Aaaand we're back! Now, again, I thank you all for the reviews and whatnot, they mean a lot. I have gotten a lot of suggestions for arcs based off of some very popular titles. I have numerous titles that are planned, currently in the works and being thought up. Many are based on well-known arcs from Avengers EMH, the Avengers comics, Marvel events, the Marvel films & TV shows, non-comic related franchises and even some inspiration here and there from DC titles. Now, unfortunately, there are some arc ideas that I will not be doing, and there will be famous events I won't be incorporating either. That being said, I would like to reiterate that this Avengers universe is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. There are aspects of character history, events, and other well-known aspects of the Marvel Universe that will be altered to fit this continuity. This is mainly due to it being a bit hard for me to find titles and arcs from back in the days of the 60s-late 80s, and libraries/comic stores only have so much and the internet gets you only so far...
There will be differences-some very noticeable, some only dedicated Marvelites from the older days will know or those who do their research. The point is, there WILL be changes from mainstream Marvel stuff to make this series as original as possible. I know that sometime in the future, some idiot will be like "Naw brah dis doesnt happan in da comix, yer a dumbass, why did you change this and that," yadda yadda yadda...I am giving you all fair warning that there will be alterations. You've already seen so with Carol being Captain Marvel pre-Avengers, Cap being in the 21st Century already, Pym as Yellowjacket, the Maximoffs as repentant already, etc… In fact, here's a preview of a few arcs with changes to some well-known Marvel arcs and plots:
"The 1st Universal War": this is a twist of the Annihilation series that will mix elements of Infinity into it with the Avengers joining the rest of the empires and the like to beat back Annihilus.
"Crush": this arc will introduce the Absorbing Man, and he will already be either married to or just living with Titania, before she gets her powers. Volcana is also already active.
"Onslaught" and "Dark Reign": Think DC's "Trinity War" & "Forever Evil."
"The Crusades": a twist on the Warlock/Magnus concept, involving the Universal Church of Truth and the introduction of my version of the GOTG (a lot more members, by the way).
Arcs like the Civil War and Disassembled...most likely not happening. So please, you have been warned, and this is to prevent later random flames and me sighing at the failure of humanity. Thank you.
Ok! That said & done, I'd like to clear up ages of the Avengers: Steve (31, plus 70+); Stark (41); Banner (39); Thor (70,000...give or take a few millennia?); Natalia (looks 25-29, really about 84; enhancements, right?); Clint (30); Bobbi (27); Maximoff Twins (28); T'Challa (31); Hank (38); Jan (33); Logan (230+); Jess (29); Carol (29); Peter (26). These are their ages at the moment, mind you.
Also, all chapters prior to this have been edited for errors and whatnot, and Chapter 11 had some additions around the "Jess & Carol hack SHIELD" bit, but that's it. You'll also see if you look back in those chapters and with this one, you'll notice I've implemented a time & date system, an idea I got from watching "Young Justice." Props to anyone who gets the reference made with the date chosen for the day the Avengers first united in Chapters 1-7.
And now, on with the show! Let the doomed battle begin! Remember to keep an eye out for the occasional cameo and Easter Egg!
Disclaimer: Marvel owns all characters unless otherwise specified.
Chapter 12: Teamwork for Dummies! Part 4
*Avengers Mansion*
8:23 PM EST June 16, 2012
"You have a fashion company to handle, Jan."
"I can just as easily take care of company business from here, Hank. Besides, I'd think you'd want to move in after seeing the labs down there."
"Hmm, they're not ending anytime soon," Wanda mused as she finished off her second cup of tea, she and a newly arrived Pietro listening in on the couple's argument while Natalia & Logan exchanged a few laughs at an old World War II story. Clint and Bobbi were currently enjoying a movie in their own shared quarters. Bruce was meditating in his own room, new generation music softly playing from a radio next to his bed, both Banner and the Hulk discussing their timetable on who would be out when in their time as Avengers.
The Mansion, overall, had a tranquil atmosphere about it, one to be interrupted within mere seconds.
'Alert!' JARVIS' voice rang out across the mansion, bringing everyone currently in the building out of their business and activities. 'Avengers, Black Panther's ID card is sending a distress signal from the United Nations. Class Omega threat level is being asserted and carrying out at this moment.'
"The United Nations?" Jan asked as she and Pym dropped their still ongoing argument and raced into the lounge where Wanda, Pietro, Natalia and Logan were. "What's T'Challa doing there?"
'The United Nations was holding an assembly in regards to the Avengers being a force of power on the planet,' JARVIS replied. 'He had gone to argue in favor of the Avengers.'
"What's going on?!" Barton exclaimed as he and Bobbi rushed into the room. "We heard that Panther is sending a distress signal-!"
'Sirs, Madams,' the AI interrupted, 'according to various networks & satellite images, it appears that Victor von Doom is striking the United Nations with a horde of Doombots and Latverian soldiers. King T'Challa is currently engaging.' This got extremely shocked looks from the present Avengers. 'If you could direct your attention to the screen...' JARVIS continued as the large plasma TV in the lounge instantly turned on, with the screen flashing between various news networks covering the assault on the United Nations.
"Uh...any word on the Fantastic Four?" Jan asked.
"Out on another inter-dimensional trip," Pym replied as he checked his belt.
"Sheesh, they're never around when ya need 'em," Logan snarled. "This is definitely not the first mission I was expectin' for this team. Talia, you just had to say somethin'." Natalia proceeded to then curse in Russian, following the Maximoff twins cursing in Romani.
"SHIELD's definitely going to be en route," Bobbi said, "but the Helicarrier was passing over Nova Scotia, last I checked."
"The NYPD is responding, but they won't be able to do squat," Barton agreed. "Panther won't be able to hold him off long; even Phobos had trouble with Doom once. We gotta get down there now!"
"Then let's get on the Quinjet," Banner said as he entered the room, his eyes glowing a brilliant jade. "Avengers...Assemble."
*Stark Tower*
8:23 PM EST June 16, 2012
"We'll usually keep at least three Avengers at the Mansion at all times," Steve said. "That's the plan anyways. Tony here already has the networks set up between the Mansion and the Helicarrier."
"Alright, fair enough," Fury replied as he shifted himself in the luxury chair in front of Stark's desk. After giving his word that he wouldn't be using the Avengers like his own little toys when he had a mess to clean up (with Nick Fury, however, the simple word never really guaranteed a lot), he decided he wanted to know a bit about the team's works and the like, to be able to coordinate with the Avengers if the needs arose. Steve was answering as best he could while Stark gave his two cents on occasion while working on the Avengers ID system. "What do you plan to do with the criminals and supervillains you deal with? Will you be going by the standard procedure the Warriors follow?"
