AVENGERS NEVER

Part V

By Logan Polk and Dino Pollard

Latveria

An eastern European nation. Not very large, but quite dangerous. Inside this small nation sits a large castle. Deep within this castle, the ruler of Latveria sits upon a throne. He wears metal armor over his entire body, in addition to a green tunic, cape, and hood. Standing around him are robots who resemble his appearence. He is Victor von Doom, and he is ruler of all he surveys.

“My lord…”

Doom looks up and sees one of his servants enter his chamber. Doom motions for him to come forward. He does so slowly and he kneels before his master.

“Speak,” says Doom.

“Sensors have detected a craft entering Latverian,” says the servant. “They request to speak to you.”

“Doom honors no such requests.”

“He says his name is Tony Stark.”

“Stark…?” asks Doom. “Hmm… curious. Very well, let us see what Mr. Stark has to say.”

Doom stands from his throne and marches past his servant. The minion follows his master out of the room and into another one, lined with some of the most advanced technology to date—quite distinctive against the backdrop of the centuries-old castle.

“Bring them up on the main screen,” says Doom.

The technicians comply with his orders. The screen flashes on and Doom sees a man dressed in red and gold armor. The man lifts the faceplate, revealing the face of Anthony Stark, a man Doom remembers from his days when he attended college in America.

“Hello Victor,” says Stark. “I know I’m probably the last person you expected to hear from, but I have a feeling you might want to know what I have to say. I’ve come with some friends. Among them are Hank Pym and Bruce Banner. Perhaps you’ve heard of them?”

“Their works are known to me, yes,” says Doom. “What is it you want, Stark?”

“There’s a problem. I’m sure you’ve noticed some strange occurrences lately. Or maybe you’ve heard about the ones in America. I’m here to try and put a stop to it.”

“Why should I assist you, Stark?” asks Doom.

“We went to Reed Richards for help, but he’s not able to do anything to assist us. Only you can help us, Victor.”

“So, in your hour of need, the one man on Earth who can help you is Doom, hmm?” he says with a grin beneath his mask of iron. He turns to one of the technicians. “Supply them with landing coordinates.”

“But master…”

“You dare question your leader?” asks Doom. “I have a feeling this is connected somehow.”

“We’ve got landing coordinates,” says Captain America from the pilot’s seat.

“Perfect,” says Iron Man, lowering his faceplate. “Now that we’ve broken free of the illusion, what do you think the chances are that Doom has as well?”

“Loki’s magic is very strong, friend Stark,” says Thor.

“Magic…” mutters Iron Man. “I hate that word…”

“We have to be careful about what we do or say,” says Captain America as he manuevers the jet provided to them by the Fantastic Four’s contacts in SHIELD. He directs it towards the landing coordinates provided by Doom’s technicians. “Remember, we’re not here as combatants. Doom is not our enemy this time.”

“Fine by me,” says Iron Man. “But that doesn’t mean I have to like him at all.”

“So the plan is we use Doom’s time platform, we go to Chronopolis, and then what?” asks Banner.

“Then we fight,” replies Namor. “And your ‘better half’ comes out to play.”

“Just great…” mutters Banner.

“You feeling okay, Doctor Banner?” asks the Wasp.

“Doing the best I can,” replies Banner. “I can feel the Hulk waiting to come out. I’m trying my best to hold him at bay, but I’m not sure how long it’ll last. Walking right into Latveria certainly isn’t helping, either.”

“Why’d Stark announce you and Banner as being with him?” asks Captain Marvel.

“My guess is he’s trying to appeal to Doom’s scientific curiosity,” replies Giant-Man. “He’s vain, but he also welcomes the chance to prove he’s better than his contemporaries.”

The plane slides into the hangar of the castle and Captain America taxis it to a stop.

“Let’s go,” he says. “And remember, we’re not here to fight.”

