UNIVERSE
Vol.1, No.1
Manhattan; New York
As the entire city is blanketed in darkness and drained of its energy; a battle rages in Central Park. A large Citadel stands firmly in the middle of the park, towering high over the city. A battle rages on in the eleventh hour as heroes, friends, and foes are united to defeat the sensational all-powerful Onslaught.
"Onslaught's no longer a physical creature! He's pure psionic energy! If we don't find a way to stop him now; it's over!" Professor Charles Xavier says as he uses his arms to pull his paralyzed body to safety.
"Charles… We are responsible for the birth of Onslaught. Our struggle, our minds is what created him and it must be us to stop him!" Xavier's one-time friend long-time foe Magneto said.
"No Magnus, you are not the man you once were. You have redeemed yourself and I can not allow you to sacrifice yourself to Onslaught. It was my powers that created him, it was my actions. I… I must be the one to end this." Xavier tells the redeemed Magneto.
As Onslaught's energy spikes lash out amongst the members of the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Avengers, and countless others; Magneto uses his mutant control over magnetism in order to allow Charles Xavier to stand.
"We will do this together." Magneto corrects Xavier.
Charles places a hand on Magneto's shoulder.
"Very Well," Charles says.
Onslaught's psionic form knocks several heroes to the ground after countless plans fail to stop him.
"Do you not realize that I am incapable of being stopped? I am GOD." Onslaught states as he expands skyward. "The World is MINE!"
"Reed, what do we do!" Susan Storm Richards cry fully asks her husband and fellow Fantastic Four teammate.
"Onslaught's evolving and I see no way for us to save our son. Franklin and Nate Grey are both inside of Onslaught's Citadel. He's using them as his source of energy. Unfortunately, Onslaught has the upper hand." Reed Richards sadly informs his wife as he runs as many scientific plans in his head but doesn't come up with anyway to stop Onslaught.
"Scott, is there nothing we can do?" Jean Grey asked her husband Cyclops; the X-Men's field leader.
"We fight till the end." Cyclops says passionately kissing his wife.
"Cyke's right. We have to keep fighting." Wolverine tells the other X-MEN.
"That's it! Psionic Energy! We need to shut it off!" Reed yells out as a brilliant plan comes to mind.
"But how, Richards? Onslaught's too powerful." Captain America states.
Iron Man, Storm, and Spiderman step up behind Reed Richards and Captain America as the other heroes continue to battle the larger-than-life Onslaught.
"We need to buy ourselves sometime! Thor! Thor, gather Psylocke, Gambit, Scarlet Witch, and Torch. I have a mission for you." Reed Richards states.
"Aye Mr. Fantastic!" Thor says raising his hammer into the sky and taking flight.
Magneto set foot next to the X-Men Cyclops and Jean Grey with Professor Xavier in tow. X-Man Iceman and Avenger Hawkeye step up behind Jean Grey.
"What's the plan?" Iceman asks.
"I don't have my telepathic powers any longer. When Thor freed me from Onslaught; I was stripped of them. Magneto and I are going to strike Onslaught. We are the reason he exists. We should be the ones to end that existence." Charles Xavier shares with his friends.
"No, Professor, We'll find another way." Cyclops states.
Archangel's wings flap as he sets down beside Cyclops and Jean Grey.
"Reed Richards has gathered a small team and sent them on a mission. He believes he has a way to stop Onslaught," Archangel shares.
"You see, Professor. There is another way!" Jean Grey shares.
"Yes. We need to keep Onslaught busy and if Richards' plan fails… we'll go ahead with ours." Magneto shares.
"Hey Guys! Quicksilver and I moved Hulk and Dr. Banner to the campsite just outside of Central Park. Hank Pym believes that if Onslaught is destroyed that Hulk and Bruce Banner will phase back together." Rogue says as she touches down next to the others.
"We need to find a way to slow down Onslaught until Mister Fantastic can carry out his plan." Vision says walking up to Professor Xavier and the others. Vision's body is severely damaged and his internal workings are exposed.
"Jean…" Professor Xavier states softly as he looks to his first pupil.
"Yes, Professor?" Jean asks slowly walking over to her mentor.
