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#28
Jan 2008 |
MARVEL 2000 PRESENTS...
THE GALACTIC GAMBIT
Part Two: "Border
Crossing!"
Written by Jeff
Melton
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Thor |
WHAT HAS COME BEFORE:
At the outskirts of the Kree Empire, in the process of rebuilding, there have been a series of attacks. In his role as ruler of the Empire Gladiator dispatched Smasher and Titan to investigate the disturbance. Smasher landed in the Asgardian Forest, where he was found by the Warriors Three!
"T itan!!!”
Smasher exclaims, rising violently from his reclining position atop
an observation table. The Warriors Three surround him, as does the Grand
Vizier, who looks on with interest at the heroic young man who has finally
awakened and stands before them. Titan has been unconscious for some
time now, and the Warriors Three all stand ready, in case he has come
to Asgard to bring violence to their realm.
“He awakens!” Fandrall remarks, rubbing his palm along the
handle of his sheathed sword, looking down at the hero from another
place.
The Grand Vizier raises his eyebrow in interest. “Aye,”
he returns. “Mayhap we will now learn the reason for his visit.”
“Your garb…your manner…so different,” Titan
comments, clearly confused by his surroundings. “Where am I?”
“Thou art in Asgard!” Volstagg remarks. “And we hath
waited a long time for thee to awaken. Indeed, I hath acquired quite
an appetite while waiting for thee…”
“Thy appetite is never acquired, Volstagg,” Fandrall retorts.
“’Tis ever present.”
“Aye,” Volstagg returns with a sly smile. “It is well
written that all warriors hath appetites that are a match for their
skills.”
“No warrior hath ever lived who had skills to match thy appetite!”
Fandrall contends, shaking his head.
“Did you say…Asgard?!” Smasher asks, looking around.
“The surroundings would seem to match what I have heard of the
place…if this is no trick.”
“If there is a trick,” Fandrall argues, “’tis
thine. We were in a hunt when thou appeared, crashing out of the very
sky itself.”
“But, if this is Asgard,” Smasher asks, “where is
Thor?”
“Know thou Thor?” Vizier asks. “Thy garments and thy
language would suggest that thou art from the Shi’ar Empire…”
“Yes,” Smasher responds, “but you mention my language…!
I can understand every word you say.”
Grand Vizier nods. “Aye, ‘tis true,” he explains.
“That is the nature of the gods. Thou would hear our words in
thy own language. Language is no barrier to a god.”
“What is thy history with Thor?” Volstagg asks.
“I have met him before,” Smasher explains. “But, he
knows my emperor better than he knows me…the Gladiator. But, where
is he?”
“He hath been summoned,” Grand Vizier responds. “In
truth, he hath been quite busy of late. Asgard hath been attacked by
many of its most powerful—and most persistent—enemies recently.
When thou appeared, word was dispatched to Thor. He will be here soon.”
“I don’t know how I wound up here,” Smasher comments,
“but I could really use Thor’s help.”
“Thor hath helped many other cultures, and is well-known for his
heroism,” Fandrall offers. “If thy cause is just, I have
little doubt that he will assist thee. Still, I know nothing of how
thee came hither.”
“Aye, Smasher,” Thor remarks, walking into the room, and
drawing all attention in the room to himself, by his powerful presence.
“Why came thee here?”
INTERLUDE
“The time is nigh, Greugher!” Loki calls out, waving his hand, as the pond returns to normal, the pictures disappearing into the ripples of the pond, created by the draft from Loki’s arm movement.
Suddenly, the expression on Loki’s face changes to rage, as he looks around for his servant. “Greugher!!” he exclaims. “Where is that useless troll?!”
The short, hideous troll moves forward, trying in vain to keep his teeth from clanging together, even as his knees try to knock together. “I am here, lord!” he manages to return, though his words are slurred by his own overshadowing fear.
“Fool!” Loki exclaims, glaring at the pathetic troll. “Why did you not answer me earlier?! Doth thou wish to satiate the ravenous appetite of my pet wolves?!”
“Nay, lord Loki!” the troll returns, shaking uncontrollably.
“No matter,” Loki responds, getting to his feet. “’Twould seem that the timeline for my plans hath been moved up unexpectedly.”
The toll looks over at Loki, a dull, uncomprehending look making it clear that he has no idea what Loki is talking about. “I do not…”
“Thy dull wit is known well to me, fool!” Loki returns. “Thou hath been employed by me not because of thy intellect, but because of other skills thou may bring to bear for me, such as the weapon we did speak of.”
