AVENGERS NEVER

Part III

By Logan Polk and Dino Pollard

Broken Time

A young man with short, blonde hair opens his eyes and is greeted by the appearance of a bright sun. He uses his arms to block the light out and he slowly pulls himself to his feet, only to find that he’s in the middle of a park. He looks down and sees that he’s dressed in an odd red and black costume, complete with gold bracelets of some sort and a yellow star on his chest.

“What the… where am I?” he asks. He looks around, trying to see if he recognizes anything at all. “Who am I?”

He can hear a small voice buzzing in the back of his head, trying to call out to him in a name he does not recognize. He shakes his head and the voice subsides for a moment. Slowly, he walks towards the park’s exit.

Microverse

“Marv!” shouts Rick Jones. “C’mon, wake up!”

“Excuse me… but what are you doing?” asks Janet Van Dyne. “And why are we here… or better yet, where is here?”

Hank Pym stands by Jan’s side, but unlike her, he is not as interested in her questions. The scientist within him cannot help but be intrigued by this strange place. Also part of the group are Tony Stark, decked out in the Iron Man armor, and Bruce Banner, dressed in nothing more than a pair of torn, stretched out pants which he clutches to his body.

“Damn!” exclaims Rick.

“I think it might be time for an explanation,” says Tony.

“You’re right,” says Rick. “Okay, listen up—something’s gone wrong. Basically, the world you know is a lie—think The Matrix, but without computers. In the regular timestream, the way things are supposed to be, you guys are four of five people who founded the Avengers.”

“Avengers?” asks Hank, with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, Earth’s mightiest heroes,” replies Rick. “One of your enemies is this guy called Kang. He’s a time traveler from the future who seems to enjoy going around, conquering different eras. This time, he’s made it so you guys never formed the Avengers for one reason or another. Tony, you didn’t need to continue to wear the armor after you received a heart transplant. Hank, you kept the Pym Particles a secret, pushed them to the back-burner, so neither you or Jan were exposed to them. And Bruce, the gamma bomb put you into a coma instead of transforming you into the Hulk.”

“Wait… you mean that dream where I was fighting someone with a blue face… that wasn’t a dream?” asks Bruce.

“No, it wasn’t,” says Tony. “I was there, too.”

“You said there were five of us who founded the Avengers,” says Hank. “Who’s the fifth member?”

“Thor,” says Rick. “God of Thunder, all that. His brother, Loki, caused a bunch of trouble, and you all banded together to stop him. But it doesn’t look like Thor is even on Earth at all, which means Loki would have no reason to come here.”

“This time shift… it affected everyone on Earth, right?” asks Hank.

“That’s what it looks like,” replies Rick.

“So how come you remember all this?” asks Hank.

“Y’know that guy with the blue face and the white hair, dressed in red?” asks Rick. Both Tony and Bruce nod, but Jan and Hank simply give him a quizzical stare. “He’s Genis, or Captain Marvel. He’s got this thing called a Cosmic Awareness, which… well, I don’t really know how it works. But because of this Cosmic Awareness, he’s somehow spared from the effects of the time shifts. I’m bonded to him on the molecular level, we can’t exist without each other, so that’s how I know.”

“Bonded?” asks Jan.

“We are not a couple,” replies Rick. “But now we’ve got a problem, because I can’t seem to get in touch with him. I think the time shift might’ve messed with our connection or his Cosmic Awareness or something, because I don’t think he remembers anything.”

“And that’s bad, right?” asks Tony.

“Yeah, very bad,” replies Rick.

Broken Time

“Bang the Nega Bands together!”

“What?” asks Genis. “Who are you? What’s going on? And why am I wearing spandex?!”

“Listen to me carefully – you’re Genis-Vell, son of Mar-Vell. You’re Captain Marvel, you kick bad guy ass. But you won’t remember any of this UNLESS YOU SLAM THOSE FRIGGIN’ BANDS TOGETHER!”

“Y’know… I’m not so sure I like the tone of your voice, Mr. Split Personality,” says Genis.

“…I am so going to hurt you.”

“Y’know, whenever I heard about schizophrenia, I never thought the voices you hear have to be so annoying,” says Genis.

“Oh for the love of… just slam your wrists together already!”

“Okay, fine, if it’ll get you to shut up…” mutters Genis. He slams the Nega Bands together, and there is a bright flash of energy. The energy dissipates, and in Genis’ place stands Rick.

“About freakin’ time…” mutters Rick.

“Rick…?”

