Avengers #43

MARVEL 2000 PRESENTS...

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"REVENGE ALL AROUND"
Part II: "Style Clash"
by Brent Lambert

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2 Weeks Ago 

“So do you think this little ruse of yours is going to work?” Everett asked as he sat down at the table across from T’Challa with his TV dinner.  Processed ham with some clumpy macaroni was on the menu tonight. Not exactly Ross’ favorite, but the government was paying for his clothing, transportation, and food.  He didn’t have too much room to complain.

“It’ll work as long as you keep playing your part in it well,” T’Challa replied as he looked with disgust upon Ross’s meal.   Such food never found itself on his royal table. 

Everett sighed, “Playing the biggest jerk on the planet wouldn’t be so hard if it wasn’t the freakin Avengers.  Getting on Cap’s bad side isn’t exactly good for anyone’s health.”

T’Challa laughed, “I know I’m asking a lot of you Everett and I’m sorry, but to keep our plans secret we have to make the Avengers think your new position has gone to your head.  If our friendship appears on the rocks we can work in secret better.”

Taking a bite out of the ham Everett didn’t speak again until he had swallowed, “Do you really think it’s a good idea to work behind your own team’s back?”

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Present Day 

Black Panther grabbed the young Japanese girl and flung her into the nearest alleyway.  He had just prevented her tiny body from being crushed by the gigantic foot of a robotic monstrosity.  The machine had two large feet and four arms that each ended in drills.   T’Challa didn’t flinch in the sight of the ten foot tall robot.

“Simpleton,” Black Panther whispered under his breath as he leapt into the air and landed atop the robot head.  With a few quick slashes of his anti-metal claws T’Challa was able to rip the CPU from the mechanical shell. 

“Panther watch out!” Binary warned from above.

T’Challa looked behind him and saw four missiles headed his way.  The King of Wakanda jumped into the air and was swooped up by Binary.   The missiles hit the robot that Panther had just dismantled and created an explosion that knocked Binary out of the air.

“Looks like the king has fallen.”

Panther looked to the voice’s source and saw a smug smile coming from Professor Anthony Power.  T’Challa quickly rose to his feet and helped Binary to hers. 

“You shouldn’t have come here Avengers.  Already you’re beginning to fall,” Power laughed as he pointed a cybernetic finger to Tigra who was struggling to protect a group of people from Power’s machines.

“Go and help her Binary.  I shall take care of Power,” Panther commanded.

“I would say it should be the other way around, but I’m not going to argue,” Binary said as she flew away from Panther and moved with lightning speed towards Tigra.

Before she could help her feline teammate a tentacle wrapped itself around her waist and flung her through a window. Glass that would have cut through any normal person’s flesh simply melted on contact with Nicole’s.  She didn’t have blood underneath her skin.  Only searing heat.

Binary was only disoriented by the attack, but quickly found her attacker was a robot composed of hundreds of tentacles.  The golden robot had earned Ms. Ridley’s attention and she would respond in kind.  She only hoped she could do it in enough time to come to Greer’s aid.

“Guess you haven’t heard about me before.  I’m damn good at whuppin ass,” Binary smiled as she flew dead on into the robot.

“Shit,” Tigra said seeing that her help was now distracted.  She was trying to protect the civilians from the drills, saws, and lasers of Power’s robots.  Her abilities could only go so far though and she would need help soon. 

“Where the hell is Sunfire?” Tigra asked aloud as she pushed a 20 something man out of the way of a large chainsaw.  In the act though the weapon grazed her back and she let out a pained scream.  Greer fell to the ground hard and was kicked in the stomach by the robot. 

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Sunfire had been in another part of the city and working towards where Panther and the others were.  Tokyo was a large place and robots were swarming across the entire city.  Seeing him soaring through the air gave the citizens some hope, but Shiro wasn’t one for being idolized.  He was here to do a job and he would make everyone involved in this attack paid dearly.  

