Somewhere Over New York

The Master Man grit his teeth in annoyance and anger. He fixed his cold gaze on the man who took it upon himself to handle the personification of the Aryan race. Herr Nacht had already been made to look like a fool by that wretched mutant, and the Master Man had punished the worm called Cannonball. Now, he would do the same for this alien scum.

“Are you going to just hover there and stare at me menacingly all day, or are you going to get up here so I can kick your ass?” asked Captain Marvel.

“You—are—DEAD!”

The Master Man pushed himself into top speed, roughly breaking the sound barrier. Captain Marvel braced himself for impact and the Master Man slammed right into him, forcing him higher into the clouds.

Captain Marvel gripped Master Man’s fists, even as the German metahuman pushed him higher into the stratosphere. He grinned and then in a flash of light, Genis vanished. The sudden disappearance caused Master Man to become disoriented. He righted himself, his eyes scanning all around the immediate area, superhuman senses trying to locate his foe.

“Coward!” he shouted. “Come back and face me!”

“If you say so.”

Captain Marvel rematerialized, using his Nega-Bands to unleash a powerful burst of energy, forcing Master Man even higher into the skies. He rocked after, a trail of golden energy in his wake and barreled into the German, knocking him from the sky.

Master Man plummeted to the ground below and Captain Marvel hovered, watching him go. He flew after him, building up his own momentum and delivering a massive punch that increased the Master Man’s speed and he crashed into the ground below with the force of a meteor.

Genis lowered himself, hovering towards the crater left by the Master Man. He’d been out of the game for some time. The last thing he remembered was warning the Avengers that it wasn’t Doom they had to worry about and then…everything went black. Now, he woke up and pure instinct made him move to the deck of the Helicarrier where he found the Master Man posturing. Simple deduction told him that the guy with the swastika on his chest was most-likely the one he should hit.

He felt a bit of disorientation. The Cosmic Awareness that took him so long to get used to was now gone, but fortunately, his Nega-Bands weren’t and neither were his other vaunted powers. It’s what allowed him to gain the upper hand against the Master Man.

Unfortunately, without his Cosmic Awareness, Captain Marvel was unable to see the Master Man coming, his eyes exploding with red-hot energy. Genis tried to generate an energy shield to protect himself from the blunt of the attack, but it came a bit too late. The Master Man flew after him, continuing to bathe him in the intense heat.

The Master Man’s mighty fingers wrapped around Captain Marvel’s throat, slowly beginning to crush the Avenger’s neck. He found himself gasping for breath and his head began to feel light.

His attacker’s grip left and Captain Marvel began to fall. He quickly righted himself and saw what looked like the trail of a missile where Master Man once hovered. Following the trail, Captain Marvel saw Cannonball rocketing towards space with his arms around Master Man.

“You owe me a rematch,” said the mutant hero.

FOURTH REICH

Part VI: D-Day

By Dino Pollard

with a plot assist from Derrick Ferguson

The Steven Rogers

“Are we ready?” asked Tony.

“Yes, Captain Marvel has Master Man occupied,” said the Vision. “And Warbird and Namor have taken care of Warrior Woman and U-Man.”

“You sure you can do this, Zemo?” asked Tony.

“You do your part, Stark. I’ll live up to my end of the bargain,” said Baron Zemo.

“Then do it,” said Tony.

Zemo nodded and the trio of moonstones circled his body. His back straightened, his head tilted back and his arms at his sides, slightly bent with his fingers outstretched. Energy seemed to seep from the moonstones, surrounding everything aboard the Helicarrier, extending outwards into an aura surrounding the Helicarrier itself.

One by one, the Pterorists, the remainder of the Axis Mundi, and the rebellion vanished from the deck. Only the Avengers and Baron Zemo remained onboard, before the Steven Rogers itself vanished in a flash of light.

When it rematerialized, they were in Washington, D.C., hovering above the Red House. However, only Tony Stark still remained onboard. The Helicarrier began a transformation, its mechanisms moving around until it resembled a giant version of Iron Man’s original armor. The massive fist raised up and slammed down in the front yard of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

In response, dozens if not hundreds of Pterorists emerged from nowhere, diving at the giant warship in hopes of causing some form of damage, but each one failing against its incredible hide.

Tony Stark controlled the behemoth from its nerve center, his mind linked in with every system in a fashion that in the past would have been deemed impossible. Unfortunately for the Red Skull and his forces, turning the impossible into tangible reality was Tony Stark’s specialty.

The Helicarrier’s gun turrets, retrofitted with repulsor technology, unleashed a barrage of energy bursts at the Pterorists, striking them down whenever they came. From deep inside the Helicarrier, Tony spoke, his voice transmitted via the Helicarrier so all within the immediate vicinity could hear him.

