Kong: Underworld Conquest
Deep beneath the planet lies the Hollow Earth. Here, there are vast jungles, multiple waterfalls, and upside-down mountains. It is here where we find a hidden civilization on the brink of destruction from inter-galactic invaders, as aliens from the planet Seatopia are launching an offensive against the Dwarf city of Svaltalfheim. They fired at the ancient walls of with their laser cannons and sent half-robot soldiers to take on the Dwarf soldiers. Luckily, the Dwarf king, Hreidmar, had called in the gods of Asgard to assist in the war against the Seatopians. The ones who arrived were Thor, God of Thunder, Skadi, Goddess of Winter, and Loki, God of Mischief. Together, with their weapons, they laid waste to the alien fleet! Thor used his hammer to rain down lightning, while Skadi froze the enemy tanks with her ice arrows! Loki, meanwhile, took one several soldiers alone with only his spear, slicing and stabbing ten at a time! Just then, the ground began to shake. "They've summoned their beasts", said Skadi as she readied her bow. But then, something else stepped onto the battlefield. It looked like a gorilla, only it was a hundred feet tall, had brown fur, electric blue eyes, and three scars on its chest. The creature slammed its fists on the alien tanks, then stomped on the cyborg soldiers! "What beast is this?", asked Thor. "I don't know", said Loki, "But he's sending the space-men packing. Look!" He pointed to the Seatopians as the retreated into their portals back to where they came from. "The creature may strike at any time", said Thor, "'Tis time to snuff him out" "Thor, no", cried Skadi, but it was too late. Thor flew at the beast, his hammer ready to strike, when the ape knocked him aside with the back of his hand, sending Thor flying into a wall!
"What strength", said Thor. "Indeed, said King Hreidmar, "It is a young Kong". "Kong?", asked Skadi. "Oh yes", said King Hreidmar, "As ancient as our very city. I used to see many like him roam the mountains and jungles around here, but it seems like they've abandoned this world for the one above". "No doubt living on the Island of the Skull", said Loki, "Home of demons and monsters". "Indeed", said King Hreidmar, "This one has wandered far from his habitat and family. I wonder what he's doing in the land of his ancestors". "No doubt he is here to aid the space-men", said Thor. "No", said Skadi, "The beast is weary, probably even tired from days of traveling on foot". "How could you tell?", asked Thor as he scratched his red beard. "Although he is not of the North, he is a creature of the mountains", said Skadi. Kong snorted and bounded off for the mountains. "I'll go after him", said Skadi. "Just be careful", said King Hreidmar, "I've heard things about this Kong. Who knows how he'd fare against immortals in battle." With that, Skadi mounted her white horse and went after Kong.
After a while, Kong realized he was being followed as he raced through the tropical valleys of the Hollow Earth. He stopped on a lonely cliff to rest as Skadi raced over on her horse. She dismounted and looked up at the ape, marveling at the scale of him. While she was born a Frost Giant, even Skadi paled in comparison to Kong. Why, he could probably hold her father in the palm of his hand, and Skadi figured that as this individual was young, he could grow bigger still. Slowly, she walked closer. Kong grunted, but otherwise left her be. Skadi walked close enough to see the many scars and wounds Kong had accumulated over the years. "Let's see", she mused aloud, "I see claw marks from giant bats, a bite wound from an Eastern Dragon, and scars made at a young age by that which is known as a Skullcrawler". Kong looked down at her, perplexed. But even he figured she'd know of his battles in the World Above. Just then, Kong caught sight of an aurora in the "sky" above him. He stared at the shimmering blue and green energies and thought back to his home on Skull Island as Skadi stroked the fur on his arm.
Back at Svaltalfheim, King Hreidmar and Thor were busy coming up with new strategies to push the invasion back. "Should the space-men reappear, we'll be ready", said Thor. "I'm counting on it" said King Hreidmar, "See to it that the space-men never return." "Wait a minute", said Loki, "What about the Kong?" "What about him?", asked Thor. "Such a beast may be a useful ally to us", suggested Loki, "If we can get him back to Svaltalfheim, he could potentially fight off the invaders. He could even use the weapons found in the Hidden Temple just north of here". "We cannot go to the Hidden Temple", said King Hreidmar, "lest we incur the wrath of the God of Destruction". Suddenly, they heard a loud booming noise. "The space-men have returned", cried Thor as he took up his hammer.
