
The story Marvel Universe: The End came about after two earlier comics: Infinity Abyss, which brought back Thanos and Adam Warlock, and Hulk: The End. Because Hulk: The End was particularly successful (though Infinity Abyss did well too, it wouldn’t have sold as much later on), Marvel decided to create more “The End” stories. Some of these were excellent (Fantastic Four: The End and Punisher: The End), while others weren’t worth reading (except maybe the X-Men version, which was uniquely over-the-top). However, Marvel Universe: The End stood apart. It was a true Jim Starlin story, building on the complicated history he’d created around Thanos. It’s a largely forgotten gem, and it genuinely felt like a definitive ending for the entire Marvel Universe.