Manhattan, Iron Man flies into the air, above a damaged street, where he sees Iron Man 2020 - Arno Stark - hovering nearby. ‘What the hell are you doing here, Arno? What the hell is going on?!’ Iron Man demands. ‘Didn’t Cap tell you? Kang is what’s going on. Because of him, because of his damned scheming, my future is gone!’ Arno declares. He raises his hand over Iron Man, and tells him that he is sorry. ‘If I thought there was any hope in hell, I’d help you out’ Arno claims. He unleashes a close-range repulsor ray, and announces that there is no stopping Kang - not now. ‘There’s only learning to serve him’ Arno explains, as Iron Man falls back to the ground, and lands against a tram, causing an explosion.
As Iron Man gathers himself, Dr Doom casts a blast of energy upwards, and announces that he bends his knee to no man. At the same time, Doom 2099 hovers in his personal force field and replies ‘Fool! Joining Kang is the only option - we were outplayed before we knew there was a game!’
Iron Fist leaps into the air to dodge Doom 2099’s blast, while Captain Marvel and the Sub-Mariner lay in some rubble, the Vision tries to blast Doom 2099’s force field open, while May Parker holds Spider-Man and Hyperion by their throats and tells him that Kang has plotted this for centuries - all to ensure only one timeline remains - the Kang Dynasty!
Up above, in space, Kang rages with cosmic fury, empowered by the blood of the Celestial Executioner. ‘The great cosmic gifts surge within me! It is the wall of the cosmos that I reshape her in my likeness! One prime dimension under the dominion of one true deity!’ Kang boasts.
Suddenly, from within the cosmic blood a voice cries ‘Nay - your fate is to die under my axe!’ It’s Thor, who pulls away from Abomination Deathlok and flies over to Kang, the axe Jarnbjorn in his grasp. ‘Right on time’ Kang remarks. ‘You’re angry, Thor. I see that’ Kang replies as he smacks Thor in the face. He grabs Thor by his throat, ‘No one likes being used, least of all an arrogant failure. By my code I owe you a fight, my puppet. And once I am done drinking, once I have had my fill - you will have your opportunity to die at my hand’. Kang then releases Thor, who starts to float through space.
‘What the hell is Kang doing here?’ Alex “Havok” Summers wonders as he and Shiro “Sunfire” Yoshida land on the shoulder of the bleeding Celestial. ‘Betraying us!’ Sunfire shouts. ‘I warned you we were playing into his hands, Havok!’ He tells Havok that Kang is not interested in saving the Earth from the Celestial Executioner - he is stealing its cosmic energies. Wearing a space-mask, Havok tells Sunfire that it is on them to stop him - as no one else even knows Kang is here. ‘The Celestial has its own atmosphere - if I could ignite the oxygen -’ Sunfire begins, to which Havok points out that it won’t be enough, so there is only one option. ‘We absorb the energy ourselves’ he tells Sunfire. ‘You are right, old friend. But I do not head into this blind to what that means - this will destroy us’ Sunfire replies as he flies Havok towards Kang, and Havok unleashes a powerful burst of energy, striking Kang in the back.
‘That was all the energy I had - he won’t be down for long. You ready for this?’ Havok asks. ‘No man is ever ready to die’ Sunfire responds as he and Havok start to touch the cosmic blood. Havok thinks to himself that Kang has foreseen this - that he must have. Everything they have done, all part of his plan - a plan that holds not only the life energies of a Celestial, but the life of Havok’s own daughter.
‘Too little - and far too late!’ Kang declares as he comes up behind the heroic mutants, and shoves a sword made from the cosmic blood through Sunfire’s chest. Havok looks on in horror as Kang moves at the speed of thought, grown far beyond the physical realm. The moment hangs frozen - Kang is slowing time, making Havok watch, frozen for an eternity as Shiro disintegrates. Kang turns to Havok and smiles, as he knows there is nothing he can do - his friend is already gone.
