#cosmic robot hulk

[avianandloaded]

Hasbro Marvel Legends Renew Your Vows Spider-Man and Diamond Marvel Legends Immortal Hulk (Cosmic Robot mode).

[tired-truffle]

Even the Gods Cry For Us

A Viktorxfem!reader fic

Chapter Word Count: 4.6k

Part 16/17

Tag list: @im-just-a-simp-le-whore @potatointhedirt @dedicated2viktor (if anyone else would like to be tagged with future updates let me know!)

"Whether you come as a lover or an executioner, I am ready to receive you." - Agustin Gómez-Arcos

Curses by the Cranewives is a great song to listen to for this chapter <3

Masterlist

Clink, clink, clink, the Gemstones rattled together in your backpack as you ran. Eyes darting side to side, Caitlyn and the rest of her crew running with you. 

You’d made a plan, a desperate attempt to avert disaster. Find Viktor, restore his emotions, help him realize the pain he was inflicting. You didn’t know what came after, but it didn’t matter when Viktor was still out of your reach. 

Jayce had given you orders; stay with Caitlyn, let her lead you to Viktor’s arrival point, and then absorb the Gemstones, hitting them with everything you had. And you had a lot - after all your anguish and grief, the loss of almost everyone you’d ever cared about, your magic was itching to unleash itself. Viktor would be sending his robots - the bodies of those he’d once healed weaponized. The less you thought about it the better.

An explosion in the clock tower, retribution for Caitlyn’s attempts at shooting Ambessa - the Noxian leader - swiftly blocked by your shield, crackling with blue energy. With a nod of thanks, Caitlyn pulled out her telescope, spying on the carnage below. 

She turned to you, face set in grim determination. “He’s here.” There was no need to specify, and with an incline of her head, you, Caitlyn, and the three enforcers assigned to her group - Maddie, Charles and Laz - were off. 

This was your role, to stop Viktor, even as your heart beat arrhythmically in your throat, your stomach tight and churning, your magic crackling over your skin like lightning in a desert storm. 

Bodies scattered the ground, spears protruding from blood-splattered corpses. Dust filled the air, large chunks of stone smashed on the ground providing coverage. You crouched between Charles and Maddie, Caitlyn taking point, peering out from behind the stone. She nodded at her men across the street as they gathered, ready to fight - to give you the opening you needed. 

The image of Laz, arrow in his neck, body strewn on the ground flashed before your eyes. You blinked and it was gone, but as Charles pulled the safety pin on a smoke bomb, handing it to Laz, your magic surged instinctively. 

You stood, but not of your own accord, palms splayed before you, creating a shimmering barrier of crackling, spitting magic in front of Laz as he surged to his feet, arm wrenched back to throw the smoke bomb. An arrow hit the barrier and harmlessly fell to the ground, followed swiftly by two more, and another. Though shocked by the suddenness of your action, Laz nodded gratefully, and threw the bomb over the barrier, Maddie and Charles following suit. 

Green gas spluttered and billowed, filling the air with noxious fumes. Yet, before it blocked your vision, you saw it, Viktor’s cocoon.

Your eyes locked onto the metallic sphere, its surface a mesmerizing swirl of dull silver and muted violet, intricate patterns etched into its shell like a cosmic spiderweb.

The orb was tethered to a monstrous creature that lumbered forward with thunderous steps. The abomination was a hulking mass of misshapen muscle and oversized limbs. Its skin, a sickly pale grey, stretched taut over bulging organs and deep scars, vibrant purple lines pulsing as it groaned. The red of Noxus draped over its massive form in tattered banners and makeshift armour.

Before you realized what you were doing, your magic had reached out, desperate to feel Viktor’s presence, to reassure yourself that he was alive, just as Jayce had promised. 

But the shell was empty, a gaping hole where traces of Viktor’s energy remained. 

This was a trap, a ploy to pull out the frontline guard and distract from where Viktor had truly gone. 

You cursed under your breath, and surged forward, grasping Caitlyn by the wrist as she moved to advance. 

“Wait,” you hissed as she whirled around, vibrant blue eyes set wide. “He’s not there, it’s a—“

A hand on your shoulder yanked you back and you stumbled, only barely managing not to fall flat on your backside. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Maddie snarled, her teeth clenched. “You can’t just grab your superior officer like that.” 

“Maddie, it’s alright,” Caitlyn began, hands raised to placate, but you didn’t hear the rest of her attempt at de-escalation. Maddie’s emotions rushed through her connection to you like a roaring wind. You weren’t sure if you’d reached out first, a hint of suspicion at the girl’s actions, or if the loudness of her zeal for Noxus control and order had called to you first. 

Travelling through her intricate web of feelings was nothing compared to Vander’s, and you burrowed deeper, ignoring her sharp gasp and the tensing of those around you as you searched. Buried beneath her unwavering commitment, lay the tiniest morsel of guilt. She’d be hurting Caitlyn with her betrayal, and while it paled in comparison to her devotion, it remained a crack in her otherwise solid mask. 

You held that seed of guilt in your metaphysical hands, feeling its potential. With a gentle touch, you began to nurture it, coaxing it to grow and flourish. Filaments of remorse spread through Maddie's psyche as you carefully cultivated her buried emotions.

Maddie's eyes widened, her grip on your shoulder loosening as confusion washed over her face. Guilt blossomed, her betrayal flooding to the surface.

Tears welled up in Maddie's eyes, spilling down her cheeks in glistening rivulets. Her shoulders began to shake as sobs wracked her body. She stepped back, her knees buckling beneath her.

"I'm sorry," Maddie choked out. "I'm so sorry."

She collapsed to her knees before Caitlyn, her head bowed in shame. Snot dripped from her nose as she wept uncontrollably, her carefully maintained composure shattered.

"Caitlyn, please," Maddie pleaded, her voice raw and stuttering between gasping breaths. "I betrayed y-you. I've been feeding information to Noxus, I-I am supposed to bring you t-to Ambessa. Viktor’s not in there, the mage is right."

Caitlyn glanced at you, her upper lip pulled back in disgust at the base display, but her eyes swam with confusion.

“I only pulled to the surface what was already there,” you explained with a serenity that you did not feel, your face carefully blank. “Do with that what you will, but he’s not here. I am going to find him.” 

Caitlyn hesitated, her eyes darting between you and the sobbing girl as she grasped at Caitlyn’s boots, pleading for her forgiveness. The battle raged around you - the clash of steel, the thunderous booms of explosions, the anguished cries of the wounded.

Finally, Caitlyn's shoulders sagged, and she wiped a hand down her tired face. "Thank you," she said, her voice barely audible over the din. "Go. Find him.”

You didn't need to be told twice. With a surge of magic, you propelled yourself away. The wind whipped through your hair as you ran through the streets of Piltover, your magic reaching out, scanning desperately for any sign of Viktor.

You spotted a quiet alcove nestled between two towering structures and turned, slowing down as you slipped inside. The sounds of battle were muffled there, providing a momentary respite. You closed your eyes, trying to focus, to reach out with your magic and sense Viktor's presence.

But your power, wild and untamed, refused to cooperate. It pulled your thoughts in a thousand directions at once - flashes of memories long buried, glimpses of the battle, echoes of past regrets.

Gritting your teeth, you called a spark forth, letting it slip out of your backpack and into your awaiting hands. With a deep breath, you began to channel some of your excess power into the spark, feeling the pressure in your mind gradually ease.

The spark glowed brighter and brighter, pulsing with barely contained energy. As the last of the excess magic flowed into it, you slumped against the wall, exhausted and breathing raggedly. An irony taste coated your tongue, and you coughed, spattering the ground with flecks of blood.

"Shit," you grumbled, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. But you couldn't afford to rest, not when Viktor was still out there, not when the fate of Piltover - and your own heart - hung in the balance.

You clenched your fists tight, nails digging crescent moon shapes into your palms. You could do this, you had to do this.

Closing your eyes, you forced yourself to take slow, deep breaths. The sounds of battle faded to a distant rumble as you focused inward, reaching out with your magic to sense the web of souls surrounding you.

At first, it was overwhelming - a racket of emotions and energies swirling around you. Fear, anger, determination, desperation, grief - they tore at your skin like fishing hooks cast over and over again. But you pushed through, your own desperation to find Viktor giving you strength.

Gradually, it began to take shape. You saw the souls of Piltover's citizens as glowing points of light, some dim and flickering with terror, others burning bright with resolve.

Noxian soldiers appeared as harsh, angular shapes, their souls hardened by years of conquest and conflict. You felt Ambessa's presence like a dark star, her iron will drawing her forces to her like gravity.

You pushed your awareness further, searching for that familiar spark, that brilliant mind that had captivated you from the moment you'd met. But Viktor's unique energy was nowhere to be found.

Panic clawed at your chest as you stretched your senses to their limit, desperately scanning every corner of Piltover. The effort left you dizzy and nauseous, your head pounding as if it might split open at any moment.

Faint enough that you hadn’t noticed it at first, a light tug at your awareness, a flicker of a feeling pulled your gaze up to the top of the Hexgate looming above. An urge, gentle yet insistent, pushed at your back. 

There, you needed to be there.

You bolted from the alcove, your feet pounding the cobblestones as you raced toward the Hexgate. The towering structure loomed ahead, its golden orb gleaming even through the smoke and dust. Your lungs burned, muscles screaming in protest, but you pushed on, driven by that inexplicable pull.

As you neared the base of the Hexgate, you gathered your magic, feeling it crackle and spark along your skin. With a burst of energy, you launched yourself upward, your hands grasping at the intricate metalwork. You climbed with frantic speed, magic propelling you higher and higher, over flat surfaces and smooth stone.

The wind tore at your clothes, threatening to pull you from your precarious perch. But you held on, gritting your teeth as you ascended. Sweat poured down your face, stinging your eyes and making your grip dangerously close to slipping. But you couldn't stop, not when you were so close.

With a final, desperate lunge, you hauled yourself onto the top of the Hexgate. You lay there for a moment, gasping for breath, your chest heaving as you tried to recover. But there was no time to rest.

As you staggered to your feet, the air around you began to crackle with energy. The hairs on the back of your neck stood on end, and you felt a familiar tingle in your bones – the unmistakable sensation of arcane power building to critical mass.

You spun around, searching for the source, and that's when you saw them. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of robotic bodies standing in formation across the top of the Hexgate. They were beautiful in their own way, sleek forms of white and gold metal gleaming in the fading light as they blocked your sight. But there was something eerie about their stillness, their vacant eyes staring sightlessly at the sky.

They looked too similar to the rusted and dented creatures you’d seen in your hallucinations to be anything else.

The arcane energy swirled in bright purples and pinks, and you shielded your eyes against the grit as it coalesced into a whirlwind that spun around the golden surface. You braced yourself, magic instinctively forming a shield around your body.

The whirlwind reached a fever pitch, and with a deafening crack, it exploded outward. A shockwave of pure arcane energy blasted across the top of the Hexgate and down into the city below.

