One Earth: The Marvel/DC RPG

[Andy C.]

Well, so far my 'big debut' has been kind of a bust. I've been running around the streets for hours now, and haven't gotten so much as a purse-snatcher. If I had some kind of hotline to the police, or maybe a network of moles around the city, or something like that, I'd know exactly where and when all the action is. As it stands, the "run around and see what happens" approach isn't really cutting it.

On the plus side, I'm getting a lot of practice just moving around in my costume. The additions I made to the tights haven't really hindered my frankly-incredible agility, and I'm really getting the hang of flowing between movements, jumping from one rooftop to another, hurdling air conditioners and TV antennae (seriously? who still uses an antenna for their TV?), sticking to a wall so I can vault over a ledge. It's amazing just how much my Spider-Sense comes into play just in terms of determining distances, figuring trajectories, reducing complicated calculations to a fine-tuned 'gut' feeling.

Still, as fun as it is to jump around on roofs and be all Assassin's Creed, it's not exactly an integral part of my "one-man war against the criminal underworld" plan. If only there was--

*KRAAASSSSSSHHHHHHH*

Down the block, a window shatters, followed by the sounding of an alarm which gets cut off short.

Finally, some action.

I leap across the roofs, firing a line of webbing to pull myself across the street (note to self: explore further possibilities of using webbing as means of transportation), and land perched on the roof of a small jewelry store.

"C'mon, you mooks, move it!" I hear a man barking orders inside. "The boss wants this place cleaned out and torched before the cops get here!"

Looking over the ledge into the adjacent alleyway, I see a van parked by the back door, with five or six guys scurrying in and out of the jewelry store, loading up bags of what I can only assume are stolen diamonds.

The one calling the shots is a big muscle-bound goon with short-cropped hair, and a hideous green striped shirt. In one hand he's got a bag full of jewels, and in the other he's got an Uzi. That.....could be a problem.

Well, no point in trying the superhero thing if I'm going to wuss out at the first sign of danger. Time to meet the bad guys.

"Okay, fellas," I call out to them from the rooftop. "Let me guess....."

"...you're the night-shift staff, and you forgot the key?"

The thugs stop in their tracks and stare up at me in surprise and confusion. After a couple of seconds, the goon in the green striped shirt raises his machine gun.

"Get 'im!" he shouts before squeezing the trigger, spraying hot lead towards me.

As my Spider-Sense kicks in, the world slows to a crawl, my reaction time going into serious overdrive. I can see each bullet as they make their way towards me; I can even see the ripples in the air as they make little tiny sonic booms. I can make out every detail on the crooks' faces, the beads of sweat forming on their brows.

In fact, I'm so caught up in how cool my danger-sensing ability is, that I just about completely forget about the danger itself until a searing burning pain punches into my right thigh, and another grazes my left shoulder.

My senses reel, sight and sound and everything else drowned out by the intense pain, and I find myself spinning back down onto the rooftop.





......holy crap, I've been shot!

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, it hurts so bad! I'm gonna die, I know it! I knew this was a bad idea, I knew I shouldn't have tried to get involved with criminals, and now I'm bleeding on a rooftop in a set of ridiculous tights, with a pair of bullet holes in me! What was I thinking?!?!

Okay, calm down, Parker. Deep breaths. Just.....just breathe for a second.....

......


.....okay. Now time to assess the situation.

I look at the wound on my shoulder first. Just a graze, nothing serious. The one on my thigh, though, is a little worse. The bullet went straight through, from what I can tell. If what I learned in Anatomy class is right, then I don't think it didn't hit the artery, since it's leaking blood, but not squirting. I'm in an unbelievable amount of pain, but I don't think I'm in any real danger of dying.

"The hell was that, Marko?" I hear one of the crooks down below.

"I dunno," the leader shrugs, "some freak in tights. C'mon, let's get the rest of the ice loaded up. Cops are prob'bly on their way, an' Kingpin's waiting."

Kingpin. These guys work for the Kingpin. No way I'm letting them get away, not if they can lead me to him.

Pulling myself up, tears blurring my vision from the pain, I point my web-shooter at the goon with the Uzi, adjust the nozzle to a wider setting, and fire. A glob of webbing catches his gun hand with a wet SMACK, covering the weapon completely.

"Okay, let's try that again," I say through gritted teeth. "Me good guy, you bad guys. We fight."

While the head goon doesn't have the machine gun anymore, two of his other henchmen have pistols. They pop off shots at me, and this time I actually pay attention to what my Spider-Sense is telling me. Pushing off with my one good leg, I jump into the air in a high arc, easily avoiding the paths of their bullets, before landing on the ground, putting a little too much weight on my wounded leg.

"Aah!" I yelp, then duck under a baseball bat swung by one of the mooks. I catch myself with my right hand, doing an impromptu handstand as I send my left heel crashing into the man's jaw. He goes flying, and I roll to one side to avoid the gunfire.

"Jesus, I heard about this guy," one of them says. "It's gotta be the Batman!"

"Oh yeah," I say, cartwheeling away from the bullets, shoving off of my good leg into a butterfly kick that socks a knife-wielding thug, spinning around to web him up in the same motion, before landing on the same good leg. "I'm wearing a costume with a big spider logo on the front, covered in spider-web patterns, and shooting more spider-webs from my hands. If that doesn't just scream 'Batman,' I don't know what does."

Popping back up onto my feet, I fire a web-line at one of the gunmen, which catches him in the chest. I yank hard, sending him crashing into a fifth goon with a chain, then I reset the web-shooter to gob them both up in a wide net.

The second gunman continues firing, and I jump up onto the wall to get out of the way. I jump from wall to wall in the alleyway, dodging shot after shot, until I'm right on top of him.

"Jeez, who taught you to shoot? Imperial Stormtroopers?" I say, not getting any reaction from the snarling criminal as he fires his pistol wildly. "See, 'cause they're famous for not being able to hit the good guy, when it really should be an easy shot....and.....ah, never mind, I'm just gonna knock you out now."

I spring down from the roof, leveling the gunman with a big haymaker, but with one arm and one leg out of commission, I can't stick the landing. I roll awkwardly to the ground in a heap, putting too much pressure on the wounded shoulder.

"....okay, owww...." I mutter painfully to myself as I struggle to my feet, just in time to see the lead goon-- Marko, they said?--start the van and peel out.

"Oh, no you don't!" I say as I start to go after him, but I take a bad step on my wounded leg, and nearly fall on my face. I'm in no condition to chase down a speeding vehicle.

