S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
The world's first Round Table Conference, founded by the Invincible Spider-Man, gathered only the most elite superheroes. Those even slightly less capable didn't make the cut.
Take Clint Barton, for instance—a man who rivals gods with mortal flesh—he's stuck guarding the door.
At the invitation of the Invincible Spider-Man, Agent Carter and the others assembled.
Harry and the rest curiously eyed the star-spangled Captain Universe Spider-Man, his suit so dazzling it stole the show. Even Tony Stark couldn't hide a flicker of envy.
The idea of crafting a suit from starlight briefly crossed Tony's mind.
But if he could reclaim the God-Slaying Power that belonged to him, his Godslayer Armor would be just as impressive.
With that thought, Tony abandoned the starlight suit idea.
The Godslayer Armor had already drained most of his fortune. Tinkering with anything else would bankrupt him.
Leaning toward Charlie, he whispered, "I heard you met a billionaire in another universe—some guy called Batman. Can you hook me up with a loan?"
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "You're out of cash?"
Tony shook his head. "Got a little left, but it's not enough."
Charlie thought for a moment. "To be honest, I'm not that tight with Batman."
Tony's face fell. "Well, that's a shame. But you could introduce us. With my charm, I'm sure I could convince him."
Charlie admired Tony's confidence.
"You two are too alike to be friends," Charlie said. "But here's a tip: there's an ancient nation in Africa called Wakanda. They've got enough wealth to fund a few more Godslayer suits. You might want to try your luck there."
"Wakanda?"
Tony nearly forgot—he'd seen notes about Wakanda in his father's journals.
A mysterious, wealthy place.
Hmph, with vibranium measured in tons, how could they not be rich?
As Tony mulled it over, Charlie cleared his throat and began his speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"
Harry raised his hand eagerly. "From a dramatic structure standpoint, we should hear the bad news first."
Charlie grinned. "Well done, Harry. This isn't school, and you're not a kid— no need to raise your hand."
Harry lowered his arm, only for Charlie to add, "Just yell report next time."
Harry: "…"
Carter rolled her eyes. "Charlie, can we get to the point?" Her patience was wearing thin.
Ever since Charlie announced he was no longer single, she'd found him increasingly insufferable.
Young, talented, and instead of focusing on his career, he's out chasing romance.
She'd canceled all his salary and benefits.
She'd make him regret his choices!
One day, he'd realize who the real rich one was.
Charlie just smirked at Carter's attitude.
"Looks like Commander Carter is eager to know what's up. Very well."
He scanned the room. "The bad news is, Ragnarök is coming, and it's hitting Earth. Get ready to be busy."
The room went silent, faces paling.
"Ragnarök? That's real?" Harry glanced at the grim-faced Thor.
Thor nodded. "My father said when Ragnarök comes, it will come."
Elderly Steve Rogers, deep in thought, mused, "If it's not about gods, there's no danger, right?"
"Not quite," Tony interjected. "When gods clash, mortals suffer. This event will affect the entire planet."
Heh heh heh, a theatrical laugh cut through. Lady Deadpool, hand over her mouth, grinned. "Sounds like a fun game. That's the bad news, so what's the good news?"
She looked at Charlie, who darkened.
"Can you stop that?" He gestured at her restless leg under the table.
Lady Deadpool didn't back off—she blew him a kiss.
"Big sis is wearing black stockings today!"
"Black…?"
Charlie almost looked down but caught Gwen and Mary Jane's threatening glares.
Cough cough. "I'm just seeking the truth, not into that stuff," he explained to Gwen, then shot Mary Jane a look. "What're you staring at? Keep it up, and I'll smash that eyepatch of yours!"
Mary Jane gritted her teeth but stayed silent—she wasn't in a position to argue.
Under her breath, she muttered, "Scumbag."
"Scumbag?" Charlie glanced at his custom-tailored tuxedo for the meeting. "This is called gentleman."
He corrected her with a flourish.
At the other end of the table, Charles Xavier and his team stayed quiet. Jean Grey remained silent, so Charles spoke up.
"Spider-Man, what's the good news?"
Charlie grinned. "The good news is, the Invincible Spider-Man—yours truly—has become a god. That's right, I'm a god. You've gotta believe me.
This means I'm qualified to join the War of the Gods and stop Ragnarök before it starts."
The room didn't react.
Charlie had announced his godhood the moment he returned, even scamming them for celebratory red envelopes to "pay his rent."
What a lousy god, extorting them like that.
But stopping Ragnarök? That piqued their interest.
"How do we stop it?" teenage Wanda asked coolly.
Charlie smiled and looked at Thor.
Thor nodded. "My father told me that neutralizing the key figures who trigger Ragnarök will stop it."
"And who are these key figures?" Charlie prompted, playing along.
Thor tapped the table's interface, and a glowing star materialized at the center of the round table.
"First, the Celestial in the sun. He's one of the biggest threats and the most likely to kick off Ragnarök."
"Celestial…"
The room grew somber.
But Captain Universe Spider-Man laughed. "Leave that guy to me."
"You?"
Skeptical eyes turned his way.
Captain Universe Spider-Man nodded. "That's right. I'm limitless!"
"Star-Spangled Spider-Man, enough with the Ultraman speeches," Charlie said, waving him off. "Killing a newborn Celestial isn't hard, but we need the sun to exist. Without the Infinity Stones, what's your plan?"
Carter and the others were curious too.
Captain Universe Spider-Man raised his hand, a faint, mysterious glow blooming in his palm.
The moment it appeared, cosmic starlight erupted above them, overwhelming the room with awe.
This wasn't like the starlight Charlie had seen before.
