An entire planet, home to a nexus of productivity. A place where dreams can become a reality. Where empires are created and destroyed in the blink of an eye. Compared to the universe, its lifespan is infinitesimal. A mere speck among the cosmic dust of all that is.
And yet…so much more.
To those that inhabit it, Earth is the focal point of that which is righteous and pure. Ideologies sometimes clash but common agreements do exist. Even the worst of enemies have joined forces in times of need. Many species that have explored the known galaxies have agreed that Earth, while primitive, does indeed possess the potential to rival even that of the most advanced societies. All that is needed is time.
That time shall never come to pass. For a brief moment all that exists on Earth is engulfed in a great whiteness. There is no sound, no remarkable and deafening roar. There is no last second hesitation before the trigger is pulled. There was no impending savior coming to grant relief. There is only whiteness.
Then there is nothing.
Every minute fragment of intelligence, history, culture, and life was gone. Not a single scrap of matter was left in the void of space. One moment the Earth shown in all it's possible glory and the next moment it was gone. There was no one left to ponder the destructive event.
All of humanity was gone, save for one man, floating at the exact center of where the Earth used to sit, somehow immune to the vacuum of space.
Cosmic Avengers
Issue #1 - "The Beginning of the End"
Written by D. Golightly
"You shall not conquer these people today!" the Silver Surfer screamed.
Norrin Radd had been a man of peace. There was rarely any malice in his voice or anger in his sentiments. Among the people of his home world, Zenn-La, he had been happy and calm. He existed like so many others in this universe: relaxed and content. His wife was beautiful, he was respected among his colleagues, and he had no worries concerning anything in life.
Then came Galactus, the great world-devourer. Within the blink of an eye, Zenn-La could have been decimated by Galactus' search for sustenance. It was at the pleading of Norrin Radd that Galactus finally gave in and left the peaceful planet. Norrin sacrificed himself to Galactus so that his planet may live, offering his services as a herald and harbinger known as the Silver Surfer.
"You are a fool to try and defy me!" replied the powerful once-ruler of the Balurrians.
The two titans of space clashed together, their energies mixing in the great void surrounding them. Just passed the farthest edge of the Milky Way, the man once known as Norrin Radd utilized his power cosmic to its fullest potential against the mad being called Blastaar. The two wrestled atop the Surfer's glistening board, neither willing to give ground.
"This pitiful race has yet to even begin," Blastaar continued. "They are but mere specks in the grand scheme of the universe. They need a firm hand to guide them, my hand to shape them!"
"In all my journeys across the cosmos I have very rarely met beings like you whose intentions were noble!" the Surfer countered. "A tyrant is forever a tyrant! I do not know how you escaped the confines of the Negative Zone but I shall end your blight upon this universe once and for all."
"Who are you to judge me?" Blastaar, as strong and impervious as he was, finally buckled slightly under the enormous pressure the Silver Surfer's power cosmic was forcing on him. The unique energy flowed out from the Surfer's palms and engulfed the conqueror, bathing him in purple waves of light. "You would be my executioner as well?"
The Silver Surfer paused. He was not a cold-blooded killer like the creature he was fighting now. In truth, his original purpose for becoming what he is today was to save lives. However, he found it difficult to ignore the past deeds of Blastaar and the millions of innocents he had murdered in his quest for power. It was a simple fact that while Blastaar lived, people died.
"A tactic – uh – I have found to be useful is keeping your mind on the battle at hand!" With a shift of his weight and impressive strength, Blastaar stood up from his imposed kneel and released his built up energy. Power crackled across the Surfer's angelic skin, forcing him to take a step back on the board as it continued to sail through deep space. "I have defeated entire armies! Even the Fantastic Four have licked my boots. The rumors I had heard of your strength were greatly exaggerated!"
The Surfer felt the weight of an entire star pelt him as Blastaar leaned into his assault, refusing to break the grasp they shared. Hand in hand, the two stellar titans wavered back and forth, each combatant trying to gain the upper hand.
"Galactus himself gave me a portion of his power," the Silver Surfer responded. "While it is miniscule compared to his own, I still command the power cosmic! Mine is the will to reshape the very elements of matter. The physical laws of this universe cannot contain me! You, creature most foul, will be taught this lesson today!"
