Milos Abyss was part of an archaeological away team sent to examine a newly discovered derelict spacecraft of an unknown origin. The band of scientists studying the ship were the best in their profession. Abyss secrete desires far exceeded those of his peers. He had had learned of an ancient Zalgodian legend. The tale told of a supposedly mythical being, by the name of Zalkor. He was called the granter of wishes. No one had come close to Milos’ knowledge of the now-extinct Zalgodian race. This was why only Milos could decipher the logs of the centuries old ghost ship. Once Milos uncovered the mystery that had befell upon the ships crew, he turned on his comrades taking all of their lives. He then traveled to a large satellite that he discovered in the ships star charts. It was still in orbit around a crimson planet. The satellite was also abandoned.
While searching through the lifeless hulk he fell into a dark hole. There he found his greatest dream the Zalkor. The large obese creature asked him for skrimblatt. Beta-Metaphysic Skrimblatt, which was a large leaf like substance that the creature fed off to survive. Milos had scoured the ancient tomes, he knew the legend well. Abyss was ready and willing to transact the traditional bargain. The Skriimblatt was just out of reach, waiting for someone to bring it to the near omnipotent but immobile behemoth. Centuries past this service had been performed by Zalgodian High Priest, now long dead.
Abyss bargained with Zalkor for the skrimblatt, he would give it the behemoth only if he allowed Abyss to become his Kalorion. The Zalkor warned him of what he was requesting. In order to receive the power of the Kalorion, Abyss would have to relinquish his soul. The deal was made and so was born Count Abyss, a cosmic being with nearly godlike powers. On that day those two diverse creatures bonded in a fashion no one will probably understand, a union of master and slave, with each thinking the other subservient.
Together they ruled the universe, in their particular reality. Nothing in their dimension could stand against them. World after world fell into submission, galaxy after galaxy paid homage to its new tyrant. Despite or maybe because of the loss of his soul to the Zalkor, Count Abyss proved to be an exceptionally vicious and merciless despot. Nearly anything Abyss requested the Zalkor granted it. There was very little that his magic could not accomplish. Count Abyss is only omnipotent within his own dimension, which is the Zalkor's sphere of reality. The Zalkor's might faded the further he or his agent ventured from their actuality.
With his entire universe conquered there remained no challenge for Abyss. No satisfaction could be gained from food, woman, drink or anything else. The emptiness of his life became apparent. He started to crave the lost of his soul, which was something that the Zalkor would not grant him, without him surrendering his power. He sought other means to regain his soul. Through his research he stumbled upon the Infinity Gems. Of course only one of the six gems fascinated him. It was the Soul Gem. He traced it whereabouts to the forehead of Adam Warlock. He tried to brute demonic strength to achieve his prize, but that failed. He devised a plan to have Warlock fall in love with Maya the last member of the Egolan's royal family. Abyss enslaved the two of them through a century old love potion. Soon after his spell was cast Maya was abducted from Monster Island. Abyss attempted to trade her for the Soul Gem. Warlock refused to trade the gem for the girl. Warlock gathered the Infinity Watch members together and traveled into the realm of Count Abyss. Upon their arrival they joined forces with Darklore and Meer'lyn, they were heroes from another dimension, the heroes broke into two groups to attack Abyss and rescue Maya. Abyss magically confronted the separate groups in simultaneous battles, turning their own powers against them. He defeated them all and claimed the Soul Gem. Abyss used his magic to tap into the power of the gem and sampled the essence of a thousand souls held within Soulworld. The sweep of emotion overwhelmed him leaving him in a state of intoxication. This result was anticipated by the mystic Darklore. Meer'lyn the only free hero executed a secrete plan devised her partner Darklore. She flew into another dimension and retrieved a magical talisman that allowed her to free the other heroes. Darklore manipulated Abyss' magic to return the Soul Gem to Adam Warlock, who merged one of its resident souls, the pious Kray-Tor, with the soulless Abyss. He was now tormented by the guilt of his count less atrocities. Abyss fled to the Zalkor with Adam and Darklore in pursuit. He begged the Zalkor to remove the second soul, but that same soul kept his benefactor from recognizing him. Adam struck down the distraught Abyss and retrieved the soul of Kray-tor. Darklore managed to banish the despot from his plane of existence. Abyss being separated from the Zalkor has diminished in power tremendously; it should take him years to return.