You held your ground, your shield flickering but holding as the energy washed over you. The force of it nearly drove you to your knees, but you stood firm, your eyes squeezed shut against the blinding light. 

The silence that followed had you blinking the spots from your vision, carefully scanning the scene. As your gaze swept across the surface, through a gap in the robots’ seamless lines, a familiar form caught your attention. Jayce knelt in the center of the Hexgate roof, near a jagged hole that looked as though a large mass had burst through it. His broad shoulders slumped in defeat, his massive Hextech hammer positioned before him, its head resting on the ground, his hands gripping the handle as if it were the only thing anchoring him to reality. Sweat glistened on his brow, his chest heaving with laboured breaths.

Your eyes locked with his for a brief second. You could see the toll this fight had taken on him - the anguish twisting his features, the flicker of despair in his once-determined gaze. This was a man pushed to his limits, grappling with the harsh truth of what his old friend had become.

Before you could take a step towards him, a flicker of movement above tore your attention away. You tilted your head back, eyes drawn inexplicably upward.

A figure floated in the air, twin strips of its cape fluttering in the breeze. Though his body had changed, his face obscured, you knew who it was like you knew your own bones. 

“Viktor!” Your voice boomed across the expanse of robots, propelled by the force of your magic writhing in your chest, your lungs, your heart. “Enough!” 

The lithe figure turned, hip bones jutting out, and all that fight you built within yourself bled from your pours. Tall and gangly, he moved with purpose and grace. Thin, too thin, limbs too long. No longer human, but machine and the arcane mixed into one eldritch being. The mask that covered his face - that beautiful face you could have spent the rest of your life contentedly watching - lay in slumber, serene and at peace. You’d seen it before. Glimpses in your magic-infused terror, the metal plate down the centre that hid the contours of his sleeping face, his eyes now perched high on his forehead, glowing, golden beads of apathy. He floated down, nonchalant and uncaring, landing behind Jayce. 

Your magic surged, knocking the robots down around you like bowling pins. With a whimper you placed your hand on your chest, pushing down until your ribs creaked, shoving the magic back into its place. 

“Milá,” the indifference with which Viktor said your name made you flinch, “what have you done?” His voice had become robotic, steady and tinny in quality, like he was speaking through a modulator. But you could still hear him in there, beneath all that armour, his lilting accent unmistakable. 

“What have I done?” you balked, magic sparking between your fingers, a vibrant azure light shining from your backpack. The robots twitched and jerked as they righted themselves, movements inhuman. “Have you seen yourself? Look around, Viktor, look what you did to these people—“ 

Like a lingering dust in an abandoned room, you felt it, the robot closest to you tilted its head. Charlotte, her joy, her tender love, echoed in the sleek form. She was gone, only traces of her essence left, puzzle pieces scattered beneath a weathered couch. Her soul had been torn from its host and scattered amongst the stars. Gone and unable to rest. But she had been here, it had been her body, and now it was warped and used against her will. 

Your chin quivered as you reached for her, the robot remained still as you trailed your fingers down the side of its face. “Do you even remember who they were?” 

Silence greeted you, and then, “Their sacrifice will not be in vain.” 

“You say sacrifice like it was a choice,” you spat, dropping your hand from Charlotte’s husk and rounding on him, pushing your way through the metal figures. They didn’t try to stop you, their expressionless faces turning to watch you as you passed. 

“Choice is false,” he said, the words ringing in your ears as though you’d heard them before in another life, another universe. “It is influenced by untamed emotion, it is the cause of all division and destruction plaguing our world. The only recourse to be truly free is to remove it - the final stage in our glorious evolution.” He held up a hand and the robots moved before you could register it, grabbing your wrists and pinning you in place. You were only a few feet from where Viktor stood and Jayce knelt, watching you warily. “Your torment could have been prevented had I not succumbed to this madness. Once I have unified our minds, I will at last liberate you from the source of your suffering. You will understand, as I have, that this is what’s best.” 

The remnants of your heart shattered, a thousand shards of glass piercing your chest. The words echoed in your mind, each syllable a dagger twisting deeper, sharper. Yanking your wrists to no avail, the robots’ grip too strong, you gritted your teeth. 

“That’s the thing about choice,” you said, raw and rough like the weathered bark of an old tree, “it can lead to terrible suffering, but it can also lead to such incredible beauty. You once said that loving me wasn’t a choice, but if it had been, you would have chosen to love me every time. Do you regret it now, in all your infinite wisdom? Do you regret being with me when I’m…like this? Controlled by emotion, when you can’t fix my problems?”

You did not wait to hear his answer, the words tumbling from your chapped lips. “Because I don’t. I would have endured a thousand years of this just for one more second with you, Viktor. My love for you is a part of me, to take that away, to take any of my feelings away, would be to kill me. And I will always choose you, even if it means I end up like this. You are worth it.” You sucked in a sharp breath, holding back the tears that brimmed in your red-rimmed eyes. “But maybe, in a way, you’re right.” 

“What are you—“ Jayce started, but you weren’t finished. 

“This is partially my fault, isn’t it? I just couldn’t let you go, and in holding on, I pushed you towards this - hellbent on removing the cause of your pain, as well as mine.” Hot tears spilled down your cheeks, salt coating your tongue, but you refused to allow them to drag you down into the murky pits of your despair. “But I think…you couldn’t let me go either. That’s why you avoided me once you’d realized what you’d become. It’s why you turned me into this that night in the cave, and why you wanted me to give you the Hexcore instead of letting it tear me apart. It was all because you loved me, and you made that active choice to fight for us. But the Hexcore stole your humanity, piece by piece, and I’m so fucking sorry I can’t give it back.”

Viktor stilled, the hold his robots’ had on you slackening. If only you could see the emotion behind that mask, the animated expressions you loved so dearly; the crinkle of his nose in distaste, the soft play of a smile over his lips and the way it quirked up towards his beauty mark.

“I was…” he began, turning his head to the side as though seeing memories unfold before his eyes that had been buried beneath his suppressed emotions. “Unwilling to live without you.”

A chink in the armour, a small crack in his hardened shell. But Viktor had always been skilled at patching up broken things. 

“It was an error I will never repeat.”

His hand reached out, fingers splayed against Jayce’s forehead, tilting his head back as light shone from his eyes and mouth - held in a silent scream. 

“No!” you cried, a primal sound of anguish and desperation tearing from your throat. You couldn’t lose the last friend you had left, even if you both hated and loved him. Your magic surged forth unbidden, a force of raw power that shattered the robots' grip on your wrists. Their metallic fingers crumbled like ash, scattering in the wind as you lunged forward.

Time seemed to slow as you raced towards Viktor and Jayce, your feet barely touching the ground. Your hand stretched out, fingers spread wide, reaching for Viktor's ankle - anything to shove him off balance and release his partner. You were so close, close enough to feel the hum of his changed body, to see the intricate patterns etched into the metal of his mask. For a fleeting second, you allowed yourself to hope.

But hope, as you'd learned, was a fickle thing.

Before your fingertips could brush against Viktor's form, you felt cold metal fingers wrap around your wrists once more. More robots had taken the place of the ones you’d destroyed and they seized you with callous strength. This time, they didn't stop at your arms. Unyielding hands clamped around your calves, rooting you to the spot.

You thrashed wildly, your magic lashing out in erratic bursts of bright light. But it was no use.

“Your fight is over, you may rest now, miláčku.”

The once sweet term of endearment was now a grating sound, like nails on a chalkboard, in that robotic voice. It reverberated through your body, almost bringing you to your knees.

Something inside you crumbled. The hope you'd been clinging to, the desperate belief that you could reach him, save him, shattered like brittle glass. 

Every step of this journey flashed before your eyes - the late nights in the lab, the focus on his survival above all else, the Hexcore and his numbed emotions. You saw now how each choice had led to this moment. The road to hell, paved with good intentions.

Your conversation with Soraka echoed in your ears. "Was I destined to lose him?" you’d asked. "You were destined to love him, for however long you had," she’d responded. Destined to love him, not to cure him, not to help him figure out a way to survive. The answer had been there all along, you’d just refused to see it.

You laughed, humourless and tinged with a manic edge. “You should know me better by now. I will never give up on you.”

As if on cue, a clattering trill pulled your attention to the slope of the Hexgate. A young boy with white dreads, and a worn brown jacket flapping in the wind, raced towards Viktor with lightning speed. His hoverboard hummed with neon green energy, leaving trails of light behind him as he weaved through throngs of robots. They grasped at him, but were met with empty space as he flew by, always a fraction too slow to catch him. As he drew closer and you saw the determined set of his jaw, the conviction in his eyes, it dawned on you; this was the Firelight leader you’d seen in your visions of Heimerdinger, if your knowledge was correct. Ekko, the Boy Saviour.

Viktor stood motionless, a dark silhouette, as one particularly agile robot scuttled over his shoulder. Its spindly legs carried it with unnerving speed towards Ekko, who banked hard to avoid its lunge. You held your breath, certain the machine would make contact, but the boy twisted at the last second, the robot's hand closing on nothing but air.

His victory was short-lived. As he attempted to circle back, a swarm of robots converged on him from all sides. They moved with eerie synchronization, cutting off every possible escape route. You saw the moment he realized he was trapped, his eyes widening in alarm, panic setting in as they lifted him up.

“Viktor,” you said, your voice reedy as you called his attention away from Ekko. He turned his head, an instinctive need to ensure your safety. “I wasn’t ever supposed to ensure you survived, that wasn’t my purpose, as much as I wish it could have been. I was just supposed to love you, and I lost sight of that somewhere underneath all my fear of losing you, of being alone.” Your voice cracked, but you didn’t waver. “I should have cherished the time I had with you instead of being focused on preventing the future. I will always want more, but not like this, not when it means you lose everything that made you, you.”

You were a steadfast and unshakeable force, rooted in determination and resolve like a mountain refusing to be moved. Nothing could stray you from this path, not now, not when you had one last fight still left in you. 

He said nothing, face impassive behind the mask. But that he had no dismissive response had your confidence surging. 

Until a robot snatched your backpack from your shoulders. With an effortless motion, it threw the bag up to Viktor, who deftly caught it with his claw. 

“Stop!” you screamed. “Give that back!” 

But it was too late. Viktor's claw unclasped the hook that had been keeping the backpack shut, and turned it upside down. A cascade of empty Gemstones came tumbling out, clattering against the Hexgate like discarded marbles. The dull sound echoed across the surface as they pinged and rolled away - there must have been thirty, even forty husks in that bag. Your sparks, freed from their confinement, zipped through the air, buzzing their excitement and filled to the brim with magic.

You’d never gotten into the habit of listening to what people told you to do.

You coughed, wet and guttural as Viktor's masked face snapped towards you. A grin spread across your lips like melted butter, revealing blood-coated teeth, and the tangy taste of iron filling your mouth. The robots' grip on you loosened slightly in response to Viktor’s surprise, and you swayed unsteadily on your feet as dizziness pricked at your vision.