“This is for Captain America!”

Inside the Red House, the remaining Avengers—Warbird, Vision, and Namor—materialized inside. Baron Zemo stood by their side as well, but almost collapsed once the teleportation completed. Vision helped steady the would-be despot. The moonstones Zemo claimed as his own seemed to glow less brightly and circled around his body at a slower pace.

“Are you okay?” asked Warbird.

“Simultaneously transporting the rest of SHIELD’s forces to various internment camps and teleporting the Helicarrier and the rest of you here is no easy feat,” he said.

“What about the refugees?” asked Warbird.

“Safely transported to Castle Zemo,” he said. “I have also been able to block us from the Skull, but that is a temporary measure at best. Soon, he will realize that Stark is simply providing a distraction so the Avengers can take away his favorite toy.”

“Imperious Rex…” muttered Namor as he approached Zemo. “That is Captain America you refer to in such a manner!”

“That is simply what the Skull sees him as.”

“Back off, Namor.” Warbird blocked the monarch’s path, her hand gently but firmly placed on his bare chest. “Zemo can barely stand, he’s not a threat to us or Cap.”

“Our interests would be best served if we located Captain America. Immediately,” said the Vision.

Namor locked eyes with Warbird, then nodded. “Fine, but keep an eye on him. I’ve contended with more than one Zemo in my time.”

“Zemo, can you find Cap in here with the moonstones?” asked Warbird.

“If I expend any additional energy, the Skull will be alerted to our presence,” said Zemo.

“Fine, then we do it the old fashioned way,” said Warbird. “Everyone, take a wing of the house. Move quickly and quietly. We don’t have any time to lose.”

Cannonball kept his grip on Master Man as he rocketed further and further into the sky. The temperature cooled significantly and the air became thinner. Master Man tried to struggle against him, but the Avenger’s grip was strong.

“You’ll kill us both, you ignorant fool!” he shouted.

“Actually, I’ll just kill you,” said Cannonball with a smirk. “One of the perks of being an External—if I die, I get right back up again.”

“Is that what Captain America would do?” asked the Master Man.

Cannonball slowed his ascent, considering the Aryan’s words. No, he wouldn’t. Cap would find a different way to incapacitate this scumbag. Sam had to be better than that, he knew, despite Master Man’s long list of sins in this twisted world created by the Red Skull.

“HAH!”

The Master Man used the distraction as a way to pull himself free of Cannonball’s grip, climbing onto his back turning him around once more, just as he had in the past. The pair rocketed towards the ground below, Master Man adding his own flight to their momentum.

“Stupid mongrel!” shouted the Master Man. “Did you think you could best me once more? Now you will pay for your insolence! You may not be able to die, but you will live out your eternal live in agony! Under my bootheel as I make every woman you have ever known my personal playthings!”

“Think again,” said Cannonball. He contracted and then rapidly expanded his kinetic field, creating a mid-air explosion that blew Master Man from him. The Red Skull’s Aryan superman fell to the ground, unconscious. Cannonball hovered above him and then finally had a chance to address his long-lost teammate.

“Genis…?”

“Thanks for the help,” said Captain Marvel, hovering before him.

“How you feeling?” asked Sam.

“Little shaken up and my neck is sore, but other than that I’m fine,” said Genis. He jerked his thumb towards the southern direction. “What do you say we join the rest of this fight?”

“Think we can make it in time?” asked Sam.

Genis smirked. “C’mon, I’ll race ya.”

Namor entered one of the rooms, which had been extravagantly decorated. Unlike the rest of the Red House, this room seemed to have no end to its comfort and luxury. And in the far end, he watched as a handsome young man was tended to by courtesans. It took the Prince of Atlantis a moment before he realized who that man was.

“Doom.”

Victor Von Doom sat in the chair, almost comatose. His flawless body seems to be like a prison. Namor pushed the courtesans aside and pulled the would-be despot from his seat.

“So, this is the Skull’s ultimate punishment for you,” said Namor, recalling the footage he witnessed before of Doom living among the swine. “Every so often, removing you from the muck and pampering you, teasing you with what was almost yours.”

Doom said nothing, just stared blankly at Namor.

“Are you going to let him win?” asked the Sub-Mariner. “Are you going to let a maniac like him lay claim to this world which is rightfully yours? Have you lived in this hell for so long that you have forgotten your own nobility?”

Still, Doom remained silent. Namor found his rage beginning to grow and he punched the former monarch, knocking him down to the ground. Namor threw another punch. And another. But before he could throw a fourth, an arm came up to block. Had Namor desired it, he could have broken that arm. But the blank stare had now vanished. And Namor watched as this blank slate transformed once more, albeit not physically, into one of the few men the Sub-Mariner could both fear and respect.

