Mephisto snarled the baser instincts of the lord of lies surfaced on his face. The demon’s plans had been ruined.
Suddenly a large crash was heard and another wall of the mansion collapsed. Hyperion hovered into view, much of his uniform burnt and ruined; his face and body showed the slightest singing from Ghost Rider’s hellfire.
Carol Danvers, the leader of the Avengers known as Warbird, was quite plainly worried. Though not the most physically powerful superhuman, she had heard wild things about Ghost Rider’s powers and she had encountered many otherworldly beings in her time. Ghost Rider’s hellfire should hurt just about anyone. Hyperion was in Thor’s league, Carol could come close, she might slow him down, but she could never beat the superman.
Hyperion landed next to Mephisto
Her communications link buzzed, the tiny receiver was built into her mask and could connect her to any active Avenger in the world, right now she and her other Avengers were receiving a message.
“Hey, guys, this is Monica. My station in Russia has literally gone to hell, demons popping up everywhere for no reason. We’re doing well but this is too much for just one team.”
Her communications link buzzed again.
“Avengers, its Cap, I need backup. Under attack from what appears to be demons of some sort.”
It kept buzzing: Iron Man, Wonder Man, Yellowjacket and Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver. The coast looked clear, the Avengers took a vacation leaving Carol and Vision at the mansion, by chance a new team had formed and she’d taken lead. Now she was failing. The Avengers trusted her and she was failing.
“What do you want? And who are you?” Carol pointed at Ahphuch as she asked her questions.
“What does a devil ever want? Ahphuch answered her question with one of his own. “This is not a new ploy for me, I’ve tried this before, but your teammate Thor stopped me. I witnessed Mephisto scheming with Hela and Hades and new this time I could succeed. So I’ve come to hijack their plans. In this lull would you like to tell them what you were planning, Mephisto? No? Very well, I shall gloat for you, crimson one.
“I am going to use a chemical compound to turn the entire world’s water solid. Not frozen, but stop molecular movement within the oceans, rivers and lakes. It will sit solid like a mass of concrete. Can you imagine the death toll? Thirst will set in after any holdout sources are exhausted, if I weasel some politics in, pretend to be the president, I can throw wild accusations around, start a war. Glorious. I could capture all the souls and rule this realm like my own.
It’s your fault, you know. You forsook us, you sloughed us off, and the old gods were no longer needed, certainly not for anything more than movies and comic books. The lewd sword and sorcery you humans circulate, playing us as non-existent fictional fools. You brought this upon yourself. This is the wrath of a god, a wrath you rightly deserve that is falling on you now. Don’t bother with hopes or prayers. No one will answer,” Ahphuch finished his speech, burning with eldritch archaic energy.
As his speech was finished, the Squadron Sinister flew at him in a vicious attack. The hell-lord put his hand up and unleashed a blast of mystic energy momentarily freezing the Squadron. Ahphuch put his hands up, chanting in an ancient dialect long gone, enthralling the demonic hordes, making the forces of Mephisto, Hela and Hades his own, to attack under his psychic command.
As the Squadron came to, Ahphuch’s demon horde was making its move and Ahphuch himself attacked Mephisto, the two powerful demons locked into battle, dark energy lancing around their bodies...
Mephisto attempted to bring the demons under his own thrall, the hordes began to fight amongst themselves, and the Avengers seemed to be simply forgotten.
Thunder began to crash in the sky, deafening and terrifying, Carol feared the worst. She kept a façade of calm on her face, but inside she was beginning to feel despair, the apocalypse had come on her watch and the Avengers couldn’t do anything. Their attacks would disable some demons, but more were always coming, Mephisto and Ahphuch were simply too powerful for any of the Avengers to face head on. The thunder continued, the winds picked up and the sky went black.
A massive cyclone picked up around the Avengers mansion, with the Avengers, the Squadron Sinister, Mephisto and Ahphuch caught in the middle of it, safe in the eye. Many of the demon hordes were swept away, those that remained were taken out by quick bolts of lightening, like sniper shots, the skyfire arched down--striking the demons and sending them into the cyclone.
Carol looked up and saw too figures that almost made her cry in joy. Thor and Red Norvell were at the zenith of the cyclone, airborne by the winds, their brows furrowed to control the storm, Uru hammers glowing with power.