Fortunately, I don't have to.

Pulling up my shirt to reach my utility belt, I grab one of the small GPS trackers I made, and fling it as hard as I can towards the escaping van. The tracking bug sticks to the back bumper, and if I'm lucky, he'll never notice it.

I look around at the unconscious crooks, hearing sirens in the distance. New York's finest should be here any minute now, so I don't really have time to grill these guys for information. But I don't want any of them getting away, either, or for the cops to think that I was just beating up some random guys in an alley.

Between my webbing and my enhanced strength, it isn't too much effort to get the five mooks piled up in front of the store, tied up with webs to make sure they don't go anywhere. I pull a sticky-note and a marker from one of the back pockets of my utility belt, and stick it to one of the mooks' foreheads:

Dear NYPD,

These morons were in the middle of a smash-and-burn operation. I wasn't able to get all of them, but I'm working on it. In the meantime, tell them you know about the Kingpin, or their middle manager Marko, and I'm sure they'll cooperate.

Compliments of your friendly neighborhood SPIDER-MAN.

As the sirens get closer, I shoot a web line up to the rooftops and vanish into the night. It's almost 3 in the morning, and I really need to go to bed.

But first, I think I need to raid the first aid kit for some bandages.

And antiseptic.

And painkillers.

And while I'm at it, I should probably look up some tutorials on how to apply stitches to an open wound.

Then I'll let myself pass out.

 

[Carnage27]

​

He takes one step towards the mountain range only for Wonderwoman and the Thing to step into his path.

"You won't stop me." He mutters as he peels off his mask and angrily throws it onto the snow at his feet.

Diana and Ben lunge at him with fists raised but he opens his eyes, washing the area in front of him in the soft ghostly glow they emit.

"Nothing will stop me." He adds as the two heroes are suddenly stopped in their tracks, having been turned to stone by the Gorgon's deadly stare.

I can only watch in horror as Diana and Grimm are turned to stone in the blink of an eye. I can't even react in remotely enough time to stop the devastating power that flows from Gorgon's eyes. I guess its where he got his name from, and it's as fitting as it is frightening.

The monster goes to turn towards Batman and I, but instead my shield catches him on the side of the face, preventing him from turning the two of us to stone. The shield returns to me, and I push the dark knight and I behind a large rock to protect us.

Turning to the vigilante next to me, I reflect the sunlight off my shield and ask, "I think I've got an idea....got anything shiny?"

 

[Byrd Man]

The monster goes to turn towards Batman and I, but instead my shield catches him on the side of the face, preventing him from turning the two of us to stone. The shield returns to me, and I push the dark knight and I behind a large rock to protect us.
​

Turning to the vigilante next to me, I reflect the sunlight off my shield and ask, "I think I've got an idea....got anything shiny?"

"Yes," Batman said, pulling a small, hand-held mirror from his utility belt. From behind them, a loud boom echoed and a bright flash lit up the sky. Both men turned in the direction of the explosion. "If what just happened over there worked, this next part should be easier."

 

[MST3K 4ever]

Bruce and Betty approach the cabin and look in the windows.

Betty says, "It doesn't look like anyone is home."

Bruce asks, "Should I knock?"

Betty replies, "Why not. Again you're the reason we're here."

Bruce says, "Let's not start that again."

Bruce knocks on the door and the door opens up.

Bruce looks at Betty and asks, "Shall we?"

She replies, "After you."

Bruce says, "Sure send me into the cabin where there could be some psycho waiting for us."

Betty says, "If that happens don't be afraid to introduce him to your friend, and besides you're the reason..."

Bruce interupts, "How long are you going to keep on with that?"

Betty replies, "Until we get back to civilization."

Bruce says, "Swell."

He steps in cautiously and Betty follows him as he says, "Hello. Anyone home. Hello."

Just then a grizzled elderly gentleman pops out from around the corner with a shotgun drawn and says, "What do you want? Why are you here?" I heard you all coming a mile away.

Bruce pushes Betty behind him and says, "Sorry sir. We're hikers and we got lost..."

Bruce looks at his torn clothing and says, "I fell down and we lost our gear. All I'm looking for is a change of clothes and some food for my girlfriend and I. I beg of you though please put the gun away. Please I've got a bad reaction to guns in my face."

The gentleman lowers his gun and says, "Sorry about that I don't get many visitors here, and I like the solitude. But you look like you could use a hand. Been there a time or two myself."

He motions for the two of them to sit at the table and says, "Name's Jasper. You all up for some bacon and eggs?"

Betty says, "Yes thank you."

Jasper asks, "What's your names?"

Bruce says, "Ward and June."

Betty looks at Bruce for a moment and she shrugs her shoulders.

Jasper tells them how he and his wife used to visit the mountains all the time and how they loved it so they built the cabin. When his wife died from cancer about 22 years ago he decided he had enough of the civilized world and wanted to get away from it all, and so he moved to the cabin permanently.

The conversation is light and Jasper proves to be a somewhat gracious host.

Bruce asks, "Jasper what's the quickiest way off of the mountain? We're hoping to make it to a nearby phone so we can call for help from some firends and they might be able to help us out."

Jasper says while getting Bruce a change of clothes, "Well Ward & June if you're looking for the quickiest way out of here I suggest go over this ridge about a half mile you'll see a river follow it 'til it forks. Take the fork to the right about 5 miles from there is a little town called Stabob. The general store got an ATM about a year ago, but you should be able to use the phone. Just tell Mable to put it on my tab she'll understand."

Bruce changing into a fresh set of clothes says, "Jasper we really appreciate this if there is anything we can ever do...."

Jasper says, "Well glad I could help, but I would appreciate it if you kept this visit to yourselves. I really like being alone up here, but you all seem nice enough and you were in a bad way."

Bruce and Betty thank Jasper and are on their way to Stabob.

Betty asks, "Okay once we get there who you gonna call?"

Bruce replies, "The Ghostbusters."

Betty shakes her head and says, "Walked right into that one."

Bruce smiles and says, "I need you to call your dad. I know he and I don't exactly have a warm friendship, but he's a fair man. I figure with him I might get a fair chance to explain myself. It's gotta be better than Lex."

Betty says, "Sure I can do that."

 

[bkhedr]

"Yes," Batman said, pulling a small, hand-held mirror from his utility belt. From behind them, a loud boom echoed and a bright flash lit up the sky. Both men turned in the direction of the explosion. "If what just happened over there worked, this next part should be easier."

