Earth-616, the heart of the infinite multiverse.
This is the most critical realm in the multiverse, a focal point for gods, home to the most superheroes, the fullest timeline, and the most frequent cataclysms.
Every universe-shaking event here is duplicated by multiversal rules, etched onto countless parallel universes.
In the multiverse, new universes are born every moment, while others perish for myriad reasons.
Newborn universes often mimic older ones, naturally bearing the imprint of Earth-616.
Every ambitious entity seeks a foothold in 616.
Even multiversal gods cannot ignore it, for events here can destabilize the multiverse, directly affecting their essence.
Earth-616's Earth was in chaos.
Wars of varying scale erupted worldwide.
Nations mobilized heavy weaponry, bombarding relentlessly, while hero teams scrambled to suppress powerful new foes.
Recently, a mighty god named Cul emerged, forging eight divine hammers scattered across Earth, selecting eight apostles: Skirn, Juggernaut, Hulk, Titania, Thing, Namor, Absorbing Man, and Greithoth.
These eight Worthy, wielding Cul's hammers, became his thralls, rampaging globally, spreading his name through bloodshed and terror.
Normally, within days, Cul could harness billions of humans' fear to swiftly restore his might as the God of Fear who once awed the Yggdrasil.
This was why Earth-616's Odin contemplated slaughtering all humans to thwart him.
But the Worthy's efforts faltered when Cul mysteriously vanished.
Heroes and villains closely tracking Cul, including those adept at monitoring space-time, knew he'd left for another universe.
"It's Mephisto's doing." Ghost Rider said, his hellfire blazing. Usually taciturn, he spoke now. "I sensed that demon's sulfurous stench. I'll never forget it."
His words sparked alarm among the heroes.
"Mephisto? Why's that sly demon involved?"
"Is Mephisto's departure from Hell tied to the mastermind behind these hammers? Could this be a plot to harvest human souls en masse?"
"Don't forget, our scans detected anomalous energy spikes in the Mariana Trench. That's likely where Cul entered Earth, either imprisoned there or through a portal. Is Mephisto connected?"
Earth-616's heroes were fraught with worry. Battling the eight Worthy had already exhausted them.
Those wielding Cul's hammers were mentally warped. Hulk, already volatile, had become a slaughter-obsessed maniac, nearly wiping out Dracula's vampire nests, much to their dismay.
Above the Worthy loomed Cul, the mysterious and mighty God of Fear, a daunting threat. Now, the cunning Mephisto had emerged.
"Guys, I've got good news and bad news. Which first?" Tony Stark called, then continued without pause. "Good news: I've tracked Cul. Satellites show a 200-meter spatial rift in the sky, with figures moving within. Bad news: if the rift expands, it could swallow New York City. We can get there in minutes if we move now."
"Avengers, assemble!" Captain America bellowed, stepping forward.
He had no time for Tony's quips. Uncovering Mephisto's scheme and defeating Cul could end this turmoil.
The heroes braced for a grueling battle, recalling Cul's terror. Even standing still, he embodied the collective fear of billions, exuding an ancient god-king's oppressive aura.
But as they looked up, peering into the rift's dim chaos and Cul's emerging form, they exchanged stunned glances.
This ragged figure, hair disheveled, resembling a medieval vagrant, was this Cul?
The architect of Earth's countless calamities?
With his tattered appearance, only the chaotic yet terrifying divine fear energy confirmed his identity.
How had this happened? Wasn't Cul summoned by Mephisto? How, in so short a time, had he been reduced to this?
"He's taken a beating." Tony said, exhilarated. "Good news for us. Scratch that, we've got two pieces of good news now."
He raised his gauntlets, eager to end this crisis with a single blast.
Nearby, Doctor Strange readied spatial magic, calculating the best angle to seal the rift to an unknown world.
Cul, battered, his star-tough skin scarred, glared at Earth-616 through matted hair, his gaze ravenous.
"Damn it, damn it!" He roared. "How could I lose to creatures from an inferior universe? This is impossible, utterly unreal!"
Seemingly slow but blindingly fast, Cul shifted coordinates, racing back to the main universe. One foot touched down, and he unleashed a frenzied bellow.
The madness in his genes erupted.
Before becoming Asgard's god-king, Cul was a promising prince. But upon claiming the throne and the mantle of Fear, he veered into insanity, his personality warped.
This shift baffled Earth-616's Odin, who betrayed Cul, seized the crown, and imprisoned him in the Eternal Prison.
Defeated and deranged, Cul's divine power surged, his matted hair whipping upward. Not only had he failed to dominate a parallel universe as Mephisto promised, but he'd suffered a crushing loss, gravely wounded, harvesting meager fear while expending far more.
His voice brimmed with rage and disbelief. Wasn't Earth-616 the multiverse's absolute core, its natives blessed with the multiverse's favor and protection?
So why had he fallen to creatures from an inferior universe?
"Mephisto! Where are you? This is a conspiracy!" Cul roared, his bloodshot eyes searching for the demon to settle scores.
"You scoundrel, Earth has no place for your tantrums." Captain America declared. "You've wrought global catastrophe. Humanity's judgment awaits."
He hurled his shield, aiming to prevent Cul from smoothly exiting the spatial rift and returning to this world.
Cul, at his weakest, presented a rare opportunity. With minimal effort, they might neutralize this global menace.
