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[Superman] Chapter 209: The Dark Invasion of the DC Universe
🕑 Added 2024-08-22 16:39:23 +0000 UTCIt was clear that the recently deceased Kang was just as foolish as his actions suggested.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so easily manipulated and led into Peter's universe, arrogantly declaring his intention to conquer it.
With the recent death of the "He Who Remains" Kang, all timelines outside the Sacred Timeline were completely liberated.
After Loki gained full control over each timeline and became the new God of Time, every timeline began to develop independently and flourish.
With infinite timelines came endless possibilities. Ultimately, this led to the emergence of countless Kang variants in the future.
These numerous Kang variants gained the ability to freely traverse timelines, plunging them into chaotic wars. Some Kangs, unable to suppress their powerful ambitions, used their advanced future technology to conquer universes within past timelines.
Eventually, under the leadership of a particularly powerful Kang variant, the infamous Council of Kangs was established. This council recruited countless weaker Kangs, aiming to limit the growth and chaos caused by other Kangs.
Of course, the council's founder had another hidden agenda: to join forces with other potentially powerful Kangs and eliminate any Kang variant that could threaten his position. This ensured that he would remain the most powerful Kang across the multiverse.
Naturally, the other Kangs recruited into the council were unaware of his true intentions and were kept in the dark. Following his instructions, they worked to expel countless Kang variants that possessed powers capable of threatening his supremacy.
The Kang who had just attempted to conquer Peter's universe was one of many such variants in the Council of Kangs. He was lured into this universe by the manipulations of another Kang variant.
This other Kang had convinced him that conquering this universe would resolve the future threat posed by the Cosmic Council, the largest organization opposing the Council of Kangs.
In doing so, he would gain immense honor, earning the admiration and respect of countless Kangs within the council.
There was even a possibility that he could earn the favor of the Council of Kangs' original founder, Prime Kang, becoming his ally and co-ruling the council. Such a rise would elevate him from a mere lackey to a position just below the Prime Kang.
Without a doubt, this foolish Kang believed the other variant's words, ignored Prime Kang's warnings, and recklessly ventured into Peter's universe and timeline, planning to use his advanced technology to conquer it.
In the end, however, his foolishness led to his tragic demise in this universe.
"Heh, that guy really was incredibly stupid... to be so easily swayed by a stranger's provocations," Peter couldn't help but remark after gaining the memories of the deceased Kang and understanding the whole situation.
"However, it seems that Prime Kang, who created the Council of Kangs, is already aware of my existence. That's why he's forbidden any Kangs from entering my universe."
Moreover, this Kang had defied Prime Kang's orders and ventured into Peter's universe on his own.
"Heh, at least he had some self-awareness."
To Peter, the sheer number and power of Kang variants posed no threat to him. His current strength had long surpassed anything Kang could ever hope to challenge.
His power had nearly reached the level of the multiverse god, Eternity.
...
Before long, with Kang's sudden appearance, some time had already passed.
Perhaps because this particular Kang held no real status within the Council of Kangs, no one seemed to notice his death or even acknowledge his existence.
This was quite normal. Among the infinite timelines, there were almost endless Kang variants, and within the Council of Kangs, only the most powerful Kangs earned the respect of the others, becoming leaders with supreme authority.
The weaker variants of Kang, on the other hand, had statuses barely better than that of mere foot soldiers.
With no sign of another Kang invasion, Peter gradually lost interest in the matter.
Although the Council of Kangs appeared formidable, capable of waging war across the multiverse, it posed little threat to Peter in his current state.
Even a more powerful foe like Infinite Ultron was utterly destroyed by Peter across the infinite timelines. Should the Council of Kangs launch a full-scale attack on his universe, Peter would obliterate them in an instant.
"Maybe it's a good idea to let Reed and the others handle the Council of Kangs," Peter mused.
Just as Reed and his allies were about to establish a council that would become the greatest enemy of the Council of Kangs, Peter saw the Council of Kangs as a potential trial for the future Cosmic Council.
After all, the Cosmic Council would one day be responsible for safeguarding the entire multiverse, and they couldn't always rely on Peter to solve every problem.
When Reed and the others learned that even before the Cosmic Council was officially established, it had already attracted the attention of another multiverse-level organization, they felt the weight of their responsibility even more.
This drove them to focus even more on the formation of the Cosmic Council.
Indirectly, this accelerated the process of establishing the Cosmic Council, making it happen much sooner than originally planned. Perhaps in just a few more months, they would be ready to open a new dimensional space for the Cosmic Council and officially establish it.
However, at this moment, Peter found himself with little to do and didn't intend to wait until the Cosmic Council was fully formed.
Soon after, he prepared to set out once again, this time heading to the DC Universe beyond the Marvel Universe.
At this moment, he planned to visit the special DC Universe that had once invaded the Marvel Universe to investigate the truth behind that cosmic incursion.
After all, Peter had always had a peculiar feeling that a special force was orchestrating everything behind that invasion.
He suspected that this mysterious entity was brewing a unique crisis, waiting for the right moment to trigger a catastrophe that could potentially wipe out the Marvel Multiverse.
This posed a threat to Peter as well.
Although the destruction of the multiverse wouldn't kill him, Peter had no desire to see his home destroyed, leaving him alone in a void of silence.
After all, even Loki, who controlled all timelines, could find some solace in witnessing the lives of his loved ones and the magnificent stories of countless universes. He could even participate in some of these stories, writing his own unique chapter.
...
Soon, Peter followed through with his plan and informed Reed to prepare the Speed Force channel for another journey to the DC Universe.
