WEB OF DECEIT

by Carycomic

Synopsis: the Marvel Multiverse faces a threat of unprecedented proportions

Characters and concepts: if you recognize them, I don't own or profit from them.

I am Uatu. One of a race of beings collectively known as the Watchers. It is our self-appointed duty to observe and record everything that transpires throughout the universe... and sometimes beyond.

Of the countless worlds I have watched, I find the planet Earth most fascinating. For I never cease to be amazed at the resiliency of its inhabitants. At their almost-limitless resolve to never give up, no matter what kind of adversity they face. Nor do I exaggerate when I use the words "almost limitless". For I have seen that resolve duplicated as many times as there are counterparts of Earth throughout the multiverse!

Take, for example, Earth-2149.

The human survivors of that zombie-plagued world wound up being teleported en masse, by their resident counterpart of Dr. Doom, to the relative safety of Earth-9151. A similarly once-thriving world that had been left equally barren of life. Although, not by the undead. But, rather, by the Seven Sons of Set. Demonic spawn of a so-called "Elder God"! Fortunately, however, there is such a thing in the multiverse as poetic justice. For, not only are these refugees thriving, and gradually rebuilding civilization, upon their new homeworld. They will also never have to fear the return of the Seven Sons of Set. Primarily, because, when the latter eventually departed Earth-9151, searching for greener pastures to despoil...,

...only one of them managed to survive its interdimensional journey.

The First was decapitated, from the inside out, when it made the mistake of trying to devour Charles "The Juggernaut" Xavier on Earth-905.

The Second was eviscerated by the superhuman lycanthropes of Earth-7085.

And the Third was obliterated by Immortus of Limbo on Earth-9904. Yet, only after it was lured there by Tony "Mechamage" Stark. The Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-9810! For, as he was collaterally descended from the Set-worshipers of Starkesboro, Massachusetts, he could not risk a direct confrontation with the Third. Lest he instantly fall under its psionic sway.

The Fourth was incinerated- -along with everything else in the universe of Earth-81727- -when a grief-maddened Jean Grey permanently transformed into an ever-expanding Dark Phoenix.

The Fifth was disintegrated (along with the rest of the universe of Earth-82432) by a cosmically enhanced cyborg, named Korvac, using the stolen Ultimate Nullifier of Galactus.

While the Sixth met an arguably more humane fate, on Earth-83234, when it was gravitationally assimilated, by Morton "The Black Hole" Kribbee, in an act of altruistic self-sacrifice... as a member of that world's Freedom Force!

The Seventh, alone, proved more fortunate than its siblings. Primarily, because it did something they had not. It forged an alliance of convenience with Kevin "Proteus" McTaggart. A non-corporeal mutant with the ability to psychokinetically alter all reality within his immediate vicinity! Although, doing so required a human host for his psionic essence. And, as a rule, human hosts were burnt out by his energies far too quickly.

Hence, his alliance with the Seventh Son of Set. It would allow him to share its nigh-indestructible body for the rest of all time. In return, he would use his now-mystically enhanced mutant ability to soften up other parallel Earths... for invasion and conquest.

tbc