Individual stories in the box below:
SHIELD Helicarrier, Utah airspace
Commander Nicholas Fury stood quietly as he absorbed the images. The SHIELD monitor room had over a thousand screens and they all showed the same thing just from different angles. Months ago they were just four people: Reed Richards, Johnny Storm, Susan Storm and Benjamin Grimm. Now, four colourful creatures. Four very angry and out of control colourful creatures rampaging across New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and Utah.
Some lower level pencil pusher had nicknamed them The Fantastic Four, more out of bleak comedy than anything. The quartet were like a force of nature, if that force of nature liked punching the daylights out of each other.
“Any suggestions?” Fury turned to the assembled group.
“How about a tanker full of knockout gas?” suggested air force Colonel Carol Danvers, who herself had gotten powers due to Reed’s spaceship which the armed forces had taken control over and tested.
“I could just go in,” said Frank Castle as he folded his tree trunk like arms. He was an impressively big man with power too match.
“Perhaps,” said Professor Charles Xavier as he took centre stage “Or instead of simply aggravating the situation; that we try talking to them. Before the explosion they were all normal rationale human beings.”
“What kind of rational human builds a rocket to shoot his friends into space that would’ve them strange and unusual powers?” quipped Carol as she elongated her hand and fingers then making the ends catch fire to illustrate her point.
“You want to talk to them Charles, be my guest!” said Fury. “But you may end up in a wheelchair or even dead.”
“Commander, you did ask us here for suggestions,” said Spider-Man as he jotted down some notes onto an Ipad. Underneath the mask was world renowned scientist Hank Pym who had been bitten by a radioactive spider giving him the proportional strength, speed and abilities of a spider. “There is no harm in talking. And if that fails, well I may just have a solution.”
“Thank you Spider-Man,” Charles smiled “There is four of them. We have Spider-Man. We have my Defenders; Havok, Cyclops, Ice-Man, Marvel Girl and Storm. We have Juggernaut and…” he paused and pointed at Carol.
“Ms Marvel.” Carol said quietly, almost embarrassed by her code name.
“Ms Marvel and…” Charles paused as a man with brown hair, glasses, wearing a red and blue costume with a cape that the underside looked like the night sky. Several SHIELD agents aimed their guns at the man only to have Fury wave them off.
“Quasar,” interrupted Bruce as he landed “Sorry I’m late. Fury.”
Nicholas scowled a little as he looked at the man, trying to place the face. “Well if this doesn’t work I’ll go up to Harlem and hire Power Man to help.”
**
Queens, NY
The Sorceress Supreme, Elektra Natchios, hovered in the air of her Sanctum Santorum. Her legs crossed and eyes closed as a slight sweat glistened on her brow. A censer burning acrid fumes filling the room swirled into patterns. Slowly her eyes opened to see a vague image in the vapours of Valtorr.
“By the Vishanti!” she exclaimed standing up to look at the imagery in the clouds. Bright colours, lightning bolts and... “Death!”
Elektra crossed the room and took down two sais from the weapons rack as the Cloak of Levitation and the Eye of Agamotto floated across the room and attached themselves to her neck gracefully.
**
Arizona Desert
“BEN SMASH REED!” The large grey skinned brute slammed a fist into the face of the green skinned Richards sending him flying backwards across the Arizonan desert with an accompanying sound like a bomb test.
“HANDS OFF!” screeched Sue as her large red hand whacked Ben across the face, the sonic boom hear for miles. Ben growled and raised his fist to retaliate when the muscular blue arms of Johnny grabbed him.
“NO HIT JOHNNY’S SISTER!”
Ben lashed out a foot sending Johnny flying off like a punted football and slamming into Reed who was returning to the fray.
“DON’T TOUCH REED!” bellowed the big green man as he pummelled Johnny into the ground. Sue shrieked, backhanded Ben and rushed to pry Reed and Johnny apart. From the safety of several miles up the assembled super force stood in the hangar bay of the Defenders Blackbird jet.
“Sounds like a war,” muttered Juggernaut looking down on the scene.
“I really don’t want to go down there,” said Iceman nervously. “Taking on Magneto is one thing, but four…what are they?”
