CELESTIAL ORDER

Membership: None named

Purpose: To use their power to press peace onto a chaotic universe, to eliminate war, illness, want, and injustice through their chosen representatives

Affiliations: Formerly Akhenaten

Enemies: Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell), Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor, Silver Surfer, Thanos

Base of Operations: Aboard their colossal ship surrounding the Heart of Infinite, probably mobile throughout the universe

First Appearance:
    (unnamed power of the Heart of the Infinite referenced): The Infinity Abyss#1 (August, 2002)
    (Named, starship only seen): Marvel Universe: The End#1 (May, 2003)
    (Seen): Marvel Universe: The End#2 (May, 2003)

 Powers: Originally, the members of the Celestial Order all had access to very advanced technology permitting them to explore the universe freely and filter the power from the Heart of Infinite. However, after accessing, or at least being exposed to energies of the Heart of the Infinite, they were transformed into beings of contained energy, walking transmitters of infinite power, able to emit energy blasts capable of destroying even cosmic beings like the Silver Surfer.

History:
(Marvel Universe: The End#2 (fb) - BTS / Marvel Universe: The End#4 (fb)) - The aliens discovered the Heart of the Infinite (a.k.a. the Heart of the Universe).

(Marvel Universe: The End#2 (fb) - BTS) - Unable to directly accept the raw energies of the Heart, the aliens instead developed instrumentation to filter and absorb the power.

(Marvel Universe: The End#2 (fb) - BTS/ Marvel Universe: The End#4 (fb) - BTS) - Successfully accessing the energies of the Heart of the Infinite, the aliens gained vast power. Taking the name the "Celestial Order," they decided to use their power to press peace onto a chaotic universe: they would eliminate war, illness, want, and injustice.

(Marvel Universe: The End#3 (fb) - BTS) - Accessing the power of the Heart of the Infinite transformed the Order into beings of contained energy, walking transmitters of infinite power.

(Marvel Universe: The End#2 (fb)) - The Celestial Order decided to gather prospective representatives: enlightened local citizens who could ease the universal transition from hell to heaven, ruling each section of conquered space. They spent two centuries scouring the universe for such unique local inhabitants.

(Marvel: The End#1 (fb) / Marvel Universe: The End#2 (fb)) - The Celestial Order chose the pharaoh of Akhenaten of Earth to be one of their chosen few. He fit their requirements: a man accustomed to ruling with a certain ruthlessness, and vision to see beyond the now.

(Marvel: The End#1 (fb) / Marvel Universe: The End#2 (fb)) <1334> - The Celestial Order came to Earth, transporting Akhenaten into their ship. He was brought before members of the Order, but his mind was initially unable to grasp his situation and he was driven mad. Upon regaining his wits, Akhenaten was taught of the Heart of the Infinite. His mind danced with insanity for nearly 2000 years as he struggled to understand the scope of these astral relevations (Akhenaten's term of adjustment was quite quick compared to that of other alien representatives).

(Marvel Universe: The End#2 (fb)) - Another century passed as Akhenaten learned to master the gift the Order had blessed him with. Even then his access to the Heart's might was restricted until his indoctrination into the Order's mysteries and protocols was complete. It took another two thousand years for Akhenaten to earn the Order's trust, as something about the human psyche eluded the Order's understanding: Personal ambition was a trait they could only vaguely comprehend. Akhenaten intended to one day capitalize on this flaw.

(The Infinity Abyss#1 (fb) - BTS / Marvel Universe: The End#4 (fb) - BTS) - Thanos mathematically ascertained the existence of the power of the Heart of the Infinite and began seeking its source.

(The Infinity Abyss#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Thanosi created a false signal transmission matching the power Thanos sought, leading him into a trap. Thanos narrowly escaped the artificial singularity which destroyed his starship, Sanctuary.

(Marvel Universe: The End#1 - BTS) - Akhenaten came to Earth, rapidly overpowering its superhuman defenders and proclaiming himself absolute ruler of the world.

(Marvel Universe: The End#2 - BTS) - Dr. Doom, Thanos, and the Council of Godheads learned of Akhenaten's origins by spying on him. The Council was detected and many members slain by Akhenaten.