Viktor took a step back, his body tensing. "You absorbed them," he said, his robotic voice tinged with what might have been awe or horror. "All of them."

You nodded, the magic coursing through your veins, an inferno barely contained within your fragile human form. It gnawed at your insides, a ravenous beast devouring you from within. Your skin felt too tight, as if it might split open at any moment, unable to contain the raw power you'd consumed. 

Viktor's unearthly eyes searched your face. "Why?" he asked, and your magic pricked at the smothered smoke of his disquiet. "You know what that will do to a human body. You'll die."

"It was an easy choice to make if it meant it would get me to you."

Viktor’s unwavering gaze remained fixed on you, even as Ekko broke free from his robots in a blur of colour too fast for your eyes to track.

“I wouldn’t change anything about our time together, Viktor. I love you, remember that,” you whispered, bittersweet as you sobbed around an adoring smile, the iridescent lights of Viktor’s magic reflecting in your tears. 

Ekko reared up behind Viktor, arm raised to throw a container filled with otherworldly energy that seemed to defy all logic. His face contorted in a scream of pure fury as he brought it down.

Not once did Viktor look away from you.

Your hand closed around his ankle and the container collided with the back of Viktor’s head. In a flash that blinded you, your magic billowed out, uncontrollable, and pulled you into its devouring orbit.

Next Chapter

A/N: I apologize for yet another cliffhanger, but it was just too much to put in one chapter! You'll be getting all your answers and the promised happy ending in the next chapter, but I'd love to hear your predictions!

[xxplastic-cubexx]

mr. snap, if you would be so kind, please post the new magneto lore entry for those of us who suck at vidya and don't play rivals 🥹

Marvel Rivals Hero Lore Magneto Story #2 - "The Battle Within"

Full story below the cut:

Magneto hovered high above the nation of Krakoa. He had lived through more than his share of wars, but as he gazed down at the Mutant homeland below, he could barely begin to comprehend the full scope of the horrors unfolding o his own sovereign soil. Still, it was not as if he hadn't seen this coming...

When Emma Frost has first approached the Quiet Council with the idea of reviving her Hellfire Gala in the futuristic era that Mutantkind now called home, Magneto immediately voiced his reservations. He feared that some unknown force might try to take advantage of his people's hospitality to further their anti=Mutant agenda. With all eyes on their emerging nation, he knew they would have to tread extremely carefully. Still, he gave Emma his vote and let plans move forward, holding onto faith that he and his fellow X-Men would be able to take on any threat this new world could throw at them. What he failed to realize was that the biggest threat to Krakoa wouldn't come from Earth... at least not directly...

After the Gala began, the Krakoan gateways - which offered Mutants instant access to the island from various strategic points across the universe - were somehow hijacked by an invading army of artificial life forms led by the antagonistic android Ultron. As far as Magneto could tell from the mechanical madman's rantings, this version of Ultron had been built on Earth decades ago, but had subsequently been banished to the stars by the Avengers. Now, something had summoned Ultron back home, and he was determined to assimilate Earth into his growing cosmic empire during his visit. Krakoa was just another stop on his world domination tour. But if Magneto and his allies banded together and stopped Ultron now, it could very well be his last.

Chaos and carnage quickly erupted across the island as seemingly endless waves of Ultron's armed automatons arrived on the scene. AS most of the Mutant and human heroes who had assembled on Krakoa worked to fend off the streams of synthetic soldiers, Magneto turned his focus on finding the one true Ultron and ending his existence. And now, he had finally found his foe, who was currently distracted by the brutal attacks of a very angry Hulk dressed in the tatters of a suit. Magneto saw the opportunity to strike and seized it.

"No more, Ultron!" Magneto shouted as he rose into the air on a wave of magnetic force. "Krakoa is a free nation... and you shall not take it from us!"

Ultron didn't even bother to turn and look at Magneto. Instead, he dispatched dozens of his drones to attack the Mutant leader. But with just a wave of his hand, Magneto crumpled the legion of robotic soldiers into tiny spheres of scrap that rained down upon Krakoa's lush surface.

Magneto would not be insulted further by entertaining Ultron's puppet soldiers. He wished to face the true threat head on. He generated a massive sphere of magnetic energy between his hands, ready to unleash it at Ultron.

"Consider this battle--"

Before the Mutant Master of Magnetism could release his energy wave and complete his declaration of victory, he was unexpectedly hit with a powerful blast that seared a hole straight through his reinforced armor. It seemed that Ultron knew the threat Magneto posed after all, swiftly and silently removing his foe from the game board. As his body plummeted to the ground below, Magneto knew his battle was nearly over.

"Magneto!" Captain America yelled, racing over to aid his fallen Mutant ally. "Hang on soldier. We didn't both survive World War II only to be taken down by some rusty pile of--"

The Captain stopped himself suddenly . He had seen countless allies fall on the field of battle over his years in service, so he knew a fatal wound when he saw one. Magneto wouldn't last much longer.

"Do not fret, Captain," Magneto said, a strangely reassuring tone in his voice. "I have died... many times before... and this... won't be the last..."

As Captain America held Magneto in his arms, the Mutant leader's vision began to fade from red, white, and blue to a deep black.

--------------------

Many humans believe that a person's entire life flashes before their eyes in the seconds before their death. But the Mutants of Krakoa know otherwise. For them, their entire lives - every memory and every moment - flashes before their eyes in the seconds before their rebirth. This is a side effect of the Resurrection Protocols, a process in which a full scan of their minds is downloaded from Cerebro into a brand new body grown in the Krakoan Hatchery. It is a delicate process, but on that has given countless Mutants another chance at life. And today, that chance belonged to Magneto.

After what somehow seemed like both a split second and an eternity, the black of the void gave way to a blinding display of memories. Magneto saw his life as a young boy in Europe. His days as a prisoner in a concentration camp. The unexpected discovery of his mutant powers. His first meeting with Charles Xavier. The countless battles he fought for Mutant supremacy and, eventually, equality. And when his memories finally raced to the point where Ultron struck him down, Magneto emerged from his pod in the Hatchery, gasping for air, alive and whole once more.

Without a word or a moment of hesitation, Magneto used his powers to call forth the metallic elements buried in the Krakoan soil, fashioning himself a new suit of armor far more durable than his last. He then exited the Hatchery and headed to find Ultron. It would be easier to locate the villain this time, as Magneto had sensed a strange, otherworldly element in the alloy that covered the exterior of Ultron's frame. He honed in on that unique metallic signature and followed it to the heart of Krakoa, where he found Ultron swiftly approaching.

"Curious," Ultron said upon seeing Magneto alive and well. "I thought you life signs had been extinguished. When I detected your bio-signature suddenly return at another location, I had to investigate the anomaly."

"I am no anomaly," Magneto replied, hurling long spears of reshaped scrap metal toward Ultron at a furious speed. "Like so many of my Mutant brethren, I have simply been reborn."

"And you will be reborn once more," Ultron said, his devilish grin glowing in the darkness of the Krakoan jungle. "This time in my image."

Expecting a physical attack, Magneto erected an enormous metal shield in front of his body to protect himself from harm. But this time, Ultron released a cloud of techno-organic nano-bots that swiftly navigated past Magneto's shield and surrounded the Mutant's helmeted head. Magneto had already inhaled thousands of the microscopic machines before he could even think to create an electromagnetic aura around his body to repel them. Mere moments later. Magneto could already hear Ultron's voice buzzing inside of his head.

"Could this be...??" Ultron said, as his mind linked with Magneto's via the nano-bots' neural network. "Do you Mutants truly have a machine capable of resurrection? A way of growing powerful new bodies and downloading your consciousness into them? I simply must give it a test run!"

Magneto fought past the pain of his body's techno-organic invaders and reached out toward Ultron with all of his magnetic might. That much force should have instantly ripped Ultron asunder, but the sinister synthezoid's body barely bent.

The techno-organic virus I infected you with is programmed to prevent you from doing any harm to me,' Ultron gloated. "But even if it weren't, you powers would have little effect. My current form is forged of Mysterium. I've found it to be nearly immune to this planet's basic laws of nature and physics. Still, as impressive as that is, I can't help but wonder what my next body will be capable of. I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough..."

With that, Ultron departed, heading toward the Cradle where Cerebro was stored. Magneto tried to give chase, but found himself locked in a new war - one with his very own body. The machines in his bloodstream were swiftly replicating and seizing control. Because of their unique alien techno-organic composition, they contained almost no traces of magnetic metals, which meant that Magneto could not expel them from his body... a body they were claiming more and more of with each passing second.

For a moment, Magneto considered using his powers to impale himself on a metal pike, strategically triggering the Resurrection Protocols again so that he could be reborn in a body free of the virus. But if Ultron managed to get his hands on Cerebro, it could disrupt the entire process, making Magneto's next death - and the death of every other Mutant - far more permanent.

Instead, Magneto decided to forge ahead, struggling to make his way out of the dense jungle. Eventually, he found himself at the foot of a statue built in honor of Charles Xavier - the found of the X-Men and one of the driving forces behind the great nation of Krakoa. Magneto caught a glimpse of his reflection in the plaque at the statue's base. Nearly half of his body had already been converted into techno-organic matter by the virus, and it was spreading fast. Magneto gazed up at the larger-than-life figure of his old friend and thought back tot he many years they had spent together, both as enemies and as allies.

"Charles..." Magneto struggled to say "...is this... how the dream dies...?"

No. A familiar voice responded inside of Magneto's brain. Not like this. Not today.

Magneto didn't know if he was hallucinating, reliving a distant memory, or actually communicating with his long lost friend. But it didn't matter. Hearing Charles' voice in his head once more gave him the strength he needed to turn the tide of the battle within himself.

Magneto knew he couldn't take control of the nano-bots that he flood his bloodstream, but he could take control of the bloodstream itself, thanks to the iron in the hemoglobin of his red blood ells. If he could consciously slow his blood flow, he could half the techno-organic virus's advance. Magneto focused all his power inward and, within moments, he could feel the pain beginning to cease and the control over his body returning.

"Not like this, Ultron," Magneto said, echoing the words of his oldest ally as he returned to his feet and prepared to head back into the fray. "Not today."

[awesomecoyote337]

OFFICIAL NOTICE: THE SOKOVIA ACCORDS – SUPERHUMAN REGISTRATION & CRIMINALIZATION ACT

SECTION 1: DEFINITION OF A SUPERHUMAN INDIVIDUAL

Any individual possessing abilities, traits, or enhancements beyond baseline human capacity, regardless of origin, shall hereby be classified as a "Superhuman" and subject to immediate registration, regulation, or detainment under the Sokovia Accords.

Individuals mutated by gamma radiation, experimental serums, cosmic rays, or science lab accidents.

Cut to: The Hulk, Spider-Man, and Fantastic Four

Bruce Banner: NOOO!

