Apocalypse (in the shadows watching the drama play out): Excellent. Already my horsemen have been able to cut the hero force down by 6 and all I’ve lost have been 2…good odds. Pestilence and Famine were shown to be easy to defeat as long as the heroes were working together. Vanquishing War and Death are proving to be the toughest for the champions to accomplish. My other creation, Doomsday, has left the scene to help reign destruction across the land. From my telepathic link with the creature I can see that he’s battling in the Arizona desert against Superman and members of the team called the Defenders and what seems to be Reed Richards, Sue Storm-Luther, Hal Jordan, and Donna Troy-Stark. Hmmm it seems that the quartet has developed unexpected powers. Reed has the ability to stretch his body to fantastic lengths. Sue can create ice similar to Iceman, but her prowess is no where near his. Hal seems to have control over some form of solid darkness and Donna can fire daggers of pure light. This development was unforeseen but it will not save the heroes or the weak..for I am the strongest and I will survive.

Several feet away, the remaining heroes, (The Beast, Aquaman, Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, Iceman, Argent, Cyborg, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Hawkeye, Dove, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Nightwing, and Black Widow) have engaged the massive War.

Nightwing: What the heck can us "norms" do against a being that’s laughing off everything that the big guys throw at it?

Black Canary: We’ve evacuated the area of civilians and it is obvious that a kick to his head from me is going to do nothing.

Dove: I know what you mean but I can’t just sit here.

Nightwing: Hey I’ve got an idea. See if you can get that partner of yours over here Dove.

Dove: Sure thing.

Black Canary: What’s on your mind.

Nightwing: Well if we can’t do anything up here…maybe we can do something below.

With that the quartet head into the sewer system.

At that moment across town, in the penthouse of Lex Luthor.

Lex: Hmmm. Interesting development. It seems that the heroes are all involved with the current crisis and there’s no one left to watch out of the ‘little people".

Lex: Yes?

Scientist (over speaker): Mr. Luthor can you come down to the lab. It’s time.

Lex: Oh yes…interesting development. *

Guardian: (blasting the creature): Scott this is useless! Our blasts are doing nothing but draining our powers.

Cyclops (Blasting the creature with his optic blasts): I know my dear, but Heather we can’t give up. Our job is to try and pay time for Reed and Hank to figure out what to do with this creature.

Doomsday: RRRRARGHH!!

The Ray: Do you guys really think this creature is the Hulk?

Supergirl: That’s what Reed and Hank think.

Superboy: Yea but I don’t like to fact that Superman flew them away…we could use him more here!

Sue Storm: I don’t like it either but it’s obvious that Reed has a plan. And if there is anything that I’ve learned, is that always go with Reed’s plan.

Superman: Are you two sure about this?

Reed: No, but it is the logical place to start. We’ve all heard how Doctor Bruce Banner created the Gamma bomb and during the initial test the teenage Snapper Carr made his way out onto the testing ground. The good doctor was able to save Snapper but was irradiated by the fallout and was turned into the mountain of muscle and fury named the Incredible Hulk. I had you drop Hank Pym and myself here at that same Gamma testing ground in hopes of finding a way to control or contain the beast.

Hank: Our hope is that we can somehow seal him in one of the underground bunkers and remove him to a safe area so we can study him and cure him.

Superman: Ok. How long well you two need?

Reed: I don’t know but keep the creature in the area and when we are ready we’ll let you know.

The trio splits up as Superman flies back to continue the battle with Doomsday and two of the brightest men on the planet head toward the abandoned Gamma Base to begin their race against time.

Back in Metropolis…

The horsemen named Death continues to pound the airborne duo of Green Lantern and Firestar.

Green Lantern: I don’t know how much more I can take. We’re unable to connect with any of our shots. He’s too agile.

Firestar: Listen, just suck it up and fight through it. We’ve got to keep the pressure on him…arrgh!!

Firestar is hit in the shoulder by one of Death’s "feathers" it shuts down her central nervous system causing her to fall to the ground. Green Lantern is able to form a green cushion to brace her fall…but leaves himself open to a sneak attack by the flying horseman.

Green Lantern: Arrgg!

Green Lantern lands with a loud thud on the ground and lays motionless. Firestar looks up and sees the horseman named Death hovering in the air admiring his feat.