"You can slow him down. You have it within you." Xavier tells Jean softly.
"But how Professor? When Onslaught showed himself to me on the Astral Plane he showed me that my telepathic power is no where near his." Jean doubtfully tells Xavier.
"Phoenix, Jean." Xavier shares.
"Phoenix? Absolutely not, Professor. We've lost Jean to the Phoenix before. We can't risk it again. I won't lose her." Cyclops intervenes.
"I'm not talking about the entity that possessed Jean. Jean's an omega level mutant. The power displayed by Phoenix-Jean was Jean's powers; just tapped and controlled by that of Phoenix. If Jean can reach into the deepest parts of her mind; she can release the containment fields she's placed within her mind that's prevented her from reaching the power levels that Phoenix accessed." Xavier tells Cyclops and Jean.
"NO XAVIER!" Onslaught fires an immense energy particle beam at Charles Xavier.
Jean quickly raised her hands into the air and created a telekinetic force bubble around herself, Xavier, and the others.
"Jean…" Cyclops says softly looking to his wife.
"I know your fears, Scott. I know what the Phoenix did and what it's done to us, personally. But the Phoenix entity isn't the one tapping into my powers this time; it'll be me, as it always should have been." Jean tells Cyclops as she places a hand on his cheek.
"Don't look now, ya'll. Onslaught's getting bigger." Rogue points out.
"Franklin, are you alright?" Nate Grey asked as he was shackled by energy to the floor of Onslaught's Citadel.
"Yeah, I just miss my mommy." Franklin shares.
"You'll see her again, Kid. I promise. I already watched my world be destroyed by Apocalypse; I'm hoping not to see this one destroyed by Onslaught." Nate Grey comforts.
An explosion erupts from the far wall and as the smoke clears; Cable and Beast enter. Franklin smiles noticing Beast.
"Don't sweat it, Kids. We're here." Cable says freeing Nate Grey from Onslaught's energy shackles.
"Blue Guy, have you seen my mommy?" Franklin asked as he wrapped his small arms around Beast's furry leg.
"Not yet. But she's fine, Franklin. I promise you." Beast smiles lightly to Franklin. He was tired. He was held prisoner for months by Onslaught's Dark Beast. If it wasn't for Cable freeing him; he never would have been found since the Dark Beast was impersonating him.
"Franklin Richards," a deep voice says entering into the room behind Cable and Beast.
"YOU!" Nate Grey says as his fist burst into energy flames.
"Whoa, Kid. He's with us. If it wasn't for him; we wouldn't have been able to find you." Cable tells his alternate universe counterpart.
"Nate Grey… do I know you?" Apocalypse smirks.
"You son of a bitch!" Nate Grey says charging towards Apocalypse.
"ENOUGH!" Cable yells grabbing a hold of Nate Grey.
"I know how you are feeling kid, I really do. I hate Apocalypse just as much as you do; but for right now… we need to get out of here!" Cable informs Nate Grey.
"Yes, Cable's right. Onslaught's getting more powerful by the minute. The X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and countless others are not fairing well at all. If Onslaught's not stopped soon; the entire world will fall to Onslaught's power within the hour." Beast shares.
"And that simply must not be," Apocalypse agrees.
"Are you ready, Jean?" Professor Xavier asks.
"Yes. I can feel the shift on the Astral Plane. My own psionic energy is increasing." Jean says as she sits Indian style hovering before everyone that surrounds her.
"Jean, please, be careful." Cyclops says watching as his wife's body is surrounded by a glowing gold energy.
"Always, Husband of Mine." Jean says as she closes her ruby lips and her long red hair begins to flow softly in the dead air.
On the Astral Plane; Jean's psionic appearance becomes a solid black with a golden phoenix avatar across her one eye. As she begins flying in empty space towards a bright star in the far distance; she encounters a villain she had not expected at this time.
"Jean Grey? Help me! Free me!" the psionic energy being begs of Jean.
"Shadow King?" Jean asks shocked at the imprisoned Astral Plane being.
"Onslaught's taken over the Astral Plane. He has imprisoned me. Free me!" Shadow King begs.
