Infinity Crisis: Rise of the Invaders
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners. This is just for fun.
Author's Note: This story is an adaptation of Giant-Size Invaders #1 (June 1975), by Roy Thomas, Frank Robbins, and Vince Colletta.
The Watcher's Domain
"I do know you're excited to hear this next tale of the Multiverse, Miss Park." The Watcher smiled. "You said you wanted to see the formation of the Invaders of Earth-199999?"
"Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeahyeahyeahyeahWHOOOOOO!" She whooped in delight, bouncing up and down in her seat and pumping her fists in the air.
"Oh joy, another tale of old people." Tyler Nguyen-Baker groaned.
"You take that back! The Invaders rule!" Abby yelled angrily at her fellow Bestie. She started to leap at him, but was stopped by a bubble of energy appearing around her. It put her back in her seat, and it popped afterwards.
Uatu chuckled. "There is no need for that here, Miss Park. And Mr. Baker, just because something is old, does not mean it has no value."
"Kind of like baseball cards." Miriam grinned with a snap of her fingers.
"In a way." Uatu said. "The Invaders may not have been the first team of superheroes on Earth-199999, but they would be an important one. As the leader of the Invaders, Steve Rogers would get his first experiences commanding a team with superhuman beings, experience that would come in handy seventy years later when he would become one of the founding members of the Avengers. They would also pave the way for other teams of superheroes like the First Line, the Defenders, the X-Men, and of course, Earth's Mightiest Heroes themselves."
"I can't wait to see how they got together." Abby grinned widely.
"It started out in December of 1942..."
Washington, D.C., Earth-199999, December 14, 1942
A group of men hung around a warehouse. The leader of these men held a small plunger, the type used to trigger explosives.
"They're set, and ready to go." One of the men announced, giving a thumbs up.
"Good." The leader nodded. The men ran from the warehouse until they reached a safe distance. These men were part of a group of American Bundists, Nazi sympathizers. "Alright, gentlemen. This'll teach the United States they have no right to interfere in the affairs of our Fuhrer." He placed a hand on the plunger.
"Hey, you hear that?" Another man said. "It sounds like a whooshing."
WHAM!
"AGH!" The Bund leader yelped as a red, white, and blue disc knocked the plunger out of his hand.
"I take it that you were not planning a social party with that." A man stated, the shield returning to his hand. He walked into the light, revealing that he was wearing a familiar blue, white, and red costume. And here I thought my return to the States would be relaxing...but I shouldn't be surprised. We are at war, after all.
"Captain America!" The Bund leader yelled as the other men whipped out their guns.
BLAM!
"AGH!" One of the men screamed as his shoulder seemed to explode with blood. He clutched the wounded shoulder and fell to the ground.
"Sniper!" The leader yelled. Another one of the men fell, as the sniper hit his knee. Up on the roof of a nearby warehouse, a brunet man had a sniper rifle pointed at the men. His brunet hair was in a neat cut, and he wore a blue military-style uniform with dark red boots and gloves. He watched Steve Rogers tear into them through his scope.
"Those two Bund members won't cause any more problems for a while." James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes muttered. Seemingly unseen by the Howling Commando, a Bund member stalked towards him, pulling out a gun. The Bund member grinned as he got closer to the sniper and pointed his gun at the back of his head. Then to his shock, Bucky rolled over, pulled out his own pistol...
Blam! Blam!
He put a pair of bullets in the Bund member's head. He casually rolled back to his previous position and kept an eye on Cap through his sniper scope as the Bund member fell down dead. A short time later, the Sentinel of Liberty was able to take the men down. Steve looked up at Bucky, and gave a salute. Bucky gave a thumbs up in response, and got up, packing away his sniper rifle.
A group of cars rolled up to Cap as he picked up the plunger. A group of men in suits, trenchcoats, and fedoras emerged from the cars.
"Agent Pearson, FBI." One of the agents said, holding up his badge. "Thanks for dealing with these Bundists, Cap."
"No problem, sir." Cap gave the man the plunger. He noticed Bucky walking up, carrying a briefcase.
"There's another man on that roof." Bucky reported, jerking his thumb at the roof he was on. "You'll need a body bag for him."
"Thanks, Sgt. Barnes." Pearson gestured to a couple of men, pointing at the roof. The agents nodded and went to the roof. "I do have something that I do think you need to hear, Captain."
"What is it?" Steve asked.
"Are you familiar with a man named Dr. Joshua Anderson?" Pearson asked. Cap stiffened a bit.
"Yo Steve, you alright man?" Bucky asked.
"Y-yeah. Yeah." Cap quickly nodded. "The name is familiar, why?"
"He's at the Walter Reed Medical Center in D.C." Pearson said. "He's...not in great shape. And he wants to speak to you."
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes walked quickly down a hall towards a particular room. Bucky noticed that Steve was rather tense through the journey...and very quiet.
"So...this Anderson guy. Who was he?" Bucky asked.
"Joshua Anderson." Cap answered. "He was one of the scientists who was there when Howard Stark and..." A flash of sadness crossed Steve's blue eyes. "...Abraham Erskine performed the experiment that made me into Captain America."
"Ah, gotcha." Bucky nodded. Makes sense. Steve didn't know Erskine for long, but he always spoke fondly of the man. I'm guessing this brings back memories. The two walked towards a room, with a pair of armed guards at the sides of the door. Agent Pearson was also there, waiting for the two.
"He's in here." Pearson said. The guards let the three men through. They entered the room and saw a doctor checking on the man lying on the bed. He walked up to them.
"How is he, Doc?" Pearson asked.
"He's doing better. You can speak to him for a few minutes. Excuse me." The doctor left the room and he went on his way. The three approached the man. Joshua Anderson was a brunet man in his mid-40s, with a slightly craggy face. He smiled at the sight of Steve.
