40: Marvel's Green Lantern, The Coming Evil

“Woah,” said Sprite, her eyes wide as the projection filled the chamber. She and her fellow Eternals Ajak, Sersi, Ikaris, Gilgamesh, Thena, and Phastos were gathered in the grand hall of Olympia, the hidden city that had once been home to thousands of their kind.

On the massive holo-screen before them, a battle raged. Monstrous creations of the Kree clashed with a strange company of warriors.

“Why didn’t he invite us?” Gilgamesh muttered, his tone wounded as his massive arms crossed over his chest. “I thought we were friends.”

“Perhaps he didn’t know where to find us,” Thena replied, her golden eyes narrowing as she studied the combatants. Her posture was calm, but the faintest crease touched her brow.

“Who are they?” asked Ikaris.

Ajak’s voice was soft, steady. “I recognize one. The King of Wakanda stands among them, and a warrior from K’un-Lun as well. The others…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “I do not know them.”

Thena lifted a hand, pointing to the gray-skinned man whose body shifted and grew in size. “That one I know En Sabah Nur. And the one cloaked in emerald light he is the Green Lantern.”

Ajak’s eyes flickered in recognition. “The very one you fought beside?”

Thena gave a small nod. “Yes. And there—” she gestured again, “the sorcerer is Agamotto. The man with the hammer Odin, the prince of Asgard.”

Gilgamesh leaned closer, his tone half-amused, half-relieved. “Looks like they both made it back alive. Max was very worried about them.”

Sprite’s voice rang high and eager. “But what about the other three? That one with the flaming skull, and the giant, glowing red man and her?” Sprite’s eyes gleamed in awe as she pointed at the fiery woman hovering above the battlefield. “She’s so powerful! Did you see her burn that ship to nothing?”

“Yes,” Thena admitted, her gaze thoughtful. “It surprises me that such a being has come to this world or perhaps she was already here…”

Phastos adjusted the bronze-and-gold bands at his wrist. “Three unknowns, then. I’ll dig through the archives, see if I can trace any mention of beings like them.”

Sprite crossed her arms, still looking at the display. “So… who do you think would win in a fight? Them, or us?”

Ikaris didn’t hesitate. “Us. Of course.”

Thena shook her head slowly, her expression unreadable.

Gilgamesh caught the motion. “Wait, you don’t think we can take them?”

“Did you not see them?” Ajak’s voice was calm but firm as she turned to Gilgamesh. “Their combined power is immense. The weakest of them may be the ruler of Wakanda, yet even he could fight you, Gil or even Thena to a standstill.”

Thena inclined her head. “She’s right. I’ve sparred with the Wakandan king during the troubles in Khem. He is as strong as his ancestors.”

Gilgamesh let out a low grunt, conceding the point. “Aye. He is.”

Ikaris straightened, pride hard in his voice. “We are Eternals, Ajak. Surely we are still beyond them.”

Ajak shook her head slowly. “No. They are very powerful. The green one—” her eyes lingered on the image of the Lantern, glowing emerald, “—he intrigues me.”

Phastos leaned forward, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. “He’s the one I’ll be researching most. I’ve never heard of such a power. Never heard of such a person. Not in all the archives of Olympia.”

Sprite piped up, bouncing with restless energy. “Why don’t we just go to them? For a friendly spar, maybe just to see if—” She stopped short as the air in the chamber shifted.

A new presence had entered.

“Zuras,” Ajak breathed, immediately rising to her feet. The others followed, standing in unison to honor their leader.

“You look troubled,” Ajak said.

Zuras’s face was grave, his tone heavy with words not spoken lightly. “One of the gods is on his way here, Ajak.”

Every Eternal froze, their eyes widening. A chill passed through the room.

Ajak’s voice quivered ever so slightly as she asked, “Is it time once more?”

All of them knew what she meant: the Third Host, the third arrival of the Celestials, their creators, their gods.

Zuras shook his head. “No. Only one comes. And he asks too much of us.”

Ajak’s voice hardened, sharp as steel. “Too much? We are but instruments for the gods to use. We are to obey without question.”

“I know,” Zuras said, his voice quieter now, almost pained. “But this time is different. This time… he asks of me too much.” He paused, then looked to Ajak. “We must go to Titan.”

“Titan?” Ajak’s tone carried shock and fury. “Why go to those traitors?”

Zuras met her eyes steadily. “Because I must see my brother.”

=======

Ajak and Zuras left for Titan immediately.

Their ship descended into the cloudy moon, cutting through its pale atmosphere before breaking into the shimmer of the domed city. Titan’s capital stretched out before them a place of gleaming spires and radiant avenues, far different from Olympia. Thousands of Eternals lived here those who had followed A’lars in the Great Schism. They thrived, building their own destiny apart from Zuras and his rule.

The ship settled onto a landing platform, its engines hissing to silence. As the hatch opened, Zuras and Ajak stepped down to the platform. Waiting for them at its edge stood A’lars.

He was tall, golden-eyed, his hair silver as moonlight. His expression was unreadable.

The brothers froze a few steps apart, staring at each other. The silence between them was heavy.

“Brother,” A’lars said at last.

“Brother,” Zuras replied.

“It has been some time,” A’lars said, his voice even, though something flickered in his eyes.

“Yes,” Zuras answered. “It has.”

A’lars turned, gesturing toward the sleek vehicle that waited nearby. “Come. We can speak at my home.”

They boarded together. The vehicle rose into the sky, gliding silently above Titan’s shining avenues. For long moments, neither spoke. The silence grew thick until, at last, Zuras broke it.

“So. Still married to that Uranian traitor?”

