All October long I will be exploring the context behind (using reader danjack's term) "meta-messages." A meta-message is where a comic book creator comments on/references the work of another comic book/comic book creator using the characters in their comic. Each time around, I'll give you the context behind one such "meta-message." Here is an archive of the past installments! If you have a suggestion for a future meta-message, e-mail me at bcronin@comicbookresources.com.

The last two days I have examined Jim Starlin'/s use of clones to explain away Thanos stories that Starlin disapproved of and the way Dan Slott had a little fun with the clone concept. Enough people asked me to also feature the later story Slott did in the pages of She-Hulk where he had even more fun with the idea.

First yesterday and now today I am examining two meta-messages involving Thanos and the use of clones of Thanos to explain away stories where Thanos may or may not have looked bad. Yesterday we saw Jim Starlin introduce the concept and today we see Dan Slott have a little fun with the concept!

In a She-Hulk storyline where Starfox is put on trial over his "charm powers," we discover that Thanos' obsession with Death was originally caused by Starfox!!

Or was it?

Eventually in the issue, we discover that the Thanos who tells this story is not the real Thanos!

Thus, Slott takes his original joke from the Squirrel Girl story (that the Watcher confirms that Squirrel Girl defeated the real Thanos) and takes it to the next level, even further spoofing the notion of using clones to explain away stories.

Do note, though, that this does not specifically retcon the Squirrel Girl story.