"Probably," Steve agreed. "We'll either be waiting for a SHIELD pickup or deliver them to one of the five prisons ourselves."
"I thought there were six prisons," Stark interrupted. "The Vault, the Cube, the Raft, the Big House, Hydro Base and 42, right?"
"Well yeah, but bringing one to the Raft is essentially bringing them to 42," Steve countered.
"What, we can't go into 42 ourselves?"
"That's not unfeasible," Fury mused, "although, there could be an issue with-"
'Sir, I've detected a sort of...anomaly within my systems,' JARVIS interrupted.
"Wait, what?" Stark was right to be confused, sitting up and immediately bringing up the Stark networks; he had designed them, and JARVIS, himself, which he also reiterated at that moment. "That's not possible; what kind of anomalies?"
'It appears the networks are being hacked from offshore,' the AI stated. 'I haven't been able to detect it until now when the viruses began accessing the encrypted files of the Avengers' personnel files. It appears the culprits were trying to set up alarms for the instances when the personnel files were to be updated.'
"Offshore?" Fury said with legitimate concern as Stark began muttering furiously about how his systems were supposed to be immune to this type of thing. "Foreign powers are already trying to get into the Avengers' databases?!"
"Tony, I thought your systems were supposed to be untouchable," Steve said.
"Yeah, I thought so too," Stark muttered as he quickly activated programs to combat the viruses infecting JARVIS' networks, with other programs quickly trying to keep up and analyze. "Stark tech is the best in the world; we excelled in this kind of thing since my dad started it up before he died. There is no power or network or anything on this planet that should be able to hack into the Stark networks. Any hackers that even looked like they had the chance to, I got to them first and hired them."
"So what, maybe extraterrestrial?" Fury wondered. "The Kree may be trying to scout us out again?"
"No, it's definitely human tech; it's not binary electronics, making it really hard to fight off, but there are elements of base algorithms and information bytes making up these...but even if they are better than my tech, I have a little something that they don't have. A little algorithm that Dr. Pym's given me. Hank's been working on it for a few months now; he's designed it to run on a pattern and system similar to human brain waves, allowing it to adapt to any cyber-attack and counter it with real ease. I help him out on it on occasion, and he's got quite a few plans for it, and its enhanced my networks...hold on…" And with a few more rapid keystrokes, the billionaire sighed in relief. "Alright, I managed to kick them out, clear the viruses and get the security back...JARVIS, trace the hacks back to points of origin, wherever on the globe."
'The hackers used multiple proxy servers in attempts to keep any traces from locating them to their specific locations on the globe,' JARVIS stated; of course this was no problem for the highly advanced AI. 'It will require a few moments as I bypass...Location found, sir.'
"Bring up the coordinates on the map." JARVIS instantly obeyed as a 3D map of the globe phased into existence over Stark's desk via hologram projection. The AI instantly zoomed into a part of Northeastern Africa, specifically on the nation of…
"Wakanda?" Steve said in shock.
"Wakandan tech is indeed much more advanced than anything else on the planet," Fury said as he looked at the map. "And it doesn't run on binary electronics or code."
"Wakanda...so...Panther...T'Challa had his people hack into my networks for information on the Avengers?!" Tony almost yelled. "What the hell?! He was freaking complaining about Spider-Man being so secretive and here he goes betraying us like this-he was trying to get our information, spy on us!"
"This...there has to be a reasonable explanation," Steve said, trying to wonder why his old friend would do such a thing. "This isn't something T'Challa would-"
"Cap, it's right here in front of us! How can we-?!"
'Sir, the Avengers distress signal is coming in from the United Nations,' JARVIS interrupted.
"Fury, this is Hill!" a voice yelled from the Director's comm. "We have a situation at the UN!"
"Tony!" Pepper's voice rang from the intercom. "There's an attack on the United Nations going on right now!"
"What do you mean? What's going on?" Tony asked both JARVIS & Pepper.
"What are you talking about, Hill?!" Fury responded as he pressed onto his comm link.
The three men, hearing the responses from the three sources, looked at each other, the same train of thought going through their minds at what was going on over at the United Nations.
*Carol Danvers' Apartment*
8:23 PM EST June 16, 2012
"-interrupt this program for a breaking news bulletin-"
"NO! NO NO! OH COME ON, YOU BLOODY LITTLE-!"
"Jess, shut up!" Carol yelled as she grabbed her Avengers ID card from the nearby table. "I think we have a situation! Panther's sending a distress signal from the United Nations!...wonder what he's doing there...Anyway, I think something big is happening!" Carol tried to listen to the message that Panther was relaying, but there was just too much static and background noise marring the words.
"You have no idea..." the British Avenger said simply as she grabbed Carol's head and turned it to the TV screen. The breaking news bulletin that had interrupted her Doctor Who marathon was of the assault on the United Nations by Latverian forces, supposedly being led by Victor von Doom himself.
"Oh my God..."
"I think we have to go to work," Jess said she quickly got out of her homely attire and into her uniform.
"You think?" Carol replied as she glowed brightly, her clothes morphing into her own uniform. As she and Jess quickly headed out the window and raced off towards the Lower East Side, she yelled into her ID card, "Panther, this is Captain Marvel! Spider Woman and I are on our way!" Grabbing her best friend's waist, she only said, "HANG ON!" as she blasted off for the United Nations.
*Peter Parker's Apartment, Chelsea, Manhattan*
8:23 PM EST June 16, 2012
"So...you're not going to tell them who you are yet?"
"No, not yet," Peter replied as he returned from his kitchen with a large bowl of popcorn and back into the living room of his apartment. Seated on the couch he now sat on was a stunning and very attractive young woman of 26 with luscious red hair and emerald eyes, wearing a form fitting pair of black jeans and a sweater over her white shirt. This was Peter's best friend since high school and, at one point, his girlfriend.
"I mean, don't get me wrong, MJ, they're all good people really...well maybe not the Hulk, but I mean that was just one time-I'm getting off track. Anyways, I know I can trust them, but I guess...I don't know I just have to get used to them first. I barely know them, after all, aside from Logan."
"Peter," Mary Jane Watson sighed as she took a handful of popcorn from the bowl. "Look, I get you, I really do. I know it's been really hard for you since Gwen died, and you closed yourself off from a lot of people because of what Osborn did. I know what you feel because of all the crap you've been through, but you have to remember that not everyone is going to jump on your secrets and try to end your life. The thing with Osborn was a one in a million chance of happen, and you just...got really unlucky. I don't think Gwen would want you to live a life like this because of her."
