Vroom vroom vroom—
A deep, pulsating tremor in the air spread out in ripples!
Suddenly, the "crack" in the sky expanded!
"What… What is that?!"
On the ground, countless citizens shopping or working looked up in shock!
"A military test?"
"No! No, something is coming out!"
Under the fearful, incredulous gaze of countless people,
from the massive cosmic wormhole,
one by one, hideous alien soldiers swarmed out, crossing the border like a plague of locusts!
And then—
Ugly, metallic, beast-like…
Alien warships!
Slowly, they too emerged from the wormhole, like sculptures come to life!
The Chitauri army had landed on Earth!
Atop Stark Tower, on a platform powered by the arc reactor,
the God Mischief, Loki,
freshly escaped from Asgard's dungeons, looked down with a fanatic, intoxicated grin at his "masterpiece."
In his hand, the Scepter—the blue jewel at its tip resonating with the wormhole above,
emitting a wicked, powerful energy.
The wind whipped his deep green robes and tossed his long black hair.
He gazed at the panicked crowd below, an eerie satisfaction on his face.
"Look! Look at this wondrous sight!
See how small and fragile these humble humans are before absolute power!"
He muttered, unable to contain his excitement,
his gaze piercing through space toward Asgard.
"Lucci… and my foolish brother, Thor!
Just wait—I will reclaim everything I've lost,
including the throne of Asgard!
For now, let's start with Midgard!"
He raised the Scepter high, declaring to the chaotic world:
"Attack!"
…
At the same time, in the S.H.I.E.L.D. aerospace carrier's command room,
the atmosphere was extremely grim.
"Director! Cosmic energy readings are off the charts!
A stable wormhole has formed above New York—confirmation: Level Omega interstellar invasion event!"
"Radar shows enemy units increasing by the hundreds every second!
At least a dozen leviathan-class motherships detected!"
The tense reports from every station reached Nick Fury's ears.
The director, hardened by countless battles,
now looked pale, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
He stood before the huge main screen, eyes fixed on the rapidly expanding red alert zone in the heart of New York,
and the dense, chilling clusters of light representing the Chitauri army.
His heart felt as if it had fallen into an icy cavern.
The aerospace carrier, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most powerful war fortress, the crystallization of human technology—
but it was only one!
Faced with the nearly endless tide of alien warships,
could he risk adding the carrier to the battlefield?
Nick Fury didn't even dare think about it.
He knew full well: it would be suicide.
If the carrier tangled with one of those giant leviathans,
it would be scrap metal within minutes, crashing to the ground and causing disaster.
His mind raced, running through every possibility, but the result was always the same—utter darkness.
"Sir!"
Agent Maria Hill approached with a solemn face.
"Emergency call from the World Security Council."
Fury took a deep breath and nodded.
On screen, the stern faces of the council members glared down at him.
"Director Fury," one said coldly, "what do you have to say about what's happening in New York?"
"What do I have to say?"
Fury's anger nearly burst from his one eye, but he forced it down.
"We need military support! All of it—"
"That's enough!"
Another female councilor cut him off curtly. "We've lost confidence in your ability."
"From now on, we'll take supreme command."
"Director Fury, preserve the aerospace carrier and do not act rashly."
The communication was cut.
Nick Fury stared at the darkening screen, humiliation and helplessness rising in his chest.
He knew the council would make the coldest, most inhumane decisions possible.
But he was powerless.
"What… else can we do?"
Agent Hill's voice trembled.
Fury slowly closed his eye, then opened it again, now filled with resolve.
He turned and gave a final, only order to the comms officer:
"Patch through to Captain Rogers, Mr. Stark, Agent Romanoff, and Agent Barton."
"Tell them the carrier can't provide air or heavy fire support."
"New York is theirs now… and Earth's last hope."
"Let them go up."
The order was filled with helplessness and tragedy.
He knew it was like a handful of ants trying to stop a stampeding herd of elephants.
But he had no choice.
…
The message reached the four Avengers instantly.
Aboard the Quinjet, Steve Rogers—Captain America—held his iconic vibranium shield tightly.
He gazed at the infernal city through the window, blue eyes filled with solemn resolve.
"Understood, Director Fury," he said quietly into the comm.
His voice was steady as always, but he alone felt the uncertainty in his heart.
In the skies above the mansion, Tony Stark was flying at high speed toward the center of the battlefield.
His red-and-gold armor drew a lonely, tragic arc.
"JARVIS, analyze enemy numbers and firepower."
"Sir, analysis complete: Enemy units now exceed 100,000 and are increasing.
Their energy weapons can penetrate standard tank armor.
Leviathan-class armor thickness is, by preliminary estimates, impervious to regular missiles.
Conclusion: Current probability of victory… zero."
The cold mechanical voice echoed in Tony's helmet.
"Zero? I love that number."
Tony answered flippantly, but beneath his mask, his usually arrogant face had never been more serious.
Facing overwhelming alien monsters,
how much could the Avengers do?
Even if he emptied his Mark VII's power reserves and took down a block,
what then?
Only despair would remain!
On a rooftop, Black Widow—Natasha Romanoff—and Hawkeye—Clint Barton—were already in position.
Natasha checked her pistols and Widow's Bite, her eyes surprisingly calm.
Hawkeye drew a special explosive arrow from his quiver and nocked it.
They were top agents, battle-hardened warriors.
But they knew better than anyone what they were up against.
This wasn't a skirmish or infiltration—this was a true…
Star War.
A completely uneven war between humanity and alien invaders.
