Earth's New Gods

A spatial rift tore open above the Avengers Compound. The moment Chu Hang landed, his true body sensed his return.

"Looks like you found something unexpected," Chu Hang told his clone.

The clone spread his hands. "I'm not in the habit of coming back empty-handed." With that, he dissolved into points of light that streamed into Chu Hang's body.

Tony hurried over. Though he had grown used to the spatial rifts Chu Hang opened, he still couldn't help complaining. "Could you make a little less of a scene? Do you have to do this every time you show up?"

Chu Hang didn't answer. He raised his right hand, and a fist-sized golden cube appeared in his palm, intricate runes flowing across its surface.

Tony's pupils contracted. "What's that?"

"A Mother Box. Core technology from Apokolips in the DC Universe."

Chu Hang tossed the cube to him.

"Study it. I'll need it in three days."

Tony caught the Mother Box. The instant his fingers touched its surface, JARVIS's alarm blared inside his armor.

The energy reading soared beyond his instruments' measuring range. Runes crawled across the metal like living things, trying to breach the system.

"Damn it—"

Tony was about to throw it away when Chu Hang waved a hand. Golden light enveloped the Mother Box, and the runes fell still.

"Relax. I rewrote its base protocols. It only listens to you now."

Chu Hang turned toward the main building.

"Gather everyone. Meeting room."

Tony held the Mother Box, feeling its warmth against his palm. Its energy density exceeded the Arc Reactor's, the Cosmic Cube's, every power source he had ever seen.

"Tony, stop staring." Chu Hang's voice came from ahead. "The Council of Kangs won't give you time to study it at your leisure."

Ten minutes later, the meeting