"I know, I know," the Web Head said with a sigh as he grabbed the TV remote from the coffee table in front of them. "I just want to play it safe for a while, y'know? I don't want something like this to happen again. I wouldn't want something to happen to Aunt May or Harry or you."
"I know, but still, Peter," Mary Jane replied. "Didn't it occur to you that this might possibly make them all not...like you?"
"What? Oh please, everyone there loves me," Peter grinned as he chuckled, finding the movie they had decided to watch that night. "Thor loves me, Cap loves me, Stark loves me...Spider Woman loves me, too, and Hawkeye-"
"Oooh, Spider Woman, hmm?" MJ interrupted with a teasing voice. "Looks like someone's hit the jackpot...!"
"Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Peter chuckled. "Sure, she's a bit flirty but that's all...although she did love my black suit...oh, that would be a great story for the first date, how I got the black suit! Guaranteed to freak her out." At that, MJ couldn't help but laugh at his sad joke. "Anyways, Hawkeye is a work in progress...Captain Marvel is, eh...she's alright."
"Ok, what did you do to her?" Mary Jane asked. She recognized that tone of voice; it was all too familiar with her from their dating days.
"What? What could possibly make you think I did something to..." Peter saw MJ's deadpanned look, and relented. "Okay...I may have possibly used the act that she's a stick in the mud to my advantage and annoyed her non-stop with my charming humor."
"Oh, Peter, you didn't..." She meant it as a scolding manner, but it was just too funny...
"It's not my fault, she was just too easy to annoy!"
"You know she can throw you into space, right?"
"Eh, that already happened once, she'd need to-" But Peter never finished as his Avengers ID began beeping rapidly from within his pocket. "Huh...it's the Avengers distress signal..." He said as he took it out, "from Black Panther. It looks like it's coming from the UN. I think Jonah said something about sending a few guys there tonight for something..."
"Oh my God! Peter, look at the screen!" Mary Jane gasped, causing the hero to do so. The movie had been interrupted by a news bulletin, and what it showed was a rather shocking sight...
"-continue to bring this to you live, as Latverian forces continue to storm the United Nations. The NYPD are arriving in full force and American soldiers stationed at the UN are already engaging, but they don't seem to be able to handle this show of force. Black Panther of the Avengers is already on scene and if rumors that Latverian ruler Victor von Doom is on site are true, then this is certainly a-"
"Are you fu-..! DOOM is attacking!?" Peter exclaimed. This was waaaay in over his head...still... "Dammit, Panther's not going to be able to last against Doom. MJ, I-!"
"No, don't apologize, you need to get over there," the redhead interrupted. "But be careful; you may have a team to back you up, but you can still get hurt. I'll call May for you." Peter nodded and dashed off to his room, returning less than a minute later with his black suit on. "I thought you finished fixing the usual one," MJ mused.
"Yeah, but this is the first one I grabbed," Peter shrugged as he and MJ headed to the hall where the rooftop hatch was. "Don't worry," he assured her, "I'll be fine."
"I'll believe it when I see you and the Avengers stop that freak," MJ smirked. "Go get 'em, tiger."
"I'll be back soon as I can!" With that, the arachnid jumped up out of the window hatch and out into the open Manhattan air. With a quick flick of his wrist, the Amazing Spider-Man was off.
"Panther, this is Spider-Man," he said into his ID card. "I'm on my way now, so hang on!"
*The United Nations complex*
8:25 PM EST June 16, 2012
It was total chaos as panicking diplomats and other civilians were fleeing left and right. Guards, armed personnel, bodyguards and soldiers were fighting a rapidly losing battle as they engaged the heavily armed Latverian forces now storming the UN complex.
Explosions and gunfire echoed in the night skies as the invaders secured the area and started capturing diplomats and international representatives while keeping their enemies at bay with raging storms of bullets and high caliber laser blasts. As police and SWAT began arriving, the Latverians began directing their assault onto them as well, making sure to keep the arriving reinforcements away from the action...even if they weren't going to be much help anyways.
The side of the UN building suddenly erupted in an explosion as a towering Doombot was sent crashing down into the ground, vibranium daggers embedded into its circuitry. Seconds later, it was followed by a figure in somewhat tattered royal Wakandan attire flying into the ground as three powerful bursts of energy came crashing out of the building as well. As the Black Panther got back up, an ominous figure arrogantly walked out of the gaping hole in the wall, his metallic gauntlet pulsating with emerald magic energy, and the rest of his Doombots following him.
"You disappoint me, T'Challa," Victor von Doom sneered as he unleashed his arcane blasts, the Wakandan just barely able to dodge them. "Did you not say mere minutes ago that you and your...Avengers would be the ones to protect the world from those who…'threaten' your freedom? I must say," he continued as he continued firing more and more blasts, his Doombots joining in on the assault. "Your actions leave much to be desired."
Panther's only reply was to throw a trio of daggers at the power hungry monarch, all three of which pitifully fell to the ground thanks to Doom's shields. The maneuver, did, however, allow the distraction that the Avenger needed to strike the Latverian in close quarters, forcing Doom to stagger back from the Wakandan's quick & vicious blows. Although T'Challa wasn't dressed with his Black Panther garb, he was still the mighty King of Wakanda and the Black Panther. He still had a few weapons on his person, including his clawed gloves, as well as his skills in unarmed and hand-to-hand combat. He would fight on with these, and he did so as he engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Doom, their skills quickly forcing a stalemate...until the Latverian blasted T'Challa with an arcane blast, sending him flying a dozen feet.
"None strike Doom," Doom remarked with a frown as he recollected himself, proceeding to unleash a new bombardment against the Wakandan and ordering his Doombots to stand down for now.
"Why are you here, Doom?!" T'Challa demanded as he evaded the blasts. "For what purpose have you come to sow this chaos?! You aren't one for politics, and you have made it clear on many an occasion that the United Nations is beneath your notice. You've never sought to strike against it, so why start now?!"
"You are right, T'Challa, both politics and the United Nations are beneath me; there is nothing either can accomplish that will prevent me from my ultimate goal. As to why I have chosen to strike now...I am here to simply...make a statement."
Claws met gauntlets as the two monarchs clashed again in close quarters. "A statement?!"
