Medusa screamed incoherently as she lashed out at Deathbird. Gorgon let loose with a kick that nearly reduced Timberius to splinters. Karnak desperately tried to get the wounded Black Bolt to safety as the remainder of the treasonous Inhumans, of which there were more than may have been expected, fought the Inhumans who were loyal to the crown.
The Fantastic Four tried desperately to break up the fighting, while Ultimus and the surviving Shi’ar troopers took the side of the Inhuman traitors.
At the same time, Iron Man and Mockingbird exchanged glances, after which Mockingbird signalled Dr. Pym, Spider-Woman, and Super-Patriot to follow her and Iron Man into the heart of Atillan.
The All-Mighty had spent the weeks leading up to their debut carefully studying every known corner of the solar system. Penetrating the Inhumans’ Citadel, they knew exactly where to head for: the dungeons, where the true villain lay in wait.
“MAXIMUS!” screamed Iron Man.
“It is a beautiful battle, is it not?” cackled the grinning, trembling, sickly-looking, badly-postured figure before them.
“You instigated this civil war, and I’m guessing you invited the Shi’ar as well.” said an accusatory Mockingbird.
“I was bored with my imprisonment, as anybody would be, and so I used the excess time on my hands to push my telepathy to its very limits, first influencing any unsatisfied Inhuman, and finally reaching Deathbird, who was very amenable to my plans.” His tone and facial expression became more serious. “The Inhumans were originally bred to be not pacifist sheep, but warlike conquerors. Deathbird and I are merely helping us fulfill our true destiny.”
“A destiny which I suspect,” said Iron Man emotionlessly, “includes taking over the Shi’ar Empire and the eventual conquest of the Earth.”
“But of course!” replied Maximus, punctuating his statement with cruel laughter.
That was all Iron Man needed to hear. One second later, Maximus was choking on his laughter with his last breaths, as a blast from Iron Man’s cannon had left him in an unspeakably gruesome state.
“What have you done??” screamed Mr. Fantastic, who revealed himself after having followed the All-Mighty to their destination.
“We did what you were always afraid to do.” said Iron Man firmly.
“What you should have done when you first had the chance, years ago.” added Mockingbird.
“You’re insane!” declared Mr. Fantastic.
Mr. Fantastic’s words hung in the air uncomfortably as the All-Mighty filed out behind Mockingbird, and Mr. Fantastic was left alone in the dungeon with the bloody remains of one of his team’s most persistent enemies.
Up ahead, in the clearing where the fighting was taking place, the death of Maximus and the end of his telepathic influence had turned the tide of the battle in favor of the Inhuman loyalists and the three members of the Fantastic Four. Medusa had Deathbird bound and was beginning to choke Deathbird to death.
“Surrender, Shi’ar,” said Medusa, “or your Viceroy dies!”
“Do as she says!” commanded Ultimus.
“Now,” continued Medusa, “you will take all the Inhuman traitors with you, back to your empire. Thus, you will have the reinforcements you claim to need so badly. You are to never return here, or we shall show you no mercy. Have I made myself clear?”
“Yes...yes!” hissed Deathbird. “Now let me go...” she made contact with Medusa’s angry eyes, then added, “...please.”
The Shi’ar ships were taking off as the All-Mighty returned to the site of battle.
“You let them live?” said Mockingbird incredulously to Medusa.
“I did.” replied Medusa.
“My queen,” interrupted Karnak, who was hunched over Black Bolt, “our king shall live.”
“Too bad we can’t say the same about his brother.” snickered Super-Patriot, suddenly realizing he had just done a stupid thing.
“YOU KILLED MAXIMUS?” shrieked Medusa.
“I did.” replied Iron Man.
“MURDERER!!” she screamed as she attempted to attack him, only for Spider-Woman to ensnare her in psi-webs.
The All-Mighty knew the time had come to teleport back to the Satellite Supreme. This they did, leaving the Inhumans and the Fantastic Four hurt and confused.
Showing posts with label iron man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iron man. Show all posts
Friday, January 21, 2011
BOOK ONE, CHAPTER 10
Ultimus charged at Wonder Man, his momentum propelling the two of them through the opening in the ship’s hull.
While Deathbird and Korath exited the ship in search of battle, Iron Man and Shatterax fought each other on right on the ship’s bridge. Iron Man’s attack was far more vicious than their previous encounter had led Shatterax to expect, but he had greater speed and mobility on his side, enabling him to dodge Iron Man’s heavy fire...for the moment.
Outside, the battle was reaching fever pitch. “Korath,” called out Mockingbird, “I’ve been briefed on you. Your staffs may be fancier than mine, but I can still wipe the floor with you.”
“Insolent Terran! You shall regret challenging me!” barked Korath as a prelude to their clash.
Deathbird, for her part, was finding Spider-Woman and Super-Patriot a formidable double team. “Yes,” she shrieked, “fight! Fight like true warriors!” She punctuated this with a savage swipe at Super-Patriot’s chest. Her sharp claws tore into his costume, but left only scratches on his chest. Still, this did not defuse Spider-Woman’s concern for her less agile teammate. “It’s time for a more direct approach.” she declared as she tangled up Deathbird’s limbs in her psi-webs and knocked out the villainess with a good right hook.
The battered form of Shatterax went flying out of the ship and landed next to Spider-Woman. She webbed him up, too. Iron Man followed out of the ship and gave Spider-Woman the thumbs-up. And Mockingbird had Korath in a chokehold with one of her staffs.
This left only the evenly-matched Wonder Man and Ultimus still fighting. They wrestled each other on the ground for what seemed like an eternity, until Wonder Man came out on top and began strangling Ultimus. But then, Ultimus’ ocular beams zapped Wonder Man in the face, causing him to loosen his grip, which Ultimus broke free of. He punched Wonder Man in the mid-section, then picked up the blinded, flailing Wonder Man and tossed him straight into the middle of the Inhumans’ city of Attilan. Ultimus leaped in a clean arc that followed Wonder Man’s trajectory, and the fight resumed, leaving tremendous damage to several of the Inhumans’ artfully constructed buildings.
Black Bolt now knew he and the Inhumans could no longer stand by, and he whispered a simple command to the All-Mighty and the Shi’ar in front of him: “Stop!”
Of course, a whisper from Black Bolt carried the power to knock down all the combatants at once, and then some.
It was now Medusa’s turn to speak. “How DARE you humans interfere in an affair between the Inhumans’ and the Shi’ar?”
“Because,” said Iron Man, “the Shi’ar broke their pact of no longer using the Stargates and staying out of our solar system. A show of force was needed, and, no offense, but you Inhumans have a reputation for being soft.”
“That shows how little you know about the Inhumans.” came the admonishing voice of Mr. Fantastic, leading his newly arrived team.
“QUIET, BOTH OF YOU!” yelled Deathbird, who had regained consciousness and was no longer trapped in Spider-Woman’s psi-webs. “We came to the Inhumans to offer them the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Shi’ar Empire, where they could serve the true purpose they were created for by the Kree.”
“As what? Cannon fodder?” inquired the Invisible Woman tartly.
“You have no idea what our empire is facing at this moment!” was Deathbird’s reply.
Before Deathbird could elaborate, Ultimus and Wonder Man erupted from the rubble in the heart of Atillan. Ultimus had triumphed, and Wonder Man was enveloped in a cloud of unstable ionic energy. Ultimus tossed Wonder Man straight up into the sky, where an ionic explosion illuminated the grim tableau on the blue area of the Moon.
To everyone’s surprise, Wonder Man’s body turned out to be intact, and gravity brought it back down to the surface. The impact was tremendous, causing a slight quake. Then Wonder Man lay still. Ultimus strode silently to his nemesis’ fallen form and stood victorious with his arms folded and his head held high.
