"A being that devours planets?" Wanda's face was filled with disbelief. She had never imagined such an existence. Just how powerful and massive must it be? "What should we do? Is it coming to consume Earth?"
Garus furrowed his brow. If he could gather all the Infinity Stones, he was confident he could eliminate Galactus. After all, this was merely an avatar of the Devourer of Worlds, not his true form, and its power wouldn't be nearly as overwhelming.
"We'll take it one step at a time. Right now, we need to locate his herald. Something beneath him is transmitting signals to its master." In truth, he wasn't entirely opposed to Galactus' arrival. Somewhere deep in his subconscious, he believed that a mere avatar wasn't enough to truly threaten this world.
In the Arctic, the battle between Osborn, Victor, and the Silver Surfer raged on.
Osborn's armor continuously launched miniature missiles toward the Surfer. However, the cosmic being simply raised his board in front of him, and the projectiles vanished as if they had been absorbed or transported elsewhere, leaving no trace.
Neither Osborn nor Victor's attacks had any effect. They couldn't even knock the Silver Surfer off his board—it was as if he were fused with it. They began to feel powerless.
The relentless assault angered the Surfer. His board pulsed with energy, channeling it into his hands before he unleashed a devastating blast at his foes.
Victor and Osborn were struck head-on. Unable to resist, they were sent flying hundreds of meters, crashing into a massive ice formation.
The Surfer turned his gaze toward the distant H.A.M.M.E.R. agents—mere humans who still sought to attack him. There was no reason to spare them.
He raised his hands, unleashing energy waves toward the incoming agents. Unlike Victor's armor or Osborn's Green Goblin suit, these conventional aircraft had no means of defense. They exploded instantly.
Boom! Boom! Like glass shattering, the H.A.M.M.E.R. aircraft disintegrated midair, their pilots perishing in mere moments.
With the enemies eliminated, the Surfer turned and ascended into the sky. Wherever he passed, the ocean beneath him froze.
He had more work to do. Before Galactus could devour a planet, his herald needed to carve pathways deep into its core, allowing for a more efficient energy drain.
Victor and Osborn emerged from the ruins of the ice mountain. The vast Arctic expanse was now eerily silent—only the two of them remained. The H.A.M.M.E.R. task force had suffered a devastating loss.
Osborn's armor was in tatters, barely clinging to him, its functionality completely compromised. Thankfully, his Goblin Glider remained intact; otherwise, he would have been forced to walk back.
"That alien's board is too powerful. We need reinforcements," Osborn said, levitating slightly as he reactivated his glider.
Victor scowled but knew they had no other options. "Who do you plan to call?"
Osborn met his gaze. "Dr. Reed Richards. With his intellect, he should be able to separate that alien from his board. I've already recorded data from the battle."
Victor, having his own grudges against the Fantastic Four, remained silent. Still, he didn't object to Osborn's decision.
The two figures took to the skies, heading toward New York.
Noon. Along the Hudson River in New York, the city was at its busiest.
Suddenly, a massive circular chasm appeared in the river's center. Onlookers gasped as a humanoid figure emerged from it—Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfer. In a short span of time, he had successfully drilled a pathway to the planet's core.
Before Galactus could consume a world's energy, his herald needed to create multiple conduits leading to its core, accelerating the planet's demise.
Near the riverbank stood a towering Ferris wheel, packed with tourists. They stared in shock at the gaping void in the river, watching as water surged violently into the abyss, creating towering waves.
The Surfer's presence disrupted the surrounding infrastructure. The Ferris wheel malfunctioned, tilting dangerously. The screams of the passengers filled the air as they braced for disaster.
"No need to panic! Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is here!" Peter Parker swiftly donned his suit and swung into action, wrapping the Ferris wheel in layers of webbing to stabilize it.
From below, Tony Stark observed Parker's actions, nodding in approval. The kid had things under control.
Then, his gaze shifted to the Silver Surfer, who was speeding away. Without hesitation, nanites spread across Stark's body, forming his latest Iron Man armor.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., scan that thing."
"Sir, the entity is emitting immense cosmic radiation. Getting too close could disrupt your armor—similar to the anomalous energy readings detected across the U.S. recently."
"Noted. Let's take a closer look." If this was the cause of the disturbances, Stark was curious. Just what was this being, and why was it so powerful?
Two figures streaked across New York's skyline, their pursuit causing chaos below.
"Hey, Silver Guy! Stop right there, or I'm taking you down!" Tony called out, struggling to keep up with the Surfer's speed.
When his warning was ignored, he issued a command. "J.A.R.V.I.S., deploy the Iron Legion! Surround him!"
Drones filled the sky, blocking the Surfer's escape. However, he remained unfazed, selecting a direction and charging through.
"Fire!" Tony ordered, unwilling to let him slip away.
Explosions rocked the air—but not because they hit the Surfer. Instead, Tony's suits malfunctioned mid-flight, plummeting to the ground in fiery bursts.
"Sir, systems are compromised. The Iron Legion is losing control due to unknown interference," J.A.R.V.I.S. reported.
At that moment, a blazing red figure streaked across the sky.
"Whoa! Aren't those your suits, Tony? Looks like they're just dropping out of the sky!" It was Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. He grinned. "What's wrong? Armor getting rusty?"
Tony clenched his fists, resisting the urge to smack Johnny. Instead, he refocused on the Surfer, who momentarily halted.
Capitalizing on the pause, Stark positioned himself in front of the cosmic being and fired twin repulsor blasts. The energy beams, however, were instantly absorbed. Without even looking back, the Surfer continued on his path.
"Stark!" A voice called out as Susan Storm approached. Seeing Tony's frustration, she got straight to the point. "Osborn wants you at H.A.M.M.E.R. HQ. It's urgent."
Tony watched the Surfer disappear into the horizon. He had to admit—he had no way of stopping him.
Still, what did Osborn want? The two of them were far from friends.
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