Issue 1:Link
Previously:
2034
The Florida Everglades, Nexus of All Realities
The world turned black.
Not literally. In terms of appearance and landscape, the planet largely remained the same, barring a few countries and cities wiped from the map thanks to the invasion years prior. Instead the world turned black due to the despair that gripped it, choking the life from an already dying planet that had endured so much in its young existence. People had died during the cataclysm of 2020, and ever since mankind had deteriorated. Those that survived found themselves being packed into cramped cities like cattle waiting for the slaughter, and as the despair began to set in to the populace, violence began to become far more common to those who had originally been able to avoid it.
The world had turned black, and amidst the blackness sat one man. His name was Doctor Stephen Strange, former surgeon and current Sorcerer Supreme of Earth and all the planets that made up the rest of his universe. Doctor Strange had never looked young, a decade prior he'd often looked like the oldest man in the room. Time had only added to the effect, and while Strange's robes remained the same, the good doctor now greatly resembled the Ancient One who had trained him in the mystic arts years prior. He sat in shadow, meditating and hovering above the green, murky water of the swamp that he had made his home for the past few years, finding a strange calm among the shrubs and bacteria and mystical dangers lethal to any mortal that they encountered.
One of those dangers rose up from the water, a shaking mass of conjoined vines, roots and plant matter that had somehow, through a quirk of the universe formed into some sort of man... thing. The Man-Thing, contrary to its name, had almost nothing human in its physical makeup. Swamp water dripped from its body, and the creature's red, bubbling eyes seemed to shine in the darkness as it regarded the mystic meditating quietly before him. Silent except for a hissing wheeze of air from its tendrils every so often, the Man-Thing leaned in close to Doctor Strange's face, curious with his state, and snapped his green fingers, trying to conjure up some form of a reaction. The creature got one.
"Is there a problem, Doctor Sallis?" Strange asked, not bothering to open his eyes as he kept his mind balanced at a point of spiritual enlightenment, purple rune symbols appearing upon his hands as he muttered a hidden phrase and shifted his cross legged position, to standing in mid-air. Startled, Man-Thing stumbled backward, splashing swamp water by his feet and leaking acid from his finger tips as he tried to regain his balance.
"No!"The shambling mass that had once been Doctor Ted Sallis began to calm down, voice sounding like a squirming, squelching hive of activity as he spoke, almost like there were many voices speaking at once. "No, no problem."
Behind Doctor Strange, the group of green, glowing trees known as the Nexus of All Realities let out a low hum, its energy shifting, as the silhouette of an object began to shift and turn in the Nexus' center. The energy flowed free from the plants that had sprouted it, and began to drift off softly into the rest of the swamp, illuminating the shadows it passed by.
"You're not having any issues with the Spells I conjured to restore your mind?"
The Man-Thing shook his head quickly, spraying water all around like a dog trying desperately to get dry from the rain. Doctor Strange's closed eye lids winced as he felt a few droplets splash into his face, severing the man's connection to the astral plane.
"No. I'm fine."Ted let out something intended to be a sigh, but seemed to resemble an ungodly scream as it escaped him. "I mean... I can't thank you enough, Doctor. You've done more than enough. But is there no way you can bring back my old body? Everytime I try to leave the swamps people either scream and call the police, or scream and try to shoot me. It makes things difficult."
Stephen feigned interest, feet hovering inches above the water as he opened up his eyes, cast away his conjurings and began to wander his makeshift home, moving towards a tree stump acting as a table for a round, purple orb.
"I understand." He said, plucking up the orb of Agamotto, and bringing it over to the Man-Thing who simply stared at it through his red, bubbling eyes, confused. "But I'm afraid whatever unfortunate accident that lead you to become the guardian of the Nexus, was not actually an accident." Strange explained, planting the Orb in Ted's hands, mystical barriers protecting the item from the acid secreting from the creature's palm. "For whatever reason, the universe has decided my spells cannot help you. And for that, my friend, I give you my deepest apologies."
"It's alri-"
"But for now." Doctor Strange continued, placing a gloved hand atop the Orb, causing it to shimmer with power. "I need you to tell me what you see."
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New York City: Daredevil
In a city of graves, a Man Without Fear stands watch, blind in sight but strong in heart. People call him many things. Hero, vigilante, murderer, mayor... but Matt Murdock prefers Daredevil. It was a name he was once tormented by, but now... now Matt sees it as a source of strength. There's the scent of H20 in the air, the sound of thunder clouds ripping open, and soon rain begins to fall from far above, a holy baptism for the old folk hero.
"Sorry I'm late."
Behind Matt, Anna May Parker, fourteen years old, slams onto the roof, possessing the unnatural abilities of her father, and dressed in a cheap, fancy dress costume purchased from a local corner shop. There's a grin on her face, a fire in her eyes, and the red hair atop her head seems to burn with heat in the cold air.
"Late to class?" Matt asks beneath his mask, tutting slightly as he begins to grin upon hearing the sirens in the air. "On the first day? For shame." There's the crack of thunder in the sky as Mayor Murdock is reminded of his younger years, gallivanting around like a modern day Robin Hood, and taking on people who just couldn't let the world rest in its slumber. By his side, May Parker stares out at the city, eager with excitement for the coming adventure and unaware of the dark secrets it holds.
"So where do we start, boss?" She asks, making Matt remember his first night out in Hell's Kitchen, sharing a similar enthusiasm for the adventures ahead.
"I teach a simple class." Daredevil says, equipping his billy club as he prepares to venture into the concrete jungle below. "It's pass or fail. I'm thinking we start with with some muggings... and see how you do."
