Tales of a Marvel DC Universe #5

Story and Script by: Richard Gutierrez

Story contains characters and names ™ and © Marvel Entertainment Group or DC Comics INC.

All rights reserved

Bringing you up to date…Johnny Storm of Earth has been given the mantle of Green Lantern of sector 2814 by the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Guardians formed the Green Lantern Corps to police the universe and stop the advances of the world devourer whose name is only whispered throughout the cosmos, Galactus. Johnny has journeyed to the far side of the universe to a planet named Daxam to keep that planet for becoming Galactus’s next meal. There he encountered, for the first time, several of his fellow Green Lantern’s. There he also witnessed the killing of those very same GL’s by the ravenous band of killers that are Galactus’s Heralds. All that remain are 5 Green Lanterns Johnny Storm, Norrin Radd, Tomar-Re, Kilowog, and Deathbird. As the Heralds break off into 2 groups, Morg, Terrax, Grayven, and Sinistro stay behind to finish off the Green Lantern’s while The Silver Surfer, Fire Lord, Air Walker, and Mongul head off to prepare the landing zone for Galactus. Just then a green energy envelops Johnny, he disappears, and the Guardian named Ganthet gives Johnny his most important mission. He must board the ship of Galactus and find the "Ultimate Nullifier"!*

Green Lantern: (to self) Okay Johnny let me see if I’ve got this straight? I was drinking coffee, I stopped a robbery, I ran into a little blue guy, he gave me this ring, I discovered I can fly and create things with it by force of will and by imagination, I show my sister Sue, I get whisked away to another dimension, I run into other heroes of Earth that have been missing, I help free them, I return to Earth only to be brought here to help defend a planet from a being named Galactus and just last week I almost got fired by my brother in law, Lex Luthor for falling asleep in my office? Yea, that sounds about right. Sue is not going to believe this when I get back to earth…wait a minute...I am going to get back, right? Man!*

With that, Green Lantern nears the ship of Galactus.

Green Lantern: (to self) This is amazing! I’ve never seen anything this huge before! How the heck am I going to find that ultimate "thinga majig" when I can’t even find a door to get inside…this thing?

Just then, a large hatch opens and a figure flies out toward Green Lantern. As the figure gets closer, Johnny can see that it looks human…it isn’t until that it is right on top of him does he realize that it is far from human.

Green Lantern: Arrgh! That thing just blasted me! What is it? Wait a minute…it looks like…it can’t be! It’s the cyborg Superman that showed up while the real Superman had disappeared into space!

Cyborg: You will leave this area…so commands Galactus!

Green Lantern: I don’t think so buddy!

Green Lantern shapes the green energy of his ring into a large club and swings it at the cyborg.

Cyborg: You will leave this area…so commands Galactus!

Cyborg then sends a series of blasts Green Lantern’s way.

Green Lantern: (creating a shield to block the blasts, to self) This doesn’t sound like the guy that battled Superman and destroyed the West Coast division of the Avengers. He seems even more…robotic. (out loud) What’s your problem? How did you get out here?

Cyborg: You will leave this area…so commands Galactus!

Green Lantern: So you keep saying. What if I don’t want to leave?

Cyborg: You will leave this area…so commands Galactus!

Green Lantern and the Cyborg continue to exchange blasts of energy. Green Lantern is able to get between the Worldship of Galactus and the Cyborg.

Green Lantern: I don’t know what the G man did to you to turn you into a mindless robot but I don’t have time for this.

Green Lantern focuses his will into his ring and creates a duplicate of Superman. The sight of the Superman double is enough to halt the Cyborg in his tracks.

Cyborg: You will lea…Superman?

With the cyborg distracted, Green Lantern commands his Superman doppelganger to grab the cyborg and fly away to a nearby sun. With the cyborg out of the way Green Lantern enters the huge ship through the opening that the cyborg came out of.

Green Lantern: OK ring do your thing.

Meanwhile on the planet Daxam, the battle between the Heralds and the last of the Green Lantern Corps has become a stalemate between the two sides. Each side has fallen back to regroup and press their advantage.

Deathbird: You know at some point they are going to attack again. I say we attack first! I was able to severely injure the one called Terrax…so it can be done!

Tomar-Re: Calm down, Deathbird. Both sides have inflected heavy damage on each other. Remember, we are the last of the Corps and it falls to us to protect this world.

Kilowog: Goody! All these here Daxamites have either been killed or are too afraid to stand up against the heralds. It’s left to us.

Norrin Radd: Tomar is right. We cannot let this planet fall like ours did. We are the last survivors of our planets and we owe it to them as well as the Daxamites to go down fighting! So, as much as I don’t usually agree with Deathbird…Green Lanterns…

The 4 lanterns stand in a circle, reach out with their ring hands, place them one on top of the other, and say in unison.