Firestar: (slowly staggering to her feet, grabbing her arm) Come on you freak! I can’t move my arm but I dare ya to come and get me.

The two lock eyes and Death swoops down toward the young Angela Jones, who earlier in the day lost the love of her life. She says a silent prayer.

Firestar: (to self) I love you Vance. I’ll be with you soon.

Firestar: What the?

Firestar looks and sees Death’s body crash to the hard street next to her.

Rogue: Don’t worry Suga…the X-Men are hear.

Firestar sees the beautiful Southern belle named Rogue hovering in the air with her fist clinched.

Rogue: What say we go and join the fray.

The two young women head off to join the battle as the X-Man, Polaris, uses her ability to manipulate the magnetic field of the Earth to gather up the unconscious forms of Death and Green Lantern. When they arrive at the battle, War is standing in the middle of a what can only be described as a ‘war zone’. The bodies of downed heroes, The Beast, Black Panther, and Scarlet Witch, are stung about like a child’s playthings. Buildings lay in rubble and massive fires have blocked out the sun with their bellowing smoke. Only Argent, Cyborg, Aquaman, Iceman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, and Green Arrow remain. The X-Men, Storm, Damage, Sunfire, Bishop, and Havok disembark their Blackbird Jet and head into the fray.

Bishop: This looks like something from my future. We must stop this.

Storm: Now don’t go off half cocked, Bishop. We need to have a three pronged strategy. We need to get the injured to care, stop the fires, and defeat this creature.

Captain America: I agree with you Storm. Green Arrow, you Bishop and Polaris get the injured out of here. Storm you and Iceman see what you can do about the flames. Also, if I remember correct the Juggernaught had a weakness to mental powers if we can get his helmet off.

Argent: but Mr. America…I mean Mr. Captain…I mean…oh never mind…he’s not wearing a helmet and no one here has mental abilities anyway?

Aquaman: Not true, I do.

Havok: No disrespect but you speak to fishes.

Aquaman: I am also King of Atlantis and that ability to "speak to fishes" comes in handy and has made me more "telepathically sensitive" to even you humans.

Captain America: Ok. Arthur see what you can do about breaking his metal blocks and the rest of us will keep him occupied.

Iceman: Is this were you say Avengers Assemble.

Captain America: No this is were I say, "Champions…Move out!"

With that the heroes each begin the tasks handed down to them by one of the most respected heroes on the planet.

Iceman: (covering a burning building with a sheath of ice) Hey Ororo, us working together kinda reminds you of the old days huh?

Storm: (using her power over the elements to create a downpour to douse flames) Yes Bobby it does. How I sometimes long for those days. You, Jean, Scott, Logan, Warren, Hank, and I…what a team we made.

Iceman: Too bad about the whole Scott, Jean, and Logan thing isn’t it?

Storm: Yes…to bad.

The two continue their tasks in an uneasy silence.

Hawkeye: You drug me away from the battle to go traipsing through the sewer system with this Batman wannabe.

WHAM!

Nightwing (quickly turning , grabbing the archer by his shoulder straps, and slamming him against a pipe): If I didn’t need your stinking arrows to pull this off, I’d have been happy to leave you to the tender mercy of that monster!

Hawkeye: Touchy touchy.

Black Canary: Let’s lighten up on the testosterone and get to the business at hand, why are we down here?

Nightwing (letting Hawkeye go): There are several natural gas lines that run underneath the city and I was hoping to cause an explosion that might knock War off balance enough to give our guys a chance.

WHAM!!!

Dove: Wow you can hear the battle above us. So what do we do.

Nightwing: First we need to shut off the gas lines that lead out from this spot, so we don’t explode the whole city. Then the three of us head topside to warn the others, while eagle eye here launches a packet of his explosive arrows in to the pipe and boom.

The four quickly put their plan into action.

War: Ha! You guys are pitiful. I’m just standing here and the best you guys can do is barely scratch this itch I’ve got on my nose. If I wasn’t having so must fun watching you guy’s showoff all your "pretty powers" I’d fall asleep.

Havok: (Blasting War) Well, here’s something for ya!

ZZZZKTCKKK!!!

War: Ooooo that was mighty pretty….and thanks for scratching that itch.

Captain America: (to self) What the heck have we gotten ourselves into. There has to be away to drop this guy…hmmm…everyone pull back…he’s mine.

