*Welp, here's a surprising new story from me, guys. I already have enough crossovers on my plate, I'll admit, but since there's not a lot of good Marvel/Dragon Ball crossovers on this site, I wanted to try my hand at writing one. This story has been in development for 3 years now, so I finally glad to be starting this X-Men story starring Goku called Dragon Ball X. I hope you enjoy the first chapter, which mainly serves as a prologue more than anything else.


Chapter 1: A Marvelous New World

Somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy – Age 737 (Earth Year: 1984)

Within the ever-expansive cosmos, there existed twelve known universes. Some believe that six others were also created at the beginning of the current multiverse, but due to the actions of its creators, The One Above All, and his son, The Omni-King, Zeno, they had long since ceased to be. An explanation for their collective destruction had never truly been ascertained. All that could be said about them was that they became corrupted to the point where total erasure was their only hope for salvation. This applied to many individuals affected by the M'kraan Crystal and its sudden fracturing by a dark, malevolent entity's hands.

Of course, all of these events took place billions upon trillions of years ago. Death and rebirth had always been an endless cycle for any iteration of the present multiverse. Even now, in its seventh version, many cataclysms have brought it upon the cusp of complete, unequivocal annihilation. No planets were safe from the World Devourer, Galactus, and his fellow cosmic deities, the Gods of Destruction, in fact. However, what most people didn't realize was that the balance between life and death was necessary for the multiverse's continual longevity. For every God of Destruction, there needed to be Supreme Kais and Celestials to replace what was previously extinguished. And then, there were Angels, led by their father, The Grand Priest, to keep all of those aforementioned parties in check.

Each group paled in comparison to the more powerful cosmic deities who served the One Above All and the Omni-King directly. These abstract entities included the three-headed personification of multiversal law, the Living Tribunal, Eternity, personification of time in the multiverse, his sister Infinity, personification of space in the multiverse, Oblivion, who represented non-existence, and finally, Mistress Death herself. She, above all else, claimed the lives of anyone and everything, including previous versions of the entire multiverse.

With there being an infinite amount of timelines and possibilities for each person, place, or thing, everyone, no matter how powerful or deified, was driven along by the threads of fate. And one planet's unfortunate fate would change the course of the entire multiverse for years to come. It would all begin somewhere in the seventh and most dangerous universe's Milky Way Galaxy.

This single planet, although originally known as Plant, came to be acknowledged by the new name, Vegeta, after its current ruler and conqueror. This man, King Vegeta III, ruled over a barbarous race of warriors called the Saiyans who lived to both fight and kill anyone foolish enough to challenge them. Their actions made them fierce enemies of the Kree, Skrull, Shi'ar, and any other intergalactic empire. Although, one empire chose to profit off their fighting abilities and form a partnership with the Saiyans.

In exchange for advanced pieces of technology, Saiyan warriors took over planets in the name of Lord Frieza and his Planet Trade Organization. They didn't care what empire these planets were previously affiliated with, even if it would generate widescale wars between each known species and their alliances. Frieza was far too confident in his own power and intelligence to recognize the Kree, Skrull, or Shi'ar as his equals. He wouldn't stop until their forces had fallen beneath his feet and begged for mercy.

He wouldn't grant any of that nonsense, of course, but it'd still be fun for him to hear.

The Arcosian emperor was currently seated in his mothership, sipping on a glass of wine. He was a rather short being with white skin, black horns, and purple armor that had yellow shoulder-pads. A long pink and purple tail was wrapped around his seat as he glared out the window with narrowed red eyes. These eyes glinted with nothing short of pure evil intent.

He lightly chuckled as one of the Kree's Accuser Warships was blown to smithereens by one of his own vessels. It was attempting to invade Planet Vegeta, which he found rather comical given what he was planning to do to it soon. The Saiyans, after all, had become far too dangerous for their own good. There was an actual chance they could overthrow him someday and he certainly couldn't have something as asinine as that happen. It'd be like a couple of monkeys overthrowing their zookeeper.

"Ah. How I love a good show." Frieza muttered. As he took another sip from his drink, two of his main subordinates entered the room. One was a tall, effeminate man with light blue skin, yellow eyes, and green hair tied down into a braid. The other was a slightly obese alien with purple lips, spikes atop his head, and pink skin.

They both bowed down in Frieza's presence as he turned around to address them.

"Give me a brief update on what's happening out there, Zarbon."

"Most of the Kree's ships have fled the battlefield, my lord. Captain Mar-Vell managed to destroy a few of our forces, but after a brief skirmish with your brother, Lord Cooler, his current whereabouts are now unknown." The blue-skinned man explained. "The Skrulls, however, have evaded our detection thus far. There's no trace of them anywhere."

Within the corner of his eye, Frieza could catch the briefest glimpse of a Skrull battleship floating in space. It was incredibly damaged beyond repair, but still somewhat operational, nonetheless. The Arcosian slightly narrowed his eyes.

"No trace of them, huh?" He murmured.

Dodoria nodded his head. "Yes, sir. We'll try to find them as soon we—"

Frieza quickly raised his finger and fired a red beam straight through Zarbon's heart. He hacked a clump of green blood from his mouth and fell to his knees.

"N-No. I gave it away too soon…"

He then died almost instantly, revealing his true green-skinned appearance. He'd had very large, elfin ears as well.

"You bastard…" The Skrull disguised as Dodoria growled in pure hatred.

Frieza just held a hand over his mouth and guffawed. "Ahahaha. You really think I wouldn't recognize the energies of my own men? You pitiful Skrulls really are green."

