The Odd Alliance
Vulcan (MU)
Hyperion (Supreme Power) (MU)
Cyclops (MR)
Skullfire (MR)
Ambrose Chase (DR)
Vs.
AnnoyingSilence
Cable (Burnt Offering) (MU)
Sersi (MU)
Mountjoy (MM)
Northstar (Agent of Hydra) (MR)
Multiple Man (MR)
Prep Time
The Odd Alliance
I envision that the story would begin with the introduction of the team to one another. The majority of this would be fine if not for Vulcan... the one psychopath of the bunch. I figure a fight will break out with him, especially with Cyclops being present... however, it won't take long for everyone to realize that something strange is going on. It may take Vulcan a bit longer to calm down, but with Cyclops, Ambrose, and Hyperion's reasonable voices, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to see him not killing anyone. And as we saw in X-Men: Emperor Vulcan, Vulcan can work with enemies when it's in his best interests (as with Havoc and Lilandra), though he will plan to betray them at the first opportunity. The good thing is, Vulcan can betray Cyclops all he wants after the battle but it won't matter... it will have finished by then, so it's a pointless threat as far as this game goes. So this will get rid of the initial problems of Cyclops and Vulcan being on the same team. Won't make it easy, but it stops the inevitable showdown of their meeting.
Now that that's out of the way, we can really get to Cyclops's strength. The reason I wanted him this week is that he is 100% familiar with every single person that the Odd Alliance is facing, and he's familiar. He's a strategic genius and he has time to plan for the battle. He knows Vulcan from his own encounter with him and from Havoc's reports from space. The rest of the team should be fairly giving on explaining and showing who they are and how their powers work and such. This is all a gold mind for Cyclops as well because Hyperion, Skullfire, and Ambrose Chase are all complete mysteries to their foes, and Cyclops will consider this. He will be the one to put together the plan that will win them the battle. Once Hyperion is sure that Cyclops isn't a government head playing him, I think everyone will comply. Vulcan is more questionable, but I think Cyclops is smart enough, and Vulcan easily predictable enough to someone like Cyclops, that he can word his words enough to get Vulcan to do the general thing he's asking.
AnnoyingSilence
This side of the coin may begin more comfortable but the results won't be as well. MountJoy is the only real difficult one here and I see him sneaking around more so than fighting. Cable will catch him but he'll comply. He's an effective weapon, but by no means a powerhouse on his own. Northstar would also be a problem, but I just don't see him causing much problem here. Everyone will know of one another after a short conversation and some brief introduction (though most will be mildly familiar with the rest). They will discuss the other team but only Cyclops will be familiar... and certainly not the edgier Cyclops he is to this day. Vulcan came after each of these incarnations so that'd be a complete mystery as well. So in the end, I see Cable taking charge but planning loosely as they have little to go off of.
I now see Cable doing something unpredictable, knowing how well Cyclops knows him, he will confront Mountjoy, knowing that he will wish to ride someone. He will know that Mountjoy, for all his power, would be easier to control than a deranged Northstar, and so he gives him permission to take over Northstar's body. This will be for Mountjoy's benefit, but it will also help Cable keep tabs on the psychopaths on his team... lessening that number to 1. It doesn't much matter how it's done, but I don't see it being very difficult for Mountjoy to do this. And so, Cable's 5 man strike force becomes 4, though a more maintainable 4. Not to mention, he knows that he has Multiple Man to make up for it in numbers.
The Battle
Now, everyone arrives on New Krypton. I think the first thing that Cable would do is scan for life, and while certain members of the Odd Alliance will be untraceable (Cyclops, Skullfire, arguably Hyperion) he should be able to find Vulcan and Ambrose. He will then lead the assault toward them, but Cyclops will expect this.
The initial plan:
Vulcan & Ambrose The Bate. I don't see Cyclops sharing this with Vulcan or Ambrose, knowing Cable might be able to pluck it from their minds. He will simply tell Ambrose to stick with Vulcan to the best of his abilities. I see Ambrose cussing a lot while attempting to follow orders.
Cyclops & Skullfire The Secret. These two are the best protected minds against Cable's telepathy and so they will follow Vulcan & Ambrose secretly, awaiting the attack.
Hyperion The Radar. He will remain behind, listening to the wind and looking with his X-Ray vision... waiting their foes out. He does not move forward, as he has the speed to catch up within seconds. Instead, he stays back, surveys, and will pounce just as Cable's squad arrives.
And in all this they are preparing to spring the trap. Now, Vulcan will mess this trap up, but at least signs of it will contribute to the Odd Alliance winning.