"Indeed," Doom sneered. "Look around you, Wakandan; as we battle, my forces are causing destruction...the very same destruction you promised to protect these people from. The so-called freedom you sought to ensure, my soldiers are ripping it away as they seize diplomats from every nation present, including your own...all of which is being broadcasted across the globe by the media. You think I am mad to say simply I make a statement? I am showing the world just how foolish they are in putting their faith in so-called heroes like you. I am showing them how their Avengers cannot stand before me!" Doom then grabbed T'Challa by the throat and threw him into a pile of debris. "I am showing the world that no matter what or who stands in defiance of destiny, ALL SHALL BOW BEFORE DOOM!"
T'Challa got back up from the ground, his claws glistening in the lights of the explosions of battle around them. "You remind me of a madman the Avengers had battled against not too long ago. I would imagine that Thor has much to discuss with you. And if that encounter with Loki has taught me anything, it is that you are wrong. United as one, we will succeed and triumph over those like you. We shall prevail and safeguard the world. You will never succeed in claiming the world as your own. The Avengers will always be here to ensure that."
"A somewhat moving speech, King of Wakanda," Doom sneered as he approached him, his gauntlet crackling with arcane energy. "Unfortunately, there are two flaws in it, one being that the Avengers aren't here standing beside you."
"That is where you'd be wrong."
Doom narrowed his cold eyes at the monarch, his mask hiding his frown. It was only a second later that Victor von Doom understood as he turned around and upwards...only to be bombarded by a potent wave of hex spheres raining down from the skies. Doom's roars of agony were quickly silenced as the Latverian monarch quickly conjured up a near unshatterable force field, blocking him from the rest of the hexes that had caused him great pain.
"AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!" Scarlet Witch cried out as she, Quicksilver, Wolverine, Wasp, Yellowjacket, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Mockingbird and Hulk came free falling from jumping out of their Quinjet. The Avengers had arrived.
Immediately, Hulk struck at Doom, delivering an earth shattering blow that would have crippled the European monarch...had it not been for the force fields Doom had quickly erected to block the blow. With a magically reinforced fist, Doom delivered a powerful right hook that sent the green titan staggering back a couple of steps. "NONE STRIKE DOOM, FOOLISH BRUTE!" Doom roared out as he unleashed a barrage of arcane blasts. This only served to anger the green monster further and make him charge for Doom once again, sending both of them crashing into the UN building.
"T'Challa, are you alright?!" Pym asked as he approached the Wakandan Avenger, helping him up as the others came over as well.
"Yes, I am fine," he replied as he popped his neck. "A few minor injuries, but nothing to be concerned about."
"Well, did you find out what Doom's doing here?" Jan asked.
"Indeed, Wasp: he is here simply in his own arrogance. He wishes to show the world just how wrong they are in putting their trust in us...specifically us."
"So...basically put us in our place," Logan determined.
"Precisely."
"This is definitely very bold of Doom," Natalia remarked as she turned to the UN building, where the sounds of the Hulk battling the Latverian monarch echoed into the night air. "To do such a thing on foreign soil, instead of drawing us to his own grounds; this isn't like him at all."
"Um, we've got bigger problems than just that," Hawkeye added as he readied a trio of arrows. "Doom's soldiers aren't just causing a bunch of chaos, but they're attacking diplomats and representatives. It looks like they're taking them hostage and off to who knows where."
"Guys, we're here," Captain Marvel announced as she and a slightly rattled Spider Woman flew down onto the scene. "Looks like the Panther's ok...but what the hell is Doom doing attacking the United Nations? I'm not seeing any military tactics in play here."
"Forget that," Jess interrupted, "what's the plan here?!"
No one was able to reply as a massive roar rang out into the Manhattan air when the form of the Hulk was sent flying out of the building. Sent crashing through a number of buildings, his impact a few blocks away sent rumbles across the entirety of Midtown. The other Avengers turned to see Victor von Doom exiting from the massive hole in the building, his hood gone and his gauntlets pulsating heavily with arcane energy and electricity.
"None strike Doom without consequence," he snarled as he aimed his gauntlets at them. "Not even the Avengers. However, when I am done with you, there will be no Avengers, and the world will learn that not even you can stand against the might of Victor von Doom!" With only a second long whine of energy as a warning, a massive surge of arcane and electrical energy blasted towards the heroes. Luckily, Wanda managed to block Doom's magic with her own chaos shields while Carol absorbed the full brunt of the electrical strike.
"Everyone, Carol and I shall deal with Doom," Wanda cried out to her teammates, to which Carol agreed with a nod. "The rest of you have to stop those soldiers!"
"Sounds like a plan!" Clint agreed. "Alright, Nat and Logan, take the ones on the left-!"
"You will take nothing!" Doom exclaimed with arrogant authority. "Doombots, ensure that they do not leave this battle!" In that instant, the five remaining Doombots struck from seemingly nowhere, firing their deadly bolts of laser energy at the other Avengers, instantly forcing them to turn their focus from the Latverian soldiers to the Doombots themselves. As the sounds of battle reached new levels of intensity, Doom returned his attention to the two Avengers that dared to oppose him. With his gauntlets again surging with arcane and electrical energy, he readied himself for battle, knowing that the real battle was already won.
"We will only give you one chance, Doom," the Scarlet Witch said with command, her hands pulsating with arcane hex energy. Carol flew up into the skies slightly, her own fists glowing with photonic energy. "You face two of the most powerful beings on the planet."
"But not THE most powerful," Doom mocked. "You would be foolish to engage me in a battle where the magical advantage is mine, daughter of Magneto."
"You would be wise to not mock the abilities sowed by the hands of Agatha Harkness," Wanda smirked.
"Harkness?!" Doom's cackle did its job of unnerving Wanda's confidence in her own arcane magics, and his next words proved to only further enhance her concerns. "How can the abilities of that witch compare," Doom exclaimed as he fired his blasts, "when set to match against the powers cultivated by Morgan le Fay herself?!"
*Midtown, Manhattan*
8:30 PM EST June 16, 2012
"Alright boys, let's get this show on the road."
Mac and his gang were currently in their van, each of them armed to the teeth with the weapons provided by Tombstone, all wearing ski masks. They were right in front of the bank, which happened to be a 24 hour business. They could see that there weren't that many people inside; perhaps 12 at most, including two armed guards and three tellers.
This was going to be a piece of cake.
"What if the Webfreak shows up?"
Mac turned to the thug who had asked the question. "The Webfreak?! Brian, weren't you listening to the radio?! Victor von Doom is attacking the United Nations! All the Avengers are over there right now! Ain't no way Spidey is gonna have time for us, man! Trust me, we got this!"
