Once again, Manhatten is under attack. This time, by a troll with a glowing battle-ax. Luckily, Thor is in battle with it as we speak.
-Thor: Ulik, you are not welcome here. Where did a troll like you get such a weapon of Asgard?
-Ulik: I think you've more pressing concerns, Odinson.
Ulik uses the ax to blast Thor.
-Thor: What damage have you done?
-Ulik: You'll soon find out.
Thor hammer ad the ax clash.
-Thor: Not again.
Ulik punches Thor into a building.
-Ulik: Prepare for your demise. Long have I waited for this day!
Suddenly, Iron Man flies in and blasts Ulik.
-Iron Man: Mind if I crash the party? Running a scan on your playmate, Thor. One second and I'll know exactly how we should deal with...
Ulik strikes Iron Man.
-Thor: He is not of Earth. Even worse for you, there is magic involved.
-Iron Man: Call it what you want. To me, it's just science I haven't figured out yet.
Iron Man and Thor now fight Ulik together.
-Ulik: Have at thee, prince of Asgard.
Ulik throws the ax at Thor, but he hits it far away.
-Iron Man: Home run.
Iron Man fires missiles at Ulik, then Thor hits him with his hammer.
-Thor: He is down. There is a much more pressing concern.
-Iron Man: I know, I know. Lost Asgardian battle-ax. Is this bad?
-Thor: Very. Ulik's arrival from the underworld is one thing. His use of the weapon reveals a terrible truth. An ancient legend that does not bode well for me.
-Iron Man: Which legend are you referring to?
-Thor: The only one that has ever mattered to me, my friend. For on this day, I may be destined to perish.
Iron Man and Thor fly through the city while Thor drags Ulik across the buildings.
-Thor: Where is it? We must find Ulik's weapon.
-Iron Man: Unfortunately, it stinks of your brand of science, which is keeping my on-boards from getting a fix on it. Tell me more about this legend. Why is the ax so important?
-Thor: It cannot remain lost. If it falls into the wrong hands, that weapon could mean the end of the world.
-Iron Man: Okay, fine. let's head back to the tower. I can rig up something that'll search a lot better than we can.
While Thor and Iron Man fly back to the tower, a squad of HYDRA agents surrounds the ax.
-Agent: HYDRA agents to base. Inform Skull that we've secured the object.
Suddenly, a pack of robot dogs attacks the agents.
-Agent: Engaging Latverian hostiles. Go, go, go!
Dr. Doom approaches the ax. Back at the tower, Iron Man, Thor, and Cap begin interrogating Ulik in the containment room.
-Cap: How's the prisoner?
-Iron Man: So far, he's the ideal house guest. Ulik, is it? To what do we owe the pleasure?
-Ulik: Ask the Odinson. My hatred for you knows no bounds. So I came here to see if the legend was true.
Iron Man mutes Ulik's cell.
-Iron Man: And score another point for the so-called legend. Fortunately, I'm the kind of guy that doesn't let his friends go so easily. Let's hit the datacrux.
As soon as Tony, Thor, and Cap exit, Shadow Maiden appears from the shadows and unmutes Ulik's cell.
-Shadow Maiden: Tell me about this legend.
-Ulik: I will not tell you anything, wench.
-Shadow Maiden: It's not like you have anything better to do. Now talk.
-Ulik: (growl) The ax-hammer is the tool needed to rid all of the nine realms of the Odinson once and for all. Legend states that on this day, he must sacrifice himself when he faces the mighty beast known as the Midgard serpent. Once it devours him whole, it will then devour this world and everything on it.
-Shadow Maiden: Not if the avengers have anything to say about it.
In another room, Tony and Cap are checking the datacrux for the lost battle-ax while Thor is pacing.
-Thor: This waiting is intolerable.
-Iron Man: Listen, I'm using everything I've got to fond Ulik's missing weapon.
-Cap: Thor, your life is up to you. Not a legend.
-Thor: Each of us has a path that is fated to him. This is mine. I do not expect you to believe.
-Iron Man: Sorry, I don't do well with cryptic. In the meantime, I think I've localized the specific frequency that was causing so much interference when I tried to scan Ulik.
-Thor: You found it?
-Iron Man: You betcha. Now let's see which beach we're storming today. Uh-oh.
-Cap: That's the Latverian embassy. That means...
Thor throws his hammer at the monitor.
-Thor: Latveria. So Doom possesses this weapon?
-Iron Man: I'm gonna bill you for that.
Thor repossesses his hammer and walks away.
-Tony: Why do I think there's something about this legend Thor isn't telling us?