Vulcan vs Cable
I see the first assault coming from Cable himself, who gives a bit of a telepathic sucker punch to Vulcan and Ambrose, followed by the speed of Northstar (w/Mountjoy in toe). He wouldn't do this so much to knock them out as to test them. However, this little intrusion should be enough to set Vulcan off... which is a very bad thing for Cable. The reason is that Vulcan would tear through the space shuttle (literally through it) until he got to Cable. I'm sure Cable would use his powers to attempt to stop Vulcan but Vulcan would quickly turn that around on him. In X-Men: Deadly Genesis, Vulcan had turned off Rachel Grey's telepathic powers by controlling the electrical energy in her brain, and keep in mind that she is a powerful telepath due to the addition of the Phoenix Force. Cable is more powerful, yes, but Vulcan is Omega Level Plus, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem. And so as Vulcan negates Cable's powers, even if he can't do all of it, Cable suddenly becomes MAYBE what he was when he first showed up. The problem being, he has no weapons to compensate. And so he's basically a powerless or very near powerless soldier against Vulcan, who will quite simply.... tear him apart. One energy blast like those he usually uses will tear Cable to nothing but a skeleton. Cable will put up a fight, but remember... he'd know nothing about Vulcan, that he can do this, or to what levels he really is. Cable has an amazing mind, but against someone who can negate that mind and the Omega level power to kill (and he does so happily) Cable will be the first to fall.
Now, of course, the murder wouldn't have been in Cyclops's plan, but there's not much Cyclops could have done to prevent it, and Vulcan's sudden taking off after Cable would have been too fast for him to prevent. But the depowering WAS in the plan. Cyclops would be really upset and would want nothing more than to tear Vulcan apart, but he knows there's nothing he can do. He is almost happy to see Vulcan suddenly tackled by the Eternal Sersi, and almost disappointed to suddenly, like a blur, see Hyperion arrive in the battlefield and trow them both to thee ground, through several floors, and disappearing into the darkness below.
Ambrose Chase & Cyclops vs Northstar, Mountjoy
Feeling the telepathic punch, Ambrose goes into defensive mode. He was warned that a first line of offense might be the speedster and so they had a plan set in place. As soon as he was hit he extended his field several feet in front of him and Northstar runs smack dab into it. The time distortion slows him to a crawl (and even that is impressive, as it should have stopped him) and Ambrose quickly pulls out his guns and puts several bullets into the Speedster; one in each kneecap and one in the stomach. Cyclops asked him to only wound the speedster but this may have been a bit more than expected.
He returns his field to normal an Northstar drops. He cries out in agony as Ambrose comes closer, prepared to render him unconscious. Unexpectedly, however, Mountjoy leaps out of Northstar and claws Ambrose across the throat with his rather long finger nails. He flings himself at the bleeding Ambrose but finds it difficult to absorb or enter him.
It was shown in Excalibur 100 that Mountjoy could not jump into Captain Britain because of his armor's force field. I think he may have a similar problem with Ambrose's field... something that Cyclops would anticipate (but really is a result of chance in this scenerio). And so in seeing Ambrose vulnerable, and realizing that Mountjoy was in Northstar and would try to take the new vessel, Cyclops enters the fray, and when Mountjoy struggles to enter Ambrose, he is suddenly taken out by a full optic blast to the back. It might be more force than necessary but Cyclops is obviously still seething over the death of his son.
Cyclops will check on Ambrose, who is a bit wobbly still having taken a hard hit from Mountjoy, when suddenly Cyclops's neck will snap. Northstar cannot run and is bleeding horribly, but he can still fly... and upon seeing his foe he flew to him quickly and killed him. His instincts kicking in, as soon as the unfortunate death happened, only inches from his face, Ambrose sets his field again and catches Northstar is a beginning jolt into the air, freezing him. And defenseless, Northstar receives two more bullets... this time one is in the chest and the other in the brain. Then Ambrose falls out unconscious. The wounds he had received and the will to expand his field again wears him out so that all four of these characters are left dead or unconscious.
Skullfire vs Multiple Man
Now, while the initial attack began, Cyclops gave it to Skullfire to sneak his way to Multiple Man. Skullfire knows that impact will only make Multiple Man stronger through multiplication, even the force impact of his own optic blast, but Skullfire is pure energy, not a physical form. He doesn't quite impact like the rest would so he's the best bet to take on someone who gets stronger with impact.