This was the opportunity that the Inhuman Timberius had been waiting for. He lunged at his king, Black Bolt, and pinned back Black Bolt’s arms. Deathbird then glided over swiftly on her wings, and slashed Black Bolt’s throat, leaving him powerless and fading fast.
While Deathbird and Korath exited the ship in search of battle, Iron Man and Shatterax fought each other on right on the ship’s bridge. Iron Man’s attack was far more vicious than their previous encounter had led Shatterax to expect, but he had greater speed and mobility on his side, enabling him to dodge Iron Man’s heavy fire...for the moment.
Outside, the battle was reaching fever pitch. “Korath,” called out Mockingbird, “I’ve been briefed on you. Your staffs may be fancier than mine, but I can still wipe the floor with you.”
“Insolent Terran! You shall regret challenging me!” barked Korath as a prelude to their clash.
Deathbird, for her part, was finding Spider-Woman and Super-Patriot a formidable double team. “Yes,” she shrieked, “fight! Fight like true warriors!” She punctuated this with a savage swipe at Super-Patriot’s chest. Her sharp claws tore into his costume, but left only scratches on his chest. Still, this did not defuse Spider-Woman’s concern for her less agile teammate. “It’s time for a more direct approach.” she declared as she tangled up Deathbird’s limbs in her psi-webs and knocked out the villainess with a good right hook.
The battered form of Shatterax went flying out of the ship and landed next to Spider-Woman. She webbed him up, too. Iron Man followed out of the ship and gave Spider-Woman the thumbs-up. And Mockingbird had Korath in a chokehold with one of her staffs.
This left only the evenly-matched Wonder Man and Ultimus still fighting. They wrestled each other on the ground for what seemed like an eternity, until Wonder Man came out on top and began strangling Ultimus. But then, Ultimus’ ocular beams zapped Wonder Man in the face, causing him to loosen his grip, which Ultimus broke free of. He punched Wonder Man in the mid-section, then picked up the blinded, flailing Wonder Man and tossed him straight into the middle of the Inhumans’ city of Attilan. Ultimus leaped in a clean arc that followed Wonder Man’s trajectory, and the fight resumed, leaving tremendous damage to several of the Inhumans’ artfully constructed buildings.
Black Bolt now knew he and the Inhumans could no longer stand by, and he whispered a simple command to the All-Mighty and the Shi’ar in front of him: “Stop!”
Of course, a whisper from Black Bolt carried the power to knock down all the combatants at once, and then some.
It was now Medusa’s turn to speak. “How DARE you humans interfere in an affair between the Inhumans’ and the Shi’ar?”
“Because,” said Iron Man, “the Shi’ar broke their pact of no longer using the Stargates and staying out of our solar system. A show of force was needed, and, no offense, but you Inhumans have a reputation for being soft.”
“That shows how little you know about the Inhumans.” came the admonishing voice of Mr. Fantastic, leading his newly arrived team.
“QUIET, BOTH OF YOU!” yelled Deathbird, who had regained consciousness and was no longer trapped in Spider-Woman’s psi-webs. “We came to the Inhumans to offer them the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Shi’ar Empire, where they could serve the true purpose they were created for by the Kree.”
“As what? Cannon fodder?” inquired the Invisible Woman tartly.
“You have no idea what our empire is facing at this moment!” was Deathbird’s reply.
Before Deathbird could elaborate, Ultimus and Wonder Man erupted from the rubble in the heart of Atillan. Ultimus had triumphed, and Wonder Man was enveloped in a cloud of unstable ionic energy. Ultimus tossed Wonder Man straight up into the sky, where an ionic explosion illuminated the grim tableau on the blue area of the Moon.
To everyone’s surprise, Wonder Man’s body turned out to be intact, and gravity brought it back down to the surface. The impact was tremendous, causing a slight quake. Then Wonder Man lay still. Ultimus strode silently to his nemesis’ fallen form and stood victorious with his arms folded and his head held high.
This was the opportunity that the Inhuman Timberius had been waiting for. He lunged at his king, Black Bolt, and pinned back Black Bolt’s arms. Deathbird then glided over swiftly on her wings, and slashed Black Bolt’s throat, leaving him powerless and fading fast.
BOOK ONE, CHAPTER 9
“Mommy.”
Rachel Carpenter ran to her mother Julia’s open arms. Julia, also known as Spider-Woman, had just arrived at the Satellite Supreme along with the rest of the All-Mighty.
“Hi, sweetheart. How’s my little trouper?”
“This place is so COOL! I still can’t believe we’re gonna LIVE here!”
“Believe it, honeybunch. We’re finally living in a place that’s safe for you...and all I have to do in exchange is help keep the world safe.”
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the satellite, All-Mighty field commander Barbara “Bobbie” Morse, also known as Mockingbird, discussed weighty matters with Iron Man, who had just finished putting on the same special battle armor which had helped wipe out Ultron.
“The scanner has confirmed it,” said Mockingbird, “it’s a Shi’ar fleet, and their most probable trajectory has them on a direct course to Earth’s moon.”
“So much for Majestrix Lilandra keeping her word about the Stargates never being used again.” sneered Iron Man.
“Their E.T.A. is fifteen to twenty minutes. Most likely they’ll strike the Blue Area, where the Inhumans are. If we ‘port right away, we can lay an ambush.”
“Do it.”
Seconds later, all six members of the All-Mighty had assembled in the matter-transfer chamber.
*******
Back on Earth, Mr. Fantastic was leading his prisoner, Blastaar, towards the Negative Zone portal. Blastaar had been fitted with neuro-clamps that weakened his considerable strength and prevented him from using his blast powers. But Mr. Fantastic now found himself wishing he had put a clamp on Blastaar’s mouth.
“The look on your faces,” roared Blastaar with laughter, “was worth even so humiliating a defeat. The one you call Wonder Man swatting away the Thing like a common pest – priceless.”
Indeed, Wonder Man had single-handedly defeated Blastaar in Greece just as the Fantastic Four were arriving, and Wonder Man had also refused reinforcements from the Thing in the most rude fashion possible. It took a force-field bubble from the Invisible Woman to keep the Thing from attacking Wonder Man, and it took all of Mr. Fantastic’s negotiating skills to convince Wonder Man to turn over Blastaar to the Fantastic Four. Clearly, thought Mr. Fantastic, the days of super-heroes treating each other like good neighbors were over. Much to the amusement of Blastaar, whose gloating was getting ever more obnoxious.
“You’ll have plenty of time to laugh it up in the Negative Zone, Blastaar.” said Mr. Fantastic as he operated the controls to the portal. “And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay there.”
“Clearly,” grinned Blastaar, “I need no longer expend my energy attempting to annihilate your dimension’s so-called heroes, when their destruction at each others’ hands is imminent.”
Before Blastaar could go on any further, he was whisked away into the Negative Zone, leaving Mr. Fantastic with a clenched jaw and a rising level of bile. His sulking was interrupted by the voice of a woman not his wife.
“Reed?” said honorary Fantastic Four member Sharon Ventura, “I hope this isn’t a bad time, but I’ve always been fascinated by the Negative Zone, and I was wondering if you could show me how to...”
Before Mr. Fantastic could reply, the Invisible Woman had breathlessly barged in. “Reed!” she yelled, “The Inhumans are under invasion!”
**********
As the Inhuman Royal Family, minus Crystal who was on Earth with the Avengers, led the Inhumans’ march to face the invading Shi’ar fleet now coming in for a landing, the desired precision of the formation was not there. Karnak alone, with his keen senses, could tell from the body language of some of his fellow Inhumans, including the oft-disloyal Timberius, that they were not only pleased at the invasion, but may even have been expecting it.