“People.” Said Storm bluntly as she kissed Cyclops on the lips. Jean pretended not to notice as she took Havok’s hand.
Spider-Man and Professor X looked over the notes Spider-Man had prepared. “They appear to be in a rage loop of sorts. Possibly due to the accident, or they’re in pain.” Charles mused.
“I concur,” said Spider-Man “The accident would be the trigger point. With them all on edge and from the intel Commander Fury gave us about Reed’s change when he thought Susan was in danger, it’s a ultra violent cycle.”
“Check out the big brain on Spider-Man,” said Quasar almost mockingly which made Iceman chuckle.
“The sooner we can deal with this situation, the sooner I can get back to working out how to deal with Victor Von Doom,” Nicholas clicked his fingers and the screens changed to show the Latverian army, led by a massive robot invading the neighbouring nation Symkaria. “Officially it’s a border dispute but since Doom seized power a year ago the UN want to treat him as a rogue state, but nobody has said that, officially.”
“Could just drop the colour squad on him,” suggested Iceman getting a stern look from both Professor Xavier and Fury followed by a light clip over the back of the head by Frank. “What?”
“To the matter at hand,” said Spider-Man “One of them is very dangerous; engaging all four simultaneously is essentially suicide. “If we reduce the problem…”
“Divide and conquer,” said Frank “Solid military tactic.”
Spider-Man tapped his chin as he thought aloud, “If we can separate Reed from the group…”
Iceman cautiously raised his hand “Is that the green, red, grey or blue one?”
**
Symkaria
Victor Von Doom stood on the steps of government house in the capital Aniana. Before him was the remainder of the Symkarian army, on its knees with hands on heads like chastised children. Victor grabbed King Stefan by the collar and slowly dragged him up to eye level.
“Tell them,” he hissed into the old monarchs face.
“I have…given in to the…inva-grahh..” Doom’s grip tightened around Stefan’s windpipe.
“You will say what I have told you, or you will say nothing ever again,” Doom said into his ear “I rarely give second chances Stefan, use this one wisely.” Victor shoved the king forward to the podium. Stefan gulped and steadied himself.
“The monarchy of Symkaria is hereby…abolished. I abdicate my throne and return the…traditional lands to the rightful dominion of Latveria.” Stefan choked over the words, looking out the corner of his eye at Doom who watched him like a hawk. “Long live…Latveria.”
Doom raised his hand and fired the disintegration beam into Stefan, turning him into nothing more than a pile of burnt ash. He took the podium with a smile. “Too long Symkaria has been under the yolk of oppression. You now begin your new phase. As free Latverians!”
The Latverian soldiers erupted in applause. The newly made Latverian soldiers weren’t really sure what to do.
Arizona Desert
Juggernaut landed with a mighty crash in the midst of the four brawling hulks creating a minor earthquake from the force of the impact. The four coloured beasts stopped, looked at him standing there in his black armour, a little bemused.
“Hello.” Frank said and belted Reed like a well hit baseball towards the horizon.
“NO HIT REED!” yelled Susan as she launched at Frank.
“ONLY BEN HIT REED!”
“AND JOHNNY!”
The trio pounced on Juggernaut, smacking him about like an inflatable bop clown. Each fist, elbow, knee and kick hit like a supersonic wrecking ball with the deafening sounds carrying for miles across the desert. They didn’t hurt Frank but there was very little he could do but absorb the onslaught.
“Any time kids,” he said.
**
East Harlem
J. Jonah Jameson looked at the five goombahs playing cards and quietly rolled the flash-bang round across the floor. It stopped neatly under the table before exploding in a shower of phosphorus and sparks, scaring the daylights out of them. As they panicked Jameson walked into the room and began firing. Each bullet was carefully aimed and directed, no shot was wasted. Five shots, four kills, one badly wounded.
“Ohgodohgodohgod!” yelped the thug with the exploded kidney as he lay bleeding profusely on the floor.
“No.” Jonah crouched down to the man and placed his gun to his temple “God shows mercy.”
“Please, please! I’ll tell you everything!” begged the man.
