"Leave Franklin's body NOW!" Undying screamed as she unleashed a massive blast onto Kulan Gath. Kulan Gath took the blast and redirected it at King Daloa and his troops. King Daloa, Maximus, and Stone Girl were the only ones who survived that blast.

"I believe we can catch Franklin Richards another time and another day," Maximus said. King Daloa nodded his head in agreement and with a medallion of his, opened up a portal back to the Hewan Dimension.

Undying was discharging energies from her body that were keeping Kulan Gath on the ropes. The blasts would destroy most normal humans, but Kulan Gath was now a god. "Give it up Alicia, you can never stop me!" Kulan Gath exclaimed. The ground around Undying rose up to grab her, but she flew away in time. Just then she felt the air leaving her and as almost an instinct she unleashed a massive blast onto Kulan Gath. Kulan Gath playfully turned the blast into a bunch of birds.

Kulan Gath suddenly felt a terrible pain in his chest and when he looked down a hand was through it. Kulan Gath could feel his very essence being pulled from the body of Franklin. It was Alicia, but how could she be this powerful? "This ends now villain," Undying said coldly.

Franklin fell to the ground exhausted at the ordeal he had gone through. Alicia, now back in her human form, felt around for him until she felt his little body. She picked him up and began to walk.

Four Freedom's Plaza

"I want to help you Curano I really do, but... I have to throw my son a birthday party," Invisible Woman said. Curano almost dropped dead.

"Throwing your son a birthday party takes precedence over saving an entire realm?"* Curano yelled, almost outraged.

(* See "Curano's Tale" in M2K's Marvel Fanfare #5 to learn what realm Curano's referring to - Russ)

"Look Curano. I promised my son a birthday party and I am going to give him one. Besides they are gods, I'm sure they can handle themselves," Invisible Woman said.

"Fine, I will wait because I know what is it like to make a promise," Curano said bowing her head.

"Curano, with this story that you told us where did this whole African Queen angle come from?" Tigra asked.

"I have lived a very long time. 'African Queen' has just been one of my many titles," Curano explained.

"Figures," Tigra sighed. Just then Undying walked in with Franklin in her arms.

Another Dimension

It had been three weeks since the heroes had split off and averted certain events from happening. Only twelve heroes were left. They were Mutant Forger, Mr. Fantastic, Magneto, Charles Xavier, Shatterstar, Captain America, Ikaris, Payne, Nova, Forge and Ms. Marvel. They alone were left to fight off the remainder of Apocalypse's forces which, unfortunately, numbered a lot more than twelve.

"Mutant Forger you have to use your powers! You have to create a legion of mutants to defeat Apocalypse!" Nova yelled desperately.

"I refuse to do it," Mutant Forger said.

"Oh, so you'd rather see this world plunged into a dark age because of your own selfish redemption?" Magneto asked, angered at Mutant Forger's response to Nova.

"Yes, that is exactly what I mean. Do you truly want me to unleash a thousand Apocalypse's upon the Earth?" Mutant Forger asked Magneto.

"Not all your creations went rogue and destroyed Paris. That was just a fluke. Look, I have been holding back a secret from you for a long time. It wasn't your fault your creations went rogue. They were being controlled by Mr. Sinister. I learned that from him when I had been powerless and was kidnapped by him. I kept the truth from you because I wanted you to learn to stop flaunting your powers so much," Magneto revealed.

"You did what?! I can't believe you would do something like that! You are nothing, but an arrogant..."

"Stop arguing this moment! What is done is done and we have a world to save. Are you going to use your powers or not?" Mr. Fantastic asked sternly of Mutant Forger.

"Fine," Mutant Forger said rising up into the air with the immensely powerful telekinesis he'd gained from all the dead mutants that leveled Paris to the ground.* Mutant Forger began to glow with a yellow aura and then a big boom happened. When the heroes looked up after the explosion they saw at least a hundred mutants armed and ready for battle. Mutant Forger commanded them to attack Apocalypse and he would be sending reinforcements shortly. Then he floated back down to the ground.

(* See last issue for the tragic history of the Mutant Forger - Russ)

"Is the light always that brilliant?" Mr. Fantastic asked Mutant Forger.

"Only when I create that many mutants at once," Mutant Forger said. "What does that infernal book of your says now?" he asked Ikaris.

"It says that Apocalypse will be defeated, but his defeat only signals another enemy coming. A much more powerful enemy," Ikaris said, looking very disheartened.

"Well, let us worry about Apocalypse first. Mutant Forger send your reinforcements quickly so we can begin preparing for this next threat," Xavier said. Mutant Forger looked at him and nodded. He flew into the air and another brilliant blast happened again. He sent off that batch of mutants to help the first. After that he floated to the ground.

"Let's go," Xavier said. Magneto put a shield around the heroes and flew off into the air.

