What the hell just fell from the sky?
Gorr didn't register it at first. All he could see was endless sand whipping through the air. He and his daughter had survived for far too long by scraping water and scraps of food from the few remaining oases. Nothing new ever appeared in this wasteland—only more sand.
Anything different from the current hellscape was probably a disaster. But there was always that slim chance it could be salvation. For Gorr, there was no other choice.
If he didn't find a way out soon, if he couldn't reach the gods, he didn't know how much longer he and his daughter could hold on. The whole planet was being swallowed by desert. A few more years, maybe?
Clinging to that faint hope, Gorr carried his daughter toward the anomaly.
He saw a golden ring of light hovering in the air, showing a completely different scene on the other side.
Gorr wasn't some ignorant primitive. He understood immediately: beyond that ring lay another world.
"Damn it, is this the life-bearing planet you found? Nothing but sand as far as the eye can see. You call this trash heap qualified? How are we supposed to recruit new xenomorphs here?"
"Give it a second. You're not a xenomorph—how would you know what they like? Maybe they thrive in deserts."
"Bullshit. This is a waste of time. But since one of them already charged through, we might as well leave it. This planet's clearly dying anyway. Instead of arguing, let's find a better world and drop more of them."
The Ravagers usually didn't drop just one xenomorph on a planet—they seeded multiple. But somehow this one had slipped through first, hit the ground running, and showed no sign of coming back. The thugs didn't feel like pressing the issue. They simply shut the portal.
As for Gorr and his daughter...
Yondu and the others had seen them, sure. Without the xenomorph complication, they might have recruited the pair if they showed any combat talent. But now? These natives were on their own. Xenomorphs needed hosts to breed.
In Gorr's despairing gaze, the portal closed.
"Those people... they weren't gods. Just outsiders. So close—if only I'd run a little faster..."
Gorr burned with regret. He possessed real strength, but prolonged starvation had left his body frail and weak.
Then the xenomorph approached, standing before the father and daughter.
It was tall and slender, with arms that looked deceptively delicate yet promised explosive power. Its tail lashed like a living blade, slicing the air. The exaggerated cranial crest flowed back across its shoulders and down its spine like some nightmarish crown.
The creature's combat potential was obviously off the charts. Gorr was struck first by its terrifying beauty, then by overwhelming caution.
This alien being, from who-knew-what species, didn't attack immediately. That was the only good news.
"Daddy, who is he? Is he one of the gods we worship? None of the statues look like that."
"He's not a god of Lapp."
Gorr shielded his daughter as he backed away slowly. "Outsider, I have no food here."
"I don't need food. But I can see you two won't last much longer on this planet. Starvation or disease—one or the other."
The mental voice came from the xenomorph, sliding cleanly into their minds.
Far away on Earth, Adam slowly opened his eyes, a look of interest crossing his face.
"Not bad. Looks like this universe's Gorr is still stuck on Lapp, hasn't gone on his cosmic god-killing rampage yet."
That was good news for Adam.
Gorr the God Butcher had once been a fervent believer. After his family was wiped out, that faith had twisted into bottomless hatred. It drove him across countless god-worshipping worlds, slaughtering pantheons.
Most of the so-called gods he killed were pathetic compared to the major powers of the World Tree, let alone true cosmic deities. But Gorr didn't care. Any being that accepted worship from mortals was fair game.
Adam had planned to have the King or Mordo help locate Lapp so he could check on this universe's Gorr. He hadn't expected Yondu's crew to solve the problem by accident before he even started.
"Gorr, you poor fool who worships false gods. Do you really want to die here with your daughter? To become just another grain of sand lost in this desert?"
Adam spoke through the xenomorph.
"Can you save us?" Gorr hesitated. "And the gods we worship aren't false. You're the one who appeared out of nowhere. You seem more like the false god."
"Such devotion. It reminds me of some of my own followers—they look at me the same way you look at your gods. Whoever can save you, whoever gives you a better life and real hope—that's who deserves to be your god. You want to meet your god? Fine. I'll show you exactly where those so-called deities are..."
Gorr was suspicious, but he followed the instructions and sought out the planet's gods.
The beings who were supposed to be all-powerful simply watched the father and daughter with amusement, like spectators enjoying the desperate performance of two inferior animals.
Gorr noticed. He explained everything that had happened and pleaded for help.
"You saw a xenomorph??"
The god's composure shattered the moment he heard the description. Fear crept into his voice.
The strange creatures around the god started shouting too—"We're screwed," "He's chosen our bodies"—nonsensical panic.