He then tapped the green scouter attached to his ear in a mocking way. Having enough of the evil emperor's insults, the Skrull raised up his muscular pink arms and charged up a yellowish orange energy sphere.

"Errgh! DIE, ARCOSIAN SCUM!"

He then fired a large energy blast, causing Frieza to effortlessly flip over it and wrap his tail around Dodoria's throat. His lips curled into that of a sadistic sneer.

"Pray to whatever god you want, but they'll never be able to save you from me, Skrull."

Before he could scream in horror, Frieza snapped the Skrull's neck and disposed of his lifeless body like common, everyday trash.

"Hm. Disappointing as always. If they really want to kill me, these fools should consider sending far more men than this." The emperor sighed. "As if it would do them any good."

In that moment, the real Zarbon and Dodoria appeared. They were covered in the green blood of fallen Skrull soldiers.

"Lord Frieza! Skrulls have infiltrated the—"

Frieza raised his hand, signaling for him to stop talking. "Yes, I'm already well aware, Zarbon. Now, please dispose of this trash for me, will you?"

He looked down at the two corpses and winced. He had always been repulsed by the sight of those green shapeshifters, more so than his own monstrous true form.

"R-Right away, sir."

Zarbon blasted each of the Skrulls' bodies with a yellow ki blast and disintegrated them within seconds.

"What now, Lord Frieza?" Dodoria asked.

The Arcosian prodigy looked out the window of his ship to analyze the surface of Planet Vegeta. It was a red planet orbited by two yellow moons. The very sight of it disgusted him in more ways than one.

After hearing stories about a supposed Legendary Super Saiyan that could shine as bright as the sun itself, Frieza knew that the monkeys' day were numbered. It was now time to ensure that none of them would grow powerful enough to stand in his way.

"I believe that the Saiyans have long overstayed their welcome, Dodoria." He scowled. "Prepare my transport. I'll let the primitive apes go out in a blaze of glory. Mine, that is."

"Are you certain about this, sire? They may be uncouth barbarians, but the Saiyans have done a lot of good work for the empire. They could still be a valuable asset."

Frieza's purple energy began to surge as he glared back at his commanding officer.

"Are you questioning my orders, Zarbon?"

Zarbon's eyes widened in fear. "N-Not at all, Lord Frieza! I'll prepare it right away!"

"That's what I thought."

With that, Zarbon and Dodoria ran off to prepare their leader's personal Hover Pod. Frieza, continuing to gaze out the window, smiled evilly from ear-to-ear.

"As long as those troublesome birds don't intervene, you'll be dancing in hell soon enough, monkeys. Ohoho."


Outside Planet Vegeta's upper atmosphere…

"FRIEZA!"

Blitzing through hundreds upon thousands of Planet Trade Organization soldiers was a low-class Saiyan with black spiky hair named Bardock. He had a prominent scar on his left cheek and wore a red bandana coated with fresh blood. His slightly damaged armor was dark blue with green arm-straps and other additional accessories. Red armbands were also wrapped his wrists and knuckles.

A blue aura of ki surrounded his body as he soared across space, fighting off soldier after soldier in quick succession. His anger was reaching its absolute breaking point as he continued his rampage. He powerfully slammed his elbow into one soldier's chin and fired a small energy blast at another.

"FRIEZA! COME OUT AND FIGHT ME, YOU COWARD!" Bardock screamed. He didn't give much of a damn about the many Kree, Skrull, and Shi'ar vessels floating around in space in that moment. All he really cared about was ensuring the survival of himself, his wife, and their youngest son.

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone like this, Gine, but I need to face Frieza by myself. To save everyone we know and love, especially Kakarot!" He thought determinedly.

Piles of Frieza Force lackies tried to pull him away from their emperor's spaceship, but none of them proved strong enough to stop him. He just kept blasting them away and continued flying onward.

"Get out here! I won't let you get away with this!"

Bardock floated directly in front of the large, saucer-like ship. Upon reaching that particular location, Frieza finally revealed himself. He was seated in his Hover Pod with a bored, yet calm look on his face.

His legion of followers began to shiver in response to his very presence. They never thought he would actually be bold enough to show himself like this.

"L-Lord Frieza!"

"Long live, Lord Frieza!"

Bardock, on the other hand, snickered. For many days now, he has seen visions of the distant future. Some detailed the destruction of Planet Vegeta by Frieza's hands while others foretold the almost mutant biology that his son would develop. This supposed mutation, according to what he saw, would prove be the key to defeating Frieza many years later. The Arcosian dictator, after all, was said to be a mutant himself.

He didn't want to believe it, but after witnessing the death of his closest friends and comrades by Dodoria, Bardock knew that the Saiyan race was close to reaching its end.

"This is it, Frieza. Now, everything is going to change from here on out." The low-class Saiyan muttered. He outstretched his hand, producing a ball of blue ki from it. "Planet Vegeta's fate… my own fate… my son's fate… and even yours! All of it will be decided here!"

Frieza said nothing in reply. He only raised one of his fingers and generated a tiny orange sphere.

"This is where your reign of terror will come to an end, BASTARD!" Bardock screamed. He then tossed the blue energy sphere in an attempt to kill Frieza once and for all.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans for him. The sphere was instantly engulfed by Frieza's Supernova technique as it grew to the size of a small orange sun.

"N-No way."

As it grew larger and larger by the second, Frieza broken out into a crazed fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Ahaha. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

He then bent his finger and launched the Supernova directly at Planet Vegeta. Much to Frieza's clear lack of concern, the massive orange ball consumed Bardock and many of the Planet Trade Organization's officers whole.