Green Lanterns: In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape our sight, Let those who worship evils’ might, beware our power…Green Lantern’s light!

Across the ruins of the Capitol City of Daxam, Morg, Terrax, Grayven, and Sinistro, have regrouped in a bunker lined with the remains of several buildings and dead Daxamites.

Grayven: Why are we laying low like a bunch of Armaghetto rats? If my father was here…

Terrax: Your father, Darkseid? Ha! Like the evil that is Darksied would father a son and let him…owww!!

Grayven: HA yourself Terrax. At least it wasn’t I who was bested by a mere female.

Terrax: Come over here and I will wipe that grind off of your face!

Morg: HAHAHA!

Sinistro: I’m surrounded by simpletons. Remember we are here to make way for Galactus and finish off those accursed Green Lanterns. Now, our other group is on the far side of the planet paving the way for his landing.

Grayven: We are all aware of that, you red skinned freak, but we should be attacking not sitting.

Deathbird: I think I like you sitting…like ducks! Dead ducks!

Morg: They found us! Heralds…attack!

With that, the mighty battle that will decide the fate of the planet Daxam has begun.

Meanwhile hundreds of millions of miles away on the little blue marble called Earth, the mountains of Eastern Europe. The dictator named Dr. Victor Van Doom, known internationally has the ruthless villain Doctor Doom, has made a discovery that will rock the world and take the lives of some of it’s most beloved heroes.

Dr Doom: These readings are amazing! Through my keen intellect and patience I have finally solved the riddle of what is inside the rather large meteor I found a few miles away.* The energy and power that the…being emits from inside are almost overpowering my equipment. I must find away to control this power so that I, Dr. Victor Van Doom, will take my rightful place at the head…what?

Dr. Doom: Impossible! The meteor is cracking! Whatever is inside is trying to get out! I must be ready.

Dr. Doom: It has punched through! It’s fist is huge!

Dr. Doom: It’s…free! I have never seen anything like it. With this creature in my control it will be doomsday for all!

Doomsday: RRRRAAGHHH!

The roar of the creature shatters window for miles around.

Dr. Doom: This control collar should be enough to hold him until I can create something better.

Dr Doom takes the collar and walks slowly over to the gray skinned behemoth who seems to be trying to scope out it’s surroundings, oblivious of Dr. Doom’s approach.

Doomsday: Hmmmprh!

Dr. Doom: (to self) Magnificent! This creature seems to be just the warrior that I need. Look at its arms and legs with those protruding bone spurs. Oh the…

Before the Doctor can finish his thought, the hulking creature spots him and turns with speed that defies comprehension, and strikes him along side his head. Hurtling Dr. Doom across his castle laboratory through a wall that leads to the outside world.

Doomsday: RRRRAAGHHH!

The creature bellows with satisfaction and walks over to the gigantic hole in the castle wall. It looks down at the figure on the ground…

Doomsday: RRAGH?

…and sees robotic parts, circuit boards, and lifeless metal crumbled by the impact.

Dr. Doom (from behind the monster, with several other "Doombots"): You didn’t think that I would really place myself in that much danger now did you? I have a Doombot for all occasions, like these that are designed to bring you down!

Doomsday: RRRRAAGHHH!

The Doombots then begin to attack the beast with little or no effect. The huge creature destroys the robots and decimates the room.

Doomsday: RRRRAAGHHH!

Dr. Doom (to self): Amazing! This creature is truly a walking doomsday creature! I will use it to bring about my very own Doom’s day! I must lead the creature to my teleportation pad and send him where he will do the most good…Metropolis!

Dr. Doom then begins to lead the creature down several ancient halls toward another laboratory. The massive creature continues to fight off the assaults of the Doombots and destroy any and everything in its path.

Doomsday: RRRRAAGHHH!

Dr. Doom: The creature is in position! Now!

Doctor Doom flips a switch, energy quickly engulfs the bewildered monster, and in a blink of an eye…it’s gone.

Dr. Doom: HAHAHAHA!!!

Back across the galaxies, aboard the worldship of Galactus, Johnny Storm, Green Lantern, has been letting his ring lead him down the massive corridors of the ship.

Green Lantern: You know ring any day now would be fine. We’ve been in here forever and all these halls are starting to run together. Are you sure you’re not going in circles?

Green Lantern: Hey, did you feel that? It felt like something jettisoned from the ship. I wonder what it was? Wait…ring..what…are you…doing?

Green Lantern’s ring seems to come to life leading the neophyte GL at almost breakneck speed looking for the Ultimate Nullifier. It has sensed that time is running out. Galactus has left the ship and is on his way to begin his feeding

Green Lantern: I hope we…find it…soon…cause my arm can’t…handle…this.