"Nice to see you again, Rogers." Anderson greeted.
"Nice to see you too, Doctor." Steve asked. "How did you end up here?"
"Well, it started two nights ago." Anderson said. "I was looking into some new findings on a project I was working on. Before I knew it, I was ambushed and knocked out cold. When I woke up, I was in a jeep. I was being driven to what looked like this old abandoned farm. It turns out some Nazis came to the country, and they made this farm into a base..."
The farm, two nights earlier
The two Nazi guardsmen, disguised as a pair of American Army men, pushed Anderson into the lab. They had pistols trained on him.
"Move, American." One commanded. They pushed him forward. Anderson looked around this makeshift lab.
"Impressive, is it not?" A voice said. This voice spoke good English, albeit with a thick German accent. A bald stocky man with a smug smirk on his face walked up to Anderson. He wore the black Nazi uniform, with insignia indicating he was a Colonel, or at least of equivalent rank. "Guten tag, Herr Doktor Anderson."
"Who're you?!" Anderson snapped.
"Ah, forgive my rudeness. You may refer to me as Krieghund."
"War Hound." Anderson translated.
"You know some German, ja?" Kreighund chuckled in amusement.
"A little. Where am I?"
"You are in a laboratory, of course!" Krieghund smirked. "I thought a scientist like you would recognize it. It took months of work to make this a reality." He noticed Anderson was blinking at him. "Forgive me, Herr Doktor. I have been a terrible host. Allow me to show you why I brought you here." He led the scientist to a tarp. The red covering concealed what looked like a large tube. "Behold!" He pulled the tarp away, revealing there was a man in the tube. The tube was filled with what looked like transparent blue water. The man wore a blue costume with a gold collar and piping that went down the shoulders and arms. The outfit had yellow gloves and boots, as well as a golden belt. The costume had a chest emblem of a black Nazi swastika in a red circle. Anderson noted the man was rather skinny, and the costume seemed quite too large for him. His blond hair was in a high-and-tight haircut, and his blue eyes were closed. His mouth and nose were connected to a mask with a pair of hoses leading out of the tube.
"What the hell is this?"
"Our greatest experiment, Herr Doktor!" Krieghund grinned triumphantly. "The Fuhrer is quite aware of your Captain America, and this man is our response!"
"A little short to be a super-soldier, huh?" Anderson mocked. Krieghund snickered.
"I will admit, he is...incomplete." The Nazi Colonel said. "But that is where you come in."
"What, you want me to help you create your own Captain Nazi or something?!" Anderson snorted. "Good luck with that! When one of your boys killed Erskine, he took the Serum's formula to his grave. We haven't been able to duplicate it, so I doubt you goose-stepping dunderheads have! And even if I did know the Serum's formula, I won't help you! I'd rather die!" Krieghund scowled.
Whack!
"AGH!" Anderson yelped as Krieghund's riding crop whacked him across the cheek, knocking him down. The crop's keeper cut into his cheek, leaving a gash.
"American pig!" Krieghund sneered. "We know you are one of the men who worked on the project that created the verdammt Captain. As such, you should have insight into the Serum's composition."
"Urgh..." Anderson groaned. He touched the part of his cheek where the crop hit him. He felt the welt, and saw some blood on his hand. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist. "I'm not telling you anything. Erskine never wrote the formula down for security reasons. So you have nothing. Your little experiment is a failure."
Krieghund smirked. "Oh, we have a way of making you talk." He snapped his fingers.
"Hey!" Anderson yelped as two Nazi soldiers grabbed him.
"Tie him to that chair!" Krieghund ordered, pointing at said wooden object with his riding crop. The soldiers obeyed. Despite Anderson's struggled, the men managed to tie him tightly to the chair.
"Let go of me, you rat bastards!" Anderson yelled. "I will never help you Nazis with anything!" Krieghund rolled his eyes.
"Gag him." He ordered. One of the men whipped out a bandanna and used it to gag Anderson. "You will help us, American. Bring the Psi-Fon!" He commanded. Anderson's eyes widened at the device that one of the Nazi men wheeled out towards him. Krieghund grinned at Anderson's face. "Do you like it, American? I am afraid that we cannot take all the credit for this wondrous machine." He watched his men put an apparatus on Anderson's head. "You see, we excavated this device from a ship that crashed in Bavaria three years ago." The bald Nazi smirked. "Our deep science division HYDRA discovered it. The...men in the ship we found were...odd creatures." He looked at the scientist that was hooking Anderson's head up to the device. "Am I correct in this statement?"
"Yes, sir. They were literal little green men." The scientist confirmed with a nod. "Large ears, and craggy chins."
"Indeed. But a scientist codenamed 'Brain Drain' was able to decipher their technology and helped make this device." He pressed some buttons and twirled some dials on a console next to the device. "This machine can read memories, and display them on this screen! Truly wondrous!"
Anderson felt pain as the machine ripped into his mind, reading the memories stored within. Krieghund grinned in triumph when the device's monitor displayed a conversation between Erskine and Anderson. The two were mixing the Serum to be applied to Steve Rogers. "There! We have it!"
"Sir, that's not the whole formula." One of the scientists pointed out.
"True, but time is of the essence." Krieghund reminded. "Can you make a version of the serum based on this?"
"Weeeee...can, but there is no guarantee that the formula will be stable." The scientist warned.
"Then do what you can." Krieghund ordered. "We need our new Super-Soldier as ready as possible. Meanwhile, we will make this man our guest." He smirked at Anderson.
The next day
"Is the formula ready?" Krieghund asked.
"Ja, sir. The best we can do." The scientist said. "I must warn you. We did our best, but it is not perfect. There could be side effects."