"Lord Frieza! Why!"

At that point, Bardock could do nothing else, but scream in pain. "AHHHHHHHHH!"

He fell victim to the Supernova's path of destruction and lost the remainder of his armor. His foresight had proven that he would indeed fail to save his home, people, and family from death.

Death, however, would not claim every Saiyan's life that day. Sailing through the cold reaches of space, Bardock caught the briefest glimpse of a lone Saiyan pod. This single pod was launched by him and Gine mere moments before he set off to confront Frieza in battle. It was traveling to a distant planet called Earth.

It was then Bardock realized that even in failure, Kakarot's survival was still an achievement from his perspective. His mutant son was a light of hope shining down on this cold, desolate universe.

He smiled, seeing one last vision of a much older Kakarot facing Frieza on an unknown green planet. He was wearing a strange orange gi with a small x-symbol on the corner of his chest.

"It's in your hands now… my son. Don't let me, your mother, and the other Saiyans… die in vain."

He ever-so-slightly reached out his hand to touch the Saiyan pod before being completely eviscerated by the Supernova's flaming interior.

"KAKAROT!"

With no visible trace of Bardock left, Frieza's Supernova crashed into Planet Vegeta and caused its surface to crack apart into multiple, tiny pieces. Pillars of fire emerged from the planet's core as it was completely blown to smithereens.

The Saiyans were now almost completely extinct and Frieza was loving every moment of it. He gazed upon the fiery explosion in sheer, unequivocal delight.

"AHAHAHA! How wonderful! Look at it, Zarbon and Dodoria! Behold such beautiful fireworks!" He laughed. "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Zarbon and Dodoria looked out the window in disbelief. They didn't think he'd actually go through with it, yet he did without any hesitation. It served as a good example of what would happen if someone decided to get on Lord Frieza's bad side.

They were just relieved to not be part of the Kree, Skrull, or Shi'ar Empires. Any enemy of Frieza's was bound to experience a fate worse than death itself, even if, like say Captain Mar-Vell or the Shi'ar Imperial Guard's Gladiator, proved to be fairly powerful in their own right.


Somewhere close to Planet Vegeta's former location…

The Kree and Skrull Empires immediately fled upon seeing Planet Vegeta be destroyed by a single flick of Frieza's finger. They'd need to report this catastrophic event to their leaders pronto. Although both of them civilizations were glad to have the Saiyan nuisances out of their hair, Frieza still posed a significant threat to the planets they considered allies. Sooner or later, he might become just as big of a threat as the Mad Titan and known Deviant-Eternal hybrid, Thanos. They both seemed to have an immense fascination with death as a whole, at least.

The Shi'ar Imperial Fleet was quick to leave as well, but one small ship stayed behind. It resembled that of a green bug with two black eyes and equally numbered sets of antennae. Six red thrusters were also built into it from top to bottom.

Operating this ship were three Shi'ar soldiers and their current princess, Lilandra Neramani. She was a young, humanoid woman with a head full of black feathers that covered her ears. Her blue eyes contained small black markings that vividly resembled lashes of some sort. She also wore a metallic suit of armor with a long black cape that extended past her back.

Her fellow Shi'ar were beginning to panic at the sight of Planet Vegeta's untold destruction. They also had feather-like helmets in place of hair.

"H-He just destroyed Planet Vegeta, your majesty! It belonged to his own empire, yet he destroyed it… just like that!" One of them cried. He couldn't take his eyes away from the absolute carnage taking place before him. "He's a madman, I tell you! A madman!"

Lilandra scowled and shook her head. Although her father, Emperor Neramani, wasn't a saint by any means, even he wouldn't go as far as to indiscriminately slaughter his own subjects. He held far too much respect for life to do something like that.

"How barbaric. And to think that Father wanted to form an alliance with this… this… monster!"

She rested a hand on her cheek, frowning. She couldn't even begin to imagine how many men, women, and children were killed in that explosion. It made the Shi'ar princess absolutely sick to her stomach.

"No. This Lord Frieza person has proven to be far worse than that. He is nothing short of pure evil incarnate, even when compared to the brutal warriors the Saiyans once were." "It fills me with dread thinking what he could do to Chandilar and the rest of our people…"

"Don't think that way, your majesty! Surely Frieza would pale in comparison to Gladiator and other members of the Imperial Guard, correct?" Another Shi'ar soldier insisted.

Lilandra bit her lower lip in uncertainty.

"You may be right, but given what we just witnessed…" She said while glaring over at the remains of Planet Vegeta, or lack thereof. "…there's no guarantee that Frieza and his Planet Trade Organization can even be beaten. Not anytime soon, at least."

She then spotted something darting across space at faster-than-average speeds. It appeared to have left the planet before it exploded.

"Commander, what's that small object flying in the distance?" Lilandra asked.

"I'm not sure, princess. Let's get a closer look."

The Shi'ar Commander typed some commanded into their ship's computer and zoomed in. It was a small gray pod surrounded by blue flames.

"I see. It appears to be a common Frieza Force Attack Ball." He replied. From within the pod's red glass, he saw a Saiyan toddler sitting inside of it.

"And it looks like… a Saiyan child is operating it!"

Lilandra's blue eyes slightly widened. She knew that weaker Saiyans were shipped off to different planets upon being born, but she didn't expect one to be launched so soon after Planet Vegeta's recent annihilation.

