Tony Stark's brow furrowed instantly inside his armor.
Apocalypse.
Of course he knew that name.
After organizing the Multiverse Avengers Guard and witnessing the rise and fall of countless parallel universes, this name is like a shadow that hangs over one's head forever.
En Shaba Noor, the first Mutants in history, a monster who proclaimed himself a god.
In every universe Tony has ever encountered, wherever this guy appears, the ending is almost always one of ruins.
He never expected to encounter such a progenitor-level problem at this critical juncture, here and now.
Moreover, the oppressive aura emanating from the other party, almost solidifying into a tangible force, clearly told him that this was no pushover, much less an easily dealt-with clone.
Ma'am Law School, the prizes this time are way too extravagant.
Tony cursed inwardly.
Just then, a golden circular spark appeared out of thin air behind him, rapidly expanding into a portal that shimmered with a strange light.
Strange's weary face was the first to peek out, followed closely by Dr. Banner.
" Tony, all the mages in Kamar-Taj have been evacuated." Strange stepped out of the portal, glanced around the battlefield, and his pupils contracted when his gaze fell on Apocalypse.
"You've come at just the right time." Tony's voice boomed from the giant suit of armor. Without turning his head, he simply pointed at the three newly arrived uninvited guests with his massive metal finger. "Choose one. I don't expect you to kill them all, but at least hold one of them off."
Strange's gaze swept quickly across the area.
That blood-red Hulk, radiating pure brutality and madness, was clearly Banner's type.
His gaze eventually shifted back and forth between Apocalypse and the strange man wearing Magneto's helmet.
Both of these guys are an outrageously large threat.
Especially that blue-skinned monster who called himself Apocalypse; just by standing still, he made him feel his magic power was restless.
He glanced again at the remaining forces on his side: Mighty Thor Jane, and Jean, the red-haired girl who was clearly unstable but possessed astonishing strength.
Strange quickly made a judgment in his mind.
The fact that the helmeted guy could influence Jean indicates that he primarily targets the Mind Stone, while Jane's lightning power has little effect on him.
It's better to have the two of them work together than to go up there myself.
So what's left...?
" Apocalypse to me." Strange's voice was deep. He glanced at Tony's massive armor. "I should be able to hold it off for a while."
"Very good," Tony replied, then turned to Mighty Thor and Jean. "That guy who looks like a circus Joker, I don't need you to kill him, just hold him off, can you do that?"
Jane Foster gripped the pink Mjolnir's hammer tightly, pink lightning crackling across its surface.
She glanced at Qin beside her, whose face was pale but whose eyes were stubborn, and nodded. "I might not be able to hold her off alone, but with her help, we can give it a try."
Qin didn't speak, but silently stood beside Jian, her eyes swirling with complex emotions—fear, but even more so, a ruthless determination born of being driven to the Extremis.
The allocation was completed instantly.
The battle has begun again!
Almost everyone approached their rivals at the same time.
"Roar!" The Blood-Red Hulk let out a deafening roar, his voice filled with a thirst for blood and destruction. Dramatically dragging his massive bone club, he charged toward Dr. Banner, who was closest to him, like a runaway heavy truck.
However, Dr. Banner simply took off his glasses calmly and carefully put them into his pocket.
Facing the stench that rushed towards him, he spread his feet apart, rubbed his hands together in front of his chest, and assumed a standard ancient martial arts starting stance.
Just as the Blood-Red Hulk's fist, the size of a casserole dish, was about to smash into his face, Banner lowered his body slightly and, with an agility completely disproportionate to his size, slid in close to the other's arm.
The next second, he suddenly twisted his waist, lowered his shoulders, and exerted force!
A clean and decisive strike followed by a powerful elbow strike!
Bang!
A dull, loud thud.
Before Blood-Red Hulk could react, an irresistible force exploded from his chest.
His massive body was struck head-on by a battering ram; his feet left the ground, and he flew backward, crashing heavily into a building in the distance, kicking up clouds of dust.
Banner slowly withdrew his elbow, exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes calm, but beneath that calm lay a burning rage that grew ever stronger.
On the other side, Strange looked at Apocalypse with a solemn expression.
This guy just stood there, and it was as if he were the center of the world; the light and space around him seemed to be slightly distorted because of his presence.
Strange knew that any conventional magic would likely be a joke in the face of his opponent.
The only solution is to change the battlefield.
Without the slightest hesitation, he swiftly crossed his hands in front of his chest, drawing a series of complex and dazzling golden runes.
"Buzz--"
Space shattered like a broken mirror, and a bizarre, inverted world emerged from behind Apocalypse, instantly engulfing him with a powerful suction force.
Mirror Dimension!
"An interesting trick." Apocalypse didn't even turn around; he simply commented, letting the force drag him in.
Strange followed closely behind, and the portal closed rapidly behind him, isolating this immeasurable being from the main dimension.
Two of the battlefield's top combatants were instantly gone, but the remaining battles were just as intense.
Without further ado, Mighty Thor Jane, let out a sharp cry, channeled all her lightning power into Mjolnir, and hurled it with all her might!
The pink Mjolnir transformed into a destructive streak of light, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air, heading straight for the helmeted man.
However, Onslaught simply stood still, without moving an inch, a contemptuous smile on his face.
"Playing metal in front of me?"
Before he could finish speaking, the pink Mjolnir abruptly stopped in mid-air, as if it had crashed into an invisible wall, hovering there, trembling violently, unable to move forward even an inch.
Jane's expression changed; she could feel the connection between herself and the hammer being forcibly interfered with and severed by a brute force.
She desperately channeled her divine power, trying to regain control of the hammer, but the hammer only vibrated wildly in the air, emitting a mournful buzzing sound.
Just as Onslaught's attention was entirely focused on controlling Mjolnir, a red light flashed in the eyes of Jean Grey beside him.
Now!
She didn't need to think, nor did she need to prepare.
That stinging pain and anger originating from the depths of my mind was the best catalyst.
A powerful, uncontrollable force erupted from her body!
That's not just telekinesis, but a more primal and intense energy.
A deep red flame suddenly ignited, instantly transforming into a phantom of a phoenix spreading its wings, carrying the resolute determination to incinerate everything, and crashed fiercely into the Onslaught!
Onslaught seemed completely unprepared for the seemingly fragile girl beside him to unleash such astonishing and familiar power. He turned his head sharply, his eyes showing astonishment for the first time.