Krieghund nodded. "Perhaps this will give you an opportunity to refine it further afterwards." He turned to a pair of guards. "Get Anderson in here. I want him to see the birth of our new soldier." The two guards obeyed and brought Anderson in. "Behold, Herr Doktor!" He whooped, waving at the tube. "Our new Super-Soldier!" The scientist added the new serum into the tube. The man in the tube started to thrash slightly. Anderson's eyes widened in horror as he saw the man's body start to expand and fill out with muscle, making the uniform he wore adhere to his body. "Yes! Superior to that of Captain America himself! The Ubermensch! The Master Man!" The "Master Man" ripped off his breathing mask and bashed his way out of the tube, sending glass and fluid everywhere. He reared his head back and roared.
"POWER! I HAVE THE POWER OF THE GODS!" The Master Man roared.
His voice... Anderson thought in shock. He's American!
It was understandable why Master Man felt a rush from his newfound power. Before now, Wilhelm "Willie" Lohmer was a frail man, the physically weakest member of his Nazi bund. It was why when he heard of this experiment, he eagerly agreed to be a guinea pig. He would see Steve Rogers in action as Captain America, and it filled him with rage and fury. Why did he get to be a muscular hero? Why did everyone admire him? Well, no more. Lohmer was now stronger, faster, tougher. "POWER!"
The newly-transformed Master Man started trashing the lab, making scientists flee. Some guards tried to restrain him, but the powerhouse casually tossed them around. One guard went for his gun, but Master Man ripped it out of his hands and smacked the guard in the face with it. He then grabbed another guard and tossed him into a wall.
Wa-KASH!
The whip didn't hurt the super-soldier, but it did get his attention. He turned and glared at Krieghund.
"Calm yourself, Master Man!" Krieghund snapped. "This behavior is childish!" Master Man scowled. "Your power is best saved for your mission!"
Mission? Anderson blinked in confusion. What kind of mission would they need to create their own Super-Soldier before besides taking out Captain America?
"You do remember your mission, right?" Krieghund asked. "You were briefed on it before you were put in the tube."
"Yes...I remember." Master Man snarled. "Kill the Brit."
Kill the Brit...what Brit? Anderson mentally wondered. Unless he means... His eyes widened. Oh, God! Not him!
"Colonel Krieghund!" A man sitting at a radar station reported. "We detect two...beings flying towards us! And they're putting out a lot of heat!"
Heat...the Torches! Anderson thought, his eyes still wide.
Krieghund smirked. "Ah, must be the Human Torch and his little pet Toro." He turned to Lohmer. "Time to test your might, mein freund."
"Oh, yeah." Master Man smirked, cracking his yellow-gloved knuckles. "They'll make a nice...appetizer."
Outside of the barn, two human-shaped figures cut through the skies, their bodies sheathed in flames. The larger of the two turned its head towards the smaller one.
"There it is, Toro!" James "Jim" Hammond, the Original Human Torch announced.
"Should we introduce ourselves, Pappy?" Thomas "Toro" Raymond asked, a grin on his face.
"Would be rude not to." Jim agreed. "Light up that silo!"
"Consider it lit, bud!" The teenage superhuman whooped, firing a stream of flame at the silo's wall. Jim added his own flames to the blast. The two pyrokinetics were easily able to melt their way into the silo lab.
"The Torches!" One of the guards yelled.
"Kill them!" Another roared. The guards fired at the superhuman teenager and the android. However, it was no good. Their fiery bodies melted the bullets into harmless slag before they could harm them.
"These boys in the Bund are a joke!" Toro laughed. "Gack!" A yellow gloved hand grabbed his throat and hefted him up.
"Puny little punk!" Master Man sneered.
"Let him go, Fritz!" Jim snapped, blasting at the super-soldier with a stream of flame.
"Your flame tickles." The blond powerhouse laughed. "And it's Master Man!" He tossed Toro into Jim, the force of his blow putting out both Torches' flames, and knocking them into a wall.
"Excellent!" Krieghund crowed in triumph, pulling a gun out if its holster. "Without your flames, I doubt you are no more immune to bullets than any human." He smirked as he aimed at the Torch. "Goodbye, Human Torch."
Like hell! Anderson managed to move himself and his chair enough to slam into the Nazi officer. It caused Krieghund's shot to go wild, causing a fire to erupt in the lab.
"Verdammt American!" Krieger roared, turning his gun to Anderson.
BLAM!
The Nazi man's Luger put a bullet in Anderson's chest. He turned to Master Man. "We go! Now!"
"But the Torches-!"
"Forget them! We must flee, and you still have a mission! Let's go!" The two left the burning lab as Jim and Thomas woke up.
"Uhn..." Toro's eyes widened as he saw the bleeding Anderson. "Oh my God!"
"I got the flames! You tend to him!" Jim ordered. Toro obeyed as Jim raised his hands and his eyes started to glow. The fires in the lab seemed to reach to the android, and he absorbed the element before it could do any further damage. Toro pulled a small medikit out of a compartment in his belt, and tried to bandage Anderson's wound.
"I don't think I can do much for him, Pappy!" Toro announced.
"We'll get him out of here and alert the authorities." Jim nodded. The two Torches flew out of the lab, carefully carrying Anderson. The man already had a gunshot wound, he didn't need burns on top of it.
"And that's how I got here." Anderson said. "I would be dead now if it weren't for the Torches."
Steve smiled. "Well, it looks like I owe the Human Torch and Toro some thanks."
"We appreciate it." Steve and Bucky turned and saw Jim Hammond and the Teenage Tom Raymond standing there. Jim was wearing his red bodysuit. It had a yellow collar, and boots (He had no need for gloves, as being an android, he had no fingerprints). Around his waist was a utility belt with an oval-shaped buckle. The buckle had a silver letter T on it. On the chest of the outfit was a yellow stylized capital "T" with an orange and yellow flame design over the T, making it look like, appropriately, a torch.
