Warning: SPOILERS for Old Man Quill #10

The supervillain Thanos may be responsible for some of the darkest, cruelest moments in Marvel Comics history. So it only makes sense that in the darkest possible version of the future… Thanos lives the happy, peaceful life he always should have.

It’s an unexpected answer to a “What If?” few Marvel fans ever actually asked. Thankfully, most comic fans will be familiar with the dark future of Old Man Logan, taking place in a version of Marvel’s Universe where the villains killed the Avengers, Wolverine killed the X-Men, and supervillains rose up to rule over the Wasteland that America was soon reduced to. And as Old Man Quill #10 has now confirmed, it’s also the version of Marvel’s future which gives Thanos his happy ending, in the best cameo imaginable.

In the original version of his origin story, Thanos was descended from Marvel’s Eternals living on Saturn’s moon, Titan, right here in our very own solar system. Which means Old Man Quill doesn’t need to go far to pay homage to the past while revealing the future. For Thanos, at least.

Fans won’t need to have read Old Man Quill to this point to appreciate the Thanos cameo (but the series is recommended for any fans of Star-Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy). To make a long story short, Star-Lord has been drifting ever since the villainous Universal Church of Truth destroyed his home planet of Spartax. Now that he’s traveled to Earth in search of the Ultimate Nullifier–one of the most powerful weapons in Marvel’s universe–the Church and their master, Galactus, are rushing to Earth to kill Quill before he can do the same to them.

Galactus and his Church armada has only been alluded to as a coming threat, but in Old Man Quill #10 their proximity is finally confirmed. And to show the massive armada arriving in Earth’s solar system, the storytellers do so from the perspective of Thanos. Quietly gardening on his home moon, observing the world-devouring fleet with a simple “Huh.” Apparently having put such matters of cosmic conquest so thoroughly to bed, Thanos is barely even curious about Earth’s imminent destruction.

Every Marvel fan can appreciate the sight of Thanos on the now garden moon of Saturn, noting “The Earth is really screwed!” before simply returning to his work as the armada fades into the distance. Back on Earth, the Wasteland is finding its new Thor, and heroes fight to save what’s left of the future. But on Titan, the good old ‘Farmer Thanos’ lives the life of peace and pacifism he pictured in his earliest days as a young Eternal. A happy ending for Thanos, whether or not he deserves it. Now, will Old Man Quill be as lucky? Fans will need to read the final two issues to find out!

  • OLD MAN QUILL #10 (OF 12) Written By: Ethan Sacks Art by: Robert Gill, Rachelle Rosenberg Cover Art by: John Tyler Christopher OUT OF TIME! PETER QUILL has failed - the Ultimate Nullifier is no longer in the Baxter Building, and without it, there’s no hope of stopping GALACTUS. If only he could go back in time and steal it from REED RICHARDS… Why can’t he? Because if Quill goes into the timestream, all of space-time is at risk! But when has a longshot stopped STAR-LORD?

Old Man Quill #10 is available now from your local comic book shop, or direct from Marvel Comics.

MORE: How Regular People Abused The MCU’s Thanos Snap