The Gorgon's feels Ultimo's power leaving him and instinctively knows that the apocalyptic automaton has been felled. That knowledge leads him to drop to his knees in the snow where he sits in silence for a moment, all the while his lower lip seems to quiver with uncontrollable rage which he finally lets out in the form of a bone chilling cry that echoes on the antarctic winds.

​

Having thus given voice to his anger, the Gorgon lowers his head and lets his sword drop from his grip.

He was so close. So very close to ending it all. And now....

His powers had already reverted to their normal levels but he could still hear Captain America and Batman's thoughts in his head. For an instant he considers looking into the mirror, letting them finish him, but then he feels a familiar energy emanating from within the folds of his cloak and looks down with renewed vigor.

The Heart of Darkness! It still functions!

The look of defeat is suddenly gone from his face and the Gorgon retrieves his sword and rises smoothly.

When he addresses Captain America and Batman without turning to face them his head is once more held high.

"Savor this victory while you can little men. I promise you it will be short lived."

The Gorgon then activates his personal teleporter and disappears in a flash of light.
​

****

Several hundred feet away the explosion has died down. Sue Storm lowers her force field and Iron Man lands beside her and Reed and three heroes take in the scene of devastation. The mountain is gone and with it Ultimo.

"I've found Superman." Stark says as he scans the area "He looks to be in one piece but he's not moving."

Sue and Reed both take steps forward, eager to check on the Man of Steel but Tony spread his arms wide to hold them back.

"Hold on." He says "The vibrational field mostly worked, but there's still quite a bit of anti-metal out there and now that its exposed to the atmosphere any metal that comes within range of it will simply dissolve. I don't dare get any closer and if you're going to you'd better leave behind anything metal you don't want to lose. That's tech, jewellery, whatever."

****

Epilogue One:

Talia Al Ghul and a host of stunned looking ninja gather around their leader in their hidden headquarters deep beneath Gotham City.

"How?" Talia asks. She was never privy to his full plans. He hadn't told her that he intended to end all life on the planet, he doubted she'd be on board for that. All she knew was what she needed to know but that had been enough for her to realize that his plan was brilliant and that it should have succeeded.

"It doesn't matter." The Gorgon replies as he makes his way through the gathered crowd towards his private chambers. The Hand warriors make room for him as he goes and Talia falls in behind him, following at his right shoulder.

"There are other ways to achieve my goals." He tells her casually. He can feel the power emanating off of the Heart of Darkness even now. It has been growing in intensity ever since Ultimo fell.

"The heroes have only delayed the inevitable."

****

Epilogue Two:

Somewhere in the blackness of space, far beyond our solar system and the range of our most powerful satellites, is a bizarre and alien construct of ancient origin.

The construct stretches for miles in all directions, its shiny metal surface bristles with what at first glance appear to be weapons but are in fact sensor antennae. The construct is empty and silent on the inside. A feature at odds with its vast size.

That is, it is nearly empty and silent.

In one section, near the construct's core, the silence has been broken by the incessant beeping of a display console. The beeping continues for a few moments, echoing through the barren structure until it is silenced by a flick of a switch.

Cruel, hungry eyes belonging to the construct's sole inhabitant eye the display console and callous, ageless features contort into a grin as long unused face muscles flex.

"Anti-metal." An ancient gravelly voice intones with obvious pleasure "At last."
​

 

[Byrd Man]

The Gorgon's feels Ultimo's power leaving him and instinctively knows that the apocalyptic automaton has been felled. That knowledge leads him to drop to his knees in the snow where he sits in silence for a moment, all the while his lower lip seems to quiver with uncontrollable rage which he finally lets out in the form of a bone chilling cry that echoes on the antarctic winds.

Having thus given voice to his anger, the Gorgon lowers his head and lets his sword drop from his grip.

He was so close. So very close to ending it all. And now....

His powers had already reverted to their normal levels but he could still hear Captain America and Batman thoughts in his head. For an instant he considers looking into the mirror, letting them finish him, but then he feels a familiar energy emanating from within the folds of his cloak and looks down with renewed vigor.

The Heart of Darkness! It still functions!

The look of defeat is suddenly gone from his face and the Gorgon retrieves his sword and rises smoothly.

When he addresses Captain America and Batman without turning to face them his head is once more held high.

"Savor this victory while you can little men. I promise you it will be short lived."

The Gorgon then activates his personal teleporter and disappears in a flash of light.
​

"He ran, like a common criminal," Batman said, putting the mirror back into his utility belt. "Disappointing."

The Dark Knight walked towards the two rocky statues that had, just minutes ago, been living, breathing people. "Batman to Iron Man, your presence is needed."


​

Several hundred feet away the explosion has died down. Sue Storm lowers her force field and Iron Man lands beside her and Reed and three heroes take in the scene of devastation. The mountain is gone and with it Ultimo.

"I've found Superman." Stark says as he scans the area "He looks to be in one piece but he's not moving."

Sue and Reed both take steps forward, eager to check on the Man of Steel but Tony spread his arms wide to hold them back.

"Hold on." He says "The vibrational field mostly worked, but there's still quite a bit of anti-metal out there and now that its exposed to the atmosphere any metal that comes within range of it will simply dissolve. I don't dare get any closer and if you're going to you'd better leave behind anything metal you don't want to lose. That's tech, jewellery, whatever."

​

"Here," Reed said to Sue. He pulled his biometric scanner from its holster on his hip and handed to her. Reed slid off his left glove and pulled his wedding ring from his ring finger. "I think that's it..."

"So we saved the day?" Johnny asked as he came down from the sky.

"As far as we know. Did you see Superman moving when you were up there?"

"No. He was smack dab in the middle of a smoking crater, though."

"I'm going in after him," Reed said, handing his wedding band to Sue. "Ben went offline on the comm network a few minutes ago, find out if he's alright."

Turning away from the three heroes, Reed trudged off into the snow towards the large hole in the ground that Superman and the explosion had created.

 

[bkhedr]

"Batman to Iron Man, your presence is needed."​

​

"I'm on my way." Tony says into his comm before offering Sue Richards an open palm. "If I may."

Sue gratefully takes his hand, wrapping both of hers around it, before he takes to the air. Tony knows she can get there on her own using her invisible constructs but he guessed that the strain of holding back the explosion had worn her down a bit and her willingness to let him carry her confirmed it.

"Come on kid." Iron Man says to the Human torch and the three fly across the ice, towards Captain America and Batman.