Toro was a teenager with curly dark hair and eyes, and he wore a similar costume, with yellow gloves. The chest emblem on his costume was slightly different than Jim's. Mainly, instead of a yellow "T", he had a stylized bull's head (a bit of a joke as "toro" meant "bull" in Spanish).
"Wow, Captain America! This is an honor!" Toro grinned, holding out a hand to the super-soldier. "Tom Raymond! Nice to meet you!"
"Steve Rogers." Steve introduced himself, shaking the offered hand. He gestured to Bucky. "And Bucky Barnes."
"Nice to meet you." He shook the two Torches' hands.
"Well, if we're going on first names, I'm Jim Hammond." Jim shook Steve and Bucky's hands.
"Funny enough, I've seen you before." Steve said to Jim.
"Oh?"
"I saw you fight Namor in New York City a couple years ago." Steve recalled.
"I was there, too. That fish-man was lucky." Bucky grumbled. "I could have taken him." (Author's Note: A pre-Captain America Steve Rogers and Bucky witnessed some of the fight between Jim Hammond and Namor in Fire vs. Water)
"As someone who took punches from that 'fish-man', I'd say you were the lucky one." Jim chuckled. "I take it that you know about this Master Man guy, huh?"
"If he is as tough as you say he is, then we may need more help to take him down." Cap said.
"There's a whole bunch of mystery men running around." Jim said. "Maybe we can use the radio to contact them."
"Oh, man." Toro groaned. "We're gonna need all the help we can get. The Master Man is no joke." He looked at Cap and Bucky. "He makes the stuff you two and the other Howling Commandoes have been doing in Europe look like a pleasure cruise." Anderson's eyes widened.
"Is everything alright in here?" Pearson asked as he walked into the room.
Pleasure cruise... His mind repeated, it causing a memory to appear. "Cap!" The scientist called out. "I know what Master Man's mission is!"
"What?" Steve asked.
"When I was held by the Nazis, one of them, a man named Krieghund, said to him that his mission was to 'Kill the Brit'."
"Kill the Brit?" Bucky blinked. "Why kill some British guy?"
Pearson's eyes widened. "Not just any British guy, Sergeant Barnes. We have to get you to Chesapeake Bay! Right now!"
The Atlantic Ocean
A British battleship steamed over the blue waters, headed towards the naval base at Hampton Roads, Virginia. On board the ship was a very special passenger, whose life being preserved was important to every member of the ship's crew. This ship was the HMS Duke of York.
Nearby a Nazi U-Boat surfaced. The captain of the submarine, Krieghund, and Master Man emerged from the conning tower.
"I still think we should just use torpedoes." The captain objected. "It would be easier, and more reliable." He glanced at Master Man. "I'm not sure that this one man can do the job..." The blond super-soldier growled. He angrily grabbed the captain.
"You saying that I can't bring down that fancy raft by myself?" Master Man growled.
"Why not just show him? Actions speak louder than words, Lohmer." Krieghund said.
Master Man smirked. "You know what? You're right." He let the captain go. "I'll send that raft to Davy Jones's Locker."
"I...do not get the reference." Krieghund admitted.
"It's an American thing." Lohmer shrugged. Over at the British battleship, one of the bridge crew noticed the U-Boat.
"Sir, one of the Jerries got their damned submarines nearby!" He reported. The captain looked out the window.
"A U-Boat? This close to America? They must be mad or completely stupid!" The captain exclaimed. "Man the guns! Sink that U-Boat! Get our guest ready to possibly evacuate the ship!" They noticed Master Man leap from the conning tower. "Bloody hell!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Master Man cackled as he landed on the deck. The sailors on the ship shot at him. "Come on, you limeys! You can do better than that!" He started tearing into them. "I want that fatassed loudmouth out here so I can wring his fat neck!"
A figure exploded from the water, taking to the air. The figure tossed a spear at the Master Man, but he batted it away, causing it to fall back into the ocean.
"You think a mere pointed stick can kill me?!" The superpowered Bundist taunted. The figure then flew down, feet-first.
WHAM!
The figure dropkicked Master Man, knocking him into the front of the ship. The metal dented under the force. Master Man growled at his attacker as he landed on the deck.
He had dark brown skin, with pointed ears. His bare feet had small white bird-like wings at the ankles. His short black hair was slicked back, and his face clean-shaven. He wore a pair of green shorts. He also had on golden bangles, a belt, and a neck decoration, all in an Mesoamerican theme. He also had green ear piercings and a septum piercing in the same style.
"The hell you supposed to be, some weird Mexican?" Master Man scowled.
"I am K'uk'ulkan, human. But I have been known by another name: Namor the Sub-Mariner!" Namor introduced. He looked Master Man over. "I see that the Nazis have, what is the surface world term for it? Captain America envy? Either way, I have been charged with protecting this vessel, and you will not sink it."
"Oh, and how you going to do that? Throw tacos at me?" Master Man smirked.
"You have a strange word for my fists." Namor sneered. "Let me show you the power of Talokan!" Using his wings, the Sub-Mariner launched himself at the super-soldier. He hit the Bundist with a powerful right cross. The blow knocked Master Man aside.
"Cute slap, little girl!" Master Man responded. "Let me show you how a man punches!" He hit Namor in the chin, knocking the monarch into the water. Namor exploded back out, spear in hand. He thrust it at the Nazi superhuman, but Master Man knocked it aside. The two continued trading blows.
Blam! Blam blam! Blam!
"Nn!" Master Man grunted as some bullets hit his back.
FWASH!
He growled as he was also hit by flames. He turned and saw the Human Torch and Toro flying towards him.
WHACK!
