles]]'' #1-5
|main_char_team = [[The Avengers (comic book)|The Avengers]]<br>[[Avengers West Coast]]<br>[[Fantastic Four]]<br>[[X-Men]]<br>[[X-Factor (comics)|X-Factor]]<br>[[New Warriors]]<br>[[Alpha Flight (comic book)|Alpha Flight]]<br>[[Infinity Watch]]<br>[[Adam Warlock]]<br>[[Thanos]]<br>Goddess
|writers        = [[Jim Starlin]]
|artists        = 
|pencillers     = [[Ron Lim]]
|inkers         = [[Al Milgrom]]
|letterers      = 
|editors        = 
|colorists      = Ian Laughlin
|TPB            = Volume 1
|ISBN           = 0-7851-3127-2
|TPB1           = Volume 2
|ISBN1          = 0-7851-3128-0
|cat            = Marvel Comics
|sortkey        = Infinity Crusade, The
|self-titled    = y
}}
'''''The Infinity Crusade''''' is a six-issue [[comic book]] [[Limited series (comics)|limited series]] published by [[Marvel Comics]]  in 1993. The series was written by [[Jim Starlin]] and penciled by [[Ron Lim]], Ian Laughlin, [[Al Milgrom]] and [[Jack Morelli]] and also the third and final chapter of the Infinity Saga.

It is a sequel to ''[[The Infinity Gauntlet]]'' and ''[[The Infinity War]]'', both from the same creative team. The series depicts the final battle between Earth's superheroes and [[Adam Warlock|Adam Warlock's]] good side.

==Publication history==
The main story alternated between ''The Infinity Crusade'' #1-6, ''Warlock and the Infinity Watch'' #18-22, and ''Warlock Chronicles'' #1-5.

Additional tie-ins to the story include ''[[Alpha Flight (comic book)|Alpha Flight]]'' #122-124, ''[[Avengers West Coast]]'' #96-97, ''[[Luke Cage|Cage]]'' #17, ''[[Darkhawk]]'' #30-31, ''[[Deathlok]]'' vol 2, #28-29, ''[[Doctor Strange|Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme]]'' #54-56, ''[[Iron Man]]'' #295, ''Marc Spector: [[Moon Knight]]'' #57, ''[[Silver Sable|Silver Sable and the Wild Pack]]'' #16-17, ''[[Silver Surfer (comic book)|Silver Surfer]]'' vol 3, #83-85, ''[[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]]'' #463-467, and ''[[Web of Spider-Man]]'' #104-106.

All of these titles were published between June and November 1993.

==Plot summary==
When hero [[Adam Warlock]] takes possession of the [[Magic item|artifact]] the [[Infinity Gems|Infinity Gauntlet]], he expels the good and evil aspects of his being to become a totally logical being, who can therefore use the Gauntlet wisely. This act not only freed the incarnation of his evil aspects, Warlock's old foe [[Magus (comics)|the Magus]], but also created an incarnation of his good aspects, [[Goddess (comics)|the Goddess]]. During the events of the [[The Infinity War|Infinity War]], the Goddess steals the five cosmic containment units (also known as [[Cosmic Cube]]s) collected by the Magus. She eventually collects a total of thirty, and uses these to form a "Cosmic Egg" capable of fulfilling wishes.

Using the Egg to create a planet called [[Counter-Earth (comics)#Earth|Paradise Omega]], the Goddess kidnaps and [[Brainwashing|brainwashes]] many of Earth's superheroes to act as her army. The heroes chosen are susceptible, as they are either especially religious, mystically inclined, or have had a near-death experience. The characters, led by the heroine [[Moondragon (comics)|Moondragon]], are told to defend the Goddess while she meditates on how to rid the universe of all evil.

Heroes [[Mister Fantastic]], the [[Android (robot)|android]] [[Vision (Marvel Comics)|Vision]], and [[Iron Man]] investigate the disappearance of their allies and find Paradise Omega. They retreat when attacked by the brainwashed heroes, and contact [[Professor X]], leader of the [[X-Men]], who attempts to speak with Moondragon via [[telepathy]]. This results in a telepathic attack that leaves Professor X in a coma. The Titan [[Thanos]] is seen as a threat by the Goddess, and is her first target to be attacked, but is inexplicably saved by his enemy Adam Warlock. The Devil, [[Mephisto (comics)|Mephisto]], offers his knowledge of the Goddess to Thanos and Warlock in exchange for one of the cosmic containment units, to which they agree.

Armed with Mephisto's information, Warlock and Thanos plan to defeat the Goddess. Thanos gathers the heroes of Earth and the [[Silver Surfer]], who, while initially serving the Goddess, has shaken off her control. The Surfer destroys Paradise Omega's defences, enabling the heroes to land and battle their friends in what becomes a battle to the death. Thanos, boosting his own telepathic powers with those of the comatose Professor X, attacks the Goddess at the moment she activates her plan. Rationalizing that evil will continue to exist while [[Sentience|sentient]] life exists, the Goddess uses the Egg to rewrite existence so that the universe is completely without sentient life.

This, however, proves to be an illusion created by Warlock moments before the Goddess acted to trick her, thus exposing her true goal to her army and depriving her of their loyalty - and the will needed to override the containment unit's safeguards against universal destruction.{{clarify|date=May 2014}} Caught off-guard, the Goddess is attacked simultaneously by Thanos, Warlock, and Professor X, the three striking her on the spiritual plane as the units cannot affect the soul, and she is absorbed into the [[Soul Gem]]. The heroes return to Earth, with their battle undone by the Cosmic Egg, before Thanos ordered it to destroy itself, to ensure that its power could never be used by another. Thanos takes a cosmic containment unit for Mephisto and then destroys Paradise Omega. Mephisto receives his payment but realizes the unit is non-functional, as he failed to specify that the artifact must ''work''.<ref>''Infinity Crusade'' #1 - 6 (June - Nov. 1993)</ref>

==Collected editions==
The series and several tie-ins are collected into two [[trade paperback (comics)|trade paperbacks]]:

*''Volume 1'' (collects ''The Infinity Crusade'' #1 - 3, ''Warlock Chronicles'' #1-3, and ''Warlock and the Infinity Watch'' #18-19, 248 pages, December 2008, {{ISBN|0-7851-3127-2}})
*''Volume 2'' (collects ''The Infinity Crusade'' #4 - 6, ''Warlock Chronicles'' #4-5, and ''Warlock and the Infinity Watch'' #20-22, 248 pages, February 2009, {{ISBN|0-7851-3128-0}})

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{refbegin}}
*{{gcdb series|id=4703|title=''Infinity Crusade''}}
*{{Marveldatabase|Infinity Crusade}}
{{refend}}

{{Marvel events}}
{{Marvel Cosmic}}
{{Thanos}}
{{Jim Starlin}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Infinity Crusade, The}}
[[Category:Comics by Jim Starlin]]
[[Category:Crossover comics]]