Axis's expression shifted slightly. Rather than charging at the temporarily restrained Anti-Monitor, he turned with visible irritation toward the interlopers who had disrupted his fight.
Their getup bore a passing resemblance to the Justice League.
The man draped in a red cape and clad in a blue bodysuit immediately brought Superman to mind. The Last Son of Krypton, the Symbol of Hope, the quintessential icon of the DC Universe.
Yet the face beneath the cape was twisted in a savage snarl, crimson light blazing from his eyes as heat vision lanced toward the Anti-Monitor. And the emblem on his chest was not an "S" but a bold, uppercase "U."
This was not Superman. Or at the very least, not the original one.
As for the woman in the black bodysuit wielding a strange lasso, she bore a strong resemblance to Wonder Woman, but the signature round shield and sword were nowhere to be seen.
Her strength, however, was staggering. She had managed to physically wrangle the Anti-Monitor with brute force alone, even wounding him in the process.
Worthy of the Superman legacy indeed. The comic-book iteration of Superman was formidable, even if this particular version was not the genuine article.
"What are you standing around for? Get over here and help us kill him! Together we can take him down!" The Superman lookalike, still grappling with the Anti-Monitor, turned his furious gaze on Axis and roared.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He had already been on the verge of despair, ready to flee his own universe, when this terrifyingly powerful being had appeared out of nowhere, fighting the demon to a near standstill and even gaining the upper hand at times.
"I told you, he's not on our side! We shouldn't have come out here. We should've stayed hidden, far away from all this. This is absolutely terrifying." The sniveling man wearing a green ring wore an expression of naked horror.
"Shut up, you imbecile! I'm taking over. Move aside." Strangely, the ring itself barked the insult, then seized direct control of the man's body, as though the ring were the true master and the wearer merely a vehicle.
Once in command, the green ring unleashed torrents of emerald energy, conjuring monstrous constructs that hurled themselves at the Anti-Monitor.
"Unknown being, I don't know what you're thinking, but this is a golden opportunity. Why won't you act?" Another figure, a skull wreathed in roaring flames, swooped in front of the Anti-Monitor and unleashed a torrent of searing fire against his body.
"Who told you to intervene? Who told you to interfere with this fight?" Axis snorted coldly.
Saiyans lived for battle, and nothing galled them more than someone interrupting a good fight.
Everyone present froze, staring at Axis in sheer disbelief. In their minds, the obvious move was to kick the enemy while he was down and destroy the being who had ravaged their universe.
Yet the man before them had simply been relishing the combat, and was now angry that they had spoiled it.
Axis surged forward in a blur, appearing before the Superman lookalike and throwing a single punch that sent him hurtling away. He followed up with a kick that launched the flaming skull spinning through the air.
Purple destruction energy coalesced into a blade in his hand, slicing clean through the black-clad woman's lasso and freeing the Anti-Monitor. For good measure, he obliterated the green energy constructs with a single explosive fist.
"Are you out of your mind?! We came here to help you!" The Superman double, sent flying, glared at Axis and bellowed.
Damn it all. If he had not just witnessed the man's terrifying power firsthand, he would have torn him to pieces on the spot.
"Mighty one, we came to aid you. We are not your enemies," the black-suited Woman added.
"Well, this is interesting. I didn't expect you to free me rather than finish me off. For a moment there, I genuinely thought I was about to die a second time." The liberated Anti-Monitor showed no hostility toward Axis, regarding him with open curiosity instead.
Death held no meaning for the Anti-Monitor. Each time he perished, he simply returned to the Sixth Dimension, where he would be reborn and rise again. An endless cycle, for he was the son of Perpetua. He was immortal and indestructible, as were both of his brothers.
"Don't misunderstand. You and I are still enemies. I fully intend to destroy you. But I refuse to team up with anyone. I prefer to fight alone. I prefer to defeat my enemies on my own." Axis gave a cold snort.
"What the hell are you talking about? Do you have any idea how powerful this thing is? Damn you, you just threw away the perfect opening we created!" The Superman impostor snarled.
"Enough, Kal. If he wants to fight him one-on-one, we stay out of it." The figure in the peculiar owl-themed costume, dressed in a manner reminiscent of Batman, spoke up.
He had kept his distance from the very start of the battle. Though he was a member of the organization, he was only human, and a clash of this magnitude was something he dared not approach.
"We're done for. We're finished. I told you we should have run. We should have fled." The man wearing the green ring whimpered in terror.
His words seemed to infuriate the others. Several of his companions fixed him with murderous stares, and he promptly fell silent.
"Don't mind him, darling. His name is Power Ring, though it's the ring on his hand that's actually our member. The man himself is just a puppet." The dark-suited Woman approached Axis and spoke.
