The Crooked Market, Otherworld.
As we know the Crooked Market is the Otherworldian port city where virtually anything can be purchased for the right price. Those seeking to trade illicit inter-reality items often come there.
An outdoor auction is being held, but not a regular auction. The reality warper Mad Jim Jasper, the regent of the market, is the only buyer and multidimensional beings from many different worlds are there to sell relics from the multiverse.
Mad Jim Jaspers is surrounded by his Twisted Guard. A troop of alternate universe versions of famous marvel heroes:
-A gray militaristic Nightcrawler
-A troll Storm
-A silver iron armored black panther
-An amalgamation of juggernaut and the hulk
Thrall strorm and the cytorrak powered hulk scout twi inter-dimensional scavengers to Mad Jim Jasper’s office with the relics they’ve just retrieved from the alternate reality of earth 1693-8, precisely from The Corner of the Dome, a galaxy with no alternate universe counterpart, imbued with rare metals and minerals unique to that place. They bring shards of a defunct translucent planet, completely transparent planets that are found only in The Corner. Those artifacts are of incalculable value.
Jaspers examines the shards and feels a sting of a raw destructive energy coming from within the shard. As his arm gets contaminated by the glowing weird energy, he immediately drops the shard down and blows his own arm off.
The twisted guard helps contain and evacuate the surrounding crowds, and while Jaspers grows another arm, he orders alt-Nightcrawler to get a special container: a magic hermetic vessel able to contain the expanding energy coming from the shards.
Alt-Nightcrawler then teleports to a few blocks away, to The Otherworld Apothecary, a 32 feet tall storehouse with giant shelves of magic glass flasks, bottles and diverse types of special containers. When the saleswoman asks Kurt which one was he looking for, Mad Jim Jaspers manifests a talking replica of his own head out of Kurt’s belly and shouts demanding the most resistant flask in the whole Omniverse.
Starlight Citadel. Less than an hour after.
We see the floating shards within the glass flask. We get a clear vision of the energy tumors spreading from the shards while Mad Jim describes it as a cancer in the very fabric of the creation.
Mad Jim Jaspers is providing the info to Lady Saturnyne, in the court room, alongside her personal assistant Ryl and Roma, when a Starlight Citadel Priest announces Captain Britain Prime (Elizabeth Braddock) entrance trough the main door with rachel and brian, and the Captain Britain Corps occupying the higher balconies of the room to witness his debrief.
Saturnyne comments on the corps being late, and betsy replies that she owns no explanation, considering she is no longer serving the omniversal majestrix and she is only there because of her duties with her ancestor’s realm and the multiverse. Jaspers politely remember the ladies that they have far more urgent concerns and continues explaining that the reality from where those shards originate from is sick and the cancer will spread to other realities, as a metastasis, if not stopped.
Saturnyne, pragmatically decides to erase the cancerous universe from existence using the Ultimate Nullifier, (her infamous device from House of M). Priestess Britannia, the Captain Britain from that reality steps in and pleads for another alternative that spares her home world. Saturnyne gives them a chance and Captain Britain Prime gather an expedition team to earth 1693-8 to investigate the origin of the energy cancer:
The team is formed by:
-Captain Britain Prime
-Brian Braddock
-Rachel Grey
-Priestess Britannia
-Sister Britain
-Crusader X
-Violet Swan
-Captain Elijah Braddock, a militaristic Captain Britain
-Lady Britain, a 70’s inspired hippie Cap Britain
-Others unnamed.
Earth 1693-8
They arrive in the alternate universe, emerging out of an energy portal, landing on a planet in debris. Captain Britain tells the others that it is the closest breathable atmosphere for a good observation of the phenomenon. They look up to the sky and see a giant energy rip tearing up the fabric of the existence.
As their portal closes behind them, a violent strike of the dark energy reaches the ground behind them and they are forced to run. They fly as fast as they can and when they reach a safe distance, they observe the energy tentacles trying to breach the closed teleportation portal that brought them to that planet.