(Marvel Universe: The End#3) - Thanos gathered the Defenders (Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor, Silver Surfer) and Captain Marvel to track down the Heart of the Infinite that they might oppose Akhenaten's might. Thanos calibrated his armor to cloak his own and his allies' presence--up to 30-40 meters--from the Order's scanners. Using a long-unused but still operational docking port, they entered the Order's space station. A member of the Order passed a short distance from the invaders, but failed to detect them. From the alien, Thanos tracked the energies to the Heart of the Infinite itself. However, when a systems technician robot appeared before them, the Hulk smashed it, and this action brought them to the attention of the Order, and one of their number confronted the invaders.

(Marvel Universe: The End#4) - Captain Marvel and the Defenders struck with lightning speed, attacking the alien and saving them all from instant annihilation, while Thanos instead located and destroyed the instrument that funneled the Heart of the Infinite's power to the Order. Though denied their omnipotence, the Order members still possessed massive energy stores, and a trio of Order members then arrived to stop the invaders. Namor and Dr. Strange quickly were slain during the Order's onslaught. Realizing they had no hope in opposing the Order, Thanos instead leapt directly into the Heart of the Infinite. Having become accustomed to housing massive stores of energy within his body, Thanos hoped to be able to mesh with the omnipotence and gain control of it. Though his body was disintegrated, Thanos prevailed by sheer force of will. The Order members teleported to safety as the Heart's energies were released, destroying the Space Station and all in it.
    After destroying Akhenaten and then allowing Doom to destroy the Order's ship just after it picked up Akhenaten, Thanos then traveled back 2000 years before Akhenaten's birth to the point when the founders of the Order first approached the Heart of the Infinite. Thanos caused the aliens' ship's generator to overheat and explode, killing them all before they could reach the Heart. Further, Thanos then transmitted a black curse within the would-have-been Order's race, and the entire race was dead in less than a week.
    And everything the Order had ever done was thus prevented.

COMMENTS: Created by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

• CELESTIAL of Earth-Amalgam - form taken by Thorion after absorbing the power of the Mother Cube
      --Thorion#1
• Celestial Fool - see PROFFET (app-prof)--Son of Satan I#4
• Celestial Golems - see GATHERERs*--X-Force I#96 (97(fb), 96(fb), [96], 97
• CELESTIAL MADONNA - see MANTIS--Giant-Size Avengers#2
• CELESTIAL MAN - see NEBULON--Defenders I#13
• Celestial Messiah - see QUOI.
      son of Mantis and Swordsman/Elder Cotati, union of animal and plant-life
      (app)--Fantastic Four I#325
  • Celestial Messiah of Earth-Sprout - see SPROUT (app)--Marvel Fanfare I#51
• Celestial Mind Control Movement - formed by Nebulon, based on philosophy of the Ludberdites to improve the lot of inferior beings, promised to liberate the powers of the human mind, but actually robbed them of free will --Defenders I#34
• CELESTIALS - enigmatic race of beings, judge worth of other races, frequently mutate entire races--Eternals I#2

The Heart of the Infinite has no known connection to:

• H.E.A.R.T. (Luz Delgado, Mei Lin, Fiona McCormick, Tyler Meagher, Denika Trevani) - mercenaries -Humans Engaging All Racial Terrorism --Ghost Rider III#8
• Heart of Ahriman - magic item, held @ 13000bc by Xaltotun--Hour of the Dragon, Giant-Size Conan#1
• HEART of ATHENA - creation of Zeus, amplifies power sent through it--Hercules: Heart of Chaos#1, 2(named)
• Heart of Darkness - fell to Earth @ 20000 years ago, discovered by the Yin, discovered by Mandarin, used to empower the Hands of the Mandarin and to remake China as he saw fit--Iron Man I#309
• Heart of the Elephant of the Hyborian era - magical gem, infused with blood of Yag-Kosha so that he could gain vengeance on Yara, after which it vanished--Tower of the Elephant; Conan the Barbarian I#4
• HEART of FOREVER - temporal power item contained within Chronopolis, allowed it to exist in all time planes simultaneously, reshaped by Immortus into the Forever Crystal--Avengers Forever#3
• HEART of PELE - mystic power source, Pele prevented from reclaiming it by Na-Maka-O-Kaha’l, hidden by Pele in Kalavea?, stolen by Vanisher, sought by Lava Men to empower Firebringer to set off all of earth’s volcanoes at once, sent to center of planet by Sunspot--X-Force#81
• HEART of TAMMUZ - magic item, opposing counterpart of Hand of Nergal, formerly held by Xaltotun, later absorbed? by Fafnir Hellhand, in most cases had to be used by a woman
      --Conan the Barbarian I#30
• Infinites - immense, extremely powerful extra-dimensional beings--[Avengers Forever#10], Avengers Infinity#3