Peter Parker: NOOO!

Reed Richards: NOOO!

Those born mutants possessing the X-Gene or related latent metahuman attributes.

Cut to: Cyclops and Magneto

Scott Summers: NOOO!

Erik Lehnsherr: NOOO!

Practitioners of sorcery, spellcasting, or the mystic arts.

Cut to: Doctor Strange

Stephen Strange: NOOO!

Bearers of mystic artifacts, enchanted relics, or curses of supernatural origin.

Cut to: Juggernaut

Cain Marko: NOOO!

Members of non-terrestrial or alien species possessing above-human capabilities.

Cut to: Rocket Racoon

Rocket Racoon: NOOO!

Beings of divine, mythological, or godlike origin.

Cut to: Thor and Loki

Thor: NOOO!

Loki: NOOO!

Individuals enhanced via cybernetic implants or biomechanical upgrades.

Cut to: Winter Soldier

Bucky Barnes: NOOO!

Subjects of genetic engineering, super-soldier programs, or biological augmentation.

Cut to: Captain America

Steve Rogers: NOOO!

Users of highly advanced weaponry, exosuits, or artificial battle armor.

Cut to: Iron Man and Ultron

Tony Stark: NOOO!

Ultron: NOOO! Wait a minute-

Ultron slowly lowers the document, smirking, pauses.

Ultron, (smugly): None of these apply to me. I am pure machine.

Tony Stark, (deadpan): Next page.

Ultron flips the page.

Ultron: -and autonomous or semi-autonomous robots, synthezoids, AI lifeforms, and living automatons — including but not limited to those created by Stark Industries.

Ultron: NOOOOOOOOOO!

[shayjonahjameson]

Adam Warlock mini fic

if you pay attention to Adam's dialogue, (specifically that one where he made Hawkeye insecure) you'll notice the common thread of him being the perfect human. And then combine it with his looks, chiseled jaw, perfect body, beautiful floppy blonde hair, you get Adam Warlock. And he's kinda sassy too. Like he's not a smart, robotic, wise guy, okay? he has personality. Like UGH. It's literally so CRIMINAL that nobody's obsessing over him. He's so fine. But I'm going to rectify it. At least for myself. I'm dying to write for him just to test my own ability, and for the sake of this, try not to cringe at my writing 😔

Warnings: use of slut, reader being a coward, implied sexual tension, abrupt ending, not proofread. attempted gender neutral.

Shin Shibuya. Moonlight drifts over the abandoned storefront you're hiding in. You just safely got away from a very brutal fate. In your place your ally Iron Fist got grabbed up by Hulk and slammed around through multiple buildings. You didn't feel any guilt though. Serves him right for always plowing through the innocent strategists. Hulk's roars faded away and Lin's faint groan signalled the coast was clear. You got up and snuck out of the building. The enemy team was nowhere in sight. It was peaceful. For a few minutes. You peeked around the corner the exact moment Bucky slammed his metal arm into your squad. And you froze up. It seemed like every one of your enemies was out there on the field. But instead of rushing into what was starting to look like a 1v6.. You decided to hang back and wait for your team to return from the medbay.

You twisted on your heel and ran right into a solid surface. Your eyes squeezed shut on impact. Your hand reached out to maintain balance and you came in contact with warmth. And a heartbeat. A strong arm flew around your waist and your eyes flew open. You were greeted by man with golden skin, a perfect jawline and empty white eyes that narrowed into disapproving thin slits. You looked him up and down. Your eyes widened at the realization he wasn't wearing a shirt. Just a cape that barely overlapped his pectoral muscles.

"That's a bit slutty, no..?" You remarked. Regrettably you pulled your hands off of him. His eyes seemed to follow you or maybe it seemed that way because he had no pupils or iris.

"Is there something wrong with that?" He responded nonchalantly. Once you were safely upright he let go of your waist. Your face flushed but you glanced backwards to save face. Pretending to search for your team.

"Why'd you sneak up on me anyway..? I was about to help our team." You said.

"Our team? You've been hiding for the past fifteen minutes from the Hulk." He rolled his eyes then strolled forwards to busy himself with healing all your allies. You followed with a limp. Earned from previous fight with Spider-Man. He noticed and his fingers flowed with cosmic energy and you felt rejuvenated. Your eyes trailed along his jaw, then followed his bottom lip, and traced his mouth, imagining how kissing him must feel. Considering he's supposedly perfect. But that would be weird to think about right..? I mean, who fantasizes about their handsome, golden teammates. That's not normal.

"Your thoughts are loud, could you, maybe quiet them so I can focus?" He said out of the blue. You tensed up and he chuckled. As Cap, and the others on their team groaned, and slowly got to their feet he shook his head. "Kidding. I can't actually read minds directly. More so I can anticipate thoughts and feelings."

You let out a sigh of relief. "Don't scare me like that." Lin passed you with a glare. Still upset about you leaving him to dry with the Hulk. And Adam rolled his shoulders. As the night droned on you couldn't help but linger on his fingers on your waist, how his arm constricted so perfectly around you. He carried you so effortlessly..

[thevindicativevordan]

So... Thoughts on Absolute Superman's hidden enemy?

Absolute Superman #6 - Poor Kal. His life makes for one hell of a contrast with mainline Superman right now. Clark has his huge extended family, is revered as a hero, and had a happy upbringing. Kal spends months in his lifeboat agonizing over Krypton to the point of suicide idealization, barely spends two weeks with the Kents before getting ratted out to not!ICE, and since then is on the run. But y'know that really makes this Superman even more inspirational than the mainline one. He's been given every reason in the world to break bad, yet chooses to keep trying to be a hero in spite of it all. Really is a Superman for the modern era imo.

As for the big reveal... I won't lie, as a Superman fan it's incredibly frustrating to see even series I like opt to use Batman villains over traditional Superman ones. MAWS did it with using Deathstroke over Bloodsport, and now here. Why not use Ultra-Humanite for this role? But I'll give it a chance since I can see Aaron's logic. Of all the Batman villains, Ra's is one that I do think can work as a Superman villain. Ra's, in the mainline universe anyway, wants to safeguard the planet's environment by culling humanity's numbers. Kal is the Last Son of a planet where the dominant race did destroy their own world through overexploitation of the planet. I can see this working, Ra’s has even been reconfigured into an expy of the Klerics what with his religious overtones, robot servants, and oppression of the lower classes. Even still, I'd have preferred using an actual Superman villain for the role. Oh well, at least Brainiac is still in the picture, maybe he ends up taking over Lazarus after Ra's gets defeated by Kal. Looking forward to the next issue to see what this Brainiac's story is.

Absolute Green Lantern #1 - Managed to usurp Flash as the weakest book in the Absolute line. The script was badly let down by the art. Ewing's trying to evoke a cosmic horror story along the lines of Immortal Hulk, but Lindsay's art is a mismatch for that. AGL needs someone with a similar talent for gore and body horror like Bennett had in order to pull off the tension that Ewing is going for. Abin Sur looks like a knockoff version of Buu from DBZ. Also I found it kind of funny how the first issue is mostly focused on Hal rather than the ostensible lead in Jo. Glad Hal is an unwilling antagonist at best, maybe he can be cured of his condition and become an ally.

Resurrection Man #1 - Between this and New Gods, V is fully back in my good graces after I disliked his Tec run. If you liked the philosophical ponderings of his Swamp Thing run, you need to pick this up. Shout out to the artist, that final panel revealing the state the bad guy is in was horrific.

[kandisheek]

Cap-Ironman Rec Week 2024

Time Travel Tuesday: July 23rd

Prompt: Rec all those great fanworks where Tony or Steve (or Tony and Steve) travel to the past or the future or to an alternate past or future and discover unexpected realities and new truths!

I absolutely love this trope! And we are truly blessed in this fandom to have so many fantastic authors tackling it. Here is a very small selection of my favorite time-travel / timey-wimey-shenanigan fics:

-- And Has Time Enough by wanttobeatree

Tony asks if they have met. It's a matter of perspective. (A Time Traveller's Wife AU.)

-- Double Time by Sineala

Cassino, Italy, December 1943. Special Agent Tony Stark, former Marvels adventurer, is sent to investigate a Cosmic Cube found by the Invaders -- and it's the perfect opportunity for him to rekindle his secret romance with Steve Rogers. But when Hydra attempts to steal the Cube, an inadvertent wish for help leads to the appearance of a Tony from the future of another world: Director Stark of SHIELD. This Tony is a man with a lot on his mind. He refuses to tell them anything about the future, but he seems to know much more than he should about Captain America. And something's happened that's clearly killing him inside, but he's not talking. When Director Stark's failed attempt to return home leads to the unexpected appearance of another visitor from his universe, all the lies come undone. Now there are two wars to fight, and the second one could ruin all of them.

-- A Shadow Hanging Over Our Fate by CaptainDean13

The Avengers get sent back in time to WWII where they run into the Howling Commandos... complete with Bucky and Steve. Little hard to explain that away, especially when you are trying to keep some major secrets. Secrets like how you ended up in the future and why the hell Bucky is now a scary (reformed) assassin with a metal arm, not to mention that you married your friend's son.

MORE RECS BELOW THE CUT:

-- The Good or Bad Thing by petreparkour

“It’s the metal suit,” Thor informed Steve, his normally-booming voice tinny over the SHIELD comms. “What did Stark call it—Iron Man?” “But he’s down here,” Steve protested as the Hulk roared in Stark’s face, startling him into waking with a shout. “How could—” “It’s damaged,” Thor reported. “But it looks different. More advanced. And he—ah. He’s carrying you, Captain.” “Please tell me nobody kissed me,” Stark breathed out, and then Stark’s voice suddenly came over the comms, but the man lying next to him hadn’t moved.  “Guys, come on, you’re killing me here. What is it, 2012? God, I hate time travel. First, I'm fighting Thanos. Now, I have to deal with my past self and Thor's bad haircut? Oh my God, Cap, yes I hacked their comms, they’re my comms.” Steve nearly opened his mouth to protest that he hadn’t said anything when he realized that this replica of Tony Stark wasn’t speaking to him.

-- Calls Me Home by steve-capsicle-rogers (adorable_lab_rat)

Tony can't help but notice the far away look on Steve's face. The visible pain and loss. It wasn't right and giving Steve back everything he'd lost was the right choice. The right thing. And honestly Tony didn't do the right thing near enough.

-- A Hundred Times, Once by FestiveFerret, SirSapling

The shrill tone of his SHIELD beeper pulls Steve out of sleep and into battle. He fights robots, he fights Tony's shameless advances, he fights the exhaustion that threatens to take over him, drown him. And then the next morning, he wakes and does it again. Exactly the same. And again. And again. And again.

-- hunters seeking solid ground by laramara

In the wake of the battle with Thanos, Steve feels unmoored in a way he hasn’t since before he ate shawarma with a group of virtual strangers and thought maybe, maybe he could one day find a place here. Steve returns the stones, and has a few unexpected interactions and makes some decisions along the way.