The four of them were like the last four grains of sand on a beach about to be swept away by a tidal wave.
…
At the same time, at Xavier's School:
The moment the cosmic wormhole appeared, Lucci's expression shifted.
But at his level of perception, the invisible, massive MagicNet woven from pure spiritual and magical particles shone with unprecedented warning red light.
New York's energy node blazed as bright as a star.
"The Chitauri… Loki."
Lucci slowly opened his eyes. There was no surprise in their depths, only a faint, almost indifferent calm.
"So they've finally come? Sooner than expected."
"Fine. No need to seek them out any longer."
His thoughts, like silent commands, instantly transmitted through the Infinite Mindscape!
"All mutants, Kamar-Taj mages—heed my command!"
This majestic voice echoed directly in the hearts of all X-Men, Brotherhood members, and Kamar-Taj sorcerers!
"Aliens have appeared over New York! Earth is being invaded!"
…
On the school lawn, X-Men and Brotherhood members in daily training moved as one!
Cyclops stared toward New York.
Iceman's breath froze a layer of frost underfoot.
Colossus stopped wrestling with the red tank, a solemn look on his face.
Erik, playing chess, crushed his black piece in Charles's hand to powder.
"Everyone! Assemble now! Prepare for battle!"
Lucci's voice echoed in their minds with unquestionable authority.
"Remember! You are the guardians of this land!
Your duty is not just to drive the enemy away, but to destroy them!"
"Destroy every alien enemy you see!
Absolutely do not let them harm Earth!"
"And now, through the MagicNet, I grant you all the ability to move freely in the air!"
As his words fell, a warm, powerful energy instantly flowed through the MagicNet and into every mutant's body.
They felt as if their bodies had become weightless, freed from gravity's chains, able to soar into the sky at a thought!
"Incredible…
So this is…
What does it feel like to fly?"
Young mutants looked on in awe.
In the center of the lawn, Charles and Erik were already standing side by side.
Charles's wheelchair floated, his face excited and solemn.
Erik slowly lifted into the air, arms spread, feeling new power in his body.
A smile full of excitement and fighting spirit appeared on his face.
"Finally… I've waited for this day!"
Behind them, former arch-enemies, the X-Men and Brotherhood, at this moment completely shed their past estrangement,
distinct individuals now united in purpose, assembling quickly!
"Destroy the aliens!"
"Don't let them harm Earth!"
In the next instant, a tsunami of battle cries shook the sky!
Their blazing fighting spirit even swept up the clouds!
At that moment, Lucci appeared before them, flanked by Jean Grey and Hulk.
"Very good."
Lucci nodded, satisfied with his now-united, strengthened mutant army.
"Then let's go."
"Magical net system, activate."
"Space teleportation array, activate!"
Buzz—
A massive, golden rune-filled teleportation magic circle instantly spread beneath the feet of every mutant!
Golden light shot to the sky, bathing the entire Xavier school in sacred brilliance!
The light faded, and the lawn was empty.
X-Men, Magneto, Brotherhood…
All mutants vanished without a trace.
…
At the same moment, in the Himalayas:
The mysterious temple of Kamar-Taj, hidden among wind, snow, and clouds.
The instant Lucci's command reached them through the Infinite Mindscape,
Ancient One, Mordo, Wong, and all the magicians assembled in the training grounds.
Dressed in various colored robes, they were solemn and silent,
the air thick with explosive magical power.
Ancient One, Mordo, and Wong stood at the front.
Beside Ancient One stood a strange being: a deep purple, jelly-like creature made of energy.
Mini-Dormammu.
But at this point, Dormammu was no longer "mini"—
after this training period, his form had greatly expanded.
Ancient One gazed at the hundreds of elite magicians before her. Her voice wasn't loud, but clearly reached all ears.
"For thousands of years, we have been Earth's secret guardians,
fighting in the shadows against invaders from other dimensions."
"Today, by Prince Lucci's will, we reveal our power under the sun, before all mankind!"
"Let the world know of our existence!"
"Remember, the enemy is an invader from the sea of stars."
"Our mission is to defend Earth, and to…
completely purify them!"
"Open the portals!"
Ancient One gave a series of commands!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Hundreds of sorcerers simultaneously raised their hands, swirling their rings to trace bright golden sparks!
One after another, portal circles opened above the training ground, blazing like suns!
On the other side of every door—New York!
"Let's go!"
Ancient One took the lead, stepping into her portal.
Mordo, Wong, and all the magicians followed.
Mini-Dormammu turned into a purple streamer and "slipped" through the Ancient One's portal, vanishing as well.
…
New York, at the heart of the battlefield.
Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, and Hawkeye regrouped.
They formed a small defensive formation, gazing solemnly at the sky.
Above their heads, the Chitauri army pressed down like a black cloud!
Endless swarms of flying machines, mythic leviathans,
and the ear-splitting shrieks all combined into a suffocating, apocalyptic scene.
"This is…"
Hawkeye Clint gasped at the terrifying sight.
There were simply too many!
This was a battle of a completely different scale!
"Even if we take down a hundred, a thousand—what's the point?"
Natasha's face was uncharacteristically bitter.
"By the time we're exhausted, the city will already be destroyed."
Tony said nothing, but the data streams updating rapidly inside his armor confirmed Natasha's judgment.
Steve raised his shield, his face grim.
He had seen the harshest battlefields of World War II, but what lay before him was beyond anything he could imagine.
But he was Captain America.
He was the spiritual pillar of many.
No matter the situation, he knew—he could not fall.