But before Karnak could warn the monarchs Black Bolt and Medusa, the All-Mighty materialized in front of them. The All-Mighty’s intervention was unannounced and wholly unasked for.
“What is the meaning of this?” growled Gorgon.
The answer came not in words, but in the form of Iron Man and Wonder Man charging the Shi’ar mothership, Iron Man shooting to kill and Wonder Man ripping open the mothership’s hull. When the Shi’ar shock troopers made their landing out of the other ships, they were met with intense fire from Dr. Pym’s enormous twin guns, and the hand-to-hand combat prowess of Mockingbird, Super-Patriot, and Spider-Woman.
Iron Man and Wonder Man strode toward the mothership’s bridge, where they found themselves faced with the Shi’ar Starforce, formerly the Kree Starforce, now led by Viceroy Deathbird and including Ultimus, Shatterax, and Korath.
Iron Man locked eyes with Deathbird and said, “Go back to where you came from NOW, or else.”
“So,” said Deathbird in her piercing voice, “you Terrans have finally learned that negotiation is best left to fools. STARFORCE, ATTACK!!”
Rachel Carpenter ran to her mother Julia’s open arms. Julia, also known as Spider-Woman, had just arrived at the Satellite Supreme along with the rest of the All-Mighty.
“Hi, sweetheart. How’s my little trouper?”
“This place is so COOL! I still can’t believe we’re gonna LIVE here!”
“Believe it, honeybunch. We’re finally living in a place that’s safe for you...and all I have to do in exchange is help keep the world safe.”
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the satellite, All-Mighty field commander Barbara “Bobbie” Morse, also known as Mockingbird, discussed weighty matters with Iron Man, who had just finished putting on the same special battle armor which had helped wipe out Ultron.
“The scanner has confirmed it,” said Mockingbird, “it’s a Shi’ar fleet, and their most probable trajectory has them on a direct course to Earth’s moon.”
“So much for Majestrix Lilandra keeping her word about the Stargates never being used again.” sneered Iron Man.
“Their E.T.A. is fifteen to twenty minutes. Most likely they’ll strike the Blue Area, where the Inhumans are. If we ‘port right away, we can lay an ambush.”
“Do it.”
Seconds later, all six members of the All-Mighty had assembled in the matter-transfer chamber.
*******
Back on Earth, Mr. Fantastic was leading his prisoner, Blastaar, towards the Negative Zone portal. Blastaar had been fitted with neuro-clamps that weakened his considerable strength and prevented him from using his blast powers. But Mr. Fantastic now found himself wishing he had put a clamp on Blastaar’s mouth.
“The look on your faces,” roared Blastaar with laughter, “was worth even so humiliating a defeat. The one you call Wonder Man swatting away the Thing like a common pest – priceless.”
Indeed, Wonder Man had single-handedly defeated Blastaar in Greece just as the Fantastic Four were arriving, and Wonder Man had also refused reinforcements from the Thing in the most rude fashion possible. It took a force-field bubble from the Invisible Woman to keep the Thing from attacking Wonder Man, and it took all of Mr. Fantastic’s negotiating skills to convince Wonder Man to turn over Blastaar to the Fantastic Four. Clearly, thought Mr. Fantastic, the days of super-heroes treating each other like good neighbors were over. Much to the amusement of Blastaar, whose gloating was getting ever more obnoxious.
“You’ll have plenty of time to laugh it up in the Negative Zone, Blastaar.” said Mr. Fantastic as he operated the controls to the portal. “And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay there.”
“Clearly,” grinned Blastaar, “I need no longer expend my energy attempting to annihilate your dimension’s so-called heroes, when their destruction at each others’ hands is imminent.”
Before Blastaar could go on any further, he was whisked away into the Negative Zone, leaving Mr. Fantastic with a clenched jaw and a rising level of bile. His sulking was interrupted by the voice of a woman not his wife.
“Reed?” said honorary Fantastic Four member Sharon Ventura, “I hope this isn’t a bad time, but I’ve always been fascinated by the Negative Zone, and I was wondering if you could show me how to...”
Before Mr. Fantastic could reply, the Invisible Woman had breathlessly barged in. “Reed!” she yelled, “The Inhumans are under invasion!”
**********
As the Inhuman Royal Family, minus Crystal who was on Earth with the Avengers, led the Inhumans’ march to face the invading Shi’ar fleet now coming in for a landing, the desired precision of the formation was not there. Karnak alone, with his keen senses, could tell from the body language of some of his fellow Inhumans, including the oft-disloyal Timberius, that they were not only pleased at the invasion, but may even have been expecting it.
But before Karnak could warn the monarchs Black Bolt and Medusa, the All-Mighty materialized in front of them. The All-Mighty’s intervention was unannounced and wholly unasked for.
“What is the meaning of this?” growled Gorgon.
The answer came not in words, but in the form of Iron Man and Wonder Man charging the Shi’ar mothership, Iron Man shooting to kill and Wonder Man ripping open the mothership’s hull. When the Shi’ar shock troopers made their landing out of the other ships, they were met with intense fire from Dr. Pym’s enormous twin guns, and the hand-to-hand combat prowess of Mockingbird, Super-Patriot, and Spider-Woman.
Iron Man and Wonder Man strode toward the mothership’s bridge, where they found themselves faced with the Shi’ar Starforce, formerly the Kree Starforce, now led by Viceroy Deathbird and including Ultimus, Shatterax, and Korath.
Iron Man locked eyes with Deathbird and said, “Go back to where you came from NOW, or else.”
“So,” said Deathbird in her piercing voice, “you Terrans have finally learned that negotiation is best left to fools. STARFORCE, ATTACK!!”
BOOK ONE, CHAPTER 8
Amid the fanfare of a marching band, and with the sky dotted by a host of brightly colored fireworks, the crowd which had gathered at Cape Canaveral for the official launch of Iron Man’s new team were cheerfully ignoring the hot Florida weather as they anticipated the arrival of the super-heroes.
Then, with a flourish, the curtains parted and there they stood: Iron Man at center stage, flanked by Mockingbird and Spider-Woman on the left, Dr. Pym and the former U.S. Agent, now back to his original code name of Super-Patriot, on the right.
There were a few tense seconds where the heroes didn’t quite seem to know what to say or do, until a voice in the crowd rang out above the din, “Look! Up in the sky!”
It was Wonder Man, soaring through the air above before swooping down to the stage, making a perfect landing on his feet.
No sooner had the crowd absorbed this and gone wild when the guest of honor, the new team’s sponsor, entered stage right and the crowd went even wilder. Even among brightly garbed super-heroes, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark knew how to stand out and focus all eyes on him.
(Little did the crowd suspect that Tony Stark and Iron Man were one and the same, and that his loyal lieutenant, James Rhodes, was wearing the Iron Man armor for the occasion.)
Stark took the podium and his deep, authoritative voice boomed out of the public address system. “My friends,” he said, “tonight you are witnessing history in the making. I give you...The All-Mighty!”
At that moment, a giant banner unfurled bearing the new team’s name, The All-Mighty, while two smaller banners below it bore the team’s slogan, “Might Makes Right.” Confetti rained on the stage, the fireworks resumed, the marching band started up again, and Stark adopted a near-messianic pose that would have offended the religious protesters outside the venue even more than they already were by the team’s name.
Once the pomp and circumstance faded away, Stark resumed his speech. “This,” he declared, “is a modern super-hero team for modern times. And so, it is only appropriate for it to be headquartered where it can serve anywhere in the world, at any time. I ask you now to turn your attention to the rocket nearest us.”
With impeccable timing, the nearest rocket on the launch site came to roaring to life and blasted off. The crowd was speechless.
