'Was this always this way?' the soul asked itself as it watched reality pass by.
It was not the usual experience he read about in the past, where he was granted wishes and then woke up somewhere he chose. He was granted a single wish: to choose who he wanted to be in his next life. He was given 15 seconds to decide, and that was it. No special powers, no customisations, nothing. He chose to become Thor Odinson from Earth-616 because he was old and powerful by the time modern stories started. The soul knew that he could use his knowledge to grow even more powerful along the way.
As soon as he stated his wish, the soul was flung off into the Overvoid. He was hurled like disposable trash, shooting through the void as if it were nothing. That's where he was now. He didn't see his surroundings in a normal sense. It was like travelling through hyperspace in Star Wars.
As he was moving through the Overvoid, where time didn't have meaning, something peculiar happened. The Overvoid existed above and beyond everything, and the soul was navigated through different realities, while still being in the Overvoid. Then, as they were scratching the very edge of a rather big Multiverse, it felt as though the soul crashed into something. Like he was driving on a highway in Germany at 200, and suddenly hit something, he hadn't seen coming.
...
- A few minutes earlier -
Mamaragan, also known as The Wizard or Shazam, was a powerful sorcerer and thunder deity responsible for creating the Living Lightning. More than 300 years ago, he chose Teth Adam, deeming him pure. Mamaragan offered him the role of his champion, assigning him the task of defeating the slaver Ibac. Aman accepted on the condition that Shazam healed him. Shazam explained that the gift bestowed upon him could be shared with his family, and he gave Aman his powers, healing and empowering Adam in the process.
But Teth Adam didn't share his power with his family; he kept it all to himself. The Mighty Adam turned against the Council of Eternity and murdered all its members except Mamaragan. He wanted to kill the Wizard, but knew that the magic that granted him his power and the Wizard were one. Instead, for centuries, Teth-Adam kept the Wizard in stasis with arcane potions. As the Wizard became known as He-Who-Sleeps, Teth-Adam continued to serve as Champion to the Pharaohs of Egypt. In time, he served 22 of them before entering the service of the Pharaoh Teti, who, like many before him, was unfit to rule.
Manipulated by an advisor, Adam killed Teti and seized the throne, his brief reign recorded in history as that of Userkare. His reign was beset by invaders both mundane and mystical; in the wilderness east of Egypt, he built a sanctuary where he could return to his mortal form and rest.
Now, 300 years later, in 2325 BCE, Mamaragan awoke, and he was angry.
"You have turned evil, Mighty Adam! I rename you Black Adam and banish you from the Earth!!" Mamaragan shouted in anger.
He used all his power and magic and hit Adam with it.
"Go, Black Adam - beyond the Universe's farthest Star!!"
...
- Back to the present -
Through sheer ignorance, whoever it was, threw the soul slightly wrong and made it collide with the body of Teth Adam as he was banished to the farthest Star in the DC Universe. But this wasn't a normal collision. The speed at which the soul was travelling was beyond description. It surpassed anything the Speed Force or any other force was capable of, so fast that it surpassed all reason and causality.
The collision, therefore, killed Teth Adam in the same instance that he touched the soul. But it didn't stop there. The essence and everything that made up Teth Adam were drawn in by the soul's gravitational pull and absorbed into him. For the soul, it was like blinking and then waking up feeling slightly different. And he was different, fundamentally so. But he wouldn't quite realise that until later on.
.
.
Somewhere in a cave on Midgard, a woman was in the process of giving birth.
"Grrreeeeggh! It's happening. Feels like... like giving birth to a storm!"
Gaea, Mother Earth, one of the Elder Gods born from the Demiurge circa four billion years ago, was in the process of giving birth. She had experience with giving birth, but this one felt different.
"The babe is crying in the womb, Lady Gaea," one of her servants, a forest spirit, said.
"Thunder is his crying."
"Such is his strength that he may destroy the world before even being born. This willnot go unnoticed."
A bright light shone in front of the cave, and an elderly man appeared.
"It hasn't gone unnoticed. Greetings, Earth Mother Gaea. I am Agamotto, the Sorcerer Supreme. My spells can soothe your pain."
The old wizard was the first to arrive, as he had forseen the birth while exploring the astral planes, charting them for future generations. The moment the foreign soul arrived and fused with the babe inside Gaea's stomach was when he felt it. The birth of Thor was already a grand thing. But now, things had been taken to a new level entirely. The soul which had absorbed Teth Adam before, and then fused with Thor, was grander than most grown gods already. So it was natural that his arrival would cause great ripples.
The Ghost Rider had journeyed through the shadows, punishing the sinful. His only company, his woolly mammoth ride and the screams of the unrepentant and the Starbrand who brooded in the night sky, keeping watch for threats from other worlds.
"Been a while, big guy. Figured you were dead," the Rider said.