Outside the city walls, Thor saw a massive alien creature with green skin, a single red eye, a buzz-saw on his chest, and massive metal hooks for hands. It was Gigan! Thor charged at the cyborg, but was knocked back by Gigan's laser! Loki fired several laser bolts from his spear, but Gigan then used his buzz-saw to start cutting through the stone walls of Svaltalfheim! The Seatopians followed suit, firing their cannons at the weakened structure. "They're breaking through", cried Loki. Suddenly, half of the Seatopian army was frozen! Then, Kong leaped off a cliff from above and knocked Gigan back with a mighty kick! Thor then blasted the rest of the Seatopian army with his lightning, sending then running as their tanks exploded!
Kong roared as Gigan began to attack. Gigan fired his laser, burning Kong's shoulder! But then, Kong jumped off the Svaltalfheim wall and landed a punch to Gigan's metal beak! Gigan then used his hook to slash at Kong's arms, cutting the undersides of them! But then, when he tried to use his other hook, Kong twisted Gigan's arm and kicked the elbow, breaking the arm in half! Then, Skadi used her ice arrows to freeze Gigan's feet, allowing Kong to knock him to the ground with a single punch! Finally, Kong stomped on Gigan's head, killing him instantly! Kong then roared while beating his chest!
Meanwhile, King Hreidmar inspected the damage to the wall. "This may take months to repair", he concluded, "The invaders will return with another beast to finish the job, and the wall will fail". "Then you'll consider my proposal?", asked Loki, "Have the Kong fight the next enemy?" "No!", said Skadi, "King Hreidmar, you cannot trust Loki". "If we don't have Kong help us, Svaltalfheim is doomed", said Loki. "Indeed, the Trickster is right", sighed Thor, "Even I couldn't take one of their beasts alone, but Kong fought it like a champion". "Indeed", said King Hreidmar, "Suppose they bring another terrible beast, like the Star Dragon or the Black Moth? We need a Titan to fight Titans, at least until this siege is ended". Skadi huffed in disgust, but couldn't argue against that logic.
Soon, King Hreidmar called on Sindri and Brokk, the finest blacksmiths in Svaltalfheim, use the leftover metal from Gigan. "Make something worthy of a king of his stature", he said. "We're going to need the whole family for this", said Brokk. Sindri called on his cousins and Brokk called on his father and grandfather to begin the work of melting down the hooks. Sindri and Brokk then crafted a set of arm coverings, a chest plate, and a massive hammer for Kong, who was trained to use such a weapon by Thor as he smashed several stone training dummies. "Very good", said Thor, "Should this next battle be won, you may win your very own weapon soon". Suddenly, they felt the ground begin to rumble. Just then, in the city square, a monster burst out from the ground! It looked like a humanoid bug with black skin, yellow wing plates, red eyes, a single horn that ended with a star-shaped crest, sideways opening jaws, and drills for hands. It was the Seatopian trump card, Megalon!
"Send in the soldiers", cried King Hreidmar as Megalon spat napalm bombs at some buildings! "They're all either outside or guarding the wall", said Sindri, "We call on the Gods now". Just then, Megalon fired a bolt of lightning from his horn, blowing out the part of the wall Gigan had attacked earlier! The Seatopian army began pouring through the hole, only to be attacked by Thor and Skadi! Thor blasted several cyborgs with lightning, before pushing Skadi out of the way of a napalm bomb!
Before Megalon could attack again, Kong smacked him in the face with his hammer! Then, he swung again, only for Megalon to dodge the attack and kick Kong aside! Kong swung again, missed, and tried to throw a punch, but Megalon dodged the attack!
Skadi froze several tanks before seeing Kong get hit in the chest by Megalon's drills! Luckily, the chest piece stopped the impact, but Megalon then kicked Kong in the face, knocking him out! "What's happening?", asked Thor as he knocked an entire platoon of soldiers down. "The armor is slowing him down", cried Skadi. She leaped up to a tall building and fired an ice arrow that froze Megalon's back! Megalon roared and used his drill to topple the building, knocking Skadi to the ground!