“It looks like we just caught a lucky break,” Jim Hammond was almost laughing, as his form was overtaken by fire, turning him into the fabled Human Torch.
“Let’s make the most of it,” Angel affirmed.
“Aye, comrades, let’s,” the deep boom of Hercules’ voice sounded behind the Avengers. Quetzalcoatl was by his side, helping Ghost Rider up.
The Avengers stood assembled with their allies: Warbird, Vision, Jim Rhodes, the Human Torch, Angel, Black Cat, Darkstar, Jack Frost, Ghost Rider, Hercules and Quetzalcoatl.
“Take down the Squadron. Any means necessary. Avengers Attack!” Warbird shouted the modified battle cry, which perfectly fit the dire crisis.
Hercules leapt at the mighty Hyperion, a quick hard punch to the alien’s nose dazed him for a second, the demi-god Hercules was perhaps one of the few beings able to go toe-to-toe with Hyperion and they both set in for a good fight. Still in mid-air Hercules wrapped his legs around Hyperion’s waist and grabbed his neck, contorting into a wrestling hold. Hercules twisted Hyperion and held him prone, headbutting the alien, dazing him again and sending the pair hurtling towards the ground.
Warbird’s fists glowed with photonic energy as Zarda came barreling at her, Carol took to the air, flying high up, Zarda changed her trajectory to follow Carol, just as Zarda looked up, Warbird was coming down, her energized fists let loose, the blast striking Zarda squarely, until she raised her arm, an invisible energy shield on her forearm dissipated the photonic blast; as Zarda approached Warbird, their battle denigrated into a melee scuffle.
U-Man again found himself battling Jack Frost and the Human Torch, dodging fire and ice blasts and in some cases simply enduring them. Meranno was a ferocious combatant, ducking an ice blast he rushed at Jack Frost, a haymaker to the winter spirit’s temple sent him down and U-Man pitched Jack’s body at the Human Torch. Merrano leapt up, his super strong muscles propelling him at the Torch until a black barrier surrounded him. A beam leads from the barrier to Darkstar, a look of disgust and rage on her face.
Blackwing was facing off against the Black Cat and Angel, Joseph Manfredi found himself calling upon every skill he had to avoid their attacks, utilizing his entire acrobatic prowess to keep an inch away from the Avengers, until a darkforce energy hammer pounded him into the ground.
Jim Rhodes and the new Dr. Spectrum were just about equally matched, focusing his willpower; Rhodes constructed a set of armor out of prism-energy. Like a shimmering version of his War Machine armor Rhodes flew after Dr. Spectrum. Rhodes gave into the prism, the line between his conscious action, his instinct and the prism itself all blurred, his thoughts formed faster, he was faster and stronger. He unleashed energy constructs from the prism, barriers to cage Dr. Spectrum, energy guns, giant fists, monsters, the flurry of energy reached its apex in a blinding explosion and Dr. Spectrum began to fall, unconscious, to the ground before she was taken hold of by Darkstar’s energy.
Super-Skrull and Vision were back in the air, firing off at each other in vain until Quetzalcoatl snuck up behind the Skrull, a solid blow to the alien’s head rendered him inert for the moment.
Angel, Black Cat, Human Torch and Jack Frost soon found themselves trying to bring down the superfast opponent Speed Demon, a task made difficult by their skilled opponent.
Zipping in-between the heroes at hundreds of miles per hour, James Sanders was getting the best of the Avengers. Until a solar few well placed solar blasts from the Vision struck him in his knees.
Hyperion had broken free of Hercules and flew up to get away from the Olympian but soon found himself smothered in darkforce energy as did his comrade Zarda.
All the members of the Squadron were taken into the grasp of Laynia via her darkforce powers. Holding the Squadron in a ball of energy, she reached out with her other hand and sent a darkforce blast at Mephisto. It wouldn’t hurt him but would get his attention.
“How did you get the hard water?” Darkstar queried the devil, her teammates unsure as to what she was doing.
Mephisto laughed, unleashing a blast at Ahphuch and tossing him into the electrified whirlwind, stunning the demon for a moment.