The hatch opens and this team of Avengers disembarks. Technicians line the deck and a door to the hangar slides open. Doom enters, flanked by Doombots. He stands before the Avengers and looks them up and down.

“Welcome to Latveria,” he says. “Shall we begin the tour?”

“I’d rather we just got down to business, Victor,” says Iron Man.

“Stark,” says Doom. “This armor is… quite sophisticated. You have intrigued me. Perhaps you would give me the chance to study this armor?”

“Not a chance,” replies Iron Man.

“Hmm… not as gracious as expected, even after being allowed safe passage into this land,” says Doom. “A privilege not granted lightly.”

“Listen Doom, I’m going to cut right to the chase,” says Captain America. “We need your help. Something’s not right with the world, it’s being manipulated. This whole world—”

“There is an illusion affecting the populace,” says Doom. “Yes, that is the conclusion I came to as well.”

“But how?” asks Banner. “How did you know it was an illusion?”

“I have more than a brilliant scientific mind, Doctor Banner,” replies Doom. “I am also an accomplished sorcerer. I detected something was wrong with this world and I looked into the causes.”

“You knew…?” asks Banner. “You knew and you didn’t try to tell anyone?!”

“I was not aware of what the illusion was truly concealing,” replies Doom. “All I knew was that there was an illusion. But I have yet to pierce it.”

“We think we’ve discovered who’s behind this,” says Captain America. “Unfortunately, we have no means of reaching them, not without your help.”

“What is it you require?” asks Doom.

“Your time platform,” replies Captain America. “We need to travel to Chronopolis.”

“Chronopolis?” asks Doom.

“It’s Kang’s stronghold,” says Giant-Man. “It spans across time. Half in reality, half in limbo. It touches every part of human history. That’s where we need to be.”

“And how, exactly, do I send you to this limbo?” asks Doom.

“Search for anything unusual in the timestream and latch onto it,” says Giant-Man. “That seems the best way.”

“Very well, then allow Doom to state his terms,” says Doom.

“Your terms?” asks Banner. “And what would those be?”

“I will accompany you to Chronopolis,” replies Doom. “A time-spanning stronghold is something I must see.”

“Not a chance,” says Captain America.

“If I don’t go, then neither do you,” says Doom.

“This isn’t a game, Doom,” says Captain America. “This is serious.”

“So far, I have not been disturbed by this illusion, simply puzzled,” says Doom.

“Fine,” says Banner. “You can come with.”

“Doctor Banner?” asks Captain America.

“We don’t have a choice, Cap,” replies Banner. “And without Doom, we have no hope of getting back.”

“Very good,” says Doom with a smile beneath his mask. “Come, I will show you to the time platform.”

Doom turns on his heel and leads the Avengers through Castle Doom. The Avengers reluctantly follow, yet Captain Marvel grabs Banner, holding him back.

“What was that all about?” asks Captain Marvel. “Letting Doom come with us?”

“Don’t worry,” replies Banner. “It’ll all work out in the end.”

“Relax Marv, if Bruce says it’s on the level, then I trust him,” comes the voice of Rick Jones in Captain Marvel’s head.

“If you say so…” mutters Captain Marvel.

The two move to catch up to their teammates. Doom stops them before a large, metal door. A keypad sits at one end of it, and he enters a series of commands. The doors slide open, and Doom leads the way. Inside, the Avengers see the time platform in the center of the room, surrounded by technicians. Doom approaches one of them.

“Search the timestream for any anomalies,” he says. “Do it quickly.”

The technician nods and goes about his work. After a few moments, of searching, he notices the anomaly Doom speaks of.

“Found it, sir,” he says.

“Lock on it and prepare the platform for transport,” says Doom.

“Yes sir,” says the technician. He programs the coordinates into the time platform and Doom turns to the Avengers.

“Shall we?” he asks and motions to the platform. The Avengers pile on to the platform and Doom joins them.

“We’re powering up now,” says the technician.