"Gah!" A certain disc-shaped shield hit Master Man in the eyes. "My eyes!" Jim and Thomas dropped Cap and Bucky on the ship's deck before landing themselves.
"Pile on!" Cap ordered. Namor blinked.
So, this is that 'Captain America' character I have been hearing about. His voice is familiar to me. Where have I heard it? He shook his head and obeyed Cap's order. He decked Master Man, and Bucky gave him another shot with the butt of his sniper rifle. Jim and Tom blasted him with flames while Cap struck at him with his shield.
"ENOUGH!" Master Man roared. He grabbed Namor by his collar and swung him around, knocking the other heroes aside. "You are fools! Weaklings! Nothing can stop me! I am the Master Man! I am the Ubermensch! I am invincible!"
"No one is invincible!" Steve snapped, throwing his shield-covered arm like he was trying to punch Master Man. The blond powerhouse caught the shield.
"How does it feel to encounter your superior, Captain America?!" Master Man snapped. "God, I hate you!" He kicked Cap in the gut, and grabbed him by the throat. "You think you're so great?! You think you're so badass? You!" He punched Cap. "Are!" Another punch. "NOTHING!" He angrily tossed Cap into Namor and the Torches.
"Oh, shut up!" Bucky fired a shot from his rifle. The bullet still bounced off his hide, but the Nazi super-soldier noticed something.
That...that hurt. Lohmer thought. That hasn't happened before. Is my power leaving me? His eyes widened. Now that he thought about it, his uniform felt a little looser. No! Not again! I can't be that weakling again! I was a god! The panicked Lohmer leapt into the water. The group of heroes had managed to entangle themselves.
"I had him!" Namor snapped.
"Not how it looked from my perspective, fish-face!" Jim retorted.
"Guys, please!" Cap put himself between them. "We have a common enemy right now. If you two want to fight again, you're just going to have to wait!"
"Captain America!" The captain called out. "There's a U-Boat over there!" He pointed it out to the five heroes. Steve nodded to Jim, Toro, and Namor.
"I take it you gentlemen can handle that?"
"With pleasure, Cap." Jim smirked.
"Challenge me." Namor snorted. He dove into the water.
"Fire the torpedoes!" The U-Boat's captain ordered. "Bring that ship down-!"
BOOM! BOOM!
Jim and Tom started raining fire down on the U-Boat, but the submarine managed to fire a pair of torpedoes at the Duke of York.
"Ah, a pair of lost fish looking for their way home." The prince smirked. He grabbed the torpedoes. "Allow me to guide you there!" Namor sent the torpedoes flying back towards the U-Boat, fatally wounding the submarine. The three returned to the Duke of York's main deck.
"Now that this ship is safe, we need to find the Master Man." Cap said.
"Wait." Namor said. "Your voice..." The prince glared at the man who would become known as the First Avenger. "I know your voice. Remove your helmet."
"Hey, wait a minute! Where the hell do you get off-!" Jim started to argue.
"It's alright, Jim." Steve took off his helmet, letting the prince see his face. The brown-skinned man was something he claimed that never happened to him. He was struck speechless. Steve Rogers smiled at him. "You said you would remember me, and we would meet again."
"...Steve Rogers." Namor whispered. He looked over the blond man in shock. "This must be some kind of surface trick. You were a skinny shrimp, but with the eyes and bearing of a much stronger man! How-?!"
"Clean living, and a good exercise program." Steve joked. "But that's not the point. We're going to have to work together. It'll likely be the only way to stop Master Man."
"No kidding." Toro agreed. "Man shrugged off flame like it was nothing!"
"Same with bullets." Bucky added. "The man's a real-life Hyperion. And we got no Argonite."
"I love his radio show, too." Toro grinned at the older man.
"Even Hyperion isn't invincible." Steve said sagely. "Everyone has a weakness."
Bucky then was hit by something. "Steve, the last time I shot Master Man, I think he freaked out."
"What do you mean?" Toro asked.
"He acted like it hurt him." Bucky pointed out.
"That's weird." Jim blinked. "He shrugged off my flames like they were nothing."
"And he was somehow able to match me in power." Namor frowned.
"I'm betting that his power is fading." Cap realized. "The Hampton Roads channel is not too far from here. He's likely fleeing there."
True to Cap's prediction, Master Man did indeed swim to the channel. He managed to pull himself to land. The super-soldier panted, and looked at his hands. His uniform was a bit more loose.
I am getting weaker. He thought. That's impossible. How is this happening? Master Man thought. It must be that serum. Maybe it's wearing off? Either way, I have to get out of here! He ran for it. He made his way to a road, racing alongside the cars.
"There he is!" He heard a voice called out. Lohmer turned around and saw Jim and Toro flying towards him.
"Is it just me, Pappy, or is he getting slower?" Toro blinked.
"It's over, Master Man!" He began throwing fireballs at the weakening super-soldier. Follogwing behind them was a commandeered car, the driver being Captain America. Bucky leaned out the passenger-side window. He pointed his sniper rifle at Master Man.
"He's shrinking, Steve." Bucky noticed.
"I was right. His power is wearing off." Steve realized. "We want to capture him alive if possible, Bucky."
"Right." Bucky loaded his rifle with tranquilizer darts.
"No! NO!" Master Man yelled as he shrank and weakened further. He desperately tried to avoid the fireballs Jim and Toro were raining down on him. 'I can't be that weakling again! Not again! I was strong once! I..." He shrank down to his original size. He tripped over his now oversized boots and fell over.
THOK!
"AGH!" The now-weak Lohmer yelped as a tranquilizer dart hit him in the backside, the dart pumping the relaxing agent into his bloodstream. Cap pulled up to him as the Torches landed nearby. The four men surrounded the Nazi super-soldier.