A voice comes from behind the group:
“It seeks inter dimensional drifts and that is how it keeps infecting other realities. It is nothing but a desire to consume and spread”
It’s the Captain Universe from that dimension, in a female avatar with flowing platinum hair.
Captain Britain asks her if the tumor can be contained. Captain universe promptly replies that many have tried, but it keeps emanating from its source, not in that reality, but from another parallel universe.
Priestess Britannia is acting weird and soon the corps realize she has been infected by the energy tumor. She completely loses control of her powers emanating a giant psychic shockwave, frying two of the Captain Britain Corps to death.
The remaining heroes are also hit by her telekinetic bursts. Taken out and with her costume torn out, we were able to see that Captain Universe from Earth 1693-8 is actually the Saturnyne/ Courtney Ross counterpart of that reality.
They engage into a battle and Betsy sees no other alternative but switching off Priestess Britannia’s brain during a short, but intense battle in the astral plane.
**Battle description**
Consumed by the dark energy, priestess Britannia attacks betsy from behind as soon as she manifests herself in the astral plan. Betsy quickly evades and tells Priestess it was a nice try to sneak on someone who has been living as a spy and a ninja since her formative days as a hero. She complements her moves in the astral plane are even faster than in real life and counter attacks her with a powerful mind blast. Energy Butterflies disperse as the mental beam strikes. Priestess Britannia, who manifest as a huge energy moth as her astral avatar, makes the astral plane tremble with her energy projections. Betsy thinks to herself she has faced such amount of raw brute energy before, but she is not willing to risk their mission moving forward with this fight, considering there’s no trace of Priestess Britannia psyche anymore. She mentions she might be a tank when it comes to telekinesis but she her telepathy is rather refined, as she opts for a more subtle and effective end for all the brawl, switching off the corrupted hero’s brain.
Earth 616
Mr. Fantastic is the first one to notice the infection spreading through multiple realms. He looks completely worried and tells Susan Storm that this threat is potentially as dangerous as the incursions they faced some years ago and that it looks like a matter of time until it gets to their universe.
Starlight Citadel
The Captain Britain taskforce return to the Starlight Citadel with the bodies of the fallen heroes, except Priestess Britannia whose corpse was still infected. They are also joined by Captain Universe from Earth 1693-8, what infuriates Saturnine. She immediately imprisons Captain Universe into crystal cuffs, fearing she could be infected. Betsy vouches for her telling that she has no visible nor superficial psychic traits of the infection. Saturnine says that in every realm, Captain Universe embodies their universe’s force and if her universe is contaminated, so she is. Saturnyne destroys her alternate counterpart to prevent her of spreading the infection trough the Starlight Citadel to as many realities as possible, considering the place in Otherworld is the nexus from all realities of the Omniverse. She did it in a single strike of her scepter, disintegrating Captain Universe, leaving no room for any possible counter argument, what clearly pisses Betsy off.
Back in Earth 616
The Omniversal infection is a critical level threat and the Avengers have been assembled.
We see Captain America, Captain America Sam Wilson), Captain Marvel, Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Black Panther, She Hulk, Hank Pyn, Beast, Nick Fury and other shield officers and scientists, reunited in a SHIELD’s war room in a new Helicarrier.
Captain Marvel and Captain America want to deal with the threat straight away, but Reed says no one knows exactly what is causing the infection to properly address the situation.
Reed reunites Hank Mccoy, Hank Pym, and a few other Marvel genius in a task force to study the phenomenon. When they reach out for the remaining Avenger genius, Brian Braddock, he immediately teleports in, in company of Betsy, Saturnyne, Ryl and the flask with the infected shards.
End of issue 1
Issue 2 starts in a random reality with two extraterrestrial space cowboys in a spaceship running from interplanetary police. One of them sets up a teletransportation device and they travel to Earth 616 in the last minute.
They celebrate their escape, excited with their new life in a universe well known for hot space heroines and the best extraterrestrial liquor stores.
Before they are done with the celebration, an energy tentacle emerges from the closed energy portal and violently takes over the ship, killing the space cowboys within a fraction of a second.