-- The Butterfly Effect by itsallAvengers

While fighting with Loki, Steve Rogers from 2012 hears the two simple words: "Bucky's alive." And the whole universe ripples with the aftershocks.

[andrewmoocow]

My personal roster for a potential Marvel vs Capcom 4 that I call Marvel vs Capcom 4: Resurrection, filled with as many newcomers and veterans as I could gather to fit this template I found on Twitter a while back, with everyone bringing something new to the table.

Marvel Side

Spider-Man

Captain America

Iron Man

Thor

Hulk

Black Widow

Hawkeye

Wolverine

Storm

Gambit

Deadpool

Magneto

Psylocke

Doctor Strange

Black Panther

Captain Marvel

Loki

Ms. Marvel

Star-Lord (assisted by Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Mantis)

Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic assisted by Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing)

Doctor Doom

Ultron

Spider-Man (Miles Morales)

She-Hulk

Squirrel Girl

Ant-Man (assisted by Wasp)

Green Goblin

Daredevil

Scarlet Witch

Thanos

Capcom Side

Ryu

Ken

Chun-Li

Luke

Jamie

Kimberly

Mega Man

Mega Man X

Zero

Tron Bonne (assisted by Servbots)

Morrigan Aensland

Felicia

Demitri Maximoff

Leon Kennedy

Lady Dimitrescu

Dante

Vergil

Nero

Phoenix Wright (assisted by Trucy Wright)

Apollo Justice (assisted by Athena Cykes)

Amaterasu

Viewtiful Joe

Gene

Frank West

Asura

Akira Kazama

Tessa

Mike Haggar

Strider Hiryu

Ruby Heart (assisted by Amingo and Son-Son)

DLC (not pictured)

Mister Sinister (also appears in Story Mode)

Juri Han (also appears in Story Mode)

Moon Girl (assisted by Devil Dinosaur)

Monster Hunter (assisted by Palico and Palamute)

Venom

Akuma

Spider-Gwen

Sakura

Elsa Bloodstone (assisted by Blade and Man-Thing)

B.B. Hood

Morbius

Jedah Dohma

Doctor Octopus (assisted by Sinister Six)

Doctor Wily (assisted by Robot Masters)

Namor

Edward Falcon

Howard the Duck

Miles Edgeworth (assisted by Ema Skye)

Silver Surfer

Abyss

The story mode involves an alliance between Apocalypse and JP from Street Fighter 6 as the two work together to take over the worlds of Marvel and Capcom by bringing together a new team of Horsemen of the Apocalypse to collect the Infinity Stones, the Cosmic Cube, the Power Stone, and the Celestial Brush, and the heroes of both companies have to stop them before it's too late. Pretty simple premise, all things considered, but the character interactions and rivalries will be where it's at!

Rivalries

Spider-Man vs Mega Man

Captain America vs Leon Kennedy

Iron Man vs Tron Bonne

Thor vs Dante

Hulk vs Gene

Black Widow vs Chun-Li

Hawkeye vs Frank West

Wolverine vs Ryu

Storm vs Amaterasu

Gambit vs Morrigan

Deadpool vs Viewtiful Joe

Magneto vs Mega Man X

Psylocke vs Strider Hiryu

Doctor Strange vs Nero

Black Panther vs Felicia

Captain Marvel vs Akira Kazama

Loki vs Vergil

Ms. Marvel vs Kimberly

Star-Lord vs Ruby Heart

Fantastic Four vs Mike Haggar

Doctor Doom vs Demitri

Ultron vs Zero

Miles Morales vs Luke

She-Hulk vs Phoenix Wright

Squirrel Girl vs Jamie

Ant-Man vs Ken

Green Goblin vs Lady Dimitrescu

Daredevil vs Apollo Justice

Scarlet Witch vs Tessa

Thanos vs Asura

Mister Sinister vs Juri

Moon Girl vs Monster Hunter

Venom vs Akuma

Spider-Gwen vs Sakura

Elsa Bloodstone vs B.B. Hood

Morbius vs Jedah

Doctor Octopus vs Doctor Wily

Namor vs Edward Falcon

Howard the Duck vs Miles Edgeworth

Silver Surfer vs Abyss

Base: https://x.com/DreaminErryDay/status/1811493788214256113

[edgyandoverzealous]

MCU Watchthrough Masterlist

The beautiful @kittypryde2013 was getting me, into the mcu, we're going through in chronological order, so no spoilers please! Also spoilers for following rated shows/movies below the cut. I know the media is hella old still "">_< Also this is my rating/line up of it so far!

Characters Rankings :

1. Steve Rodgers (My husbanddd)

2. Vision

3. Black Widow (my wife <33)

4. Wanda

5. Falcon

6. Hawkeye

7. Tony (Iron Man)

8. Daredevil (Also my husband)

9. Nick Fury

10. War Machine

11. Thor

12. Gamora

13. Rocket

14. Star Lord

15. Drax

16. Groot

17. Hulk

18. Captain Marvel <we'll get to her later

Movie Tier-List

S tier: the best of the club

- Captain America 1st avenger

< amazing loved everything about it

- Iron Man

< I love seeing a rich man humbled and thrown around to do good, rip cave inventer man I loved you and cried like a baby

- Iron Man 3

< Tony gets cucked and again I love watching Tony get thrown around he's a pathetic Lil guy and I love him. Plus he momentarily father's a child around Christmas, and gives him hella gifts. Ptsd, as someone with diagnosed cpstd, is bad, poor dude I'm sorry, and I feel like it was good representation. PLUS PEPPER IS A CERTIFIED BADASS and there's robot on robot on robot fighting action. It's frankly a masterpiece.

- a funny thing happened on the way to thors hammer

>It was Phil being Phil I love Phil and I'd have his babies

- Captain America winter soldier

<will have own separate rant)

- Guardians of the galaxy vol 2

<Yondu's death always makes me cry like a fucking baby.

A tier: a good superhero movie

- The Avengers

< they somehow messed up black widows and captain America's character a little bit, but I'll excuse it cause 1) loki was there 2) Tony stark got run through the wringer and I genuinely love seeing him thrown around like a ragdoll. It's adorable and amusing. 3) it was genuinely so good and Hulk was recast and now bearable. But as my gf says 'They're all white I guess'

- The consultant

<Tony was sent in to purposefully fumbled a deal

- Iron Man 2

< realy good brother was going through the wringer in comes War Machine! Woo!

- Guardians of the Galaxy

<was alright I forgot how bi coded starlord is which is funny because Chris Pratt is kinda walking garbage. Also it was very sweet and heroic of Srarlord to save Gamora.

- Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D S1

<will have own separate rant

- Daredevil S1

<will have own separate rant

B tier : mediocre but still willing to watch again

- All Hail the King

< Actor pretending to be a terrorist leader gets jailbreaked, kidnapped, and brought to actual terrorist leader. It was interesting and funny in a ironic kinda way.

- Avengers: Age of Ultron

< not as good as Winter soldier or the last Avengers movie. Tony and Bruce? creates an AI Ultron who is his daddy's son to be fair. Weird Bruce/Natasha thing that apparently ended just as abruptly as it began. Natasha's writing was wack and there was plausible reference to her being a monster for not being able to have children which is crazy... Wanda and Pietro (rip) are introduced properly, adored their dynamic. Unfortunately everyone was super weird to this 16 year old kids who were hella experimented on and traumatized their whole life. Vision is also introduced and I love him and his pure curiosity to the world around him and his quippy personality.

C tier: mediocre but good-ish wouldn't watch again tho

- Thor

<not a fan of cosmic plot lines, and had somewhat l boring side plots.

- Thor: A Dark World

<not a fan of cosmic plot lines but hey there's loki and brotherly bonding over being mama boys occurs and it's kinda sweet and humanized loki. I was bitter after Coulson's death and I hated the crazy Scientist that ran nakedness through stonehedge for being alive. Also the side plot of this movie was awful and horrendously boring imo.

D tier: fuck you in particular (fails as a movie big time)

- Captain Marvel

< own separate post is up, my beloathed, captain marvel

- Item 47

<boring plus main character in it is a nazi.

F tier: would have rather been at work

- The incredible hulk (nothing incredible about it, made me the incredible sulk)

<was like watching wet peices of cardboard interact.

[thebibliomancer]

Earth X #10

If it were Roman numerals that’d be Earth X X but one of the sequel series does have an issue numbered X. Weird series, Earth X.

Aaron, John Jameson the astronaut werewolf, and the Celestials get the cover this time.

Astronaut werewolf. I love Marvel. So goofy.

So: Earth X. Bad Future. Blind Uatu. Machine Man Aaron Stack is the new Watcher. Turned against Uatu when he learned the Earth is an egg. The Celestials have manipulated humanity from the beginning to guard the egg. The Skull has killed President Osborn and taken over New New York. Captain America travels the world and recruits allies. Reed has discovered that the mass empowering event was caused by the Inhuman’s terrigen mist. Aaron has revealed the egg secret to him.

Earth X. There’s just so much going on. This is a very dense narrative.

Left behind on the Moon, Uatu immediately starts on manipulating John into being his weapon against Aaron.

He offers the same lie he did to Aaron, that humanity has a glorious cosmic purpose. And that Aaron is trying to stop it so John has to stop him. With the Ultimate Nullifier.

Captain America’s world tour continues to Wakanda.

T’Challa refuses to join Steve’s army. This is something Steve has to do himself because it’s about America or something.

I think T’Challa just doesn’t want to get involved.

He also refuses to return a Cosmic Cube Steve left with him because Past Steve said not to give it back no matter how dire Future Steve said the circumstances were.

You only have you to blame, Steve.

But at least Russia, Japan, Canada, Antarctica, and England lent their aid.

Reed goes to Latveria, to meet back up with the Inhumans and tell them about his recent discoveries. He learns that it was Black Bolt who set off the Terrigen Bomb.

He kind of underreacts to this, considering guilt from the mass empowering event has been driving him crazy for years. But he does ask Black Bolt a favor. That we don’t get to hear. And Medusa convinces Black Bolt to do it. And then takes off his mask and reacts to his face. Which we don’t get to see.

There’s a lot of new little mysteries popping up. Hopefully they won’t be drawn out.

Reed and Aaron take off to find Loki, to take Hulk off his hands to add to Captain America’s army.

Reed doesn’t think Loki will help them but Aaron says Loki will help them when he tells Loki why he’d never help them.

Lotta little mysteries in this scene…

In New New York, the Skull loses control of the Wizard and has him killed.

It’s apparently because the Wizard went insane. And the Skull’s powers don’t work on robots, the mindless, or the insane.

The Skull orders nobody else to go insane.

For some damn reason, there’s a ship tease between Spiders-Man and Iron Maiden.

The Skull tells them to, basically, get a room and Iron Maiden blows up. Calls him a brat and that she’d rather be insane than he controlled by him.