That was when he spotted him.   Power and Panther were in conflict.  T’Challa was having to fight Power and his automaton creations.  Shiro would relieve his leader of one threat.  Turning his body towards the ground Shiro divebombed towards Power.   Ever since his time with the Exiles, Shiro had been enhanced a great deal.  He would pour all that unbridled energy into Power.

Sunfire thought he had surprise on his side as he approached Power, but when he was only feet from Power he simply vanished and reappeared right smack in front of a wall.  The Japanese national hero slammed into the concrete head on and was knocked unconscious by it.

Power laughed, “You need to teach your Avengers not to underestimate their enemy!”

Moondragon stepped over a pile of bodies that were US Air Force soldiers.  All of their eyes were green and their expressions blank.  Heather bent down and touched the forehead of an Asian woman, “Their minds are gone.  It’s as if their souls have been stolen from their bodies.”

Andromeda knew what it was like to undergo soul replacement.  To an extent anyway, “Then we find this soul thief and make him scream for his deeds!”

“Easy Drom.  We need to keep our heads in the game here,” Wanda reminded.  She knew what it was like to get lost in emotions and become overwhelmed by them.  That was a dark path that she was still struggling not to walk down.

A dreadful music began to fill the air and the ground seemingly started to spurt up black ice.  The loud crunching of feet could be heard from afar and it wasn’t long before the three women saw the Soulless Man.  Centurious had his hands crossed behind him as the tortured souls of the Air Force soldiers floated around him and through him.

“They only send three after me.  I’m insulted,” Centurious said as he shook his head in pity for those who had come to oppose him.   Could the Avengers have made this any easier for him?

“Whelp!  You dare look down at me!” Moondragon cried out as she reached out to Centurious’ mind.  She sent out a telepathic strike that could have fell a platoon of men, but it was all for nothing.  Her attack was rejected and Heather felt her mind awash in psychic flames. 

Taking a few steps back Heather gripped her bald head and screamed loud enough to make the birds in nearby trees fly away.  Andromeda rushed to her aid, but it was too late.  Heather had fallen into an unconscious state and her skin had turned pale gray. 

“What will it take for monsters like you to stop harming innocents?” Wanda asked infuriated.

Centurious smiled, “I would say your first born, but your children are known for being mockeries.”

“Bastard,” Wanda growled under her breath, “You’re in for a world of hurt now!”

“From me!” Andromeda yelled as she charged forward at Centurious.  He simply lifted up his purple glove and sent Andromeda flying backwards.  The Atlantean felt as if an 18-wheeler had hit her head on. 

Scarlet Witch didn’t have time to worry about Andromeda.  She was a tough number and would recover from Centurious’ attack.  Right now she had to prepare herself for whatever the Soulless Man might try and do to her. 

“Such delicious women.  If only you would side with me and not fight against me, but alas you let your talents go to waste,” Centurious sighed as the souls surrounding him shot up into the air and threw off a powerful green light.  Now there was a swirling portal of black and blue hanging in the sky.  

Demons began to pour out from the portal and each of them landed to the ground with cat-like grace and flesh hanging from their teeth.  The smaller demons looked like little children with a row of metal spikes coming down their backs.  The larger ones resembled giant two-headed bats with leopard’s skin.  There were fiery coals were their eyes should have been, but none of them made their way to Wanda.  Instead they all flew towards the still recovering Andromeda.

“Andromeda!” Wanda exclaimed as she held out her hand and healed the Atlantean fully. 

“Pay attention witch!” Centurious yelled as he fired off a ball of flame at Maximoff.  She didn’t have time to dodge it and the attack struck her full on in the chest.  Wanda fell to the dirt and was forced to fling the earth onto herself to put out the flames.

“I sent my demons to your friend because I wanted to focus all my attention on you, Child of Chthon,” Centurious grinned, “So I suggest you accept that attention for all it’s worth.”

