Chapter Five: Enoch
LATVERIA. DOOM CASTLE. EVENING.
Doctor Doom stands with his arms crossed at an open window overlooking the Carpathian Mountains.
DD: Lord Doom.
Doom: Yes, my master.
Doctor Doom turns around to his large ritual room. In the center is a large circle of candles with a perimeter containing all 12 zodiacal signs. In the middle are the glyphs of Mars and Saturn. Floating overhead is a swirling silhouette containing a shadowed face covered in the hood of a cloak.
Doom drops to one knee.
DD: Are the preparations in place?
Doom: Yes, my master.
DD: And our puppet?
Doom: He is playing his part to perfection. An oblivious fool.
DD: Have you been practicing?
Doom: With the ancient magic? Yes, my master. This is all so new to me, but I yearn to reach your level of mastery.
DD: Can you feel the hate? The wrath? The fear and panic?
Doom: Yes. It is palpable.
DD: Good. Good. That is progress. I think we are ready to realize to fruits of our labor.
Doom: Tonight?
DD: Precisely. The sympathies have reached apex levels of manifestation. It appears that the beast may finally be ready to hatch. Behold!
DD raises his arms and creates a rift in the air. Within this rift, the planet Mars can be seen. The view closes in on the remains of an extinct, dusty volcano. In the center, a boiling lava-like substance is spurting out of the top. Suddenly, it erupts and an explosion of blood shoots up through the atmosphere. Giant red claws grab the perimeter of the volcano. A face appears. It's pupils are yellow, but encircled with a rim of red. They are shaking with rage. Serpents circle its head like the mane of a lion.
The beast screams and the volcano crumbles. It explodes into the atmosphere, opens it mouth and fires a beam into the planet boring all the way to the core. The beast comes crashing down with the force of a hundred nuclear bombs. The planet splits around the giant hole, exposing the core. The beast opens its wings and begins absorbing energy. The entire planet ruptures as the last bit is siphoned. Debris covers the universe like an asteroid field. The beast hovers silently with its wings wrapped around its body. It bursts out shooting through space, a trail of fire following behind it.
Doom: Algol has arisen.
DD pulls back the hood of his cloak revealing the smiling face of the dread Dormammu.
Dormammu: And we have baited the hook.
THE QUANTUM REALM
Hulk: Wow. This is really working. Feels like we're traveling in a lava lamp.
Ant-man: I told you it would! Yeah, the quantum realm is wild. Like being immersed in a kaleidoscope.
Captain America: Scott, how will we know when we've arrived?
Ant-man: Oh no. You're not gonna be the "are we there yet" guy, are you? Well, my helmet is tracking a repeating sound wave signature. It is faint, but slowly growing. I assume that when it reaches the strongest pitch then we will be close. Strange, I think we need to go left.
Doctor Strange: Got it.
As the blue orb moves across the area, large colored nebula-type energies slowly materialize and then disappear as soon as they're noticed. Stars twinkle in the distance. Waves of energy float above and then wrap underneath the orb disappearing as quickly as they arrive.
Ant-man: Hold it. I'm getting some type of interference with the signal. Almost like white noise or something.
Captain America: Can you still hear the signal through the noise?
Ant-man: No. Strange, please stop.
The orb halts. The team is still. Ant-Man has both hands on his helmet.
Captain America: What is that red speck in the distance?
Daredevil struggles to lift his head.
Daredevil: Ugh…strange energy patterns…sensing hostility…
Captain America: Strange?
Doctor Strange: Better safe than sorry.
Doctor Strange locks back both of his elbows and energy bracelets lock into place over his wrists. He levitates out of the orb creating a second orb to travel.
Doctor Strange: I'm going to scout out ahead.
Ant-man: Don't go too far. If we get separated, there is no guarantee that I'll be able to find you.
Doctor Strange: Are you locked on to my subtle body alignments?
Ant-man: Gimme a break! I'm not a sorcerer supreme!
Daredevil: I can recognize your patterns, but keep it close.
Doctor Strange slowly wades out into the abstract landscape.
Doctor Strange: By Vishanti!
Captain America: What is it?
Doctor Strange: Solomon's demons! How?! These ancient creatures were believed to be banished!
At that moment three red, eyeless imp-like demons manifest around Doctor Strange.
Captain America: Behind you!
Each demon clasps its hands together, charging for a blast. Doctor Strange quickly crosses both arms across his chest.
Doctor Strange: Saturnian shields!
Four large black shields manifest and swirl around Doctor Strange. The beams of the demons crash against the shields creating a blinding explosion. Doctor Strange's arms push outwards in opposite directions and the shields respond, repulsing the demons and knocking them back.
Doctor Strange: Regulus ray!
Atomic bursts ripple out of the bracelets slicing through all three. Their bodies immediately disappear and are replaced by ten new demons that swirl into view. They vomit lava onto the shields, melting them.
Doctor Strange: I summon the powers of the major arcana!