“I hath spoken to my contact,” the troll manages, suddenly feels a bit better, believing he has something of value to Loki. “The weapon will be ready very soon…perhaps even by tomorrow.”
Loki nods, pleased to hear that. “Good,” he returns. “I will leave it to thee to retrieve it. I must first journey to Midgard and speak to two of my former…associates there. Once I hath returned, the weapon will be needed to further my goals.”
“Aye,” the troll simply states, nodding his head.
“All hath moved into place quite well,” Loki remarks. “Odin hath embarked on the Council of the Gods, meeting with his highfather counterparts, while now Thor prepares to embark on a journey that will take him across the very universe. The time could not be more ripe for my plans to at last meet their fruition. Prepare for my return. When I hath returned, we will immediately implement my plans.”
END OF INTERLUDE
“Thor!” Smasher calls out, with surprise, at the sight of the mighty god of thunder standing before.
“Aye, Smasher,” Thor returns. “I hath heard of thy arrival, but not the cause for it…?”
Smasher nods in understanding. “As you know, the Shi’ar Empire has been undergoing a rebuilding in the past few months,” Smasher explains. Thor nods, and he continues. “Fortunately, most of the people in the Empire survived the mad attack that left Lilandra dead. Those people are re-populating planets amazingly like those that were destroyed. However, it is a process that takes time.”
“That I can well understand,” Thor responds.
“Recently,” Smasher continues, “there have been a series of problems in some outlying areas, where development has not reached. Some outposts have been attacked and damaged.”
“Know thee the source of these attacks?” Thor asks.
“Gladiator sent me and Titan, from the Imperial Guard, to investigate just that, Thor,” Smasher continues. “We arrived at one of the outposts, finding it devastated. As we investigated the area, we found more and more destruction everywhere we looked.”
Thor nods, his eyes urging silently for Smasher to continue with details of his ordeal. Smasher understands the sentiment, and continues.
“When we got there, we were attacked by some we recognized and some we did not,” Smasher explains. “There were two that I have seen before—Terrax the Tamer and the Abomination. But there were others as well…an energy being, and one other—a monstrous being who appeared to be made of…buildings!”
“Thou did mention thy ally and comrade, Titan,” Thor responds, questioningly. “Where is he now?”
“Titan?!” Smasher exclaims, looking around. “You didn’t find him as well?”
Grand Vizier looks over to Fandrall, who shakes his head. “We found no one else,” Fandrall explains. “When…Smasher…crashed down from the sky, he was alone. There was no one else.”
“But…that makes no sense!” Smasher exclaims. “Where could Titan be?!”
“Perhaps he was captured by the villains thou did describe,” Grand Vizier offers.
“Why capture him, and let me go?” Smasher asks, clearly frustrated.
“Thou wert sent across the universe, perhaps through dimensional barriers, to get here,” Grand Vizier explains. “Perhaps ‘twas not their intention to let thee go at all. Perhaps they thought the blow would kill thee.”
“Maybe, but…” Smasher responds, not sure how to finish his sentence, but just not sure that’s the right answer.
“There may be another answer,” Fandrall offers. “Thou may have been left alive to alert the others.”
“But, if I brought the rest of the Imperial Guard to bear on these…villains,” Smasher contends, “…there is little that the combined might of the Imperial Guard cannot overcome.”
“And yet you beheld four villains,” Grand Vizier offers, “who easily defeated you and your comrade—presumably two of the most powerful members of thy group. What if there were others that thou did not see?”
“There is more than that as well,” Thor responds. “The villains thou spoke of...it is unlikely that they would form together on their own…and less likely that they would journey across the galaxy to find and attack thy outposts.”
“But, Thor…they did!” Smasher responds, still not thinking clearly. “I was there!”
“Of that I hath no doubt, Smasher,” Thor responds. “My point was that these villains hath a common bond. Someone hath brought them together…and that person—whoever he may be—is likely more powerful than they.”
“And, if he can pick off the Imperial Guard,” Smasher adds, understanding Thor’s intent, “then the Shi’ar Empire is his for the taking!”
“Aye,” Thor responds. “How long hath it been since thy encounter with these villains?”
“It couldn’t have been long,” Smasher replies. “My recollection of it seems very recent—a day or two. I don’t know how long I’ve been unconscious.”