"A child? I had a feeling that Prince Vegeta may have survived his people's extinction, but not anyone else." She thought, getting a closer look at the child's monkey tail and other basic characteristics. "Judging by his black, spiky hair, this boy is a low-class Saiyan. His chances of survival are much lower than an elite's would be…"

"Should we do something about it, your majesty? A Saiyan child would make a fine addition to the Shi'ar Empire. I'm sure your father and siblings would agree."

The youngest child of Emperor Neramani paused for a moment. Given how brutally violent her brother, D'Ken, and sister, Cal'syee, were becoming, she didn't want to risk either of them having a potential Saiyan warrior under their control. It was best that they let the Attack Ball travel to its intended destination.

"No. Just leave the Saiyan be. We can't risk Frieza catching wind of its presence and our own."

"As you wish. Shall we head back to the throne world then, Lilandra?"

The Shi'ar princess nodded her head. "Yes. Father is probably wondering where we are."

Before Frieza could spot them, their battleship sped away using a pink streak of energy that was released from all six thrusters. Lilandra gave one last look at the Saiyan boy as he flew in the opposite direction.

"Poor child. You must be all alone at this point." She thought sympathetically. "I wonder where you could be going."

She then closed her eyes and held a firm hand over her chest. Somehow, someway, Lilandra hoped the boy would be able to overcome this sorrowful moment and continue to live on.

"May the gods bring light upon your journey, young Saiyan."

As they parted ways, a single red bandana limply floated throughout the cosmos.


Earth – Age 737 (Year: 1984)

Hours later, Kakarot's pod flew down to Earth's upper atmosphere. It was a planet mostly covered in water and seven known pieces of land called continents. It didn't look like much at first glance, but Earth was home to a slew of supernatural, extraterrestrial, and superpowered individuals. A wide majority of these individuals were born with a unique gene that bestowed upon them with either powerful abilities or physical mutations. This supposed X-Gene, originating from the actions of Celestials millions of years ago, was what flowed through Kakarot's veins as well. Some Saiyans, surprisingly enough, were born the same way, but only a select few.

The pod headed in the direction of Earth's lowest and coldest continent, Antarctica. It burned upon first contact, gaining more and more speed until it crashed into this white continent's uppermost tip. There, a Savage Land far different from the rest of the world in terms of both flora and fauna presided.

Kakarot's sudden arrival to Earth, however, wasn't entirely unknown. Off the coast of another continent called North America, a massive hovercraft filled with jets and other advanced weaponry floated high above the clouds. This Helicarrier housed four identical jet boosters that kept it in flight. It was primarily operated by a top secret, government run agency called The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, or S.H.I.E.L.D. for short. Their main purpose was to uphold international security and protect the world from any superhuman threats that may emerge.

Leading this agency was its current director, Colonel Nicholas Joseph Fury. He was a middle-aged man with brown skin and a black beard wrapped around his chin. He also wore a black trench coat that matched the single eyepatch placed over his left eye. It had been badly scarred during his prior service to the United States military.

Fury kept both arms crossed behind his back in dismay. One of their many satellites just detected a small gray vessel crashing down somewhere in Antarctica. He scowled at the screen and directly addressed his fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives.

"Anyone mind telling me what the actual hell is that?"

"We don't know, sir. It just came from somewhere in outer space." A female agent replied. "Must be another extraterrestrial lifeform, if I were to guess."

Fury snorted. "Well, I figured that much. Just tell me where it's landing."

"Right away, Director Fury."

She typed some commands into her keyboard and tracked the spacecraft's path. Bringing up a 3D map of the entire globe, Fury was able to see it land on the South Pole's furthest point. He narrowed his eyes in recognition.

"Hmph. The Savage Land…"

"Isn't that the place filled with dinosaurs and other prehistoric life?" A male agent asked.

"The very same. Truly a marvel of modern technology, isn't it?" Fury said with a smirk.

"Should we send a team to retrieve the space pod and find out what's inside of it?"

Fury cupped his chin in thought. He doubted that one single craft would be a much of a threat to Earth and its people. If anything, the dinosaurs and whatever magical mumbo jumbo existed on the Savage Land would kill it before such an event could take place.

"No need. Just leave… whatever that is be."

"But, sir—"

"Don't make me repeat myself, Coulson. Until it actually proves itself to be a worthwhile opponent on Captain America or the Hulk's level, leave the alien be." Fury ordered. "We'll keep tabs on it periodically from there."

Agent Phil Coulson begrudgingly nodded in agreement. He didn't believe this alien creature could match Captain America, his childhood hero, in terms strength or character either. Although, there was a chance that both of them could be wrong.

"Sounds reasonable enough, sir."

Fury nodded. "Now, let's head back home. There's other work that needs to be done today."

The Helicarrier's computer monitor then changed from footage of the Attack Ball to something else. Although its existence was known, no one in S.H.I.E.L.D. drew too much attention to it.

That would certainly change in the years to come, though.


Within the Savage Land…

This small part of Antarctica was much warmer than the rest of it. Rather than being covered in ice and snow, the Savage Land was filled tropical jungles where multiple species of dinosaurs roamed. These varied from the terrifying Tyrannosaurus Rex to the Pteranodons and Pterodactyls that flew across the skies in search of food. Some humans also took up residence here, but their numbers were significantly lower by comparison.

One of these humans lived in the Savage Land's largest mountain and active volcano, Mt. Paozu. It contained a series of mountain ranges where dinosaurs and even monsters particularly thrived. To keep himself safe from harm, an old martial artist, Gohan, lived in a small hut somewhere near Paozu's bamboo forests. He had chosen to isolate himself from the rest of the world many years prior, much to the ire of his closest friends and former mentor, Master Roshi.