Like many brats, he doesn’t like being called a brat.

Right in the middle of his tantrum, Captain America arrives with his army and starts beating up the Skull’s forces.

Because the Skull isn’t letting them fight back. Because he’s in a snit. He only agrees to do something to save his helpless mind-slaves when Iron Maiden begs.

And then Cap’s attack immediately fails. Because the Skull can just control anyone he chooses. Minus robots, the mindless, and the insane.

The Hulk was Cap’s secret weapon because the gorilla Hulk is mindless. But the Skull takes Bruce and that gets him Hulk.

Cap despairs that he failed to stop the Skull and has basically handed him the world.

Your plan was bad and you should feel bad, Steve. All those issues of off-panel planning, that recruitment tour… and the best you could do was a frontal assault against the mind control guy?

I’m sorry to say but maybe the brat is right to say you should have an L on your forehead for Loser. Or maybe for Luigi. Maybe the Skull likes Mario Bros.

It’s not all a loss. Mostly one. 99% of one. But seeing the Skull smooching on a controlled May gives Peter the fatherly concern to not walk away sadly. And during the fight, a controlled Wyatt confides to Cap what the Skull’s limitations are. Also, Colossus finds Namor dying of not being properly hydrated and tosses him into the ocean.

But since it’s taken up so many issues, Cap confronting the Skull take two feels a bit like padding.

Aaron returns to the Moon with Reed in tow.

Reed has solved on more mystery with the power of being Reed Richards. And it’s relevant to Uatu’s interests.

The first mystery Earth X presented us with.

Who blinded the Watcher?

It was Black Bolt.

He knows his way around the Moon. His voice of mass destruction means he’s the quietest dude, quiet enough to sneak up even on a Watcher. And considering Uatu was blinded a bit before the Terrigen bomb, hence not knowing about it, it gives Black Bolt a motive.

And now, he’s flying out to confront the Celestials even though he knows he won’t survive the experience.

Three issues left. The Skull is still at large with an army in the thousands. The Celestials are chilling above the Moon. Black Bolt is flying out to do whatever Reed asked him to do.

What else can possibly happen in those last three issues?

Probably a lot. I bet Earth X has more weird twists up its sleeves.

[avianandloaded]

Hasbro Marvel Legends 80-Years two-pack Incredible Hulk and Diamond Marvel Legends Immortal Hulk (Cosmic Robot mode).

[therese-lokidottir]

The Avengers: Earth Mightiest Heroes series watch

Hail, Hydra! written by Kevin Burke and Chris Wyatt

The episode begins with the Avengers in the training room where Hawkeye is attempting a trick shot when an electromagnetic pulse hits the Avengers Mansion. Black Widow arrives at the mansion seeking help. She reveals that Nick Fury sent her to retrieve information about the Cosmic Cube, which can alter reality as per the possessor's desires, from HYDRA. But now she is unable to contact Fury the only one who knew she was undercover and only has the Avengers to turn to.

HYDRA and AIM are fighting over the Cube, in the New York streets. The Avengers work to stop both factions. During the confrontation, the Avengers found themselves embroiled in a three-way fight with the two warring factions. MODOK, accompanied by Iron Man, Wasp, and S.H.I.E.L.D., rushed to complete the Cosmic Cube, The team tried to stop Baron Strucker from reaching his weapon. MODOK's ship was shot down after completing the Cube, leading to a standoff between HYDRA and AIM. Hawkeye executed a version of the trick shot he had been attempting earlier in the episode, delivering Ant-Man to the scene.

S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives on the scene led by Maria Hill with the intent to force the Avengers to join S.H.I.E.L.D. while fighting two groups of supervillains. Iron Man leads the heroes to protect the Helicarrier when it's attacked by a HYDRA robot.

After a conflict between Captain America and Strucker for control of the Cube, Strucker is defeated and all are apprehended by S.H.I.E.L.D. Black Widow fleas as she is a wanted trader as Fury disappearance means no one can confirm she was a double agent, although she and Hawkeye are able to say their goodbyes and give a parting kiss. Director Hill takes her leave for now but says that she will make sure all Avengers are registered with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government.

Back at the mansion, Ant-Man asks Captain America if he has any wish that the Cube grant what would it be, to which he responds with "nothing." How things were able to be resolved with the team working together is more than enough for him. However, a flashback to the rocket crash that led to Cap's being frozen now shows that Bucky had survived.

This episode was filled with so many great character moments. Well, except for one character.

Some serious spy solidarity between Nat and Clint. Hawkeye completely stops being mad when it's revealed that Black Widow was working undercover, and he got screwed hard. For those only familiar with the MCU version, to let you know this version of Clint has no family, that concept actually comes from the ultimate line not the og 616 and this episode does confirm a romantic connection between him and Natasha. Which does make the concept of Clint being so quick to a bit more interesting.

Also this episode of how the MCU really did make Maria Hill so much more likable than she ever was in comics. Because here just like the comic here's Maria being needlessly antagonistic and creating conflict where there doesn't need to be one. Picking a fight with the Avengers while there are supervillains attacking each other in the middle of the city with giant robots is not the time to try to strong arm the superheroes in to working for you. Seriously, what is wrong with you? This whole conflict also seems to have been setting up for registration act. This show ended before anything really came of that, though I am interested considering it's Tony who has the biggest conflict with shield how "civil war" would have gone.

A great moment between Hulk and Captain America where Cap' tells Hulk that he knows he's a hero and that he believes in him. It's so sweet he's so Steve and it's so nice when the Hulk is appreciated.

Clint kind of a huge dork in this episode and I love him and of course Hank being is just so sincere self. Also watching this show I started tell the writers really do favor Wasp. It's not in a super obnoxious way or anything but with 8 team members certain episodes do push sometimes have to push characters to side a bit if the story isn't relevant to them and you can tell the writers made sure Janet always got a least some lines.

Not episode starts the Ultron arc

[doctorstrangereview]

0155: Defenders #30

Cover Date: December 1975 On-Sale Date: September 16, 1975

In this issue we have Doc, and I believe the rest of the Defenders first entanglement with the not-so-subtly named collection of crime families, The Maggia. It even starts out with a kidnapping! Also, we get a guest rider in the form of Bill Mantlo. Mr. Mantlo would go on to write the entire run of a favorite licensed property of mine, Rom. We also get guest artist Sam Grainer, about whom I know very little.

We open with Doc strolling the streets of Greenwich Village on an unusually quiet night. He's sombre and brooding as usual. His peace doesn't last and a car pulls up behind him. I love unusual car colors. The 70s were famous for it. In this case, it's a lovely fuchsia. Out of the car comes a hoodlum. He's dressed in a green suit with an orange shirt. All these colors are probably not ideal if your job is sneaking up on people.

Unfortunately, this panel has the colored more of a purple. This is what it should look like.

Our poorly dressed hoodlum pulls a gun on Doc, who makes short work of him by literally throwing him in the trash.

I really did love Mr. Mantlo's writing. An additional pair of hoodlums advance on Doc. They are slightly more sensible and let Doc read the note before threatening him further. It's from Nighthawk. He's been kidnapped, is in L. A. and promised to pay a ransom if the thugs got the note to Doc.

Doc asks the thugs to follow him home so he can "obtain the necessary funds." Doc asks Wong take his guests to the parlor and Wong promises to "take exceptional care of them." On his own, Doc mystically contacts Nighthawk.

Nighthawk explains that his previous business manager and secret career criminal Pennyworth bought a movie lot that was infested with Maggia. When Nighthawk went to check on his investment, they kidnapped him. Doc has pinpointed Nighthawk's location and it's off to L. A. they go.

Doc calls together Valkyrie, who agrees right away and is conveniently upstairs in their headquarters. He also requests the Hulk's presence, who is more agreeable than he has been in previous adventures. Perhaps the Jolly Green Giant is softening up.

Wong has put our guests to sleep and will deliver them to the authorities while Doc and Val are away. Doc casts his spell, which fortunately corrects Val's odd angle.

We now look into where Nighthawk, as Kyle Richmond, is being held by someone who calls himself Tapping Tommy. Alright Mr. Mantlo, this wasn't your best.

Judging by his dialog, Tommy is on the run from both the authorities and the Maggia. That's gotta suck!

Mr. Tapping tells us his flimsy motivation. He's basically a frustrated actor and when Kyle bought the studio and intended to turn it into a housing project "it was the last straw!" That sounds more like the plot of a 1939 Superman story and not what a group of cosmically powered supers would normally be facing.

The Defenders charge into the situation and lots of bullets fly. Kyle warns that Tapping's terrible costume isn't the only killer in the room. While all the thugs are getting clobbered, Tapping's assistant/friend with a creepy uncle in an ice cream truck vibe presses a button and a bunch of killer robots suddenly appear.

Tapping manages to disarm Val, but Hulk beats his robot friend and Doc frees Nighthawk. The odds APPEAR to be turning. Tapping's next trick is unleash gas which renders our heroes unconscious. When they awaken they are in an even more bizarre predicament.

I have to wonder if Shooter and Perez used this as inspiration for Jocasta.

With the press of a button, we learn what not to do when inviting the Hulk up for coffee after the date.

Hulk eventually gets angry enough to break his bonds and Val follows. We also learn that Val is helpless against even mechanical metal women. But, the robots attacking Doc and Kyle are male, so she's free to wreak havoc on them.

Next, Doc frees himself and Kyle. Tapping's human thugs get the bright idea to vamoose and Tapping is left with just himself and a pile of robot parts. Val has the bright idea of wrecking Hodge's control box and the remaining robots freeze. She had to get them to stop singing somehow!

Doc captures him as he tries to flee. Tapping then attempts to make a deal. Hulk shows some interest, but needs Tapping to understand he was a bad man! Hulk headbutts him. Tommy is lucky he is still alive!

The story ends with Doc making a slap-on-the-forehead joke.

This is just silly. Even as an interlude, the story isn't worthy of our team of misfit heroes. Sorry Mr. Mantlo. You were definitely an extremely talented writer. No one conveyed a character's self-loathing better than you did with Rom. But this is all-around ridiculous. It's mildly fun, but no one should take out a sorcerer supreme, Norse goddess and gamma giant so easily. Let's hope things get better when the regular creative team returns next issue.

[sciencestyled]

From Robots to Rockstars: The Wild World of STEM/STEAM Programs

Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up, because we’re about to take a ride on the wildest educational rollercoaster since Ms. Frizzle took the wheel of the Magic School Bus! Today, we're diving into the high-octane, kaleidoscopic, and downright wacky world of STEM/STEAM programs. That's right, we're talking Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics – the fantastic five that are here to catapult our brains into the stratosphere of awesomeness. So, grab your goggles, pocket protectors, and a splash of creative flair, because this is going to be one heck of a brain-blasting ride!