In Dr. Doom's lair, Red Skull contacts Dr. Doom.
-Red Skull: Von Doom, you have usurped an artifact that is rightfully mine.
-Dr. Doom: It would seem you are mistaken, "Iron Skull". The ax-hammer is mine.
-Red Skull: I sent a squadron of agents to retrieve it. They became victims of your accursed doom dogs.
-Dr. Doom: Yes. A tragedy. But the war of world supremacy demands casualties. This weapon serves a purpose that only I can properly utilize. And so I shall.
-Red Skull: We have both heard the legend of its purpose, but you are tampering with forces you cannot possibly control. Only together could we...
-Dr. Doom: I am through hearing your pathetic sales pitch for this so-called cabal, Skull. This conversation...
Doom blasts the monitor.
-Dr. Doom: ...is over. And my own ascension has begun.
The Aven-jet soars through the city on it's way to the Latverian embassy.
-Falcon: (whisper) Man. that's tough to hear.
-Shadow Maiden: (whisper) I can't believe Thor thinks he has to kill himself to save the world. Doesn't he realize that his death will impact us all?
-Falcon: (whisper) Thor's people have always followed their beliefs. That's how things work on Asgard. I don't think there's anything we can do.
Shadow glances at Thor.
-Shadow Maiden: (whisper) There's always something we can do.
-Iron Man: Time to call the play. I've got everyone's task assigned.
-Hawkeye: Please tell me it's me detonating an explosive arrow right under Doom's throne.
-Thor: There is no time to waste, archer. We must retrieve the weapon before more damage is done.
-Hulk: I'm already bored here.
-Iron Man: Don't drag your knuckles yet, Hulk. We can't just bust in.
-Cap: Iron Man's right. Any move on the Latverian embassy has to be handled with a sizable degree of delicacy.
-Iron Man: Falcon, Shadow, Hawkeye, you're our recon team. Above and below. We need to get as many boots on the ground intel as possi-
The Aven-jet starts shaking.
-Falcon: Our two big guns just flew the coop.
-Shadow Maiden: Honestly, we should've seen this coming.
Thor and Hulk are on the ground, and the doom dogs run towards them. They start destroying them.
-Hulk: Not a bad plan.
-Thor: This is no game, brute. The weapon is our primary objective.
-Hulk: Who cares about that? I just wanna smash.
The others fall to the embassy.
-Iron Man: Falcon, Shadow, you two are air cover.
-Falcon/Shadow: Got it.
-Iron Man: What're the odds Doom's on vacation?
-Cap: We ever been that lucky?
-Iron Man: Nope.
The Avengers fight off the dogs while Hawkeye sneaks his way into the embassy.
-Hawkeye: This is Barton. I'm under the embassy.
Hawkeye looks around a corner and sees two pairs of red eyes. He turns on the night vision function in his glasses. Two robots attempt to strike Hawkeye but he dodges. He flicks two pebbles into the gaps of the knee joints causing the robots to stop. Hawkeye then jams two arrows into their heads. Dr. Doom walks up to Hawkeye from behind.
-Hawkeye: Uh oh.
-Dr. Doom: You are trespassing.
Back outside, the avengers finish off the last of the doom dogs.
-Iron Man: I think that's the last of them.
-Falcon: So what's next? Do we go inside?
-Hulk: Yeah. Find me something else to hit.
Suddenly, Doom emerges from the ground holding the battle-ax.
-Dr. Doom: You dare trespass on Latverian soil?
-Cap: Is that it?
-Thor: Yes. Its power rivals that of Mjolnir. So you do possess it. How dare you carry a weapon of Asgard?
-Dr. Doom: You want it back? Come and get it.
Thor's hammer clashes with the ax. Doom throws the ax at Cap and Hulk.
-Iron Man: New battle plan, avengers. Doom's power levels are suddenly off the charts.
Iron Man tries to grab the ax, but it is too fast for him to catch it.
-Iron Man: Missed.
Shadow Maiden flies after the ax and uses her powers to catch it, but it moves faster.
-Shadow Maiden: Falcon?
-Falcon: I'm on it.
The ax dodges Falcon Immediately.
-Falcon: How'd he do that? That's a Thor trick.
Doom catches the ax and uses it to hit Falcon.
-Thor: What enchantment could this mortal despot possess?
-Iron Man: It's not enchantment, Thor. He modified it with Doomtech.
-Thor: Modified or not, its true purpose remains.
-Dr. Doom: Indeed it does.
Doom strikes the ground causing a fissure to open up. The fissure moves through the streets,
-Thor: You dare not tamper with legends older than human history.
-Dr. Doom: Too late. That which you fear the most is on its way.
