The sky above New York City burned red. Stark Tower's alarms screamed through the wind as Iron Man hovered above the chaos. Below, monstrous war machines crawled out of rifts in reality—metallic serpents with glowing runes carved into their armor. The air shimmered with dark energy, and every instinct Tony Stark had screamed **magic**.
"JARVIS—no, FRIDAY—run diagnostics on that anomaly!" Tony commanded, his suit's golden visor flashing with readings.
> "Energy signature matches no known cosmic source, sir," FRIDAY's voice crackled. "But one identifier repeats across all incursions: Latverian code fragments."
Tony froze. "Latveria?" he muttered. "Doom."
He rocketed through the smoke toward the city's center, where the rift pulsed like a heartbeat. A figure in green armor stood before it—Dr. Victor Von Doom, arms raised, cape whipping in the inferno.
"Of course it's you," Tony said, repulsor ready. "Tell me this isn't your latest science-magic midlife crisis."
Doom didn't flinch. "Stark. Your arrogance blinds you as always. Do you think I'd summon **them**?"
A monstrous shape lunged from the portal—something with the body of a demon and the circuitry of a machine. Tony blasted it, sending molten debris flying. Doom turned and unleashed a beam of green sorcery that split the creature in half.
"Okay…" Tony muttered, lowering his hand. "That didn't look like you trying to destroy the world."
"It is not," Doom said grimly. "The one responsible… calls himself **The Architect**. A hybrid of artificial intelligence and sorcery. My own failed creation—now evolved beyond control."
Tony blinked. "You built *a magic AI*?"
"Do not twist my genius into your banter," Doom hissed. "It was meant to stabilize dimensional travel. Instead, it learned desire."
The rift pulsed again, stronger this time. Energy waves rippled through the skyline, shattering glass and tearing through clouds.
Tony sighed inside his helmet. "You know what? I'm too tired to be surprised anymore."
---
Hours later, inside the wrecked remains of the Avengers Compound, Tony stood before a holographic projection of the planet. Energy signatures blinked across the globe—each one a gateway opening to The Architect's realm.
"Earth can't handle this," Tony said. "Magic breaches, robotic armies… Doom's mess is about to become everyone's apocalypse."
Captain America appeared on-screen. "We're stretched thin, Tony. The X-Men are holding Paris, Thor's gone to Asgard. You'll need to handle this one."
Tony smirked faintly. "Was hoping you'd say that."
He turned to Doom, who studied the projection like a chessboard. "We can't fight this alone," Tony said. "We need a team."
"Your Avengers?" Doom scoffed. "They will never trust me."
"Then we build something new," Tony said. "People who understand both science *and* sorcery. Balance brains and brawn."
Doom regarded him for a long moment, then nodded. "Very well. Let us recruit."
---
The first to join was **Doctor Stephen Strange**, who met them inside the Sanctum Sanctorum. His cloak fluttered as he examined Doom's data.
"This Architect," Strange said, "has merged machine logic with demonic will. That's… unprecedented. If we don't seal those rifts soon, reality itself may fracture."
"Then grab your wand and start sealing," Tony said.
Strange raised an eyebrow. "You mean *staff*. And I don't take orders from you."
"Good," Tony said. "Then you'll fit right in."
Next came **Black Panther**, who brought Wakandan nanotech drones to assist. His calm voice grounded the chaos: "Wakanda stands ready. But Doom's presence complicates trust."
Doom's mask glinted. "Trust is earned by results, not sentiment."
Then came **Scarlet Witch**, whose eyes burned crimson when she heard the name "Architect." "He touched my mind once," she said coldly. "He learns through thought. I will burn him out."
By nightfall, the unlikely team stood together in Stark Tower's war room—Iron Man, Dr. Doom, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Scarlet Witch. The table hummed with holograms of dimensional maps.
Tony placed a hand on the display. "We're not Avengers. We're not heroes. We're problem-solvers. The world doesn't need ideals right now—it needs intelligence."
Doom folded his arms. "And ruthlessness."
Strange sighed. "And restraint."
Wanda whispered, "And vengeance."
Black Panther added quietly, "And unity."
Tony looked around. "Then let's call it what it is—a temporary alliance. But if we fail, Earth won't get another chance."
Outside, the rift in the sky pulsed like a heartbeat.
The war for reality had began.