There is an explosion and Havok is knocked backwards - he screams as his space helmet is broken, and part of his face is exposed - it burns horrifically. ‘Quite a burn, Alex. Not even your mutated cells can process such raw cosmic power. It will be the last injury you or your friends suffer - provided you submit to the service of Kang’ the megalomaniac declares.
Havok gets to his feet, ‘You - you think I’ll serve you?’ he asks, power surging from his fists. ‘I know you’ll serve me’ With one arm extended into the cosmic blood, Kang extends his other hand and tells Alex to be calm. ‘Think of Katie. If you continue this folly - you will never see your daughter again’ Kang points out.
Back in Manhattan, Arno Stark flies down towards Iron Man, ‘Appreciate our situation, Iron Man. If we refuse Kang - we all die. More than that - our futures die’ Arno points out. ‘You can help us… help us fight him!’ Iron Man calls back. Arno readies another repulsor ray, ‘If I don’t kill you, Kang will, then me next. There’s no stopping him, Tony. Not this time. I’m a pragmatist. If our roles were reversed - you’d do the same’ Arno points out.
‘You’ve got that wrong!’ Captain America a.k.a. Steve Rogers calls out as he throws his shield, which strikes Arno’s hand, disrupting the aim of the repulsor blast. ‘We’d find another way! We’re not self-serving cowards who -’ Cap begins, before he cries out in pain as Magistrate Braddock strikes him in the back of the head with a psychic blade. ‘Blame yourself! You were the fools who trusted Kang! If we are to survive - you must die! Nothing will stop us!’ Magistrate Braddock announces. ‘Might want to reconsider, Braddock - there’s a pretty big “nothing” coming in behind you’ Cap points out, as nine cosmic being suddenly materialize overhead - Immortus and others from unknown realities - Yondu, Martinex, Nova, Captain Marvel, the Silver Surfer, Starfox, Starhawk and Phoenix-Vision.
‘To action, Infinity Watch! This is it - the crux of the last timeline - the prime hour when Kang seeds his dominion over all life!’ Immortus declares, instructing the Infinity Watch to take Kang’s puppets down while he will hunt for Kang. ‘You heard Immortus - make no mistake - if we fail here, all other possibilities are lost - the Kang ascendancy will be irreversible!’ Captain Marvel points out as he fires a blast of cosmic energy, knocking Magistrate Braddock backwards. ‘Marvel…?’ Cap asks, slightly confused as Marvel helps him to his feet. ‘We have to find Kang, Steve! He’ll have predicted all of your Avengers - the Infinity Watch is the only hope of stopping him!’ Marvel points out. But Cap reports that he doesn’t know where Kang is - or what he could be after.
Back up in space, Havok watches as Kang’s arms reach up into the cosmic blood. ‘I arranged your marriage to Janet - I willed your daughter into existence. Serve me loyally - and you’ll see them both again’ Kang declares. ‘My Katie weighted against the entire universe. He’ll return her to us - he has no reason not to - no. That’s a dream Everything he says is a lie. He’ll use her to stop me from fighting back - until it’s too late’ Havok thinks to himself. He continues to grimace, half of his face very badly burnt. Havok knows that he can’t play by Kang’s rules any more. ‘If I want my daughter - I’ll have to take her’ Havok tells himself, before releasing a massive surge of energy, striking the surprised Kang and knocking him aside. ‘Entire universe counting on me - can’t allow him to use her as a shield’ Havok decides. Wiping the blood away from his face, Kang tells Havok ‘That was unwise’. Havok knows that he has the same energy coursing through him, and believes he can take Kang, force him to return Katie - twist off his damned head.