As they get closer they see that Wonderwoman and the Thing have apparently been turned to statues.

Sue lets out a gasp and covers her mouth with one hand at the sight, prompting Tony to lower her more gently than he normally would have.

"Ben? Awww no." Tony hears Johnny say, but his focus is now entirely on the two unfortunate heroes.

"What happened to them?" He asks Batman while keeping his eyes trained on the statues as his armor conducts every scan he can think of on them.​

 

[Carnage27]

"He ran, like a common criminal," Batman said, putting the mirror back into his utility belt. "Disappointing."​

"They always do, in my experience," I respond to the Batman as I move away from him and towards our frozen friends. Whatever Gorgon did, it hasn't changed since his sudden disappearance. Diana and Barton, both seemingly taken in one day, along with Ben Grimm. I'm doing a very poor job of leading this team.

As I inspect them, Johnny Storm and Tony approach from the sky.
​

As they get closer they see that Wonderwoman and the Thing have apparently been turned to statues.

Sue lets out a gasp and covers her mouth with one hand at the sight, prompting Tony to lower her more gently than he normally would have.

"Ben? Awww no." Tony hears Johnny say, but his focus is now entirely on the two unfortunate heroes.

"What happened to them?" He asks Batman while keeping his eyes trained on the statues as his armor conducts every scan he can think of on them.

"Gorgon's eyes," I respond to Stark without looking away from the petrified heroes. "They emit some kind of light. All he had to do was look at them and they froze instantly."

 

[bkhedr]

​

"Gorgon's eyes," I respond to Stark without looking away from the petrified heroes. "They emit some kind of light. All he had to do was look at them and they froze instantly."

"Incredible." Stark whispers in response. He doesn't mean to sound uncaring but it really is an incredible power, terrifying, and more than a little awe inspiring. So much so that Tony has to fight back the urge to reach out and brush the Diana statue's cheek for fear that he might damage it.

That's when the variety of scans he has been running start coming back with results which are fed to him via his HUD. The results are reassuring and Tony relaxes a little bit while going over them.

"Well the good news is that it doesn't appear to be permanent." He says.

He turns away from the statues and faces the worried heroes, then pops his face plate open before continuing. In times like these a human face is infinitely more reassuring than an emotionless armored mask.

"In fact it looks like its already starting to wear off, its just on such a micro cellular level that we can't see it happening. Best guess? They should be back to normal with in a day or two."

He turns one more look at the statues then turns back to the heroes "I take it the Gorgon got away then?"

 

[Carnage27]

"Incredible." Stark whispers in response. He doesn't mean to sound uncaring but it really is an incredible power, terrifying, and more than a little awe inspiring. So much so that Tony has to fight back the urge to reach out and brush the Diana statue's cheek for fear that he might damage it.

That's when the variety of scans he has been running start coming back with results which are fed to him via his HUD. The results are reassuring and Tony relaxes a little bit while going over them.

"Well the good news is that it doesn't appear to be permanent." He says.

He turns away from the statues and faces the worried heroes, then pops his face plate open before continuing. In times like these a human face is infinitely more reassuring than an emotionless armored mask.

"In fact it looks like its already starting to wear off, its just on such a micro cellular level that we can't see it happening. Best guess? They should be back to normal with in a day or two."

He turns one more look at the statues then turns back to the heroes "I take it the Gorgon got away then?"

I sigh in relief. Temporary. That's the best news I've gotten all day. We still have Wonder Woman. All the more firepower I'll have to get Hawkeye back from those things that took him. And from what happened earlier I'm going to need all the help I can get.

Turning to Iron Man, I nod and answer his question, "Yea. Teleported just like the last time I dealt with him. He talks a big game but he's a coward. They're all cowards. And now he knows we can take whatever he throws at us."

I look for Mister Fantastic and Superman as the rest of my team assembles around us. Canary, Widow, Flag, and Ted look a little bruised and beaten, but nothing serious.

"How did Superman handle the vibrations?"

 

[bkhedr]

"Reed's checking on him now." Tony says "But I'd bet everything I own that he's ok. That guy may not look like it but from what I've seen he might be as tough as Thor."

Tony looks the gathered Ultimates over.

"Speaking of Thor, his communicator says he's still out of range. You know anything about that? And while we're on the subject of missing Ultimates." His head turns left, then right, scanning the immediate area and beyond before settling on Captain America once more."Where's Hawkeye?"

 

[Eddie Brock]

Special Agent Carol Danvers

New York City
2030 Hours

Corben and I arrive at the office of Hannibal King, the private investigator we met at the crime scene. He's eccentric, to say the least, but his credentials check out, so he's not some random wackjob. As for his office, it's cramped, musty, and most of all dark. A tiny bit of moonlight streams through the closed blinds, but it's certainly not much. Almost all of the illumination in the room comes from the dingy lamp on Hannibal's desk.

"Make yourselves at home," Hannibal offers politely, but I don't see that happening. As far as I'm concerned, the sooner we can get out of this office, the better. Hannibal seems nice enough, but this place gives me the creeps.

I wander the confined space of the room, examining the various marked boxes from Hannibal's cases. I'm not sure anyone would ever accuse the private investigator of being "neat." While the contents of the boxes are pretty well contained, the boxes themselves are stacked precariously in every corner of the room. Meanwhile, Hannibal's bookshelf sits dormant, the many books and volumes collecting dust from disuse. Bram Stroker's Dracula sits in the middle of the shelf, and judging by the look of it, it's an original copy. You have to give Hannibal credit for committing to this... obsession.

"So you're telling me that Martine Bancroft was killed by a vampire?" Corben says incredulously. "Did werewolves get to Jimmy Hoffa?"

Hannibal smirks knowingly. He must be used to getting ridiculed for his belief. "You don't believe in vampires, do you?" He turns to me. "And what about you, Agent Danvers? Do you think I'm crazy? It's okay to be honest." Moving a box out of his chair, Hannibal takes a seat. "Vampires have been around for so long that they've mostly fallen into legend and myth in the eyes of the masses. But I assure you, they're very real."

"So Twilight is historical fact, then?"

I step forward. "You'll have to excuse my partner. He can be... brash, at times."

Hannibal waves dismissively. "No apologies necessary. If I got offended every time someone mocked me... well, I'd be very uptight." He tries, unsuccessfully, to brush some of the dirt and grime off the lamp. "Tell me, Agent Corben. We live in an age of flying men and hulking monstrosities, and you find vampires hard to believe?"