Picture this: a classroom where coding meets choreography, where algorithms do a cha-cha with abstract art, and where robotics workshops are as common as recess. This isn’t some trippy episode of "Rick and Morty"; this is the world of STEM/STEAM, where left brain meets right brain in a cosmic collision of creativity and calculation. It’s like Bill Nye teamed up with Picasso to throw the ultimate science-art rave, and we’re all invited.

STEM/STEAM is like the Avengers assembling for the ultimate showdown, but instead of saving the universe from Thanos, they’re saving us from the dreary doldrums of traditional education. Imagine Iron Man wielding a paintbrush, Hulk smashing complex equations, and Black Widow coding with the finesse of a prima ballerina. These programs aren’t just teaching kids how to memorize the periodic table or solve quadratic equations; they’re gearing them up to be the next generation of innovators, creators, and problem-solvers.

Now, let’s break it down like a DJ at a rave: STEM focuses on the hardcore technical stuff – science, technology, engineering, and math. Think of it as the nerdy, introverted genius who spends recess tinkering with circuits and solving Rubik’s cubes. But then, someone had the brilliant idea to invite the arts to the party. STEAM brings in the creative, flamboyant, and slightly eccentric cousin who paints murals on the cafeteria walls and plays the ukulele during lunch break. Together, they form a dynamic duo that’s like Sherlock Holmes teaming up with Salvador Dalí – solving mysteries with a surreal twist.

But why the arts, you ask? Because life isn’t all about binary code and Bunsen burners. The arts infuse a little pizzazz into the mix, encouraging students to think outside the box – heck, to reinvent the box entirely! It’s like giving Tony Stark a paint set and saying, “Go nuts.” Suddenly, you have Iron Man suits that are not only functional but also fabulously fashionable.

Consider this: in a STEM/STEAM classroom, a student might be designing a robot to navigate a maze. Sounds pretty STEM-y, right? But then, they’re also tasked with giving that robot a personality, a backstory, and maybe even a theme song. Next thing you know, you’ve got R2-D2 with the charisma of James Bond and the groove of Bruno Mars. This is the magic of STEM/STEAM – it’s the ultimate mashup where innovation meets imagination in a glittery explosion of ingenuity.

And speaking of mashups, let’s talk about the epic crossover episodes. Remember that one time the "Power Rangers" teamed up with the Ninja Turtles? That’s the kind of energy we’re channeling here. STEM/STEAM programs are all about interdisciplinary learning, where the lines between subjects blur like your vision after binge-watching "Stranger Things." Students aren’t just learning isolated facts; they’re connecting the dots in ways that make Da Vinci look like a kindergarten finger-painter.

Take a look at a STEM/STEAM project in action: imagine students creating a sustainable garden. They’re using science to understand plant biology, technology to monitor soil moisture, engineering to build efficient irrigation systems, and math to calculate growth rates. But wait – here comes the plot twist! They’re also using art to design beautiful garden layouts and compose poetry about their plants’ epic botanical adventures. It’s like "The Martian" meets "The Secret Garden," and the result is nothing short of cinematic brilliance.

But hold onto your hats, folks, because we’re about to enter the technicolor dreamscape of technology education. In the middle of this glorious chaos, technology education stands tall, waving its flag like a superhero at Comic-Con. This isn’t just about learning to code; it’s about preparing students for a future where technology is as ubiquitous as Starbucks and as unpredictable as a "Game of Thrones" finale. STEM/STEAM programs are the breeding ground for future tech titans, those wunderkinds who will one day create apps that solve world hunger or invent AI that can write the next Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

Now, let’s sprinkle in some contemporary pop culture for good measure. Imagine a class where students are building their own droids inspired by "The Mandalorian," or creating virtual reality tours of Hogwarts. These aren’t your grandma’s school projects; these are epic quests that rival "Fortnite" battles in their intensity and creativity. And just like "Fortnite," it’s all about teamwork – students learn to collaborate, communicate, and co-create in ways that prepare them for the multiplayer game of life.

But wait, there’s more! (Cue infomercial voiceover.) STEM/STEAM programs also teach valuable life skills, like critical thinking, problem-solving, and how to handle failure with the grace of a reality TV star who just got voted off the island. It’s like "Survivor" meets "Shark Tank," with a dash of "Project Runway" for flair. Students learn to pivot, adapt, and innovate, turning setbacks into comebacks with the finesse of a sitcom character who always finds a way to land on their feet.

So, why should we care about STEM/STEAM programs? Because they’re not just preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet; they’re preparing them for a world that doesn’t exist yet. It’s like training for a Quidditch match when you’ve only ever played soccer – it’s a whole new ball game, folks. STEM/STEAM is the ticket to a future where anything is possible, where students aren’t just passive consumers of knowledge but active creators of their own destinies.

In conclusion, STEM/STEAM programs are the ultimate educational power-up, the Mario mushroom that makes everything bigger, better, and way more fun. They’re the fusion of logic and creativity, the intersection of innovation and imagination, and the perfect preparation for a world that’s as unpredictable as a "Rick and Morty" plot twist. So, here’s to the future rockstars of science and art, the trailblazers of technology education, and the mad geniuses who will one day change the world with a paintbrush in one hand and a circuit board in the other. Let’s get STEAM-y, folks!

[justwriteryan]

COSMIC PROPORTIONS

Exterior shot. Space. An endless black ocean amongst a myriad of stars. The view pans down and the glowing blue surface of the Earth comes into focus. The Northern Hemisphere rotates on its axis. The most majestic sight in all creation. Suddenly the stars twinkle out. A black hole bursts open besides the planet’s orbit. But that’s not the worrying part. A colossal figure appears from the vortex, towering over the Earth. So big it’s almost imperceptible. The figure is humanoid, clad entirely in dense red armour and a helmet adorned with six glowing eyes. It reaches its great hand towards the Earth. Three tiny specks fly up from the planet and hover before it in the blink of an eye. Three people. They hover before it, completely at the giant’s mercy. A moment later, the black hole reopens. The red giant and it’s three captives disappear into it. The singularity blinks out of view. The heavens return to normal.

The view moves back from the spot where the black hole collapsed in on itself. Light beams onto a long white space station, shaped to a point like a needle. The station hangs adrift in Earth’s orbit, just out of range of where the vortex was. The station’s name is SABRE. We see people staring open mouthed behind thick glass windows. Among them is their director, NICK FURY. Only he can find words to say.

FURY: What in the Hell…?

                                                            TWELVE HOURS LATER.

Nick Fury is once again gazing out a window, looking at the Earth. This time from his office. He has a glass of whiskey in one hand and rubs his face with the other. It has clearly been a long day.

FURY: These are the facts. 

Fury turns away from the window.

FURY: Twelve hours ago a black hole manifested itself just beyond Earth’s orbit, completely          undetected and without warning. Miraculously, it did not pull the planet into itself and we’re all pretty glad about that. What it did instead was allow an inconceivably huge robot from the depths of space to pop out, float for a minute and kidnap three people! The atmosphere could barely handle the intrusion, weather systems, tidal patterns, geomagnetism all went haywire. Emergency services the world over dealing with disasters that came and went in less than a day. All governments are denying any involvement, but that’s to be expected, even if it’s true. Terror cells across the world are making noise pretending it was them, but nobody’s buying that. The public are in a panic, of course. Giant inhuman head in the sky causes global disruption. Hard to get folks to calm down and be reasonable after something like that. What they need, what every world leader needs, what I need… are some damn answers.

A number of holograms are being projected into Fury’s office, each one lined up in a semi-circle before his desk. Every hologram is in the image of a different person. Fury has called a meeting of some very important people.

BRUCE BANNER, THE HULK. Still in his “Smart Hulk” form, nine feet tall and bespectacled.

WONG. Master of the Mystic Arts, ruler of Kamar-Taj and Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme.

CAROL DANVERS, CAPTAIN MARVEL. Spacefaring superhero.

SHURI, THE BLACK PANTHER. Queen and Protector of the Kingdom of Wakanda.

VALKYRIE. Warrior Goddess and ruler of the alien citizens of New Asgard.

NEBULA. Former daughter of Thanos. Current member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

SAM WILSON, CAPTAIN AMERICA. Heir to the shield and mantle of Steve Rogers.

and SCOTT LANG, ANT-MAN. Former burglar, sometime Avenger.

SCOTT: Well, don’t look at me!

FURY: Lang, all I need from you is whether or not that thing came from this Quantum Realm of yours.

SCOTT: Oh, well in that case: no.

FURY: Beautiful. Anyone else?

CAROL: I’ve been all over the universe, never seen anything like that.

WONG: It may not be from this universe at all.

HULK: Nothing man-made has that kind of power. A machine that can manipulate singularities and disrupt a planet’s atmosphere from beyond orbit? Not even Tony Stark with a million years to spare could invent a weapon that potent.

SHURI: Master Wong, did it seem magical to you?

WONG: Not exactly, Your Highness. The power coming off it was unlike any sorcery or witchcraft I have ever come in contact with. It felt…bigger. Older. Primordial.

SAM: It worries me that you don’t have the answer, Wong.

FURY: Don’t your spell books say anything about God?

WONG: God?

SCOTT: A lot of people think it was God. And that the people it scooped up were part of some…rehearsal Rapture. Evangelists are having a field day in SF.

NEBULA: Well, they’re partly right.

All heads turn to the cyborg.

NEBULA: It was one of the Celestials. A god.

Valkyrie scoffs.

VAL: “God” is relative, speaking as one.

NEBULA: But you’ve seen them, right?

Valkyrie says nothing.

WONG: Celestials…our resources on them are limited, but we dismissed them as little more than myth. Elder Gods older than the universe itself. You’ve encountered them before?

NEBULA: I’m standing in the skull of a dead one.

The room is stunned.

FURY: So they can be killed.

NEBULA: Yes. I also helped kill one with the Guardians some years ago. Its name was Ego.

CAROL: I thought Ego was a planet?

NEBULA: It was both.

HULK: Oh, man.

SAM: How did you kill it? 

NEBULA: Blew up its brain from the inside.

SCOTT: Oh, easy.

SAM: What can you tell us about the three people it abducted?

Fury types a command onto the keyboard at his desk. Three faces appear on a holographic screen above him. Two men and a woman. Their names and last known addresses listed below.

SCOTT: Holy shit, that’s Kingo!

HULK: The Bollywood guy?

SCOTT: Bollywood icon, yes. Hope’s mom is a fan. 

FURY: Yep, that’s him. Indian government practically threatened to send the whole ISRO up to find him if they don’t think I can.

SHURI: The other two. Do they have families?

FURY: Phil has a husband and kid in Chicago. They called the Chicago PD, along with half the city. Worried out of their minds. The woman in London, Sylvia. She was seen walking in the park with her partner, a Mister Dane Whitman. He’s in the wind.

CAROL: Abducted?

FURY: We don’t think so. But right after this happened, he went underground.

CAROL: Maybe he knows something we don’t. 

FURY: We’ll keep looking. If he knows anything about Big Red’s whereabouts-

VOICE: Arishem.

