"Can you really be certain that, after devouring those demons, you'll be stronger than the Avengers? Will your power be able to affect the entire globe?" Shyvana asked cautiously, hearing the voices of the Seven Deadly Sins Demons growing increasingly deranged and restless, even though she was quite tempted.
"You're only a mortal; you can't comprehend what it means to become a Lord of Hell. Once we ascend to that level, Earth will be our private dominion, where we'll wield absolute authority and have a home-field advantage!" The Seven Deadly Sins Demons' voices brimmed with confidence.
"By then, the Avengers you speak of will be nothing; those so-called heroes will become our food, and you will be the ruler of humanity, sharing the world with us!" As they outlined this grand vision, the demons didn't forget to paint a rosy picture for Shyvana. After all, they were still bound to her, unable to act independently—at least, not until they became Lords of Hell.
"Becoming a Lord of Hell, huh?" Shyvana's demonic eye flickered with electric currents, and her normal eye gleamed with greed.
Naturally ambitious, Shyvana had been searching for the Rock of Eternity for years and, after failing to gain the wizard Shazam's approval, had released the Seven Deadly Sins Demons without hesitation, accepting even the cost of becoming a demon host. Yet, despite her new powers, she had felt constantly overshadowed by the Avengers, unable to make a single move with them looming like the sword of Damocles over her head.
But now, with the Seven Deadly Sins Demons assuring her they could overpower the Avengers, Shyvana found herself unable to suppress her deepest desires. She wanted to prove herself, to make everyone who'd ever belittled her either kneel or perish at her hands. Memories resurfaced of when she was just a child, bullied by her brother while her father, instead of stopping it, blamed her.
At that moment, her father and brother had suddenly vanished, and frost had formed on the car window... It was then that Shyvana entered the Rock of Eternity, where Shazam had warned her about the Seven Deadly Sins. Shyvana, seduced by their voices, almost took up the Demon's Eye then and there to release them, but Shazam quickly intervened, deeming her unworthy of his power and casting her out of the Rock.
Shyvana had returned to the car, screaming to go back, causing her father to lose focus and crash. She and her brother were unharmed, but her father was severely injured. Though he survived, he and her brother blamed her entirely for the accident. This incident left Shyvana alienated and planted a seed of resentment within her—a seed that now began to sprout under the influence of the Seven Deadly Sins.
"I have one condition: no large-scale disturbances, and no harming humans—not until you become Lords of Hell. And the first human you kill will be by my choice alone!" Shyvana demanded in a low voice, snapping back to the present.
"Oh! It seems you're ready to kill someone close to you! Born on Earth but a true demon at heart!" The Seven Deadly Sins Demons sensed her murderous intent, cheering her on.
"Or maybe it's simply because I grew up on Earth that I've become like this," Shyvana replied with a hint of mockery. "Perhaps some people actually think Earth is worse than Hell…"
The Seven Deadly Sins didn't respond. In their eyes, Shyvana's ignorance of Hell's brutal realities—where young demons were often devoured by stronger ones shortly after birth—made her comparison pointless. Their priority was consuming as many demons as possible to become Hell Lords and free themselves from Shyvana's control.
The Avengers had not yet noticed the Seven Deadly Sins Demons' hunt for other demons. Earth now had many organizations hunting demons, or their numbers would be much higher. Despite having abundant prey, the Seven Deadly Sins Demons' path to becoming Lords of Hell would still take time.
Meanwhile, Frank had been making a name for himself in Fawcett City. Word had spread that he was the lucky one who'd passed the wizard's test and joined the Avengers. Official agencies continued attempts to contact him, hoping to leverage his known powers and identity, but their search was futile. They didn't realize Frank wasn't actually from Fawcett City, nor did they suspect the Avengers had erased all traces of him and Billy from their records.
Elsewhere, the Green Lantern Corps had become an affiliate of the Avengers and even lent a few Green Lantern rings for study. However, the rings could only be wielded by those approved by the will of the Green Lantern. Not all Avengers qualified to use them.
The only two who met the qualification criteria were Steve and Bruce Banner. Initially, when Steve passed the test, the Avengers assumed it would be similar to Mjolnir's selection, but Peter Parker's failure and Bruce's success proved otherwise. Banner's use of the ring was fairly average compared to his Hulk form, though it could be used simultaneously with it. This gave Hulk a distinctive, glowing green look—and finally, a durable outfit that wouldn't be destroyed upon transformation.
While Hulk's powers were enhanced with the ring, Steve experienced a transformation of a different kind. With his enhanced willpower and combat experience, Steve wielded Green Lantern energy with an intensity that even surprised the Green Lanterns. Even Tomar-Re acknowledged that Steve's abilities might rival those of Abin Sur, and this was with only basic mastery.
Neither Steve nor Peggy Carter, however, were thrilled with his Green Lantern costume; while Steve didn't adopt Hal's eye mask, the green uniform was still far from his preferred aesthetic.
With Steve and Banner now wielding Green Lantern power, the Green Lantern Corps felt reassured about the alliance, knowing that Steve's status among the Avengers lent weight to their partnership.
"Parallax has been defeated. Hulk won," someone announced as they observed the cosmic battle. In the mental battlefield, Hulk's anger had burned away Parallax's consciousness. With Parallax's mind obliterated, its body went limp. But Hulk wasn't done; his fiery rage continued to scorch Parallax's body, erasing it entirely.
"Why do I feel like Hulk's firepower is even stronger than mine? Wasn't I supposed to be the strongest flame user?" Johnny Storm muttered, visibly envious. His own flames had taken countless battles and the Extremis Virus to reach their current level, yet Hulk's newfound powers immediately surpassed his.
"Don't worry," Robert comforted Johnny with a smile. "When you reach demi-father god level, your flames will be unmatched. Among most pantheons, you'd already be considered a fire god. You just need a little more."
"Fire god… But I can't control all flames; I can only create them," Johnny sighed, shaking his head.
"If you could control all flames, you'd be the cosmic Fire God," Robert replied, then glanced at Hulk. "It seems our friend Hulk isn't quite done yet; his anger is still burning. Parallax wasn't enough to satisfy him."
As Robert's words fell, he appeared suddenly in space, catching Hulk's flaming fist in his own fiery hand. "Still not calm? How about I help you refine your skills?" Robert's voice echoed in Hulk's mind.
Hulk's body trembled—a reflexive response. Despite his recent increase in strength, he instinctively feared Robert. In Hulk's mind, only two people had ever intimidated him: first Clark, then Robert. Over time, with more interaction within the Avengers, Robert had gradually replaced Clark as Hulk's greatest fear.
Hulk's anger flared even more fiercely, infuriated by his own fear. He hadn't dared strike Robert before, but if he still didn't dare with his newfound power, what was the point of having it?
"Hulk smash!" Hulk roared, his aura surging as he hurled himself at Robert with all his might.
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