-Iron Man: Falcon, Shadow, recon.
-Falcon: I really don't want to know what Thor fears.
-Shadow Maiden: Unfortunately, we're gonna find out.
A giant snake monster bursts out of the ground.
-Iron Man: That would be?
-Thor: The Midgard Serpent. The end of all things.
The serpent slithers through the city causing mass panic.
-Iron Man: Getting a scan on our new playmate. Is it me or is this thing actually getting bigger?
-Thor: Once unleashed, the serpent will increase in size and mass until it is large enough to feast on the earth itself.
-Falcon: Wait a minute. He's gonna swallow the entire planet?
-Thor: Isn't that what I just said?
-Cap: This was Ulik's plan all along, wasn't it? How does it involve you?
-Thor: I am the only one who can defeat the Midgard serpent. At the cost of my own life.
-Iron Man: Come on, Thor. It's just another big lizard. We got more than enough muscle to send it back to the swamps.
-Hulk: Yeah we do. No snake is gonna swallow Goldilocks while I'm around.
Hulk jumps toward the serpent.
-Thor: Hulk, no!
The serpent swats him away like he was nothing.
-Iron Man: Okay. I'd like to amend my earlier statement.
Somewhere in the city, Doom stands in front of the serpent.
-Dr. Doom: You are mine, serpent.
Doom shoots a rope of lightning at the serpent's arm.
-Dr. Doom: Doom is your master!
The serpent tries to eat him, but he zaps it in the direction of the avengers. Back at the embassy, Hawkeye emerges from the ground.
-Hawkeye: Did I miss anything?
Hawkeye sees civilians panicking.
-Hawkeye: I'll take that as a yes.
Cap is shielding people from falling debris.
-Hawkeye: Out for a few minutes and things turn into a disaster movie.
-Cap: Hawkeye, we need to get these civilians to safety.
Falcon and Shadow fly over the city and they see the serpent.
-Iron Man: Falcon, obviously we're short a big gun. A big green one. Go find him. Bring him back here ASAP.
-Falcon: I'm on it.
-Thor: You have fought well. If all that I am is to be ended on this day.
-Iron Man: Not exactly a win by avengers standards, is it?
-Thor: If I must fall so the serpent falls, then so be it.
-Iron Man: Thor!
Thor flies down to fight the serpent.
-Shadow Maiden: There has to be another way to beat that thing.
-Iron Man: We'll think of something. In the meantime, you try to get the weapon away from Doom.
-Shadow Maiden: One battle-ax, hold the crazy guy. Coming up.
Shadow flies down to Doom.
-Dr. Doom: Soon you will be my weapon, beast. The rest of the world will bow before me!
-Thor: No force on earth can contain the serpent, Doom!
-Dr. Doom: We shall see.
-Shadow Maiden: No, we shall not!
Shadow Maiden blasts streams of darkness at Doom, but he deflects them with the ax. He then shoots lightning at Shadow, but she shields herself.
-Dr. Doom: You cannot protect yourself from the power of the ax, child.
Doom shoots lightning at her again, but Shadow makes two portals to direct the lightning to his back. Then she tries to take the ax, but Doom won't let it go.
-Shadow Maiden: Can't you see you're putting millions of lives in danger to tame a glorified worm?!
-Dr. Doom: A price to pay to ascend to greatness. You could not possibly understand what that means!
Doom blasts Shadow back and Thor catches her in time.
-Thor: You have fought well, young maiden, but this is my responsibility and mine alone.
Shadow flies in front of Thor.
-Shadow Maiden: No, it's not, Thor. You need to let us help you.
-Thor: I cannot. The serpent will not cease until I defeat once and for all.
Thor flies past Shadow and she narrows her eyes. She couldn't stand by and watch one of her teammates go through with an act of suicide. She figured it was time for some tough love.
Doom and Thor's weapons clash causing Thor to fly back. He goes back to the scene and Doom blasts him. Thor defends himself with his forearm.
Meanwhile, Falcon flies over the city looking for Hulk.
-Falcon: Pretty easy to map Hulk's trajectory.
He flies down and sees Hulk unconscious under some rubble.
-Falcon: Up and at 'em, greenie. Come on, big guy. Man, I am not giving you mouth-to-mouth, got it? Okay, Falc, time to prove it.
Falcon grabs his foot and starts pulling, but Hulk is too heavy. A crowd stares at Falcon and snickers. He starts pacing around Hulk and gets an idea. He then expands the end of his wings and places them under Hulk.
-Falcon: I hope this works.
Falcon scoops up Hulk and tosses him into the water. Hulk wakes up and emerges on the surface.