"Even if I had the time, I couldn't. I must find a way to stop Onslaught." Jean says continuing her flight.
"No! Don't leave me!" Shadow King yells out from his psychic cage as Jean forges further towards the distant star.
Dr. Victor Von Doom stood nearby Reed and Susan Richards. He glared at Onslaught's psionic being in front of them. Underneath his cape; a device of his was hard at work draining and storing Onslaught's power.
"Victor!" Reed yells noticing Doom's cape waving in the wind.
"Richards, this is neither the time nor the place to have a debate about ethics." Dr. Doom says to Reed.
"Oh no, Vic?" Ben Grimm says snatching the device out from behind Dr. Doom.
"YOU FOOLS! Do you not realize what kind of opportunity we have at hand? We could solve the world's energy problems!" Dr. Doom states.
Reed steps up in front of Doom.
"And I'm sure that's exactly what you had in mind," Reed states firmly. "Ben, destroy it."
"NO!" Doom yells trying to reach the device in Ben Grimm's hands; only to watch the Thing destroyed it in the palm of his hands.
"I shall not forget this, Richards." Doom states.
"It won't matter if Onslaught isn't stopped." Reed shares.
As Professor Xavier, Magneto, and Cyclops stand idly by Jean Grey's body; Jean's eyes open.
"Jean?" Cyclops asks.
Jean's feet touch the ground and she raises her hands into the sky. An golden bolt of lightning strikes down from the skies above striking Jean. Jean's body glows in a fiery of energy. The uniform she is wearing molecularly changes into that of her green and gold Phoenix outfit.
"Phoenix?" Cyclops asks again not having any response before.
Jean's green and gold uniform molecularly changes into that of the universally feared red and gold Phoenix outfit.
"Oh, no." Cyclops says in fear as Jean wears the uniform of one of the X-Men's greatest enemies and the slaughter of an entire race.
As the fears grow in everyone around Jean; the red and gold uniform transforms into a new never-before worn uniform. The sound of thunder fills the sky as Jean appears in a white and gold uniform identical to that of the green and gold one that she wore for a very long time; just with the green being replaced with white.
"It's okay, Scott. I'm here." Jean says as the energy fades from her. She kisses her husband and smiles to the Professor. "I'm finally all here. I finally feel whole." Jean says as she telekinetically lifts herself into the sky.
"I always knew she had it in her," Xavier smiles.
"The White Phoenix? Who ever would have guessed?" Wolverine asks as he comes up to the group dragging the Avengers' enemy Kang behind him. "I found him watchin' the situation from the distance. I figured he was up to know good." Wolverine says tossing the knocked out cold Kang into the middle of the group.
"Jean," Cyclops says watching as his wife donned in the White Phoenix uniform approaches Onslaught.
"YOU CAN'T STOP ME, JEAN GREY." Onslaught's energy says as Jean approaches him.
"I'm not Jean Grey. I'm not Marvel Girl. Get it right!" Jean yells out at Onslaught.
"OH? AND JUST WHO ARE YOU, JEAN SUMMERS?" Onslaught chuckles at Jean.
"Yes, I'm Jean Summers. But I'm Phoenix to you!" Jean says unleashing an immense telekinetic blast on Onslaught. She follows it up with several telepathic spikes to try and weaken him.
"Jean's doing it! X-Men ATTACK!" Cyclops yells.
Captain America sees the white and gold donned Jean Grey weaken Onslaught and realizes that this is the chance they've been waiting for.
"AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!" Captain America yells out.
The residents of New York City watch from the distance and cheer as the Heroes and Mutants work together towards Onslaught.
Scarlet Witch raises her hands into the air and tries to reverse Onslaught's power. "Rogue, I need your help!" Wanda yells out.
"Sure, Sugah!" Rogue says flying down to Wanda's side.
"When it looks like I'm getting weak; I want you to drain my remaining power from me and keep it up. I'll be fine, I promise." Wanda tells Rogue.
Rogue is leery; but removes her gloves ready for action.
Cyclops' optic blast is unleashed into Onslaught's psionic form. He falls to his knees but continues the assault.