“Why, with your help, girl. In fact, all of you Avengers helped. I needed a force on earth, which you helped with by defeating the Mandarin; I could use his shame to manipulate the warlord. I could use Blackwing to gather my force: the Squadron Sinister. With the android Human Torch back in action I had the vital component and then Darkstar finished it off. That blood sample you took? I stole it. I know I’m a creature of magic, but the science you humans develop…well its purposes are absolutely devilish. I thought it was ironic to use your own means against you and ruin this new iteration of the Avengers as well.”
“What is he talking about, Laynia?” Jim Hammond asked the Russian beauty, his fiery form rising into the air.
“Nothing, James.”
Jahannam:
Iblis cast his gaze upon the happenings at Avengers mansion, peering through a portal to earth at the heroes and demons battling.
Hades, Hela, Mephisto and Ahphuch were all in position, the Avengers could provide a problem, but he was confident it would be of no true consequence.
He stood for a minute to gather his thoughts and finalize his resolve. Iblis felt elation: once more to bask in His presence, to hear His voice in its full glory.
Iblis dropped to his knees to pray and enact his final plan. Calling upon the great expenditure of magical energies in the world above him, he channeled them into his own spell. Drawing upon the magicks being applied by Mephisto, Hades, Hela, Ahphuch, Quetzalcoatl, Thor, Hercules and Red Norvell; Iblis used the ambient magic to power everything and started a merger of his realm and earth. Mephisto’s plan had brought hell to earth, but Iblis called upon powers older and more terrifying, the disobedient jinn was turning Earth into hell.
Earth:
Red Norvell kept the cyclone moving, exerting his powers to the utmost, forming the winds and lightening with great effort and precision. Thor dropped to the ground and used his hammer to interface with the still-active portal through which the demons had come; Red Norvell was able to direct and funnel the cyclone into the portal, taking the demons with it.
Norvell dropped down, buffeted by winds until he reached the ground, landing next to Hercules and Ghost Rider.
“Come friend Norvell, we now have left to dispatch these few wearisome dark gods, come, friend and help me deliver a gift to mine Uncle Hades,” Hercules spoke, his deep voice almost merry, enjoying the task before them.
Hades was fending off some smaller attacks and trying to work an incantation to carry him back to his realm.
“Take out Hades? I can do that myself, Herc,” Norvell fired back at the Prince of Power to get his ichor running.
“Nay, Red Norvell, any Olympian, no matter if he be that lowly pig from Tartarus, is superior to an Asgardian.”
“That’s bull, first one to knock him out wins, loser buys the drinks.”
“A great wager, friend! The lion of Olympus has a deep thirst though…don’t enter this contract hastily”
“I don’t care how much you drink, but we’re getting good shit this time. That Merlot bender we went on last time sucked, we’re getting some good micro-brews.”
“Mind if I join this bet?” Ghost Rider spoke up.
“Not at all,” Red replied.
“Hope you’re wallet’s deep, I haven’t had a beer in ages, I was in Hell.”
“No beer! That is hell!” Hercules exclaimed, his eyes widened, sympathizing with the Ghost Rider’s plight.
“No…I was actually in Hell…with Mephisto.”
“Mephisto and no beer! A torturous double Hell! How fiendish! Come friends, let us share the gift of battle with my blackhearted Uncle and fill the poor Rider with beer,” Hercules drew his adamantine mace and dived at his uncle, after sharing a sigh at the oblivious Olympian, Red Norvell and Ghost Rider dived in as well.
With the combination of Olympian strength, Asgardian lightening and ghostly hellfire, Hades came under a fearsome attack.
Iblis:
The earth around the Avengers broke into flames, magically generated by the impish jinn. Fires raged around the heroes and villains near Avengers mansion but no smoke came from it.
Mephisto realized this at once and his eyes narrowed to slits which seemed to radiate his hate as he recognized what was happening. The fire shot up high, spouts of it swirling together and coalescing into a solid form.
Joyous laughter sounded as the fire died down and Iblis floated down to the earth.
“Another varlet! Avengers, let us share the gift with him,” Hercules turned away from the newly unconscious body of Hades and leapt at Iblis, brandishing his adamantine mace.
A blast of smokeless-fire sent Hercules flying back.
“False gods are below my notice just as you humans were thousands of years ago. The earth will merge with Jahannam and He will notice me again. To hear his voi—“
Iblis’ words were cut short by green and indigo blasts of energy which glanced across his chest.