Son Gohan was a short elderly man with a white bushy moustache. He had a green beanie atop his bald head and wore an orange-yellow gi with long black sleeves. Attached to his back was a brown basket that he used to gather fruits, vegetables, and other supplies. He also used a red staff to help him hike at a more even pace.

"Hoo. It sure is hot today." He sighed. While wiping some sweat off his brow, he heard a loud crash come from some nearby area. It shook the entire mountain from side to side and almost knocked him off his feet.

"W-What in the world was that?"

Gohan went to investigate the source of this crash and, surprisingly, found a large gray ball. It was contained within a rather deep crater.

"That's strange…" He muttered.

Using his ki, the old man hopped down into the crater to analyze the ball in greater detail. It suddenly popped open to reveal a young, naked boy seated inside.

"Oh my goodness! It's a little boy."

The boy crawled out of his damaged pod and, out of fear, began to burst into tears. He didn't know where his mom and dad were.

"Waaah! Waaah!"

"Oh, don't cry, little fella. It's okay." Gohan cooed. He grabbed the young boy and held him up with his hands. He was surprised to see a monkey tail hang down from his backside.

"Hehe. What do you know? You have a tail." The old martial artist chuckled. "You must not be from around here, huh?"

The monkey-tailed boy sniffled and began gradually to calm down in Gohan's presence.

"You seem like a strange little guy, but don't worry. I'm a little odd myself, believe it or not." He muttered in amusement. "I'd have to be to live in a scary place like this. Hehe."

Little by little, the boy's sadness was replaced by growing happiness. He kicked Gohan in the face and began to giggle in a much more cheerful manner.

"Oh! You're a little stinker, aren't you? Goodness. You should take it easy on me. I'm old enough to be your grandpa, you know?" Gohan grumbled while rubbing his stricken jaw.

He then smiled at the young boy. Being a grandpa didn't sound all that bad, actually.

"Now, let's see. What should I call you? Hm."

The old martial artist thought for a moment or two before, finally, coming up with a good name for this kid.

"Yes! I think I know what to call you! How about I name you… uh… Goku?"

The newly named Goku broke out into a fit of laughter just hearing this name.

"Hahaha!"

"Oh, you like that, huh? Alright then. Son Goku, it is! Woohoo!" Gohan laughed as he bounced his adoptive grandson up and down.

"Goku! Hehe. What a good little boy!"

From that point onward, the son of Bardock and Gine would no longer be called Kakarot. He was now Son Goku, a boy who had many adventures and experiences in store for him.

He'd just need to survive the Savage Land first.


Approximately six years later…

Goku and his new grandfather, Gohan, didn't get along at first. Due to being a Saiyan, the toddler was unruly and violent by nature. He would hit, bite, and kick the old man many times, even when doing something as simple as taking a bath. The only time he'd go back to his cheerful self was when they ate food together. He seemed to have the biggest appetite Gohan had ever seen up until that point. Whether it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Goku was always hungry for more.

Gohan considered asking for some assistance from Master Roshi and his fellow Turtle School of Martial Arts student, Ox-King, but ended up changing his mind. It wouldn't feel right to thrust this kind of responsibility on them, especially after living in the Savage Land for so long.

Thankfully, everything began to change one day. After picking a fight with some wild Pterodactyls, Goku fell off of a ravine and slammed his head into some rocks. This brought him into a comatose state that Gohan was afraid he wouldn't wake up from. He covered the boy's head in bandages and prayed to whatever god was out there to save him. To his relief, his prayers were heard.

Goku woke up and became the complete opposite of what he used to be. He was goofy, affectionate, and absentminded, yet still kept his love for fighting and food, nonetheless. The trauma from that accident must have erased all of his violent impulses somehow and Gohan couldn't be happier with the results. Goku was now the best grandson he could ever wish for.

For that reason, Gohan decided to pass on his martial arts techniques to Goku. He had a knack for fighting tough opponents by default, so teaching him self-defense was logical from his perspective. After all, there was a chance that they'd need to fight off dinosaurs and Man-Apes sometime soon. They couldn't stay on Mt. Paozu forever.

They trained for years and years on end until Goku turned six-years-old. As expected, he proved to be a natural at martial arts and, at this rate, would be able surpass his own grandfather one day. This made Gohan decide to amp up Goku's training to the next level.

"What's next, Grandpa? Are we going to punch some big yummy fish again?" He beamed. The boy was now wearing a blue gi tied down by a white sash. His shoes were almost identical to Gohan's in regard to style.

Gohan looked up at the sky. It would be nighttime very soon, so they'd need to finish their training session as soon as possible.

"Maybe tomorrow, Goku. We'll need to get ready for bed soon."

Goku slumped his shoulders in disappointment. "Really? Aw, man. I was really looking forward to that."

"Tell you what. How about I show you a very strong technique that my old master, Roshi, taught me? Would you like that?"

The monkey-tailed boy pumped his fist in newfound excitement and giddiness.

"Hehe. You bet, Gramps! Lemme see it! Lemme see it!"

Gohan chuckled and said, "Alright. Pay close attention now, Goku."

Taking a deep breath, the old man squatted down and cupped both of his hands together. He positioned himself in front of a nearby tree.

"Kaaa… Meee…"

A blue and white sphere of ki materialized between Gohan's hands. It grew larger and more chaotic with each subsequent syllable.

"…Haaa… Meee…"

The ki sphere spun around and produced multiple beams of light from it.

"HAAAA!"