"Those 'flying men and hulking monstrosities' are the product of science," Corben replies.

"As are vampires," Hannibal retorts calmly. "Vampirism is nothing more than a genetic mutation. What makes it unique is that it's transferable, like a disease."

"How does Michael Morbius fit in?" I ask.

Hannibal turns his attention from Corben to me. "The good doctor was born with a rare blood disease, affecting less than 1 in every 200,000 children born worldwide. He was trying to find a cure. His work caught the attention of a powerful vampire--"

"Dracula?" Corben interjects sarcastically.

"Deacon Frost, actually," Hannibal replies, "but you wouldn't mock Dracula if you had met him." Turning back to me again, he continues, "Frost's ambitions are simple: promote the dominance of vampires over the human race. He took notice of the blood doctor and his formula. The rest, so far, is only speculation..."

Corben gives me a look as if to demonstrate his mistrust of Hannibal, but I prod him to continue. "Speculation may be all we have right now. Please."

"Very well. I suspect Frost approached Dr. Morbius and revealed to him the truth about vampires. I also believe that Frost convinced your doctor to work on a 'cure' for vampirism." Seeing my confusion, Hannibal explains, "A vampire's 'thirst' comes from a defect in the vampiric gene: the red blood cells break down too quickly. Dr. Morbius' formula could be easily reworked to address this problem. But this was only a ploy. Frost never wanted a cure. Quite the opposite. With a serum that converted humans into vampires, Frost could amass an army of vampires in no time."

I nod, fully getting the picture. "Turn the minority into the majority."

"And enslave the human race," Hannibal says. "Martine Bancroft's death tells me that Dr. Morbius has been turned, which can mean a number of things."

"Such as?"

"Maybe he's finished the formula. Maybe he was taking too long and Frost wanted to incentivize him. I won't know until I get more answers. Rest assured, though: you don't want Frost to dispense that serum, or you'll find vampires very easy to believe in..."

 

[Carnage27]

​

"It is good to see you again Lantern and I'm glad you've brought aid."

He nods at Ego "But I fear the planet's crust is too sturdy to pierce from this distance and Ego will not be reasoned with."

Thor has to stop as the gathered heroes scatter to avoid an energy blast directed towards them by the rumbling planet.

"We should make our way to the surface! Perhaps we'll find some weakness there!" Thor shouts to be heard over the continuous blasts now being fired one after another, towards them.​

"How did I know you were going to want to get closer to that dang thing!?" I groan at Thor's plan. But he's right. We all know he's right to, because Killowag looks happy, Tomar-Re looks like he's formulating a plan, and Sinestro...well Sinestro always looks the same.

"So what are we waiting for?"

"A plan."

"We'll need a distraction," I respond as we dodge another shot of energy from the living planet. "Ego will eat us alive if he's focused on us. Possibly literally."

"I shall create a diversion," Tomar-Re responds, beginning to create a multitude of constructs with his ring and the rest of us rocket towards Ego's surface.

Looking over at Thor I ask, "So, any idea what we do when we actually get down there?"

 

[Batman]

Hkk.

I can feel my body pressed against the warm, hardened ground. Can feel the flames licking the edges of my uniform, meagerly dancing atop of it and refusing to burn through. I can still feel everything. But despite my best efforts, I can't move an inch. Can't open my eyes or even hear anything except a distant buzzing. I know that I'm not feeling any pain, not that I've ever been able to feel much of that to begin with, but this new feeling - a feeling of absolute helplessness, trapped in my own head.

It's one of the most unbearable feelings that I've ever had in my entire life. The buzzing only grows louder with every passing second, and for a moment, I feel like I can start moving again...

Then everything just... fades.

Replaced by a blinding white, followed by a myriad of foreign colors so brilliant that I've never witnessed anything like it.

I don't understand what's happening.

And to be honest. I don't know if I'm actually even supposed to.

"-ust heed the Council's warnings, the chain reaction is imminent!"

I hear a voice call out, as if it's not speaking directly to me.

It sounds a little like mine.

Yet completely unlike any voice I've ever heard at the exact same time.

"Lara, please! There's only minutes left, we have to get him to him to the escape pod! It's his only chance..."

The color subsides, revealing the partially shadowed face of a woman so beautiful that it takes my breath away. Tears are streaming down her face, and she looks down at me from above. I don't know how to explain it, but she seems so larger than life. Like I'm a tiny, insignificant factor in the world that she inhabits.

But the way she looks at me. The way she smiles, whenever I see someone else's hand - a small infant child's - reach up to her face and coo. It's as if I'm far from insignificant to her. The way her eyes focus on me, it actually seems like quite the opposite. Like everything in her world depends on me.

I wish I knew who she was.

"Jor-El, I've changed my mind. I-I cannot do this."

Beyond my control, the focus of my point of view shifts to another individual. A man clad in deep red and blue robes, in a design highly reminiscent of my own attire. The difference being the abundance of black, and the glowing halo-esque headdress that loops around the back of his head. His eyes convey the same amount of despair as her's, but it's different. He's much more desperate.

What did she call him? I... I've already forgotten...

"My love, we have been over this countless times. Hundreds, thousands of hours have been put to bring us to this moment. This point is absolutely crucial."

She seems to grow more resentful with her words. "To a man of science! To a man of science, it is crucial. But have you ever considered that I cannot see the situation as anything but a mother?"

The man falls silent, turning his attention away from whatever he's attending to. He walks over to us, tenderly wrapping his arms around her. They must be involved, but I still can't tell how I'm supposed to tie into any of this.

"I know, Lara. I know.", he begins. "The thought of never seeing him again is my absolute worst fear realized. To think that I could never hold in my arms again, to never see him grow..."

Tears begin to flow down his eyes aswell, but he wipes them away, filled with a purpose beyond his emotion.

"But this has to be done. It is the only way."

"No. You must have another way. I cannot bring myself to let him go."

"Lara, listen to yourself..."

"Listen to you!"

My vision shifts back to her, as she leans in closer to me, placing her face against mine. And for a moment, I can swear I feel her skin brushing up against my cheek. It's the most comforting sensation I've ever felt.

"My son. Our son. To send him away like this, his fading memory of us gone within a twilight's hour..."

He lovingly places his palm against her cheek. "It is unbearable."

"Yes..."

"And were there any other way, I swear that I would find it. I would traverse the heavens themselves to set aside room for the three of us, or even the two of you. To seperate a mother and father from their child is a crime unforgivable. But this is our reality. We've lost so much, and we were only given one chance. One reason to still cling to hope."

