"Find your center!" a tall and lithe woman commanded. "We must make haste, lest our foe become lost to us."
A large brute floating a few meters behind her grunted in response, his aura keeping him safe from the exhausting depths of space. A large metallic hammer was gripped in his hand, humming softly as it poured energy into his very being. His features were grotesque by human standards, but for the woman he was merely another life form that had crossed her path.
"Our trail has led us across the galaxy," the woman said. "From Titan to Earth, we will find the one who has so recklessly toyed with the cosmos."
"I'm well aware of our duty," the brute replied. "No need to preach to the choir, female."
"Your time on Earth was apparently spent watching television."
"Weren't you born there? What was your time filled with?"
"Resistance."
The brute allowed the uncomfortable conversation to lapse, choosing to focus on their flight path through the dark folds of space. His hammer, empowered by Odin himself, guided them through the void like a beacon of hope. As long as he stood, he would grip the weapon tightly and allow no other to possess its power.
With a mental command the eternal power of his warhammer lashed out ahead of them and opened a cosmic vortex. Its energies spun in dizzying circles, but they ignored whatever vertigo tried to overtake them as they passed through its aperture.
The pair, an unlikely set of allies, were both eager to find out the fate of the planet Earth.
Cosmic Avengers
Issue #2 - "Swift Revelation"
Written by D. Golightly
Beyond the ever-growing reaches of infinite space sat a creature so lumbering that its own body was larger than any moon. With one great eye it gazed between the stars, keeping a careful watch for any expected intruders within his territory. He was older than even some of the Elders of the Universe, or so he told them. Many thought his own arrogance would eventually be his undoing, but his concern did not rest with the Elders. Given his recent actions, he was more concerned with a minute battle raging light years away.
"And what progress have the Terrans made in seeking their beloved justice?" the deep and resonating voice of the planet-sized being queried.
Twin champions sheathed in golden light floated with blank expressions on their faces. "None, my lord," the first of them replied, his blonde hair grown to shoulder length. The cape hanging from his shoulders flapped silently from the energy rippling forth from the trinkets around his wrists.
"They suspect Galactus," the second added. Deep colors mixed together in his costume, its design a homage to his predecessor.
"Yes, his scent did taint the area," the monstrous creature commented. "The use of the nullifier brought his despicable self out of hiding. The only weapon that the World Devourer feared peaked his interest, it seems. He couldn't help but be present for the event, even if it was after the fact. That alone should confuse those stragglers, especially with the Surfer among them. His passion for Galactus' end is unfounded and will surely distract them from me."
"Yes, my lord," both of the champions and former heroes said in unison.
Entire mountain ranges that comprised the lower portion of the creature's face twisted and broke apart. His "skin" was comprised of various minerals and components of ethereal space, covering his planet-sized body in its entirety. Many had crossed his path over the eons, but few had come to know him for what he was.
"The Celestials will see their end before long. The wishes of Ego, the Living Planet, will be fulfilled and there is nothing those miniscule remnants can do!"
"Morg the Executioner will never bow to an inferior being!"
The stalwart titan reiterated his statement by slicing the very space in front of him open. The edge of his ax was sharper than any weapon the clumsily collected heroes had faced before, its tips dripping with the power cosmic. Together they waited for their attacker to move: the homeless Silver Surfer, the time-tossed Starhawk, and the befuddled Captain Universe. Each of them was ready to counter whatever force swept their way, but at the moment they were merely in a stand-off.
"Where is your master?" the Surfer demanded. Starlight reflected evenly off of his metallic hide, accentuating the brilliant form that so many races had confused for a messiah.
"Galactus does as he pleases," Morg replied, "but I am indeed searching for him. You damnable excuse for a herald…what have you done with the master?"
"What are you talking about?" Aleta asked. The confusion was evident in her voice, although the rage pent up behind Morg's eyes easily allowed him to ignore her.
"I followed Galactus' signature to this spot, where a planet once bloomed. The planet you love so disgustingly, Surfer. Now I see that the planet is gone as well as Galactus, only to be replaced by a traitor and his underlings!" Power cosmic again flashed around Morg's deadly axe, a visual queue for the pending battle to regain its momentum.
"Stand down!" Captain Universe ordered. His blue and white uniform shimmered with power, somehow righteous and pure.
Morg paused at the mystery man's words, looking him over. Up until then he had only stared at the Silver Surfer, as if the other two heroes didn't even exist. The feeling of surging power now wafting off of the Captain, Morg the Executioner's attention had been caught.