Wanda stood to her feet and shook off the dirt she had thrown on herself, “For someone who knows so much about me are you truly ready to face me?”

“When you’re in Hell you learn you can face just about anything.”

With that the entire scenery changed around the two.  The sky was black and the ground slick like marble.  The air seemed hotter and flames could be seen off in the distance in every direction. 

“So is this your arena?” Wanda asked.

Centurious nodded, “For now.  I figured two giants of mysticism such as ourselves deserved plenty of space.”

“Don’t lie.  You want the advantage.  I’ll give it you because you’re going to need all the help you can get!” Scarlet Witch exclaimed as she sent a pile of magma crashing atop Centurious head.   Playing with the odds was Wanda’s forte.  She’d do things that the Soulless Man would never see coming.

“Ahh!” Centurious screamed as the hot rock melted away his flesh, “Impudent witch!”

Just as quickly as the magma burned him it became part of him and he was soon a living mound of magma.  With a sinister laugh he pointed his hand at Wanda and fired off a stream of magma. 

“Damn it!” Wanda exclaimed as she teleported behind Centurious and hit him in the back with a hex bolt.  The bolt returned Centurious to his human form and had him naked on top of that.

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“Foul beast!  Get back!” Sersi yelled as she blasted another grizzly bear in the head with cosmically powered energy.   It had to be the 50^th bear she had killed and the beasts just kept coming. 

“Are you alright Lady Sersi?” Karnak asked as he leaped up and easily broke the jaw off another grizzly.  If it wasn’t a jaw then he had cracked in the skull and if it wasn’t that then he had ripped out the heart.  The Inhumans’ blows were precise and deadly.  He moved flawlessly and there was never an unnecessary step.  Karnak was perfection in motion.

“I’m fine Karnak.  Behind you!” Sersi warned.

Karnak didn’t even look back.  He simply threw an upward punch and knocked the approaching grizzly out cold, “Thank you for making me aware of that threat.”

“Something tells me you didn’t need my help,” Sersi smiled. 

“I fail to see what the hell is so damn funny!” Jack roared as he came zooming by the two Avengers with a horde of hawks and falcons on his tail.  

Sersi sighed, “Do you think he needs us?”

“Help him.  I can handle these bears fine,” Karnak replied.

Sersi nodded and looked up to the sky.  Green energy lapped at the edges of her eyes and without warning a powerful stream of cosmic energy flooded forth from them.  Then she raised her arms to the sky and energy ripped outwards from her hands.  Many of the birds were caught in the tidal wave of energy.  The ones that weren’t were now easy target practice for Jack. 

Jack was heading back towards the Earth at break neck speed and Sersi smiled, “You don’t have to be in that much of a rush to thank me.”

Before she knew it she was in Jack’s arms and headed back up into the sky, “Only you would smile when a flying rhino is headed your way.”

“Huh?” Sersi said confused.

Jack pointed down to the ground and where Sersi was standing there was indeed a bleeding rhino.  The Eternal let out a gasp and squeezed Jack even tighter, “How stupid could I have been?”

“Considering you’re friends with Quoi I should have left you down there,” Jack said and earned a hateful scowl from Sersi, “Just kidding woman.  Sheesh!”

“Looks like Machine Man is handling the rhino stampede just fine,” Sersi said as she observed her teammate looking like a fat man flicking around dirty napkins.  Except the napkins in this case were the rhinos. 

Okinawa can be found along the same latitude lines of places such as Hawaii, Florida, and the Bahamas.  As such it is considered an international resort location.  Unfortunately, that played right into the hands of Red Skull.  The numerous people in the prefecture were forced to flee in whatever manner they could to escape Thermal Man’s wrath. 

Quicksilver and Photon had been shuttling people off the island as much as they could while She-Hulk held off Thermal Man.   The three heroes knew that Rasputin was somewhere, but they couldn’t be worried about him at the moment.  Civilians came first. 