He looks down at me, serious. Yet calm and collective.

It suddenly dawns on me. This isn't some bizarre glimpse into another life.

I've seen this before.

Our hope...

"Our hope. The last son. The hope of all of Krypton."

And in the blink of an eye, I fully awaken. Control over my own body restored..

The man and woman are gone. I'm back in the artic.

Reed Richards is coming towards me in the distance.

"What... What in..."

I don't know whether it's simply the shock of what I just saw setting in, or the strangeness of it all, but the only word I can really remember from any of it is the last. And it confuses the living hell out of me.

Krypton.

What is... Krypton?

 

[Byrd Man]

And in the blink of an eye, I fully awaken. Control over my own body restored..

The man and woman are gone. I'm back in the artic.

Reed Richards is coming towards me in the distance.

"What... What in..."

I don't know whether it's simply the shock of what I just saw setting in, or the strangeness of it all, but the only word I can really remember from any of it is the last. And it confuses the living hell out of me.

Krypton.

What is... Krypton?

"Superman!" Reed shouted, standing at the top of the crater the Man of Steel was in. "Can you hear me?"

Reed stepped into the crater and slid down the slope to where Superman -- or, as Reed worried might be the case, his corpse-- was. "Can you respond?" He asked as he stood over the superhero.

 

[bkhedr]

Looking over at Thor I ask, "So, any idea what we do when we actually get down there?"

Thor nods in reply.

"When I last fought Jörmungandr-"

"Your what?" Killowog asks with a snort

"Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent." Thor answers "I tricked the beast into swallowing me whole when Mjolnir could not crack his hide"

Killowog gives Sinestro a look that says that he thinks Thor's mental faculties might not be in pristine condition The Thunderer either does not notice or chooses to ignore it because he carries on with his explanation.

"Once inside the serpent's gullet I was able to fell him by attacking his organs from within.I know very little about the foe we now face but perhaps by working our way beneath Ego's crust we will find his weakness."

Thor says no more, choosing instead to focus on the air around him. The planet, Ego, has an atmosphere and the presence of an atmosphere, no matter how alien, means that he may be able to create and manipulate weather patterns here. It is a reassuring thought. One which remains in the forefront of his mind when he and the three Lanterns touch down on Ego's surface a few moments later.

Above them the sky is awash with color, bright orange explosions, green flares, white hot plasma. It is a display of light as beautiful as it is dangerous.

Thor looks around, taking it all in. He sees no living beings, no settlements, and he wonders not for the first time, about Terrax who claimed to be Ego's slave. Was the axe wielder a native of this planet? An unfortunate visitor? Every question led to yet more questions.

He hadn't spotted any caves, tunnels or valleys during their rapid descent, nothing to lead him to believe that the crust was thinner in one place than in another. He had hoped to find something while on the surface but there wasn't anything here either.
Accepting this reality, Thor raises Mjolnir high over his head with both hands. If there were no tunnels leading beneath the surface he would simply have to make one.

"Stand back" He warns as Mjolnir begins to crackle. The Lanterns respond and he is about to bring Mjolnir crashing down when the soil suddenly starts shaking beneath their feet and Ego's voice booms all around them.

"INSOLENT PESTS!" The voice seems to come from everywhere "HOW DARE YOU SULLY ME WITH YOUR TOUCH?"

"You have given us no choice Ego!" Thor roars against the echoing boom of the planet's voice "Yield and listen to reason or we will destroy you!"

It is a bold threat and Thor hopes that boldness will give Ego pause but the planet responds with cruel mocking laughter.

"DESTROY ME? FOOLS! I COULD WIPE YOU OUT OF EXISTENCE WITH A THOUGHT!" Ego says

"BUT...YOU HAVE AMUSED ME WITH YOUR PRETENSIONS OF POWER. SO MUCH LIKE THAT FLEA TERRAX AND HIS PEOPLE. I WILL NOT DESTROY YOU. I WILL CONSUME YOU AND LIKE TERRAX YOU WILL BECOME MY SLAVES!"

The four heroes barely have time to wonder what this can mean the ground shifts around them once more and begins spitting out a multitude of strange identical humanoids who fall upon them with superhuman strength and attempt to drag them down into their midst.

Despite the danger, recognition flares in Thor's keen mind. Their skin. Their hands and feet. their very maker up are familiar, for they are so much like those of the monster Terrax and Thor reaches the grim realization that these things, these planetary anti-bodies were once people much like the Tamer.
​

 

[MST3K 4ever]

Lex enters the LexCorp towers which are still under repairs from The Hulk's escape without a care in the world.

He nods politely and says, "Hello" to everyone who greets him, but beneath that care-free exterior is man who knows that things are about to get ugly. He was informed on his way back from lunch with Senator Ross that General Ross was waiting for him in his office.

Lex opens the doors to his office and says, "Good afternoon General Ross."

Ross looks at Luthor and says, "I'll be the judge of that. I want to know where in the world is my daughter!"


Luthor replies, "To be honest with you General I'm not sure."

Ross' glare goes from anger to deadly as he says, "You better pray that God takes your soul right now, because he is going to be the only one who saves you from me!"


Luthor says, "General if you want her back I suggest you find Banner."

Ross begins crossing to Lex and says, "Let me guess. You had him in a facility Betty went to see him, something provoked him and The Hulk has now taken off with my daughter."

Luthor says, "Precisely."

Ross says, "I don't care if Banner was the one who took off with Betty. Know this for a fact: I hold you personally responsible for all of this. You had a sizable hand in creating The Hulk, and now he is out of control. If he hurts my daughter I can assure you of one thing: Your life becoming hell on earth!"


Ross then gets on his cell phone and says, "This is T-Bolt I want the Air-Calvary at Fort Watkins mobilized under directive 24-58 and I want it to be ready to get airborne within 10 minutes of my arrival."


He quickly hangs up the phone and says to Lex, "This is not over with us. Not by a long shot."

With that Ross storms out.

Luthor says, "Well that could've gone worse."

He shrugs his shoulders and fixes himself a drink and begins going in over his battle-suit.

 

[Batman]

"Superman!" Reed shouted, standing at the top of the crater the Man of Steel was in. "Can you hear me?"

Reed stepped into the crater and slid down the slope to where Superman -- or, as Reed worried might be the case, his corpse-- was. "Can you respond?" He asked as he stood over the superhero.

"I'll try."