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Broxton, Oklahoma: Beta Ray Bill
There's a bolt of lightning that drifts along with the falling snow, reigniting the fires that had once inhabited the hearts of many. Far below, a god watches his handiwork streak across the skies and smiles with satisfaction, carrying an immovable weapon as easily as a foam mallet. Beta Ray Bill smirked among the ruins of Old Asgard, an old, withered smile that had suffered through many a tragedy, a tragedy that lay before him in the middle of a shattered throne room. Bill stared at the mighty Mjolnir, a cracked weapon that still stood strong with its power, then Bill looked at the hammer clipped to his belt... a just as mighty weapon known as Stormbreaker.
"One day, my friend." Bill muttered, rising up from his throne and looking again to the sky as the snow began to pour through a crack in the ceiling. "One day there will be another Thor."
Thunder crackled in hearty agreement.
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Mutantville: Peter Quill
Far from the ruins of noble Asgard, lay the ruins of the new world. In a place once called San Francisco, now mockingly known as Mutantville, a spaceman walks around undeterred, carrying the skull of one of his targets in hand, a souvenir from yet another successful hunt. "Don't blow it." The Starman told a homeless man as he tossed over a crumpled bundle of dollar bills, the homeless man gave off a drunken chuckle, joined by a nearby group of mutants who snickered to themselves as they walked by. The spaceman, the Star-Lord, ignored them as he arrived at the local hive of scum and villainy.
"Peter Quill!" Behind a closed window, a man with a dozen heads grinned, showing as many sets of fanged teeth with his smile. "Welcome home!" A reluctant smile broke out across Star-Lord's face as he passed the skull of his bounty to the clerk, wiping dirt from his coat jacket as it threatened to mess up the colors.
"I'll be gone as soon as I'm paid, RJ." Peter said, holding out a hand as he got passed a couple fifty dollar bills. "Man's gotta eat. And the food here isn't exactly sanitary."
"How'd you like to eat like a king?" The clerk asked, tossing the skull over his shoulder, where it shattered apart with a crash. "Got a new job for ya! If you're willing..." Intrigued perked up on Star-Lord's face, the vague promise of money was more than enough to entice the former Guardian into any scenario.
"What kind of job?"
"Nothing too big. Client just wants one of the Infinity Stones."
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Irrelevant but maybe cool?:
Boston: Hawkeye
There was a man who had seen better days. People once called him Hawkeye, avenging archer and hero. Now people just called him Clint, alcoholic and scum of the Earth. Soon he hoped to be known by the former once again. He clicked a button on his remote, smiled at the camera, and broadcast himself to millions across the world.
"Hey guys..." Clint said, wiping sweat from the camera as he began to speak. He was dressed in a purple vest, bandage wrapped around his nose and heavy rimmed glasses covering his eyes. "I... I say 'guys' because I hope there's a few of you listening. I'm Clint Barton, Hawkeye, if you don't know me ask your dad... and I'm speaking today because I woke up the other day... took a look around, and... and I realised just how far we'd fallen. People call me an Avenger. That means I avenge evil... and right now evil's all I see. So I gotta say it..."
Avengers Assemble.
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Florida
Pond life shifts as metal wades through it, disturbing the peaceful nature that had once existed there. The red orb that was he Man-Thing's eye widened as the creature's body pulled away from the Orb of Agamotto, which quickly hovered in the dank dark.
"Despair."The Man-Thing said, voice squelching as he spoke and stared absent minded at a frog resting by his feet atop a lillipad. "Just despair, Doctor. Surely we can use whatever we're guarding t-"Noticing the silence, the creature began to turn, searching for his companion, yet finding nothing. "Doctor?"It seemed Doctor Strange had disappeared, taking advantage of Ted Sallis' vision to attend to some other more important matter. Yet as the Man-Thing stood amid the swamp, he sensed that something was very, very wrong. There was a splash from somewhere in the dark, and the creature felt paranoia creep across his mind like the bugs embedded in his skin. "Strange?"A figure wearing a green cloak emerged from the trees, armored hand glowing golden with power as the wielder glared at the odd swamp creature he'd encountered out of the blue.
"Not Strange." He answered as the Man-Thing began to brace itself for the incoming attack, growing in height till he loomed by the treetops. "Only Doom." And Doom it was, Doctor Doom to be precise. He stood tall in his armor, not as tall as the dreaded Man-Thing, but tall as mortals go. Previous damage suffered to his armor had clearly been erased, resulting in a sleek, silver look for the tyrant... and beneath the man's mask, were red, bloody eyes. Several white hot blasts shot from Doctor Doom's gauntlet, tearing through Man-Thing's chest like paper, and continuing to fly into the night sky. Almost immediately the assault proved ineffective as the foliage making up Ted Sallis' chest began to knit itself back together.
"I don't know who you are..."Man-Thing growled before reaching a giant hand down towards his attacker, the Doctor didn't bother to move, letting himself be gripped among the ferns and swamp life. "But you're out of your league!" There was the crackle of yellow lightning in the creature's fist, and before Man-Thing could even react, he felt his body begin to slip apart, falling into the swamp as his legs crumpled into mulch and his form separated.
Doctor Doom emerged from the waters, drenched in the mystic plant life of his opponent, yet completely uncaring. Yellow acid sizzled against his armor, resulting in steam sizzling up into the air, the burn marks on his cloak were a souvenir from an encounter that Doom was already forgetting. Stepping back into firm ground, the Doctor focused back on his true objective, and plunged his metal hand through the bark of a nearby tree, which seemed to belch out the green, flowing energy of the universe. Pulling his hand from the tree, Victor Von Doom found himself smiling as he claimed what he had been searching for.
The Infinity Gauntlet seemed eager to return to life, clinging to Doom's wrist as if it were alive... and even though the gauntlet was currently devoid of all the stones it was designed to wield, Doctor Doom knew that they would soon be reunited.
To be continued?
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