It was because of that mantra that She-Hulk took the beating that Thermal Man was giving her.  Every punch from the automaton felt like getting slammed in the face with a tank.  She wished her punches were having the same effect on Thermal Man, but from the pain in her wrist she was sure they weren’t.

“C’mon guys!  Hurry up already!” She-Hulk yelled to herself as she ducked a blow from Thermal Man.  Rolling to the side she flung the front bumper of a car into Thermal Man’s eye.

The bumper seemed to go clear into Thermal Man’s optical orifice.  The robot paused for a moment and then suddenly spit out melted metal slag from his mouth.  It was still white hot as it made impact with the concrete.

“I have something else you can chew on!” Quicksilver yelled as he rushed forward and shoved a metal pole in Thermal Man’s open mouth at the speed of sound.  The impact was enough to send Thermal Man stumbling backwards and opening him up to an energy attack from Photon. 

“Hungry?  Good!” Photon exclaimed as she poured her energy down his still open mouth.

Thermal Man continued to stumble backwards and crashed into a Honda.  Metal gave way and glass was sent flying outward. 

“I was beginning to think you guys had gotten lost or something,” She-Hulk said relieved at seeing her teammates.  Pointing to the robotic beast she said, “That sucka right there is tough."

“Yes that’s why I agreed to tag along with him,” an elderly man said as he approached with the three heroes with a decrypted looking stick in his right hand. 

“You must be Rasputin,” Photon said folding her arms across her chest, “I’m not impressed.”

“Shouldn’t you be in a nursing home?” Pietro mocked as he moved forward with lightning speed to end the battle in one  punch.

“Pietro!  No!” Photon warned, but it was too late. 

“Foolish child!” Rasputin cackled as he whacked the approaching Pietro in the head with the Tavistick.  Quicksilver fell backwards and hit the cement hard.  His body began to merge with the cement until only his face was visible.

“You lil prick!  When I get out!” 

“Shush,” Rasputin commanded as Quicksilver’s lips disappeared. 

“So you know a few magic tricks.  Big deal.  I can still-URRK!!” She-Hulk cried out as she was lifted into the air by a metallic hand.  Thermal Man had recovered quickly from Quicksilver and Photon’s attack. 

“Let her go!” Photon yelled as she sent a full powered blast at Thermal Man’s face. 

“No my child.  You need to let go,” Rasputin said as he shook the Tavistick and a strange ringing began to emanate from it. 

Monica found it hard to resist the ringing.  It was putting her to sleep.  The world was beginning to go in circles.  She-Hulk looked like a Picasso painting and Thermal Man like a bad anime robot.  As much as she tried to fight Rasputin’s seduction she couldn’t.  So she fell to the ground asleep and left She-Hulk alone to face the villains.

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“Watch out!” Crystal yelled as she was within the arms of Wendell Vaughn.  Flying through Kyoto had become a dangerous task as Damocles had filled the skies with his large, cannon-equipped golden airplanes.   Quasar had been doing a good job of playing cat and mouse with the aircraft thus far, but he knew he was going to have to drop Crystal off somewhere.  Otherwise, he couldn’t bring his A game to the table.

“I’m going to have to set you down somewhere,” Quasar said as he bobbed and weaved through the buildings.

“Fine just make it quick.  Someone has to take care of those Frankenstein looking things.”

Quasar sighed, “This guy sure has a flair for the theatrical.”

“Tell me about it,” Crystal replied as she pointed out a good alleyway for her to be set down in. 

Wendell gently put her on the ground and was off into the air again.  Crystal braced herself for the hordes of robots she was about to face as she walked out of the alley.  All of the metal brutes were at least ten feet tall and all of them resembled Frankenstein.  Once they locked eyes with her she knew the battle was on. 