Captain Marvel turns to Banner and whispers, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Banner, however, seems oblivious to all going on around him. He begins to shake slightly, and Captain Marvel notices that his skin is beginning to change color…a green tint starts to appear on it, and his clothes begin to stretch out and tear. His glasses fall off his face as his body grows larger.

“What is the meaning of this?” asks Doom, turning to look at the commotion.

“AWAY, METAL MAN!” exclaims the Hulk as he drives his massive fist into Doom. The impact sends the monarch flying from the time platform. Doom stands and glares at the Avengers.

“You dare double-cross Doom?!” he exclaims. “Stop the platform, kill them!”

“I-it’s too late, my lord!” says the technician. “It’s already begun!”

“No!” exclaims Doom, but his words are lost as the time platform rises up and consumes the Avengers, sending them rocketing through the timestream to their destination.

Chronopolis

“Eh?”

The voice belongs to the being known as Loki. Adopted son of Odin, brother to Thor, Norse God of Mischief. It was Loki’s meddling that originally brought the Avengers together in the first place. How ironic that now, it is he who is once again instrumental in their “creation” of sorts.

Loki allied himself with Kang as a way to remove his brother and the Avengers from the realm he calls Midgard, also called Earth. It was Kang’s plan, but Loki’s magicks that provided the means to enact the illusion. And here, in Chronopolis, a place between time, Loki knows that he is beyond the reach of Odin.

However, Odin is not the one Loki needs to worry about now. He runs to a nearby monitor in his quarters and sees the Avengers have arrived in Chronopolis.

“The fools, they will be slaughtered by Kang’s army,” says Loki with a grin. However, he sees that the Avengers are being met with no opposition as they approach the stronghold. With the use of his magicks, he transports his astral form into the throneroom of Kang the Conqueror.

“Kang!” he exclaims. “The Avengers hath descended upon Chronopolis!”

“I am aware,” says Kang.

“We must dispatch them!” says Loki. “They cannot be allowed to foil our plans!”

“Everything is proceeding according to my plan, Loki,” says Kang. “The Avengers will not be harmed.”

Loki’s astral form vacates the throneroom and returns to his own body. He opens his eyes and a snarl appears on his face.

“What manner of fool I have allied myself with!” he says. “The Avengers mustn’t be allowed to further trespass. What Kang wishes is immaterial at this point, for I have plans of my own…”

“We’re here, and no signs of any opposition yet,” says Captain America. “Iron Man, Captain Marvel, take to the skies and scout. See what you can tell us.”

“Nice way of getting Doom off the platform, Doctor Banner,” says the Wasp, hovering near the Hulk.

“Banner is gone,” says the Hulk. “Banner puny, couldn’t stop metal man. So Banner make Hulk do Banner’s dirty work.”

“Well, whatever the case is, thanks Hulk,” says Wasp.

“Hmph,” the Hulk huffs.

“Captain, this doesn’t seem right,” says Namor, coming up beside his former teammate from World War II. “Far too easy. Kang lives for battle, as you said. Invading his home territory is a clear challenge.”

“I know, Namor,” says Captain America. “This is way too easy, and this doesn’t seem like Kang at all.”

“Mayhap he has come under Loki’s spell,” says Thor.

“But why?” asks Giant-Man. “Why would he need Kang to cast an illusion like that?”

“In this place, between time, Loki could hide from the gaze of Odin,” replies Thor.

“So Loki’s the one behind all this,” says the Wasp. “Not really surprised, it was because of him that we all came together in the first place.”

Iron Man and Captain Marvel descend from the skies and land by their teammates.

“Clear skies, Cap,” says Iron Man. “No opposition in sight.”

“I don’t like that at all,” says Captain America. “There are too many unanswered questions here.”

“HULK SMASH!”

The Avengers turn and watch as the Hulk’s massive fist rockets towards Captain America. He leaps over it and flips back, drawing his shield in the process. He lands in a crouched position, holding his shield before him.