Behind the Avengers, Squadron Sinister, and the various Hell lords…more Avengers flew to the rescue. Iron Man’s gauntlet sizzled with energy from his repulsor blast; similarly Justice’s hands were in an outreached position from firing out a telekinetic blast. Iron Man, Justice, Firestar and Wonder Man. With a telekinetic platform, Justice held aloft Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Yellowjacket, Wasp, Quicksilver and She-Hulk.
“As many Avengers as you can muster, it won’t matter. I was created better by Him. You were given dominion but I knew despite His great wisdom, He had made a mistake” Iblis laughed as he spoke, excited to be out of Jahannam and moving freely in the world that he believed was due to him.
Smokeless fire spread throughout the world, he released solid bands of fire to bind the other Hell-lords and sent out demons with Phineas Horton’s secret chemical to turn the world’s oceans solid.
The Avengers scrambled, trying to take down the demons that ran in errant directions, by instinct alone racing out to the nearest source of water, the Avengers force, massive as it was found themselves unable to follow all of Iblis’ troops.
“What’s our plan of attack?” Rhodes asked putting up a prism shield around the group of Avengers. Captain America and Warbird stood back to back, primed for a fight, Carol turned back to Rhodes.
“Dig in, prepare for a fight and don’t let that shield down,” Carol ordered, in a military bark. Cap found time in the midst of conflict to smile, happy for his friend who was growing into a great leader. “Thor, you’ve got the most experience with magic guys here, you ever met this joker?”
“He disobeyed Yahweh and was cast out of the Heavens so the story goes. You may identify Yahweh as your Biblical God, he has an ire for other deities and denounces us, his power be great in fabled legend though no one that I know ever has met him, not even great Odin.”
“Aye, nor Zeus!” Hercules added in.
“Is there anyway you might be able to get to him? Yahweh, God, whatever?” Carol asked.
“It would be worth an attempt,” Thor answered, “I would need the power of my other gods with me.”
“Fine, do it. This is a theological mess and we needed it done ten minutes ago.”
Thor motioned to Red Norvell, the two Odinsons stood face to face with one another, using their Uru hammers in combination to power a portal.
“Follow my lead, Red. Odin once revealed to me the location of the hermitic Yahweh. Let us pray he is there. Hercules, Quetzalcoatl, help us,” Thor spoke, summoning his fellow gods. Hercules stepped up next to Thor and put his hand on the Asgardian’s shoulder, letting Thor borrow strength from the Lion of Olympus. Similarly, Quetzalcoatl did the same for Red, the Feathered Snake channeling power to Norvell.
The portal activated and the four entered bravely while the rest of the Avengers steeled themselves against Iblis.
Iblis roared in a hellish clamor, tearing through the Avengers and the Squadron Sinister, razing the field of battle with his smokeless fire.
Several Avengers peeled off, any who could fly pulled back and straffed around. Warbird, James Rhodes, Justice, Iron Man, Vision, Jim Hammond, Wasp, Yellowjacket and others flew around in a delicately orchestrated swarm; they shot off blasts of various energy at the enraged jinn.
Suddenly a white light beamed down, searing Iblis’ flesh, the other demon lords screamed as well.
Iblis was encapsulated in a ring of white fire and being pulled into the beaming light.
“Tony, clean things up down here. Rhodes, Avengers Assemble!” Carol cried out, Jim Rhodes reacted instantaneously, energy from his ring lancing out and grasping the new team of Avengers: Warbird, Vision, Jim Rhodes, Angel, Black Cat, Darkstar and Jim Hammond.
The light went out as suddenly as it had come on, leaving the old guard of Avengers, Ghost Rider, Jack Frost and their various enemies on the ground.
Elsewhere:
A void of pure luminescence surrounded the Avengers and Iblis. Rhodes’ energy protected the Avengers as they were inexorably pulled upwards.
“It looks like we’re being pulled up some sort of tunnel, look up ahead, there’s an end point,” Angel said, his eagle-eye sight aiding him. Pointing up, the Avengers followed his finger and they saw what looked like a golden doorway.
“Where are we, Iblis?”
“’And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, His angels were ascending and descending on it! And behold, He stood above it….’” Iblis answered, his eyes closed, reciting carefully.
“Genesis,” Vision replied. “This is Jacob’s ladder.”