"Not such a tough guy now, are ya?" Bucky smirked. As he went under, Lohmer tried to shoot his most withering glare at Captain America.
"Hate...you..." He slurred out. "Not...fair...you...get...to...be...stroooooong..." He fell under the effects of the tranquilizer.
"The police will take care of him now." Cap nodded. "Let's get back to our aquatic friend."
"Hopefully he didn't annoy the crew too much." Jim agreed with a nod.
A short time later, the Duke of York had made port. Namor was standing next to the gangplank.
"About time." The aquatic prince snorted as he watched the others arrive.
"Nice to meet you too, fish-man." Jim responded.
"We had to make sure the authorities had Lohmer secure." Cap added.
"I hope they give him the chair." Bucky grumbled.
"Why were the Nazis after this boat?" Toro asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Jim said. "What I'm also curious about is how you ended up playing guardian whale to a surface world ship, Namor." Jim frowned at the monarch.
"Thank Betty Dean for that." Namor explained. "She had relatives in England who had connections." He smirked. "It's not surprising that she would think I was more worthy of this mission than you, Jim Hammond." Jim growled.
"I was doing missions for the government when the US joined the war! And I've warmed your hide before, flounder-face!" Jim snapped.
"Funny, that is not how I remember it." Namor smirked.
Why do I suddenly have a headache? Steve rubbed his head.
"You gentlemen have formidable firepower. Perhaps it would be best used on the Nazis instead of each other?" A voice noted with a chuckle. The five turned and saw a man standing on the gangplank. But he was not just any man. He was a man who would become regarded as a rather significant figure in British history.
"Is that..." Toro blinked in amazement.
"It is." Jim nodded. The five were staring at the Prime Minister of Great Britain himself. Winston Churchill. He had a couple of guards flanking him.
"Mr. Prime Minister...this...this is an honor." Steve said. "I mean..."
"The honor is mine, lad." Churchill chuckled, shaking Steve's hand. He shook Bucky's hand. "And Sgt. James Barnes. I have been hearing on the radio about you two and your work with the Howling Commandoes. Smashing up the Nazis, and all that. Splendid, indeed."
"What brings you to America, sir?" Toro asked.
"Conferring with my American counterpart." Churchill said. "I had done so the previous year. After all, there is a war on, and we do have a common foe." He looked at his watch. "I'm afraid I have to get going. Apologies for not staying around." The guards guided Churchill to a nearby car. He looked at the five. "I'm sure you five gentlemen have your fair share of disagreements. After all, you two had a pretty famous row a couple years ago." He smirked at Jim and Namor. "But this war will need you lot to resolve them, or at least put them aside for the duration. Considering how well you lot did against that Master Man blackguard, as well as those Commandos wreaking havoc in Hitler's little 'Fortress Europa', perhaps you should combine your forces." Churchill's eyes gleamed. "I can only imagine the look on Hitler's face if he was brought down by invaders like you lot." He entered the car. "Hopefully, we shall meet again in Berlin." He flashed the five the 'V for Victory' sign. The window went up, and the car drove away to the White House.
The five heroes looked at each other.
"The five of us? Working together?" Bucky snickered. "That's a laugh."
"I don't know, Bucky." Cap countered. "I think there's some potential here. We were able to stop Master Man."
"Only because he grew weak." Namor reminded with a snort.
"True, we did have a bit of luck on our side there." Cap agreed. "But if we keep working together, we can stop other threats like Master Man. I doubt he'll be the last super-agent the Nazis cook up."
"This alliance sounds ridiculous." Namor scowled. "Work with a bunch of surface men? I would like to remind you all Talokan considers itself neutral in your war."
"This war affects your little aquarium-land too, you arrogant seaweed-eater!" Jim snapped. "Remember when you used the war as an excuse to attack New York City? And you certainly had no issue guarding a surface leader? All because some blonde dame asked you to."
"My relationship with Betty Dean is no concern of yours, android!" Namor snapped back. Toro moved to pull Jim back as Cap put himself between the two.
Oh God, it'll be New York City all over again. Bucky facepalmed.
"That's enough!" Cap commanded.
"He's right, Pappy! It's not worth it!" Toro agreed.
"Look, I know that you two have had your differences." Cap said. "But Churchill is right. There's a bigger threat. I'm not asking you guys to be friends. But what I am asking is that we try to work together. The war affects us all, and we could be the biggest boon the Allies have in winning it. Master Man may be a failure, but the Nazis will try to make something like him again. And worse, they could succeed. And we could help end this thing sooner."
Namor thought this over. "...I cannot believe I am saying this, but Steve Rogers has a point. Your war has touched my home as well. And you will need me to help end it."
"So, we're a team now?" Bucky asked.
"I guess so." Toro shrugged.
"Churchill said that Hitler would be surprised if we invaded his Fortress Europa, so...maybe just...the Invaders." Jim suggested.
"Works for me." Bucky shrugged.
"The Invaders." Cap smiled. "I like it."
"Heck yeah!" Toro whooped, pumping his fist in the air. "I can't wait to toast some Nazis!" Jim looked at his young partner with worry.
"Dugan and the boys are going to love this." Bucky chuckled.
The Watcher's Domain
"So that's how they formed." Abby noted.
"Indeed. During the war, alongside the Howling Commandos, Captain America, Namor, Bucky Barnes, and James Hammond would fight on the front lines in the European Theater, and then the Pacific."
"I don't get it." Abby asked. "If Toro was one of the Invaders' founders, how come he wasn't ever on the front lines with them?"
"Because of his age." The Watcher answered. "James Hammond did not want young Toro to see the horrors of the war firsthand. Toro would go on to be involved with a stateside-based group of heroes: The Liberty Legion."