What a phenomenally powerful being. Perhaps he was the one destined to change everything.
"And who are all of you? Superman, the Last Son of Krypton. And Wonder Woman?" Axis swept his gaze over the owl-costumed figure. "And you, the Dark Knight?"
He had never heard the name "Power Ring" before. The abilities resembled those of a Green Lantern, but the constructs were more reminiscent of the Sinestro Corps's fear-beasts, only rendered in green. And the emerald glow radiated something deeply unsettling. Not hope, but some kind of anti-energy diametrically opposed to hope, and yet not quite fear either.
This Justice League was decidedly strange.
"You seem to know quite a bit about us, though some of the details are off. I am indeed a princess of the Amazons, but I'm no Wonder Woman. My title is Superwoman. Name's Lois."
"Lois Lane?" You have got to be kidding. Wonder Woman had somehow merged with Superman's wife.
"Lane? How do you know my surname?" Superwoman asked, eyes bright with curiosity.
This man clearly was not from their universe. He must have come from a parallel world. He had appeared out of thin air, and beside him had stood a figure gleaming with golden light, which meant he possessed the ability to traverse universes.
That was a formidable power. Universe-hopping. If only they could...
"My name isn't Superman. I am Ultraman. I am indeed Kryptonian, the Last Son of Krypton. The sole bloodline of the House of Ul." The Superman lookalike wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"I was born in Gotham City. But I am no Dark Knight. I am Owlman, the supreme ruler of Gotham. Or at least, I was." The man in the owl costume spoke evenly.
So it was a Justice League after all…kinda, just an alternate version. And from the looks of it, every last one of them was a villain.
The House of El's Kal had become the House of Ul. The Amazon princess had somehow become Lois Lane. Green Lantern Hal Jordan had been reduced to a spineless coward, little more than a mount for his own ring.
As for the flaming skull, who exactly was he? With that look, he would fit right in across the battlefields of the Warhammer universe.
"I am Deathstorm. I possess the power of molecular transmutation." The blazing skull introduced himself.
"Molecular transmutation? I assumed you could only control fire. Couldn't tell at all from the way you fight." Axis rolled his eyes.
Atomic manipulation, my foot. From start to finish, all you did was throw fire around.
"Enough idle chatter. Outsider, pay these insects no mind. I will kill them all soon enough. The question is: will you join forces with me?" The Anti-Monitor dismissed the alternate Justice League entirely and turned to Axis.
"All I want is to fight you. To kill you, or to be killed by you." Axis looked back at him.
He held no affection for the Anti-Monitor, but the creature's anti-matter was the only force he had encountered that could genuinely contend with his God of Destruction's energy.
"I can see you are a pure warrior. But at present, I am shackled by a certain power. This is not my true form, nor my full strength. If you wish to face me at my peak, then help me. If you can make me whole again, my power will multiply many times over. Would you dare to face that version of me?" A cunning gleam flickered through the Anti-Monitor's eyes.
"No! Don't agree to that! He's already powerful enough. You saw it yourself. We can't let the gap widen any further." Ultraman cut in immediately.
"You seem to have me figured out. I do love a fight. But if you think I'm nothing more than a battle-crazed lunatic, you're sorely mistaken. If you want to grow stronger, do it yourself. Don't expect me to lend you a hand." Axis replied.
Did this guy think he was Vegeta? Was the Anti-Monitor casting himself as Cell now, begging to be allowed to reach his perfect form?
"A shame, then. But our fight will have to wait. Since you won't help me, I'll reclaim my power on my own. I will sever myself from the Anti-Life Equation." The Anti-Monitor said.
The moment those words left his mouth, Axis felt a spark of genuine interest. The Anti-Life Equation was the ultimate power that Darkseid had pursued his entire existence, said to grant dominion over every living being in the universe.
So this was the timeline of the Darkseid War. The Anti-Monitor was about to go to war with Darkseid himself.
Axis recognized the name of the event, but the specifics eluded him. DC Comics was a bit niche, after all. Knowing the names of the major storylines was already more than most could claim. He was a dedicated Warhammer enthusiast, not a comic book scholar.
"How do you intend to separate from the Anti-Life Equation?" Axis asked.
If it was something even Darkseid coveted, it had to be extraordinarily powerful. Axis wanted to see for himself just how formidable the legendary Anti-Life Equation truly was.
"Interested in this power, are you? Even someone as mighty as you has your eye on the Anti-Life Equation. But I would caution you against pursuing it.
"This power will turn you into a monster. Look at what it has done to me. I have been enslaved by it. And the Anti-Life Equation within me is not even complete. It is only half." The Anti-Monitor regarded Axis solemnly.
The Anti-Life Equation was immensely powerful, yes, but it was also the most dangerous force in the universe. Even a being of his stature, a god born of creation itself, could not fully master it.