Gorr stared in confusion at the figures he had revered for half his life.
That was it? They were no different from ordinary people—maybe worse. No dignity, no wisdom. Just hearing about an alien on their world sent them into total disarray.
"You idiot! Why didn't you say something so important sooner? You have no idea what xenomorphs mean, or how terrifying the one controlling them is. Ignorant pests like you deserve extinction."
"I'm sorry, your humble servant didn't know... I only wanted some water and food. If you could heal my child, it would be—"
"Why should I care if you live or die? You, your daughter, and every other lowly creature on this rock aren't worth my effort! I need to deal with the xenomorph problem. Maybe it's time to abandon this planet."
Gorr listened to the god's muttering and felt his world collapse.
This was a god?
The xenomorph had spoken to him like an equal, but this "deity" was terrified, babbling nonsense, and now planning to flee.
"Even if it's an invader, shouldn't you, as this planet's god, stand and fight it?"
"Fight? You pathetic mortal understand nothing. That's one of Adam's soldiers! Adam—the one who took down Dormammu and Knull. And recently there was another war involving the World Tree. Probably him too..."
"So the xenomorph was right. You are a false god."
Gorr's faith shattered completely. Extreme worship always breeds extreme hatred.
In his frenzy, Gorr shielded his terrified daughter. Somehow, a strange weapon materialized in his hand.
Acting on instinct, he raised the blade and swung it at the god. One strike, and the deity fell dead.
The black sword writhed, letting out a delighted, almost gleeful sound that shook Gorr to his core.
"What... what have I done?"
"You killed a god, Daddy."
"I know, but how..."
Gorr stared down at the bizarre weapon in his grip. It pulsed with countless screams, merging with him.
The god's former attendants scattered in terror, screaming as they fled.
"This is All-Black—the Necrosword, weapon of Knull, the god of symbiotes. It has chosen you."
The xenomorph stepped forward slowly.
"Your kind is called xenomorph? The—false god said you serve Adam. Who is Adam? A true god?"
"I am one of countless xenomorphs, but I am also Adam. There is no difference. I am forever with my people."
Gorr grew even more lost. The Necrosword, a dead god, xenomorphs, Adam—none of it made sense.
All he had wanted was a way for his daughter to survive. How had it come to this?
"Your daughter won't live much longer. Is that acceptable to you?" Adam gestured toward the girl in Gorr's arms. "Even if you find another oasis, the planet itself is dying. As the last two survivors of your people, are you willing to slowly kill her alongside you?"
"What should I do? Can you—the self-proclaimed true god—save my child?"
"As you wish."
The xenomorph began to change where it stood. Its body swelled, the cranial crest expanding into something like a crown.
A white egg appeared before Gorr.
"The choice is yours. Follow me, and I will save your daughter. Or refuse, let your child die, and walk the fate that was always meant for you."
Gorr didn't hesitate. He carried his child toward the egg.
"You can think it over."
"No need. This sword is fighting me, trying to twist my thoughts... I don't know why it chose me, but I know it's alive. And I can feel how evil it is. Whatever it doesn't want me to do is probably the right choice."
The Necrosword couldn't save his daughter. It could only kill her.
If she were already dead, he would have trusted the blade and turned it on the xenomorph without a second thought. But she still had a chance.
"A wise decision."
Adam's voice carried a note of approval.
Before long, Gorr's daughter stood up again. The sickness had vanished from her body. She looked full of life—stronger and healthier than she had ever been.
Gorr checked her over in disbelief, then broke down sobbing as he pulled her into his arms.
"Gorr, from now on you are the God Butcher. You will serve me with all your strength."
"God Butcher? But I..."
"Don't overthink it. The one you killed wasn't some minor Lapp deity. You've struck a blow against someone far more important—the true owner of the Necrosword. Your actions have weakened him indirectly."
Adam sensed the blade. It was the first symbiote, the origin of them all. As long as it stayed out of Knull's hands, that was enough.
Now it was time for the main event: dealing with Knull.
...
Knull, having largely retaken control of Klyntar and reclaimed his full form, savored his restored power.
"Yes... this is the real me. A god, no matter where I go. Those damned symbiotes have caused me nothing but humiliation!"
Rage burned inside him. He resolved to throw every symbiote into battle until none remained.
But first, he would reclaim his favorite weapon—the very first symbiote. Then he would return to Earth in his strongest form and wipe out every last human and xenomorph on that miserable rock.
"Let me see where my Necrosword has gone... Eh? It's severed our connection?!"
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