Kang flies towards Havok, and as they clash, the cosmic energy surrounds them. ‘You are killing her, Alex! Is this how a hero behaves?’ Kang asks. Havok tells himself not to listen to Kang’s lies, not to think about any of it - just be stronger and put this monster down - for the sake of every child. At close range, Havok releases the cosmic energy built up inside him - but Kang still stands. ‘In what reality could you have ever hoped to defeat me?’ Kang asks. He tells Alex that his problem is that he believed that there is good in all people. ‘Believed there was “good” in me’ Kang points out. Kang grabs Alex by his hands and forces him to his knees. The cosmic blood surrounds Kang, who declares that it made manipulating Alex so simple, ‘But concepts such as “Good” or “evil” hold no value to a being of my prominence!’ Kang exclaims. He grins and declares that Alex has done his will since the day he was born - they all have. ‘I’m the one who gave you your child - and I will take her away! For I am GOD!’ Kang boasts.
Suddenly: ‘Would a God celebrate so prematurely - would a god so grossly underestimate his opponents?’ a voice asks. Kang turns to see a figure emerging from the cosmic blood of the Celestial, just before he is struck down by a blast of energy.
Havok is freed from Kang’s grasp, while the new arrival declares ‘I drank from the same cosmic wellspring as you, vulture. Only my frame no longer limits how much I contain!’ Havok looks up, surprised, as the being introduces himself as Sunfire, the Atomic Knight, unleashed. ‘And I am no one’s pawn, Kang. Not yours - not your children’s!’ Sunfire exclaims as he flies higher, atomic energy radiating around him, as he sets his sights on the Apocalypse Ark.
Inside the Ark, there is a musical chime as Eimin taps away at a console. She tells her brother that she can see it now, that this is the end - Kang wins all. ‘By going against him, Eimin, we have played into his hands - given him all his desires’ Uriel replies. Eimin turns to her brother and tells him that she is sorry, for she has failed him. Uriel tells his sister that he is proud of her - proud of how close they came. ‘He cheated us. Yet in some universe, we did win. Only here - here, Kang’s cruelty to us goes unpunished. And while it saddens me to die with no retribution…at least this time we die together’.
At that moment, Sunfire releases a narrow beam of atomic energy, striking the Apocalypse Ark, which explodes - just as a small shuttle escapes from it. Inside the shuttle is Wolverine a.k.a. Logan, who contacts Captain America, informing him that the Apocalypse Twins’ Ark is falling down.
Kang struggles to get to his feet, while Alex thinks to himself ‘My daughter is gone. Lost the moment he took her. Only one way to stop this - only one way to undo Kang’s schemes - the last thing he expects’. Havok moves towards Kang, ‘You wanted a challenge, genius? You got one!’ he shouts as he leaps towards Kang, and smacks him in the face with his fist, charged with energy. Havok decides that Kang didn’t expect this, as it is written all over his smug face. ‘Surprise, you piece of dirt - drink in the energy he stole - hit him with it - please, God, let this work. Find some way…some way through this - some way back to my daughter’ Alex thinks to himself as he continues to punch Kang, then grabs him by the neck. ‘Stop…!’ Kang utters, warning Alex that he will never see his daughter again. ‘Everything you say is a lie. I will see her again. And I’m done listening to you!’ Havok replies, his body charged with the cosmic energy, which he suddenly releases, before demanding that Kang give Katie to him. ‘Give her to me or I’ll kill you!’ Havok shouts.
‘Leave it to a Summers to ensure everybody loses…’ Kang mutters, warning Alex that there will be hell to pay. ‘You’ve laid your fists on Kang! And for such a thing…there is a great cost’ Kang announces, before he suddenly vanishes.
Back down on Earth, the Earth heroes and the Infinity Watch are continuing to battle Kang’s Chronos Corps. But one by one, May Parker, Arno Stark, Doom 2099 and Magistrate Braddock all vanish, too. ‘He is gone. I can feel it. Whatever his plot here - he’s failed’ someone remarks.
Ahab is at another location, as a projection of Kang appears to him, ‘I am undone, forced to flee’ he reveals. ‘Summers’ Ahab mutters. ‘There was always a small chance. And now you have work to do, Ahab’ Kang declares.