“And now,” said Stark, “if you’ll focus on the giant digital screens, you’ll be able to witness the launch into space of...the Satellite Supreme, from which justice shall be served.”
Television screens all over the world were tuned into the broadcasts of the Satellite Supreme’s sister satellites, as the All-Mighty’s space station separated itself from the rocket and took its place in Earth’s orbit. All but one television screen, which had been smashed by a beer can hurled with tremendous force.
“NUTS TO YA! BUNCHA CRUDHEADS!” snarled Ben Grimm from the Fantastic Four’s living room, as the other three members of what had once been the world’s flagship super-team sat around him stoically, having learned long ago that it was best to let their craggy-skinned teammate’s tantrums run their course. And in this case, they shared their teammate’s anger towards the All-Mighty, and Wonder Man in particular, even if they kept it bottled up.
Finally, Mr. Fantastic broke the silence. “I suppose I had best dispose of Blastaar sooner rather than later. Excuse me for a few minutes.”
Meanwhile, back in Cape Canaveral, the members of the All-Mighty were waving goodbye to their adoring public as matter-transfer technology teleported them up to the Satellite Supreme.
Stark wrapped up his speech. “Sleep comfortably tonight, my friends, knowing that you’re under the full-time protection of the All-Mighty. And thank you for coming. Good night.”
Stark exited stage left to rapturous applause and cheering. Waiting for him was his newly appointed bodyguard – and former lover – Bethany Cabe, who led the security detail escorting Stark to his limousine.
The limousine took off with Bethany as Stark’s only company, their privacy ensured by soundproofing.
“God, what a rush!” huffed a near-breathless Stark. “It’s times like this that I miss drinking most of all, just to bring myself back down to Earth.”
“That’s why I’m here.” said Bethany serenely.
“I can’t thank you enough,” said Stark, “for accepting my offer. A man needs to surround himself with those he trusts most.”
“And part of that trust,” interjected Bethany, “is to listen when they tell you things you don’t want to hear. I still can’t believe you called the team The All-Mighty. It’s like you’re deliberately courting controversy.”
“Visionaries have always been misunderstood in their own time.”
“You’re an educated man, Tony, so I’m sure you know the meaning of the word ‘hubris.’ You really need to chew on that for a while, and...”
Suddenly, a priority alarm built into Stark’s digital watch rang out. “They need me at the Satellite. There’s an alien invasion on the horizon!” At that moment, Stark began to fade away as the teleportation beam claimed him.
“Take care, Tony.” sighed Bethany resignedly.
“I always do.” smiled Stark, and with that, he was gone.
Then, with a flourish, the curtains parted and there they stood: Iron Man at center stage, flanked by Mockingbird and Spider-Woman on the left, Dr. Pym and the former U.S. Agent, now back to his original code name of Super-Patriot, on the right.
There were a few tense seconds where the heroes didn’t quite seem to know what to say or do, until a voice in the crowd rang out above the din, “Look! Up in the sky!”
It was Wonder Man, soaring through the air above before swooping down to the stage, making a perfect landing on his feet.
No sooner had the crowd absorbed this and gone wild when the guest of honor, the new team’s sponsor, entered stage right and the crowd went even wilder. Even among brightly garbed super-heroes, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark knew how to stand out and focus all eyes on him.
(Little did the crowd suspect that Tony Stark and Iron Man were one and the same, and that his loyal lieutenant, James Rhodes, was wearing the Iron Man armor for the occasion.)
Stark took the podium and his deep, authoritative voice boomed out of the public address system. “My friends,” he said, “tonight you are witnessing history in the making. I give you...The All-Mighty!”
At that moment, a giant banner unfurled bearing the new team’s name, The All-Mighty, while two smaller banners below it bore the team’s slogan, “Might Makes Right.” Confetti rained on the stage, the fireworks resumed, the marching band started up again, and Stark adopted a near-messianic pose that would have offended the religious protesters outside the venue even more than they already were by the team’s name.
Once the pomp and circumstance faded away, Stark resumed his speech. “This,” he declared, “is a modern super-hero team for modern times. And so, it is only appropriate for it to be headquartered where it can serve anywhere in the world, at any time. I ask you now to turn your attention to the rocket nearest us.”
With impeccable timing, the nearest rocket on the launch site came to roaring to life and blasted off. The crowd was speechless.
“And now,” said Stark, “if you’ll focus on the giant digital screens, you’ll be able to witness the launch into space of...the Satellite Supreme, from which justice shall be served.”
Television screens all over the world were tuned into the broadcasts of the Satellite Supreme’s sister satellites, as the All-Mighty’s space station separated itself from the rocket and took its place in Earth’s orbit. All but one television screen, which had been smashed by a beer can hurled with tremendous force.
“NUTS TO YA! BUNCHA CRUDHEADS!” snarled Ben Grimm from the Fantastic Four’s living room, as the other three members of what had once been the world’s flagship super-team sat around him stoically, having learned long ago that it was best to let their craggy-skinned teammate’s tantrums run their course. And in this case, they shared their teammate’s anger towards the All-Mighty, and Wonder Man in particular, even if they kept it bottled up.
Finally, Mr. Fantastic broke the silence. “I suppose I had best dispose of Blastaar sooner rather than later. Excuse me for a few minutes.”
Meanwhile, back in Cape Canaveral, the members of the All-Mighty were waving goodbye to their adoring public as matter-transfer technology teleported them up to the Satellite Supreme.
Stark wrapped up his speech. “Sleep comfortably tonight, my friends, knowing that you’re under the full-time protection of the All-Mighty. And thank you for coming. Good night.”
Stark exited stage left to rapturous applause and cheering. Waiting for him was his newly appointed bodyguard – and former lover – Bethany Cabe, who led the security detail escorting Stark to his limousine.
The limousine took off with Bethany as Stark’s only company, their privacy ensured by soundproofing.
“God, what a rush!” huffed a near-breathless Stark. “It’s times like this that I miss drinking most of all, just to bring myself back down to Earth.”
“That’s why I’m here.” said Bethany serenely.
“I can’t thank you enough,” said Stark, “for accepting my offer. A man needs to surround himself with those he trusts most.”
“And part of that trust,” interjected Bethany, “is to listen when they tell you things you don’t want to hear. I still can’t believe you called the team The All-Mighty. It’s like you’re deliberately courting controversy.”
“Visionaries have always been misunderstood in their own time.”
“You’re an educated man, Tony, so I’m sure you know the meaning of the word ‘hubris.’ You really need to chew on that for a while, and...”
Suddenly, a priority alarm built into Stark’s digital watch rang out. “They need me at the Satellite. There’s an alien invasion on the horizon!” At that moment, Stark began to fade away as the teleportation beam claimed him.
“Take care, Tony.” sighed Bethany resignedly.
“I always do.” smiled Stark, and with that, he was gone.
Friday, January 22, 2010
BOOK ONE, CHAPTER 3
Hawkeye aimed his smoke arrow with great dexterity at the raging Ultron, who was at that moment too intent on vaporizing U.S. Agent to notice anyone else.
“Now,” said Ultron, “you laughable excuse for a pitiful species, it is time to die.”
Hawkeye fired. The arrow hit Ultron in his right eye-slot and began billowing smoke, temporarily blinding Ultron while U.S. Agent ran to join his fellow Avengers.
“Okay, folks,” said Hawkeye to the rest of the team, of which only Iron Man and the still-unconscious Wonder Man were missing, “time ta take down the tin-can-man. Avengers, attack!”
“Ahh, the more victims the merrier!” shrieked a sight-restored Ultron.
