Infinity Crisis: Mystical Conference

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their owners. This is purely for fun.

Cairo, Egypt. Earth-199596

A slim woman stood in front of a swirling white portal. Her long dark hair went down to her lower back. She wore a golden dress that was cut high at the sides, with a colorful collar. The waist had a black belt with golden studs. Her head was covered by a golden helmet with colorful wings at the sides, and a bird's head at the front.

Fatima Taj, the Archmage of Earth-199596, moved her hands and chanted a spell. The portal revealed a man dressed in blue, with yellow gloves, and a red cape that seemed almost alive. His dark hair was graying at the temples.

"Greetings." Doctor Stephen Strange of Earth-199999 said. "Who might you be?"

"I am Fatima Taj, the Archmage of my Earth." Fatima greeted.

"I see that like myself, you have been doing your own little...exploration of the Multiverse."

"Indeed, I have." The Egyptian woman confirmed with a smile. "I have been...quite curious about the Multiverse since that Dusting incident. It emerged from your reality, correct?"

"Sadly, yes." Strange confirmed with a nod. "A madman known as Thanos. He believed my universe was badly overpopulated."

Fatima shook her head. "How did he come to this conclusion?"

"I do not know." Strange admitted. "For all we know, Thanos may have merely misread a report."

"Men like him always hide a desire for blood and/or power under supposedly noble means." Fatima reminded sagely. The two sensed something else. "Ah. It appears someone else wishes to join us on our little mystical conference call."

"I am curious as to who wishes to speak to us." Strange smiled. Fatima summoned another portal. The person in it was a stunning blonde woman, wearing what looked like a strapless green swimsuit, white boots, and white jacket. Fatima and Strange were both blown away by the woman's beauty.

"I am Arcanna Jones, Wizard Supreme of the Earth known as Earth-712." She announced. "I take it you two are the main mystical defenders of your worlds?"

"I am the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-199999." Strange said.

"And I am the Archmage of Earth-199596." Fatima introduced.

"Ah, good." Arcanna smiled. "I take it you two are well aware of the effects of the Dusting in your worlds?"

"The Dusting had started in my universe." Strange explained. "A madman called Thanos had used a powerful gauntlet that had six stones mounted on it. Each of these 'Infinity Stones' had the power to grant supreme mastery over an aspect of the universe: Time, Mind, Soul, Space, Reality, and Power."

"Hmmm..." Arcanna put a hand on her chin in thought. "Those sound like the Universal Gems of my world."

"Or the Divine Diamonds of mine." Fatima agreed. "But that's not the point. I fear that grave threats are coming to the Multiverse."

"I have had those worries myself." Strange said. "Thanks to Thanos's actions, the barriers between universes have been weakened. Interdimensional travel is easier than ever...for good and for ill."

"There are beings in our worlds that have the potential to be a threat to the Multiverse proper." Arcanna said. "I should know. My group, the Squadron Supreme have encountered such a threat. On my world, we encountered an evil version of one of my Squadron Supreme teammates, a man called Hyperion." She waved her hand and showed them an image of a muscular man with red hair. He wore a gray bodysuit with a yellow cape, gloves, and trunks, held up by a black belt with a silver "H" belt buckle. "This is what he looks like."

"He looks...dangerous." Fatima noted the insane grin on this Hyperion's face.

"That is truly the grin of a madman." Strange concurred.

"He is." Arcanna nodded. "Hyperion is one of the most physically powerful members of my group. He can change the course of mighty rivers, and move mountains. This evil version is no less powerful. My team tried to stop him, but he fled into the Multiverse. I've been trying to track him down. I've been sending members of my groups to various Earths to warn them...and help prepare them." She made an image of a red crystal appear in her hand. "This is Argonite, one of the few things that can harm him. I have been sending members of the Squadron to various Earths with champions of their own to warn them, and to give them Argonite crystals so they have a fighting chance against him." She smiled at Taj. "I expect your primary champions, the Skysurfer Strike Force, to be meeting Doctor Spectrum soon."

"I shall alert them." Taj nodded. "They've been aware of the Multiverse, having met one of the incarnations of the Doctor."

"The Time Lord?" Arcanna blinked. "They met a Time Lord?"

"Evidently so." Taj nodded. "They had discovered a strange alien being posing as one of their old enemies. She showed the two an image of the dead Skrull the Skysurfers had found.

"That's a Skrull." Strange identified. "An alien race from my universe."

"Skrulls exist in my universe, too." Arcanna nodded. "Our old comrade Skymax the Skymaster is one."

"A Skrull in my universe. Hmmm..." Fatima thought. "I wonder how this guy got here..."

"It is...strange." Arcanna giggled, glancing at Strange in amusement, making the man roll his eyes.