"GRRRGGH!"
"Yeah, I didn't miss you much either, pal."
But they weren't the only ones. Hidden deep within their mountain of Vibranium, the panther tribe felt the rumblings of the coming birth. They reacted as they had since the fall of their Great Protector; they closed their doors. And dared anyone to try to open them. Gaea was in great pain. Despite being an Elder god, she felt the pain of the birth, which sent more and stronger tremors through the plains.
The Iron Fist, the first one, still watched over the herds of humans like a shepherd and sometimes gathered new heroes to stand with her in defence of hte planet. A knight of the moon, a walking plant-beast, a warlord from beneath the waves... when she came to the birthing cave, she brought with her the ancient medicines of mystical K'un-Lun and also a warning.
"Cold winds blow that are not of this earth. This babe already has enemies," she told Agamotto.
"I sense the same. We will need all of Earth's mightiest heroes this night..." Agamotto said.
And they were right. Outside of the cave, Odin was waiting, drinking and greeting his former teammates.
"Ho!"
"Oh hell. Kill me now," Ghost Rider said as he saw Odin.
"Is it done?!" Odin asked. "Have the whelp cleaned and brought before me! And let us drink to his name! Whatever... that is!"
"Aye, let us drink to the mewling brat! Let us drink to his death!"
The three looked to the side, where several large Frost Giants appeared. They towered above the trees, lowering the temperature. Thick snowflakes fell from the sky.
"Laufey! You dare defile my child's-- GUUGH!"
Laufey smashed Odin with his club, silencing him.
"I swore I would repay my debt to you, Asgardian!"
.
This story dates back years. Like all great love stories, it began with a kiss. He was Laufey, the King of the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. She was Hyve, the War-Bearer, Mother of Infestation from a place called the Negative Zone. They met by chance, and that was enough for feelings to sprout. Both of them came to Midgard, the Earth, 1'000'000 years ago, to consummate their love.
They did that through conquest and slaughter. Such was the power of their union that it mostly assuredly would have annihilated humanity in its earliest and most primitive of days, were it not for Earth's Mightiest Heroes at the time.
The Avengers of 1'000'000 B.C.
The battle lasted for seventy days and seventy nights. Billions of war vermin died before their Queen, Hyve, would succumb to the shame of retreat. The union of the sons of Ymir and the insectoid hordes of the Negative Zone was not meant to be. Laufey's rage was a roaring blizzard, and that day, he swore a blood debt against all the gods and man-beasts of Midgard.
As he fled back to Utgard, Laufey vowed to someday turn Midgard to ash and slush. While the young realm of Midgard, led by its Mighty protectors, vowed stubbornly to endure. The fight, however, demanded its price, and the first Black Panther succumbed to his wounds.
And now, Laufey was back to fulfil the vow he made back then.
Another Frost Giant rushed forward, his large stature crushing the trees underneath his feet. He raised a giant axe and was about to attack the knocked-down Odin, when a powerful stream of fire cut off his hand.
"AAAAARRRHHHHH!! IT BURNS!!!" he screamed.
The Phoenix had arrived, much to everyone's surprise. No one had expected to see the Phoenix that day, but no one else knew the truth of the child's birth. No one except his mothers.
.
- Some time earlier -
Gaea was teaching humans how to plant and harvest crops when the Phoenix arrived.
"So, they can be taught to do something other than destroy," the Phoenix said.
"Aye, with a fair bit of effort. It helps to have the patience of an Elder God, though," Gaea answered.
"I'm afraid, Lady Gaea, that I'venever found patience to be among the gifts of the Phoenix."
"From what I hear, you've been doing plenty of teaching of your own," Gaea said.
"I do what I can to watch after those seen as misfits. To show them that this world belongs to them as well."
"So it does. This I swear to you, as mother of it all."
"Then we agree that beings like us must do whatever we can to protect all the living creatures on this planet. That's why I've come to you, Gaea, Goddess of the Earth. With a proposal."
"A proposal? You sound like Odin. And the whole world knows how you felt about his proposal," Gaea said.
Firehair, the current Phoenix, was asked by Odin to marry him, and he had even prepared a wedding without her being aware of it. That was the last time she saw him, and she left in anger after slapping him.
"Yes. Which has only inflamed his anger. Anger toward me for rejecting him. For choosing this world and its people... primitive and stubborn though they may be... over the hand of the All-Father. His anger and shame have made the God of Gods turn his back on man," the Phoenix said.
"Man has other gods and goddesses. And mighty protectors of their own. You most powerful among them."
"I have been among them, yes. But I won't be forever. The Phoenix must fly free or risk... being bound by darkness. I have stayed about as long as I dare. The only thing that holds me back is fear. Fear over who will guard this world once I am gone. Fear that the gods don't have a reason to care. I know that Odin has sought to court you."