Earth 616
In SHIELD’s Helicarrier, Carol Danvers checks on Hank McCoy and Pyn as they inspect the shards. Pyn tells her they were able to identify a specific energy particle in its tumors and Beast complements telling that they have made enough progress and are finally able to calculate what universe the reality cancer originates from.
On the Helicarier’s deck, Captain America is approached by Saturnyne, who asks him if he ever wonders why the Captain Britains are a team of multidimensional Champions while he is somewhat grounded in the mundane endeavor to protect one single earth. Steve replies that she is partially wrong about it as he has saved the Omniverse multiple times, but in fact he wouldn’t mind meeting more alternate versions of himself.
Saturnyne takes Steve to a quick tour between realities to show him different versions of himself. We see dino-Captain America, an obese Captain America, an wild-west Captain America, a cougar Captain and also Captains that aren’t even Steve Rogers like Spider Man Captain America, a fully matured Daniele Cage and Peggy as Captain Carter in all of her glory, what visibly affects Steve emotionally.
Saturnyne tells him that this Peggy’s reality is also infected and it’s a matter of time until it reaches that earth destroying all living beings, including her. Saturnyne is obnoxiously callous.
In the lab, Hank McCoy asks Reed Richards what’s the point of locating the origin of the cancerous energy waves if they don’t find the cause of the disease. Reed replies that he has been working on this, but he is far more concerned about finding a cure than identifying the cause itself, which them both agree to be stage two.
Back on the deck, Captain Britain is staring at the sky, while Saturnyne approaches her. Betsy gives her a turned shoulder. Saturnyne asks Betsy why she was still resentful of her, considering she wasn’t the only one to kill an alternate version of herself. Betsy replies that when she had to kill Priestess Britannia in the astral plane, she could feel that the infection had taken over her and that there was no way to revert it. She could tell Priestess was already gone and yells at Saturnyne saying she should had been granted the opportunity to probe for the same readings with Captain Universe.
Saturnyne apathetically replies that, once again, Elizabeth Braddock is only willing to see what she wants to see, as the Majestrix would never be able to destroy the Uni-Force alone relying only on her powers if it wasn’t already weakened by the reality cancer.
Still on the Helicarrier deck, Captain Avalon, Captain Marvel and Captain America Sam Wilson decide to form an Avengers Special Squad to deal with the situation. They start dropping names like Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, Hulk when Captain Britain approaches them volunteering to join the Avengers on this mission, considering her duty to protect the omniverse. They are interrupted by a glowing flash of energy as Tamara Devoux, once again the Captain Universe, materializes in front of them, telling the group that no team should be looking after the health of the universe without her, considering its raw energy is the very essence of her being.
Back in SHIELD’s War Room, the captains are briefed by Hank Pyn and beast about the possible source of the infection. A parallel universe, not very different from 616.
Saturnyne asks how smart it is to send their heroes to the contagious universe empty handed?
Mr. Fantastic arrives from the lab and tells Saturnyne that, despite the fact the cause of the disease is still unknown, they were able to isolate the pattern of the energy tumor’s propagation. Reed believes that they could reverse it by detonating “chemo” bombs, triggering waves of mirrored energy patterns, able to nullify the expanding tumors.
Betsy tells them she is able to teleport everybody from the Starlight Citadel as soon as the devices are ready, but she is concerned about Tamara joining them, exposing our universe energy to the infection.
Carol agrees and reinforces Tamara should not join them, but Tamara insists, revealing that staying behind would not spare their universe, as the infection had already reached them.
Captain Universe takes Captain Marvel to the space, to the site of the first contamination in 616 (where the aliens from the first panels opened the interdimensional drift.) In awe, Carol stares at the energy rip in the fabric of the universe itself and tells Tamara they should leave that place immediately.
End of issue 2
Issue 3 starts in the same place as the end of last issue, a few days after. Mad Jim Jasper is in space with a team of Otherworld servants constructing a huge dome with the same magic glass from issue 1, to contain the cancerous energy in earth 616. They are all wearing steampunk space suits and we see some quarantine yellow tapes isolating the cosmic site. Some comic panel time, after a somewhat tense last issue.
