The X-men and the Avengers could not believe their eyes. They were at a compete standstill. The Dark Phoenix had returned in the flesh. Jean's mind was consumed by darkness. Her hair was burning red as the Phoenix surrounded her entire body. So much power was in the palm of her hands. It was even beyond any sorcery.
The screech of the phoenix continued to roar with rage. Her overwhelming power destroyed the x-mansion. Knowing well that this is not what Jean wanted, Cyclops made the first move. He ordered the X-men to defend themselves, but don't hurt Jean too badly. Same goes for Iron-Man and his Avengers.
Both teams surrounded Jean from both sides. Iron-Man, Hawkeye, Gambit and Cyclops attacked Jean with projectiles. While Cap, Luke Cage, Rogue, Spider-Man and Wolverine tried to catch Jean from behind holding her down. But even with so much force, it didn't take long for Dark Phoenix to break free.
"Your efforts are useless against the power of the Dark Phoenix, even with the combine might of the Avengers!" she laughed.
"Yes, my dear, destroy them all, leave no one standing." Mastermind whispered by telepathy by the Cuckoos.
In her head, the X-men and Avengers were her enemies. She attacked them with burst of energy resonating from the Phoenix. "Jean Grey exist no longer, the Dark Phoenix is only what remains."
"No Jean, you are still in there, I know it." Cyclops tried to reason with her.
"All who oppose the Dark Phoenix shall perish including you and your friends." Turning her attention towards Cyclops, Jean was about to blast him away without mercy.
However, she was suddenly attacked from behind by Emma Frost and Charles Xavier through psychic blast. Caught up in the assault, Iceman quickly put her on ice. "You should chill out for once Jean."
Emma says, "Sorry we were delayed."
"Yes, it will not last long." Charles said.
Along with Iceman, Colossus, Beast, Shadowcat and Storm appeared as back up for the X-men. They don't know what they could do against the power of the Dark Phoenix, but at least hold her back. Same with Iron-Man, on such short notice he called forth Ant-Man and Hulk.
It was an intense situation both X-men and the Avengers. Each attack they threw at Jean was either ineffective or tossed back even more powerful. Jean's mind was screaming like raging child as Charles and Emma was deep inside her brain. She served as mostly his personal backup, still recovering from the psychic assault taken from the Cuckoos.
Inside, her mind was deserted wasteland of dark emotion. It was the Dark Phoenix personal playground. "You have a lot of nerve coming here, for you will be forever trapped, then I shall rule."
"You don't want to do this Jean, remember who your friends are." Charles reminded.
"Don't be foolish, Jean Grey no longer exist. There is only Phoenix." She exclaimed with rage as her power continue to grow stronger and stronger. While under attack, he sensed another hand inside Jean that was making her see things that weren't there. There, he found Mastermind in her head toying with her memories.
"X-men, the Inner Circle has caused the Dark Phoenix to reawaken and now they are messing with her memories making us her enemies." He announced through telepathy. "You must storm their stronghold and break their connection off of Jean once and for all."
"You heard the man, let's go." Cyclops ordered.
"All right we'll keep her occupied as long as we can, now hurry up." Iron Man shouted. "Avengers, New Avengers, Assemble, stop the Phoenix."
"Here birdy, birdy, birdy, how about a nice spider for your main course?" Spidey taunted endlessly.
Once again Iron-Man blasted his energy repulsors at Jean keeping her eye on him as well as the other Avengers.
It didn't take long to find the Inner Circle's mansion, due to their encounter with them before. They only hope that Jean was not totally lost and would resort to her losing her life. She was way too precious to X-men to lose. Both Cyclops and Wolverine treasured Jean too much to lose her to the Phoenix.
Their approach however, was not unexpected, Mastermind had anticipated their arrival. So Selene kept them under mental hold draining their energy like a blood sucking vampire. Even if the X-men were unable to move, Wolverine and Colossus was able to move their bodies, even if there was so much heavy weight on their shoulders.
"Cuckoos, I need your assistance." Selene called. With their combined might they warped the minds of the X-men. To them their world was melting apart. It made their stomachs turn rapidly. "Stay down mutant or else." She continued to immobilize Wolverine.