"If that's what you want to call it. Since you rebuffed him, he's made advances toward most every goddess in existence," Gaea said.
"What if you were to say yes to him?" the Phoenix asked.
...
"I think even I don't have that much patience."
"He is... not as much of a buffoon as he sometimes tries to very fiercely to be."
"You loved him once? Truly?" Gaea asked.
"Perhaps I still do. As much as the fire inside me will allow. Being a lover, a bride, a mother... these things are not the will of hte Phoenix. Not for me, at least. But you, my Lady..."
"Aye, I have lived by many names, siring many children, with many different fathers. Most of them deities or cosmic entities, at least one of them a talking tree. Such are the sex lives of the gods. But Odin..."
"Gaea... This world deserves more gods like you. Gods who give a damn, gods of its own," Phoenix stated.
"You poor creature. It's not Odin that's got you so lovesick. You adore this poor, lost planet just as much as I do."
"With all the embers in my heart. I love it so much that I must leave it. Before I burn it to ash. But not until I make certain that it's protected from monsters like me."
"You are no more a monster than I am a breeding mare, Dear. I will not give birth to a child purely to try to manufacture a benevolent god. If we hope the babe to be a loving deity, they must first be born of love. For you, Phoenix, I will give Odin a chance, where before he had none. And if the god you say you loved still exists underneath that beard and those ridiculous helmets, well... then we shall see what sort of love story the fates may weave."
"Thank you, Gaea."
"No, the thanks will be to you, my Lady, whether anyone ever knows it or not. For if this god-child should someday be born of the union of the goddess of Midgard and the Sky-Father of Asgard...you will be just as much their mother as I," Gaea said with a smile.
.
Gaea felt a lot of her energy leave her as she finally gave birth and revealed the fruit of that union. She was more exhausted than when she birthed Ouranos or any of her other children.
"He's so... beautiful..." she muttered, out of breath.
"Congratulations, Lady Gaea. Now please, whenever you're able, take the child and run," the Iron Fist shouted.
But Gaea couldn't move. She was far too exhausted. Beyond mere physical exhaustion, a mythical and spiritual exhaustion, leaving her energy reserves dangerously low. And that moment of weakness proved to be terrible. Laufey pushed through the line of defence, having his many Frost Giants keep the others busy. He smashed into the cave and slashed his large sword at the infant with all his might.
"Behold, we bring you tidings of great joy! All hail the little king!!"
"NO!!"
The Phoenix felt the cut of the mighty frozen sword of Laufey, as if it had cut her own flesh. Gaea's weakness proved to be terrible as the blade cut the babe and nearly split it in half.
"Phoenix! The baby! HELP HIM!!" Gaea screamed.
A red-haired cave-woman without a true name, raised by wolves. She had often wondered over the years why such a force of cosmic proportions of chaos and rebirth had chosen her. Now, she understood. As the Phoenix burned like never before, she shot forward, burning all the Frost Giants in her path and grabbed the dead child. She shot forward into space, using her power to breathe the fires of life back into the child.
The child of the Elder Goddess of Midgard and the All-Father of Asgard... and a Firebird from beyond the stars. A child whose first breath was flame and thunder. As the babe breathed in again, a ridiculously large stream of lightning shot out of his hands. The lightning engulfed the babe and seemed to mix with the Phoenix flames, releasing an even greater wave of power.
Thor Adam was born.
.
Thor Adam opened his eyes and looked at the burning woman who held him. He felt a great amount of power and vitality flowing through him. The flames didn't burn him or hurt him at all. They were inviting and filled with love and life. He looked at Firehair and smiled unconsciously. He felt the connection to the Phoenix and part of its power, which had just fused with him. There weren't many who started in life with this many boons.
Seeing the child smile at her, the Phoenix felt more warmth than her flames ever had. The moment between them stretched out until she had to descend. And what greeted her was a thankful but crying Gaea and an angry Odin.
"Unhand my child!" he shouted. "We're taking him to Asgard at once! And you!! Stay away from my family!"
Thor Adam cried and tried to reach out to the Phoenix, wanting to keep the warmth close to him, but his parents wouldn't listen. Gaea looked at the Phoenix with regret, knowing what she must be going through. They left with the Bifrost.
The Phoenix tried to remain on Earth a bit longer. To watch the child grow, but there were storms every time the babe cried for some reason that shook the heavens. She felt the power from Earth, as those storms shook the World Tree Yggdrasil and every realm perched among its branches. But it was those storms that shook the Phoenix most of all. She had to leave eventually.
Wherever she journeyed in the days that followed, no matter the planet or what strange and distant sky through which she flew, she always avoided storm clouds whenever she could. Even for a being who could walk upon stars and tear the world apart with her hands, the simple sound of thunder was too much to bear.