DR. DOOM LOOPS

A Sidestory of The Infinite Loops

by Jonathan "KnightMysterio" Spires

Author's Note: All characters copyrighted to their original owners and used for non-profit entertainment purposes. For more information on the Infinite Loops setting, please look up their wiki or their TV Tropes page. Links provided on request.

Admins

"...Okay, the Living Tribunal is definitely Looping," Urd said, chuckling as she and Thor walked down the hall. "Because he's obviously bored and trolling you as a way to pass the time."

Thor frowned. "You really think so? Because what he's said makes sense..." the thunderer said, idly fiddling with his warhammer.

Urd snickered. "Okay, devil's advocate. Let's say he's right, and there is more than one multiverse out there. More than one Yggdrasil. SO WHAT? We have this one to worry about, so let's focus on that instead of having existential crises about a bazillion other multiverses. Ignore the Tribunal, you're letting him get to you too much," she said. "Listen, you've obviously been doing Marvel too much lately. Go check on some of the other worlds assigned to you."

Thor just grunted.

Urd took a long drink from the wine bottle she had with her. "Meantime, we've got other problems to worry about..." she muttered. "Lex Luthor, LEX GODDAMN LUTHOR of ALL people, has started Looping..."

Thor blinked. "Wait, what? Wasn't he on our potential MLE watchlist?"

Urd nodded, sighing. "I still can't believe it. He reformed... Lex Luthor reformed, and in the BASELINE no less. Plus before that there was the All-Star Superman scenario in which he realized how much of a dick he was being... Superman's in a tizzy fit about it and I do not freakin' blame him..."

Thor frowned, pulling out a sheaf of papers from a pocket in his cloak. "Funny you should mention that..." he said, handing the papers to her.

Urd frowned, looking them over. She went pale. "WHAT?! HIM!?" she shrieked, staring at Thor. Thor just nodded. Urd groaned. "Skuld's gonna have an aneurism over this one..."

Marvel Loops
Doom 1.1

Iron Man 'awoke' in the Helicarrier's command center. He noticed a SHIELD agent talking to several other Avengers as if she were their leader, and nodded.

"Okay," he said softly. "Avengers Alliance scenario. Cool, I've been wanting to do more work with Iso-8. Maybe I can combine it with those mechanical Elements of Harmony I created..."

He closed his eyes, sending out a 'ping,' feeling a little over twenty others respond to it, including Spider-Man, Captain America, and Squirrel Girl. At the table, Captain America, She-Hulk, and Wasp turned and waved to Iron Man, acknowledging the 'ping' as well, Maria Hill, who had just started Looping recently, coming over to join him. Meanwhile, Ms. Marvel just nodded to him, watching the horizon.

Iron Man nodded. "Good set of Loopers awake this time," he said.

Maria nodded. "I think we have a new one, though," she said. "Can't tell who..."

Maria shrugged. "One never knows..." she said. "I'm still getting used to this whole 'endless time loops thing.'"

Iron Man chuckled. "What was your last loop?"

"Persona 2," Maria said, shuddering. "It went badly. The Loopers were operating under baseline powers and I swear that Nyarlahotep knew what was going on..."

Iron Man grimaced. "Ouch... Lovecraftian monsters are pain to deal with no matter how tough you are..." he said. "You, me, Rhodey, and Pepper are all going out for drinks later."

"I need them..." Maria said. "Hopefully, we won't have to deal..." She turned, spotting something in the distance. "with... anything... too bad..." she trailed off, reaching for her sidearm.

Iron Man lowered his visor, activating the long range scanners. "...Oh hell. INCOMING!"

Everyone scattered just as Dr. Doom burst through the front window of the helicarrier's command center, radiating with fury.

"VON DOOM!" Dr. Doom bellowed. "I know you're here!"

"...wait, what?" said Spider-Man, confused.

Dr. Doom glared about, his armored fists blazing with magical energy. "REED VON DOOM!" he bellowed. "I know you're here! I don't know how you managed to switch our lives, but damn it, I will make you pay for stealing my family from me!"