While in space, Jaspers telepathically exchanges words with Saturnyne, who oversees the mission from the Starlight Citadel joined by Ryl and Carol Danvers. They agree that the solution in merely provisory considering the energy cancer might find other breaches to propagate to earth 616, if it has not already found another one.
In shield Helicarrier, Captain America and Captain America Sam Wilson watch as Forge, Madison Jeffreys and Doctor Nemesis works alongside Reed’s task force to create the “Chemo” Bombs to revert the energy tumor that is taking over the realities. Tamara approaches them, in her human form, asking him how does it feel to face it all over again, a chained multiverse threat not very different from the incursions they have been trough, not many years ago. Their infection has been contained and Saturnyne could have spared them by nullifying all sick realities, yet here they are, risking their lives to save universes not theirs.
They are interrupted by Betsy who teleports in with Brian and an army of Captain Britains. Betsy says they all will be joining them in their mission and tells Captain America he should spare the Avengers and himself of this assignment, considering it is a duty of the Captain Britain Corps to look after the Omniverse. Steve ponders on the figurativeness of their tenure as champions of such specific domain like America, Britain and even the universe, considering how many times they have extrapolated their mantles defending much more than the territories of their namesakes.
Steve agrees to dismiss the avengers, but he will be joining them. Captain Universe says she will be joining as well, considering what is at stakes for her.
Reed interrupts the team to tell them the devices are ready. They run a test with a nanobomb and the shards sample what proves to be successful. Beast explain that the infection has a hot nucleus that emanates massive raw energy. He says the team must deploy the “Chemo” bombs as close as they can get to the main infection, kickstarting the reverse process from within its core, to minimize the dissipation of the mirrored energy waves before they reach the infection source.
Reed tells them they have only two devices. They only have two chances to deploy it at the core of the infection.
Betsy tells everyone to assemble and teleport them to the starlight citadel.
Starlight Citadel
They reunite with Carol who is also determined to join them. No one knows where the infection has its core, if down in a planet or high in the cosmos, so she states she is better equipped to reach the site in the cosmic space. Exposing Tamara to the infection would probably have direct reflections in their universe (Earth 616)
The group gears up in Otherworldly space suits and before they teleport, Saturnyne steps in with gifts for her champions: translucent shields made of the same glass material proven to contain the infection. “A gift from the wonders of the Crooked Market” Mad Jim Jaspers complement.
Un-named Universe (Source of the infection)
Through a teletransportation portal from the Startlight Citadel, the team composed of Captain Britain, Captain Avalon, Captain America, Captain America (Sam Wilson), Captain Marvel, Captain Universe and some of the Captain Britain Corps arrives in the universe where the reality infection originates.
They emerge in open space and to their surprise they find themselves surrounded by uncountable resistance forces from multiple different realms. Alternate Shiar spaceships, Eternals, an army of alternate universes Silver Surfers, Kree warriors, Shiar Gladiators, Red Skrulls (instead of the traditional green ones), a baby version of the Guardians of the Galaxy and many others versions of Marvel cosmic heroes.
Because of the inter dimensional drift they opened, branches of the infection energy flow to their direction forcing the Captains to spread and flee.
Betsy, Brian and their Capitain Britain army lands on a nearby planet occupied by infected Novas and Chitauris. They engage into fight, effectively protecting themselves with their crystal shields.
Captain Marvel and Captain Universe remains in space and are ambushed by an infected Phalanx army.
Captain America and Sam Wilson who are in possession of the “chemo” bombs piggybacks in an alternate universe Avengers spaceship that is being attacked by infected Brood aliens. They join the alternate team of Avengers in the fight against the aliens.
The alternate Avengers team is formed by alternates versions of Ironheart (Riri Willians), Sunfire, Thor, Hulk, Manifold, Sunspot, Blob, Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), Elektra, Shuri, Scarlet Witch, Doctor Strange and the leader: their own version of Captain Universe (this time, a male avatar)
After an epic battle, Betsy’s team gets the upper hand against the Chitauri and Novas. After they decimate the entire horde, Betsy demands the corps to begin a reconnaissance mission to identify the core site
Meanwhile, Captain Marvel and Captain Universe (Tamara) struggles with the Phalanx. Weakened by the infection taking place in 616, Captain Universe falters in battle and Carol decides to retreat.