Now, it goes to assume that Multiple Man will have already created some dupes by this point, but he's not one to create an army until he's ready to march into war. He usually only does this when facing a LOT of foes, or as a distraction or intimidation. Skullfire will fly, searching for them and as he finds Multiple Man and whatever dupes he has created, he will confront them with a quick jolt to the head/brain. It wouldn't be a physical thud as much as a type of shock, which should be enough to knock him out. He may have to try this on a few dupes, and if a dog pile begins Skullfire can just kinda disperse around them to get out without causing much impact, or even start zapping them one by one, taking them out without creating more dupes.
This would be difficult but if he's careful about it, as Cyclops instructs, it shouldn't take him long to find Jamie-Prime and take him out without much problem. And returning to the scene of the battle he will find Cyclops dead and Ambrose unconscious, along with Northstar, Mountjoy, and Cable. Seeing the hole in the ground and hearing the battle below, he descends and tries to help out.
It seems like a simple solution but sometimes those do occur. And to be honest, Jamie is great through his numbers. He's pretty vulnerable himself though and any one of the Odd Alliance can take him out with the proper planning... the type of planning that Cyclops could afford.
Vulcan vs Hyperion vs Sersi... and Skullfire's in there too
Yes, Vulcan and Hyperion are on the same team, but let's be honest. The moment Hyperion saw Vulcan fry Cable he no longer considers him a teammate, nor does anyone else for that matter. All three of these people can be a bit tempered so I don't see anyone sitting out at all. It's a full blown free for all. This is fortunate for Sersi in that if she had to face Hyperion and Vulcan as a unified force she wouldn't stand a chance, but this way she at least stands on level ground. By the time Skullfire reaches them I figure the battle is in full swing, and one heck of a battle it is. Not being stupid, he hangs back and waits for his openings.
I don't see any point in detailing a long physical confrontation between the three but I'm sure that by the time Skullfire enters the fray all 3 of them are pretty beat up, though still going strong. Hyperion never really seems to tire short of a hydrogen explosion so I'd imagine he'd still be in the best shape of the three. I see Vulcan furious and seething and just going nuts. I see Sersi being a bit more defensive but also going all out on Vulcan.
Now, to get a better idea of the details of how they all measure up. Sersi's ability to rearrange matter could be a factor, but Vulcan is a good defense for that. In War of Kings issue 6 he was hit point blank by Blackbolt's scream and left as a withered husk. A moment later he attacked, having healed himself, so he obviously can heal from any structural damage his body sustains. Anything frying or altering Sersi tries of him would only be a temporary stay. He would be back in the battle before she could find anything to harm Hyperion with. She also fires tons of energy blasts and such but not only can Vulcan redirect those, he can use them against her, and even pull them out of her and attempt to drain her. There was a mention of Sersi controlling humans, but Hyperion isn't human, and Vulcan's shown difficulty to telepaths so I'd assume there'd be problems here as well. She is not invulnerable, though very turable, but both Hyperion and Vulcan have the strength and power to hurt her so that's no problem. They all 3 fly at superhuman speeds. And Sersi still has nobility about her, whereas Vulcan does not and Hyperion was questionable at the time of this version.
So as you can see, though Hyperion and Vulcan would add difficulty to one another, I don't see Sersi taking out either of them in the battle, and the only thing keeping her alive for quite some time would be the differences between Hyperion and Vulcan. I think in the end, it will be Vulcan who takes out Sersi, as he could probably fry her fairly easily with a concentrated blast.
But for the sake of fun and a specific end battle. I see Skullfire watching from the side, unsure of what to do. Finally, realizing that Vulcan is the biggest threat, but that Sersi is the opponant, he goes to Hyperion and tries to side with him. This would most likely work and they would split the chores. Hyperion would go after Vulcan and Skullfire after Sersi... Skullfire can absorb energies and such as well anyhow, and he has no physical form for her to alter. I see this going for a while on both fronts but eventually I think Vulcan probably would wind Hyperion with the level of focused power and then he'd turn his attention to Sersi. He'd attack and then realize that Skullfire is pure energy, which he is master of. And so I see him taking control of Skullfire while he and Sersi battle and I see him forcing him into a quick beam of light, shot straight through Sersi's ears, destroying her brain in the process, and probably messing up Skullfire as well.
I picture Hyperion eventually getting his wind back and attacking Vulcan again, but it doesn't matter at that point because all of the AnnoyingSilence team has been stopped, and the Odd Alliance stands victorious.
Winner Odd Alliance
)
I was just trying to give her a fair shot in the match.