Jonah rubbed his moustache “This is true,” He looked at the man slowly wetting his pants and took out a cigar. He lit it, and blew a cloud of acrid smoke into his crying eyes, never taking his steely gaze off the man. “But, I already know everything you know.” He pulled the trigger and the man’s head exploded like a balloon.
**
Arizona
Can you hear me Reed?
“VOICE IN REED’S HEAD! REED NOT LIKE!” bellowed the green man as he got to his feet and thumped the ground like a child.
My name is Professor Charles Xavier. I’m a telepath. Which is how I’m able to speak directly into your mind.
“REED SMASH YOU!”
Reed, inside you’re a man of science, a man of logic. I need you to listen to my voice and cal…
“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Reed smashed his hands into his temples in a vain effort to knock the sound from his ears.
Reed, please. Listen to m…
“WHERE ARE YOU SO REED CAN SMASH!”
I am at a safe distance and invisible. Please. I could force you to sleep but tha…
“STOP TALKING!” Reed smashed his fists on the ground sending shockwaves along the ground.
“I think I can restrain him,” said Ms Marvel as she held Charles and herself aloft, safely out of Reed’s grasp. “With my stretching and rock form combined I could wrap him up? Being invisible as well he won’t see me coming.”
“Not yet,” replied Charles “But it may come to that.”
**
Tybee Cut, Georgia
Adrian Toomes coughed up a sizeable chunk of the ocean along with most of his stomach lining as he came to on the strange burnt sand beach. His left arm dangled uselessly like a broken celery stick; his hip ached which at his age meant it was broken. Adrian lay on the sand sucking in particles and trying not to drown in the rising tide. He had no idea how he was alive nor where he was. But he knew that if he survived, he was going to kill Flint Marko. Adrian coughed again and saw specks of blood on the beach which looked like he and it were becoming one.
**
Arizona
“JOHNNY SMASH YOU!” yelled the blue giant as he towered over Cyclops.
Havok stepped forward, pointed his arms at Johnny’s sternum and let rip with a massive blast of cosmic plasma that sent the blue man flying. “Don’t touch my brother!”
“Thanks Alex,” said Scott as he got to his feet.
“Maybe next time you’ll listen to orders,” replied Havok as he watched Iceman and Storm encase Johnny Storm in a block of ice and thump to the floor.
“Anyone get the number of that truck?” said Spider-Man as he wobbled on his feet.
“Sorry Spider-Man,” said Cyclops a little sheepishly. It was Scott’s fault Ben had clobbered the arachnid hero.
“Its fine,” said Spider-Man as he watched Quasar hovered above them holding Susan Storm in an energy bubble which she pounded and kicked against
“Where do you want her?” he said.
“Well Bruce,” Spider-Man paused realising his mistake as Quasar squirmed at his real name being used. The scientific community wasn’t all that big and Hank had recognised the brilliant Dr Banner as soon as he arrived. “Sorry, you’re not wearing a mask.”
**
The Blake Pop Up Clinic, The Bronx
“He ain’t got eyes!” remarked the gangbanger as he looked at Dr Donald Blake.
“And you don’t have any manners,” snapped Karen Page pushing him into the chair opposite. “You also don’t have any health insurance.”
Dr Blake smiled, Karen was a godsend to the clinic. Donald put on some sunglasses. “Better.”
“Yeah!” said the man.
“Now what seems to be the matter with you.”
“I’s gots this condition!” The gangbanger pulled up his shirt.
“You’ll have to describe it to him, he ain’t got eyes remember.” Said Karen a little sarcastically as she left the room. As the door clicked behind her she nearly walked smack bang into a woman.
“Oh excuse me,” said Karen. “I didn’t s…”
“Is the son of thunder in there?” asked the woman in red wearing a cloak looking like some sort of exotic strippergram.
“The doctor has a patient,” said Karen “If you would like to wait your turn,” She motioned to the waiting room full of people “We’ll see how we can help.”
Elektra eyed the woman up and down and made a as she slowly made her way back to the desk to address the next waiting person. In a single gesture the Sorceress Supreme could empty the room but that wasn’t the way it was done. Reluctantly Elektra took a seat and picked up a copy of a three day old Daily Bugle with the headline ‘Doom For Symkaria?’.
End of Part 1…
Log in to comment