The gathered heroes stop as Captain America charges in against War.

Argent: Cap don’t its suicide.

Wonder Woman: Do not worry. Details of this man’s great deeds have even reached my far away island. He must have a plan.

Cyborg: If you said that with a little more conviction I might be relaxed.

War: Oh yea bring it on flag man!

Captain America charges at War and begins to hit him with a furious series of blows with his indestructible shield.

KLANG! KLANG! KLANG!

War: HAHAHAHAHA!!

Captain America: Keep laughing you monster. Havok….Damage…Sunfire…NOW!!!

With that the three members of the X-Men unleash their various blast directly into War’s mouth and down his throat.

War: Hah…..rgh…argh…cough..cough..that won’t…work…cough…

The blasts stagger him and he falls to one knee.

Wonder Woman: He’s staggered!

Nightwing (running toward the group): Wait everyone get back…hurry!

Cyborg: Why?

Nightwing: Just move!

Below…

Hawkeye: Rattsnfasin puck. Well, here goes nothing.

Hawkeye stands at the entrance of a storm drain that leads to the main storm run off down below. He calmly looks down and sees the straight drop of more than 30 feet into a stream of running water. He pulls back his bow and lets the arrows fly.

Hawkeye: (jumping down the pipe) Geronimo!!!

BOOOOOOMMM!!!!

The explosion rocks the city of Metropolis from downtown to the suburbs. The force of the blast sends War flying through the air. The other heroes were able to take cover but even they are knocked down by the blast.

Aquaman: The distractions from the blast and the explosions have lowered his mental defenses and I can get through. Now to shut him down.

Aquaman uses his telepathy to burrow into War’s psyche and "flips a switch". War is out even before he crashes back to Earth.

As the gathered heroes encircle the downed War a voice booms behind them.

Apocalypse: Very good! It is like I always have said….only the strong will survive.

Storm: Apocalypse you well answer for what you have wrought here today.

Apocalypse: Yes I will my lovely wind rider…but not today.

With that Apocalypse, and the bodies of War, Famine, Death, and Pestilence disappear from sight.

Captain America: Good job people but we aren’t finished yet. There’s still the monster called Doomsday to take care of!

Doomsday: RRRAGHHH!!!

Supergirl: I don’t…know how long I can keep this up.

Donna Troy-Stark: We’ve got to give Reed and Hank more time.

Superman: Ok…the time is now.

The Man of Steel, and Supergirl each grab the massive beast by an arm and speed toward the New Mexico dessert where Superman had dropped off Reed and Hank just over an hour ago.

Doomsday: RRRAGHHH!!!

Supergirl: Arrgh!!

Superman: Hang on! Almost there. Now let him go.

The two let go and the creature lands in a triple lined safety bunker.

Reed: Hank…Now

Hank: Here goes everything!

Hank Pym pulls a lever and a large metal lid traps the beast inside.

Hank: Ok Reed your turn.

Reed Richards presses a series of buttons at lightning speed and the containment cell is flooded with eerie green light.

Superman: What are you doing to it?

Reed :We are subjecting it to a very hastily made gamma siphon in hopes that we can draw all the gamma radiation from it’s body and cause a transformation back into Doctor Banner.

Inside the cell, the monster thrashes about. Massive fist dents can be seen in the lining. Then slowly the monster succumbs to the siphon and all is quiet.

Superman: I can’t see inside of the cell so I don’t now if he’s playing possum or not. But it seems to be over. Reed open the cell.

The four stand in awe has their experiment seems to have work…but with unexpected results.

Hank Pym: It’s Snapper Car?!?

Supergirl: How is that possible? He’s never shown any abilities in the past much less turning into the Hulk?

Reed: The only thing I can guess is that someone subjected him to the same level of radiation that transformed Banner into the Hulk and caused this reaction.

Apocalypse: Very interesting theory Richards…and dead on!

Supergirl: Who?

Apocalypse: Who I am is not important right now but it is clear to me that you are the strongest and I thank you for your participation in my little experiment. Good Day.

Before the heroes can act Apocalypse is gone just as quickly as he arrived.

Hank: What was that all about?

Reed: I don’t know…and that’s what scares me.

Next Issue….What happened to the X-Men that caused them to split into 3 teams?

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