"Don't worry, sir. We've had the Speed Force channel ready for a while now; we can open it at any time!"
Reed replied, not disappointing Peter. After Peter's return last time, he had brought back enough Speed Force energy, despite immediately facing a crisis that could have destroyed the entire multiverse.
Once the crisis was averted, Reed and the others focused on establishing the new Cosmic Council but didn’t forget the cosmic threat Peter had previously mentioned.
They continued their research on Speed Force energy, hoping to replicate more of it to help in the creation of the Cosmic Council while also preparing to open a new Speed Force channel to the DC Universe.
Now, with Peter's request, Reed responded without hesitation, confirming that the new Speed Force channel could be opened at any time.
"Excellent..." Peter smiled, and in the next instant, he vanished, reappearing in the space station.
"Sir, you're here. Should I gather the others to help open the new Speed Force channel?" Reed asked, seemingly accustomed to Peter's near-instantaneous arrival, as he prepared for the process of opening the channel.
"No need. Let them continue their work," Peter shook his head, not wanting to involve anyone else.
After the previous experience, opening the Speed Force channel was no longer a difficult task, nor did it require all the Reeds to be present. Moreover, they were all busy with their efforts to establish the Cosmic Council.
"Understood, sir. Please wait a moment; I'll have everything ready shortly."
Reed didn't engage in further conversation with Peter and focused on preparing for the opening of the Speed Force channel.
As Reed busied himself, time passed quickly. Within minutes, everything was set.
"Sir, everything is ready. Shall I open the Speed Force channel now?" Reed asked after completing the final adjustments.
"Go ahead. No need for any special ceremony," Peter replied, uninterested in rituals and prepared to have Reed directly open the channel.
"Yes, sir. Please hold on!"
With Peter's approval, Reed took a deep breath and then pressed the activation button on the control panel without hesitation.
Buzz!
In an instant, brilliant Speed Force energy was injected into the multiverse traverser. Only with this energy could the device open a passage to the DC Universe; otherwise, it could only travel within the Marvel Multiverse.
Boom!
Before everything began, the entire lab had been isolated into an independent space, so even the intense vibrations that occurred now wouldn't affect the space station outside.
The intense vibrations caused the entire lab to enter a unique frequency, and as the vibrations grew stronger, a special strand of Speed Force energy split off from the main energy source, rapidly spreading throughout the lab under Peter's watchful eyes.
Even Reed’s body began to emit a faint glow, with sparks of lightning occasionally flashing across him.
"What is this?" Peter could feel this unique energy transferring through the floor of the lab and into his own body. Curious, he didn’t stop the energy from flowing into him but instead allowed himself to experience it.
Soon, the Speed Force energy enveloped Peter's entire body, causing faint flashes of lightning to flicker around him, making him appear almost like the Flash, wrapped in Speed Force and entering a state of extreme speed.
The previously uncomfortable vibrations were now neutralized by the energy surrounding him, leaving Peter unaffected.
"Sir, after the last experiment, we realized that the vibration frequency was too intense, posing a serious threat to the lab and those within it. So, we came up with this solution. The Speed Force itself has the property of protecting its host from physical laws, so by enveloping the entire lab in Speed Force energy, we avoid the harmful effects of the vibrations!"
Reed's ingenuity was undeniable, proving once again why he was Marvel's smartest genius. Just one experiment with the Speed Force channel had led him to a quick and effective solution.
Of course, this was also due to the ample supply of Speed Force energy that Peter had brought back, without which they wouldn't have had enough energy to even open the channel, let alone use it to protect the lab from vibrations.
"You've done well..." Peter remarked, feeling like he had truly become the Flash, though the sparks around him were much weaker compared to the trails left by the real Flash at full speed.
He couldn't help but admire Reed's creativity.
Although his body was durable enough to withstand the intense vibrations without the need for Speed Force protection, it was at least helpful that he didn’t have to use his own power to protect the entire lab from damage.
Thus, even though this was only their second time opening the Speed Force channel, it had significantly improved over the first experiment.
Not only was the process smoother, but Reed could also manage it alone. Moreover, the issues encountered during the first experiment had been completely resolved.
The entire process went off without a hitch, and with the ample Speed Force energy available, the channel was constructed several times faster than before.
In less than a minute, a Speed Force channel flickering with lightning slowly appeared in the designated area of the lab, looking much more stable than the first time.
"Sir, the Speed Force channel is ready."
As the channel opened successfully, Reed finally let out a sigh of relief. Even though they had made numerous improvements based on the first experiment, he was still pleased with how smoothly everything had gone.
"Well done," Peter said as he slowly approached the Speed Force channel. Passing by Reed, he patted him on the shoulder and praised his efforts before heading straight for the channel.
"I'm honored to serve you, sir!" Reed replied with a smile, watching Peter as he entered the Speed Force channel.
Once he ensured everything was functioning perfectly, Reed left the lab to continue his preparations for the establishment of the Cosmic Council.
Meanwhile, Peter, using the Speed Force channel, traversed the omniversal barrier between the Marvel and DC Universes and entered the DC Universe for the second time.
"Hmm? It’s only been a few months, yet why does this entire DC Universe feel like it has undergone some kind of change?"
However, despite it being only a few months since his last visit to the DC Universe, Peter felt that something unusual had happened there.
It was as if a strange and unpleasant aura was permeating the entire DC Universe, rapidly spreading and corrupting everything within it.
"Wait, this aura... it feels familiar. Could it be that same dark force from before?"
...
(End of Chapter)