Gohan outstretched his arms and unleashed a giant, powerful blue energy blast. It incinerated a few trees upon impact before dissolving. Its wielder took another deep breath and stood up straight.

Goku was absolutely blown away by the move he just saw.

"Wow! That's awesome! What's it called?"

"That was the Kamehameha Wave, or Turtle Devastation Wave if going by the original name. It is a ki blast invented by my old martial arts instructor and friend, Master Roshi." His grandfather explained. He then smiled from ear-to-ear. "He taught it to me and now, I will be teaching it you, my boy."

"Seriously?! That's so cool! Can I try it out now, Grandpa? Please?"

"Well, don't be getting too ahead of yourself. It takes 50 years of hard work and dedication to learn—"

Ignoring what his grandpa had to say, Goku cupped his hands together and perfectly copied the old man's stance.

"Kaaa… Meee… Haaa… Meee…" He muttered. Much to Gohan's shock, a small sphere of ki emerged in the center of his palms.

"HA!"

Goku fired his own Kamehameha Wave at another tree. Although not as powerful, it still incinerated the bamboo stalk instantly. The Saiyan peered down at his hands and smiled.

"Hey, look at that? I did it!" He beamed. "It wasn't as good as yours, though."

Gohan blinked a few times in disbelief. What the six-year-old boy displayed was nothing short of astounding, from his perspective. No kid his age could ever dream of using such an advanced technique.

"Was that some sort of mimicry Goku just displayed? Huh. Apparently, the boy is much smarter than I give him credit for."

Smiling from ear-to-ear, he walked over to the boy and proudly patted him on the back.

"Excellent progress, Goku. You'll be a master at using the Kamehameha Wave in no time!"

"You really think so?" Goku replied in a hopeful tone.

"You're my grandson. Of course, I do!" The old man warmly proclaimed. "Now, let's head off to bed and get some shuteye. We can continue training tomorrow."

"Alright then!"

The two then entered their hut without another word. It was a small square building with a blue triangular roof and white walls. Inside, there was a bunkbed and a few tables. One of these tables had an orange ball with four red stars on it.

Goku looked at the strange ball in curiosity. It rested on top of a small purple pillow as he examined it from left to right and top to bottom.

"Hey, Grandpa. Why do you keep this funny-looking ball around? Does it mean something?"

"That isn't just any 'funny-looking ball', Goku. It's a Dragon Ball." Gohan corrected him.

Goku titled his head to the side, looking more confused. "Dragon Ball?"

"Mmhm. Legends say that if you collect all seven Dragon Balls, an Eternal Dragon named Shenron will come and grant any wish you desire. I, sadly, only have the Four-Star Ball, but it's still nice to have, regardless."

"Hmm. Cool." Goku hummed in growing interest. He then turned his head to look up at the old martial artist. "What would you wish for, Grandpa?"

Gohan just smiled and ruffled his grandson's hair in response.

"I already have everything I could ever wish for, my boy. There's nothing better than being here with you."

The young Saiyan rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "Hehe. I guess that makes sense."

With that last statement, they both piled into their respective beds. Goku laid down at the bottom while Grandpa Gohan slept at the top.

"Goodnight, kiddo. Don't stay up too late, okay?"

"I won't! Goodnight, Grandpa!"

They then drifted off to sleep and stayed that way for a good few hours. Goku's rumbling stomach, however, wasted no time in waking him up. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned.

"I'm hungry again."

Tiptoeing out of the hut as quietly as possible, Goku left to pick some apples from a nearby tree. He munched on a few of them before being interrupted by the sight of the moon.

It was completely full that night, taking him a little by surprise. He didn't even know it could look like that until now.

"Wow! I've never seen the moon look so big… before…"

Goku abruptly dropped his apples and continued gazing up at the moon. His heart began to relentlessly beat against his chest.

BADUMP!

BADUMP!

BADUMP!

BADUMP!

Eyes glowing a bloodred, Goku's small body slowly transformed into that of a gigantic monkey with razor-sharp teeth. He towered over Mt. Paozu's entire forest and roared in pure, unbridled rage.

"GRRRRAAAAAGH!"

Gohan woke up to a start hearing this terrifying roar. He looked down to see that Goku was no longer in his bed.

"G-Goku?!"

Quickly grabbing the Power Pole, he jumped out of bed and ran outside. He was shocked to see a giant monster standing before him. It went on an absolute rampage and used its fists to smash everything in sight.

"GRRAGH! GRRRRRAAAAGH!"

Gohan saw the monster's long tail and immediately knew who it was. He looked from Goku to the full moon in absolute horror.

"Oh no! You transformed because of the full moon, didn't you, Goku?!"

Baring his teeth, the transformed Goku attempted to flatten the old man with a swift punch. Gohan immediately thought fast and stuck his staff into the ground.

"Power Pole, Extend!"

Upon command, the Power Pole grew in size and sent Gohan soaring into the air. This allowed him to evade the Great Ape's fist, much to his visible irritation.

"GRRRAGGH!"

Gohan somersaulted from where the Power Pole flung him and cupped his hands together in midair. He didn't wish to use this technique on Goku, but there was no other way to stop him.

"Ka… Me… Ha… Me…"

The old man quickly charged up the Kamehameha Wave and fired it at Goku's face.

"HAAA!"

This caused the transformed Saiyan to stomp around and clutch his red eyes in utter pain. Large craters in the ground were produced from every step he took.

"GRRAAAGGH! GRRAGH!"

Landing on his feet, Gohan stood in a fighting stance. He darted his eyes toward Goku's tail in sudden realization.

