Moments ago, X-23, Spider-Man and the Invisible Woman were in the Baxter Building. Then, Valeria Richards activated a device that found traces of the same radiation in the three of them, pertaining to the time they were all hosts of Captain Universe. A moment later, the three heroes suddenly find themselves on an alien world, a hostile army before them.
This is not cool, Spider-Man decides. The aliens notice them. Hundreds of spears and arrows are loosened at them. Amused, the Invisible Woman announces this is nothing, only to find her forcefield isn’t working. Laura tries to shield Sue with her own body, however all three are impaled.
Still conscious, Spider-Man asks how the others are. X-23 tries to free herself. The soldiers have reached them and discuss amongst themselves of how they are going to feast tonight. Brains first, one of them gloats. They close in on them…
Darkness. Laura opens he eyes to find she and the other two are floating in darkness, wondering why they are still alive. Sue thanks Laura for trying to save her, but Laura points out she failed.
Suddenly, something addresses them as its hosts, its chosen heroes. The Enigma Force is with them. The three look at each other doubtful. Where are they? Sue demands. Nowhere or everywhere, she is told. They are in their minds, and there is no limit to the reach of a thought.
Laura bluntly points out it made them live through their death. What it made them live through is merciful compared to what is coming, they are told. The king of the Whirldemons has escaped his prison. He is now on Earth. And if they do not stop him, he will free his army and destroy their world.
Those monsters that hacked them apart and ate them? It calls them Whirldemons? Spidey mocks. Laura wants to know more about the king.
The Enigma Force explains he is ancient. A million years ago, he and his army battled for control over their world. He was defeated by a single man in possession of a sword that burned like a star. Using that sword, the prince created the Microverse to provide a new home for his people and then bound the demons inside their own prison. But the sword had its own will and bound itself to the prince, creating the Enigma Force. It was a man once…
Sue asks how they can stop the king. Will it possess them again? No, it is in a distant place. It will try to reach them… But they are alone, Laura spells out. No, she is different from the others, it warns Laura. The king will have his eye on her. What is that mark on her hand? It appeared after a bad dream, she replies evasively. She dreamed of hell, the Enigma Force tells her, but that dream provided a revelation. What does it know about that? Laura asks. It knows she learned the power of choice. She chose freedom. She chose to be herself. She chose the stars. They are all made of stars. But they must choose to touch them.
Suddenly, they find themselves back in the Baxter Building with the others. Sue warns them it is the demon king they are facing. Ben is not impressed. He doesn’t want to meet his friends, Spidey warns.
Odd humans, the stranger smiles. Reed warns him, he will not get the device. With odd powers, the king continues. They taste twisted inside his mouth.
Sue tries to trap him. He is amused. Perhaps when they tire, they will activate the device that brought him here. He finds himself lonely for his kind…
Ben tries to hit him. Lonely and hungry and weary of games. He smiles and they are all pushed back. Only X-23 is still standing. He notes she is immune to his power. The energy around her smells familiar. Like his old foe. He wonders what that means.
It means nothing, she informs him. He is a killer. His kind are killers. He wishes to free them. That is all that matters to her. He does not belong on this world! Laura insists. This is his world, he replies and smiles.
Laura attacks and cuts his throat. He smiles, asking her if she really thought it would be that easy. Flesh is only a shell that can be replaced, recreated. To prove a point, he tears off his own face.
Looking demonic, he announces: no more games. They will do as he says and activate the device. Or what? Laura asks. He is nothing! She attacks again. He is everything! he booms and threatens to tear her apart.
The King swats her aside. Spider-Man shoots webbing at him and Valeria fires the device at him, which seems to hurt him. However, nothing more happens.
Before the demon can attack, Val Laura tackles him, allowing Spidey to grab Val. He smashes Laura against the wall. Laura refuses to give up and pulls him with her as she fall out the window. Laura begins to fall but is caught and dragged up by Spider-Man’s webs.
The FF come to. What did he miss? the Thing moans. Everything, Laura informs him. Need a hug? Spidey asks. Ben tells him to shut up. Reed realizes the demon wanted them to activate the device they took from the physics lab. Laura warns him to destroy it before the demon returns.
That would be a terrible idea, Valeria announces. She turns around and bears the sigil of the demon king. Open the portal to his people or the girl will die! he announces from her body…