"That makes sense." Mei nodded. "In 1942, Toro's not much older than we are. Can't blame Jim for wanting to keep him out of Europe during that time."
"It don't seem fair to me." Abby pouted. "I mean, the other Invaders got to punch some Nazis, and he didn't."
"If it is any consolation, Miss Park, Toro still got to have many adventures with the Liberty Legion, especially their contingent of younger superheroes, the Kid Commandos." Uatu smiled.
"Ooh, the Kid Commandos!" Abby whooped.
"Whatever happened to this 'Master Man'?" Priya asked.
"It was believed that he vanished after the end of World War II." Uatu said. "Master Man would return in the 21st century, but that's another story. However, he would leave a legacy." He showed an image of a blond man looking through some files. "Driven by an obsession with Captain America, a man named William Burnside would discover the formula for the Super-Soldier Serum variant that empowered Master Man. Having a PhD in chemistry himself, Burnside would further develop this variant."
"In 1953, the FBI would take him on as an agent, and he would use this new variant of the serum to become the Captain America of the 1950s. During his time working for the FBI as Captain America, Burnside would be partnered with a young agent named Jack Munroe. Munroe would also receive the Burnside variant, and operate as Bucky." Uatu showed an image of Burnside as Captain America. (Author's Note: As established in History Lesson-199999)
"Boy, I bet it would have been awkward if they shrank down like Lohmer did." Tyler snickered.
"Would be funny, though." Abby added with a giggle.
"Burnside's variant did provide stable powers, but another side effect occurred. Over time, Burnside and Munroe would lose their sanity. The two men always considered themselves patriotic and loyal Americans, and their Serum variant turned it into jingoistic paranoia. The two men saw subversives and saboteurs everywhere." Uatu showed the Besties images of Burnside and Munroe attacking people in New York City's Harlem and San Francisco's Chinatown neighborhoods.
"Funny how those two never seemed to attack white people." Priya noticed.
"Wouldn't surprise me if those two lunatics attacked a synagogue or two." Miriam added.
"Their paranoia did partially come from the prejudicial attitudes that were considered acceptable in the era." Uatu nodded. "The FBI captured them and placed them in suspended animation. They now reside in a facility in the American South known as Deep Freeze."
"How did they explain Captain America and Bucky seemingly going crazy?" Tyler blinked.
"The FBI claimed they were Communist agents posing as Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes."
"Did Steve Rogers learn of them?" Miriam asked.
"He, Bucky Barnes, and Sharon Carter will learn of them in the future, but that is a tale for another time. After this fiasco, the American government would continue their work on the Serum, using Burnside's variant as a basis. It would be refined further, eventually being given to John Walker, aka US Agent of the Thunderbolts." He showed them an image of Walker in his US Agent costume with the Thunderbolts.
"He looks like one of those cheap action figures you find in a dollar store." Abby snorted.
Phoenix, Arizona, Earth-199999, Present Day
"Tum-te-tum with Amy..." A blonde woman sang as she happily worked in the garden at the back of her home. She had long blonde hair that was pulled into a ponytail, a pair of gray bangs falling over her face. She also had gray at the temples. These were the only indication that this woman was quite older than she looked. She wore a yellow blouse and jeans, with a green gardening apron covering them.
There we go. The woman thought as she put her gardening tools in the pockets of her apron and wiped her gloved hands. She smiled in approval as she looked over her garden, then went inside. The woman walked into the living room of her house. From a hidden compartment on a bookshelf, she pulled out a scrapbook. She sat down with it and opened it up. The woman looked at a photograph taken in 1948. It depicted herself, Toro, and Jim Hammond. A sad smile crossed her face.
Once upon a time, this woman was a superheroine. When the fires of World War II burned in Europe and Asia, she was helping defend America from spies and supervillains as one of the Liberty Legion. And for a time in the late 1940s and early 1950s, she was a partner of the Original Human Torch in his crimefighting ventures.
This woman was born Mary Mitchell in the dawn of the 20th Century in New York City. In her teenage years, she discovered that she had photokinetic abilities. This would inspire the young woman to become a costumed crimefighter known as the Sun Girl in the 1920s. When World War II hit, she considered hanging the costume up and joining the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, but was convinced to join the Liberty Legion instead.
After the war ended, she continued superheroing. It would be in the early 1970s that her mysterious powers also had another boon: Her aging was greatly slowed. This led her to finally retire from superheroics, as it was getting harder for her to hide that she was older than she looked.
Since then, Mary Mitchell lived quietly, changing her identity every so often to avoid arousing suspicion. She was tempted to contact the X-Men not long after they hit the news (Author's Note: In Michael Weyer's Gamma Relations) as she theorized that maybe her being a mutant was the source of her abilities, but she never got around to it.
I miss you, Jim. Mary sighed. You know, there's this new kid flying around calling himself the Human Torch nowadays. He's an associate of an old friend of mine. I wonder what you'd think of him. I personally think the Storm kid is a bit of a brat, but who knows? Maybe in time, he'll grow more mature. Time... Mary turned some pages in the scrapbook, looking sadly at the pictures in them. Never seems to be enough of it. Never enough time to do everything you want. Never enough time for friends...
Unknown Location on Earth-199999
A corpse with a hole in its chest sat on a metal slab. An elderly man with slicked back hair in a well-tailored suit walked up to the corpse. With him was a brunet woman wearing a red uniform with thin black stripes. A scar was on her left cheek. The costume had yellow flames forming a stripe that went over her shoulders, and yellow gloves and boots. The black stripes did not go over the yellow parts. The costume had a chest emblem of a yellow flame in a black circle. Around the waist was a yellow utility belt. The belt had a round buckle with the chest emblem on it.
"I take it you recognize this man, Miss Brandt?" Justin Hammer Sr. remarked.