"His tail! It must be the cause of this transformation!" The old man thought. "I need to get rid of it fast!"

He coated one of his hands in white ki and sped over to Goku's tail using Instantaneous Movement. Right as he was about to chop the monkey tail in two, Goku smacked him aside with it.

"GAH! No!"

Gohan painfully crashed into the ground with a firm smack. His frail body, despite being stronger than the average human's, was broken beyond foreseeable repair. He didn't even have the strength to stand back up.

"I-I'm sorry, Goku. I tried my best to stop this. I really did." The old man groaned with tears in his eyes.

Goku then hovered over his fallen form and raised up his leg, snarling. Even in the face of imminent death, Gohan could only smile through the pain.

"Continue to grow stronger, Goku. Don't blame yourself for what happened here either. It wasn't your fault." He whispered.

The last thing he saw was the shadow of Goku's foot coming closer to him.

"Goodbye, my boy. I love you…"

He was then crushed to death by the supreme force of Goku's stomp. Thankfully, his body mysteriously disappeared before any more pain could be felt. Some unknown force must have retrieved him in time.

Oblivious to what just happened, Great Ape Goku beat on his chest and fired a powerful energy blast from his mouth. It caused a distant mountain to explode into millions of tiny pieces.

"GRRRAAAAGH!"

His monstrous roars could be heard for miles across the entire Savage Land. However, rather than rage, these last few hours were laced with sorrow and remorse. The transformed Goku wasn't sentient enough to understand why, though.

He raged for another few hours or so, causing untold amounts of destruction in his wake. No one dared go near Mt. Paozu that entire night and instead, attempted to sleep through it. Some of the Man-Apes, primitive Neanderthals native to this part of Antarctica, even bowed down to Goku as if he were their god.

This, however, ended once the sun rose. Goku transformed back to his normal self and, with absolutely no clothes on his body, fell unconscious. His actions, unbeknownst to him or anyone else, were observed by a strong, ethereal entity.

This entity was a young adult woman wearing a black hood and robes. Her skin was a ghostly pale with shoulder-length black hair that matched her outfit. Her lips were also a dark shade that contrasted well with her orangish, almost gray eyes. With each movement, she changed in and out of a more haunting skeletal form.

She went by many names, but her most well-known identity was Mistress Death, sister of Infinity, Eternity, and Oblivion.

Death, the Dark Beauty herself, hovered over to Goku's unconscious form. She frowned at his innocent, yet peaceful expression.

"I'm sorry for taking away your grandfather like this, young Son Goku." She murmured in an ominous voice. "Such a happy, pure child, yet forced to experience so much loss and hardship. It doesn't bring me much joy to see you go through this."

She pointed toward the boy and put him in a fresh pair of clothes. She then gently picked him up, brushing his black bangs to the side with a small grin.

"But fret not. Your perseverance and strength as a warrior will undoubtedly be rewarded someday." Mistress Death promised. "I've viewed many a timeline where you exist. You'll become quite a powerful man amongst this world's past and future heroes; I assure you."

The immortal deity entered Grandpa Gohan's hut and gently placed Goku back into his bed. After tucking him underneath the covers, she rested a cold hand over his cheek.

"It's a shame that I can't claim you now, but sadly, it is not your time yet. You have much more experiences and challenges to go through… before we can meet face-to-face."

She parted her hand from his cheek and let him sleep in relative peace. Death then floated over to the hut's doorway, grinning at Goku one last time.

"Until we meet again… Saiyan of Earth."

She then transported herself away using a field of blue cosmic energy. Until the time was right, Death would wait as long as it took for her chosen champion to grow stronger. Whether he would prove to be equal in strength to her other suitor, Thanos, was yet to be determined.


Several hours later…

By the late afternoon, Goku had awoken from his slumber. He fluttered his eyes open and gently rubbed his cheek. It felt cold to the touch for some reason.

"Did I sleep on some ice or something?" He muttered in confusion. "Hey, Grandpa, does it feel cold to—"

Goku looked up to see that no one was sleeping in the bed above him. He felt even more confused now.

"Grandpa?"

He got up and looked around their hut, but no trace of the old man could be found. He then walked outside and saw countless amounts of damage everywhere. Bamboo stalks were completely uprooted from the ground, mountains were split in half, and the ground beneath his feet was almost cracked to pieces.

"W-Whoa. What the heck happened here?"

He cautiously stepped forward to get a closer look at Mt. Paozu's current condition. Set atop the ground was Gohan's Power Pole, which remained in perfect condition.

The Power Pole, but that means… this damage was from…"

Goku's eyes began to water as he assumed that some dinosaur came and ate his grandpa or worse. That would explain the massive footprints and cracks in the mountain's surface.

"N-No. Where are you, Grandpa? Where'd you go?!"

Not wishing to believe that his only family member was gone, Goku sprinted towards the edge of Mt. Paozu and cupped both hands around his mouth.

"GRANDPA!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

Unfortunately, no one replied. Apart from other people and creatures living in the Savage Land, Goku was now completely alone.

He wiped his tears and sniffled. Since Gohan wouldn't want him to give up hope like this, he took a deep breath and wrapped the Power Pole's holster around his shoulder.

"I won't forget what you told me, Grandpa. I promise I'll get stronger." He croaked under his breath. "I'll make you proud… wherever you may be."

After making that last proclamation, the six-year-old boy walked back inside and kneeled in front of the Four-Star Dragon Ball. He rested both hands in front of him and prayed for his grandpa's safety.