This seemed to be enough to calm the nerves of said thug, and he and the others were reassured that this sting would go over well. They'd barge in, grab the cash in the vault and race off before the cops arrived…if they arrived at all. From there, they'd head off to Tombstone's building and hand over the cash. If they were lucky and the Big Man was in one of his "moods," they might each get a 1% cut.
"Ok, boys…it's show time."
With that, Mac secured both his mask and gun and got out of the van, his gang following close behind. Within moments, the bank was alive with the sounds of gunfire.
*Midtown, Manhattan*
8:30 PM EST June 16, 2012
"What's the word, Fury?!" Cap demanded as he raced through the streets on his motorcycle.
"It's chaotic, plain and simple, Rogers," Fury replied, racing just behind the Super Soldier in his own SHIELD SUV, with Stark flying along overhead in his Iron Man Mark 17 "Heartbreaker" armor. "Latverian soldiers are abducting international diplomats and representatives, and I got Hill telling me that the Avengers are engaging Mk3 Doombots, the giant ones. Scarlet Witch and Danvers are engaging Doom himself and Hulk is currently making his way back onto the scene from being thrown across Midtown. I have Hill on the line with confirmation that Thor is heading this way from Asia."
"What the hell is Doom playing at, attacking the United Nations of all places?!" Stark wondered out loud. "He's never done anything like this before. Since when is attacking the UN going to help him conquer the world?!"
"For all we know, it may not even be Doom and might just be a damn Doombot," the SHIELD Director remarked as he and Rogers made a hard right towards the United Nations. Within less than a minute, they had arrived...only to be greeted by a hailstorm of bullets and energy laser, courtesy of Latverian troops. Screams and chaotic explosions set the scene for their eyes as they saw civilians screaming for their lives and various uniformed and armed personnel trying to get a hold of the situation. As Stark descended and Steve and Fury rushed up to the scene, they could make out the titanic battle occurring within the UN grounds. They were also just in time to see the Hulk smash right back onto the scene, joining the Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel in battling Doom.
"Alright," Steve said as he immediately made a number of tactical decisions in his mind, "Fury, start coordinating with all armed personnel that are on our side to face those soldiers; with the other Avengers tied down with the Doombots, we need to stop them from capturing any more international workers." Without awaiting a reply, the First Avengers made a mad dash towards the battle, with Iron Man following close behind from the air. Dealing out shield blows and repulsor blasts into the mass of Latverians, the two leaders soon made their way onto the scene, Stark immediately firing his uni-beam at a Doombot Wolverine and Spider Woman had been battling.
"About time you both showed up!" Logan roared as he jumped after it and sunk his claws into the metallic body.
"Never mind that, Logan," Rogers replied as he threw his shield at another Doombot. "Right now, we focus on getting these robots off the field!"
"Easier said than done, Cap!" Mockingbird yelled as she dodged an energy blast from the Doombot she was battling, allowing Hawkeye to retaliate with explosive arrows. "These things are some of Doom's most powerful military weapons, and we've hardly made a dent these last twenty minutes!"
"Well, with the full team here, and Thor on the way, we can change that!" Jan exclaimed as she delivered a powerful blow to one of the Doombots in her giant form. "Is Spider-Man with you?"
"Wait, he's not here?" Stark replied as he fired his warheads. "We thought you were all already here!"
"Are you joking?!" Quicksilver demanded as he delivered an onslaught of punches onto the Doombot he and Black Widow were battling. "He's not with you?!"
"He's probably on his way here!" Logan replied as he slashed away.
"Then what the hell is taking him so long?!"
"Forget him!" Panther interrupted, the authority of a king taking him. "We are here now, so we shall deal with Doom!"
"Panther's right," Stark agreed. "Logan, Panther, Jan, Pym and I will handle the Doombots. Wanda, Hulk and Captain Marvel can keep Doom busy. The rest of you, start taking down those Latverian soldiers! We can't let them grab any more hostages...especially since they seem to keep disappearing and taking them who knows where!" It was true; since the assault on the United Nations began, Latverian soldiers had been grabbing international workers, only to disappear with them to an unknown location. They had to put a stop to it.
"Alright, team, you heard the man," Rogers said, taking command. "Avengers Assemble!"
As the Avengers split to do their assigned jobs, however, Stark quickly flew down to the Wakandan monarch and roughly grabbed his shoulder, surprising him.
"When this is all done," Stark said with anger, "we're having a little talk about trust and hacking into my systems."
T'Challa instantly understood what he meant. "Now is not the time, Stark," he simply replied before he dashed off to confront a Doombot.
...only for the body of the Hulk to be sent crashing into the very Doombot he was making to attack, the hero's massive body utterly crushing the Latverian war machine under his weight as both landed in the ground with a massive impact and booming noise, the Doombot exploding under the Hulk's momentum-enhanced strength. Massive bolts of electricity and arcane magic then proceeded to bombard the area, enticing massive roars of pain from the Hulk and forcing the other Avengers to scatter and avoid the attack.
"Fools!" Doom yelled as he delivered a stunning blow to Wanda, allowing him to deliver a powerful blast of magical energy towards Carol. The heroine, up until now, had been keeping herself to delivering punches and photon blasts, and absorbing only Doom's electrical blasts. She had no idea what his arcane energy would do to her, and having only dealt with magical energy only once in an instance that she would rather not relive, she had done her best to avoid them. This time it was not to be as Doom landed a devastating blast on her, making her shriek in pain as she felt a plethora of painful surges within her body while being sent crashing back into the UN building. "Can't you see that you are outmatched in every sense of the word?! Doom cannot be stopped or hindered! Your proclamations of protecting this cesspool of a free society are nothing when set against the power and might of Victor von Doom!" As the villainous monarch cackled, he unleashed an even more vicious assault of magic and electrical blasts. "Yield and recognize that Doom shall-!"
"HAVE AT THEEEEEEE!"
FRAKALABOOOOOOOMMMMMM!
The entirety of the immediate Midtown area rumbled as Thor Odinson announced his arrival by landing a devastating blow with Mjolnir against Victor von Doom, the villains unable to erect any form of magical barriers. As such, the automatic shields his armor provided shattered under the blow of the mystical weapon, sending the monarch flying and crashing into the ground, a devastating crater forcing itself into existence from the impact. As the Asgardian touched down onto the ground, he called forth a massive storm, lightning bolts dancing in the heavens before cascading down upon the remaining Doombots and sending them into oblivion.
"And the cavalry is here!" Hawkeye exclaimed.
"'Bout freakin' time, if you ask me," Logan huffed as he wiped machine fragments off his black uniform.
"No kidding," Carol added as she got back up, still feeling the effects of Doom's blasts.