Kong shook his head and saw Skadi lying unconscious on the ground. As Megalon was about to step on the Ice Goddess, Kong knocked him away and into a building with his hammer. But then, Megalon spat a napalm bomb, cracking the hammer! Then, he shattered Kong's weapon with a single bolt of lightning! Megalon laughed as he whirled his drill, goading Kong into attacking him. Kong looked to the Gods still locked in combat with the alien invaders, then to the stump of his weapon. He tossed the stump aside, then tore off his armor. "What's he doing?", asked Loki, "He'll be killed for sure!"
Kong raised his fists as Megalon charged! As he hurled his drills forward, Kong dodged to the right and punched Megalon in the face!, Megalon swung wildly at Kong, who ducked under the whirling drills to give the bug an upper cut! Then, Megalon sliced into Kong's arm wound, causing him to howl in pain! But then, Kong grabbed Megalon's horn and slammed his face into a massive temple! He gave Megalon a knee to the jaws before punching him again! Suddenly, the building next to Kong was hit by laser fire! The Seatopians were trying to help there champion, but Thor then blasted their tanks with lightning! The aliens, with no choice left, ran back to their portals, which Thor and Loki then used their powers to destroy. Megalon took advantage of this attack to kick Kong into the smelters yard, where massive statues of warriors presided over the battle! Megalon flew at Kong, but was then hurled into a statue of a sword wielding warrior! Megalon stepped forward, only for his leg to get frozen! Kong looked down and saw Skadi smile at him. He turned to Megalon and charged! He punched Megalon's knee, breaking it! Then, he tore off one of Megalon's drills! Kong then slammed his fists into Megalon before he kicked him away with his one good leg! Kong grabbed the stone sword from the broken statue and used it to block Megalon's lightning! Finally, Kong stomped on Megalon's neck and drove the sword through his mouth, killing him instantly! Kong looked over the body before roaring and beating his chest! Thor, Loki, King Hreidmar, and the Dwarf Army ran in just in time to see Kong's display. "The beast has won", said King Hreidmar. "Three cheers for the Kong", said Thor, "Huzzah!".
After that day, the Seatopians never again tried to lay siege on Svaltalfheim. Kong stayed in the Hollow Earth to help repair the damaged wall and celebrate his victory with ale and the flesh of massive serpents. King Hreidmar sent word of Kong's deeds to other realms beyond and had Sindri and Brokk prepare a special gift for Kong. "We believe this will be to your liking", said the brothers. The presented Kong with armor for his right arm, a gauntlet for his left, and finally, a massive sword made from Megalon's drills and the old handle for Kong's hammer. Deciding to test his new toy, Kong took on one of the nearby Hollow Earth flying snakes and won the fight with a single blow from his sword. "Huzzah", said Sindri. "Indeed", said Brokk, "That thing can even be carried on your back, Kong". Just as well, Kong was at peace. But he knew that this peace wouldn't last, and soon, he would have to go home.
Skadi, Thor and Loki were prepared to use the Bifrost to return Kong to Skull Island, but before they could do so, a Dwarf Soothsayer appeared. "Hear me, Gods of Asgard", she said, "The All-Father, Odin, has decreed that the Kong's destiny lies in the Land of the North". "What destiny?", asked Loki. "Only the Kong will know for certain", said the Soothsayer, "Will you show him the way?" "I'll take him there", said Skadi as she walked over to Kong. She then held her bow aloft as a rainbow light basked the beauty and beast, transporting them to a far away forest on the Surface World, where Kong shivered slightly at the sudden snow and cold air. "This is where I'll have to say good-bye", said Skadi sadly, "I can only hope you return to your island safely. Now go, fulfill your destiny". With that, Kong bounded off for the snowy north as Skadi sent some gentle snow into the air.
Kong continued northward over the next few days, passing seascapes and a small village whose pitiful attacks he failed to notice. Soon after, night fell as Kong found himself striding over a frozen meadow in a dark blizzard. In spite of the howling wind, he heard the voice of a child cry out someone's name. He knelt down and picked up the unconscious child, wondering if he had found his destiny at last...