"There is a strength in your voice, Terran," Morg commented. "I can tell you are accustomed to leading the charge. Still, I'll have answers from the Surfer or I'll cut his board in half with my cosmic axe. It would be wise to heed my warning and stand down yourself…take that little blonde thing with you and leave us."
Starhawk created several light constructs in the shape of orbs, placing them all around Morg. "Watch it, ugly," she said. "I'm not above detonating these around you. I can contain the blast and keep us safe. Now, you had better start explaining yourself better, and definitely lose the attitude."
"Worthless female!" Morg shouted.
The Executioner flashed his battleaxe once more just before tossing himself forward at Starhawk. His putrid pink skin, bubbled and scarred from countless battles, contrasted greatly against Aleta's nearly flawless complexion. His speed was amazing, powered by the very energy that Galactus himself had graced him with. Starhawk, no stranger to the prose of battle, pushed away from his advance and exploded her spheres of collected light-based energy. The concussive force pummeled him back and forth like a pinball, disorienting the mad herald and halting his charge.
The Silver Surfer was the next to act. Placing himself between Starhawk and the Executioner, the former herald allowed his own power cosmic to ripple forth from his outstretched hands. He had already been tried that day, having been forced into a position where he had to take a life. The anger he felt from learning of Earth's disappearance was still fresh in his mind and now Morg had provided him with an outlet.
The Surfer killed Blastarr in the last issue – Dave
"I will not allow you to act so recklessly!" the Surfer exclaimed.
Purple energy washed over Morg in a great flood, knocking him back. The Surfer's command over the power cosmic was practiced and second to none, as Morg soon found out. Even when he used his axe to deflect some of the rampant energy, he discovered that he would soon fall if such a barrage continued.
Swatting the energy away as best he could, Morg managed to slide under the Silver Surfer's assault long enough to launch his cosmic axe. Hurling through space with accuracy rivaling that of Thor himself, Morg's axe caught the Surfer just under his silver chin. Even in the vacuum of space the Surfer could hear his teeth chatter shut from the impact as his concentration was broken. The axe cut into his neck, scarring the nearly flawless silver skin that coated his entire body. Flinching, the Surfer ceased his power output and instinctively glided back on his board.
Morg took the opportunity to tackle the Surfer around his waste, making sure to catch his thrown axe along the way. Holding his foe in place, Morg twisted his arm back and slammed the tip of his mighty axe into the side of the Surfer. The Silver Surfer, a nearly perfect creation of Galactus, was not accustomed to such pain. Few times in his life hand an enemy been able to pierce his defenses, which were fueled by an infinite power that outranked most in the galaxy. As Morg's blade slid into a freshly created crevice in his hide, the Surfer cried out in a mix of astonishment and pain.
"Let him go!" Starhawk cried. The time-tossed Guardian of the Galaxy created and then bent large rays of light, forming them with her awesome powers. The solidified light melded into a long spear, which she quickly gathered in her hands and launched at Morg.
Bringing his knee into the gut of the Silver Surfer with enough force to destroy a starcruiser, Morg discarded the former herald and turned his attention back to Aleta. The spear rushed toward him, defying the very laws of physics. The Executioner, who had vanquished his prey all across the universe, simply glared straight into the eyes of Starhawk, seemingly ignoring the rushing shard of focused light.
Hefting his regained axe, Morg sliced the spear in half right down the center. Starhawk looked on in shock, having never witnessed such brutal striking power before. Even in her short career as a Guardian the heroine thought her powers over energy absolute. Stunned by the display of ferocious ingenuity, Starhawk hastily readied a shield of solid light to protect her from the oncoming menace.
"Your little fireworks display won't save you, girl," Morg taunted. "I'll remove that golden hair of yours before we're through, and then we'll have some real fun!"
Morg pointed the tip of his cosmic axe directly at the center of Starhawk's shield, expelling a massive amount of energy against it in a constant barrage of power cosmic. The edges began to fade and dim as the onslaught continued, each passing moment in the struggle proceeding to exhaust Starhawk of her reserves.
Just before her defenses gave out completely, a blur of motion removed Morg from his position. Starhawk opened her eyes, feeling the strain of maintaining her powers finally lifted. She saw the mysterious man that was only known as Captain Universe holding Morg back, his bluish aura surrounding them both. A small amount of tension left her as she thanked the celestial heavens that the Captain had finally joined the fray.