Propping myself up, bending ahead at the torso, I hold my head as it momentarily begins to swirl. Feel like I've just laid too long in a tanning bed. Energy's practically left me. Borderline exhaustion. I roll over and push myself up, hearing the singe of the bottom of my cape crackle with flame. Only part of the uniform that was affected. All things considered, not a bad way to end up after a close-range detonation.

"Doctor Richards... Reed. Did it work?", I ask, feeling my strength begin to return on it's own. "I can't hear The Gorgon in the distance anymore. I don't understand. Did we win?"

 

[Byrd Man]

"Doctor Richards... Reed. Did it work?", I ask, feeling my strength begin to return on it's own. "I can't hear The Gorgon in the distance anymore. I don't understand. Did we win?"

"As best as I can tell. The explosion atomized Gorgon's robot, but you? You're virtually unharmed..."

Reed held his hand out and poked Superman in the chest. "Fascinating. I believe your durability surpassed even my projections. I would very much like to run a battery of test on you if you're willing. I have a vial of amplified of Anthrax I could expose you to. I'm sure the damage to your immune system would be minor at best."

 

[Batman]

"As best as I can tell. The explosion atomized Gorgon's robot, but you? You're virtually unharmed..."

Reed held his hand out and poked Superman in the chest. "Fascinating. I believe your durability surpassed even my projections. I would very much like to run a battery of test on you if you're willing. I have a vial of amplified of Anthrax I could expose you to. I'm sure the damage to your immune system would be minor at best."

I smirk, wincing under the nuisance of the sting still running through my skin. I'd chuckle at the notion of testing Anthrax if I didn't feel like my hands were coursing an electrical current. "Maybe another time."

Need to get myself out of this climate. Too many clouds in the sky for me to completely recharge - by the time I think to fly, I can barely even levitate off of the ground.

"Right now, we should focus on the others. I could only barely hear it before I had to fly into the fray of the explosion, but I think something happened to your friend. I want to make sure he and the rest are okay."

 

[Byrd Man]

"Right now, we should focus on the others. I could only barely hear it before I had to fly into the fray of the explosion, but I think something happened to your friend. I want to make sure he and the rest are okay."

"You're right," Reed said, stroking his chin. "There's a time and a place for science."

Superman and Reed walked through the ice towards where the other heroes were gathered. "Ben!" Reed said as he saw his friend. He raced over to where the Thing was frozen in place. "What happened to him?"

"Something Gorgon did. He turned Ben and Wonder Woman both into rock... more rock, in Ben's case. Iron Man says that they're both alive."

Sue handed Reed his scanner. He activated and ran it over both frozen heroes. "It's faint, but their vital signs are there. Fascinating, it's like they're in some sort of stasis. Judging by the thin layer and dermal erosion, I would put their imprisonment at lasting anywhere between twelve and forty-eight hours."

*****

While the rest of the heroes talked amongst themselves, Batman walked across the ice towards Superman. "You look like hell," he told the Man of Steel.
​

 

[Carnage27]

​

"Reed's checking on him now." Tony says "But I'd bet everything I own that he's ok. That guy may not look like it but from what I've seen he might be as tough as Thor."

Tony looks the gathered Ultimates over.

"Speaking of Thor, his communicator says he's still out of range. You know anything about that? And while we're on the subject of missing Ultimates." His head turns left, then right, scanning the immediate area and beyond before settling on Captain America once more."Where's Hawkeye?"

I shake my head, "Thor's made no contact. But honestly, he could be anywhere. As for Hawkeye...well...I'll fill you in once we leave here. We might need you on that one."

"Right now, we should focus on the others. I could only barely hear it before I had to fly into the fray of the explosion, but I think something happened to your friend. I want to make sure he and the rest are okay."

Richards goes to inspect his friend, and I slide over to Superman and Batman, "That was one hell of a trick, son. I'm impressed."

 

[Eddie Brock]

Michael Morbius' Apartment
1400 Hours

Corben and I spend the morning interviewing the tenants of Martine Bancroft's apartment building, only to have nothing turn up. No one reports seeing Dr. Morbius - or any suspicious-looking character - lurking about or entering Martine's apartment. Nor does anyone recollect hearing screams for help, sounds of a struggle, or any such thing. It's frustrating, but not unexpected. The police would've done the same questioning. We're just retracing their steps to see if they missed anything.

Now, we find ourselves at Morbius' apartment. Hannibal promised that he'd join us later that night, but he didn't seem to have much hope that searching Morbius' home would yield anything interesting. "If he's been turned, the last place he'd go is his apartment. He's going to be paranoid, going to feel like someone's waiting for him." Still, no stone unturned, right?

It does appear at first glance, however, that Hannibal was right. There are no signs that anyone has been in this apartment for at least a week, if not longer. It's larger than Martine's apartment, but it may just feel that way because we're away from the clutter. Morbius is a man of science, and his style reflects that. Everything in his apartment is neatly compartmentalized, nothing out of its place.

"You think we should have brought garlic?"

Corben hasn't laid off on the jokes. He's still convinced that Hannibal is crazy, a washed-up private investigator who lost his marbles from too many long hours on the job. I can't say he's wrong, but I also can't say he's right - and that's the key. If we're going to succeed where the police failed in finding Michael Morbius, we need to consider alternative explanations. No matter how irrational they may seem.

"You're quiet," Corben remarks.

I shrug. "Just thinking."

"You don't believe any of this, do you?"

I turn and meet Corben's gaze. "I don't know what I believe," I answer simply. I go back to scanning the room for clues. "All I know is that a brilliant man went missing, a beautiful girl is dead, and I've never seen a corpse that looked like that."

"Take it from me, Carol. Don't let this job get to you. It'll swallow you alive if you let it."

I nod. Good advice.


Columbia University
2045 Hours

"You don't mind if I smoke, do you?"

I shake my head. Hannibal was unsurprised when we said that our interviews of the tenants and search of Morbius' apartment were unsuccessful. He seems to believe, perhaps rightly so, that the key to finding Dr. Morbius lies in figuring out what he was working on before he went missing. That's why he wanted to be on-hand for our search of Morbius' lab and office tonight.

The security guard unlocks the door and gives a polite nod. After being acknowledged by Corben, he climbs back into his golf cart and drives away. Once the three of us are alone, we step into the darkened laboratory. This room has been sealed off as part of the investigation into Dr. Morbius' disappearance. Corben hits the lights.

