Champions #26

"Nefaria!!?? How are you alive?" Black Widow asks.

"Very simple my dear Widow. But it is none of your concern." Nefaria grins at the Champions. "Come here Rachel. You've done well."

Rachel moves away from the other Champions and stands next to Mentallo.

"You set us up?" Ant-Man stares at Diamondback in disbelief.

"This isn't a setup my dear Ant-Man. We just wish to ask you for your help."

"And why do you need our help, Nefaria?" the Black Widow asks.

"We believe the wave of super powered individuals is too dangerous. Eventually something will happen that will destroy the human race. We wish to put a stop to that."

"Who wouldn't?" Batroc says sarcastically.

"Batroc, must you forever be the child? Is your vision so limited?" Nefaria looks at Batroc with open disdain.

"Moi!?"

"Unlike most of your so called super groups, we have a plan to control the supervillains. It won't be easy, but with you helping us it can be done."

"How? You going to get rid of their powers?" Natasha jokes.

"Exactly." Nefaria's eyes tell Natasha he means what he says.

Our mysterious guest lands on the West Coast of the United States. He thinks to himself that he must find out where he is and how to get back home. Clothes will be needed and then he must search for information to see if everything on this Earth is different. After finding some clothes he attempts to hitchhike to Los Angeles.

Back in the den of Nefaria.

"So you want us to trust you and your band of villains?" Black Widow asks.

"Why not? How many of you are reformed villains? All but Hercules have been considered villains and even Hercules isn't a saint." Nefaria grins.

"True, but we've worked hard to get our reputations cleared. We didn't assume that people would automatically take our word for it." Natasha says.

"So hard work includes being turned into chimpanzees? Or is your inability to lead the Avengers what you consider a job well done?" Nefaria pauses so that he can watch Natasha's reaction to his last comment. He then continues "I have a plan to eliminate the powers of the villains of this world."

"I don't mean to interrupt, but your plan reeks of self righteousness." Firebird says. "What makes you the right person to do this when many would consider you a villain?"

Nomad and Ben Grimm (the Lizard guy from the crossing) move forward in anger but are waved back by Nefaria.

"You raise a valid point. But I am Nefaria! I am above you! I'm the one to get the job done!! How you feel about me is not my concern."

"Thou dost makest me laugh." Hercules approaches the throne that Nefaria is sitting in but Natasha and Batroc hold him back.

"That's right Natasha, leash your dog. My disciples and I will be the police force for this world and we will make sure that nothing happens to ruin it. You can join us, or you can be the first casualties of the war."

"Wait you said no one would get hurt." Diamondback says to Mentallo.

"No one will get hurt if they join us." Mentallo says to Rachel.

"What about groups like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four? Where will their place be in your new world?" Natasha asks.

"They will no longer be needed. They can live the normal lives most of them desire. My disciples and I will sacrifice normalcy for a better world."

"So that's why Rachel did it." Natasha thinks to herself. She looks at Rachel with pity in her eyes. "She thinks Cap will be able to be with her if he didn't have to fight crime."

"Are you with us Widow? Will you help us save your world?" Nefaria asks, already knowing the answer. This went badly. Worse than he expected. He didn't want to show his contempt for their inferiority, but he was unable to hide it. How could ones such as these expect to be his equals? He will never understand how they can be so uppity. How could they not see his vision as the right way? What right did they have to question his authority?

"We shall do no such thing base villain!" Hercules yells.

"What he said." Firebird says.

"Oh but you will. Disciples! Attack!!"

Rachel screams for them to stop but her voice is lost in the sounds of battle. Before she can move Mentallo activates the sleep centers in her mind. Diamondback loses consciousness.

"Sir! The power source is back on Earth. However we are having trouble tracking it. So far we can only tell that it is in the Los Angeles area." An A.I.M. agent says to Ares.

"Good. Now we shall get back what is rightfully mine. Bring in our newest ally." Ares says.

In walks the Vision. (That guy from another reality who switched bodies with this realities Vision. This Vision is not a nice guy.)

Speed Demon rushes towards Ant-Man who shrinks just in time to miss a blow to the head. Ant-Man tries to summon his ant friends for help when the Speed Demon uses his lightning quick reflexes to strike him even in his shrunken state.

Across the room Hercules is fighting Ben Grimm and appears to be winning. Ben Grimm goes flying across the room. Hercules looks to see who needs his help.

Dr. Spectrum and Firebird are fighting in the air above Black Widow and Nomad. While Firebird is shooting flame at Dr. Spectrum's constructs, Dr. Spectrum has decided to place a bubble around Firebird. She tries to break the bubble but with no airholes her flames quickly use the oxygen and Firebird passes out.

Nomad is losing badly to Black Widow. Between her Widow's bites and her superior fighting ability it doesn't look good for Nomad. However, Speed Demon strikes Black Widow from behind and Nomad quickly attacks the stunned Black Widow.

Batroc is fighting Spiral. She continues to teleport around Batroc and slashing at him with her blades. Batroc seems to be at a disadvantage. However, on Spirals' next reappearance, Batroc lands a kick squarely on her jaw.

"You should not have uzed ze zame pattern, mon chere." Batroc says while looking to see how things are going. "Zese eez not good. Cerberus! Get zem!"

Cerberus lunges at Speed Demon who is running at Hercules. Amazingly, Speed Demon is unable to avoid the lunging three headed dog. Cerberus shakes one of his heads and launches Speed Demon into the wall. Cerberus then leaps at Speed Demon.

Ben Grimm meanwhile leaps at Hercules who is ready for him. Hercules is then struck in the back of the head by an energy hammer. Dr. Spectrum has obviously come over to help take out Hercules. Batroc moves to finish off Nomad. Batroc is unable to hit Nomad. His perceptions seem off. He then remembers that Mentallo is still unaccounted for. Nomad makes quick work of the off balance Batroc.

Hercules continues to fight. Cerberus sees Hercules in trouble and leaps at Dr. Spectrum to help him. Mentallo uses his mental powers to put the dog to sleep. The unconscious Cerberus lands on Hercules. Ben Grimm uses the opportunity to hit Hercules at full force. Dr. Spectrum and Ben Grimm make short work of the stunned Hercules.

"Going to California will get me my memories back?" Fast Forward asks.

"I can't promisest thou anything, but if thou helpest out Hercules it is likely that thy memories will come back." Hermes says.

"A present from the gods?" Fast Forward says sarcastically.

"No. It is not up to us to bring thy memories back. But there will be one there to help thee."

"Diamondback is missing." Mentallo says.

"What?" Nefaria asks.

"She must have escaped during the battle. What should we do?"

"We know where she will head. Send our new recruits to get her before she gets there. Even if she is able to get there first, our newest allies should be able to delay any attempts to stop us."

The Champions, minus Diamondback, are brought to Nefaria from another room.

"Go bring Diamondback back. Destroy anyone who tries to help her."

The Champions leave the room.

"Mentallo, our plan will work if your mind control works."

"With the technology at our disposal and my own mental powers, they shouldn't be able to break free from the mind control. It could happen, but it's unlikely."

"Let's hope so."

A bright light appears in a deserted alleyway. When the light fades Access is standing there with grim determination on his face. He has sensed some anomalies in this reality. He is here to make sure those anomalies aren't a threat to this universe's existence.

Continued in Avengers #433 and then come back here for part 3 of Cult of Personality where the Avengers and the Champions duke it out.