WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy #12 by Al Ewing, Juann Cabal, Federico Blee & VC's Cory Petit, on sale now

The Guardians of the Galaxy are some of the most powerful heroes of the Marvel Universe, but even they were nearly overwhelmed recently by some of their strongest enemies: the Dark Olympians, who have slaughtered countless across the universe.

But in Guardians of the Galaxy #12, the Dark Olympians went up against the Guardians of the Galaxy in a fight that left them completely torn apart.

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The Olympians were, for a long time, just another one of the cosmic pantheons that existed within the Marvel Universe. However, almost all of them were killed by Nyx during the events of Avengers: No Road Home -- with only an absent Hercules escaping her wrath. In the current Guardians of the Galaxy series, the return of these cosmic beings -- now in a more ruthless and empowered state -- was enough of a threat that Star-Lord and the reassembled Guardians were forced back into action against them. Star-Lord even seemed to die banishing them to another dimension.

Beside Quill stands his fellow Guardians of the Galaxy, who are quick to rally against the Dark Olympians. Despite their impressive wells of power, it turns out there isn't much the Olyimpans can do to counter the Guardians. Nova is able to overwhelm Apollo, leaving the Sun God burnt to a crisp. Gamora duels Artemis in a sword fight and ends up winning with a decisive slash to her throat. Phyla-Vel defeats Hephestaus in one-on-one combat, and Hera falls against Drax and a Power Stone enhanced Groot. The greatest threats end up proving to be Zeus and Hermes. While Star-Lord costs Zeus an eye and Hercules holds his father at bay, Hermes proves moderately more successful in overwhelming his opponent.

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The God of Boundaries and Language is able to prey on the two versions of Moondragon existing within her psyche, the damaged Earth-616 incarnation, and her more accomplished alternate reality self. However, Phylla-Vell finally embraces the 616-Moondragon, allowing the powerful psychic to literally take control of herself. Not prepared for the totality of the fused Moondragon's power, Hermes is caught off-guard and has his psyche stripped from his body -- and trapped within the mind of Groot, a being who has evolved past the need for language and is, therefore, the perfect prison for the God of Language. The last two of the Pantheon standing against the fully formed Guardians of the Galaxy team are Zeus and Athena.

Initially, Zeus isn't concerned, figuring they lack any real way to beat him. But by infusing a Black Hole Bullet with the powers of Star-Lord and Moondragon and firing it through a Utopian Kree Liquid Weapon, the Guardians find a way to possibly defeat Zeus and send him to another dimension. The powerful Olympian God readies for battle once more, only for Athena to turn against her father. Always one of the more heroic of the Pantheon and often a guide to her younger half-brother Hercules, Athena decides that the Pantheon aren't the gods this new universe needs, and pins her father's arms, preventing him from dodging the attack. Both of them are consumed in light and dragged into another dimension.

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Although this means Athena is lost to them, a saddened Hercules reasons that at least it was her choice to make and that if nothing else Athena can serve as his jailor for eons to come. It's a grim fate for the Olympians, but one they brought upon themselves by waging war across the cosmos. They'll serve as a good warning to other forces in the creation about how powerful the Guardians of the Galaxy have become.

There are still possible loose ends, though. The Pantheon members could be reborn, albeit in potentially more heroic forms. Hermes still exists in some form within Groot, and it'll be interesting if this has any effect on the heroic brute. Meanwhile, the threat of a cosmic Zeus returning will remain a possibility -- and one who specifically swears vengeance on Star-Lord and Hercules, setting up the team to face a cosmic level vendetta if he ever breaks free.

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