Misfitverse: The Korvac Saga

Disclaimer: "How can you afford these things?!" - Joe Swanson, Family Guy

Chapter 11: More Quiz Show Kookiness!

The skies over New York City

Sam Guthrie, Captain Marvel, was in a foul mood. He was in a very foul mood. Ray and Roberto was looking around at some artifacts of the Avengers' adventures, when they accidentally knocked into a device, the device that Sam was holding under his arm. It was a cylindrical device the size of a football, black in color, with a small blue screen and a couple buttons underneath it. On the top of the device was a golden-colored box with a small upwards-pointing golden satellite dish on it. His other fist was pointed behind him, the golden band on it, emitting a beam of golden energy. The beam ended in a large golden bubble, containing Ray and Roberto inside.

"How could you two morons release Livewire?!" Sam growled. "She's not exactly all there in the head."

"Hey, it's not our fault!" Ray snapped. "You wouldn't tell us what that thing was!"

"Didn't I tell you?! Livewire isn't sane anymore!" Sam snapped.

"Is she dangerous?" Roberto asked.

"She had a real hate-on for Superman back in our time, dummy." Ray reminded.

"She's harmless if she doesn't get startled." Sam explained. "Unfortunately, it's very easy to startle her! So, to make it simple, we got a loony lightning woman flying around, and if she gets startled, somebody could get hurt!"

An alley in NYC

"Uhmmm...uhnnnn..." A woman mumbled as she hid behind a green dumpster. At one time, she was Leslie Willis, a disc jockey who was known as the 'Queen of All Media', and enjoyed bashing Superman on her radio show. During a tribute concert during a rainstorm, the Man of Steel tried to get her to call off the show, but the cocky Willis brushed him off. She was struck by lightning, and gained the ability to harness electricity and even transform herself into electricity.

That was back in the 21st Century. Over time, she evolved into a being of pure electricity, and as a result, she was immortal. She, like Captain Marvel, witnessed history. The strain of watching things constantly change while she remained the same took a toll on her mind and she went insane.

Livewire rocked back and forth in her hiding place in her solid form. Her blue skin glowed slightly. Her white hair was now waist-length and it made her look like a 1980s rock musician. At her temples were black streaks shaped like lightning bolts. Her blue eyes shifted rapidly back and forth. She panted rapidly, even though she didn't need to breathe.

"Worms..." She mumbled. "Worms in my brain...the telephone poles are going liquid...Superman takes the lightning and waters the candles..."

Avengers Mansion

"Where are we going?" Jennifer Stavros, formerly the Hellions' Roulette, asked Monica Burton and Harry Storm, Sonic Blue and the Tachyon Torch. With Jennifer was a curious Danielle Moonstar and Haroun al-Rashid, respectively, the former New Mutant Mirage and the former Hellion Jetstream.

"Somewhere where we may be able to help you overcome your fear of fire, Jennifer." Monica explained.

"Humph. Good luck." The Tachyon Torch scowled. "These cavemen practically grew up afraid of everything. I'm surprised these two didn't freak out at the sight of fire, too."

"Hey, if you're going to insult us, can't you at least make sure we're not right behind you?" Dani grumbled.

"Oh, don't mind him." Monica waved at the three Lost Mutants. "He's just like the rest of his family. Always hacked off about something."

"You know, you remind me a lot of the Human Torch." Haroun looked at the redhead.

"Which one?" Harry frowned.

"Which one?" Haroun blinked in confusion.

"There have been several." Monica explained. "Starting with the original one, first active in 1939. I believe he was some sort of android." (1)

"He's talking about Johnny Storm, the second Human Torch, of the Fantastic Four." Harry corrected. "He's my ancestor. He was a great hero."

"Ah, here we are." Monica announced. The group walked up to a big set of cream-colored sliding doors. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Playroom."

"Playroom?" Haroun blinked.

"The Playroom is where we train." Harry explained. "What do you guys use?"

"Something similar." The three Lost Mutants answered.

"The Playroom uses advanced holographic technology." Monica explained as the doors opened. "With it, we can replicate hostile environments, or create or own little worlds for our personal time."

"...what does this have to do with my pyrophobia?" Jennifer blinked.

"We can use the Playroom to help conquer fears." The armored teenager explained as she led the group inside. The Playroom's interior was a large room. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all black, with yellow lines on them, forming a grid. (2)

This ain't gonna work. Harry Storm scowled. These 21st Century leftovers grew up hard-wired to be terrified of their own shadows. This whole idea is idiotic. I can't believe these kids are the so-called Lost Mutants. What makes these cavemen worthy of it? Everybody was afraid of going out their damned door at that time. Whatever that great evil is...they can't stop it. They'll care more about hiding from it.

"This is it?" Jennifer blinked.

"I think the Danger Room back home had some stuff like this...but this look threadbare." Dani blinked. "There's no robots or anything."

"We don't need them." Monica smiled. She then turned to Jennifer. "Okay Jen, this is what I'm going to do." She then looked up at the ceiling. "Computer, create a small end table. Wooden, round top." A small round-topped end-table appeared in the middle of the room.

"Amazing!" Haroun's jaw dropped.

"Neat." Dani whistled.

"Uh..." Jennifer blinked.

"Computer, create a small candle in a silver holder." Monica commanded. The candle appeared on the table.

"Oh God, I know where this is going..." Jennifer winced.

"Why don't you just make this easier and create a volcano scenario?" Harry scowled. The three Lost Mutants decided to ignore the redhaired pyrokinetic.

"Shut up, Torch." Monica sighed.

"You're not going to light that candle." Jennifer shook her head, hiding behind Haroun. "No way!"

