The psychic ether was a symphony of despair. On the ground, in orbit, and in the Astral Plane, the heroes were drowning in their own nightmares. Dr. Stephen Strange, the last one standing, felt the collective agony as a physical presence. He felt Steve's moral code buckling under the weight of his evil counterpart, Sharon's heart breaking at the phantom of Peggy's taunts, and Clint's soul being torn apart by the image of his corrupted daughter. He felt Logan's guilt and Mariko's terror, the dread of a king and the fury of a warrior. He felt Peter's unceasing guilt over Gwen and Uncle Ben, and Wade's heartbreak at the sight of Vanessa's fear.
In the Astral Plane, he felt Tony's anguish as a grotesque phantom of his family accused him of being the "merchant of death" and an absentee father. He felt Loki's shame at being called "weak" and "pathetic" by the phantom of his mother, and Sylvie's profound self-doubt as she was accused of destroying the very reality she loved. In orbit, he felt Thor's godlike will shatter under the accusation of destroying Asgard and his family. He felt Carol's resolve crumble as she was haunted by the phantom of her father's disappointment and the ghost of her brother's blame. He felt Bruce's pure, unadulterated horror at the sight of Natasha's death at the Hulk's hands, and the rings on his fingers glowing with a discordant, chaotic light. He even felt Shuri's guilt, Pietro's shame, and Wanda's mental breakdown from the Helicarrier. He felt the darkness, the emptiness, and the silence of the Eidolon's nihilism begin to win.
But Stephen Strange was Dr. Mindstorm, a man who had faced his own monsters and lived. He had not fought back with anger or violence, but with acceptance and truth. He had endured the psychic screams of a thousand realities and found a new purpose in the shared grief. With a single, concentrated act of will, his consciousness expanded, not as a shield, but as a thousand tiny whispers, a personal, compassionate voice that spoke directly to the heart of every hero. He went inside their minds, not to fight their demons, but to remind them of the truth of who they were.
The first whispers were for the men of honor. Stephen touched Steve's crumbling psyche, a voice both calm and resolute speaking into his soul. He countered the Captain Hydra phantom's sneers with a simple, unyielding truth: "Your morals are absolute, Steve. That is your strength. You did not become Captain Hydra. You became Stormwarden. You are not defined by the order you crave, but by the chaos you are willing to endure for the sake of freedom. Do not let a phantom of a man you could have become make you question the man you are." At the same time, a gentle comfort reached Sharon's heart, which was breaking under the phantom Peggy's cruel taunts. "Look into his eyes. Steve loves you. Peggy would have been proud of the woman you became, of the love you found. She would have wanted him to find happiness. You are not a replacement. You are his future."
Next, he turned to the shadows. Stephen reached for Natasha, drowning in the twisted comfort of the phantom Yelena, and a voice cut through the noise. "Yelena is with you now. But she is not asking you to rest. She is telling you to find peace in the fight. To accept the pain and the red in your ledger, not as a weakness, but as a lesson. Your sister is trapped, and she needs you now more than ever. Find your resolve, and you will find your freedom." In the same instant, he found Logan, on his knees under the weight of his failures. "You are not a monster, Logan. You are a family man. Mariko and your children are not a mistake. They are your reason for fighting. You cannot fail them. Fight for them." He then felt Mariko's hand in his, and a voice of resolute strength spoke to her heart. "That sword you hold, the Setsudan-sha, is a tool to protect your family and your future. Do not let a random phantom's words about its power exhaust your life force. Make the sword follow your will. Control the sword."
Stephen then touched the minds of the royalty and innovators. He found T'Challa and Erik, their shared legacy crumbling under the Eidolon's lies. A voice spoke of a shared purpose. "You have built the best version of Wakanda. Your fathers would not be disappointed; they would be proud. Do not let this phantom make you regret your decisions." He found Shuri, paralyzed by self-loathing, and a voice of frantic reassurance cut through her doubt. "You are the smartest person Tony knows. He believes in you. You are an architect, not a destroyer. Your role is not to simply create, but to build a better future. Focus on your work." To Pietro, paralyzed by the ghosts of his past, Stephen's voice was a torrent of understanding. "You did what you had to do because of HYDRA. That was not your fault. You are no longer that person. You have a chance to run from the past, but run toward a better future. Fight for her. Fight for yourself." He also reached for Jane Foster, whose scientific mind was being tortured with the futility of her knowledge. A voice of quiet truth cut through the phantom's condescending mockery. "Your science is not a dead language. It is a foundation. This battle is not just of magic, but of understanding. Your love for Thor is his anchor. You are not a warrior, but you are a guide. Believe in the knowledge you hold, and believe in the man you love. They are both real."
He reached for Wanda, a frantic whisper of a voice cutting through her self-loathing. "You are not a monster. That was not you. That was a version of you who lost hope. You have a chance to choose a different path. You have the power of two ancient tomes. Use their power to fight for a better future, not to destroy it. You are a creator, not a destroyer." In the chaos, he found Peter, drowning in the continuous loop of Gwen's death. "Gwen loved you, Peter. She did not blame you. Uncle Ben would have been proud of the man you became. Do not let a phantom make you question the choices you made to protect everyone. Fight for them."
In the Astral Plane, he touched the minds of the architects. He reached for Tony, whose anguish was a physical presence. "You are not a merchant of death. You are an architect of hope. You did not abandon your family. You fought for them. They are proud of you. You are their shield. Fight for them." He found Loki, drowning in shame, and a voice of fierce conviction spoke to him. "You are not pathetic. You are a protector. You are a warrior. Do not let a phantom make you question the choices you made to protect your home. Your mother and sister would have been proud of you. Fight for them." He found Sylvie, frozen in self-doubt, and a voice of quiet resolve spoke to her. "You are not a mistake. You are a miracle. The love between you and Loki is not a weakness. It is your greatest strength. Fight for them."
He touched the minds of the gods. He reached for Thor, whose godlike will was shattered. "Your father would have been proud of the man you became. You are a king who chose a family. You are a protector, a warrior, and a god. Your mother and sister would have been proud of you. Fight for them." He found Carol, whose resolve was crumbling. "You are not a destroyer. You are a protector. You are a hero. Your brother would have been proud of the hero you became. Do not let a phantom make you question the choices you made to protect the people. Fight for them." He found Bruce, whose mind was a maelstrom of guilt. "You are not a monster. You are a protector. Natasha loved you. She would have wanted you to fight. Fight for them." And finally, he reached for Deadpool. "Vanessa loves you, Wade. She loves the man you are. She loves the hero you are. Do not let a phantom make you question the choices you made to protect the Vanessa. Fight for Vanessa."
A final, crucial touch went to the Helicarrier bridge, where Nick Fury stood paralyzed. A voice of unyielding truth cut through his vision of a world consumed by his failures. "Your past mistakes did not lead to this. This is a battle for existence, and you are not a flaw in the system. You are the architect of this team, a team of hope and resilience. Do not let a phantom make you question the choices you made to protect everyone. Focus on the solution. Believe in your friends. Believe in the family you helped create."
After the whispers of Dr. Mindstorm, the heroes, one by one, found their resolve. The psychic torment began to subside, replaced by a surge of hope and determination. The battle for the multiverse was far from over, but the heroes were finally ready to fight.