Captain America, Sam Wilson and alt Avengers are completely outnumbered by the Brood invaders. All the Avengers assemble around alt-Captain Universe in defensive formation. Alt-Captain Universe is in terrible conditions due to the infection. When Riri Willians is cornered by some heavily infected Brood aliens, Captain America throws his crystal shield to her so she can protect herself. It works for Riri, but it leaves Steve unprotected. Steve draws his original shield from his back to protect himself, but it cannot contain the infection. Captain America notices that his shield has been contaminated by the cancerous energy and realizes that he must get rid of it. He sees that the brood aliens are “sprouting” from the hatch in the back of the ship. He attaches one of the “chemo” bombs in the shield and throws it towards the hatch, detonating a huge explosion, compromising the integrity of the entire ship.
End of issue 3
Main Universe (Earth 616)
The final issue starts in 616 space, with otherworld soldiers guarding the dome containing the infection. The dome is now filled by the energy. Saturnyne asks if there is any risk of the glass cracking and Mad Jim Jasper tells her not to doubt about the quality of the goods of the Crooked Market.
In the shield Helicarrier, Reed accounts more than 3 thousands interdimensional drifts connecting to infected realities. He tells the others that it the core infection is not stopped all these passageways in the fabric of creation could soon be alternate ducts for the infection to reach their universe.
Un-named Universe (Source of the infection)
Back to the alternate universe, alt-Manifold teleported the few surviving alt-Avengers and both Captain Americas from the exploding ship to the same planet Betsy, Brian and the Captain Britain Corps are. They reunite and contemplate the chained effect of the first “chemo” bomb detonation. The energy waves soon dissipate but not without reverting a great part of the infection, destroying many infected enemies in the process. It gives the resistance forces enough advantage in the battle to regroup and replan.
Betsy tells the team that the core has been identified and it’s not far from their spot in terms of longitude or latitude, but high above them, deep in the cosmos.
Captain Marvel and Captain Universe are hiding in the debris of an alternate universe Kree ship. Captain universe tells Carol to leave her and join the fight but Carol refuses. Tamara puts herself together willing to join her back in the field, but as she stands on her feet, she gets impaled from behind by an energy spike coming from the fist of a corrupted Alternate Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell), also infected by the energy tumor.
Main Universe (Earth 616)
With Captain Universe defenses down, the infection makes way trough many of the interdimensional drifts mentioned by Mr. Fantastic in the previous issue. All dashboards in SHIELD’s war room goes frantic for the despair of Reed and the Avengers back on earth.
Starlight Citadel
In the Starlight Citadel Saturnyne is convinced that the Captains chances are nil and orders Ryl to set up the Ultimate Nullifier and make sure it is prepared for a multiple realities depletion, something they have never accomplished before. Ryl asks if she should consider 616 for nullification. Saturnyne hesitates but confirms, with no trace of remorse on her face.
Un-named Universe (Source of the infection)
Back in the alternate universe, Captain America contemplates the remaining device in his hand and tells the group he will detonate it at the core. All he needs is Sam to fly him as close as he can and he will use his space suit propulsor to reach the core and detonate the bomb inside it.
Betsy is reluctant, but Captain America says he will do it with or without her approval. Captain Marvel arrives with Tamara severely injured. While Betsy comes in their aid, Steve turns back on the group and tells Sam he is ready to head towards the core but immediately comes across alt- Captain Universe. He tells Steve that this sacrifice is not his to make and gives him his own Captain America shield to replace the one Steve had lost. Alt-Captain Universe reveals himself to be Steve Rogers from that dimension. The universe that originated the infection.