He would still continue to think about him and his martial arts instructions, even if Gohan himself wasn't around anymore.


Westchester County, New York – Age 743 (Year: 1990)

Located in the town of North Salem, a large, castle-like mansion presided. It contained a fancy lawn, pool, garden, and many other accommodations that cost quite a ton of money. It appeared to be just like any other home, but eventually, within a few years, this building would be transformed into a school for young mutant children called the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Mutants were a fairly marginalized group in today's age, so this school would help provide a home for these troubled kids while also working to improve relations between Homo sapiens and Homo superior. However, it was not time for it become that place yet.

For now, only one mutant lived inside the mansion. This mutant, Professor Charles Xavier, was a gifted geneticist and telepath. He was a bald man in his early 40's wearing a green suit and brown undershirt. Although fairly tall, he spent most of his time confined to a single gray wheelchair.

Due to inheriting quite a sizable fortune from his family, Xavier used his money to purchase and fund technologically advanced devices. The device he personally took pride in was Cerebro, a helmet that amplified its user's brainwaves to a point where mutants could be detected across the entire globe. This relied on either the energy produced from their superhuman abilities or respective X-Gene.

This helmet was concealed in a large chamber underneath the mansion. Xavier was currently in the process of using it. It wrapped around his head and tapped into his underlying telepathic powers.

"So many mutants, yet so much inner turmoil. It's a shame that the world has yet to accept us." He thought internally.

To his chagrin, he could hear the screams of certain mutant children being abused or mistreated by common, everyday people. It always amazed him how cruel humanity could be in the face of change.

Suddenly, he heard the loud, guttural roar of a particularly powerful mutant. His eyes widened in surprise.

"What on Earth?! I've never sensed this mutant specimen before!"

He, with a bit of struggle, focused his mind to track the mutant's current whereabouts. It was located in the Savage Land of all places.

"The Savage Land? That's where Gohan disappeared to all those years ago."

His friendship with the old martial artist was unconventional, yet genuine all the same. They went on a few brief adventures together during his temporary stay in Japan. Gohan was certainly a powerful fighter, but not a mutant by any means.

That meant this unknown mutant must have arrived in Antarctica between now and the very moment Gohan left to live there. Was it born there? Or perhaps, did it arrive in the Savage Land from some place foreign to Earth? He had no idea which option to consider.

Taking a deep breath, Professor Xavier removed Cerebro from his head and began to think. It still wasn't quite time to locate mutants who could join his team, but this presence did raise a few concerns.

He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a Dragon Ball with six stars on it. He studied the magical orange ball with his brown eyes.

"I just hope that whatever events transpired in the Savage Land today, they don't affect Gohan's promise to keep the Four-Star Ball safe." Xavier grimaced in worry. "There's no telling what Magnus is planning to do once he collects all seven…"

His grimace deepened in vivid remembrance of his former friend and ally. He was somewhat relieved that Max "Magnus" Eisenhardt, now going under the sinister alias, Magneto, did not have a way to locate the Dragon Balls like Cerebro did with mutants. The world would be in great danger if such a device came into existence.

He rubbed a hand over his chin and put the Dragon Ball away. "Hm. It may take a few more years of preparation, but one day, I'll need to investigate this new mutant specimen. I'll need to form more connections and partnerships beforehand, though."

Xavier activated his automatic wheelchair and rolled out of Cerebro's containment chamber. Two revolving doors with a large X-symbol on it closed behind him.

"Will that be enough to stop Magneto from accomplishing his goals? That question, I suppose, will need to be answered at a later date."

He then narrowed his eyes and expressed his broad hopes for the future of mutant-kind.

"When that day comes, it'll be the job of my future X-Men to stop him."


*And that's the first chapter, guys. As you can probably tell, this crossover will be set in a version of the Marvel Universe that takes elements from various different continuities, movies, and TV series. A notable example is the inclusion of Phil Coulson as a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. Here are some of the other rules I established:

1. The Frieza Force, or Planet Trade Organization, will be a major empire alongside the Shi'ar, Skrull, Kree, and Spartoi. They'll play a huge role in the events of the story, but won't become main antagonists until later on.

2. Zeno is the One Above All/One Below All's son/incarnation. He'll still be incredibly powerful, but still be below his creator in terms of general importance.

3. Galactus will be a God of Destruction for all 12 universes. The other G.O.D.s like Beerus will fulfill the same role, but on a smaller scale compared to the World Devourer. Celestials will also help create planets alongside the Supreme Kai.

4. Each universe will have an infinite amount of timelines where the different Marvel "Earths" exist. The T.V.A. and Time Patrol will be combined into one single organization for this reason.

5. Goku and Frieza are considered "mutants" for their respective species. This won't change Goku all that much, but he will unlock new abilities because of his X-Gene.

There's a ton of other changes that will be made to established continuity, but that's what I have so far. I hope you enjoyed the scenes I wrote for Lilandra Neramani (future Majestrix for the Shi'ar Empire), Nick Fury, and Mistress Death. She'll have a fascination with Goku throughout each story arc. She'll sort of be a combination of the normal Mistress Death and DC's Death of the Endless.

For Goku's love interests, they'll be Rogue, Kitty Pryde, and Jean Grey, but it won't be a harem. They'll slowly develop feelings for him over the course of many years.

Anyways, let me know if there's anything I need to improve on for the next few chapters. I'll primarily be drawing from the Chris Claremont run of Uncanny X-Men, so a lot of comic storylines will be adapted in new and interesting ways. Please leave a favorite, follow, and/or review as well. See you again once Chapter 2 is written. :)