American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

321. Fierce Battle!

Wasteland universe's Earth, beneath the ruins of the Baxter Building.

Standing at the front of everyone, Constantine had already spotted the figure hovering in mid-air, advancing steadily. Judging by the terrifying bio-energy radiating from him, this person was no ordinary foe.

"The Church's people are here?" Logan growled through gritted teeth, glaring hatefully at the entrance.

"It's worse than that." Unlike Wolverine, who wasn't too familiar with aliens, Star-Lord recognized these figures instantly. "They're the Royal Guard of the Shi'ar Empire!"

As if to confirm Peter Quill's words, several figures slowly stepped out from the darkness. Leading them was Gladiator, a purple-skinned man cloaked in a cape, hovering in mid-air.

Behind him, clad in yellow and blue armor, was Titan, followed by Warbird, a former X-Men member, Pulsar in her purple suit, Warstar, the cyborg fighter, along with the strategist Astra, the black-and-white armored Manta, and the savage Fang. One by one, they emerged.

In an instant, the previously spacious lab became crowded, with both sides standing in opposition, staring each other down.

"It's been a while, Peter Quill. I thought you'd spend another ten years drunk," Gladiator sneered. His eyes carried no joy at seeing an old friend, only a deep killing intent.

"You… You were supposed to be heroes, but now you've become lapdogs of the Church—the organization that destroyed your homeworld. Don't you feel any shame?" Star-Lord shouted in fury.

"Haha, you're still so naive, Quill. Just like we were back then. At the time, we were too ignorant to understand how wondrous the teachings of the Universal Church of Truth were. But now, we've found true meaning in our existence."

Gladiator spread his arms, proudly displaying the holy cross symbol on his chest for all to see.

"But there's no point in talking about that now. Peter Quill, hand over the Ultimate Nullifier, and we will grant all of you a swift and merciful death."

"How about I blast you in the face with my element gun instead, Gladiator!?"

Star-Lord suddenly stepped in front of Constantine, raising his element gun and pointing it directly at Gladiator's head.

"Ridiculous. You want to help your fallen comrades fulfill their final death wish? That's commendable, but you still don't get it, do you? You're nothing but an old relic. Your comrades are long dead. There is no more Guardians of the Galaxy!"

"You're wrong, Gladiator."

Before Gladiator could finish, Star-Lord's shout interrupted him.

"I…"

As Peter spoke, the figures of Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Drax, and Mantis appeared beside him once again. But this time, they were no longer just figments of his imagination. Most of the people present could vaguely see their silhouettes.

"...am the Guardians of the Galaxy!!"

As his words echoed, Star-Lord pulled the trigger.

The battle erupted in an instant, leaving no time for anyone to prepare. But both sides were already brimming with battle lust, just waiting for Star-Lord to fire that crucial first shot.

A blast of fire element hit Gladiator squarely in the face, but it didn't harm him at all. Instead, it made him feel insulted.

"I swear, you'll die a miserable death!" Gladiator roared, no longer able to suppress his rage. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Star-Lord, his terrifying speed leaving no room for reaction.

A sharp whistling sound filled the air as Gladiator raised his right fist, ready to deliver a brutal blow to the old man standing before him. However, Star-Lord's side wasn't weak either. Before Gladiator's punch could land, it was forcefully blocked by another hand. The two powers clashed fiercely, neither holding back.

"I've heard enough of your madness. I don't know what kind of hero you used to be, but I hope you can take a punch." Shazam gripped Gladiator's arm tightly, a cold smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

Feeling the power that rivaled his own, Gladiator's eyes flickered with confusion and surprise. He didn't understand when someone like this had appeared on Earth, someone with such immense divine power.

But despite his curiosity, Gladiator didn't slow his actions. His left fist shot toward Shazam, but Shazam reacted just as swiftly, meeting him with both hands. The clash was so intense that it generated sonic booms. Meanwhile, the sudden eruption of battle sent everyone else into a frenzy, with both sides charging at each other with roars of fury.

Wolverine was the first to engage, clashing head-on with Fang. One was a mutant with an adamantium skeleton and powerful healing factor, while the other was an alien with superhuman abilities and sharp claws. As soon as they collided, their fight became an earth-shattering brawl.