-Hulk: You'd better have a really good reason for doing that.
Back in the city...
-Dr. Doom: I know the legend, and I'm the only one who can turn it to my advantage.
-Thor: No, you're the only one foolish enough to think you can control a force you don't understand.
Doom and Thor run toward each other, but they are interrupted by Tony.
-Tony: You two can argue mythology later. Right now, there's the issue of an enormous lizard doing his own renovations on the Manhatten skyline.
-Dr. Doom: Only I have the power to tame the serpent, and make it my slave.
-Tony: (sarcastically) Well, that's a great plan.
-Thor: And impossible. No mere mortal can control...
Thor is interrupted by the serpent.
-Tony: Thor, there's gotta be a better way here.
-Thor: Only by sacrificing myself to the serpent can the earth be saved.
-Tony: No. I don't accept that.
-Thor: The legend cannot be denied.
-Tony: This is no time for...
Doom blasts Tony and Thor from behind.
-Dr, Doom: It is Doom whose destiny shall be fulfilled today.
Doom blasts Thor into a truck causing it to explode.
-Tony: Neat trick.
-Dr. Doom: No tricks, Stark. I command this weapon now. And in doing so, I will fulfill my promise to the world, to rule with an iron hand.
-Tony: You want an iron hand? I've got two.
Tony shoots lasers at Doom, but he deflects them at levitates Tony on the side of a building.
-Dr. Doom: You cannot possibly fathom my capacity to rule. From this day forward, there will only be one true...
The serpent interrupts Doom by stomping him into the ground.
-Tony: Yikes.
Tony slides of the building in front of the serpent. Tony flies up and punches the snake in its jaw, but it grabs him.
-Tony: Only one way out. Reroute power for an electroshock exo-charge.
Tony shocks the serpent's hand to escape its grasp. The serpent throws Tony away and he lands in a dumpster.
-Tony: This is humiliating.
Thor stands in front of the serpent.
-Thor: It's just you and I.
Thor flies up and bashes the serpent a few times. Then its tail smacks Thor into a building.
-Thor: Consume me and spare earth.
The serpent grabs Thor and tosses him into the air. Thor closes his eyes and gets ready to die.
-Thor: I enter Valhalla proudly.
Eventually, Thor opens his eyes as he realizes that he's still alive. He finds himself trapped in a dark bubble on top of a building and sees Shadow Maiden standing in front of him with her foot on his hammer.
-Thor: Release me at once, Shadow Maiden! The Midgard Serpent must be defeated!
-Shadow Maiden: I can't let you do that, Thor. Not if you're gonna try and sacrifice yourself.
-Thor: It is the only way to save this planet! The Asgardian legend must be--
-Shadow Maiden: We're not in Asgard, Thor! Do you honestly think that killing yourself is gonna save the world from a planet-eating demon snake?
-Thor: I do what I must to protect those that I care about!
-Shadow Maiden: Even if it means committing suicide?
-Thor: Especially that.
-Shadow Maiden: Thor, saying that you need to follow through with this prophecy, you're just telling yourself that nobody's gonna care if you die. Deep down, you know that that's not the truth. You know that you have friends that want to help you fight that thing and stay alive. But you've been letting your pride get in the way of accepting that help. Plus, even if you did go through with it, the serpent would still be rampaging through the city, and eventually, it will eat the world. Would you really want to die knowing that you left the earth and your friends to be devoured by that beast?
As Thor considers Shadow's words, Tony lands behind her.
-Tony: I was gonna come in for the save, but Shadow beat me to it. Anyway, Thor, I don't believe anyone's destiny is automatically chosen for them. Besides, these age-old legends never mentioned the avengers, did they?
-Thor: No.
-Tony: Then let's get ready to write a new one.
While Thor, Tony, and Shadow go over a plan, a fleet of attack helicopters shoot at the serpent, but it swats them away with its tail.
-Tony: Listen, you and serpent going another 10 rounds isn't gonna help anyone. We just need to get him out of here. What do you say?
-Thor: I will do whatever it takes.
-Shadow Maiden: Even defy your destiny?
-Thor: Especially that.
Shadow smiles and makes the bubble disappear. Then the serpent crushes the building they're standing on, but they dodge it.
-Cap: (on comms) Iron Man, are you reading me?
-Tony: Yeah. Cap, where are you?
-Cap: Hawkeye and I are at what's left of the embassy. Doom's back, and you won't believe what we're seeing.
Doom lassos the serpent with the ax and starts riding it.
-Dr. Doom: This is a new world order, monster!
He then drives the ax into the serpent's back.