Whatever horrors Cul had faced to fall from majestic to wretched, whatever dealings he'd had with Mephisto, defeating one would ease their burden.
Bang!
Cul, still reeling from his unprecedented defeat, instinctively caught the shield. In the heroes' stunned gazes, he tore the Vibranium disc to shreds.
As Cul refocused, poised to fully reenter Earth-616, the heroes glimpsed strange creatures emerging behind him.
Each bore sleek, lethal forms, radiating raw killing intent, unashamedly displaying primal savagery.
Some were maimed, missing limbs, yet relentlessly attacked Cul. Though alive, they moved like machines: cold, relentless, completing their mission at any cost, chilling to witness.
Earth-616's heroes watched as one creature was bisected by the rift's shifting edge, one half falling to Earth, the other trapped beyond.
Yet it lived. With a sizzling sound, its wounds sealed, its mangled form regenerating swiftly.
This ruthless disposition, insatiable bloodlust, and uncanny healing rivaled Wolverine's, but their numbers amplified the terror. If each possessed such regeneration, they were nightmarish.
"Xenomorphs! You vermin dare pursue me to the main universe?" Cul bellowed, whirling to face them.
"Stop them!" Tony shouted. "Cul or these unknown creatures, none can be allowed to breach our world!"
Heroes with flight or ranged abilities unleashed barrages at the rift.
But from its depths, more figures emerged, delivering lethal strikes against Cul.
Flesh and blood sprayed across the void between universes.
Cul, who had cost Earth-616 dearly, was besieged by unknown assailants, bleeding into the abyss.
It was clear: Cul's attempt to flee to the main universe had failed. He faced foes beyond his caliber, a god of his stature unable to even escape.
They'd feared Cul's absence signaled a grander scheme, a stronger return. None anticipated this downfall.
The spectacle within the massive rift stunned Earth-616's inhabitants.
"What happened? The enemy we fought so hard to defeat falls before us?"
"It's Sentry! I saw him in the rift, his fist pierced Cul's chest. That's him, right?"
"Not just Sentry. Other powerful beings are there, and those bizarre creatures give me a bad feeling."
"Looks like Mephisto tricked Cul, sending him to a terrifying universe."
"That universe has its own Sentry and strange lifeforms fighting alongside him."
The heroes rejoiced at Cul's defeat but fretted over its enigmatic resolution.
Doctor Strange, probing with magic, opened his eyes grimly. "Bad news. That Sentry isn't our human Sentry. His mental signature matches those monsters, likely parasitized."
The heroes' faces shifted.
They knew Sentry's might, Earth's most powerful hero.
Yet in this unknown universe, he'd merged with these eerie beings?
"Am I the only one seeing parallels to Cul and his eight Worthy?" Tony said, his mind racing. "I'd bet there's a master controlling these creatures."
They knew he was right.
On high alert, wielding tech, magic, and more, the heroes watched Cul's majestic form falter in the rift, torn apart and dragged back by the bizarre swarm.
The scene, brutal and savage, exceeded their expectations.
Even Earth-616's Odin was roused, arriving via Bifrost from Asgard, witnessing his brother's plight.
"This may be for the best." Odin told Thor, at his side.
Thor disagreed, but Odin recalled sacrificing an eye to the Yggdrasil for a solution to Cul: Thor and Cul dying together.
This outcome was far better. Odin hoped Cul never returned, and that these monsters, who defeated and pursued him, stayed out of the main universe.
"Outsider, state your name!" Odin's voice, laced with divine power, shattered space, piercing beyond the universe's barriers.
No doubt, Earth-616's Odin could pull targets from timelines, placing them anywhere or shattering universes with ease.
"Curious." A voice replied. "Odins share a trait, similar phrasing when addressing outsiders."
Every unknown creature emitted an alien mental pulse.
The pulses merged into a resonant chorus, audible to all, laced with a hint of mockery.
Odin's lone eye fixed coldly on these "Xenomorphs." wariness flickering within.
He couldn't discern their master.
"I've marked your universe's coordinates." The voice continued. "We'll meet again soon, and you'll know who I am."
To peers, Adam's words were a greeting. But in this context, they rang like a dark god's proclamation of impending chaos.
The rift, capable of swallowing continents, finally collapsed.
Thor gripped Mjolnir, fuming. "Who was that? Some otherworldly demon? So arrogant just for beating Cul? Without his interference, we'd have defeated Cul ourselves!"
"Silence." Odin snapped. "Cul's stronger than you realize. These unknowns who bested him are far more dangerous. We can't judge their intent."
To Odin, this mysterious race had indirectly spared Thor, provided Cul stayed out of the main universe.
Earth-616's prophecies might not hold in parallel universes… right?
His son might live.
The Xenomorphs cast a pall over Earth-616, a weight on every heart, an unresolved threat they could only await.
Yet cunning, ambitious minds noted this alien race that toppled Cul.
Given Earth-616's chaos, some villains were likely already scheming to contact and summon the Xenomorphs.
Hey guys! If you're a fan of Marvel and looking for an interesting story to read, don't hesitate to check out this new fanfic:
[The New Asgardian (Marvel × WoW)]
Synopsis:
A man reincarnated as a Paladin from World of Warcraft to Asgard long before humans could even think of creating fire.
What else could possibly go wrong?
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