"I am MOTHER NATURE UNLEASHED!" Storm says as she falls from the sky with Thor at her side. She creates an enormous light show and begins to strike Onslaught with pure energy generated from the Earth itself.
"Onslaught shall fall before the Thunder God!" Thor says as lightning begins to strike his hammer and fill it with pure energy.
"It's over, Onslaught… It's the end of evolution for you." Jean says as the large feiry phoenix rapture surrounds her and fills the dark sky.
"Never Jean. When I introduced myself to you on the Astral Plane; I said that I was to prepare you for a role as a key player in the days to come… it is NOT my destruction that you will play a part in!" Onslaught says striking psionically back on all that have assaulted him!
Thor and Storm fall to the ground in a thunderous crash. Wanda is forced backwards into Rogue at a violent force. Jean is shoved right out of the atmosphere.
"JEAN!" Cyclops yells just as Onslaught's psionic backlash strikes him knocking him to Professor Xavier and Magneto's feet.
"Scott. Magnus, we can not wait any longer. Onslaught must be stopped!" Charles Xavier says only for Magneto to nod to him. Magneto's magnetic power surrounds them in a protective force field as they approach Onslaught.
"Ah, the father's. My creator's have come to try and stop me. It is NOT the way it shall be." Onslaught states as his psionic form crackles with raw energy.
"It must end here, Onslaught. No one else shall suffer before your mighty hand. Magneto and I, Charles Xavier, are the reason you exist. It's because of us that you shall cease to exist!" Xavier declares.
"Foolish Man, Xavier. I can not be stopped just as your dream shall never become reality." Onslaught says as his energy begins to flicker. "What? What's happening to me?" Onslaught questions.
Apocalypse, Cable, Nate Grey, Franklin Richards, and the Beast stand nearby with Reed Richards, Gambit, Psylocke and Susan Richards. Apocalypse smirks at Onslaught.
"Fate and Destiny go hand in hand, Onslaught. You are not part of the bigger picture." Apocalypse says grabbing Franklin Richards.
"BUTCHER! LEAVE MY SON ALONE!" Susan Richards says noticing Apocalypse has taken Franklin hostage.
"I'm afraid his talents will be of use to me, Susan. I must be going---" Apocalypse's face goes blank as he releases Franklin whom quickly runs to his mother's side.
"Oh Franklin, thank god you are safe." Susan says holding onto her son for dear life.
"It's over, Apocalypse. Not just for you, but for me also. It's a small price to pay to make sure that you never corrupt that kid or destroy the future." Cable says with half of his techno arm inside of Apocalypse's back.
Cable and Apocalypse both begin to glow with time disbursement energy. In short; they fade from existence. Beast places his hand firmly on Nate Grey's shoulder.
"Cable finally did that which was his life's purpose. He's ended the threat of Apocalypse." Beast states to Nate Grey.
"And with it; He's freed me from a lifetime of hatred." Nate Grey states putting his head down feeling relieved but yet sad.
"Who is doing this!" Onslaught says as his psionic form reverts back into his armored form.
Reed Richards steps forward. "We're doing this, Onslaught. We're ending your threat and control over us. The young mutant known as Leech is pin-pointing his mutant power on you to shut down your energy; which will allow us the time we need to stop you."
Professor Xavier and Magneto stand next to Leech. The young boy grows weak from trying to shut down the power of such an immense creature. Gambit, Psylocke, and Hawkeye walk up behind Leech.
"You can do it, Buddy." Hawkeye whispers.
"NO! THIS CAN NOT BE!" Onslaught yells out as he is fully reverted back to his armored state.
Phoenix returns from the atmosphere and lands next to Cyclops.
"Jean?" Cyclops asks getting back to his feet and noticing Onslaught's status.
"Yes, Scott. It's me." Jean says wrapping an arm around Cyclops.
"Onslaught, this Armageddon is finished." Charles Xavier says.
"AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!" Captain America yells as he nods to Iron Man and the others of the team.
Henry Pym watches as the Hulk and Bruce Banner are re-united.
"HULK IS ANGRY!" Hulk yells as he storms off. He jumps and begins to repeatedly pound on Onslaught's armored chest.
"X-MEN ATTACK!" Cyclops yells and unleashes a huge optic blast on Onslaught.