-Cap: Get him off of there. Whatever it takes.
-Hawkeye: After what he did to me, it'll be my pleasure.
Hawkeye shoots an arrow at Doom, but it doesn't phase him.
-Dr. Doom: Your interference is most unwelcome.
Doom shoots lasers at Cap and Hawkeye.
-Cap: Watch it!
Cap dodges the lasers.
-Thor: This is madness.
-Iron Man: I've got an idea. How did Ulik get here? Same as you, I'm assuming?
-Thor: Not at all. Trolls have knowledge of hidden rifts that connect earth and the Asgardian underworld.
-Shadow Maiden: Then the first thing we have to do is find the rift.
-Iron Man: I've still got Ulik's weird energy signal on file. Now, discounting him and the weapon, let's see if we can find it anywhere else. And there it is! I think.
Iron Man points a laser at the rift.
-Iron Man: That's the spot right there. It's like a pinhole in the fabric of space-time. It needs a bigger jolt of power to blow it wide open. Any ideas?
-Thor: Aye. Only one.
Thor creates lightning and aims it at the pinhole to open it wider.
-Thor: There it is. Ulik's passage back to the underworld.
-Iron Man: Then let's make good use of it.
Iron Man, Shadow, and Thor fly after Doom and the serpent.
-Dr. Doom: Serpent, you shall become a servant of Doom! Now and forever!
-Hawkeye: I think this just got serious.
-Cap: Iron Man, this situation has reached a crisis point! What's your status?
-Iron Man: Just hang tight. You hit him high, I'll hit him low.
-Thor: Indeed. We must drive it to the portal.
-Iron Man: Shadow, you fly ahead and keep the portal open.
-Shadow Maiden: Gotcha.
Shadow Maiden disappears while Thor and Iron Man take care of Doom and the serpent. Iron man tries to blast Doom, but he blasts back with his own lasers.
-Iron Man: Doom, this is insane! Even for you!
-Dr. Doom: Let history be my judge!
The serpent continues to rampage town.
-Cap: It's digging in! Wherever you're wanting it to go, it's not going!
-Iron Man: It's no use. We need more power
-Falcon: (on comms) Heads up, guys. Incoming.
-Iron Man: Falcon. Please tell me you...
-Falcon: I fond him. And he's coming your way... Now!
Falcon flies in carrying Hulk and tosses him to the serpent.
-Hulk: Ready for round 2?
Hulk punches the snake in the forehead causing it to slither back to the portal. Shadow moves out of the in the nick of time.
-Iron Man: Pour it on! Doom, you need to get clear now!
-Dr. Doom: Never! It is my destiny!
The avengers force the serpent back to the portal. Hulk uppercut the snake into the air. and into the portal.
-Dr. Doom: No. NOOOOOOOOOO!
Thor uses his lightning to close the portal.
-Thor: It worked. We've done the impossible. The serpents threat has ended!
-Iron Man: Hey, it's all in a day's work.
-Cap: What about Doom?
-Iron Man: I imagine he'll have his hands full in the Asgardian underworld.
-Thor: (laugh) Indeed. The serpent will be the least of his problems.
Hawkeye hears police sirens approaching the scene.
-Hawkeye: Yikes. Someone had better call damage control. (looks at Hulk) I mean unless you wanna clean this up.
Hulk lifts Hawkeye up.
-Hulk: Can I use your face as a shovel.
-Cap: Nice job, you two.
-Falcon: I think I'm getting the hang of this "saving the world" thing.
-Shadow Maiden: Me too. I could get used to this.
-Iron Man: That's what it's all about. You two aren't just house guests at Avengers Tower. Speaking of which...
Back at Avengers Tower, Iron Man, Thor, Cap, and Shadow Maiden arrive at Ulik's holding cell to show him that Thor is still alive.
-Ulik: What?! This cannot be!
-Thor: Surprised, Ulik?
-Ulik: I heard the roar of the serpent! I felt the earth tremble! If he is gone, then you should have perished! How is this possible?
-Thor: I decided my own fate. And Odin will decide yours in Asgard.
-Iron Man: Yeah. And don't forget to tell dear old dad that when it comes to the avenger's destiny, no one decides it for us.
-Thor: Indeed.
The team leaves the holding cell.
-Cap: You know, Thor, I was kind of afraid that you would go through with this prophecy today.
-Thor: I would have if Shadow Maiden did not intervene when she did.
-Shadow Maiden: Just doing my part for the team.
-Iron Man: Well your part helped us save the city, and keep one of our own safe and sound. You should be proud.
-Shadow Maiden: I am proud.
The end