Americans often said that New York was a disaster-prone metropolis. All kinds of Superheroes and Supervillains ran rampant, treating the skyscrapers beneath their feet as playgrounds for their chases and casually creating devastating crises of terror.
From the Green Goblin's rampage at the carnival to Magneto's attack on Manhattan, and later the World War Hulk, where Banner transformed into Hulk and battled countless Superheroes and the military without end, the economic losses and casualties had been immeasurable.
This bustling city known as the "Big Apple" seemed to have always been the center of the world, favored by all manner of villains and evil organizations. Yet today, that rare "honor" had also fallen upon London, England.
A black colossal warship, like a vertical sword hanging from the heavens, tore through space with unstoppable force and abruptly descended beside the Thames River. No one had even noticed how it had appeared.
The Dark Elves' unique cloaking technology was enough to evade Earth's satellites and even S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance, allowing them to slip into London's skies without anyone knowing.
The black warship's ancient, massive, bizarre design drew a large crowd. Many people even took out their phones to snap photos and upload them online, creating a scene of feverish excitement.
Malekith looked down at the tiny humans below, as insignificant as ants, contempt flashing in his eyes. So this was the backward Midgard—there was hardly any difference between it and some remote backwater.
Like most Asgardians, his impression of Earth remained stuck in the barbaric world of ten thousand years ago.
"Aether... is somewhere else!"
It seemed that the thief who had taken Aether had merely stopped here briefly before heading elsewhere.
After leaving Svartalfheim, the Dark Elves had first investigated the current situation in the Nine Realms and learned that Asgard had now