Four Freedoms Plaza

"Make a birthday wish Franklin," Invisible Woman said to her son, Franklin. He looked at her with excited eyes and blew out the candles on his birthday cake.

"What did you wish for?" Tigra asked.

"Well, I know I shouldn't tell, but I wished for Daddy to come home," Franklin said. Everyone, especially Sue, got a little bit gloomy after hearing that.

Later on that night when Franklin was in bed, Curano approached Sue. "You have had your birthday party. Now can we get to handling the evil gods?" Curano said, trying not to sound insensitive.

"All right, let's go. Alicia, can you stay here and watch Franklin for me?" Sue asked.

"Sure Sue, just come back in one piece," Alicia said trying too hard to laugh.

"Promise. Let's get going," Sue said. Curano smiled and used a medallion around her neck to open the portal to Gydro.

Gydro

Sue couldn't believe the devastation she saw. Pillars, buildings, thrones, and statues were all leveled. It seemed like nothing was left. "See what stalling has done," Curano said.

Curano saw Tos-Ka, and Peptun under some rubble. She told Moltarblast to get them out from under there. Phermona and Tigra saw Ox, Disag, and Emote under some more rubble. They lifted them out from under it.

"Curano, they kidnapped the rest of us. They have them in their tower to the west. You must hurry before they absorb them into the Collective Field," Tos-Ka said.

"What is the Collective Field?" Maggott asked Curano.

"It is a being composed of a billion minds. It is extremely powerful and extremely evil," Curano explained as she began to run. Maggott took off running right behind her. All the others soon followed.

They ran for about twelve minutes before they reached the castle of the Old Gods. It was a black and rugged place and it smelled of evil. Invisible Woman used her power to make all her allies invisible and they entered the castle. They'd barely reached the third floor before they were discovered. A man with blue skin and dressed like a samurai discovered them. His name is Edzard.

"Oh I see we have some visitors," the man said, unleashing a blast that took away the invisible forms of the heroes and knocked the wind out of them. Invisible Woman, on the ground, shape-shifted into the Hulk and charged at the Old God sending him through a wall.

"Impressive show, young lady," a woman composed of blue gas said. Invisible Woman without responding tackled the woman, but hit nothing. The woman, called Odwirds, then enveloped Invisible Woman with her body and knocked her unconscious.

Maggott then launched off three maggots that ate the body of the woman. But the maggots could barely contain the woman before she burst out. The strain was too great for her and she passed out. Maggott passed out from the pain of three of his maggots exploding. Curano and the rest of the heroes woke up and placed Maggott and Invisible Woman to the side.

"They have done their part, now it is time to do ours. Two Old Gods are down and there are five more to go," Curano said.

"That's easier said than done," an Oriental man in a long black trenchcoat called Dizk said.

"Let me handle this creep!" Moltarblast said. Curano nodded and all the heroes followed as she ran down the hall.

The heroes were about to go onto the sixth floor when they encountered another Old God. This god was a talking wolverine and its name was Enirevlow. Tigra and Triton stayed behind to fight against him. On the seventh floor, Phermona stayed to fight against the deformed and freakish female Old God, Yyu. Curano made it up to the last floor where the last of the two Old Gods, Chaos-Ka and Antun, were waiting for her. Along with them was Medea. Curano knew there was no way she could win this battle and all the other heroes were too preoccupied or injured to help her.

Then out of nowhere a blast ripped Medea in two and Antun suddenly disappeared. It was Dr. Doom and Queen Invisible, but how did they get here? Chaos-Ka charged at Dr. Doom and before he hit him, Dr. Doom shot a beam at Chaos-Ka that made him disappear. "I hope he has fun in the Negative Zone with his little playmate. We couldn't let Medea go though now, could we honey. She was just too powerful," Queen Invisible said cuddling against her husband, Dr. Doom.

Curano watched that display with disgust and prepared herself for another hopeless battle. Just as Queen Invisible and Dr. Doom were about to charge, she heard a PEP! sound.

Four Freedoms Plaza

Curano, Phermona, Moltarblast, and the FF all were back at the Plaza and they were unscathed. It was as if they had never been in battle at all. They all looked at each other strangely hoping the other would have some answers.

"If it is answers you seek heroes look no further than I," Hera said to the Avengers leaping out of a portal.

"What do you mean?" Invisible Woman asked.

"I teleported Dr. Doom and Queen Invisible to the realm of Gydro to save Curano. I teleported you all back here and healed you. I also freed the captured gods of Gydro and locked the Olds God with help in the pits of Tarturus," Hera explained.

"So what of Dr. Doom and Queen Invisible?" Maggott asked, sort of upset that Hera would free the bad guys.

"They are in some place where they will be all alone and can cuddle all they wish," Hera said smiling.

North Pole

"How on Earth did we end up here?" Queen Invisible asked Dr. Doom.

"The answer escapes me, but I shall find out soon enough or my name isn't Victor Von Doom," Dr. Doom replied to his wife.