"Ho, Avengers," the Thunder God greeted with a wide smile as he turned to his teammates. "I received your message of distress, and I must say I hadn't expected such a battle as this so soon after uniting. It appears, though, that I made it just in time," he added as he offered the Hulk his hand, helping the titan back on his feet.
"Hmph, I had him," he muttered.
"I'm sure," Thor chuckled.
The team's little moment was interrupted as a massive explosion rang out from the United Nations headquarters, a green light and lightning procuring from it as the Latverian monarch walked out of the massive hole that was born from his collision and impact. His gauntlets glowed with nothing but his most powerful of arcane energies, and even though his metallic mask hid his face from the world, he was sure to have a look of anger that would send even the bravest of men cowering back to their mother. The rage in his eyes spoke volumes of that. And yet, his voice was that of calm and collection, a trait that was notorious for the monarch.
"And now, the Asgardian has arrived on the scene," he remarked as he faced the Avengers. "The supposed Norse God of Thunder, Thor Odinson. Tied with the monstrous brute as the second most powerful member of your little group, if the end results of your debuting battle were any indication. You have made quite the reputation for yourself, Odinson, these past few months."
"And I know of your reputation, Victor von Doom," Thor retorted as he gripped his hammer, facing the villain with full confidence. "A tyrant who seeks to conquer Midgard for yourself, who believes himself above the rest of the mortals of this realm. I say thee, nay." Mjolnir began crackling with electricity. "In comparison to the might of an Asgardian, you are no different than any mortal endowed with power that I must best in battle. I have vowed that Midgard would be under my protection, and that shall stand as long as I draw breath. Whatever your plans for conquest, I shall foil them, as shall my allies.
"I must disagree. There is truly none like Doom. And you cannot prevail against me. Already, you have failed to prevail in keeping your promises to this world. Look around you, Avengers, and see the destruction that is being reaped by my soldiers. While you face me, the very security and freedom you promised you would secure for them is being ripped away, with you Avengers being able to do nothing about it. I am showing you and the world just how well you stand against a being of my stature. I am showing you all how futile your promises are, how empty and hollow they are. I am showing them, Avengers, that not even you can stand against the might of Victor von Doom."
"I think not, villain," Thor countered as he began twirling his weapon. "But if you truly wish to test your might against the Prince of Asgard, then so be it!" With that, he blasted a surge of celestial lightning directly at the monarch...only for the attack to be stopped by a powerful magical force field, created by a wave of Doom's hand.
Needless to say, Thor was shocked; only Odin, Loki and just few others of the Nine Realms of the Cosmos had ever been able to block his lightning strikes. "Odin's beard...how-?"
"The powers of Morgan le Fay flow within me, Odinson," Doom sneered arrogantly. "With it, I am able to even best gods!"
"Let us then put that to the test!" Thor roared as he rushed forward in the blink of an eye and swatted the Latverian monarch with Mjolnir, sending him flying...before Doom retaliated with a vicious blast of arcane energy, to which Thor countered with lightning blasts. "Avengers," he called out, "make haste and strike at Doom's army! I shall battle the tyrant and keep him at bay!"
With that, Thor flew at Doom and delivered a powerful punch, which Doom barely managed to block with his magical force fields. The two powerful beings exchanged electrical blasts, which Doom switched up for arcane blasts, managing to hit the Asgardian a few times. Though blessed with the resistance of the Norse Pantheon, Thor felt those magical blasts very well, and he could feel and tell that the magics that Doom had at his command rivaled that of Loki, Karnilla and Enchantress. This fact did not faze him, however, as the Norse Thunder God struck again with Mjolnir against the Latverian.
Again, Doom managed to block the blow with his shields before dealing his own blow with magically enhanced fists, which Thor also blocked. Thor then raced up into the skies and threw Mjolnir at the monarch. The power of the weapon too great, Doom's shields couldn't take the strike and he was slammed back into the ground. Doom retaliated by invoking a spell that sent the debris surrounding him flying towards the Asgardian, distracting him long enough for Doom to fire more arcane blasts.
"Alright, Thor's given us some good time so let's put that to good use!" Cap commanded. "Stark, get airborne and try tracking those diplomats and where they're being taken. Logan, Hawkeye, Widow, Mockingbird, Spider Woman, Quicksilver and Panther! You're with me on getting these soldiers off the board. Jan and-"
"My soldiers and those they are taking are the least of your concerns, Avengers!" Doom proclaimed as he dodged another strike from Thor. "You should concentrate more on your own teammate turning against you!"
"What nonsense do you speak, villain?!" Thor demanded as he readied to deliver another strike. "The Avengers stand as united as the stones of a palace!"
"You would be wrong," Doom replied as he sidestepped the Asgardian at the last second before suddenly grabbing him by the head and unleashing a surge of devastating arcane energy from his hands. He began chanting in a language that none of the Avengers understood. That wasn't their biggest concern, however, as the painful and agonizing screams of Thor rang out from the power of Doom's spell. After what seemed like an eternity, Doom ceased his spell and flung the Thunder God unceremoniously aside, his hammer falling to the pavement of the complex.
"Thor!" Cap called out.
"What did you do, Doom!?" Stark demanded.
If there were no mask on Doom's face, a mocking sneer was sure to be on his disfigured face. "I have shown you why the Avengers will fail against Doom."
"Look," Morse called out as she pointed to the now stirring form of Thor. "Thor's alright." The Avengers found themselves feeling relief that their teammate was OK...for only moments, however, before they saw the cold and emotionless look on the Asgardian's face. What really set fear into their hearts, however, were the small tinges of green in his blue eyes.
"Uh...Thor? Are you alright?" Jess asked as the Thunder God stood at full height.
"No..." Wanda gasped, recognizing what this was. "He isn't."
"How perceptive, little girl," Doom remarked. "I had originally decided to use your brute, but this choice seems to be better in reaping the results I seek. Now...for you to break apart by your feeble strings. Thor," the monarch then commanded to Thor, who summoned his hammer back to him. "Destroy the Avengers."
"Aye."
This definitely shocked the others immensely. "What..what the hell!?" Hawkeye shouted in horror. "I thought Thor was on our side!"
"He's been put under some sort of mind control spell!" Wanda yelled as Thor advanced menacingly towards them, twirling Mjolnir in his hand. "Doom has his under his control now!" She immediately began focusing a massive amount of her own hex magic in her hands. "I think I can disrupt the spell. I need you all to distract him so I can triiiiaaaaaaaaaaggghhhhh!"