The rage of the Surfer increased exponentially as thoughts of Blastaar's past deeds clouded his mind. His lust for control over those weaker then him would never be sated. He threatened to not only kill Norrin Radd, but once the task was finished he would turn his rage on the infant race below. The Surfer was on his way to his once adopted home, Earth, when he had arrived close to the newborn sentient people on a budding planet. He witnessed Blastaar destroy entire chunks of land in order to create fear and panic, a conqueror's greatest tools. Swiftly picking the mad being out of the atmosphere, the Silver Surfer struggled with Blastaar on his own board. The battle had been joined and so far neither had gained the upper hand.
"I'll kill you and then I shall eat the dead of that pitiful planet under us," Blastaar taunted.
"No!" the Surfer commanded. "You. Shall. Fall!"
Calling all of the energy that was his to summon, the Surfer redoubled his assault on Blastaar, the power cosmic washing over his body like how blackness blanketed the deepness of space. Wave after wave of purple energy seeped into Blastaar, pummeling his flesh and internal organs. Blastaar screamed first in defiance and then in terror. Then, just as quickly as it had begun, it was over.
Blastaar dropped to the base of the board, slipping out of the Silver Surfer's grasp, dead.
The Silver Surfer had often times been called a bringer of life. He had been one of Earth's protectors, despite being trapped there against his will. He pitied the now deceased Blastaar but he also pitied himself. Death, in all its forms, was still a haunting sight to see. Even though he was justified in the execution, the Surfer would never see it as being so.
Blastaar's motionless body gently fell off of the cosmic board, floating into empty space. Norrin Radd was admittedly unsure of what to do next. The newborn race resting under him, now safe, would not be a place he wished to visit. He had met countless civilizations that revered him as some sort of messiah and he knew these people would be the same. He felt that he should not be praised for taking a life, no matter how necessary it had been.
Raising his hand and again calling forth the power cosmic, the Silver Surfer incinerated the body of the once great destroyer called Blastaar. Spreading his atoms across the great void was as close to a burial as he felt that monster deserved.
Turning away from the scene, the Surfer hung his head in shame as he returned to his original course. Perhaps his old place of exile would be able to still his soul. Steadying himself on the board that was part of his namesake, the Silver Surfer rocketed back into deep space and passed the boundaries of the Milky Way galaxy.
One moment she was racing through the timestream, safely on her way to her destination. Then without warning fields of strange energy rippled across the delicate fabric of the stream, rocking her trajectory. Initially panic swept over her as she thought her life was now in danger. There must have been something at the other end of her time tunnel powerful enough to cause this kind of distortion. A person or an event was wreaking havoc on her journey and it may cost her life. Was history changing? She could try to abandon her mission before she reached into the past but that wouldn't solve whatever problem was causing this chaos. No, she was needed, possibly even more than before.
Next, panic turned to fear as she realized that her historical records might be incorrect. Perhaps she hadn't chosen her date carefully enough. Maybe she was arriving after the event she was trying to halt. Her long golden hair whipped behind her as she decided to charge through the chaotic energy and complete her journey. She could see the end of the tunnel where the timestream abruptly ended. One way or the other, she would have her questions answered.
The very fabric of reality tore open and birthed her back into the universe, spilling her into to empty space. If she had been in an atmosphere she would have pulled in a large breath of astonishment. She had expected to arrive on Earth. Instead she was greeted with absolutely nothing.
"This can't be right," she spoke into the vacuum of space, her aura protecting her. "Whatever caused that disruption must have either knocked me off course or put me in the wrong timeline."
Her thoughts tried to wrap around her predicament. What could be so powerful as to interrupt the flow of time? Judging from the position of the stars, she sadly realized that the time of her arrival was exactly what she had intended. She had arrived at the planet Earth but the entire globe had disappeared somehow.
Something glistened in the starlight in front of her. Something small and far away. Her own colorful and glossy uniform reflected the light in a similar fashion, causing her to think that maybe there was another here. It might even be the one responsible for the Earth's disappearance. She needed answers badly to calm her fears at the very least. The sinking feeling that she had arrived too late was becoming stronger with every passing moment.