The Scarlet Witch sent Ultron staggering with a hex-bolt, while Spider-Woman bound him in her psionic web. Hawkeye fired his most powerful explosive arrow into Ultron’s maw. The blast sent flames and sparks flying out of Ultron’s head, but the evil robot shook off the shock easily.
“Soft, all of you – soft!” said Ultron, ripping his way out of the psi-web and swatting away the Avengers one by one.
“Too soft for you?” came a heavily filtered voice. “Then try me instead.”
Ultron could not help but be shocked for a split second as he took in the sudden sight of Iron Man in his new armor, which made him look more like a tank than a man.
That split second was all Iron Man needed. His shoulder-mounted gatling gun and double-barreled wrist-mounted cannon fired a barrage of bullets powerful enough to pierce even the adamantium that made up Ultron’s outer shell. With great precision, Iron Man followed this with near-nuclear-strength mini-rockets aimed squarely at Ultron’s biggest wounds. Ultron’s form was now twisted, distorted and emitting foul-smelling smoke. A blast from Iron Man’s particle beam cannon almost knocked Ultron to the ground, but he was still standing until additional firepower came via two enormous guns that Dr. Pym produced from his pocket in miniature size and instantly grew with his special particles. Ultron was finally down.
Iron Man hadn’t expected this from Dr. Pym, and neither had anyone else. Iron Man and Dr. Pym’s eyes met, and Dr. Pym smirked and winked at Iron Man.
After a tense few seconds, there came a startling transformation in U.S. Agent, Mockingbird, and Spider-Woman. Giving in to their basest animal instincts, they dog-piled on Ultron’s remains and began tearing them apart savagely. Hawkeye, the Scarlet Witch, and the Wasp could only stare in horror.
Suddenly, Ultron rallied with his last ounce of strength and tossed aside his attackers. “Fools!” he raged, “No matter how hard you try, you cannot kill me!”
A guttural voice emerged from the shadows. “Wanna bet?”
Wonder Man, recovered, rushed Ultron, his hands blazing ionic power. One hand grabbed Ultron’s neck, the other a crack in Ultron’s mid-section. With a terrifying roar, Wonder Man ripped Ultron in half and slammed the remains to the ground.
Without hesitating, Iron Man turned his particle beam back on, this time full-force, melting Ultron’s remains to slag. Before Ultron expired, he shocked everybody one last time...by laughing. “Now you can fool yourselves no longer – you are truly no better than I!” More laughter followed, until nothing remained of Ultron but a small puddle of metal.
Hawkeye finally found his voice, and used it loudly. “Ya MANIACS! Ya should all be locked up in chains! Ya call yourselves HEROES??”
“As the old saying goes, the ends justify the means.” said Iron Man coldly. “Besides, you’re not gonna tell me this robot had a soul.”
“An’ what’s gonna happen when we face a flesh-an’-blood villain?” demanded Hawkeye. “You gonna blast him an’ tear him apart an’ torch him, too??”
“If need be, yeah.” sneered Wonder Man facetiously.
“Face it, Hawkeye,” said Mockingbird, “there’s no place for wishy-washy wimps in the modern world.”
“Lady,” grinned U.S. Agent, “you took the words right outta my mouth.”
“So what’s it gonna be, Hawkeye?” asked Spider-Woman, “Are you gonna discharge us all?”
“I’ll beat him to the punch.” said Iron Man. “I’m quitting the Avengers and forming a new team, so anybody’s free to come join me.”
“Count me in.” said Mockingbird.
“Me, too,” said U.S. Agent.
“And me.” said Spider-Woman.
“I’ll join you, Tony.” said Dr. Pym.
“HANK!” exclaimed a horrified Wasp.
“No...” groaned Hawkeye, “...not you, too, Hank.”
“How can you do this, after what we were talking about earlier?” demanded the Scarlet Witch.
“What can I say?” shrugged Dr. Pym. “The scales fell from my eyes. Thanks to Tony, my greatest mistake has been taken care of permanently. That’s pretty damn inspiring.”
“Enough talk,” said Wonder Man, “let’s go do some justice!”
Iron Man and his acolytes walked away, leaving Hawkeye, the Wasp, and the Scarlet Witch behind.
“This is the last straw.” said the Scarlet Witch. “If this is the future for superheroes, I want no part of it.”
“Don’t give up on us, Wanda.” pleaded Hawkeye.
“Yeah,” said the Wasp, “we’ll just re-join the original Avengers.”
“With other killers like Vision, Sersi, Black Knight, and Hercules?” retorted the Scarlet Witch. “ No, thank you.”
“Maybe Wanda’s right.” whimpered Hawkeye. “Maybe we should just quit this dirty business. I’m sure I’ll find a carnival out there willing ta take on an over-the-hill archer.”
“That’s your decision, Hawkeye.” said the Wasp. “I’m sticking with the Avengers.”
The Scarlet Witch and the Wasp went their separate ways, leaving Hawkeye all alone.
Hawkeye stood alone for what seemed like an eternity, tears streaming down his mask.
Finally, he sighed to himself, “That’s life,” and began walking in search of whatever awaited.
“Now,” said Ultron, “you laughable excuse for a pitiful species, it is time to die.”
Hawkeye fired. The arrow hit Ultron in his right eye-slot and began billowing smoke, temporarily blinding Ultron while U.S. Agent ran to join his fellow Avengers.
“Okay, folks,” said Hawkeye to the rest of the team, of which only Iron Man and the still-unconscious Wonder Man were missing, “time ta take down the tin-can-man. Avengers, attack!”
“Ahh, the more victims the merrier!” shrieked a sight-restored Ultron.
The Scarlet Witch sent Ultron staggering with a hex-bolt, while Spider-Woman bound him in her psionic web. Hawkeye fired his most powerful explosive arrow into Ultron’s maw. The blast sent flames and sparks flying out of Ultron’s head, but the evil robot shook off the shock easily.
“Soft, all of you – soft!” said Ultron, ripping his way out of the psi-web and swatting away the Avengers one by one.
“Too soft for you?” came a heavily filtered voice. “Then try me instead.”
Ultron could not help but be shocked for a split second as he took in the sudden sight of Iron Man in his new armor, which made him look more like a tank than a man.
That split second was all Iron Man needed. His shoulder-mounted gatling gun and double-barreled wrist-mounted cannon fired a barrage of bullets powerful enough to pierce even the adamantium that made up Ultron’s outer shell. With great precision, Iron Man followed this with near-nuclear-strength mini-rockets aimed squarely at Ultron’s biggest wounds. Ultron’s form was now twisted, distorted and emitting foul-smelling smoke. A blast from Iron Man’s particle beam cannon almost knocked Ultron to the ground, but he was still standing until additional firepower came via two enormous guns that Dr. Pym produced from his pocket in miniature size and instantly grew with his special particles. Ultron was finally down.
Iron Man hadn’t expected this from Dr. Pym, and neither had anyone else. Iron Man and Dr. Pym’s eyes met, and Dr. Pym smirked and winked at Iron Man.
After a tense few seconds, there came a startling transformation in U.S. Agent, Mockingbird, and Spider-Woman. Giving in to their basest animal instincts, they dog-piled on Ultron’s remains and began tearing them apart savagely. Hawkeye, the Scarlet Witch, and the Wasp could only stare in horror.
Suddenly, Ultron rallied with his last ounce of strength and tossed aside his attackers. “Fools!” he raged, “No matter how hard you try, you cannot kill me!”
A guttural voice emerged from the shadows. “Wanna bet?”
Wonder Man, recovered, rushed Ultron, his hands blazing ionic power. One hand grabbed Ultron’s neck, the other a crack in Ultron’s mid-section. With a terrifying roar, Wonder Man ripped Ultron in half and slammed the remains to the ground.
