In a world not their own, the members of the Ultimates, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and also Spider-Man and General Nick Fury watch from the Triskelion as the Norse God Thor of the Ultimates flies towards the devastatingly powerful Hyperion. ‘Oh, this is so gonna hurt!’ Spider-Man exclaims as the two men collide. An unmeasurable amount of energy pounds the stratosphere as the two who really are gods among men begin to smack each other up with unbelievable force.
Inside the Triskelion Nick Fury tells the Invisible Woman and Human Torch to go and give Thor a hand. Nervously, Johnny Storm asks ‘Give him a hand?’ General Fury replies that Thor and Hyperion are too evenly matched, ‘And I don’t like to lose!’ Fury pauses, before adding that he suspects Hyperion doesn’t like to lose either, and everyone watches as Hyperion forces Thor backwards as he flies into him. Fury turns to Susan and tells her to get going, as he needs her and Johnny to buy him some time to find Reed. At the mention of her captive boyfriend and teammates name, Susan tells Fury ‘That’s all you needed to say!’, and in an instant, ‘Flame on!’ shouts Johnny as he jumps out of the Triskelion, with Susan not far behind, floating on an invisible platform.
Fury orders a new course and direction to be put into the computer, to which Spider-Man exclaims that he doesn’t like leaving the others like this. Captain America, leader of the Ultimates, tells Fury that he isn’t happy about the idea either. Fury turns to those around him, and motioning to Iron Man explains that apart from Iron Man who he is keeping in reserve, Susan and Johnny are the only people he can spare who can fly - or levitate or whatever - and tells Spider-Man that if he wants to try webbing across the clouds, or if Captain America wants to skim the air on his shield, then they can feel free, but that right now they have a job to do and the choices he made are the best choices to buy them some time.
Taking a seat, Fury announces that the worst-case scenario is that the Invisible Woman and Human Torch are far more expendable than Reed Richards. This shocks Spider-Man, ‘Expendable?’ he whispers to Captain America. Cap replies that with everything that Reed Richards knows, he could give their enemies enough information to destroy their world. ‘He’s that smart?’ Spider-Man asks. ‘Fine, next time, he’s buying lunch!’
Outside, Susan asks Johnny if their plan is to control and contain. ‘You got it!’ Johnny replies, before adding that how long it will work is anybody’s guess. Susan replies that there is only one way to find out, and encases Hyperion in an invisible bubble. ‘What the -? Doesn’t matter’ Hyperion mutters, before smacking his powerful fist hard against the side of the bubble. The Human Torch hovers around his sister, seeing that the impact of Hyperion’s fists against the bubble is causing her pain. Another mighty punch and Susan screams, blood begins to trickle from her nose.
Susan exclaims that she has never felt power like that before, and looks a bit confused, before Johnny asks her to open up a small hole in the bubble, ‘I’ll take care of this!’ he boasts as he flies past Thor, who is whirling his hammer about. ‘How about a little fire, scarecrow?’ Johnny mutters to Hyperion through the hole, before pouring a massive amount of fire into it. But Hyperion just floats there, glaring through the fire at his attacker, before smashing the bubble again.
Thor sees Susan stumble on her platform and informs Johnny that he will go to her. Johnny thanks Thor, before turning back to Hyperion and remarks that since he is tough enough that he doesn’t have to pull his punches, ‘Let’s go nova!’ With that, Johnny gathers unmeasurable amounts of raw fire power and pours it with tremendous force into the bubble. Johnny mutters that he doesn’t want to kill Hyperion, but that he doesn’t know where to stop - and admits that he cannot keep this going forever. Suddenly, from inside the burning bubble, Hyperion snarls at Johnny, ‘Burn!’, and in a massive display, a mighty explosion takes place, like a burnt orange splattering of paint against a cloudy blue sky.
The Human Torch falls to the ground below screaming, while Susan, who has already fallen, catches her brother in an invisible cushion with her last amount of strength, before she passes out.
Back up in the air, Thor flies towards a now-naked Hyperion, calling him a monster, he raises his mighty hammer, ready to strike - but before Thor can strike him, Hyperion has turned around so fast, and snatches Thor’s hammer from his grasp. ‘Odin’s blood!’ Thor gasps. ‘No. Your blood!’ Hyperion exclaims as he grabs Thor’s neck with one hand, then smashes him hard with his own hammer. Thor falls to the ground, and Hyperion drops the hammer, before flying away.
Back on the Triskelion, Nick Fury announces that their target is this world’s version of Washington D.C., adding that the downside is the Squadron probably already knows they are here, so they are going to encounter heavy resistance. Spider-Man asks Fury how they can be sure this world has a version of Washington, and suggests that this version of Earth might be run by Russia, or China - or New Jersey. Fury replies that from what they have seen already, it just stands to reason. Quicksilver of the Ultimates begins to protest, but Fury cuts him off, assuring the assemblage of heroes that if he is wrong then they will change course. ‘But I wont be’ Fury boasts.
Wanda Lehnsherr Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch takes her brother’s hand, telling Quicksilver to come along and that they can hope that Fury’s certainty about the location of Reed is not the same as the vaunted American certainty about the location of weapons of mass destruction.
Spider-Man writes a note and passes it to Captain America. It reads: Nick knows something he’s not telling us. What? How? Captain America crosses out the “what” and the “how” and writes WHY? and passes it back to Spider-Man. Fury notices something going on and asks them if they have something to say. ‘No, sir’ Spider-Man replies after shoving the note into his mouth. ‘Good. Keep it that way’ Fury declares.
Meanwhile, down below, several soldiers approach Mister Fantastic a.k.a. Reed Richards and inform him that he is to go with them. When Reed asks why, the soldiers inform him that he is being transferred to a more secure location. ‘I’m not entirely sure that’s an answer to “Why”!’ Reed replies. The soldier remarks that he is not cleared for that kind of information. Surrounded by security as he is led from the facility, Reed remarks that there is a lot of back up here for someone who gave himself up peacefully, and asks if there is a problem. The guard replies that he is not cleared for that kind of information either. ‘What kind of information are you cleared for?’ Reed asks. ‘I’m not cleared for that kind of information’ the soldier replies.
Suddenly, an alarm goes off, and Reed asks what it means. The soldier begins to give his standard reply, when Reed interrupts him, ‘Never mind’ he mutters, before stretching his neck and head up through a vent grate, and along the inside of the ceiling until he finds a vent grate that leads outside. ‘Hold it right there!’ one of the guards orders, to which Reed replies that he is not trying to escape, he just wants to take a look outside to see what is going on. ‘Oh no! This can’t be good!’ Reed gasps when he sees what is going on outside - Captain America, Cyclops, Shadowcat, Iron Man, Thing and the Wasp going up against Arcanna, Doctor Spectrum, Nighthawk, Tom Thumb, the Shape and Power Princess!