Crystal lifted her hands up and lightning began to rain down from all directions on the robots and on the planes that Quasar was struggling against.  Magma began to erupt from the earth and attack the robots.  Streams of fire flew forth from her fingertips and sent many of the robots rocketing into the air.

“So much for a challenge,” Crystal laughed.

“It’s a challenge you want?  Believe me I can provide it,” a large voice echoed. 

Crystal looked up into the air and saw a large blimp with a picture of Damocles on it.  Suddenly, that blimp blew apart and a black swarm of robots moved through the sky towards her. 

The history between Steve Rogers and Red Skull was thick enough to fill up a volume of Encyclopedias with.  The two had been back and forth with each other for years and today would be just another chapter in that rivalry.  The last time the two had met each other it had been a brutal battle.  Captain America had disposed of Crossbones, but Red Skull ripped out Steve’s heart by telling him his beloved Maria was nothing more but a creation of the Cosmic Cube.  Maria had been the one normal thing for Cap for so long and to have her taken away hurt him deeply.  To make matters worse it had been Red Skull to provide the revelation. 

It didn’t take much for Cap to infiltrate Red Skull’s flying fortress and that worried Steve a bit.  Skull was probably expecting company and maybe even desired it.  Nonetheless, he would do to Skull what he had done to Crossbones, but this time he would enjoy it.  Skull had done too much to him over the years and taking away Maria was the final straw.  He had it with Skull and that was precisely why he asked to tackle this solo.  He didn’t want the others to see what he was about to do. 

The Avengers needed the squeaky clean image of Captain America.  It kept them on the right course when they were in dark times.  He wouldn’t take that image away from them.  That would just give Red Skull one more victory and Steve had gotten tired of handing those out.  Steve’s anger knew no bounds and it was easy to do regrettable things when struggling with an ungodly amount of anger.

As he crept down the hallway he noticed two things.  One, the Skull had too much of a fascination with the color red and that crumbled up pieces of paper were hanging on the walls.  Cap moved closer to the wall and picked off one of the pieces of paper.  Pulling out a tiny flashlight Steve illuminated the paper and what he saw made him red with rage.

It was a picture of him pushing Maria on a swing.  He walked a little further down the hall and picked off another picture.  It was of him eating ice cream with Maria.  She always did have a weird liking for mint chocolate chip.  A little further down the hall and there was a picture of him taking Maria to her first day of school.  With every picture Cap grew more and more angry.  Red Skull had been watching him and his daughter for quite some time.  The bastard had always known Maria’s true nature and probably reveled in the fact that Steve was growing to love the little girl. 

“So nice of you to join this little party Captain America,” Red Skull said as Cap stared at the final picture.  It was of Maria hugging Red Skull.  

“You bastard!  I swear I’ll make you pay for all that you have done here today.”

Red Skull yawned, “Your threats are tiresome Captain.”

Cap snarled and leaped into the air hoping to latch his hands around Skull’s neck, but he was stopped short of his goal as an energy blast struck him from the side.  He went flying into the nearest wall and slumped to the ground unconscious.

A little girl walked through the opposite wall with a gun in her hand.  Looking up to Red Skull she smiled, “Did I do good father?”

“You did splendid my Maria.”

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NEXT ISSUE: The Avengers have to pull together and beat Red Skull’s Coalition back and just what lies in Captain America’s future.  Be back for the conclusion to “Revenge All Around!”

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Author's Notes

This issue was actually kinda scary for me to do considering I’ve had a pretty positive response to issue 42 thus far and I really wanted to keep that momentum going.  Fortunately, I have a pretty good gang of people around me giving me feedback and all that good stuff.  So hopefully that ends up giving you, the reader, a better issue overall. 

And if you really want to see the roots of this story arc I suggest you check out Steve Crosby’s Captain America #25.   He deals with the whole Maria deal and makes Skull an even more powerful foe for Cap because of it.  

Thanks all and stick around.  Things are just getting started.

-Brent Lambert

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