The whole room looks around. A new voice is coming from somewhere. A second later, a new holographic figure joins the meeting. It’s a teenage girl. Caucasian, with short-cropped hair. This is SPRITE of the ETERNALS, recently turned human. As her transparent image strengthens, she looks around at the others.

SPRITE: Whoa, there’s a lot of superheroes in this room!

FURY: Young lady, how did you get into this meeting?

SPRITE: I’ve been around a while, picked up some things.

SCOTT: You’re younger than my daughter!

SPRITE: No, I’m older than all of you. But not as old as him. Arishem the Judge. He’s the Celestial you met today. And the people he abducted- Kingo, Phastos and Sersi. They’re my family.

The gathered heroes exchanged puzzled looks. Fury is watching Sprite intently.

SPRITE: If you plan on rescuing them, I want in.

  END.

I could have named this one "What If....Marvel cared about the Eternals at all?"

[space-mermaid-writing]

House Arrest [Loki X Reader] Chapter 2

Summary: You are Clint’s 'little' sister and actually a trained Shield agent. But you gave that up a few years ago and became a Chef, because you wanted a normal live. Then one day Natasha shows up at your door and takes you to the Avenger Tower for a while for security reasons.

Tags: Reader is an former Shield Agent, chef!reader, Reader Barton, 2012 Avenger vibes, everything is still alright, Slice of Life, Avengers Family, Loki has a good heart, still the god of mischief, Slow Burn, mention of food and cooking

Read it on AO3

Chapter 2: Not the new kitchen help

You can now call a cozy apartment with two rooms and a nice bathroom your own. You have stored your things in the bedroom and are now looking around the tower. The living rooms seem to be spread over several levels. Either there are really a lot of people living here or they tried to keep a little space to avoid stepping on each other's toes all the time. Living and working together can be quite a challenge for some people. The floors above consist - judging by the signs - of labs and various development rooms. Most of it is probably technical stuff, but some of the doors also have concerning warnings, and you don't want to spend your first day trying to figure out if they're genuine.

You find the outdoor platform with the big A and see, then it’s connected to some sort of party or lounge room. There are several couch sets and a rather nicely equipped bar. Overall, everything is very spacious and you're sure you can walk around here for a few days without anyone noticing your presence. At least once, you think you've lost your bearings for a moment, but then you find your way back to the elevators. On the other hand, there was surprisingly little going on up here.

All floors below the living area seem to be offices, at least the names of the elevator buttons suggest that. You don't feel like visiting them right now, because the exploration tour has left you pretty hungry. The last meal was also your breakfast this morning and now it's almost afternoon. So you look for the room that interests you the most anyway. And you find it near the lounge: a wonderfully large kitchen with fantastic equipment. You explore it with interest and notice that it‘s visibly little used. Among the people and other beings here, there seems to be no one enjoying cooking. Saving the world probably takes up enough of their time. As you open the refrigerator, a voice suddenly comes from somewhere, startling you briefly at first. "Good afternoon, Miss Barton. If you have any requests regarding the food or ingredients, please let me know." You look around, but can't see anyone. "My name is JARVIS," the voice explains. "I am an A.I. and I am available to assist you." "Uh-huh...hello," you merely reply, processing this information. Jarvis, meanwhile, continues talking. "Welcome to the Tower. The other Avenger members have been notified of your arrival in a memo." "Okay, thanks." It‘s a bit weird talking to a room, but apparently modern technology has already reached the next level here. Hearing nothing more, you start inspecting the contents of the refrigerator. The result is quite sobering. "It's all just fast foods," you grumble. "Would you like to suggest changes in the selection?", Jarvis asks. "Yes! Please and thank you." "You're welcome to make a shopping list, and I'll have everything ordered." Why not? Regardless of whether a computer can really do it, you nod. "Okay." "A personal tablet will be calibrated for you. You can pick it up from Mr. Banner."

A few minutes later you find yourself in the labs on the upper floors. The sterile lit hallway reminds you much more of Shield than the lower floors. You turn a corner and have to go down some stairs that lead you into a large room. Here, tables are jumbled with various types of modern computers and equipment. Further back is a robotic arm soldering a hard drive all by itself with a quiet whir. It’s a dream for any technology enthusiast. From one corner, you hear typing and beeping, followed by quiet murmurs. That's where you turn, looking at the whiteboards on the wall along the way, where complicated calculations and drawings could be seen. Then suddenly, right in front of you, a hologram appears in the air and you stop, rooted to the spot. "Oops!" "Oh, sorry." A head pops up from behind a nearby screen and you recognize Bruce Banner. His face is always shown on the news whenever there's been a shot of Hulk. But now you're more interested in the hologram as you take a closer look. It shows a nebulous, pulsating entity. "What is that?" you ask the scientist. "We got some cosmic stones. This was in one of them." "It's moving. Is it alive?" "Living would be an exaggeration, but there is energy present. My name is Dr. Banner, by the way." He reduzes the size the hologram so it's out of your way. "Barton, nice to meet you." "Clint's sister, I read the file. He never mentioned you though." "I didn't want any attention, but didn't quite work out, I guess." Bruce smiles sympathetically and reaches for a cup of tea, which, judging by his expression after the first sip, seems to be cold. You ask for the tablet you came for, and Bruce looks around searchingly. There are a few of them in the room, but the display of one lights up, drawing your attention. You see your name displayed and simply conclude that it's the right one. Briefly you say thank and goodbye, before you go back to your room and start making a shopping list. Please fresh ingredients and please deliver today.

Afterwards, you browse around a bit. The tablet, like every electronic device in the house, seems connected to the main computer and to Jarvis. You pull up a few files on your new housemates and read them curiously. At least the parts that are publicly available. You also take the opportunity to look for your own name. Because even though you know that your records were officially destroyed when you left, you know that no data is ever really gone. So you're almost surprised when you find only a few sentences about yourself and not even a photo. Mainly it was about your and Clint's entry into Shield at a young age as orphans. You had received a pretty good education, which may have also kept you from going off the rails. Besides hand-to-hand combat and firearms training, your specialty was handling knives, while your brother took up bows and arrows. For foreign missions, you had also had to learn various languages and had chosen the widely spoken Spanish and Russian. But you didn't work for Shield for a long time, instead opting out of your career early on. It just wasn't the life you wanted to lead. So you changed cities and mingled with the civilian population. And before you knew it, your talent with a knife led you into a traditional apprenticeship as a chef. You enjoyed this work more than having to fight to death, and you even expanded your knowledge and skills during a year abroad in France. But there is very little of all this in your records.

You set the tablet aside and stretch out on your new bed. Normally, you would be in full swing at work right now. A glance at the clock reveals that it's already early evening. Rush hour in most of the restaurants. But here? Without a task or a plan, there's not much you can do. On the other hand, a little vacation wouldn't hurt you.

At some point, the tablet gave a soft ping and when you checked, it was a notification that the refrigerator and all the pantries had been restocked. By now you are very hungry and you heard nothing about a joint dinner time, so you decide to cook yourself something. Out of sheer habit and to avoid getting your clothes dirty, you put on a chef's jacket and apron you brought from home and go into the kitchen. There's a radio in one corner that you turn on. Jarvis really did get everything you had asked for. It was a dream come true. Now in a much better mood, you grab a pan and get to work. From the freezer, you pull out a fish, which you gut and fill with fresh herbs. It goes into the pan first. Then it's the turn of the potatoes, which are peeled, boiled and rolled in rosemary.

You're so absorbed in your work - you've just poked a knife into the boiling potatoes to see if they're already done - that you don't notice a visitor, who had entered the kitchen at some point, until he makes himself known. "I'll have the course menu and a white wine to go with it." Somewhat confused, you look up as you hear the man's voice and see Tony Stark standing at the sideboard across from you. He notices your look and returns it with a smile. "I didn't realize we hired a new kitchen help." You frown and take a sharpening rod in your free hand to sharpen your knife while not taking your eyes off Tony. "Oh, I'm not a new kitchen help," you clarify. "I'm a chef." "Excuse me. Then would the chef please serve me the course menu and a white wine?" The trillionaire indicates a polite bow, but you merely turn to the stove and take the potatoes off it. You then retrieve a plate from the cupboard. "Jarvis", you direct your voice to the computer, hoping it’s still listening. "Would you please explain to Mr. Stark that I'm not here to cook for him and that he'll have to order his course menu, if he really wants one, from the Chinese place next door?" "Mr. Stark, I'm supposed to-." "I heard her, Jarvis," Tony interrupts the A.I., eyeing you a little more closely now. "That does make me wonder what you're doing here, Miss...? Aside from the fact that there's no Chinese working next door." "Then you should make one move in there," you replay amused. As you do, you wipe your fingers on the cloth you've hung on the apron at your hip and prep your dish. Just as Tony is about to say something clever, the door opens and another person walks in. You recognize Thor at first glance. "What's that delicious smell in the air?", he asks, looking around curiously. You smile and point to the stove. "I was just cooking. There's still some left for you to take." With that, you want to go to your room, but Tony stops you. "Oh, he gets something, but I don't?", he complains. You shrug your shoulders. "He didn't want a whole menu." With that, you disappear through the door and go back to your living quarters. There you quickly change into something comfy and make yourself comfortable on the couch, where you watch an episode of your favorite show while you eat. A little company would be nice, but you don't feel like meeting more people you don't know yet. And you don't feel like searching for Natasha in this huge complex. So you’re fine with being by your own right own.

After dinner, you continue watching the show, but eventually you realize you're getting tired. It really had been an eventful and long day. So you quickly take your dirty dishes back to the kitchen. But just as you're closing the dishwasher, Tony comes back in and leans against the frame with his arms crossed. "So… you‘re a Barton." Apparently he had spent a few minutes of his precious time gathering information about you and then waited for you to reappear. "Surprised there's another one?" you ask with a smirk. He takes that as a sign that you're not holding a grudge against him. He pushes himself off the door frame and comes closer, now leaning his arms on the kitchen island. "Nothing about Legolas surprises me anymore. Met his wife and kids the other day. Nice family. Are you guys a whole circus?" "Not anymore." You shrug. "So, what’s your deal?", he wants to know. "You left Shield in your early twenties. What's normal life like out there? No one waiting for you to come home?" You turn on the dishwasher and grab a water bottle from the supply. "Life is nice. Often stressful, but I have to worry a lot less about getting killed." You don't answer Tony's last question. It's really none of his business. "That is when you're not being yanked out of that life and brought into the house of superheroes", you add. "You'll get used to it. Both that we're super and that we're heroes. I promise." You laugh at his words. Tony seems to be a real egocentric, but also a humorous person. "Well, let's see", you reply, "Now if the welcome speech is over, I'd like to go to bed." "I won't keep anyone away from their beauty sleep. Good night." You wish him the same, then head back to your room, where you make yourself comfortable on the large bed. The strange surroundings were unfamiliar, but not you don't feel uncomfortable and so you soon fall asleep.