“Oh, so now you remember, huh?” asks Rick.

“Hey, don’t gloat,” says Genis. “Don’t forget that if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t know any of this. So let’s just call it even.”

“Fine with me,” says Rick. “We’ve still got to track down Thor, though.”

Not far from where Rick is, along the coastline of New York, the Atlantic Ocean seems to open up to make way for vehicles coming up from beneath the waves. Creatures with blue skin and dressed in full battle armor with glass helmets filled with water on their heads step forth, armed with weapons of destruction.

The Atlanteans begin their attack on the surface world, laying waste to the buildings which make up the city. It is not long before police arrive on the scene to try and force them back, but they are able to do very little. A hovercraft makes it shortly after the police, with four individuals inside. Three of them are dressed in blue uniforms with a stylized ‘4’ on their chests. The fourth appears to be made of orange rock. The Fantastic Four move quickly, reacting to the carnage around them and helping to subdue the forces of Atlantis.

It is at this moment that a man rises out from the ocean and flies into the air. Unlike the other Atlanteans, he is Caucasian, with short black hair and pointed ears. On his exposed ankles are tiny wings, which keep him afloat. Other than that, he is decked out in battle armor. And unlike his fellow Atlanteans, he wears no sort of helmet over his head. In his hand he holds a trident.

“Surface dwellers!” he shouts. “I am Namor, ruler of Atlantis! My people know of your frequent attacks on our oceans, and we have put up with these acts for far too long! Today is a day of reckoning for humanity!”

“Aww shaddup,” says the Thing. He runs towards Namor, forcing his way past Atlantean soldiers. Namor lowers himself until his feet touch ground. He waves a hand, and his soldiers stand down.

“Ben, wait!” shouts Mr. Fantastic from behind. “This might all be a misunderstanding, let’s…”

“T’hell with that, Reed!” exclaims the Thing. “It’s clobberin’ time!”

The Thing thrusts forward with a punch that Namor easily avoids. The Thing goes for a hook, and Namor uses his trident to bat aside the Thing’s massive fist. He goes for an uppercut, and Namor again evades it.

“Quit dodgin’ around an’ fight like a man!” exclaims the Thing.

Namor coils his arm, and slams his fist against the side of the Thing’s face. The impact jars the hero, and Namor follows it up by slamming the blunt end of his trident against the Thing’s abdomen. The final blow from Namor comes in the form of an uppercut to send him flying backwards.

“Ben!” exclaims the Invisible Woman.

Namor cracks his knuckles and looks at the remaining three members of the Fantastic Four.

“Next?”

The streets are filled with commotion, people running to and fro, trying to avoid the attacking forces of Atlantis. There are screams of, “the end is here!” and “the Apocalypse is coming!” while still others choose to ignore the screams and simply flee.

Unlike the other citizens, however, Rick Jones rushes towards the front lines, trying to discover exactly what is going on.

“Rick, what are you doing?”

“I gotta see what’s going on, here,” says Rick.

His attention split between the voice of Captain Marvel and the commotion, Rick does not even notice an oncoming car heading straight for him. Before the car can make contact, however, someone leaps in front of it and pulls Rick away.

“Damn, that was close…” says Rick’s rescuer, a man with shaggy blonde hair and wearing an EMT uniform. “You should really be trying to find some cover.”

“Probably should, thanks,” says Rick. He stands up, and looks at the man for a moment.

“Rick, there’s something about this guy… I get a sense that there’s more than one person inhabiting his body.”

“What are you talking about?” asks Rick.

“Huh?” asks the EMT.

“I think this guy might be Thor.”

“Hey, what’s your name?” asks Rick.

“Jake Olson, why?” he replies.

“Hah, see Marv? You’re wrong!” exclaims Rick. “We gotta find Don Blake.”

“Rick, think about this,” says Genis. “The Cosmic Awareness isn’t lying – I’m telling you, this guy’s Thor, he has to be.”

“Yeah, but Thor was in the body of Blake at this time,” says Rick.

“…what?” asks Jake.

“I’m starting to think that maybe this reality isn’t really an altered timeline… more like an illusion or something.”

“Hey… umm… Jake…” says Rick. “You know anything about Thor?”

“…did you hit your head or something?” asks Jake.

“This isn’t gonna work, Marv…” mutters Rick.

“Who’s Marv?” asks Jake. “Who are you talking to?”

“You have to try, Rick.”

“Okay… lemme think…” says Rick. “Hey, you don’t by any chance happen to have a cane, do you?”