Launching herself toward the target, Starhawk, member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, prepared herself for whatever she might find.
Her ability to create solid light constructs was her only defense although she had complete faith that it would prove more than enough. In her short career as a Guardian she had already proved herself on the battlefield, her allies putting their lives in her hands. As she sped through the empty space that used to house the planet Earth, however, she couldn't help but feel that everything was slightly over her head.
"Don't move!" Starhawk exclaimed as she came close enough to make out the object she was flying toward. It was a person, floating silently by himself. He did not move or show any sign of life, despite a blue radiance covering his body. He was covered in a close fitting body suit, most of which was white. From the shoulders up, the suit was a deep shade of blue, mixed with white dots that had the appearance of a starfield. She readied her powers as her hands began to glow softly, just in case this man proved to be a foe rather than friend.
Slowing her approach, she called out a greeting to him, ignoring the fact that in the vacuum of space sound could not travel. She pondered whether or not to extend her aura around him when she noticed that his chest was indeed moving, ever so minutely. Was he actually breathing? Perhaps his blue aura acted much like her own golden one and he had been able to hear him.
"Are you all right?" she asked, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Can you tell me what – ACK!"
The man's eyes flared open and his right hand grabbed Starhawk's wrist while his left reached for her throat. Even though he wasn't crushing her neck, Starhawk could tell his strength was incredible as her efforts to twist away proved futile.
"BEWARE!" he screamed, the sound augmented by his blue aura. "WHAT'S HAPPENING? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"
Starhawk struggled in his grasp, despite the fact he wasn't trying to kill her outright. "Let…GO!" Angling her free arm, Starhawk quickly built up and then released a stockpile of light-based energy aimed directly at the man's head. Most of it seemed to wash over him, not causing the slightest bit of damage. Her goal, however, wasn't to hurt him, but to blind him. The intense light assaulted his eyes, momentarily disorienting him.
"Back off!" Starhawk screamed as she kicked the man's midsection and pulled away from the reach of his arms. "I'm not looking for a fight here. I just have some questions to ask you, so calm down!"
"I-I'm sorry…" the man said, seemingly coming to his senses. "I just…I don't know what's going on. I can't…"
"Who are you?" she demanded. Her throat was fine but she felt the need to rub the skin. The man's speed and strength had been incredible.
The man's eyes, already a vast whiteness that seemed to go on forever, somehow glazed over. "I…can't remember."
Starhawk looked over the stranger, seeing something familiar about his appearance but not being quite able to place it. His uniform, with the dark blue hues, was definitely something she remembered seeing in historical records. She had no clue as to the man's identity but she felt he wasn't a real threat. For lack of anything better, however, this man was the key to this mystery.
"All I remember is some kind of shapely void," the man spoke again. "A brilliant spectacle that engulfed everything all at once. And then…there was nothing." He hung his head slightly, as if trying to concentrate on the visual memory in his mind's eye.
Starhawk floated closer to him, slowly. The way he described this last memory sounded remarkably like that which she had traveled so far to stop. She felt a tiny tinge of guilt at having failed at her mission before it had even really begun. Perhaps there was still hope within this man; perhaps it wasn't too late…
"Identify yourselves and answer for your affiliations!" a third voice roared from behind them. Starhawk whipped around in surprise to see the legendary Silver Surfer gliding toward them at an insane speed. "I detect the stench of Galactus on you! What have you done with the Earth!"
Starhawk erected a shield of light around herself and the confused man. She knew it wouldn't do much against the power cosmic but maybe they could reason with the Surfer before his rage killed them both.
"We're just as much in the dark as you are, Silver Surfer!" she responded, worry in her voice. "Chill out!"
The former Norrin Radd seemingly ignored her request, continuing his break-neck approach. His fists were barely containing the awesome energies at his disposal, the powerful rays fizzling out from between his fingers. Suddenly, the man beside her pushed through Starhawk's shield, his own blue aura bulging with pent up energy. The man rushed the Surfer and they collided head on in a gigantic display of mixing energies. A wave of light pulsated out from them like rippling water, rocking Starhawk back and further away from the pair.