Thor looks over to Grand Vizier. “We must contact Gladiator, and fill him in on the events that hath transpired,” Thor explains. “Then, we must journey to thy throneworld, and assist thy comrades, before the villains strike again.”
“I would appreciate any help you could give me,” Smasher says with appreciation. “But, what about Titan?”
“He could well be anywhere between thy world and this one,” Thor responds. “The Grand Vizier can try to locate him, but it may take time. Thou must also consider that he may not be found…”
“I know,” Smasher responds, getting to his feet. “And if he fell in service to the Empire, he will be honored for his sacrifice.”
“Well-said,” Thor returns, placing his hand on Smasher’s shoulder. “Now, let us prepare to assist thy people.”
Within a short span of time, Thor has teleported himself and Smasher across the galaxy, to a location within the re-building Shi’ar Empire. As the energy dissipates from the aura surrounding them upon teleportation, they slowly take in the scene around them. It is a scene of great destruction.
There are scenes of attempted building having taken place recently. Girders are bent and scattered across the landscape. There are buildings that appear to have been nearing completion, but have holes knocked through them. One tall building has literally been split in half, the top having landed in a forty-five degree angle adjacent to the building.
Along the landscape, fires have broken out, all along the area surrounding the demolished buildings. Smoke fills the air, and floats upward, creating dark gray clouds in the air above the heroes’ heads. There are also a number of over-turned heavy equipment littering the land around the buildings. A yellow forklift, its engine shattered, lies in Thor’s way, as he looks around. He effortlessly kicks the twenty-ton machine aside as if it was a small rock.
“This is what I was afraid of,” Smasher comments, clearly disturbed by the sight that greets him, shaking his head. “It looks like those monsters from Earth have leveled the new community they were trying to put together.” His annunciation of “Earth” is contemptuous, which causes Thor to raise his eyebrow in response.
“While ‘tis true that there are many villains who reside on Midgard,” Thor returns, looking over at Smasher with a slight smile on his face, “and perhaps e’en more than their share, ‘tis also true that villains reside everywhere.”
Smasher returns the smile. “You should probably know. You have fought most of them, haven’t you?”
“I believe my friends in Midgard would say that I hath fought my share,” Thor responds, nodding his head.
Smasher looks around, his eyes intent on a scan of the area. “My sub-atomic vision is picking up some traces of energy,” he comments. “But, I can’t…”
“Aye,” Thor agrees, holding his hammer before him. The hammer glows with energy, as he looks into the energy. “There are traces of energy here, ‘tis true. And ‘tis of a very recent nature.”
“Thor,” Smasher comments, his voice suddenly filled with urgency, “I don’t think it’s just recent. I’d say it’s more…current.”
As soon as the words are out of his mouth, a massive green figure shoots across the air, propelled by super-strong leg muscles. The Abomination slams into the Smasher, tackling him around the waist, and bringing him crashing to the ground with a tremendous BOOM!
Thor instinctively moves to help Smasher, turning to face him. As he does so, he is struck by a blast of cosmic energy, which strikes him in the side of the face, sending him staggering back.
“What manner of cowardly cur…?!” Thor exclaims, turning to face his attacker, even as Terrax the Tamer floats through the air, held aloft on a large rock. His battle axe glows with cosmic energy. “Terrax!”
“Yes, Terrax!” the cosmic villain responds sharply.
“I know not what part that thou hath in the destruction of this Shi’ar village,” Thor remarks, “but ‘tis something that thou will pay dearly for!”
“There have been some changes since we last met,” Terrax returns. “My current…employer has increased my power significantly, to a factor of ten. My power is sufficient to bury you in the sand and rock under this world.”
“Many hath made such bold, hollow threats,” Thor responds, lifting his hammer and taking a step forward to meet the approaching Terrax, “yet still do I stand.”
“That is a temporary situation that will soon be rectified,” Terrax returns. In the distance behind Terrax, Thor notices a giant figure composed of energy. At the center of the energy is what appears to be a mouth.
“Kill him!” Galaxy Master orders. “His death will be the final obstacle in my plans.”
TO BE CONTINUED...
NEXT ISSUE: Loki’s plans near fruition! What is this Council of the Gods? Thor and Smasher battle the Abomination and the energy-enhanced Terrax! And find out more about what Galaxy Master is up to! All this and more in THOR #29!