"WANDA!" Pietro cried out as Wanda was suddenly hit and devastated by an arcane blast, courtesy of Victor von Doom. As Pietro caught his sister as she fell, she convulsed for a few moments before she went limp, succumbing to unconsciousness.
"I think not," Doom snarled as his outstretched hand sizzled with the use of his blasts.
Before anyone could react, Thor threw his hammer at the Avengers. Iron Man managed to erect his armor's strongest shield to try and take the blow, but it didn't prove to be enough. The impact shattered the shield completely, with the sonic waves from the impact sending the heroes flying. Only Hulk was able to fully resist the attack, and Rogers managed to block most of the shockwaves with his shield, protecting himself, Pietro and the unconscious Wanda.
"You will fall before the might of Mjolnir!" Thor roared, the skies dancing with lightning as thunder rumbled with judgment.
"Fall back!" Cap yelled out. This was suddenly looking very bad for the team; one of their most powerful guns had just been turned against them, with another of them out cold. As Thor ravaged the area with his lightning, the Super Soldier quickly strategized and made the best tactical choices he could. They needed to contain or take Thor down, keep Wanda safe and stop Doom.
Turning to the mutant speedster, he said, "Pietro, we need to get Wanda to-!"
"DOOOOMM!" Pietro yelled in fury as he struck the monarch in the blink of an eye, Cap's words never reaching his ears. He was consumed by his rage, angered that this villain had attacked his sister in such a manner. Instinct that was drilled into him by himself for almost 20 years instantly took over as he attacked Doom with brotherly vengeance. "How dare you attack Wanda!? I will cause you such pain that-!"
"Your threats are nothing to Doom," Doom interjected as he unleashed a vicious shock of electricity, the currents stunning and hurting the mutant enough for him strike with return the favor with a powerful backhand strike, sending the speedster staggering back in pain.
Meanwhile, Carol and Hulk were trying to subdue Thor; the Hulk jumped at Thor and managed to pummel him with a few good hits before the Asgardian deflected one and struck back with equal force. Captain Marvel began a fierce barrage of photon blasts that Thor blocked by spinning Mjolnir in a defensive formation. Both Avengers then struck as one and delivered a combo punch, the impacts echoing for miles and felt across Midtown. This did nothing in deterring Thor as he retaliated with both a mighty haymaker at Carol and an even mightier strike with his hammer at Hulk. With a roar of war, Thor called down lightning and bombarded the Hulk, making the titan roar in pain and fury.
Carol made to block the attack and absorb it, but Thor intercepted her by throwing Mjolnir right into her. Hulk managed to disperse the lightning with a thunderclap, but was then slammed into the ground by a powerful kick from Thor. Not to be outdone, Hulk ripped a portion of concrete out of the ground and slammed it into his opponent. He then attempted to grab the Asgardian only for him to grab his arm and fling him aside into one of the nearby United Nations support system buildings three blocks away, enticing a thunderous explosion. This did, however, manage to distract Thor long enough for Carol to grab him from behind with a sleeper hold. The human-Kree hybrid employed all her superhuman strength and her military & SHIELD training into her strike as she strove to bring the fiercely resisting Thor down.
"C'mon Thor, we're your friends, your teammates, remember!? You've got to snap out of this, you have to fight Doom's control over you! I know you're in there, so snap-!"
"Unhand me!" he roared, his anger manifested in the vicious lightning show dancing in the heavens. Carol hoped that in his anger, he would bombard her with his celestial lightning bolts, thus augmenting her strength to near-godlike levels again and possibly helping her subdue him.
To her horror, he instead bombarded himself with the lightning, and as the Norse God of Thunder, he was empowered even more and thus was able to easily rip Carol's sleeper hold off him and strike her with a vicious haymaker, sending her flying into the skies where he followed her and delivered an almighty blow with Mjolnir on her and send her crashing into the ground, her impact giving birth to a 20 meter wide and 15ft deep crater, complete with an unconscious heroine.
'Dammit, there goes Big Gun #3,' Rogers frowned as Thor then turned towards the rest of the Avengers.
Iron Man unleashed a full powered uni-beam, which Thor sent ricocheting into the skies with a whack of his hammer. "Ok, so the supposed god on our team is now mind controlled by the most dangerous man on the planet and is getting ready to kill us," he remarked as he, Barton, Natalia, Jess and Jan readied to fire. "This is so not how I envisioned our first team building exercise."
"Speakin' of bad jokes, havin' the Webhead here would really help," Logan muttered as he unleashed his claws. "Dammit, where the hell is he?"
"Who cares?!" Barton replied. "We're going to be killed here!"
"Stow that talk, Avenger," Rogers replied as he readied his shield. "We'll find a way."
"Unless a miracle drops out of the sky, Comrade," Natalia frowned as she cocked her M27, "I do not see how."
"Enough talk," Thor cried out as he whirled his hammer. "You shall all be smitten and felled where you stand, and I shall-!"
"HULK SMAAAAAAAASSHHHH!"
CRAKAKALABOOOOOOOOOMMMM!
The ground thundered and even cracked in a few places as the Hulk dropped down from the sky and back into battle, delivering his signature "Hulk Smash" on Thor, driving the Thunder God deep into the ground with the force of impact. As it that wasn't enough, Hulk followed it up with a vicious round of powerful haymakers, striking Thor in the chest and face. With a final roar of brutal anger, he slammed his foot onto the Asgardian, the sheer power behind the strike driving Thor deeper into the ground and sending tremors all across Midtown. Satisfied for the moment, the Hulk jumped back, waiting for the moment when Thor would come back out.
"I'll handle Goldilocks," he said as he turned back to the other Avengers. "You all stop Doom or whatever."
"You sure, Hulk?" Stark asked. The Hulk simply nodded in reply. "Alright...but Hulk, you should get this fight away from here; both you and Thor are the most powerful members of the team in terms of strength. Your fight would be catastrophic in Manhattan. You'll have to-"
"The park on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island," Pym offered in interruption. It should be empty at this time of night, and isolated enough."
The gamma-based hero grunted with a nod as he turned back to see Thor getting out of the huge crater, his armor chipped in several places and with a dented helmet in his hand. Casting aside the helmet, the Asgardian locked glares with the Incredible Hulk. Gripping his hammer tightly, he readied himself to jump and strike. Hulk did the same, him and Banner calculating the right amount of power they'd need to drag Thor with them across the East River and onto Roosevelt Island. Stark was right: here was too much of a risk for civilians to have him clash with Thor. If Loki's invasion was any reminder to go by, this would be the most powerful opponent the Hulk had ever or would ever face.