“Yes, brother,” A’lars answered without hesitation. “Sui-San is recovering well.”

“Ah,” Zuras said, his tone sharp though controlled. “And your son? Is he…?”

“Thanos is alive and well,” A’lars said, his golden eyes flicking to his brother.

“From what I have heard…” Zuras began.

“Do not put much stock in rumors, brother,” A’lars cut him off, his tone hardening.

The silence returned as the vehicle continued its steady flight, until it finally descended near A’lars’s residence. His home was vast, carved from Titan’s golden stone, its arches and towers reaching toward the sky with elegance.

They disembarked and entered the home together, A’lars leading the way. As they walked through the grand hall, Ajak’s sharp eyes caught movement in the shadows.

There half-hidden near one of the pillars stood a child, perhaps ten or eleven. His skin was purple, his frame small but already bearing an uncanny presence. His eyes gleamed with something she could not name.

Ajak’s breath caught. Ah, she thought, her chest tightening. The child with the Deviant’s taint. How sad…

Soon they were alone, only three of them.

“I know why you are here,” said A’lars.

“Then I take it the god has communicated with you as well.”

A’lars nodded, jaw tight. “He asks for too much.”

Ajak stepped forward, her voice firm, unwavering. “Do not question them.”

Zuras turned sharply. “I have told you before, Ajak—”

But she cut him off. “If our gods ask that Uranos be freed, then that is what we must do.”

A’lars’s golden eyes burned. “You know why Uranos is imprisoned in the Exclusion, yes? Or have you forgotten? Do you not remember when he sought to wipe out the humans and every other lifeform on Earth? My uncle is a monster.”

Ajak’s face was grave. “Do you think we have a choice?”

Zuras’s gaze drifted to A’lars. For a moment the two brothers held each other’s eyes, and then A’lars shook his head, a weary sigh escaping him.

“Why now?” A’lars whispered. “Why now, when my wife is finally nearing her full recovery, when Titan prospers as never before? And now our gods demand this of us? To unleash the worst of us the monster of our bloodline?”

Zuras’s voice was low, heavy with inevitability. “Brother… we have no choice. Our uncle must be freed.”

He looked down at his hands, then up again, his voice a solemn decree.

“Then Uranos the Undying must walk the Earth once more for whatever purpose our gods deem fit.”

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“So this is who you’ve chosen?” Mephisto heard the voice of his female counterpart as she approached, her heels clicking softly against the stone floor.

“Yes,” Mephisto said, eyes glowing faintly red as his lips curled into a grin. “Uranos. I remember him quite well, very powerful. He will be a useful servant to me.”

His counterpart circled him slowly, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Uranos… yes, but it won’t be easy. The Eternals have imprisoned him well.”

Mephisto gave a slight nod. “I know. That’s why I’ve arranged for the Celestial visiting Earth to ensure his release. It won’t be able to complete its quest without Uranos.”

She raised an eyebrow. “That simple?”

“No,” Mephisto said, shaking his head. “The Eternals will never free him completely. I’ll need your help to finish the job.”

She smiled at that, lips painted with fire. “I was hoping you’d ask.”

Her eyes flashed as a section of the void behind her peeled open. From the swirling shadows emerged a man in a crisp, well-fitted suit middle-aged, poised, and unmistakably human. His mustache was trimmed to perfection, and his eyes gleamed with cunning intellect.

“That’s it?” Mephisto asked, tilting his head. “This is your chosen servant for our great task?”

“Yes,” she said, with sultry pride. “Come, Howard.” Her voice dropped an octave, her lips curling in amusement as she bit her lower lip slightly.

The man stepped forward and knelt on one knee, lowering his head. “My lady,” he said with the smooth charm of a practiced politician. “Your beauty increases each time I lay eyes upon you.”

“Oh, he’s quite a charmer,” she said, brushing a finger across his jawline. “This is Howard Stark, my most trusted servant.”

“What good is he?” Mephisto asked, his voice laced with contempt as he eyed the sharply dressed human before him.

She smirked. “Howard is the most devious and intelligent mortal I’ve ever encountered, a true architect of manipulation. He killed his own son to prove his loyalty to me.”

“A small price to pay,” Howard Stark said, rising to his feet. His tone was cold, his expression devoid of remorse. “For eternal life.”

“Yes,” she purred, trailing a finger along Howard’s shoulder. “Yes, it is.”

Suddenly, the darkness behind them tore open once more. Another portal formed. From it stepped forth a towering figure encased in a monstrous suit of armor.

The plating was dark silver and iron-black, every edge honed like a blade. The helm resembled the skull of an apex predator. From within its slitted visor, four red eyes glowed like coals from the depths of the abyss. A pulsing hellfire core burned in its chest. Its gauntlets were colossal, each finger ending in clawed talons engraved with ancient glyphs that shimmered in fiery runes.

She turned to Howard, her voice almost loving. “It’s time, my dear Howard… for you to become the Iron Inquisitor once more.”

Howard inhaled deeply. His body glowed with dark red energy as he stepped toward the armor. With a shimmer of spell and machine, the armor unfolded, wrapping itself around him like a second skin. When it sealed shut, the Iron Inquisitor stood in full form.

She turned back to Mephisto. “Will that do?”

Mephisto’s grin widened unnaturally as he laughed, maniacally.

“Yes,” he said. “Yes… this will do.”

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A Celestial is coming,and the Mephistos are plotting forming a league of their own by choosing the most powerful in their universe.

Mephisto Prime – Uranos

Lady Mephisto – The Iron Inquisitor (Howard Stark)

Seven more to go…