As numerous official organizations made their decisions, more and more Doomsdays were deployed, meaning that Clark and the others would now face far more enemies than before. However, there was at least one piece of good news for Clark and his team: not all official organizations had chosen to take action this time.
This was likely because the number of official organizations and Doomsdays involved was overwhelming. Some organizations who received the report had different considerations.
From their perspective, this deployment of so many Doomsdays was on par with the previous effort to deal with the Planet Devourer.
Although during that campaign, the large number of Doomsdays had merely ended up as fodder for the Planet Devourer without causing it any real harm, these organizations believed that the Avengers were nowhere near as formidable as the Planet Devourer. As such, they felt that the current number of Doomsdays was sufficient to deal with Clark and his team.
Under this assumption, many members of these organizations were already contemplating what to do after dealing with the Avengers.
All the official organizations knew very well that once the Avengers were dealt with, a massive conflict between these organizations was inevitable. They would battle to determine who would be the ruler of the planet.
Given that eventuality, it was naturally in their best interest for their future enemies to be as weak as possible.
The organizations that chose not to act understood that while this wave of Doomsdays was numerous, eliminating Clark and his team would inevitably come at a great cost. They were unwilling to bear such losses and hoped that the other organizations would suffer more significant casualties, which would provide them with a strategic advantage later.
Thus, driven by greed and self-interest, many organizations decided to remain on the sidelines, much to the frustration of those who had chosen to act.
Already suspicious of one another, these organizations now grew even more estranged due to their differing decisions, making it almost impossible for them to cooperate closely again, even if they failed to eliminate Clark and the others.
"Why aren't they attacking?" Black Adam frowned as he observed the Doomsdays surrounding the green barrier but refraining from breaking through it.
Though Black Adam was powerful, he couldn't see the entire Earth as clearly as Clark and the Sentry could. Unlike them, he lacked Kryptonian x-ray vision, and while he could see far, his vision was still blocked by physical obstacles.
"Because our enemies are far more numerous than this," the Sentry replied after glancing at Black Adam. "These are merely the Doomsdays deployed by one faction. There are many such factions. Even though not all of them have acted, their numbers are still far greater than what you see now."
"The key thing is that this faction doesn't want to attack us first and bear the brunt of the losses. They want all the organizations to share that burden, so they're waiting for reinforcements."
"Even more of them?" Black Adam's pupils contracted sharply at the Sentry's words. He was already troubled by the Kryptonian mechanical warriors they had faced earlier, despite their smaller numbers compared to the Doomsdays.
During the battle against the Kryptonian mechanical warriors, Black Adam had sustained injuries. If it weren't for discovering their weaknesses, he might not have been able to defeat them.
Now, faced with a larger group of enemies even stronger than those mechanical warriors, Black Adam felt unsure of how to proceed.
Moreover, with the Doomsdays having surrounded them, Black Adam no longer dared to suggest breaking the green barrier and leaving. He knew that doing so would likely make him the Doomsdays' first target.
If he had to fight so many Doomsdays alone, he lacked the confidence to survive. For now, all he could do was stay silent and observe, uncertain of the best course of action.
In fact, Black Adam believed this new crisis was as grave as being trapped earlier by the Avengers—a life-threatening situation.
Previously, he had devised a plan to break free, but before he could execute it, this new crisis unfolded, leaving him at a loss.
"Black Adam, as you can see, these Doomsday troops aren't just targeting us—they're targeting you too. Our only option now is to cooperate," Steve Rogers said seriously, watching Black Adam's shifting expression.
"Only by working together can we survive this crisis. You've already gathered intel on the Avengers, haven't you? You should know that the Avengers are far more trustworthy than the official organizations. If we get through this, we won't come after you again."
Steve's tone was firm yet devoid of manipulation. Somehow, his words resonated deeply with Black Adam, making him feel that Steve was someone worth trusting.
This kind of personal charisma was far more effective than mind-control abilities, which often raised the target's suspicions. Steve's presence, on the other hand, felt genuine and disarming.
"Cooperation, huh?" Black Adam fell silent. Glancing at the unconscious Harry Osborn in his grip, he realized he had little choice.
If he didn't release or kill Harry Osborn, the Avengers would certainly not let him go. He would then face attacks from both the Avengers and the Doomsday troops.
But if he released Harry Osborn, at least the Avengers wouldn't have time to deal with him while they were fighting the Doomsdays. What might happen after that was a question for another day.
"Fine. We can cooperate, but I don't fully trust you," Black Adam finally said. "When the Doomsdays attack, I'll release this kid and fight alongside you against those monsters!"
Black Adam's phrasing made it seem like he was doing the Avengers a favor, though in truth, he was just ensuring his own survival. The Avengers, however, didn't mind his choice of words. What mattered to them was that Harry Osborn would be released.
"They're coming!" Just as Black Adam finished speaking, a swarm of dark specks appeared on the horizon. These specks rapidly approached, soon joining the existing Doomsdays to form an even larger encirclement.
"So many of them!" Pietro couldn't help but exclaim, a rare note of apprehension in his voice. The sheer power of the Doomsday troops was undeniable.
If the Kryptonian mechanical warriors represented the average strength of a matured Kryptonian, then the Doomsdays were comparable to the threshold of Hell Dimension Lords.
In other words, each Doomsday had the combat strength of a Major God. This immense power was what had emboldened the official organizations to this extent.
To put things into perspective, when Clark had first emerged as a hero, his strength was roughly at this level. Similarly, Robert was not as strong as this when he debuted, and even Diana, upon first meeting Robert, was only about as strong as these Doomsdays.
With power like this being mass-produced, it was no wonder the organizations were confident in their plans.
Currently, even with the Avengers' numerous upgrades, not all of them had reached the level of a Major God. Harry Osborn, who had just attained the power of Shazam, was only barely at that level. Against a Doomsday, his victory was uncertain.
Among those present, only Clark, the Sentry, and Steve Rogers could single-handedly and decisively defeat a Doomsday. Even Black Adam wasn't guaranteed to win in a one-on-one fight, and others like Frank Castle were at an even greater disadvantage.
Despite this, the Avengers remained calm. They had faced overwhelming numbers before—most recently against the demonic army, which far outnumbered these Doomsdays.
While they couldn't match the Doomsdays in numbers, the Avengers' top-tier fighters were incredibly powerful. Those of comparable strength to the Doomsdays could hold their ground, while the strongest among them could quickly eliminate their foes.
Additionally, these Doomsdays weren't like the original, which could evolve and regenerate. This significantly reduced their threat level.
"What kind of era is this?" Black Adam muttered, unsettled. "The gods have disappeared, yet there are so many beings with divine power. How can such monsters be mass-produced? Even the Hell Dimensions can't do this. How did they manage it?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Steve replied. "My green barrier won't hold against this many Doomsdays for long."
As he spoke, the first Doomsdays launched their assault on the green barrier. It trembled violently under their combined strikes.
"Crack!" A sharp sound echoed as the barrier shattered under the second wave of attacks.
Space rippled nearby, drawing Black Adam's attention. He clung tightly to Harry Osborn, preparing to escape with the Avengers.
But to his shock, the spatial disturbance didn't signal a retreat. Instead, reinforcements arrived.
The Avengers had rallied once more, ready to face the storm.
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