"Jennifer, it's part of the plan. The candle flame in this holodeck is not real." Monica explained.

"I understand." Haroun figured it out. "You want to expose Jennifer to small amounts of holographic flames in an attempt to help her overcome her pyrophobia."

"Oh yeah, like that'll work." Harry scoffed.

"Oh, stop it!" Danielle snapped. "What is your problem?"

"My problem?" Torch grunted. "I think you kids are a bunch of cavemen from a time in history that had no concepts of courage and gratitude towards heroes!"

"Oh God, here we go..." Monica groaned.

"Hey pal, what right do you have to say that?!" Dani snapped.

"The fact that I don't think you kids are the Lost Mutants." Torch grunted. "If there was some great evil out there, then how the hell does the key to stopping it lie in a bunch of 21st Century teenagers?!"

"Whoever that evil is, it won't expect a group of former New Mutants and Hellions to stop him." Dani growled.

"Especially New Mutants and Hellions who have been dead for one thousand years." Haroun added.

"So has every other New Mutant and Hellion who came after you." Harry countered with a scowl. "Besides, how will you stop him? By hiding under rocks?"

"Will you stop it, Torch?!" An irritated Monica snapped.

The Team Trouble set

Chaos had broken out on the set of the game show Team Trouble. A group of thugs, led by the radioactivity-manipulating supervillain known as Radiation Roy, were attempting to rob the audience of the popular game show. However, what they didn't realize was there were a couple of superheroes in attendance. In the audience was one Rond Vidar, a teenage genius and a member of the Green Lantern Corps. The hostess of the show was a superhero herself: Lonna Leing, the Insect Queen. The red-haired Xanthuian ducked behind one of the long dais, and pressed a button on her watch. In a flash of yellow light, her dress was transformed into her costume. Meanwhile, Rond Vidar, Green Lantern, flew into the set. The audience had fled, except for one.

The mysterious Michael, seemingly unfazed, had made himself scarce behind some curtains.

"Insect Queen!" Carina waved at the yellow-clad alien heroine. She was kneeling on the ground, holding another hostess, a green-skinned woman in a black dress. "It's Marta! She's fainted!" Lonna quickly raced over and looked over the fainted Orion woman. (3)

"She's okay." Lonna nodded. "She's just fainted. Try and get her out of here."

"Right." Carina nodded.

"Hello, fellas." Rond smirked, crossing his arms as he hovered in an aura of green light.

"Green Lantern..." Radiation Roy growled. "I'm not scared of you!"

"Pal, I don't go do that whole scary thing. I use green light, for Pete's sake!" Rond chuckled.

"Hey, punks! Thanks for ruining my show!" Insect Queen exclaimed. The Xanthuian heroine took a flying leap at the thugs. Her legs morphed into grasshopper legs, allowing her to dispose of one thug with a flying kick and two more with insect-powered roundhouses.

"Stupid heroes! You ruin everything!" Radiation Roy roared, firing beams of energy at the two heroes.

"Yi!" Lonna used the superior leaping power her grasshopper legs provided to get out of the way of the radiation beams.

"Now now, Roy..." Rond tutted, firing a green energy beam from his ring. The bean hit Roy's armored hands, creating green shackle constructs. "What did we tell you? No firing radiation beams."

"Blast him, you idiot!" Roy screamed at a thug. He nervously pointed his gun at Rond.

"You don't want to do that, friend." Rond smiled. The thug gulped and dropped his gun, raising his hands. "Hey, a smart one. How nice."

"Dammit." Roy grumbled. "I hate you, Green Lantern."

"And I think you're adorable in your little red suit." Rond joked with a wide grin, patting Roy's head like one would pet an animal. He then noticed Lonna dealing with the rest of the thugs. Meanwhile, Carina was trying to drag Marta outside.

"Man, I wish I did more cardio..." She grunted. Michael emerged from the curtains behind her.

"My dear..." He said simply.

"Huh?" Carina turned her head. "Oh..." She looked at Michael. The two stared into each other's eyes. Carina slowly put Marta down. She and Michael took each other's hands and disappeared in a flash of light. Neither Green Lantern nor Insect Queen noticed.

"Well, that takes care of them." Lonna looked at the beaten thugs.

"Indeed." Rond noticed. Radiation Roy raised his restrained red-armored fists as he tried to whack Rond upside the head. However, without even turned his head, the teenage Lantern formed a construct of a mallet with his ring and had it whack Roy on the head, knocking him cold with a grunt. "You hear something?" Lonna chuckled, shaking her head.

"Whatever. Thanks for your help, GL."

"No problem." Rond smiled. Lonna looked around and noticed the still fained Marta on the ground. "Hey, where's Carina?" She blinked.

"She must've run off." Rond frowned.

"Ohhhhh..." The green woman groaned. "Whahappen?"

"Great! Now she's disappeared." Lonna sighed.

"Aw, don't worry. I'm sure she'll show up." Rond reassured. "Poor girl was probably frightened off."

"I hope she comes back! She's got a future on this show!" Lonna sighed. Rond chuckled.

"Personally, I hope every episode is this exciting."

"Oh, shut up, GL!" Lonna groaned.

Well, well, well! Looks like things are heating up! What insanity will happen next? What is the Tachyon Torch's problem? Can Sam, Ray, and Roberto catch Livewire? What was up with Michael? Find out in the next chapter! Suggestions needed badly!

(1) – Monica is talking about the Golden Age Human Torch, an android that took the name Jim Hammond. His first being active in 1939 is a nod to his first appearance in Marvel Comics #1, published in October 1939.

(2) – The Playroom's look comes from the Holodeck in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

(3) – Orions are from the original Star Trek series. The green Orion women are classic icons of that show.