The energy explosion dispersed and she could make out the hammering fists of the stranger pummeling the Surfer. His fists cracked against the gleaming face of the Surfer, each hit powerful enough to shatter a continent. Blue light splashed over both of their bodies as the man's assault finally halted when the Surfer blasted him in the face with pure cosmic energy.
"I recognize your uniform," the Surfer accused. He lowered his arms back to his sides and let the glow of power fade away. It was his way of laying down his offense and ceasing the fight. "You are one of Earth's more enigmatic champions, Captain Universe. There is no need for us to continue this. Tell me what has happened!"
"Captain…Universe?" the man queried. A blank and confused expression that had graced his face beneath his full mask up to this point was now swept away with one of familiarity. "Yes. I am the bearer of the Uni Power. I am…I…but there's more and I can't recall…"
"Relax," Starhawk said soothingly. "It will come back to you. Maybe the Surfer here can help you somehow. He's seen quite a lot from what I understand."
"You seem to know me but I have never met you before," the Surfer cut in, turning his attention to the blonde-haired woman. "Who are you and do you know what has happened here?"
"My name is Aleta Ogord. I'm a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, although they won't exist for centuries. Call me Starhawk. And no, I'm sorry, I just got here myself. I came out of the timestream and stumbled onto Captain…what was it?"
"Universe," the Surfer answered. "His power in virtually unlimited although his memory seems to have been shaken. Galactus is no doubt at the core of our problem. If I remember correctly, however, the Uni Power was not meant to be contained within one vessel."
"How do you mean?" Starhawk asked.
"He means I'm not supposed to exist like this," Captain Universe answered, floating closer. "The Uni Power would grant itself to a user when a crisis arose, leaving them when things were set right. It was not a long term effect. Even with the disappearance of the Earth there is no immediate crisis currently. The Uni Power should have left me by now…whoever I am."
Starhawk looked over the man she had just met. It was sad but she did not pity him. He seemed to easily accept his situation for some reason, like he had complete faith that it would work out somehow. As she thought before, perhaps her mission wouldn't be a complete failure.
"You mentioned Galactus, Surfer?" Starhawk asked of the former herald. "Why did you think we were with him?"
The Silver Surfer, if it was actually possible in space, sighed before answering. "Galactus was my master, imbuing me with the power cosmic which I wield to this day. As much as it disgusts me, it links me to him. I can feel where he is and where he was. I am sure that was here recently and was more than likely the cause of the Earth's disappearance."
"How do we know the Earth wasn't moved? It's been done before," Starhawk offered. Hovering in between two of the most powerful people she had ever met, Starhawk couldn't help but feel slightly dwarfed in their presence.
"It's possible," the Captain said. "I can see various spectrums with my unique vision abilities. The Uni Power allows me to actually see molecular structures among other things. This place, where the Earth once stood firmly, is completely devoid of all matter except for us. If Galactus did feast on the world surely he would have left some trace behind."
"Galactus isn't prone to physically consuming a planet, either," the Surfer offered. "He feeds on the energies and resources of the planet and then leaves it for dead. There would be an empty husk here if the world-devourer had done what he is known for."
"Then why was he here?" Starhawk asked.
"Galactus does what he pleases!" a foreign voice roared from behind them. The trio whirled around to face the new visitor head-on, but they were bowled over as the owner of the voice charged through them. Starhawk quickly created light constructs to help the Captain and the Surfer regain their composure as she tried to catch a glimpse of whatever intense force had just plowed between them.
"By the stars!" Silver Surfer exclaimed as he gritted his teeth and prepared to strike back. "Captain! Starhawk! Leave now! I'll provide you with cover! Get ba—GAH!"
A bolt of condensed, yellow energy that housed the fury of an entire planet slammed against the Surfer's chest. The former herald was sent head over heals through space, separated from his board and only source of locomotion.
"Your warnings are futile and hollow at best, dissenter!" roared the new arrival. His skin was pink and covered in scars and boils. Madness was the only thing that could be seen in his eyes. His thin, wavy white hair trailed behind his crusty scalp as he hefted a large battle-ax over his head. His enormous stature would have intimidated even the most courageous of men. "I've killed millions all across the damned universe. Scrubs like you don't stand a chance against Morg the Executioner!"
TO BE CONTINUED