The black beetle that had come back to life reflected Thor's image in its compound eyes, and its chitinous barbs stood on end.
Emma Frost and Betsy tensed instantly, entering battle mode.
However, it only lasted a second.
The glimmer of light that had just appeared in the beetle's eyes was completely extinguished, and its re-extended limbs curled back up limply, turning it back into a lifeless corpse once more.
It was as if the Shocker scene just now was merely an illusion.
At the same time.
Far beyond the Frost City, the Eternity chaotic sky of the Knowhere was torn open by a silent rift.
That wasn't a portal, but a pure, ever-expanding wormhole.
Countless bizarre insects surged out from it.
Some of them have sickle-like forelimbs, some have bloated bellies, and some are entirely flight units. The buzzing sound of their wings vibrating is eerily transmitted in the vacuum, forming a chilling low-frequency resonance.
Following the swarm of insects came an even larger fleet of ships.
These spaceships were designed with savage biological features, their outer shells resembling a deformed fusion of carapace and metal, and their densely packed cannons flashing an ominous green light.
In the center of the wormhole, a figure slowly emerged.
He was nearly 1.8 meters tall, and his entire body was covered in chitinous armor in shades of purple and dark green, with a thick and menacing shell on his chest.
His head was completely covered by a beetle-shaped helmet, and through the gaps in the mask, two fluorescent green vertical pupils lit up, devoid of any emotion.
Behind it, a pair of huge, translucent, dark brown membrane wings slowly unfolded, stirring the surrounding energy.
He extended a hand encased in carapace, holding a silver-gray metal staff with pale green Cosmic Energy flowing from the crystal at its tip.
Annihilus, the Annihilus.
He made no sound, but simply raised the control stick.
The entire Oblivion Wave, having received the order to attack, swept towards the coordinates of Frost City in a mighty torrent.
Emma Frost's office in Asgard Palace.
Thor didn't look at the beetle again.
He extended his finger, a barely perceptible wisp of the power of the Law of Oblivion swirling around its tip.
With a gentle touch, the beetle, along with the star diamond container containing it, did not explode or turn to ashes; instead, it was erased from reality as if it had never existed.
Thor withdrew his hand and turned to Emma Frost.
"They're here."
His words were calm, yet they instantly chilled the office.
Emma Frost didn't ask "who's here?" She already knew the answer from Thor's actions and the bug's strange reaction.
Without the slightest hesitation, she pressed down hard on the control panel of her desk with her fair fingers.
She pressed a bright red physical button.
"Waaaaaah!"
The piercing alarm instantly resounded throughout the entire Frost City, from the floating Asgard palace to the bustling streets on the ground, and even the most remote residential areas, without exception.
Immediately afterwards, Emma Frost's cold yet slightly languid and magnetic voice, amplified by mental energy, rang clearly in everyone's minds.
"Someone wants to destroy my city."
"Someone wants to take your home."
"Now, take up your weapons and show them what happens when they dare to run wild in Frost City."
There were no rousing slogans, no lengthy mobilizations, only the most direct orders that best suited Queen Emma Frost's persona.
However, the results were surprisingly good.
The more than 30,000 residents of Frost City, upon hearing the alarm and Emma Frost's words, were not panicked at all; on the contrary, they were all excited.
The popularity of the fighting arena has already proven that none of the people living here are easy to deal with.
"Oh ho! Finally, some fun!"
In a corner, dozens of men in red and black uniforms leaped up from the sofas, gambling tables, and bar. A woman at the head of the group drew two knives from her back and shouted excitedly, "The game's starting! The loser doesn't get Spider-Man burrito tonight!"
" Hulk... Smash!"
A tiny green creature, only fifty or sixty centimeters tall, jumped out of a building window, carrying a Vibranium hammer taller than itself, and bounced around excitedly.
On the streets, mutants dressed in spider suits spit out Silk and swiftly weave between skyscrapers, while Deadpool riding hovercraft let out strange cries and sped towards the city walls.
In just a few dozen seconds, the entire Frost City transformed from a peaceful metropolis into a high-speed War Machine.
In Emma Frost's office.
Thor casually made a gesture in the air, and a golden portal appeared out of thin air.
Without even looking, he reached in, precisely grabbed one person by the back of her collar, and pulled her out.
Valeria stumbled and almost fell. She adjusted her glasses, her eyes looking completely lifeless.
"What now?" She was already used to this abrupt way of summoning him.
" The Annihilus has arrived," Thor said succinctly.
Valeria paused for a moment, clearly aware of the weight of that name.
"I remember, I gave you control of Alioth," Thor continued. "Command it, make it the first line of defense."
Just as Valeria was about to complain, "Why me again?", another ripple suddenly appeared in the space behind Thor, and another small portal opened.
Mister Fantastic Reed Richards poked his head out from inside; his hair was a little messy, clearly indicating he had been disturbed in the laboratory.
"What did I hear? Annihilus?" Reed spoke rapidly, with a hint of urgency.
"Hey! That son of a bitch is here again?! This time I'm definitely going to burn him to a crisp!"
Human Torch Johnny's head squeezed in too, half of his body already engulfed in flames.
Immediately afterwards, Invisible Woman Susan, Thing Ben Grimm, and even Doctor Doom Doom, in a green Cloak and metal mask, all emerged from the portal.
"An old rival." A faint force field shield appeared around Susan as she looked at Thor. "We can't stand idly by."
Valeria saw her parents, pursed her lips, but said nothing.
" Val, come to your mother," Susan called softly.
Valeria didn't move; she simply looked up at Thor and held up one finger.
"Commanding Alioth is fine, but call me if you need anything in the future, and don't grab me by the back of the neck."
"Deal." Thor agreed without hesitation; after all, your word doesn't count.
" Reed, you're in charge of technical support. Just tell Emma Frost what resources you need." Thor looked at Mister Fantastic. "The rest of you, prepare for a direct confrontation."
Reed nodded, without uttering a word, and plunged into Valeria's laboratory, rapidly muttering, "Antimatter spectrum, energy characteristics of the Cosmic Control Rod, Negative Zone resonance frequency..."
at the same time.
Beyond the border of Frost City, behind a magnificent wall forged from a mixture of Vibranium and Uru metal.
The soldiers, densely packed together, have already assembled.
Magneto Erik Lehnsherr, hovered in mid-air, his arms outstretched. Under his control, the entire metal defense system on the city wall slowly activated, emitting a teeth-grinding hum.
Beside him floated his daughter, Polaris Lorna, with green energy dancing at her fingertips.
On the ground, his son Quicksilver Pietro was warming up, his movements so fast that only a series of afterimages remained.
X-Men, variants of the Avengers, heroes and villains from various universes... everyone is standing here.
Erik raised his head and looked up at the chaotic sky of the Knowhere.
At the edge of the horizon, a "dark cloud" composed of countless points of light is rapidly expanding.
That's not a dark cloud, it's a swarm of insects.
It is an endless, destructive, and devouring Oblivion Wave.
He slowly raised one hand, palm facing forward.
On the city wall, tens of thousands of energy cannons with terrifying diameters turned their muzzles in unison with his movements, locking onto the approaching swarm of insects.