As he gripped Morg the Executioner uneasily in a full nelson head lock, Captain Universe tried to maintain his upright position in space. Morg was fast and fueled by a burning rage, possibly giving him a vicious edge over all of them. The Captain had been reluctant to join the battle so quickly, hoping that with every passing second his memory might be restored to him, explaining away their situation. But the appearance of Starhawk in dire need of his help had clicked something into place inside him. Whoever he was, he knew without a doubt that he was a hero.
"Unhand me, Terran!" Morg commanded as he twisted back and forth in the Captain's grip.
"Not until you learn to play nice," the hero replied.
The Captain's strength was intense, able to keep the grip locked in place despite Morg's buckling and pivoting. Morg screamed in defiance but was unable to free himself. Regardless, Captain Universe quickly realized that there was still no evident solution to their problem. There was no vanguard coming from Earth to aid them, there was no support mustering, and there was no place to deposit the mad herald.
There was simply nothing.
"Are you well?" the Surfer asked of Starhawk.
The blonde woman turned to see that the Silver Surfer had regained his footing upon his legendary board, although purple energy slowly seeped out of the wound on his side. Morg had done damage to a being thought invulnerable by many and that fact alone scared Starhawk.
"I…I'm fine. At least, I'll be fine once we get rid of that ugly beast."
"First he must decipher our conundrum," the Surfer stated. His fists were clenched tightly as the power cosmic radiated around his hands and wound. "I know he is hiding something."
"He seems just as confused as us, though," Starhawk countered.
"DIE!"
Morg's anger had bubbled up uncontrollably as he pitched to and fro against the vice-like grip of Captain Universe. Even though his strength was less than his captor's, his frame was still much larger. The muscles covered by his pink and scarred skin tightened as he finally managed to sweep a leg behind the Captain's. Shifting his body, Morg succeeded in leveraging his way out of Captain Universe's grasp, yanking his bulky frame out from between the Captain's smaller arms. Just as soon as he had broken the grasp, Morg whipped around and slammed the butt of his axe into the Captain's head, knocking him head over heels into open space.
The blunt attack caught the Captain off his guard as he was still adjusting to his powers. The awesome energies of the Uni Power made sure that he remained unhurt, but his inability to utilize them to their full potential left him in a less than perfect state, a state that Morg would be able to capitalize on.
The Surfer and Starhawk both unleashed waves of their power, but Morg dodged their weakened attacks easily. He returned the volley of fire with his own, knocking them back the same as the Captain.
"I'll litter the depths of space with your flesh, you resilient pugs!" Morg threatened.
"Like we haven't heard that before."
Morg turned at the new voice that had joined the choir of pain that he had been orchestrating, a smile sickeningly creeping over his face at the thought of fresh blood. As his head tilted, however, it was forced to spin back around from a foreign object crushing against his jaw. His eyes caught sight of the weapon that had been thrown so exactly and had rattled his teeth.
A warhammer, solid and familiar, swung through space and returned itself to the hand of its owner.
The strange features of Beta Ray Bill twisted into what his race would call a smile, eerily mimicking Morg's own display of sick pleasure. Beta Ray caught his hammer, slapping its head into the open palm of his other hand rhythmically.
"The pug thing is new," Beta Ray Bill said, "but you freaks all say the same thing. Isn't that right, Moondragon?"
A bald female garbed in green armor that fit close to her thin body floated beside the hammer-toting alien. "I would not know," she replied. She body was toned and in peak physical condition, a result of her extensive training under the martial arts masters that had raised her.
"Right, well, you'll have to trust me then."
"I am the Executioner!" Morg bellowed as he regained his senses. "My rage will not be denied!"
"See?" Beta Ray commented. "Typical villain-speak."
Morg cocked back his axe and lunged for the Korbinite named Beta Ray Bill, righteous fury burning in his eyes. Beta Ray gladly accepted the challenge and flew forward, eager to take down a being he knew as evil. Bringing back his own weapon to strike, a mystic warhammer named Stormbreaker, Bill arced in at a trajectory that would surely result in an explosion of strength and power.
The two opponents slammed their weapons together, clanging against one another with a forceful impact that would be enough to shatter a mountain range. Holding Stormbreaker steady, Beta Ray leaned in to the attack and found himself deadlocked with the Executioner. Axe grinded against hammer, each utensil flowing freely with the power bestowed upon each bearer; Morg with his granted power cosmic and Beta Ray with his Odin-sent strength.
"Fall!" Morg commanded.
The Korbinite's strange features twisted in defiance as he spoke, "Never!"
Moondragon loomed behind the struggling pair, he arms outstretched and her eyes closed. Her senses psionically reached out to Morg, penetrating his mind and searching through the dark corners within. Her years spent on Titan under the guide of the universe's most powerful beings had given her enough tact and control over her powers that she knew exactly where to strike with mental precision.
