Years and years before he would be the tentpole villain for the culmination of multiple phases of a cinematic universe (I'm imagining myself reading that sentence 20 years ago and muttering something about gobbledygook), Thanos got himself an ongoing series. Jim Starlin wrote and drew the first 6 issues, where Thanos trying to chart a new course for his life, after having yet another epiphany in the Starlin-written mini-series Marvel Universe: The End.
Having decided to try and make amends for past misdeeds committed in Dan Jurgens' Thor run by what was actually a rogue clone of himself Thanos made (because Jim Starlin doesn't like it when other people mess with his toy), Thanos saves the universe from some cosmos-devouring thing called The Hunger, which played Galactus like a chump. Because when Jim Starlin writes Thanos, all other characters become 1000 times dumber and less-competent than normal.
Because Jim Starlin has no problem messing with other people's toys. Which is why I didn't keep those 6 issues. He's got some interesting ideas, I just completely hate the execution of those ideas.
I did keep the other six issues, handled by the Keith Giffen/Ron Lim team. Where Thanos decides to make a pilgrimage to the Kyln. Which is a combination power plant/max security prison/holy site at the edge of the place where the universe is generated. I'm unclear if that puts it at an expanding edge or some "center", but whatever. Point is, it's a delicate place, and while Thanos is ostensibly there to think, he gets sucked into a mess involving some version of the Beyonder, having made itself mortal.
In the process of that, Galactus' true first herald escapes. No, not Tyrant, his other first herald. The Fallen One, who goes gunning for Galactus himself, while Big G is still worn down from that previous story arc. Thanos handles that, albeit out of desire to have a herald of his own. Especially one that apparently is powered by dark matter.
Giffen's Thanos is patient when he wants to be. Smart naturally, able to quick figure out weaknesses in his opponent and bring them to heel. He's also got a bit of a sense of humor - dry, to the point it isn't clear if he's trying to be funny - and not above provoking someone if he thinks it in his interests. And for all that he proclaims to Death - who Lim draws as a child dressed all in black - he's done serving her, he still seems inclined to listen to what she has to say.
That arc is probably most notable for the number of things Giffen introduces that he later used in Annihilation. The Kyln and the Crunch are where Annihilus' army emerges. This frees the two elder beings Thanos encourages to take down Galactus and the Surfer so he can use them as weapons of planetary mass destruction for Annihilus.
Most importantly, this is where Star-Lord steps back out on the stage for the first time in a long time. Ship is gone, the element gun is gone, the cybernetic eye is there. Quill's an inmate, for what he did to stop the Fallen One originally, but he's also there to make sure the Fallen One stays locked up. He's sarcastic, cynical, basically ready to die whenever. Gladiator's there on made up charges to keep an eye on the Beyonder, and even he treads carefully around Thanos. Quill basically gives zero fucks, maybe because he realizes that if Thanos decides to kill him, it could have very little to do with anything Quill says or does.
The one odd thing of note is, one of the guards responsible for sending pilgrims on through to the Kyln is an Earthling named Cole, who was abducted, then abandoned. To what end he was abducted isn't explained, possibly because Cole doesn't know. But that's pretty much the origin they gave Star-Lord in the movies, except the kidnappers kept Quill. Hard to believe, as annoying as movie Star-Lord can be.
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