"Those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it." - George Santayana
Vanaheimr. The Asgardian realm of the Vanir. The gods who routinely associate themselves with such concepts as wisdom and humility. A golden realm filled with forests and wildlife that would be considered exotic to most mortal men.
Think of it as a more... rural Asgard.
However, deep within the forests and ravines lay several caves stretching deep underground. Most are unexplored by most inhabitants. However, the caves of Vanaheimr are often hotbeds for criminals or fugitives wishing to escape justice.
One such of these fugitives is currently residing deep within one of these dark, rocky systems. Plotting and scheming like most villains do...
He twiddles his thumbs as he stares into the mirror. The mirror is the only source of light in the whole room, his platinum hair glistens from the light. He stares into it intently, looking into the past.
Loki. The Asgardian God of Mischief. One of the most notorious characters in all of creation. Long had he enjoyed terrorizing the lives of both mortals and immortals alike, and interfering with the affairs of Midgard and it's heroes.
The young boy stares into the mirror, where he sees the gold and green super-villain locked in combat with a man in a red, white, and blue costume with a similarly-colored shield...
A man wearing a deep crimson and bright gold-colored suit of armor with light blue accents on the eyes of the helmet, and the triangular center of the chest...
A taller, huskier man with a god-like physique, dark grey chest armor with 6 disks on it, long, blonde hair covered by a winged helmet...
A hulking, green creature with black, greasy hair and torn purple pants...
A tiny woman wearing a black and yellow costume with wings coming out of her back, like a pixie, and a silver helmet with a yellow visor...
And finally, a giant man wearing a similar helmet to the pixie woman, except with red lenses as opposed to a yellow visor, and a red and black costume.
These 6 titans weren't just any costumed crusaders. They were often considered the greatest heroes the Earth and the universe had ever known.
They were the Avengers. The Earth's Mightiest Heroes. And woe to any who would cross paths with them.
Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Giant-Man, and the Wasp. The original group that came together to face down the God of Mischief. They were dangerous, and the whole world knew it. Every world knew it.
However, with that knowledge, came enemies... enemies from the past, the future, and everywhere else in-between.
"Such a legacy you leave behind..." says the figure, scoffingly.
He looks into the mirror, his eyes seething with rage.
"You are both loved and feared by your own kind as well as the gods." says the figure.
He shuffles in his chair and slowly stands up.
"However, the weight of your name comes to an end today, heroes..." starts the figure, now on his feet.
He gestures his hand a bit, forming it into a fist. Within a moment, the mirror cracks with a loud crik sound reverbing throughout the room.
"...and it is the name of Lokison that will echo over your graves." says the figure, finishing his sentence.
Niflheim. The realm of primordial darkness, cold, mist, and ice. Also the home of the deceitful Dark Elves. The winds howl as snow blows across the cold, dead landscape. Truly an inhospitable place, indeed.
Across the snow, footsteps are left behind, as a figure wrapped in a thick, warm cloak struts across the land, holding a cane. He struggles to plow through the frozen water, which is about 2 feet up past his ankle, but perseveres nonetheless. He needs to find someone. Someone who could help him get his revenge.
Soon enough, the figure comes across a cave. A glowing, blue light is visible from the mouth of it, towards the back. The man approaches it diligently, leaving his cane by the entrance and walking inside.
Inside the cave, the jubilant sounds of hoarse, hearty laughter echo throughout the rock walls of it. His cloak flows behind him as he reaches his intended targets.
Within the cave, he comes across a group of giant-sized humanoids. Each of them range from around 15 to 25 feet in height, and they all feature garish war robes, cut from shreds of fabric. Most of them have blue, ice-like skin, with a rock-like texture to accompany them. Their eyes glisten blue in the light, their pupils moving about being the only indication that they are, in fact, eyeballs.
The Frost Giants. Dreaded warriors feared and despised throughout Asgard. Long ago, did they conquer the Dark Elves and take hold of their homeworld in addition to Jotunheim. Now the desolate domain belongs to them, their retreat following a good, old fashioned hunt or massacre.
The figure, no more than 5 foot, 9 inches in height, clears his voice, alerting the other Frost Giants to his presence.
Suddenly, their laughter dies down. Their high-spirited expressions of triumph and joy whisk away off their faces.
"A mortal? Here?" says one of the Giants.
The figure with the cloak chuckles.
"I am no more mortal than you are." says the figure.
One by one, the Giants stand up and turn to kneel over the figure.
"Give us a reason why we shouldn't smite you where you stand, tiny one." says another Giant, this time with a little more gruffness and sternness in his voice.
Beneath his cloak, the figure smirks.
He then reaches up for the hood and grabs it, pulling it back down to reveal a devilishly evil, yet handsome, face. His eyes glisten a bright, icy blue. His jet-black hair is slicked back on his head. He then looks up at the other Giants and smirks.