As the other Avengers were making for him, Victor von Doom smirked to himself. The first part of his plan was almost complete, and he could see it would be a success. Tossing the limp form of Quicksilver aside, the Latverian monarch readied himself for battle, his gauntlets pulsating with energy. It didn't matter the outcomes anyways, even though he knew he would win this night. The damage was already done. With his smirk plastered under his mask, Doom engaged once more in battle as he blocked Logan's claw slashes and met Stark's repulsors with his own energy blasts.
With a yell, Thor flung his hammer at Hulk, landing a devastating hit as Hulk staggered back. As the Asgardian rushed forward to strike again, Mjolnir returning to his hand, the Hulk retaliated with a monstrous thunderclap, sending Thor flying back dozens of feet. Charging to strike, in hopes of throwing Thor towards Roosevelt Island, Hulk jumped and made to attack again only for Thor to use his legs to kick him falling form away. While the Hulk started getting up, Thor summoned a storm of lightning and fired it all completely upon Hulk, burning and electrocuting the titan. Enraged as the pain coursed through his body, Hulk slammed his fists into the ground, sending a massive shockwave and fissure straight for Thor. This succeeded in making the Thunder God lose his footing instantly and very badly, distracting him enough for Hulk to ram his fist into his face, sending Thor flying into the skies and making him drop Mjolnir.
Seeing the hammer crash onto the ground, Banner quickly rationalized that they had to get the hammer out of the way to make beating Thor easier; in agreement, Hulk made to pick it up and throw it into the East River...but found himself unable to as it felt as if the entirety of the universe's gravity was weighing down the weapon. No matter how hard he tried, Hulk couldn't lift the hammer. His attempts were suddenly interrupted as Thor threw a chunk of concrete from some of the debris at him, distracting the titan enough for Thor to savagely bum rushed the titan, grabbing him by the sides and slamming him into the ground, only for Hulk to retaliate with a backhand strike, sending the Norse deity flying a few dozen feet. As the two near-omnipotent beings regained their bearings, they locked glares with each other, sizing each other up before they really unleashed their full power.
"Goldilocks, hold on," Hulk said to the approaching Thunder God, trying to reason with him one last time. "We're not the bad guys here. We're your teammates. You need to snap out of it or people will be-"
"Be silent, brutish monster," Thor snarled as he cracked his knuckles. "It is time you are finally felled, and who better to do so that the mighty Thor Odinson? The gates of Asgard shall know your threats never more!
"It doesn't look like we can get through to him," Banner mused to Hulk from within their shared mindscape. "We'll have to fight him and force him down until Wanda can recover and reverse the mind control spell. I just hope that happens soon."
"Still..." Hulk smirked as he cracked his knuckles, "I have been itching to put Goldilocks in his place."
Back on the streets of Manhattan, the two titans stared each other down for scant seconds more before making their way towards each other, first by slow steps but soon in running bounds. Within moments, they were almost upon each other and then they jumped up and readied themselves to deliver the first of many blows, Thor with his mighty hammer Mjolnir and Hulk with his mighty fists. It was as if time was standing still as they neared the moment they would impact, as if Mother Nature herself was trying with all her might to keep the titanic clash from happening to no avail. Truly, a battle between Thor Odinson and the Incredible Hulk would wreak havoc on the land...at best. Unfortunately, that slowing of time was not to be as the two all-powerful Avengers shattered the ground before them as they charged for each other, their full power behind their awaiting blows. But of course, the Hulk wouldn't be lying if he said he was somewhat anticipating this battle deep down, and even within the confines of his mind control, the same was also able to be said for Thor.
"HAVE AT THEE, MONSTER!"
"HULK SMASH GOLDILOCKS!"
And Nick Fury, having been working with police, SWAT and UN armed personnel all the while to fight off the hordes of Latverian soldiers, could only look on at what was about to happen and mutter, "God help us all."
KRAKAKAKAKAKAKAKABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!
TO BE CONTINUED...
XXXXX-A/N-XXXXX
Alright, and now things have really gotten bad for the Avengers. Carol and Wanda are out and now it's up to the Hulk to stop a mind controlled Thor. The classic Hulk-Thor Avengers unity battle told with a major twist. Bet you weren't expecting that, were you? Yep, it's Thor who goes on the rampage here, not Hulk. It's an overused concept, Thor and Hulk fighting as the Avengers are starting out, but I feel that this way was a nice twist of things, and plus it would really change the world's views of their newest superhero Thor when they see him like this. Of course, it still might not end up looking good for Hulk, either. A shoutout to aspiringactor for recommending this course of action way back in Chapter 9. It was a fresh idea, having Thor being mind-controlled or going on a rampage, and I thought it would work, especially in this arc.
Not only that, there seems to be hidden forces at work within the Avengers themselves, and it seems teamwork will start getting harder and harder to keep a hand on...
The Doombots: in this continuity there are four versions: the Mk1 Doombot, which is the one that looks like Doom himself; the Mk2 Doombot, his more versatile ground troop combat robots, and the Servo-guards of this continuity, based on the Marvel: Avengers Alliance depiction; and the Mk3 Doombot, the larger war machines based on the big robots seen in Avengers: EMH episode "The Private War of Doctor Doom."
Alright, now be sure to leave a review and some critique, everyone. Especially because of Doctor Doom (who will just be called Victor von Doom in this continuity) and how I wrote him out. He is one of Marvel's best supervillains and I watched "The Private War of Doctor Doom," a number of times to help me in writing him out correctly (since this arc draws quite a bit from that Avengers: EMH episode), but I have no idea if it was good or if I handled him right. So, some critique on Doom's character and persona in this chapter would be well appreciated, especially since we're barely halfway done with this arc and Doom has many more appearances in this arc too. Also, what do you guys think of Doom's plan thus far? How's it working out so far? You think the Avengers can overcome this evil plot to destroy them before they can even truly be a team? If it all seems a bit all over the place, trust me and hold on; there is a purpose for it seeming like that.
Alright, I'm going to start trying to update this at least once a month, so hopefully I can adhere to that. Classes for me don't start until March, so maybe I can put out a few more for this one before then. I'd like to, but real life is unpredictable so we'll just have to see...I remember I used to update this thing weekly...
Ok, well, that's all for now. Next issue we continue on with Doom's seemingly random attack, catch up with Spidey, see Hulk & Thor duke it out and the Avengers really starting to break apart. Again, remember to review and critique and the like. Also, check out my new stories, "Marvel Parallels: New Avengers," and "The Last Stand." Until next time, true believers/readers.