BIOGRAPHY page
Michael had no real interest in the boy, but his presence was still detected by the One Who Knows, the Guardian known as Starhawk. Starhawk peacefully entered Michael and Carina's home as Aleta to converse with the Enemy. Michael sought an accord, but Starhawk was aware of Korvac's developing plan to reshape the universe as he wished, and could not allow it to pass.
The cosmically enhanced beings did battle in Michael's home in Forest Hills Gardens and simultaneously on the astral plane. The end was never in any doubt. Michael utterly destroyed the Guardian, reducing Starhawk to ethereal dust. Then, in order to keep any traces of his presence a secret, Michael restored Starhawk to existence, perfectly recreating him in every way with one exception: Starhawk could no longer perceive Michael by any means or sense his powers or presence. With the most powerful of the Guardians dealt with, Michael returned to his preparations for the universe. [Avengers (1st series) #168]
In order to bring the universe under his sway, Michael needed to take the utmost care to ensure his actions were not detected before he was ready. He expanded his cosmic senses to check his anonymity, covertly viewing the Watcher, Odin & Mephisto, even Eternity himself. All remained unaware of his presence. While retracting his senses back to their normal scope, however, Michael detected a wisp of cosmic energy from the next room. Finding Carina alone, Michael feared treachery and probed his wife's mind to determine her intentions, yet found only love.
Carina confessed that she was no mortal fashion model, but one of the Elders of the Universe, daughter of Tanaleer Tivan, the Collector. Her father foresaw the coming of the Enemy when no one else did, and sent Carina to spy on Michael. Once they met, however, Carina truly did come to love Michael, and the cosmic ripple he sensed was her intending to mentally report to her father, but ultimately choosing not to do so. Knowing what to look for now, Michael reached out with his senses and detected the Collector's ship hidden in subspace. He felt the Collector conversing with the Avengers, and on the verge of revealing the Enemy's identity. Despite 
Carina's pleadings, Michael knew his anonymity was paramount to his plans. With but a fraction of his powers, Michael struck down the Collector mid-sentence, obliterating him with a bolt of energy from nowhere, just as he tried to warn the Avengers. [Avengers (1st series) #173-174]
Although the Avengers were certainly aware of his existence now, Michael believed they would be unable to divine his location without the help of Starhawk or the Collector. He spoke with Carina and, while she mourned the death of her father, she still loved Michael in spite of it. For the first time, they made love as only cosmically-endowed beings can, and Michael made Carina totally aware of his plans for the universe. With his wife fully committed by his side, Michael left the Avengers and the Guardians alone, convinced they would be unable to interfere and therefore were irrelevant to his work. [Avengers (1st series) #175]
The Avengers were persistent, however, and their efforts uncovered small traces of Korvac's battle with Starhawk. Alone, these traces meant nothing, but Moondragon monitored all the Avengers' searching and helped them bring the information together enough to point the team towards Forest Hills Gardens. Somewhat daunted and bashful, the Avengers' chairman Iron Man nevertheless brought the team to Michael's suburban dwelling for an investigation. At the door, Michael played the part of a normal (if confused) homeowner, convinced the Avengers and Guardians would be unable to detect any signs of his presence. He was more right than he thought. After Captain Marvel's cosmic awareness, Moondragon's telepathy and Jocasta's 
sensors turned up nothing, the Avengers were on the verge of leaving when Starhawk made an outburst. He couldn't understand the jest of why the Avengers had been talking with empty air for the last few minutes! For, as it quickly dawned on the Avengers, Michael's efforts to make himself invisible to Starhawk's senses had been so complete, the Guardian couldn't even perceive the unassuming man standing in the living room with them. His secret was out and Michael Korvac, the Enemy, stood ready to defend himself. [Avengers (1st series) #176]
Korvac was furious, for all his plans were now in peril. The Avengers were known to many powers of the universe, and his efforts to conceal himself from their gaze could not prevent them from noticing two dozen of Earth's Mightiest Heroes on his front stoop. His proprietorship of the universe would now be contested, meaning war that could damage the very cosmos he sought to control. As the Avengers and Guardians squared off to face him, Michael claimed first blood by destroying Drydock, the Guardians' time-traveling space station, and killing Vance Astro aboard. Nikki retaliated, and she and Quicksilver were killed moments later.
The Avengers gained their footing and began fighting back, only to discover their powers were nigh useless against Michael's impenetrable cosmic aura. More Avengers fell, and Iron Man seized the desperate plan to use Carina as a hostage. The very idea fueled Michael's rage, and he struck back even harder in defense of his love and their love. As even Michael staggered momentarily against the combined force of Thor, Iron Man, Starhawk and Vision, he turned to Carina for support. In her mind, he found regret and hesitation, for Carina had no desire for cosmic war. Carina's doubt broke Michael emotionally, as without her support he no longer felt any need to go on. Michael chose to will himself to die rather than continue fighting, and even used his last moments of power to restore the lives of the Avengers he had killed in his rage. Tragically, 
Michael's death shook off Carina's hesitation, and she threw herself into battle with the remaining Avengers. She dropped her defenses before a blast from Mjolnir and died as well, falling alongside Michael and yet just out of his reach. In the aftermath, Moondragon cast doubt on the Avengers actions. Her scans of Michael's mind indicated his desires were ultimately benevolent -- his "custodianship" of the universe would not have exerted direct control over the actions or will of others. He simply intended to reshape the universe into a better place. [Avengers (1st series) #177]
Michael Korvac would not rest easily. His soul passed into the realm of Death, watched over by Master Order and Lord Chaos. [The Korvac Saga TPB epilogue] The great Enemy was restored temporarily by the Grandmaster as part of his Legion of the Unliving when the Elder briefly conquered the Realm of Death. He fought against the Silver Surfer and the Avengers (although it's possible this was merely a shade and not a true aspect of Korvac's soul.) [Avengers Annual #16]
But all was not as it seemed with Korvac's death. As the Avengers fought Michael in Forest Hills Gardens, Galactus returned to his worldship and discovered it had been accessed against his will. Furious at the intrusion, Galactus activated the Ultimate Nullifier to seek out the thief and eliminate him (and the power he had stolen) from existence. Michael sensed the oncoming omnipotent beams in the midst of his battle, and considering trying to resist them. When he saw doubt in Carina's eyes, however, he knew she would not stand with him and felt betrayed. Unwilling to risk facing the Nullifer alone, Korvac gambled to avoid the beams by willing his own death. Before he 
died, though, Korvac released his power as a "cosmic gene packet" which would travel through time, empowering his ancestors from the 20th to the 30th century. Thus the Ultimate Nullifier had no target in the present and its beams dispersed but Korvac could hopefully regain his power in the future. He also planted a suggestion in Thor's mind as he died to release the deadly surge of energy from Mjolnir which killed Carina, thereby removing that "weakness" from Korvac's life in the future.