"This ends now," she muttered as she grasped a portion of Morg's brain with her power.
The Executioner rocked back, suddenly stricken with convulsions brought about by Moondragon's mental fooling. Ceasing the opportunity, Beta Ray Bill struck hard with his hammer, knocking the assailant back.
The fight had been rendered inert by their combined efforts. Moondragon opened her eyes, pleased at the site of an unconscious foe. Beta Ray Bill smiled as he reasserted his grip on Stormbreaker. Given their reluctant coupling, they were an unprecedented team in the heat of battle.
"I thank you, noble one," the Surfer said as he glided toward the pair. "Your reputation, Beta Ray Bill, is one of utter respect across the vastness of space. Not many can raise the hammer of Thor. We are in your debt."
Captain Universe rubbed his bicep, still adjusting to the Uni Power that was constantly flowing through his molecular structure. "Yes," he said. "Even I know that you are trustworthy. Thanks for lending a hand."
"Don't mention it," Bill replied. "We were…is she okay?"
The quartet looked at Starhawk, who seemed to be dumbstruck by the newcomers' presence. She floated closer to them, but made sure to keep her distance, a motion that did not go unnoticed.
"Aleta," the Silver Surfer said with a gesture, "it is all right. I know these beings. They can lend aid to our cause."
"And what cause would that be?" Moondragon said brashly. "We followed Morg's trail here after I sensed his presence in the far reaches of space, along with that of his feared master, Galactus. He brushed across Titan like it was a child's plaything, looking for his master. Now we arrive to see him pummeling you like so much clay, and my own original home world of Earth is missing!"
"Easy, female," Bill said as he raised a hand out to Moondragon. "We need explanations, not a brawl."
Starhawk finally floated closer to the group, even though she was apprehensive about joining them. From her viewpoint in the future, she had been sent to stop these things. Now, after the adrenaline from Morg's attack had began to subside, she felt the pressures of her failed mission begin to crash down on her.
"We…we have no explanation," Aleta said. "I journeyed here to find empty space where Earth once sat, completely void of life except for him."
Captain Universe shifted his gaze from Aleta to the others, unsure of what to say. His memory had yet to return and he was fearful of what his past might tell him. Had he caused this tragedy?
"Morg arrived shortly after I did," the Surfer said. "He was in search of Galactus, and I must admit that the World Devourer's stench covers this place. If we are to find answers, we will find them with my former master."
Moondragon looked out into the void that once housed Earth, a slight feeling of grief washing over her. "Fine," she finally blurted out. "I have shut down the so-called Executioner. He will give us no further problem. I tracked that manic here; I can do so with the Devourer."
"Wait," Starhawk said. "How do we know this is what we're supposed to do? The history from my time is so incomplete about all of this…I don't know if—"
"What would you have us do, woman?" Moondragon exclaimed. "Tuck our tails between our legs and watch a dead space in the galaxy? There is nothing for us here!"
"No…I mean, I don't know. Just…wait a moment, okay?"
Passion swelled up inside Moondragon, adding volume to her voice. "Wait? We cannot wait while the Earth is in peril! There may be hope but not if we sit, afraid of our own actions!"
"Enough!" the powerful voice of Captain Universe exclaimed as his blue aura suddenly burned with a bright flair.
The Captain regarded each of them, his voice having commanded their attention. Was he sure of himself? He withdrew his aura, placing his arms at his sides in quiet, but stern, assuredness. Yes, he knew what they had to do.
"Galactus, if he does know what happened to the planet, will tell us. I may not recall the details of my own life, but I do know that there is nothing as heinous as defiling an entire civilization. The World Devourer has crimes that have gone unanswered. Even if not for this predicament, it would still be our duty to seek him out. Fate has joined us, and fate will guide us. This is our path and we leave for it. Now."
The stern words of the Captain sank into each of them, filling them with similar feelings of their commission. Even though he was a stranger to each of them as his mask covered his face and kept his identity a secret, they would each rally behind him.
"So we're heading out again?" Bill questioned. "All of us?"
Captain Universe looked to each of the gathered heroes. "Our strength is great individually, but assembled, even the mighty Galactus will have to answer our questions."
And with those words Beta Ray lifted his mighty hammer and opened another vortex of cosmic energy. The portal fluctuated with striking storms as the group of five collected heroes entered into its aperture. With Captain Universe at the head of their pack, they each now had faith that their course of action was the right one.
TO BE CONCLUDED