Ultraman, Superwoman, Power Ring, and Deathstorm had no idea what Axis was talking about. The Anti-Life Equation? Was it some kind of formula, or some manner of supreme power?
Only Owlman, behind his mask, wore a pensive expression. Though it was his first time hearing the term, he gathered that it referred to something of extraordinary potency.
"Never mind the rest. I only want to know one thing: can you give the Anti-Life Equation to me?" Axis asked.
Power existed to be wielded. Failing to master it only proved your own inadequacy.
"Ha. Some courage you have. You are the first being I have ever encountered who actively sought out the Anti-Life Equation. If you want it, so be it. This curse will transfer from my body to yours.
"But first, I must separate from it. The Anti-Life Equation shares a certain connection with the Omega Effect within Darkseid, his Omega Force. Once Darkseid dies and releases his divine power, I will be able to expel the Anti-Life Equation. If you are interested, I can even help you seize Darkseid's Omega Force. Join me." The Anti-Monitor laid out his offer.
"Don't listen to him. He's writing you blank checks without putting anything real on the table. If I were you, I would never cooperate with him." Owlman, behind his mask, spoke up.
He could see that the being who had fought the Anti-Monitor to a standstill was tempted. He could not allow an alliance between them.
If that happened, none of them would survive. He had to find a way to bring this newcomer to their side.
"Insect. Who gave you permission to speak?" The Anti-Monitor snarled and fired a bolt of anti-energy, but Axis intercepted it with a pulse of destruction energy.
He had been tempted, it was true. But the Batman lookalike had a point.
The Anti-Monitor had been dangling empty promises, trying to get him to do the heavy lifting for free, and against Darkseid of all people.
And who was Darkseid? The very figure upon whom Marvel's famous Thanos had been modeled.
Darkseid's power was on par with a God of Destruction at minimum, a being who stood at the absolute pinnacle of a single universe. In some iterations, Darkseid had even reached multiversal levels.
This was the DC comic-book universe. There was no telling just how powerful this version of Darkseid might be.
"Unknown but powerful one, you could ally with us instead. Let's trap him here, seal him away so he can never leave. I already have a detailed plan. As for the Anti-Life Equation, perhaps you should gather more intelligence first, and then find a way to claim it from him on your own terms." Owlman spoke with measured calm.
Axis considered it briefly, then nodded. For now, leaving this doomed universe alongside these people seemed like the sensible choice.
"You'll regret this. But it hardly matters. Do as you please. I cannot destroy you, and you cannot destroy me. Ally yourself with these insects if you wish." The Anti-Monitor offered no further objection, his mind already turning to other schemes.
He would proceed with his original plan regardless. At the very least, until Darkseid was dealt with, there was no sense in antagonizing this formidable outsider.
Axis departed with the members of this alternate Justice League, following them to a world of ruins and devastation.
It appeared to be Earth, though it had been utterly ravaged. Horrific waves of anti-matter still swept across the universe. This world was beyond saving.
In truth, the reason Axis had abandoned his fight with the Anti-Monitor was simple: he could not guarantee a kill.
His Destruction energy could break the Anti-Monitor's body apart, yes, but the creature would simply be reborn in the Sixth Dimension. The Anti-Monitor's mother was firmly at the multiversal tier of power, among the mightiest beings in existence.
As they touched down amid the rubble, a streak of red lightning came tearing toward them. The newcomer's costume resembled the Flash's, though the design was more sinister.
Beside him was a bound prisoner, face covered by a mask and body wrapped tight in restraints. Trailing behind them was a one-handed figure with a vicious expression who bore a passing resemblance to Aquaman.
"How did it go? Did you manage to kill the Anti-Monitor? And who's this?"
"Allow me to introduce everyone. Johnny Quick, Sea King, this is our newest member..."
"Call me Broly." Axis opted for a false name. The DC Universe was a dangerous place, and revealing his true identity seemed unwise.
"Welcome, Broly. Right now we need to pass through a portal to reach another universe. Once we arrive, we can discuss the details of you joining us." Owlman said.
"Fine by me. New member, whatever. But is the Anti-Monitor dead?" Sea King asked.
"No. But Broly's power is extraordinary. He fought that demon to a standstill, though even he couldn't destroy it outright. For now, we have a ceasefire." Owlman explained.
"That strong? Stronger than Ultraman?" Johnny Quick asked.
If this newcomer had truly matched the Anti-Monitor blow for blow, he had to be stronger than Ultraman. Possibly even stronger than their prisoner.
"Hmph. Johnny, are you questioning my authority?" Ultraman's voice carried a warning edge.
He was opposed to Broly joining. A being of that caliber could threaten his position as the team's leader. He was the one in charge. He always had been.
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ps?