The laboratory is made up of rows of black tables, each adorned by any number of glass tubes and flasks. There's a center aisle leading to the main table where Dr. Morbius undoubtedly demonstrated experiments for the class. Behind is a half-erased blackboard full of confusing numbers, symbols, and formulas. Dr. Morbius' office is just off to the right of the blackboard.

We're halfway down the center aisle when we hear a crash. It sounded as though it came from the direction of Dr. Morbius' office. We each take cover - Hannibal and I behind a lab table on the left side of the room, while Corben ducks behind a table across the aisle. In the silence of the night, we hear more rummaging. Corben unbuttons the top of his holster and gives me a nod. I do the same.

Our hands resting on the handle of our guns, Corben and I approach the door to the office. Hannibal is just a few steps behind, trying to stay out of our way. Corben unholsters his gun completely and taps on the opaque glass door marked "DR. MICHAEL MORBIUS."

"FBI! Whoever's in there, I want you to come out slowly with your hands behind your head," Corben barks in an authoritative tone. I take a few steps back and loosen my service pistol. "I'll count to five, and if you don't come out, I'll be forced to come in there."

Hannibal gets behind me.

"One."

...

"Two."

...

"Thr--!"

The glass shatters as a figure erupts through the door frame. From the quick glance I catch, I know it's not Michael Morbius. Still, whoever it is pushes Corben aside as though he were nothing. The figure moves with such blinding speed that I hardly have time to process what's happening. By the time he's on me, I realize that I've unloaded two rounds into his chest. A spidery hand reaches out and pushes on my shoulder, knocking me to the ground.

Corben recovers quickly, getting to one knee and firing three rounds in quick succession. To the naked eye, it appears he hits the target on at least two of the three. The errant shot hits a test tube. I'm back up, too, but I haven't lined up my shot before the figure bursts through the doors of the lab into the night.

"--the Hell was that thing?"

"That, Special Agent Danvers, was a vampire," Hannibal replies matter-of-factly. "And the two of you are going to have to do better if you plan on taking one of those down."

 

[Carnage27]

​

The four heroes barely have time to wonder what this can mean the ground shifts around them once more and begins spitting out a multitude of strange identical humanoids who fall upon them with superhuman strength and attempt to drag them down into their midst.

Despite the danger, recognition flares in Thor's keen mind. Their skin. Their hands and feet. their very maker up are familiar, for they are so much like those of the monster Terrax and Thor reaches the grim realization that these things, these planetary anti-bodies were once people much like the Tamer.
​

Ego opens up below us and out pour more bodies like Terrax the Tamer. It's a veritable army of Ego's underlings, and I can only assume these poor creatures are those that have been consumed by the living planet. Their fate is a terrible one, and I have to pity them. Their slaves to a being of unimaginable power, and now I have to fight them off.

I sigh and form a bulldozer from my ring and bowl it into a mass of approaching beings, but the wave is too powerful. They converge on me, and one manages to drive its fist across my face. It's not as powerful of a strike as Terrax, but it's definitely close.

"YOU NOW SEE YOUR FOLLY, LANTERNS!" Ego booms in early triumph. "EGO CANNOT BE STOPPED! AND NOW YOU WILL JOIN MY NUMBERS!"

Through the twists of limps groping at me I see Killowag and Sinestro struggling the same as I am. Sinestro lashes out with blades and energy blasts, and Killowag is bashing Ego's army with energy covered fists. But their both quickly overwhelmed.

As we're dragged down towards the abyss that is Ego, I struggle with all my might against the tide, trying in vain to save my own life, and the life of my allies.

 

[bkhedr]

The anti-bodies claw at Thor, they're powerful crooked fingers, digging into his armor and squeezing the flesh beneath. He throws them off with a mighty shrug, tossing foes this way and that, but still they come.

Above him the pale violet sky takes on a darker, angrier hue.

Thor remains on his feet, but now the anti-bodies have drawn blood and he is more hard pressed with every passing moment.

"Enough!" Thor bellows as a column of lighting strikes Mjolnir with a crackling discharge of energy that leaves the ground around him charred and littered with scores of smouldering anti-bodies.

Uncertainty grips the horde of anti-bodies, but only momentarily, and they surge forward once more, and once more the lightning strikes, answering its master's call and defending him from the onrushing horde. But this time the column is larger, the strike more intense; and when the electrical forks of white hot elemental fury jump out from Mjolnir in all directions they reach out further still, creating an ever larger area of scorched earth around the Thunderer's feet.

The anti bodies pause once more, but Thor does not give them the opportunity to consider their position. He holds Mjolnir aloft and thunder rumbles across the sky as far as the eye can see. From space it is as if one tenth of Ego's surface has suddenly been enveloped in the angriest and most ferocious of storms. On the surface, this is not far from the truth. Hail, rain, sleet, hurricane force winds, all this and more does Thor add to the onslaught of the lighting and the thunder. Under such a barrage Ego's anti-bodies have no choice but to withdraw, leaving in their wake the stunned and bruised Green Lanterns.

Thor wills the eyes of the storm to grow so that it encompasses not only him but the Lanterns as well and he reaches out to the human Lantern and pulls him to his feet.

"This storm will not last Lantern." Thor explains "Already I can feel Ego fighting me, shifting his very make up so as to calm the weather."

It was true. Already the storm was beginning to lose intensity and die down.

"I need you to buy me time." Thor tells the Lanterns as he brandishes Mjolnir. "I will do the rest."

The Lantern's barely have time to nod before the anti-bodies are once more advancing.

Thor gives the human Lantern a serious look then turns his back to the battle, leaving the Lantern's to hold the line.

Once away from the fray the Odinson locks his jaw in concentration and focuses not on the battle around him, but on the power within him. With feet planted firmly and hands wrapped tightly around Mjolnir's weathered leather grip.

The God blast tears through Ego's crust. It penetrates his deepest recesses, punching through hastily erected barriers and molten rivers of plasma until at last it strike's Ego's hidden heart.

And Ego screams.

Then he is silent.

The planet's eyes dim and close. The mouth slackens, drooling plasma, and the celestial monstrosity seems to tilt on its axis, inert and adrift in the blackness of space.

On the surface the scene is not that much different. The planet's rumblings have ceased. The anti-bodies fall into unconsciousness and melt back into the crust.

Thor takes feel the exhilaration of victory swelling in his chest but the feeling is overshadowed by the all consuming weakness which now threatens to overtake him. He lowers himself on to one knee and leans on Mjolnir. Before him is a crater and a deep shaft, evidence of the destructive power he has just unleashed.
​

​