The Final Prelude Before Marvel Studios' 'Avengers: Endgame'

Today, we’ll be taking a deep dive into MARVEL'S AVENGERS: ENDGAME PRELUDE #3, the final issue to get you primed for the big-screen event coming this April.

Written by Will Corona Pilgrim with art by Paco Diaz, PRELUDE #3 may require you to break out a box of tissues, because this story closes out with the infamous "Snap" heard ‘round the universe...but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. 

Reader, beware! Major spoilers abound below…

Issue #3 opens with Tony Stark, Peter Parker, and Stephen Strange finishing their trip to Titan on Ebony Maw’s spaceship and meeting the Guardians of the Galaxy for the very first time. There’s a bit of a misunderstanding at first, but once they all agree no one is on Thanos’ side, the three, newly-arrived Earthlings team-up with Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis.

While the Avengers and Guardians plan on a way to bring Thanos down, Thanos travels to Vormir, the resting place of the Soul Stone, with his daughter, Gamora. Upon their arrival, they are greeted by the watcher of the Stone, none other than the Red Skull. When Cap first defeated the villain during World War II, he was not killed, but cursed to guard the Stone forever.

To gain the Stone, Thanos must make the ultimate sacrifice...by killing Gamora. It’s a crushingly difficult choice, but the Mad Titan cannot be swayed from his mission to balance out the cosmos. Thanos pushes Gamora to her death and, in exchange, receives the Stone.

Over on Nidavellir, Thor is working with the dwarf known as Eitri to forge a weapon that could be capable of killing Thanos. With extra help from Rocket and Groot, Thor reignites the forge and comes into possession of Stormbreaker, a powerful axe with a handle made of Groot’s arm.

Back on Earth, Captain America, T’Challa, Bucky Barnes, Black Widow, Falcon, Bruce Banner, Scarlet Witch, and War Machine are getting ready to stave off an Outrider invasion of Wakanda led by Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight. As this transpires, Shuri races against the clock to save Vision’s consciousness before destroying the Mind Stone.

During preparations for the Battle of Wakanda, Thanos returns to Titan where he must fight Tony, Peter, Stephen, Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis. With Mantis putting him into a kind of trance, the heroes get close to removing the Infinity Gauntlet from his hand, but Star-Lord discovers that Gamora is dead... Enraged, he begins punching the Mad Titan, allowing the villain to wake up from his semi-conscious state to continue the fight.

Doctor Strange, realizing that they cannot win, hands over the Time Stone just as Thanos is about to kill Tony. Stark feels this is a horrible mistake, but Stephen insists that they’re “in the endgame now.” As the Avengers and Guardians on Titan lick their wounds, Thanos heads to Earth.

On the Wakandan battlefield, the fighters have succeeded in taking out the three remaining members of the Black Order. Nevertheless, the Outriders seem to be overwhelming the good guys.

...When Thor finally shows up alongside Groot and Rocket.

Thor gives a shot in the arm to the Avengers' fight just before Thanos shows up for the Mind Stone. Cap, War Machine, Bruce, Okoye, Black Panther, Bucky, Black Widow, and Falcon hold him off as Wanda is forced to take away the power of the Infinity Stone built into Vision's mind.

This proves to be a fruitless effort, as Thanos, now in possession of the Time Stone, simply reverses Vision’s death and plucks the Stone from his face, killing him for a second time. Thor arrives with Stormbreaker, planting the blade of his new axe in Thanos’ chest, finally getting his revenge for the deaths of Loki and Heimdall... But the Mad Titan wheezes that Thor should have gone for his head, and snaps his Gauntlet fingers, thus wiping out half of all life in the Universe. He then disappears.

One-after-the-other, heroes begin to turn into ash...Bucky, T’Challa, Groot, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Strange, Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, and Spider-Man disintegrate. On Titan, just Tony and Nebula remain. In Wakanda, it’s just Cap, Black Widow, Banner, War Machine, Okoye, M’Baku, and Rocket.

Somewhere else, Thanos, having accomplished his mission, settles down for a rest as he watches the sun set on a grateful Universe.

AVENGERS: ENDGAME PRELUDE #3 is on sale now at your local comic shop!