Green Lantern finally comes to a stop at the end of a long hallway, and there he sees…the Ultimate Nullifier!

Back on Daxam, the other 4 Heralds of Galactus, Silver Surfer, Air Walker, Firelord, and Mongul, have constructed his devouring machine, amidst the dead and dying, and just await their master’s arrival.

Mongul: Why am I always the one who gets stuck with you simpletons instead of fighting?

Firelord: Maybe it’s because Galactus thinks you can’t cut it with the big boys.

Mongul: Then what would be your excuse?

Firelord: Someone has to baby sit you.

Mongul: That does it you flaming freak!

Firelord: Bring it on!

Silver Surfer: (firing a blast to separate the two) That will be enough…Galactus is here!

The four heralds, and all the Daxamites, look skyward as the force of the universe named Galactus descends from his transit ship onto the battle warn world’s surface.

Galactus: You have done well. Go, find your brethren and return to the ship to await my return.

Silver Surfer: Yes our lord.

Firelord: Where are the other Heralds?

Norrin Radd: Right here!

The gathered gaze upward and see the last of the Green Lanterns, Norrin Radd, throw the bodies of Morg, Terrax, Sinistro, and Grayven at their fellow Herald’s feet.

Mongul: How is this possible! One Green Lantern took them out?

Norrin Radd: No. I am all that is left. My fellow GL’s gave their lives for this planet and to stop you. I am the last Green Lantern and I will stop you, Galactus!

Galactus: Norrin Radd of Zenn-La you had your chance to join me but you failed to see the future and it cost you your planet. You will not stop me!

Green Lantern: Then maybe I can help.

Johnny Storm arrives at the scene and flashes the Ultimate Nullifier at the mighty Galactus.

Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Nullifier? How did you get it?

Green Lantern: Does it matter? I didn’t think so…just remember I have it! So, Galactus…it’s time to go get another Happy meal.

Galactus: You are very foolish young Green Lantern. You do not understand the full power of what you hold. It is called the Ultimate Nullifier because that is what it will do. If you discharge that weapon you will nullify me, you, my herald’s, this planet, this galaxy, and eventually the universe entire. Can you shoulder the burden of destroying everything?

For long moments it seems that the universe stops and all attention and eyes are focused on young Johnny Storm of Earth. Johnny looks around at the faces of the dying on this far off planet and thinks about his family and friends back home on Earth. The thoughts fill his head with images of pain and pleasure, of sorrow and triumph, of running away and standing up for what is not easy, but is right.

Green Lantern: If it means that the universe ends today, just so you can’t strike terror into whole systems…stay here as I count to 5 and we will see. 1…

The Heralds look at their master who quietly stands and looks at the youth.

Green Lantern: 2…

Norrin Radd gazes upon a soul that makes him both proud and jealous.

Green Lantern: 3…

The Daxamites, dazed and beaten, feel their inner strength begin to rise again.

Green Lantern: 4…

Galactus: Heralds…back to the ship. Find me another world…with no inhabitants.

The gathered crowd burst into loud cheering.

Galactus: Green Lantern, you have stayed my hand this day, but know this…there will be a reckoning.

Then Galactus and his heralds flee the area and head back to the massive worldship. The crowd continues to cheer.

Norrin Radd: Johnny Storm…you can breathe now.

Green Lantern: Thanks. I can’t believe that worked.

Norrin Radd: I can’t either. The only reason it did work was because Galactus let it. You must be very careful, Galactus has a long memory.

Wiz-e: Enough talk, let us honor our dead and celebrate the greatest victory in the history of the universe.

Later that night, the parties are still in full swing, as a lonely Johnny Storm sits atop a cliff overlooking the Capitol City.

Green Lantern: What did I do? I’ve doomed Earth to the same fate as this planet. Galactus will come looking for me there and I won’t be able to bluff my way out of that.

Ganthet: Then you must return to Earth with your knowledge and prepare the populace.

Green Lantern: Ganthet!? Where have you been?

Ganthet: Tending to matters that are of an unsavory nature. Burying our corps was very painful. But it is time for you to return to Earth and begin your work.

Green Lantern: But who’s going to help reform the corps?

Ganthet: The very capable Norrin Radd. Now hold still as I return you to Earth. As soon as you get back, recharge your ring.

Green Lantern: Sure thing.

Green energy then engulfs Johnny and he is gone. He reappears back on Earth in downtown Metropolis surrounded by the screams and cries of several hundred people running by him.

Green Lantern: What the?! Can’t I get a break?

Johnny turns around to see what the crowd is running from and sees a huge creature tearing up the downtown area…Doomsday has come to Metropolis!

Next Issue: The super blowout of the year! Doomsday versus any and everybody you can think of!

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