In the wake of Glorian’s reality machinations, the frontier town of Abyss on Godthab Omega is largely ruined. Gamora and Cerise have returned to Mount Virago, and Ronan pulls back to the Spaceport to attempt to fix a working ship, leaving Korath and Stellaris to clean up the mess – and to observe the floating red-and-gold energy matrix that Glorian has become. The Glorian Matrix is also of interest to Nebula, who seeks a way off this planet and to regain her fearsome reputation.

But Moondragon has other concerns – she returns to Godthab Omega to warn her occasional allies, the Graces, that the Annihilation Wave is coming. Sadly she is too late – Wave forces, led by a 15km long flagship, land nearby and disgorge a vast swarm of uncontrollable insectoids that advance on Abyss and Mount Virago! Led by Eradica, one of Annihilus’ monstrous Queens, the swarm seeks the Matrix’s power for the Wave.

Gamora prepares to defend Mount Virago and sends Moondragon to Abyss to collect the Matrix. She arrives just as Nebula attempts to steal it, and as Korath creates a trans-dimensional stasis cell to sageguard and transport it. Along with Stellaris, the group agree to put aside their differences in an effort to escape – but as the swarm attacks Abyss, Korath is forced to abandon the Kree soldiers he has led to this point.

The four return to Mount VIrago, stasis cell in hand, to find it overrun with giant mutant bugs – including flying bugs, who force Nebula to crash their transport into the side of Gamora’s headquarters. The four fight against the swarm, but they are too badly outnumbered. After injuring Nebula even more than before, Eradica overpowers Korath and Moondragon and makes off with the Matrix. Faced with overwhelming odds, the Graces (and Korath) evacuate in Moondragon’s ship, and watch the mindless swarm destroy everything left on Godthab Omega.

In the aftermath, the Graces pick up Ronan (who made it to orbit in an evacuation pod), Moondragon sets a course to meet up with her lover Phylla-Vell and other resistance forces, Gamora disbands the Graces – and Korath reveals that he set a psychic tracer on the Matrix, allowing him to follow it anywhere.