A horrifying thought occurred to every Looper in the room. "You don't think..." Ms. Marvel said softly.

"No," Spider-Man said, the Anchor shaking his head vehemently. "Not him. Never him." But the way he said it... Spider-Man thought.

Dr. Doom snarled, spotting a confused and disturbed Mr. Fantastic, who was hiding behind one of Invisible Woman's forcefields.

"Victor..." the unAwake Reed Richards said. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"LIES!" Dr. Doom snarled. "You've always been a master of the mystical arts! Swapping our lives wouldn't be above you, MONSTER!" Every Awake Looper in the room suddenly understood.

"Oh my God he is..." Iron Man said softly.

"He's Looping..." Captain America said. "We need to calm him down! AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!"

She-Hulk lifted up the heavy conference table, tossing it at Dr. Doom, while Wasp and Ms. Marvel began blasting him. Iron Man fired a barrage of missiles, while Maria Hill cut loose with her sidearms. Spider-Man swung in with a double-legged kick, catching Doom off guard as he deflected the energy attacks. Cap joined in, flinging his shield at Doom's face.

Doom barely managed to deflect the attacks, flying out of range. "Why are you doing this? We are allies! Reed Von Doom is one of the greatest threats we've ever faced, and somehow he's forced us to switch lives and powers!"

They tried attacking again, Doom easily deflecting their attacks.

"Break out the extra powers," Captain America said softly, pulling his three power rings out of his subspace pocket. The others did the same, Wasp growing to giant size as her wings turned angelic, She-Hulk's skin-colors going photo-negative as she began to vibrate with barely restrained power, Iron Man's armor shifting formation and turning silvery blue with runes lining it. Spider-Man's costume shifted as the Uni-Power swelled up inside him, and Ms. Marvel flared her powers, turning into Binary.

Before they could do anything, though, Maria Hill stepped forward, exhaling a huge cloud of toxic gases that caught Doom off-guard. He couldn't get his armor's filters up in time, and ended up inhaling the noxious fumes, becoming badly poisoned and dizzy. Doom staggered, his armor sizzling from the acidic smoke.

Iron Man stared at her. Maria smirked. "Never had a chance to mention this... the first Loop I was awake? I was a Mithra Blue Mage in Final Fantasy 11."

Captain America put his rings on, his Flag Lantern costume manifesting itself. "He's weakened. KNOCK HIM OUT!"

As Doom purged his system of the Bad Breath attack, he looked up... only to find a massive fist and a multicolored wave of powerful energy heading right towards him. He threw up a shield, but they were overwhelmed in seconds. The energy attacks, plus Wasp's massive fist, and She-Hulk's superspeed attacks shattered his shields and a good portion of his armor, sending him sprawling. The Helicarrier leaned heavily to one side, stabilizing quickly as Doom fell unconscious.

The heroes relaxed, barely, as other SHIELD agents escorted Reed Richards from the room. "Would someone PLEASE tell me what's going on?!" Reed demanded.

Invisible Woman sighed, shaking her head as she stared at Doom's sizzling, unconscious form. "Oh Victor... What the hell are you up to this time?" she said softly, glad that her husband was out of the way for now.

Spider-Man flipped over to her, dispelling the Uni-Power. "So... Doom seems to think that he and Reed switched lives..."

Invisible Woman shook her head. "I remember my last Loop, Spidey, and he wasn't in it," she said. "If it happened, I wasn't awake for it."

"But I was..." Captain America said. "I know the scenario he went through. And we need to get him talking."

Nick Fury's voice came over the comm-link. "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"

Maria shook her head. "Priority 1 Loop Situation. The Bad Doctor is Awake," she said.

Dead silence from Fury's end, followed by a loud curse. "Is he down?"

"For now," Cap said. "But his armor's already starting to repair itself."

Fury swore again. "Get him to a holding cell. I'm contacting EVERY Awake Avenger and X-Man and getting them here. Even with the extra powers and equipment we've got stacked up, I want this guy with so many guns on him he won't be able to TWITCH without getting flattened!"