“Where is the Skull?” spoke the voice of Doom.

Warbird kicked open one of the doors and found herself in a darkened theater. A large screen projected horrible image after image of scenes far too despicable to describe. In the dim light the projection screen cast on the room, she could see a man seated in a chair, his eyes held open by a machine.

She extended her hand and vaporized the projector with an energy blast. Carol went to the man’s side and pulled the contraption from his head, breaking him free of his bonds. The man fell limp in her arms and she gently shook him.

“Oh god, Steve…” she said, gently stroking his hair. “God, you’re alive.”

Her hand went to her ear, tapping the comm-link. “I found him!”

She sat him up, trying to get him to hold himself under his own power. “Come on, Steve. Just breathe slowly, okay?”

The Vision and Baron Zemo arrived at that point, with Namor and Doom coming shortly after. Upon the sight of the handsome man, both Vision and Warbird froze, staring at him. He ignored them, stepping over to Captain America and laying a hand on the man’s shoulder.

“Stand up, Rogers,” he said. “Unless you want Schmidt to win.”

Steve looked into Doom’s eyes, the rage he felt matching what he saw in Doom’s gaze. Using Warbird to brace him, he slowly pulled himself to his feet, beginning to stretch out his body and bring feeling into the muscles that had gone unused during his captivity.

“It’s time to end this,” he said.

On the grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Stark in the modified Helicarrier fought off the armies of Pterorists as they came at him from every angle. The iron giant’s repulsor turrets managed to fell many of them without an issue.

A burst of bright light and Tony turned his attention to the roof of the Red House. At its apex stood Johann Schmidt, the Red Skull himself. He was dressed in the uniform of a Nazi commander, however the swastikas were replaced with his own logo. In one hand he held a World War II-era German pistol. He had his free hand outstretched and the Cosmic Cube floated above his palm.

He gripped a cigarette holder between his crimson teeth, the smoke flowing from the nostril holes in his head. The Red Skull raised the pistol and fired. Not a regular bullet, but one far more explosive, powerful enough to remove the head from the gigantic suit of armor.

Tony sat in the chest area of the suit, and sensors blared warning him of the sudden damage. The Skull took aim once more with the pistol, his face a mixture of both hatred and utter joy. But before he could pull the trigger again, his attention turned elsewhere and Tony’s energy readings told him the nature of the distraction.

Cannonball and Captain Marvel, their energy signatures leaving a trail behind them. As Cannonball contended with the Pterorists, Captain Marvel flew straight into the Skull, erecting a forcefield at the last moment to protect him from the fascist’s gun bursts.

“You’ve got something that belongs to me,” said Genis, channeling a burst of energy into the Skull’s face.

“And now, it is mine, you half-breed scum!” said the Skull. Energy crackled around his arm, forming into the shape of a concave shield with a giant swastika and a red skull in the center of it. The Skull swung the shield, slamming it against Captain Marvel’s head and knocking him free.

The Red Skull jumped down on him and raised the shield above his head, prepared to bring it down on Captain Marvel’s face. “Do you know what this shield is?” he asked.

Genis said nothing. The Cosmic Cube, it kept him fixed in his position. He couldn’t move. The Skull’s face, a permanent grin, seemed to smile even more as he said, “this is the shield of Steven Rogers. And now, it will go down in history as the symbol of my will!”

“No.”

A strong hand gripped the arm the Skull used to hold the shield. Once Schmidt turned, he saw Steve Rogers himself standing behind him and then a punch knocked the Skull from Genis. Rogers picked up the shield and with it out of the Skull’s grip, the image shifted, back to the red, white and blue symbol it had always been known as.

“Don’t even think about it,” said Captain America, raising the shield into the air. He spoke his next words very simply and with an even tone: “Avengers Assemble.”

“Heh, I see you were able to slip past my defenses,” said the Red Skull. “No matter, shield or not, Captain America or no, you will all fall before my power. So long as I continue to hold this!” He raised his hand, holding the Cosmic Cube as he began to hover above the ground. “You fail to realize that I have become your god!”

The Helicarrier armor began to crush in itself. Warning alarms blared inside and Tony could find nothing to stop them. He tried to activate the escape hatch, but it proved to be unresponsive. He took a deep breath. “If ever I needed a stiff drink, this is probably the moment.”

The suit tore open and he saw Warbird hovering before him. She pulled him free of the suit’s harness and flew him to safety, just as the armor was reduced to complete scrap metal. “You’re not getting rid of us that easy, Stark.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, sweetheart,” said Tony with a grin.

“Genis.”

Captain Marvel turned and saw Doom standing there with Zemo by his side. “This is your fault, you know. If you hadn’t tried to steal the Cosmic Awareness, we could’ve seen this coming.”