Above Earth: ‘The giant is dead… his energy retuned to the White Hot Room where it will await rebirth’ the Sentry announces. ‘How can you be certain?’ Janet van Dyne a.k.a. the Wasp asks as she hovers nearby. ‘I can feel it’ the Sentry, one of the Horsemen of Death, explains. The Sentry holds the Celestial up by his boot, and tells Janet that he has enjoyed being an Avenger today. He tells her to have no fears, as he will take a great journey, moving Exitar’s body far from Earth. ‘But, even then, know this…the Celestials’ wrath will be mighty’ the Sentry warns the Wasp, as he flies away with the dead Celestial. The Wasp contacts Cap and informs him that it is done, that the Sentry is gone - for now. She adds that she needs a portal. ‘Coming right up, Janet’ Cap replies, and an instant later, a portal materializes, and the Wasp flies into it.
The Wasp emerges through the portal created by Dr Strange, to find Captain America and Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch gathered amongst the other heroes of Earth and the Infinity Watch. ‘Can he be trusted? Can the Sentry be trusted to -’ Cap asks, as the Wasp explains that the Sentry thinks he is the cosmic protector of humanity, so he will come through. ‘Where’s Alex? Where’s my husband?’ the Wasp then asks, urgently, looking around at the heroes. ‘He was supposed to be here - that was the plan!’ the Wasp exclaims. Captain Marvel remarks that nothing has gone according to plan. ‘And Rogue -? Please, God. Don’t let her be -’ the Scarlet Witch begins, when, suddenly, there is a streak of energy from space, and a large crater forms upon impact as Rogue lands nearby. ‘The voices - they won’t go away!’ Rogue exclaims as she stands up.
‘I’m here, Rogue - be calm’ Wanda calls out as she rushes over. ‘Make it go away!’ Rogue shouts. Energy glows around the Scarlet Witch, and she casts that energy towards Rogue, explaining that she is chaos-reversing Rogue’s powers. ‘This should releases and return the energies you borrowed’ Wanda announces as the energy flows from Rogue, and back to all of the heroes nearby. Rogue collapses in Wanda’s arms. ‘You did it, Anna Marie. You did it’ Wanda tells her. ‘What? What did you say?’ Rogue asks. ‘I said you did it -’ Wanda replies. ‘No, not you. What is… what? Who am I hearing?’ Rogue shouts. Wanda looks at Rogue perplexed, ‘You can’t hear him, can you?’ Rogue asks. ‘Who, Rogue? Who do you hear?’ Wanda enquires. ‘WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN HEAR SIMON?’ Rogue screams, her eyes glowing red.
Attention is suddenly turned elsewhere, as Havok and the transformed Sunfire arrive from space. ‘J-Janet…’ the weary Havok calls out. ‘Alex!’ the Wasp exclaims. She rushes over to him: ‘My God - your face!’ the Wasp gasps. Havok announces that the wound is fused, and he has processed the radiation, so he is in no danger. ‘Shiro…are you…?’ Captain America calls out to Sunfire, who replies ‘Alive, Captain. But no longer what I was’. The Wasp smiles as she and Havok embrace. ‘It was Kang, Janet. Kang…’ Alex’s voice trails off, as suddenly, ‘What? What happened? Katie…?’ Jan asks. Havok frowns. ‘No’ the Wasp declares. She drops to her knees, ‘No, no, no, no’ she repeats. Havok crouches down beside her, and the other heroes just look on.
Meanwhile, a small piece of the Apocalypse Ark has crashed into the Sahara Desert. ‘Well, that was a waste’ Daken declares as he emerges from the wreckage, carrying Eimin’s body. The Grim Reaper walks with him, with Uriel’s body slumped over his shoulder. ‘I killed zero people. I was promised no less than Rogue and Captain America himself’ the Grim Reaper declares. Daken remarks that he was promised he would get to torture his old man for a hundred years, and tells the Reaper that not all contracts can be enforced. ‘We’re alive - I didn’t see that coming’ Daken adds. But the Grim Reaper announces that being alive is not a positive to him. ‘Hey, chin up, Gloomy Gus - look on the upside - we didn’t get what we wanted…but the sunn will come up tomorrow’ Daken declares, as the two trek off across the sand.