"If this 'Skrull' ended up in my world, then there likely are others on other parallel Earths." Fatima said.
"One of the costumed champions on my world is called Captain Marvel. She is familiar with the Skrulls. I will let her know." Strange said.

"In my universe, the Skrull homeworld was destroyed by the World-Eater." Arcanna pointed out. "There's not many of them left in my universe. At least that's what Skymax has told me."

"Forgive me, Miss Jones, but I had met the Wizard Supreme of your Earth once: A Professor Imam." Fatima said. "What happened to him, if I may ask?"

"Professor Imam was the previous Wizard Supreme of my Earth, but he gave me the position." Arcanna explained. "He has to concentrate his energies on training a future successor. At least, that's what he claims." Arcanna shrugged. "Man was always a bit odd."

"He was, yes." Fatima nodded with a shrug. "But back on track. If there are Skrulls on other Earths..." She thought back to the Skysurfers' recent encounter with the Doctor. "Then it's likely we may have some form of invasion on our hands."

"A multiversal invasion..." Arcanna gasped. "What kind of being could cause something like this?"

"A truly powerful force must be masterminding this. This is truly dire." Strange frowned, steeping his hands. "We must remain on our guard."

"Between this and that evil Hyperion running around..." Arcanna sighed. "We are going to be in for a very rough ride, aren't we?"

"Indeed." Strange nodded.

"At least we don't have to do this alone." Fatima said. "The dimensional barriers weakening may allow threats to multiple Earths, but it also allows the champions of multiple Earths to join forces to face them."

"Indeed." Strange agreed. "I have to admit, I'm finding this meeting fascinating. I would love to do this again."

"Same here." Arcanna nodded. "Hopefully under less dire circumstances."

"I admit, I would love to do this again sometime." Fatima said. "Good luck and good fortune to you all."

"Same to you, Fatima Taj." Strange and Arcanna waved as the portals faded. Fatima turned and smiled at her guest. "Forgive my delay, my friend." Her guest was a brown-haired muscular man with a well-maintained beard and mustache. He wore a green leather jacket and black t-shirt with blue jeans and black sneakers.

"So, it is true." Ben Tennyson, formerly of Earth-192, noted. "There's something big coming."

"Indeed." Fatima confirmed. "The barriers between universes have weakened. Interdimensional travel has become easier, but at a cost. The Multiverse is now more vulnerable to...greater threats."

Ben sighed. "I sacrificed my existence to save my old world. And now...it might be in danger again." Fatima remembered how several years earlier, she had found Tennyson. From him, she learned of his actions to save his Earth. The sorceress theorized that Professor Paradox's actions must have accidentally caused Ben to be deposited on another Earth in the Multiverse.

Made sense. She thought. Nature hates a vacuum. One Earth loses something, another Earth gains it. His Earth lost him, so my Earth gets him. She took him in and he became her assistant. Ben had become a minor adventurer on this Earth since. He discovered that he had gained an ability to shapeshift into strange alien forms. In the past, he had needed a device called an "Omnitrix" to achieve this feat, but now this ability was innate. Fatima theorized that this was was maybe a side effect of his transition to this Earth.

"Have faith, my old friend." The Egyptian woman smiled at the man. "The Multiverse may be full of threats...but it also is full of heroes to stand against them."

"I can't go back to my old home, Fatima." Ben said. "Don't get me wrong, I don't regret the actions I took to save my universe. And I am very grateful to you for taking me in and helping me acclimate to my, well...new home."

"I was happy to." Fatima smiled.

"But I...I won't lie. I do miss Gwen, and Julie. Hell, I even miss Kevin sometimes."

"It's natural." Fatima nodded. "Even though they no longer have the emotional bonds to you they once did, you still have them."

"Yeah." Ben nodded. "And I have managed to make some new friends on this Earth." He blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"I know that look." Fatima smirked in amusement. "A new little lady has stolen your heart, huh?"

"Well...yeah." Ben admitted. "Her name is Aliyah. Aliyah Salazar."

"Ah, the older sister of one of the Skysurfers."

"Yeah." Ben nodded. "She's a sweetheart."

"Well, I am happy that you have found someone new to share your heart with." Fatima smiled proudly. "You have grown into a wonderful noble man, Ben Tennyson. Miss Salazar is lucky to have you in her life."

"I'm lucky to have her." Ben said. "Fatima...in case we don't make it through what's coming, I just want to say...thanks for everything. Thanks for...helping me adjust."

"It was my pleasure, Ben. I've known what it feels like to be lost and alone." Fatima said. "And you won't be standing alone this time."

Skymax the Skymaster first appeared in Squadron Supreme #1 (September 1985).