This light radiated an ancient, vast, and profoundly mysterious power.
"This is the Enigma Force," Captain Universe Spider-Man explained. "A mystical power every Captain Universe wields. It bonds with those of pure heart. The stronger the host's will, the greater its power."
"Enigma Force?"
The room buzzed with curiosity about this unknown power.
Charlie studied the glow in his hand. "And?"
Captain Universe Spider-Man continued, "The Enigma Force can bond with anyone, as long as they have enough strength and willpower."
He looked at Charlie. "If I can't unleash its full potential, it's up to you."
"Me?" Charlie sounded uncertain. "Does it have to be someone with a pure heart?"
"Of course. I absolutely believe in you, Invincible Spider-Man," Captain Universe Spider-Man said with conviction.
But the room's odd glances said otherwise.
Everyone knew the Invincible Spider-Man was, well, a bit of a jerk.
No way the Enigma Force would choose him.
The awkward silence clued Captain Universe Spider-Man in.
Then, Elderly Steve burst out laughing, standing tall.
"Looks like saving the world falls to me!"
Hands on hips, he declared, "Anytime, anywhere, no one's purer than this old guy. I'm the man who lifted Mjolnir!"
Thor bristled. "I can lift Mjolnir too. I can handle the Enigma Force!"
"You? You lifted the Meow-Meow Hammer because you've got a good dad," Elderly Steve scoffed.
"What?"
Thor shot to his feet. "You think I've got no skills?"
"Do I need to think it?"
"I'll hammer you into the ground!"
"Come at me!"
WHAM!
As the two nearly came to blows, Carter unleashed a blast of cosmic energy to stop them.
"Enough!" she roared. "Stop fighting! I'll be the purest one."
With the Enigma Force, she'd have the Invincible Spider-Man eating out of her hand.
Mary Jane had the same idea. "No, I'm the purest!"
"I am!" Norman stood, righteous. "I haven't touched a woman in twenty years. Isn't that pure enough?"
Harry: "???"
"Father, you've… suffered." Guilt washed over him as he dialed his mentor.
"Hey, Alice, it's Harry. My father needs you. Please marry him. I'll give you ten percent of Oscorp's shares."
"No, it's me!"
Lady Deadpool leapt onto the table, cackling wildly.
Hahaha! "No one's purer than me! I come into this world with nothing and leave with nothing. Who's purer than that?"
"Nobody!"
Hahaha! "Who else? WHO ELSE?!"
The room descended into chaos. Outside, Barton shook his head at the noise.
"I knew it. Anywhere Spider-Man goes, nothing gets decided."
Natasha, arms crossed, glared at the door. "Yup. They didn't let us in, so they deserve this."
"Deserve it!"
The Fantastic Four sulked, drawing circles on the floor.
They were powerful heroes too, yet they'd been excluded.
Unfair!
It had to be Spider-Man's fault.
Unreliable was just an excuse.
It had to be!
After what felt like forever, the room quieted.
Golden webbing surged from the void, wrapping Carter and the others like dumplings.
"Now it's quiet," Charlie said, rubbing his temples. "Let's shelve the Enigma Force for now. If Star-Spangled Spider-Man can't handle it, I've got a backup plan."
He looked at the now-calm Thor. "Go on."
"Alright."
Thor straightened. "The second threat is Malekith, reborn. He's taken the Aether, which can unseal Hela's prison."
"The Dark Elf King?" Charlie mused. Did this guy hitch a ride to earn a Resurrection Match spot?
"And the third?" Carter asked Thor.
Thor shrugged. "My sister, Hela, the Goddess of Death. Everything tied to her falls under death's shadow—Asgard, Earth, even the Nine Realms."
"Goddess of Death?"
Lady Deadpool gasped, then hesitated.
"She's not the Death," Charlie clarified, glancing at her.
The true Goddess of Death was one of the five cosmic entities—the one who made Deadpool lick her toes.
Thor's sister Hela, though also a Goddess of Death, wasn't on the same level.
Lady Deadpool sighed in relief at Charlie's words.
His casual probe confirmed her immortality was tied to that entity.
"Anything else?" Charlie played the NPC role again.
Thor nodded. "The fourth is my brother, Loki. His ambitions are vast, but I've locked him in the dungeons. He shouldn't be a problem."
The room groaned.
"So most of Ragnarök's threats come from Asgard?" Carter facepalmed.
Thor looked sheepish.
And that wasn't all.
He continued, "The fifth is Surtur, the Fire Demon. He wields the Twilight Sword, capable of destroying everything, with energy rivaling a thousand burning suns. In the old wars, my father Odin stole his Eternal Flame and imprisoned him in Asgard. He's another likely trigger for Ragnarök."
The room fell speechless.
Wanda stared at Thor. "So, if we destroy Asgard, Ragnarök's chances drop to zero, right?"
"No, that's not…"
Thor tried to explain, but Charlie cut in. "Without Asgard, you'd get Al-Asgard or Ala-Baard. It's unavoidable."
He glanced at everyone's expressions. "Ragnarök's still uncertain, but Thor's given us a lot to work with."
To Captain Universe Spider-Man, he said, "Since Surtur's got the energy of a thousand suns, chopping off one of his fingers should replace the sun."
The room gasped.
Captain Universe Spider-Man's eyes lit up. "Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that? It's easier than moving a star across galaxies and causes less damage."
Thor, concerned, cautioned, "Guys, that's a Fire Demon. A demon. His power surpasses gods. Even my father might not defeat a prime Surtur."
He paused, doubting the two Spider-Men's strength.
Charlie didn't care. That was the rough plan.
As for the other threats, he had a hundred ways to take them down.