"Yup!" Ellen Brandt nodded. "This was Eric Savin. He and I went through the Extremis process together." She tilted her head sadly and sighed. "Shame Iron Donkey Nuts blew his heart out. He was nice. And had a nice butt."
"I...will take your word for that, Firebrand." Hammer Senior said. "I went to great lengths to obtain Mr. Savin's body."
"What for?" Ellen blinked. "I mean, look at him." She pointed at Savin's corpse. "That bitch Starkie blew a hole in his chest. Ain't no comin' back from that. Even for us Extremis-hopped up super-soldiers."
"The body is the important thing, my dear. Who this man was in the past does not matter."
"Hey, as much as I would like seeing Eric back, I admit, it would be a little weird to see him walking around and not be...him." Ellen said.
"You never know, my dear Firebrand." Hammer Sr. smiled. "I mean, we managed to fix you."
"I guess." Ellen shrugged. Her eyes then flickered. "When do we get to beat on Stark and his little Avenger buddies? I wouldn't also mind taking on Cap. He's cute."
"...Quite."
New York City, Earth-199914, Present Day
"Here you go, Miss." Gregor Gerasimov smiled as he handed Kahhori a small paper cup with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it. While the Nelvana Doctor and Doctor Zero had their talk, the mustached man offered to take Kahhori and Raven to show them a bit of the city. The two were amazed by the city, the Mohawk powerhouse arguably more. She was amazed by Central Park's Zoo, showcasing animals she had never seen before, like zebras and lions.
"Thank you." Kahhori accepted the ice cream. She blinked at the spoon.
"Like this, Kahhori." Raven said. She scooped some chocolate ice cream in her spoon, and put it in her mouth.
"New to this, huh?" Gregor chuckled, enjoying his own mint chocolate chip.
"She's new to a lot of things." Raven nodded. Kahhori imitated Raven's gesture with her own ice cream. She put the cold treat in her mouth, and then closed her mouth around the spoon. The Mohawk woman's eyes widened and she suddenly went still. Raven and Gregor blinked at this.
"...Miss Kahhori?" Gregor blinked. He waved his hand in front of her face. "Are you alright?"
"Kahhori?" Raven blinked. "You in there?" The Mohawk woman slowly pulled the spoon out of her mouth and swallowed her ice cream. She stared at her spoon. "I...I think it broke her."
"This...is...GLORIOUS!" Kahhori whooped.
Miami, Florida, Earth-199596
A woman floated in the night sky over the neon-lit city. Her dark eyes weren't focused on any particular stellar object, she was actually deep in thought. The woman had an athletic frame. Her brown hair blew in the slightly cool winds. She wore a costume what was predominantly white-and-black with gold highlights, and yellow gloves and boots. Her black cowl hid her eyes behind white lenses. On the costume was a chest emblem of a white 8-pointed star with longer cardinal points bordered in gold.
Star Brand. Real Name: Carmella Cruz. Birthplace: Miami, Florida. Affiliation: None. Physiology: Enhanced human. Powers and abilities: Star Brand glyph grants Cruz potentially unlimited power, limited only by imagination.
"Penny for your thoughts, my love?" A strong masculine voice asked. A smile appeared on Cruz's face. She turned her head and saw a man floating towards her. He wore a predominantly black costume with silver highlights, boots, and gloves. His costume had a silver cape, and a silver helmet. On the chest was an emblem of a white crescent moon. He floated towards her with his body coated in a corona of dark blue-colored energy.
Nightmask. Real Name: Apollo Jackson (born Alanna Jackson). Birthplace: Miami, FL. Affiliation: None. Physiology: Enhanced Human. Powers and abilities: Nightmask glyph grants telepathy, telekinesis, dream manipulation, teleportation.
Apollo Jackson wasn't just her partner in crime-fighting as the Nightmask, he was also the love of her life.
"You know me too well." Carmella said, floating towards her lover.
"My whole life." He touched his forehead to hers. "Something is troubling you."
"I'd be lying if I said there wasn't." Carmella admitted. "You feel it, don't you?"
"...yes." Apollo admitted with a nod. "The Superflow has given me some strange dreams. Dreams of a monsters rampaging through worlds. Spiders under siege. Evil and good forming councils. And a murderous being who is intent on destroying everything."
"Indeed." Carmella nodded. She looked back up at the skies. "The worlds are in danger. All of them. It's so overwhelming."
"We do what we can." Apollo said, taking Carmella into his arms. "That's all we can do. The Multiverse is in danger, but we won't be alone. We'll fight alongside the many other heroes of this Earth. And whatever happens, we'll face it together." The two shared a kiss. "I know what'll get your mind off this."
"What?"
"Warpzone and Crocodilus are up to their old tricks back home in Houston." Apollo said.
"Heh." Carmella smirked and punched her palm. "Crocodilus. I owe that punk another broken jaw. Let's go."
The HMS Duke of York was an actual British battleship used during World War II. It was commissioned in 1941, decommissioned in 1951, and scrapped in 1957. And yes, in the real world, it did transport Winston Churchill to a meeting with Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But in the real world, that meeting happened in December 1941.
The Kid Commandos first appeared in Invaders #27 (April 1978), created by Roy Thomas, Frank Robbins, and Frank Springer. In the comics, Bucky was a member as well. I decided to establish here that Tom "Toro" Raymond didn't fight in the front lines as an Invader on Earth-199999 because well...he's a kid. The front line was no place for him. He is still considered an Invader, though. Founding member privilege, and all that.
Mary Mitchell/Sun Girl first appeared in Sun Girl #1 (August 1948), created by artist Ken Bald and an unknown writer. She had no powers in the comics, just fighting skills and a "sunbeam gun" the fired bright blasts of light.
Think of Crocodilus as Earth-199596's answer to Killer Croc.