Without hesitating, Iron Man turned his particle beam back on, this time full-force, melting Ultron’s remains to slag. Before Ultron expired, he shocked everybody one last time...by laughing. “Now you can fool yourselves no longer – you are truly no better than I!” More laughter followed, until nothing remained of Ultron but a small puddle of metal.
Hawkeye finally found his voice, and used it loudly. “Ya MANIACS! Ya should all be locked up in chains! Ya call yourselves HEROES??”
“As the old saying goes, the ends justify the means.” said Iron Man coldly. “Besides, you’re not gonna tell me this robot had a soul.”
“An’ what’s gonna happen when we face a flesh-an’-blood villain?” demanded Hawkeye. “You gonna blast him an’ tear him apart an’ torch him, too??”
“If need be, yeah.” sneered Wonder Man facetiously.
“Face it, Hawkeye,” said Mockingbird, “there’s no place for wishy-washy wimps in the modern world.”
“Lady,” grinned U.S. Agent, “you took the words right outta my mouth.”
“So what’s it gonna be, Hawkeye?” asked Spider-Woman, “Are you gonna discharge us all?”
“I’ll beat him to the punch.” said Iron Man. “I’m quitting the Avengers and forming a new team, so anybody’s free to come join me.”
“Count me in.” said Mockingbird.
“Me, too,” said U.S. Agent.
“And me.” said Spider-Woman.
“I’ll join you, Tony.” said Dr. Pym.
“HANK!” exclaimed a horrified Wasp.
“No...” groaned Hawkeye, “...not you, too, Hank.”
“How can you do this, after what we were talking about earlier?” demanded the Scarlet Witch.
“What can I say?” shrugged Dr. Pym. “The scales fell from my eyes. Thanks to Tony, my greatest mistake has been taken care of permanently. That’s pretty damn inspiring.”
“Enough talk,” said Wonder Man, “let’s go do some justice!”
Iron Man and his acolytes walked away, leaving Hawkeye, the Wasp, and the Scarlet Witch behind.
“This is the last straw.” said the Scarlet Witch. “If this is the future for superheroes, I want no part of it.”
“Don’t give up on us, Wanda.” pleaded Hawkeye.
“Yeah,” said the Wasp, “we’ll just re-join the original Avengers.”
“With other killers like Vision, Sersi, Black Knight, and Hercules?” retorted the Scarlet Witch. “ No, thank you.”
“Maybe Wanda’s right.” whimpered Hawkeye. “Maybe we should just quit this dirty business. I’m sure I’ll find a carnival out there willing ta take on an over-the-hill archer.”
“That’s your decision, Hawkeye.” said the Wasp. “I’m sticking with the Avengers.”
The Scarlet Witch and the Wasp went their separate ways, leaving Hawkeye all alone.
Hawkeye stood alone for what seemed like an eternity, tears streaming down his mask.
Finally, he sighed to himself, “That’s life,” and began walking in search of whatever awaited.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
BOOK ONE, CHAPTER 2
In the garden of the Avengers West Coast compound, the Scarlet Witch sat cross-legged on the ground, peacefully communing with nature.
Suddenly, her reverie was interrupted by crunching footsteps. The Scarlet Witch swiftly turned her head and saw, to her partial relief, that it was not an invading villain, but rather Spider-Woman and Spider-Woman’s daughter on their way out of the compound. However, her partial relief turned to pure anger when Spider-Woman looked over at her and they made eye contact. The Scarlet Witch was, to say the least, not happy with the way Spider-Woman had voted a few weeks earlier, and she gave Spider-Woman the proverbial Evil Eye.
“Mommy,” asked Spider-Woman’s daughter, “why is she looking at us like that?”
“It’s grown-up stuff, sweetie,” replied Spider-Woman, “nothing to worry your pretty little head about.”
Spider-Woman and her daughter finished exiting the compound, and the Scarlet Witch went back to being one with nature.
*********
Meanwhile, inside the compound, Hawkeye was thinking that he didn’t know how many more blows to his fragile peace of mind he could take.
“My heart’s just not in it anymore,” said Living Lightning to Hawkeye, “it hasn’t been since the outer space incident. I hope you understand.”
“I do.” replied Hawkeye resignedly. “Believe ya me, I do. Best of luck at college, Miguel.”
“Thanks.” said Living Lightning.
The two men shook hands, and Living Lightning walked out of the conference room. Hawkeye sat down at the table and let out a heavy sigh. He leafed through his divorce papers – Mockingbird’s vote to keep Iron Man & Wonder Man in the team had been the final nail in the coffin of her marriage to Hawkeye. Suddenly finding himself pining for what they’d had a long time ago, Hawkeye angrily tossed the papers back on the table, got up, and walked to the window, where he saw the Scarlet Witch in the garden.
********
Tony Stark contemplated the impressive sight of his latest invention. It had occupied all his time these past few weeks. He told himself, with no little sense of satisfaction, that work was all the therapy he REALLY needed, and that he’d never make the mistake of seeking therapy again.
All work and no play makes Tony a dull boy? Well, his alcoholism ruled out partying, while promiscuity was impossible in the age of AIDS. Work was his life, life was his work.
He had also taken some time to ruminate on the situation with Clint. Tony was now more convinced than ever that changes had to be made to the Avengers West Coast. He wondered hopefully whether they were coming around to seeing things his way.
********
The Scarlet Witch heard footsteps again, and turned her head again. This time, she saw Hawkeye approaching her.
“Wanda, could I trouble ya for a minute o’ yer time?”
“Sure, Clint. What is it?”
“I was just thinking...you an’ I have been in the superhero business for the exact same amount o’ time, an’ I was just wondering...do ya still enjoy it?”
“Quite honestly, no. I can only live with it by looking at it as a hobby.”
“I was also thinking that maybe Tony had a point about changing with the times...but I can’t change me. Like my hero Popeye, ‘I yam what I yam.’ Maybe there’s not a place in this scary new world for old-timers like us...uh...I mean, me...um...no offense, Wanda. Sorry.”
“None taken.”
The sound of footsteps was followed by the sound of Dr. Pym’s voice. “I’m glad to find out I’m not the only one who’s been thinking about that.”
“Oh, stop it, all of you.” said the Wasp, buzzing around the other three veteran heroes. “As long as there’s evil in the universe, there’s gonna be a place for real heroes.”
“I wanna believe ya,” said Hawkeye wistfully, “I really do.”
*********
U.S. Agent dashed through a typical backstreet of Los Angeles, while Wonder Man followed him by flying close to the ground.
“I gotta tell ya, Wondy, you lucked out! You got to kick alien butt and help kill a genocidal maniac, while I got stuck with a buncha lame-os who got creamed by the bad guys.”
“Whatever.” muttered Wonder Man. “It wasn’t as great as you think.”
U.S. Agent changed the subject. “According to my snitch, there’s some kinda villainy afoot at an industrial park near here. Hopefully, he’s right, cause I really need something to hit.”
Wonder Man quietly and reluctantly admitted to himself that he shared U.S. Agent’s need for naked aggression. That nega-radiation had definitely done something to him, not just his body but his personality. And he had trouble focusing, and was hungry all the time.
“Y’know, Wondy,” U.S. Agent said more to himself than to his teammate, “villains are so damn predictable. Always hiding out in industrial parks, warehouses, condemned buildings, always with their stupid plans that get undone by their own stupidity. And yet they get away all the time and then they come back for another butt-kicking from us good guys. Hell, I think it’s time we just rounded them up and shot ‘em all.”
“Here’s the industrial park.” said Wonder Man in a detached voice as he sped up and flew ahead of U.S. Agent.
“Wondy, be careful,” warned U.S. Agent, “there might be a...”
