ULTIMATE ACCESS
by Carycomic
A 'Web of Deceit' Tie-in.
Characters and concepts: if you recognize them, I don't own or profit from them.
DOME OF UATU,
LUNAR BLUE AREA,
(EARTH-91126)
"Near as I can figure it," said Axel Asher (formerly of Earth-1610). "...Proteus and the Seventh Son of Set got around your causality loop by engineering the zombie invasion of Marvel Ape Earth. It was the chronological reversion device, built by the Reed Richards and Tony Stark of Earth-8101, that led to the creation of a divergent reality. The universe of Earth-21050! Which, in turn, unwittingly led to the creation of Earth-6195 by the Exiles when they stole the decapitated head of Marvel Zombie Wolverine."
"An accurate summation of the facts as I have observed them," replied the Watcher.
"What beats me," continued Axel. "...is why they had Zombie Wolverine amalgamate with a homicidal counterpart of Impossible Man? From a super-villainous viewpoint, it seems a waste of their combined abilities just to use them for a random interdimensional rampage."
"The rampage might not be as random as you think," replied Newton Destine.
The latter was a technological prodigy from Earth-774. Like all other members of the Clan Destine, he was the mixed-blood offspring of Sir Adam Destine (a magically immortalized knight) and a female djinn he had helped liberate from mystical enslavement to an evil wizard in the medieval Middle East! And he was currently attending this strange-but-crucial conference via transdimensional hologram.
"According to my brother, Dom, the images telepathed him by Madame Webb show a definite pattern. Namely; the devastation of worlds where the other Sons of Set met defeat!* Whatever the Seventh Son is planning, he and Proteus don't want any help coming from those parallel-Earths when it comes time to implement their endgame."
"And I think I know what that endgame might be!"
This sudden proclamation was uttered by someone who sounded remarkably like Axel Asher. Nor did the latter evince any surprise at that fact. For the new arrival was his lycanthropic counterpart from Earth-7085! With the latter accompanied by his African-American lover, Dr. Tilda 'Nightshade' Johnston. The only non-lycanthrope who could pheromonally keep his otherwise insatiable carnivorous instincts in check.
"A certain techno-baron on Earth-691 was recently shown a device unearthed by one of his endlessly scavenging serfs. That device turned out to be one of the Nth projectors used by the Roxxon Oil Company to banish most of Earth's superheroes to other dimensions just before the Second 'Martian' Invasion! Meanwhile, at the same time, Intergang of Earth-7642 had an Apokoliptan mother box stolen from them by minions of Lord Kobra. Scouting parties from both worlds recently met each other in the Central Park of New York City on Earth-28918."
"Along with a scouting party from a local Hydra cell. More specifically? The one headed by Baron Helmut von Zemo!"
EARTH-28918 (FIVE MINUTES EARLIER)
Each of the three factions raised their weapons in the direction of the other two. The only thing prevented a needless massacre was the sudden materialization of two more strangers. Professor Kerwin Kronus... and the Supernatural Adaptoid.
"Gentlemen! Please lower your weapons. I am about to show you how you can all achieve your expansionist dreams without shedding blood. At least, among yourselves!"
He then ordered the Adaptoid to project a hologram of a possible future one hundred years from that moment. A future in which that particular Earth was governed by a giant, lobster-red computer!
"When that computer is finished being built and programmed, but just before it's brought online? They plan to infect it with the Phalanx virus... and thereby make it puppet Ruler of All Earths!"
"We can't allow that to happen," said Newton, somewhat belaboring the obvious.
"And I think I know just the way to prevent it," added Marvel Zombie Access (fresh from escaping the digestive system of Chessure of Apokolips**). "Meet Squirrel Girl of Earth-6195... and Black Lantern Ch'p from the Deceased Cosmos."
The End?
*See 'Web of Deceit', chapter 9.
**See 'Wednesday-Thursday-Friday?!'