Phoenix strikes out with several telekinetic blasts, Storm's lightning strikes, Bishop's absorption of the energy used against him is unleashed, Gambit plays an energy powered game of fifty-two pick-up, Psylocke releases the Crimson Dawn powers against Onslaught proving to one and all that she is indeed in touch with the power, Cannonball begins to repeatedly pound the armored shell of Onslaught with Rogue, and Wolverine begins to tear into Onslaught's armor with his boned claws.
"It's over, bub." Wolverine says as he tears into Onslaught.
"Magnus…" Xavier says nodding to Magneto.
Magneto's power that was assisting Xavier to walk now fails and Xavier falls to the ground. Magneto rises far into the sky and with immense struggle… he magnetizes Onslaught's Citadel and lifts it far into the sky.
"Uh Guys, I think we should get out of here!" Johnny Storm shares noticing Magneto lifting the Citadel far into the sky.
"Father… no." Quicksilver says as he helps Crystal to safety.
"Magneto's going to finish it! Everyone clear the area!" Captain America orders.
"You don't have to say that twice." Iron Man states taking off for safety with the Wasp and Black Widow.
"Let's go, son." Cyclops says grabbing Nate Grey's arm.
"Son?" Nate Grey says never imaging Cyclops referring to him as his son. In his reality, Cyclops worked for Sinister and was more of a threat.
"You heard him! Let's move!" Jean says grabbing Nate's other arm.
"Care for a lift?" Archangel says swooping down and picking up Psylocke and Gambit.
"My hero." Psylocke teases.
"I've had about enough of you!" Wolverine says continuing to claw deep into Onslaught's armor.
"I am EVOLUTION! I can not be stopped! Homo-Sapiens must perish so that I can lead them in the New World Order!" Onslaught yells out as Wolverine strikes his internal core.
"Wolverine!" Susan Storm Richards says surrounding him in a force field bubble and moving him to safety.
"It's over, Onslaught. If it wasn't for my actions, Charles never would have taken the drastic measures that he had to in order to stop me. If was that drastic measure that spawned you and its only right that I destroy you." Magneto says as he hovers high over the city of Manhattan with Onslaught's Citadel held high over head.
"Now, Magneto!" Charles Xavier yells out.
Magneto yells out as he adds force to the Citadel as he releases it from his hold far over head of Onslaught.
"NOO!" Onslaught yells out as the Citadel falls from the sky and explosively strikes him. A shockwave is so powerful that it quickly surrounds the Earth and begins moving forward into Outer Space. Everyone standing in a five mile radius in Manhattan is forced to the ground.
As the dust and smoke clear; the only thing remaining is a huge hole in the middle of Central Park where the Citadel and Onslaught were just moments ago.
"It's over." Charles Xavier states.
"Yes, Professor Xavier." Captain America states.
The Coast Guard, the National Guard, and Homeland Security begin to surround Manhattan. The Onslaught ordeal is over… but the world has changed today.
"Where's Magneto?" Rogue asks.
"He's gone, Cheri." Gambit tells her as he wraps an arm around her.
"He can't be." Rogue says pulling away from Gambit. She had grown close to Magneto and even now that he's gone; Gambit is pushed away.
"Mister Fantastic… I'm glad that you got your son back." Professor Xavier states.
"Yes, but Xavier… if it wasn't for what you did; Onslaught never would have existed. It's going to take sometime for me to forget that." Reed says picking up Franklin and walking away.
"Professor Charles Xavier?" A voice asks.
"Yes?" Xavier answers.
"Professor Xavier. I'm Bastian. I'm the Head of Operation: Zero Tolerance under the new presidency of President Graydon Creed. I'm afraid you are to be brought in and tried for your crimes against humanity." Bastian states.
"Say what?" Wolverine asks.
"It's okay, Wolverine. I must set an example. Cyclops, the future of the X-Men lies in your hands now. Never forget the dream." Xavier says as he's picked up by OZT Officers and placed into a wheelchair and then taken to a jet. He reaches out to the X-Men once last time, "Keep the Dream Alive." The X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers relax at the sight of devastation.