“No, you couldn’t have, none of us could,” said Doom.

“But the three of us together may stand a chance of defeating the Skull,” said Zemo. “The power he’s exerting over this world, the power he possesses…it has its limits. It’s how I was able to get you all to this point. It’s how you awoke from your coma.”

“And how does Doom factor into this?” asked Genis.

Doom smiled. “My boy, could we have truly gotten this far if the Skull possessed the full Cosmic Awareness?”

“You mean you…?”

Doom nodded.

“Then, shall we?” asked Zemo, the three moonstones hovering around his body.

From the ground, corpses sprang up, corpses resembling Captain America’s first partner, Bucky. Decaying bodies dressed in his costume, attacking the Avengers. The Skull hovered above the fray, cackling maniacally.

“Behold your failures, Rogers! Here, in your land of freedom and liberty, you will die under the heel of fascism! And your life will be taken by the partner whose death you are responsible for!”

“Skull, do us a favor,” said Captain America as he fought off the Buckys. He took aim with his shield and flung it at the Red Skull. “Shut up.”

The Skull extended his hand, intending to cause the shield to vanish. Instead, nothing happened and the shield knocked him from his position and he fell to the ground. Captain America jumped from the swarm of zombie Buckys, catching his shield as he flipped in the air and landed before the Skull.

Schmidt produced the Cosmic Cube and noticed that its glow had now faded. He looked up at Captain America, who took it in his hand.

“NO!”

“You’re through, Skull,” said Captain America. “You and your entire twisted fantasy is now over.”

“How, it’s not possible, it’s—”

“It’s magic,” said Captain Marvel, hovering over towards him. “With Zemo’s moonstones and Doom’s sorcery, they were able to transfer the Cosmic Awareness back to me. The three of us together were able to temporarily block your access to the Cosmic Cube.”

“Take a look around, Skull,” said Captain America. The cube glowed in his hand and the Red House began to fade, slowly turning to white. The Pterorists collapsed, one by one, before vanishing back into the void they had sprung from. All over the country, changes occurred, the world returning to the way it was before the Skull had twisted it.

“Your sick world, your vision of reality, that’s nothing more than your own fantasy,” said Captain America. “There was no way it would last forever, because you couldn’t make it last on your own. Not without the help of your little toy.”

He set the Cosmic Cube on the ground and raised his shield above it. The Skull tried to lunge for it, but he was too late, not able to reach it before Captain America’s shield shattered it.

The Skull stood, lunging instead for Captain America. Rogers was prepared for the attack and he swung his shield up, slamming it against Schmidt’s head. The would-be despot fell to the ground, and Captain America stood over him, placing a foot on his chest.

“Don’t think for a second I’m going to kill you,” he said. “I got to know you while I was your prisoner. I was inside your head. Your hell is to live in this world, a world that refuses to be ruled by hatred and rage. And I promise you, you will live in it.”

ASSEMBLAGE

I felt I should say something since this is the end of something that’s been building for a very long time. Back when MO first launched, Logan and I decided we’d do about twelve issues or so of Avengers. Our only arcs planned at the time were the first ones we had set up. But then as we got to writing, we found we really enjoyed the book, so we decided to stay onboard and we began sowing the seeds for far-reaching plots that culminated (sort of) in this issue. Unfortunately, after the “Lost” arc, real life intruded on Logan and he had to step down.

That’s when I thought of Derrick.

Derrick’s been a good friend of mine for a number of years and he had been a very vocal supporter of this book and the roster Logan and I came up with. So when Logan had to step down, I could think of no one better to fill his shoes than Derrick. And he came on at the perfect time, just as we were preparing the “Pax Doom” crossover with Fantastic Four.

Working with Curt and Derrick together was one of my favorite parts of that crossover. Both these guys are amazing writers and I couldn’t ask for anyone better to come in and craft one of the best depictions of Doom I have ever read.

And then came “Fourth Reich,” the final arc you just finished. Derrick’s original plan was to stay on at least through this arc and possibly a little bit past it. But unfortunately, just as it happened with Logan, real life intruded on Derrick and he had to step down with only two issues to go. Which is why these issues aren’t as strong as the rest of the arc, because it lacks Derrick’s sharp touch.

But it’s finished now, a story that should have been done a while ago and has been holding up some other things. I will still be on this book. The next issue will be an epilogue that will wrap things up from this first run as well as set the stage for what’s coming in issue #27 when Curt joins me on this book. If you enjoyed our work together onThunderbolts, you’ll love what Curt’s got in store for you on Avengers. We’ve got a bit of a membership shake-up, but more on that when the time comes.

Dino Pollard
April 10, 2009