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.
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.
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