"You won't smite me because I am one of you." says the figure.
The Giants, confused as ever, turn to each other for some sort of an explanation. This young man... he almost looks like... like...
"I am Nari Lokison. The son of your former king and the rightful heir to the throne of the Frost Giants." says the figure, confirming his identity.
The Giants look to one another for a moment, contemplating. They turn back to the self-proclaimed son of Loki.
"How do we know you aren't lying to us? How do we know you aren't but a mortal trying to make himself more than what he is?" says one of the Giants.
"Because I know of your struggles. My father was incompetent as a leader, but he was a good man nonetheless." says Nari.
The Frost Giants scoff and chuckle at this statement.
"'A good man'? Clearly, thou art not the son of Loki! Even Loki's on boy would realize how evil and untrustworthy his father was! By Surtur's tail, he almost led the entire Frost Giant race to extinction with his constant, neverending war with his brother!" says the largest Giant of the group.
Nari's face drops to one of scorn at the mere description of his father in this manner.
"Do you really want me to prove to you that I am, in fact, the son of Loki?" asks Nari.
The largest Giant, clearly the leader of this small band, chuckles with a hearty laugh.
"The day a man as tiny as you proves himself heir to the Frost Giants is the day I-" says the largest Giant before being cut off.
Within the blink of an eye, Nari unleashes a blue beam surrounded by a green spiral from his hand, knocking the Giant off-balance mid-sentence and sending him crashing to the ground with a thunk!
The other Giants watch on with awe as their leader is laid out on the ground like a rag-doll. The turn to him, then back to Nari.
Nari smirks yet again, his power proven.
"I am the son of Loki. And therefore, by right of heritage..." starts Nari, trailing off.
He walks to the downed Frost Giant leader and begins to float in the air, hovering directly over his face.
"...your new king." finishes Nari.
The Giant looks up at Loki with an expression that shows both anger as well as fear. Nari looks down at him sneeringly. This was almost too easy.
"What is your name, Giant?" asks Nari, hands behind his back.
The Giant hesitates for a moment. He's truly at a loss for words.
"WHAT IS YOUR NAME?!" screams Nari, growing ever the impatient.
"E-Eumyr..." says the Giant.
"Okay, Eumyr, you can be my second-in-command." says Nari.
Nari then floats away from the Eumyr's form and once again sets himself on the ground, gently.
"Now, then. Who wants to conquer a realm or 2?" asks Nari, clear villainous intent in his voice.
Fearful of their new master, the rest of the Giants kneel down in solidarity to their new leader. Nari's smirk turns into a devilish grin.
The Realm Below. A place even the bravest of warriors shudder at the sound of. A strange and unusual place indeed within the confines of the Norse realms.
It is also home to the savage Rock Troll race.
As we venture deep into the unusual reaches of the Realm Below, death and destruction is all that can be seen. Structures crumbled and flaming. Rock Troll body parts scattered all over the place.
The Frost Giants, led by Nari, had made short work of the savage and unorganized militia of trolls that had been sent against them.
As the survivors moan in their pain and kneel before the Giants in the desperate hope that they, themselves, wouldn't be executed by the larger beings, Nari walks among them, strutting almost.
"Trolls! Hear me and rejoice! Your time of idleness and hiding away is at it's end. Now, I, Nari, the son of Loki, and heir to the throne of Jotunheim, give you the opportunity, now, to rise from the depths of obscurity and join me in establishing a new empire." announces Nari, to the people of the Realm Below.
One Troll, mustering up the courage and bravery, slowly stands to his feet and looks to Nari.
"And why should we... c-come out of hiding?" asks the Troll.
Nari turns to the Troll and smirks.
"Because if you don't... then your people will have to share the fate of the Dark Elves..." says Nari, snapping his fingers.
2 Giants stand behind the Troll just then, who turns to face them. The Troll then turns back to Nari.
"I'd rather die than fight alongside another Frost Giant!" says the Troll.
Nari shakes his head, almost shamefully.
"A pity. Then again, pities often get turned into examples in my book." says Nari.
Without warning, one of the Giants raises his foot up and throws it back down onto the Troll, crushing it and killing it instantly.
With that, Nari turns to the surviving Rock Trolls in the area.
"So... are you with me?" asks Nari.
The survivors turn to one another and, with no other choice, bow down before their new lord and master.
Long live the reign of Nari.
So fall the Avengers.
Hey, guys. This is my first story and I kinda wanted to know your guys' thoughts on it. I don't intend for this to be a one-and-done deal. I want this to be long and expansive, so your feedback is well appreciated. Thanks.
-Anonymous
(NOTE: This story is not set in any particular universe of films or comics. It's mostly an amalgamation of the original Stan Lee/Jack Kirby comics from the 1960s with elements taken from the MCU, the Ultimate comics, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, just to name a few influences.)