“…no.”

“Damn…” mutters Rick. “Blake used a cane to change into Thor… but… listen up, Jake, do me a favor?”

“…I’m afraid to answer.”

“It’s nothing big, look,” says Rick. He crouches on the ground and makes a fist, them slams it on the ground. “Just that, can you do that?”

“Why?”

“Just do it, okay?”

“Look… if I do this, do you promise to leave me alone?” asks Jake.

“Sure, whatever,” replies Rick.

“Hoookay…” mutters Jake. He crouches down, makes a fist, and slams it on the ground. “There, happy?”

“…MARV! We’ve got a problem!”

The spot that Jake hit with his hand begins to crackle with electricity. The skies grow dark, and lightning shoots out from the clouds and strikes Jake Olson’s closed fist. The electricity seems to course around his hand, forming the shape of a hammer that materializes. The hammer’s head begins to crackle with electricity and the words inscribed on it—Whosever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor—glow brightly. The light seems to bathe Jake Olson, until he can no longer be seen. When it dissipates, Jake Olson is gone. In his place stands a tall, broad Viking dressed in battle armor with long blonde hair and a beard.

“Hell frickin’ yeah…” mutters Rick.

At the scene of the battle, the Invisible Woman encases herself and a defeated Mr. Fantastic and Human Torch within an invisible bubble. Atlantean soldiers continue to launch attacks on the small invisible orb, but cannot seem to get through.

“THESE ARE YOUR CHAMPIONS?!” exclaims Namor, motioning towards the three superheroes locked behind an invisible barrier. His right hand grips the neck of the defeated Thing, and Namor lifts him up for the world to see. “Is this the best you can offer?!”

The skies around grow darker and thunder roars while lightning flashes across the skies. A deep voice, louder than the thunder, cries out, “NAY!”

Namor and his soldiers look to the source of this new voice and they see Thor hovering nearby, clutching the leather band at the end of Mjolnir. By his side is Iron Man. On the ground below them, the Hulk stands with teeth and fists clenched and towering behind them is the sixty-foot tall form of Giant-Man with the Wasp flying beside him.

With the Avengers distracting the Atlantean forces, Captain Marvel dives beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

“Rick, are you absolutely positive about this?” he asks.

“You said the same thing when we found Bruce, remember?” asks Rick.

“What do you want, an apology?”

“Nah, just admit I was right.”

“Keep dreaming, Jones.”

Captain Marvel stations himself for a moment, and looks around the ocean floor for some sign of the target of his search.

“I’m getting something from the Cosmic Awareness,” he says.

“Maybe that’s what we’re looking for,” says Rick.

On the surface, the Avengers are joined with the Fantastic Four in keeping the Atlantean forces off-balance. Thor, however, is locked in combat with Namor, the two monarchs exchanging blow after blow.

Namor evades many of Thor’s stronger blows, only to follow up with his own. While not as strong as Thor, Namor is no slouch in the strength department, and his speed is nearly unmatched by the Thunder God.

Thor raises his hammer and it glows brightly as Mjolnir calls down lightning from the heavens to strike Namor. The winds pick up speed, whipping about the two combatants, followed by lightning that strikes the hammer. With the hammer glowing brightly, Thor brings it up in a wide arc. Namor attempts to defend with his trident, but the hammer destroys it with one strike. Thor swings again, this time slamming the hammer against Namor. Atlanta’s monarch goes down. Thor raises his hammer in victory and calls out to the Atlantean forces.

“YOUR COMMANDER HAS FALLEN!” he exclaims. “THE SURFACE DWELLERS OF MIDGARD ARE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THOR, SON OF ODIN, GOD OF THUNDER! FLEE NOW, RETURN TO WHENCE YOU CAME FROM AND NO FURTHER INJURY SHALL BE VISITED UPON YOUR PERSONS!”

Deep beneath the Atlantic, Captain Marvel propels himself through the water by the use of force blasts emitted from his hands. He follows his Cosmic Awareness, seeking out the source of his travels while the Avengers battle Namor on the surface. He comes to a small cave of sorts, covered up. He directs his hands towards it and fires off an energy blast which obliterates the stones.

“Rick, I think we found the prize.”

Sitting there, encased in a block of ice, is a man dressed in a red, white, and blue costume. There is a giant A on the top of his mask, a star on his chest, and a red, white, and blue shield with a star on it clutched to his chest.

He is Captain America, the legendary super soldier of World War II, and the greatest leader the Avengers have ever known.