“Hulk, what are you doing?!” demands the Wasp.

“Puny Avengers think they better than Hulk!” says Hulk. “So Hulk smash them!”

“Enough, Doctor,” says Captain America. He charges towards the Hulk, slamming his shield against the behemoth’s chest. “We don’t have time for this, we’re on the same side!”

The Hulk reels slightly from Captain America’s blow. He moves quickly and backhands the Living Legend. At that moment, a giant hand slams down on him, enclosing him inside.

“Look Banner, I don’t want to hurt you,” says Giant-Man. “I just want—argh!”

Hank Pym cries out in pain as the Hulk dislocates one of his massive fingers, freeing himself from Giant-Man’s grip. Iron Man takes to the air behind the Hulk and lets loose with a barrage of repulsor blasts. The Hulk leaps towards Iron Man. Despite the repulsor blasts he fires off, Iron Man is unable to stop the Hulk from grabbing him in midair and dragging him back to the ground. Hulk wraps his hand around Iron Man’s head.

“Iron Man like Transformer!” says Hulk. “So Hulk make you transform!”

Namor barrels into the Hulk, driving his elbow into the brute’s back. Hulk drops Iron Man and turns his attention to the Atlantean monarch. Namor stands his ground and ducks a punch from the Hulk, then delivers one of his own uppercuts. The blow barely phases the Hulk. He clenches both his fists, raises them into the air, and slams them on the ground, sending shockwaves through the earth.

Thor flies in, bringing his hammer down across the Hulk’s face. The Hulk reaches out to grab Thor’s arm, but the Odinson grabs it and flips him over, slamming him down on his back.

“Stay down, beast!” he exclaims as he brings Mjolnir, glowing brightly with the power of lightning, down on the Hulk’s chest. “Hast thou had enough?”

Hulk grabs Thor’s throat and throws him down in the ground.

“That answer hippie’s question?” asks Hulk. “Stupid hippie with his hammer try to hurt Hulk. But Hulk show hippie! Hulk is strongest one there is!”

The skies grow dark as lightning strikes Hulk from every direction. Thor begins to rise in the air, hefted by Mjolnir, the hammer’s head glowing brightly.

“Hardly,” says Thor. He brings up the hammer and slams it down again.

“Why aren’t you doing anything to help?” asks Rick through his link with Genis.

“Because I’m concentrating,” replies Captain Marvel.

“Concentrating? On what?”

“The source of this…” says Captain Marvel. “Ah, I think I’ve found it…”

He vanishes in a flash of light, leaving the Avengers to fend for themselves. Captain America watches as Captain Marvel vanishes, and then he calls out, “Wasp!”

“Right here, Cap,” says the Wasp, hovering before his face.

“Listen Jan, we have to find a way to take Hulk down and get him to revert to Banner,” says Captain America. “And that’s not going to happen unless he calms down. Which he won’t do if Thor and Namor keep at it like they have.”

“I read you loud and clear, Cap,” says the Wasp. She shrinks down smaller and flies towards the fray of the battle. She dodges around Namor and Thor, moving closer to Hulk. She avoids his fists and manuevers herself around his body until she finds an opening and flies into his ear.

“ARGH!!” cries the Hulk. His skin tone begins to shift color and his mass decreases. As this happens, the Wasp flies out from his ear and returns to her full size beside Captain America and Giant-Man.

“What did you do?” asks Namor.

“Wasp sting to part of his frontal lobe,” replies the Wasp.

“Damn!” exclaims Loki. His eyes snap open as his astral form returns to his body. “Their defeat of the Hulk shall be the final victory the Avengers claim this day…”

“Don’t speak too soon.”

Loki spins around on his heel and he finds Captain Marvel hovering before him, arms crossed over his chest.

“You were manipulating the Hulk,” says Captain Marvel. “Augmenting his distaste towards the Avengers to new levels, to the point where he turned on them.”