Strange carves a perfect, fiery mystic rectangle through which 22 cards fly out and swirl around him as if he were at the center of an atom. The demons are silent, confused by the mysticism. He randomly selects a card. It is The Chariot. Mystical shackles of light clasp on to their wrists and ankles. He pulls another card. It is The Magician. Strange shows the card to the demons and smiles. He raises one hand to the heavens and points the other at them. A low humming vibration is felt all around them until a piercing beam of energy explodes from above, coursing down into Strange, channeling through him and into their bodies. The energy implodes out of their skin, rupturing them in an explosion of lava and blood.
Hundreds more immediately materialize, replacing the handful that were just destroyed. Strange looks exasperated.
Doctor Strange: There's only one way to deal with demons. I summon the knowledge of Trithemius!
An ancient grimoire appears and opens. The pages begin flipping forward, displaying lists of names. Doctor Strange's eyes roll back. His voice booms across the quantum realm chanting demon names in every direction…but not to the desired effect.
Armies of demons materialize all around them. Thousands of them are everywhere.
Ant-Man: Strange! What the hell?!
The armies charge forward.
Doctor Strange: By Vishanti, no! I should be in control! Why isn't this working?!
Doctor Strange quickly retrieves a baseball sized gem from his inside pocket. He holds it high above his head.
Doctor Strange: Eternity, I appeal to the sympathies! With Ficino's sunstone, I summon the power of the Sun!
A ray of light shoots down and hits the crystal, charging the stone. It vibrates. He holds the crystal in front of him. A gust swirls around Strange, blowing back his cape and rustling through his hair. There is a calm, ruthless power in his eyes. The crystal discharges in every direction, destroying scores of demons caught in its spray. Explosions are everywhere. The quantum realm shakes with unleashed power.
For a couple seconds it is quiet and then more demons begin to materialize in the distance.
Daredevil: Strange, this isn't working and I think I know why. The Hulk's energy signature matches what I'm seeing in the demons. I think he is attracting them.
Hulk: That would be their mistake. Why don't you let me out of the bubble so I can clean house for you?
Doctor Strange: Physical strength means nothing in this realm. If you step out of the orb your energies will disperse and you will cease to exist.
Captain America: Strange, think fast. They're almost on us!
Doctor Strange surveys the area. His face looks grim and his blood runs cold. They are out grossly numbered and out of options. The roar of the demon horde is deafening. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and crosses his legs in meditation. His hands rest on his knees forming the Gyana and Prana mudra gestures.
Doctor Strange: Enoch. I feel your energy. In the ancient tongue, I summon your presence!
Doctor Strange begins chanting incantations in Enochian. Off in the distance, a clap of thunder is heard followed by crackling electricity. The demonic horde pauses. A huge black demon tears across the sky. It is roughly three times the size of the others. Jagged lightning trails off its wings as if it was being scraped from the air. The horde screams.
The black demon spreads out his massive wings, screeches to a halt and slams both hands together. A concussive blast sends particles in every direction. An electric orb expands outward, hitting hundreds of imp-demons and exploding them immediately upon impact. Scores of imp-demons charge the black demon, crashing into him like water against stone. He rips one of them in two, tears off the head of another and shoves it through the chest of a third. He fires a chain of lightning through another group, exploding their heads. His tail catches one imp-demon trying to attack him from behind. The black demon's grip is a vice and the imp-demon pops like a squeezed tomato. The tail then stabs forward puncturing the heads of three more that were lunging forward. Hundreds of imp-demons desperately reverse course and begin to retreat. The black demon drops his head and clinches both fists tightly. He opens them and electricity screams out of every finger, tearing through the horde as they try to escape. The bodies of the demons evaporate as quickly as they arrived. The realm is silent.
The demon extends his wings and slowly floats down in front of the orb. The heroes study the muscular, jet black, obsidian figure. It appears menacing, but regal. It has the face of a man, but horns and white eyes. On the backs of both of its hands are golden glyphs of Uranus. It is ancient and its stare feels eternal.
Ant-Man: Strange…if you can stop summoning demons for a minute, that would be great.
Doctor Strange: This one is a friend.
The black demon slowly turns and starts to fly away. It stops momentarily and looks back at the heroes.
Doctor Strange gestures the orb to move forward and follow the demon. Eventually they arrive at a citadel positioned atop a high peak. The demon flies through the front gates and lands at the main entrance. Massive white double doors open. It enters. It's powerful large wings fold in place behind him. The orb follows inside and settles in the grand hallway. The demon folds it's arms and stands to the side like a watchful guardian.
Captain America: Demon, thank you for your assistance. Are you the being known as Enoch?
Another voice echoes throughout the corridor.
Voice: His name is Baraquiel.
The team turns to see an old man standing behind them. He is bald with a braided beard. He is wearing a dark purple cloak and holding a long silver staff, glowing white. At the end of the staff is the glyph of Neptune.
Old Man: I am Enoch….the Esoteric. Welcome my friends…to the Mazzaroth.