Chun Li attacked Selene and Cuckoos from behind while they focused on what was in front of them, thus breaking them free of Selene's hold. Enraged, Wolverine took the chance slash Selene with his metal claws. Cyclops then put down the Cuckoos with his optic blast.
Before he could cast another illusion, Colossus grabbed Mastermind from behind. "All right bub, tell us what did you do to Jean or else my claws will hit your organs fasters then you can scream."
"You're wasting your time X-men, the dark Phoenix is free no matter what you do." He replied with a smug look.
"You made a deal with Doom didn't you?" Mastermind continued to smirk.
"So what if I did, I just done as he asked. And I was more than happy to collect my reward."
Wolverine caught the scent of a device he smelled within Jean's head, and pulled it off Mastermind's ear. Created by Doom, it was technology used to tap into Jean's mind making her see what she didn't only with a stronger force through telepathy.
Meanwhile, The Avengers all lied unconscious in defeat. They have not reached their limits on holding back the Dark Phoenix. It became too much for them. Most of them were hurt; others still had the will to fight despite the damage.
"What a pity X-men, not even your allies known as the Avengers could help you now. Who should I take out first?" Dark Phoenix asked.
"Jean, Jean, can you hear me? It's Scott, please remember me. I love you, you love me." Cyclops reasoned with in Jean's head through the device.
The pressure had becomes very intense. Jean fought the Phoenix force deep inside of her mind. "Stop resisting me, with your lies. I must destroy everything once and for all!"
Charles and Emma continued to attack Jean's mind with extreme force like hacking a computer. There, if only for a brief moment they were about paralyzed Jean's sub- conscious. So in a last stick effort, Spider-man wrapped Jean under his webs. And for the final strike Iron-Man struck Jean with supercharged, powerful Uni-beam.
"Sorry Jean, nothing personal." He says.
After taken so much damage, the device in Jean's brain was destoryed and the Phoenix started to weaken. But that still didn't stop the Phoenix for wanting more attention. It wanted to get out more then ever. wanted to avoid hurting her friends further. So she bid everyone farewell by telepathy, "I love you Scott and everyone else. I always will. Good-bye."
Before long she had already disappeared, leaving no trace behind. In the aftermath that has passed, Avengers and X-men went to tend their wounds. They left remaining the Inner Circle members in the hands of the MRD, a mutant prison, so they would not do anymore harm. Cyclops and the X-men may have lost Jean, but the fact she was still alive was more reward for them. Same with the Avengers. Jean had retreated to a quiet secluded island in the Pacific Ocean.
"Wherever Doom is? We'll find him and stop him!" Iron-Man wondered. "He won't get away with this."
Still on his quest for domination Doctor Doom came across a demon wasteland. The place was partially deserted as he searched. He thought he sensed a great power within the world to recruit into his army, but his scanners have been wrong before.
Even his Doombots have confirmed that the place was empty with powerful forces. All there was were demons and monsters, not even on the level of Firebrand. They were either withered or deformed.
"There is nothing here, let us be on our way." Doom confirmed.
But, deep within the abyss was a strong demon. Similar to Dante, he had different hairstyle and clothing. He wore a blue coat and wielded magical samurai sword. His sword easily sensed a portal to another world.
It was either now or never as the demon wanted to exit this realm of nothingness. It was golden opportunity for him as he raced up to the portal cutting down any demon or monster in his path. He wasn't going to let anything stand in his way, not this time.
As the portal came to a close, he used his blade to extend it, only for a brief moment. At the last step, he leaped into the portal with quick reflexes.
He found himself in the castle of Doom as the Doombots surrounded him armed and ready. This was bad turn for him, but at the very least he was out. "Lie down your arms and surrender at once!"
He grinned viciously drawing his sword, "Don't get so cocky."
Before they could fire their weapons, he slashed through them with an army of dimension sword cuts. He was like a powerful samurai with his sword. Neither of them could stop him. "Pathetic weaklings, they thought they could stand up to me?"
Turning his boot to leave, he discovered Dante and the others on an online article from the Daily Bugle stopping the Dread Dormammu. This event made him grin more in anticipation. "So you are here as well Dante, looks like this is going be quite a family reunion."