“A fair charge that the God of Mischief is guilty of,” says Loki. “How did you come about this knowledge?”

“Cosmic Awareness,” says Captain Marvel. “I could tell there was some other force at work here, and I was able to sense out your astral form monitoring the battle. I just traced it back to the source. I never pictured Kang as a coward who would force others to fight his battles for him.”

“Then your perception of me would be correct, son of Mar-Vell.”

Appearing before the two beings is Kang the Conqueror himself.

“You ignored my wishes, Loki,” says Kang. “This insubordination shall not stand.”

“I am no subordinate, Conqueror!” exclaims Loki. “I am of the house of Odin, a god! You have no dominion over me!”

“And you have none over me,” says Kang. With a wave of his hand, Loki feels himself being ripped from this place between time. His form begins to dissipate into nothingness.

“No, you will not send me away!” exclaims Loki. “This affront shall not stand, Loki will have his vengean—”

Loki’s words are lost as he is sucked back into the timestream, returning to his point of origin. Captain Marvel lowers himself to the ground and his hands begin glowing as he prepares to defend himself against Kang’s attack.

“That will be unnecessary,” says Kang. “You’ve proven yourself, Genis-Vell.”

“What are you talking about?” asks Captain Marvel.

“I sought out Loki’s help for his skill in crafting illusions,” says Kang. “With my aid, we launched an illusion across your era where you had no memory of the Avengers’ existence.”

“But why?” asks Captain Marvel. “What was the point?”

“To see how you would find your way out of it,” replies Kang. “There are other, far more powerful forces at work here, ones which remain invisible to even your vaunted Cosmic Awareness. I had to be sure you were ready to encounter these threats.”

“Are you telling me this was all some sort of a sick game?” asks Captain Marvel through gritted teeth.

“A game? Hardly,” replies Kang. “I would prefer to call it a test. One which the Avengers have passed.”

“This isn’t like you,” says Captain Marvel. “You’re not the kind of guy who stays behind the scenes and plays people like pieces on a chessboard. You’re a conqueror, you live for battle.”

Kang reaches his hands up and removes his helmet from his head. Beneath it, Genis sees that Kang’s jet-black hair is beginning to grow light in certain areas.

“There comes a time when a boy must put his toys away and become a man,” he says. “The Avengers will require your assistance in the time that lays ahead. With Loki gone from Chronopolis, his illusions over your era have ceased to exist. When you return, all shall be as it was.”

“Wait, what’s this threat you talked about?” asks Captain Marvel. “You have to tell me something I can use!”

“The coming trials shall prepare you far more effectively than I ever could,” replies Kang. “This was merely the first of many tests.”

“And the threat?”

“We must never know too much of our own destiny,” says Kang.

“To hell with that cryptic bullshit, I want a straight answer!” says Captain Marvel. “Whatever this thing is, not even you should keep its identity secret, not if it’s really as bad as you—oh…”

Genis stops for a moment and considers his words. He looks up at Kang, whose back is to him.

“Of course… that’s why you won’t tell me,” he says. “You don’t know. You’re just as in the dark as I am.”

“Begone,” says Kang. With a wave of his hand, Genis-Vell feels himself being pulled back by the timestream, back to the present day.

“No, Kang wa—”

“—it!”

Captain Marvel blinks and he finds himself standing on the front lawn of Avengers Mansion. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, the Wasp, Namor, and Bruce Banner are all standing there as well.

“What happened?” asks Giant-Man. “We were in Chronopolis a moment ago and now…”

“It was Kang,” replies Captain Marvel.

“You saw him?” asks Captain America. “What happened?”

“It… it was all a test,” replies Captain Marvel.

“A test for what?” asks the Wasp.

“Just… a test…” replies Captain Marvel. “I can’t… I can’t really remember a lot of it… everything’s so muddled… All I know is that this is the beginning of something much, much worse.”