Celestial Order's Space Station

    Housing the Heart of the Infinite and its instrumentation, as well as the Celestial Order itself. Odd energies spewed forth from the station like exhaust emissions; these energies were new and incomprehensible to the Silver Surfer, Captain Marvel, and Dr. Strange.

    Despite the Order's nature as energy beings, the Space Station still contained technology that they had required when they were merely physical beings. This included a docking station and airlock. Believing themselves to be invincible, the Order's security measures were actually quite meager, and Thanos easily bypassed detection.

    The space station was destroyed when Thanos unleashed the Heart of Tomorrow.

--Marvel Universe: The End#3 (4

Heart of the Infinite

Also called the Heart of the Universe by Thanos.

    Its origins unknown, it allegedly contained the supreme power of the multiverse. The Heart was discovered by a group of alien explorers, who harnessed its power via instrumentation to become the Celestial Order. The Order plotted to forcibly bring peace to the universe, appointing local natives to control sectors of the universe, and allowing their appointed agents to access the Heart's power as well.

    Thanos mathematically ascertained the existence of the power of the Heart of the Infinite and began seeking its source. The Thanosi set a false trail in an assassination attempt on Thanos that nearly succeeded.

    After the Order's agent Akhenaten conquered Earth, Thanos led the Defenders and Captain Marvel to track down the Order. As the others fought the Order, Thanos destroyed the instrumentation that allowed the Order to access the Heart's power, but their energy stores remained too great for the heroes to oppose. Thanos managed to merge with the Heart itself, and he used its power to destroy the Order and then go back in time and destroy the would-be Order before it ever located the Heart.

    Having reverted the universe to its pre-Order state, Thanos briefly reveled in his power and explored the secrets of existence, but he then discovered a flaw in the fabric of the universe: the resurrections of heroes--starting with Wonder Man--to balance the light against the gathering darkness had set askew the central equilibrium between life and death. This flaw would spread to shatter all reality, and Thanos' efforts to correct it only made things worse. After much contemplation, Thanos realized that the only way to resolve the problem was to start over from scratch. Thanos foiled efforts to stop his plan by Eternity, the Living Tribunal, the Celestials, and the warriors of Earth and elsewhere, but he also apparently obliterated the multiverse in the process.

    Ultimately, Adam Warlock--who had been outside time and space alongside Atleza Langunn and Gamora and was thus spared the destruction--met with Thanos, convincing him that he should sacrifice his newfound power and his very life to restore existence. Thanos did so, using the Heart's power to re-create the multiverse bereft of the flaw that would have destroyed it.

    In his final moments, Thanos realized he had been manipulated by a being of supreme power to sacrifice his existence in his stead to save reality from this flaw.

--Marvel Universe: The End#2 (2(fb), 4(fb), The Infinity Abyss#1 (fb) - BTS, [Marvel Universe: The End#1-2] - BTS, 2 - BTS, 3-4, [5-6] - BTS

images:
Marvel Universe: The End#2, p15, panel 7 (ship picks up Akhenaten)
    #3, p14-15 (space station)
        p19, panel 1 (Order member)
        p20, panel 1 (Heart of the Infinite)
    #4, p2 (Order member vs. Defenders and Captain Marvel)
        p18, panel 2 (Order pre-Heart of the Infinite)

Marvel Universe: The End#3-4 (June, 2003) - bi-weekly - Jim Starlin (writer/pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Marvel Universe: The End#5-6 (July-August, 2003) - Jim Starlin (writer/pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)

Last updated: 10/06/05 .

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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