Suddenly, a massive laser burst caught Wonder Man off-guard and sent him to the ground, unconscious.
“...trap.”
“Like flies to rotted meat, the heroes come to their doom!” declared a shrill, echoing voice.
U.S. Agent looked up to see the villain standing above him on a walkway.
“Ultron!”
“Yes, it is I!” said the evil robot, “And all life is now forfeit...starting with the two of you!”
Ultron dodged U.S. Agent’s flying shield as he leapt off the walkway and landed on his cybernetic feet. Agent caught his shield as it returned to him, and he dived for cover behind a pile of scrap just before Ultron opened fire with his laser blasts.
**********
At the Avengers West Coast compound, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Wasp, and Dr. Pym were reminiscing.
“You shoulda been there when Wanda brought A WHOLE METEOR down on Kang’s robot!” laughed Hawkeye.
“I still remember how good that felt.” smiled the Scarlet Witch.
Suddenly, the alarm rang.
The Wasp got to the master computer first, by flying. “It’s U.S. Agent sending a code red.”
“Get a fix on his location while you patch him through.” ordered Hawkeye.
Agent’s voice crackled through the speakers. “Agent to Compound. Ultron’s back, Wondy’s down, and I don’t know how much longer I can keep dodging this tin maniac!”
“ALL RIGHT!” whooped Hawkeye. “Ultron’s back. Time for some good old-fashioned fun!” Then, after a beat, he added, “Uh...I mean...we’ll round up the others an’ be there right away, Agent. Hawkeye out.”
Hawkeye raised his bow above his head and said the words that still sent a chill down the spines of those present: “AVENGERS, ASSEMBLE!”
**********
“I’m on my way, Clint.” said Tony into his Avengers communication card.
Now, thought Tony, was his chance – and Iron Man’s chance – to prove that might made right. That force worked. And his new invention was the perfect catalyst. It was an austerely gray new armor that would turn him into the scourge of super-villains everywhere, a veritable war machine!
Suddenly, her reverie was interrupted by crunching footsteps. The Scarlet Witch swiftly turned her head and saw, to her partial relief, that it was not an invading villain, but rather Spider-Woman and Spider-Woman’s daughter on their way out of the compound. However, her partial relief turned to pure anger when Spider-Woman looked over at her and they made eye contact. The Scarlet Witch was, to say the least, not happy with the way Spider-Woman had voted a few weeks earlier, and she gave Spider-Woman the proverbial Evil Eye.
“Mommy,” asked Spider-Woman’s daughter, “why is she looking at us like that?”
“It’s grown-up stuff, sweetie,” replied Spider-Woman, “nothing to worry your pretty little head about.”
Spider-Woman and her daughter finished exiting the compound, and the Scarlet Witch went back to being one with nature.
*********
Meanwhile, inside the compound, Hawkeye was thinking that he didn’t know how many more blows to his fragile peace of mind he could take.
“My heart’s just not in it anymore,” said Living Lightning to Hawkeye, “it hasn’t been since the outer space incident. I hope you understand.”
“I do.” replied Hawkeye resignedly. “Believe ya me, I do. Best of luck at college, Miguel.”
“Thanks.” said Living Lightning.
The two men shook hands, and Living Lightning walked out of the conference room. Hawkeye sat down at the table and let out a heavy sigh. He leafed through his divorce papers – Mockingbird’s vote to keep Iron Man & Wonder Man in the team had been the final nail in the coffin of her marriage to Hawkeye. Suddenly finding himself pining for what they’d had a long time ago, Hawkeye angrily tossed the papers back on the table, got up, and walked to the window, where he saw the Scarlet Witch in the garden.
********
Tony Stark contemplated the impressive sight of his latest invention. It had occupied all his time these past few weeks. He told himself, with no little sense of satisfaction, that work was all the therapy he REALLY needed, and that he’d never make the mistake of seeking therapy again.
All work and no play makes Tony a dull boy? Well, his alcoholism ruled out partying, while promiscuity was impossible in the age of AIDS. Work was his life, life was his work.
He had also taken some time to ruminate on the situation with Clint. Tony was now more convinced than ever that changes had to be made to the Avengers West Coast. He wondered hopefully whether they were coming around to seeing things his way.
********
The Scarlet Witch heard footsteps again, and turned her head again. This time, she saw Hawkeye approaching her.
“Wanda, could I trouble ya for a minute o’ yer time?”
“Sure, Clint. What is it?”
“I was just thinking...you an’ I have been in the superhero business for the exact same amount o’ time, an’ I was just wondering...do ya still enjoy it?”
“Quite honestly, no. I can only live with it by looking at it as a hobby.”
“I was also thinking that maybe Tony had a point about changing with the times...but I can’t change me. Like my hero Popeye, ‘I yam what I yam.’ Maybe there’s not a place in this scary new world for old-timers like us...uh...I mean, me...um...no offense, Wanda. Sorry.”
“None taken.”
The sound of footsteps was followed by the sound of Dr. Pym’s voice. “I’m glad to find out I’m not the only one who’s been thinking about that.”
“Oh, stop it, all of you.” said the Wasp, buzzing around the other three veteran heroes. “As long as there’s evil in the universe, there’s gonna be a place for real heroes.”
“I wanna believe ya,” said Hawkeye wistfully, “I really do.”
*********
U.S. Agent dashed through a typical backstreet of Los Angeles, while Wonder Man followed him by flying close to the ground.
“I gotta tell ya, Wondy, you lucked out! You got to kick alien butt and help kill a genocidal maniac, while I got stuck with a buncha lame-os who got creamed by the bad guys.”
“Whatever.” muttered Wonder Man. “It wasn’t as great as you think.”
U.S. Agent changed the subject. “According to my snitch, there’s some kinda villainy afoot at an industrial park near here. Hopefully, he’s right, cause I really need something to hit.”
Wonder Man quietly and reluctantly admitted to himself that he shared U.S. Agent’s need for naked aggression. That nega-radiation had definitely done something to him, not just his body but his personality. And he had trouble focusing, and was hungry all the time.
“Y’know, Wondy,” U.S. Agent said more to himself than to his teammate, “villains are so damn predictable. Always hiding out in industrial parks, warehouses, condemned buildings, always with their stupid plans that get undone by their own stupidity. And yet they get away all the time and then they come back for another butt-kicking from us good guys. Hell, I think it’s time we just rounded them up and shot ‘em all.”
“Here’s the industrial park.” said Wonder Man in a detached voice as he sped up and flew ahead of U.S. Agent.
“Wondy, be careful,” warned U.S. Agent, “there might be a...”
Suddenly, a massive laser burst caught Wonder Man off-guard and sent him to the ground, unconscious.
“...trap.”
“Like flies to rotted meat, the heroes come to their doom!” declared a shrill, echoing voice.
U.S. Agent looked up to see the villain standing above him on a walkway.
“Ultron!”
“Yes, it is I!” said the evil robot, “And all life is now forfeit...starting with the two of you!”
Ultron dodged U.S. Agent’s flying shield as he leapt off the walkway and landed on his cybernetic feet. Agent caught his shield as it returned to him, and he dived for cover behind a pile of scrap just before Ultron opened fire with his laser blasts.
**********
At the Avengers West Coast compound, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Wasp, and Dr. Pym were reminiscing.
“You shoulda been there when Wanda brought A WHOLE METEOR down on Kang’s robot!” laughed Hawkeye.
“I still remember how good that felt.” smiled the Scarlet Witch.
Suddenly, the alarm rang.
The Wasp got to the master computer first, by flying. “It’s U.S. Agent sending a code red.”
“Get a fix on his location while you patch him through.” ordered Hawkeye.