Both sides were fighting recklessly, exchanging blow for blow. Although Wolverine hadn't extended his claws, his incredibly tough bones gave him the upper hand in attacking his opponent for the moment.

Raven was up against Astra, who could manipulate molecules. The clash between demonic dark magic and molecular energy created a violent storm, further ravaging the already dilapidated room.

On another side, Batwoman Kate faced off against Warbird. Though Warbird's physical abilities far surpassed Batwoman's, the Bat-family had always been about using human capabilities to confront superhuman foes. With her array of gadgets, Kate managed to barely hold her ground.

Meanwhile, Barbara was up against Manta. Unlike the Black Manta from the DC universe, this Manta was an alien woman capable of emitting blinding light and using spectral energy to fly and attack. Her abilities were quite versatile.

However, these skills were nothing new to Barbara. In her earlier days of crime-fighting, she had faced villains like Doctor Light, so she quickly found ways to counter Manta's attacks.

Energy blasts and explosions filled the underground room and corridors. If this place hadn't been reinforced by the Fantastic Four, the sheer aftershocks of their battle would have likely collapsed the entire Baxter Building.

Seeing that everyone had found their respective opponents, Constantine shuffled his deck of cards with a sigh and looked at the massive Titan and Pulsar, who were both staring at him intently.

"Can we talk this out?" Constantine asked with an awkward smile.

The response he got was a heavy punch from Titan. The enormous fist, as big as a car, came barreling toward Constantine. In an instant, one of his cards turned into golden light, and along with it, Constantine teleported to another spot, narrowly dodging the blow.

"Guess not." He patted his chest in relief and sighed. "Alright, so, which one do you choose?"

Hearing this, Titan and Pulsar glanced at each other, unsure what kind of game this reckless man was playing, as there didn't seem to be anything around them—

Suddenly, a pair of crimson eyes opened in the shadows.

"This big guy looks like a warrior…"

A hulking creature emerged from the darkness. No one had noticed its presence before, and no one knew where this demon had come from.

Etrigan licked his lips and drew his sword from his back. "Come on, big guy, you're mine!"

Outside the battlefield, Pietro dashed with Star-Lord to the rear lines. He had moved at the same time as Shazam, pulling Star-Lord out of the battle just as Shazam intercepted Gladiator's punch.

"You're supposed to stay back and deal damage! Charging in like that—what are you thinking?" Pietro rolled his eyes at Star-Lord and patted his shoulder before turning back to the battlefield.

After sneak-attacking Warbird to give Kate an edge, Pietro turned and saw Constantine being chased around by a blue blur.

"Hey! How about you pick a speedster on your level?" Pietro raised Zeus's staff and predicted Pulsar's movements, shooting a bolt of lightning in her direction.

Just as Pulsar was about to grab Constantine's collar, the high-voltage lightning bolt struck her. Though Pulsar wasn't severely hurt, as her powers were also linked to electromagnetism, the attack did momentarily stun her.

"Thanks, speedster. Since you've got time on your hands, I'll leave her to you." Constantine smirked.

Lighting a cigarette, Constantine cast a spell and vanished, leaving Pietro and Pulsar locked in a high-speed pursuit.

The entire battlefield was in chaos. Star-Lord quickly regained his composure, gripping his element gun, trying to find a target to shoot. Just then, Rocket Raccoon poked Star-Lord with his cane.

"Hey, Quill, you don't seriously think that old element gun of yours is going to cut it in this battle, do you?"

"Why wouldn't it?" Star-Lord retorted.

It might not work on Gladiator, but for the others, the element gun still posed a significant threat.

"Give it a rest. That antique of yours hasn't had an upgrade in how many years? Besides…"

Rocket Raccoon chuckled excitedly and patted the metal object behind him.

"…we've got a big guy right here!"

Star-Lord blinked in surprise, then looked behind Rocket. There, standing majestically in the corner, was the massive Hulkbuster armor, radiating destructive power in its red-and-gold glory.

.....

30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
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322. A Fight to the Death!
323. Temporal Radiation!
324. The Wolverine Returns Home.
325. Madame Masque.
326. Days of Future Past!