Count Abyss
Real Name: Milos Abyss
First Appearance: Warlock and the Infinity Watch 14
What's His Problem? Abyss was a academic who specialized in the lore of a long-dead race, the Zalgodians. During his studies he found mention of Zalkor, the Granter of Unlimited Wishes, and, more importantly, an actual location for the cosmic-powered bestial entity. In return for the narcotic weed skrimblatt -- and Milos' soul -- Zalkor agreed to let Milos become his high-priest or "Kalorion." Once the deal had been struck and Milos' soul ripped away, he ceased being human and became the nearly-omnipotent mystic/cosmic powerhouse Count Abyss, who ruthlessly conquered first his own dimension, then began eyeing neighboring ones. It's hard to appreciate one's own mighty deeds without a soul, however; Count Abyss began to yearn for what he no longer possessed. His research into the legendary Infinity Gems caused him to cast a covetous eye toward the dimension that housed the Earth of the Marvel Universe -- and the Soul Gem borne by Adam Warlock.
Powers: Abyss had a bizarre symbiotic relationship with Zalkor, who had enough power to give Abyss literally anything his twisted mind could come up with. The Granter of Unlimited Wishes only had one wish of his own; a constant supply of mind-numbing skrimblatt. Unfortunately his indulgences over the eons left him so bloated that he couldn't actually get up and get skrimblatt for himself, so he had to strike a bargain with whom-ever happened to be in the vicinity for a few of its leaves to chew. When Abyss became his Kalorion he also became the sole supplier of skrimblatt for the beast; however, the beast was his main source of power, without whom his empire would simply fall like a stack of cards piled too high.
Favorite Quote: "Is this the price I pay for the soul gem; listening to your boring drivel? You seek to injure me with the sheer weight of your words?" (Warlock and the Infinity Watch 32; Abyss mocks our notoriously long-winded hero before mopping the floor with him and seizing the Soul Gem.)
Heroes He Keeps Running Into: Abyss stomped all over the heroes of his own dimension, leaving none to prevent his quest for galactic conquest. Darklore and his familiar Meer'lyn popped in from a neighboring dimension to see what they could do about Abyss' growing inter-dimensional threat, where they ran into Warlock and the members of the Infinity Watch, there to rescue Adam's beloved, Maya, from her soul-less consort.
People Who Think He's Not So Bad: One gets the feeling ol' Milos was pretty cutthroat even back during his academic days when he was but an imperial researcher cruising the galaxy looking for obscure artifacts. His first action upon discovering the location of Zalkor was to murder everyone else on the ship so only he would have access to the beast.
Most Despicable Act: Even given he was a ruthless tyrant who routinely exterminated races and worlds, Abyss had an advanced sadistic streak. His "demon horde" were actually former humans degraded by his cruelty into a depraved state. He tricked his own consort, Maya, into sharing an incurable love potion with Adam Warlock so that he could observe what agonies unrealized, uncontrollable passion would bring. And he disrupted the harmony of the Soul Gem, drinking the souls who lived peacefully within as if they were a fine wine. Having so many souls to sample after being so long without one himself left the oppressor intoxicated with ... er, "spirits;" Warlock and Darklore were able to cut him off from his power supply, Zalkor, by exiling him to a far distant dimension.
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