Agent’s voice crackled through the speakers. “Agent to Compound. Ultron’s back, Wondy’s down, and I don’t know how much longer I can keep dodging this tin maniac!”
“ALL RIGHT!” whooped Hawkeye. “Ultron’s back. Time for some good old-fashioned fun!” Then, after a beat, he added, “Uh...I mean...we’ll round up the others an’ be there right away, Agent. Hawkeye out.”
Hawkeye raised his bow above his head and said the words that still sent a chill down the spines of those present: “AVENGERS, ASSEMBLE!”
**********
“I’m on my way, Clint.” said Tony into his Avengers communication card.
Now, thought Tony, was his chance – and Iron Man’s chance – to prove that might made right. That force worked. And his new invention was the perfect catalyst. It was an austerely gray new armor that would turn him into the scourge of super-villains everywhere, a veritable war machine!
Monday, January 18, 2010
BOOK ONE, CHAPTER 1
Inside the antiseptic office of Doctor Leonard Samson, Iron Man paced the room, looking away from Samson, who was seated across from him.
"I’m not sure this was a good idea." said Iron Man.
"It was your idea." replied Samson.
"Not all my ideas are going to be good." grumbled Iron Man.
"If you want to call it off, you’ll still owe me my full fee." said Samson calmly.
"No, no, it’s just...I don’t know any more about anything." stammered Iron Man.
"Let’s try to focus," said Samson, "on what precipitated the incident."
"I don’t know." said Iron Man flatly.
"You’re going to have to do better than that." said Samson.
"Okay," said Iron Man, "Hawkeye was chairing the meeting. The more I think about it, I probably shouldn’t even have been there. Anyhow..."
********
One day earlier...
Hawkeye stared unsmilingly at the team he led, the West Coast Avengers, for what seemed like an eternity until he finally spoke.
"I move ta vote on whether or not ta discharge Iron Man an’ Wonder Man fer conduct unbecoming."
"How many times," snarled Wonder Man, "do I have to remind you that it’s over?"
"That’s out of line, Simon." snapped the Scarlet Witch. "Show some respect to our chairman."
Wonder Man slouched in his chair and sulked silently.
"If I may, Clint?" said Iron Man, raising his hand.
"Go on." said Hawkeye.
"I’ve always prided myself on changing with the times. And I feel that the incident in outer space only underlines how overdue the Avengers are for a serious re-thinking."
Iron Man could tell from Hawkeye’s face that he had touched a nerve. Hawkeye yelled, "Do I have ta remind ya who the leader of this team is??"
"You’re not listening." said Iron Man stoically.
"I damn well am listening!" replied Hawkeye. "An’ I’m adding insubordination ta yer list of crimes."
"Now you’re just being childish." said Iron Man.
"Can we just get on with the vote?" Mockingbird piped up acidly.
"Yeah...all right." said Hawkeye. "Those in favor of discharging Iron Man and Wonder Man for their involvement in killing the Supreme Intelligence, say ‘Aye!’"
"Aye." said the Scarlet Witch.
"Aye." said the Wasp.
"Aye." said Living Lightning.
"Those in favor of keeping Iron Man and Wonder Man in the team, say ‘Nay!’"
"Nay." said U.S. Agent.
"Nay." said Spider-Woman.
Dr. Pym paused before he, too, said "Nay."
Hawkeye locked eyes with Mockingbird, who was also his ex-wife and currently his on-again, off-again lover.
"Nay." said Mockingbird.
Hawkeye closed his eyes tightly, brought down the gavel, hard, and spluttered through gritted teeth, "The ‘Nays’ have it." Then, after a few tense seconds, "Ya got lucky this time, but I’ll be watching yer every move. There won’t be any more killing while I lead this team."
"Then maybe it’s time you stepped down." snickered U.S. Agent.
Hawkeye clenched his fists as his face turned crimson. But instead of exploding, he slammed down the gavel softly and said, softly, "Meeting adjourned."
********
"That’s it?" asked the unruffled Samson.
"What do you mean, ‘That’s it?’" snapped Iron Man.
"You’re all on edge after recent events, and you had a tense meeting. It’ll blow over."
"Do you...do you think I was wrong in killing the Supreme Intelligence?"
"I’m a professional. I’m not paid to make judgements like that."
"You’re no help at all."
"I’m sorry you feel that way."
"Don’t call me, I’ll call you...maybe!"
With those words, Iron Man stormed out of Samson’s office.
"I’m not sure this was a good idea." said Iron Man.
"It was your idea." replied Samson.
"Not all my ideas are going to be good." grumbled Iron Man.
"If you want to call it off, you’ll still owe me my full fee." said Samson calmly.
"No, no, it’s just...I don’t know any more about anything." stammered Iron Man.
"Let’s try to focus," said Samson, "on what precipitated the incident."
"I don’t know." said Iron Man flatly.
"You’re going to have to do better than that." said Samson.
"Okay," said Iron Man, "Hawkeye was chairing the meeting. The more I think about it, I probably shouldn’t even have been there. Anyhow..."
********
One day earlier...
Hawkeye stared unsmilingly at the team he led, the West Coast Avengers, for what seemed like an eternity until he finally spoke.
"I move ta vote on whether or not ta discharge Iron Man an’ Wonder Man fer conduct unbecoming."
"How many times," snarled Wonder Man, "do I have to remind you that it’s over?"
"That’s out of line, Simon." snapped the Scarlet Witch. "Show some respect to our chairman."
Wonder Man slouched in his chair and sulked silently.
"If I may, Clint?" said Iron Man, raising his hand.
"Go on." said Hawkeye.
"I’ve always prided myself on changing with the times. And I feel that the incident in outer space only underlines how overdue the Avengers are for a serious re-thinking."
Iron Man could tell from Hawkeye’s face that he had touched a nerve. Hawkeye yelled, "Do I have ta remind ya who the leader of this team is??"
"You’re not listening." said Iron Man stoically.
"I damn well am listening!" replied Hawkeye. "An’ I’m adding insubordination ta yer list of crimes."
"Now you’re just being childish." said Iron Man.
"Can we just get on with the vote?" Mockingbird piped up acidly.
"Yeah...all right." said Hawkeye. "Those in favor of discharging Iron Man and Wonder Man for their involvement in killing the Supreme Intelligence, say ‘Aye!’"
"Aye." said the Scarlet Witch.
"Aye." said the Wasp.
"Aye." said Living Lightning.
"Those in favor of keeping Iron Man and Wonder Man in the team, say ‘Nay!’"
"Nay." said U.S. Agent.
"Nay." said Spider-Woman.
Dr. Pym paused before he, too, said "Nay."
Hawkeye locked eyes with Mockingbird, who was also his ex-wife and currently his on-again, off-again lover.
"Nay." said Mockingbird.
Hawkeye closed his eyes tightly, brought down the gavel, hard, and spluttered through gritted teeth, "The ‘Nays’ have it." Then, after a few tense seconds, "Ya got lucky this time, but I’ll be watching yer every move. There won’t be any more killing while I lead this team."
"Then maybe it’s time you stepped down." snickered U.S. Agent.
Hawkeye clenched his fists as his face turned crimson. But instead of exploding, he slammed down the gavel softly and said, softly, "Meeting adjourned."
********
"That’s it?" asked the unruffled Samson.
"What do you mean, ‘That’s it?’" snapped Iron Man.
"You’re all on edge after recent events, and you had a tense meeting. It’ll blow over."
"Do you...do you think I was wrong in killing the Supreme Intelligence?"
"I’m a professional. I’m not paid to make judgements like that."
"You’re no help at all."
"I’m sorry you feel that way."
"Don’t call me, I’ll call you...maybe!"
With those words, Iron Man stormed out of Samson’s office.
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