Alt-Strange explains to the Captains that months ago, their universe was sentenced to be erased by the Otherworld Dimensional Development Court, as a punishment for the many temporal disturbances caused by multiple high scale experiments with time and space ran by many civilizations in that realm. As we see in flashback, alt-Strange tells them that their Avengers team were intercepted by an Otherworld double agent. The sentence could not be avoided but he/she was willing to break every rule to protect that realm, as it was his/her home world. The flashback shows the mysterious cloaked figure giving them an artifact capable to channel and annulate the ultimate nullifiers erasing wave. Alt-Avengers were given all coordinates by the mysterious agent for what would be their only chance of salvation. Through alt-Doctor Strange explanations, we learn that the operation backfired as the artifact was unable to contain the condensed energy and started to leak trans-mutated nullifying waves culminating in the emergence of a tumor on the fabric of reality.
Brian tells them that with the knowledge of what had originate the infection, they should now be allowed to investigate other possible courses of action. Alt-Doctor Strange replies that they see no salvation. Their universe has been largely consumed by the tumor and even reversing the infection, the fabric of its creation is heavily compromised. Their reality won’t survive the final detonation.
They thank the Captains for their investments, but concludes that this time, their universe intricacy is theirs to fix.
Alt-Steve rogers/ Captain Universe suggests Betsy to teleport everyone back to 616 and flies towards the core of the tumor.
Betsy and the Captains teleport back to 616 at the same moment the second “chemo” bomb detonates. We see that the reverse energy waves are completely amplified by the intense energetic activity of the core and in a chained process, the infection is removed from the very fabric of the creation. We see the reverse waves spreading through the wormholes reaching other dimensions, including the main marvel universe.
Starlight Citadel
Saturnyne is about to activate the Ultimate Nullifier to erase the many infected realms but stops in the last minute as she senses that the Captains have succeeded.
Betsy emerges from the portal with all Captains in the and demands medical support for Tamara, but with the infection gone, she dismisses it, stating that she is fully recovered and feeling better than she had been in a long while.
Earth
Back on earth, Captain America Sam Wilson and Captain Marvel thank Captain Britain and Captain Avalon for the cooperation and Carol invites them to join the Avengers. Betsy says that perhaps on another time, since she has already a double duty as an X-men and as Britain premiere hero. Brian gets slightly offended by the invitation since he had never stopped considering himself an Avenger, but due to his current duties as both a father and as a defender of his family kingdom in Otherworld, he thinks himself more of a reserve member. He and Sam shake hands while Betsy and Carol hugs. Carol then reaches for Tamara, also thanking her and asking what’s next for Captain Universe. She replies that she feels pleased to have the uni-force once again tied to her and that she now understands better what it means to bear such power. She tells Carol she will be around and for as long as the uni-force is tied to her she will remain in service for our universe or, better put, for all universes in need of a defender.
Prologue.
Blightspoke, Otherworld.
As we know, Blightspoke is the realm of fallen realities and there, Sheriff Gia Whitechapel walks Saturnyne and Ryl trough the remains of the collapsed alternate universe, now with no trace of infection. They walk by the corpses of fallen heroes and many crashed spaceships in the battleground, searching for what had caused the infection. We see many Vescora and Amenth Summoners feasting on the remnants of the battle, but they all evade as Saturnyne approaches, like actual vultures.
Saturnyne ultimately finds the same relic hunters from the first issue retrieving the artifact alt-Doctor Strange mentioned. It used to be at the core of the infection but felt on the planet after the energy tumor was extinguished by the “chemo” bomb.
Saturnyne strikes a blow from her scepter disintegrating the two scavengers at the same time.
She stores the artifact inside a magic flask we saw in the first issue and teleports back to the Starlight Citadel. Ryl asks if she will continue to work on the artifact so she could have better luck next time. Saturnyne says the artifact is nothing but crime evidence and demands Ryl to get rid of it leaving no trace (very much revealing that she was the Otherworld double agent). She then complements she sees no use for such investment now the only realm she cared about no longer exists to be spared. She opens a huge book listing all realities and cross out Earth-9 (her fallen homeworld and the source of the infection) from the list with tears on her eyes.
The end.