The dark night sky suddenly lit up!
A streak of blazing lightning shot across the heavens like a meteor, trailing explosions behind it as it slammed into the Thing!
Boom!
A deafening sound rang out like a giant bell, and a powerful shockwave erupted!
Johnny Storm—the Human Torch—lifted his head in shock.
Because the Thing hadn't moved an inch.
It was as if he had rooted himself to the ground. His feet hadn't shifted at all!
Johnny, on the other hand, felt like he'd crashed into a mountain. The sheer force made his insides churn. He nearly coughed up blood.
Then, a terrifying smile appeared on Ben Grimm's rocky face—twisted with hatred.
Molten sparks burst from his mouth as he roared:
"I've hated you for a long time, Johnny Storm!"
"Why do you get to be the good-looking one, the popular one—always surrounded by fans? Even when you screw up, people still forgive you!"
"And me? Every time I show up, I get pointed at, feared, hated—even when I risk my life to save them!"
"But now I understand..."
Completely unfazed by the searing flames, Ben grabbed Johnny by the collar. His voice was full of malice as he shouted:
"Because they don't deserve it!"
"These weak, flesh-and-blood mortals—I could crush them with a single blow! The only thing they deserve is to live in fear of me!"
"And your blood… will be their awakening!"
"Die, Johnny Storm!"
With a roar, he raised the war hammer in his other hand. It carried a terrifying force, slicing through the air with a deafening whistle, and without the slightest hesitation, he swung it straight at Johnny's head!
Suddenly, *Sue Storm—the Invisible Woman—*spread her hands, forming a deep blue energy barrier to protect her brother!
But the shield shattered instantly under the overwhelming blow!
Blood gushed from Sue's nose. She screamed and collapsed to the ground!
At the same time, *Reed Richards—Mr. Fantastic—*stretched his body like a coiling serpent, wrapping himself tightly around Ben Grimm in a desperate attempt to stop the hammer!
But in the face of absolute power, it was hopeless.
Reed was torn apart like taffy, flung away helplessly—completely unable to stop the attack!
Bang!
A brilliant explosion of fire lit up the sky!
Sparks flew from Johnny's body as he was smashed like a cannonball, crashing through a building dozens of meters away before slamming into the massive stone monument in Liberty Square behind it!
Dozens of tons of granite shattered into countless pieces!
Johnny lay on the ground, blood pouring from his mouth like lava—his flames flickering weakly as the spilled blood ignited everything around it.
Boom!
Another explosion!
A massive hole was blown through the building again as Ben Grimm burst through the wall, falling from above and landing with a thunderous crash next to Johnny!
He stepped on Johnny's chest with disdain, flipping his body over. Looking down at his former teammate's broken form, he sneered cruelly:
"You're not stronger than me at all."
"No... not even the three of you combined are as strong as I am. And yet, all the glory always went to you!"
"You don't deserve it. You deserve to die."
With those words, he raised the war hammer once again—this time, to end Johnny's life for good.
The flames around Johnny extinguished. His blood turned crimson red again. His eyes filled with regret and sorrow.
"Don't worry…" Ben muttered coldly, "After you die, I'll make sure the others are locked up too."
As he swung the hammer down with brutal force, a twisted joy filled his heart.
At that moment, a bright blue light flashed!
Mr. Fantastic had teleported in, grabbing the Human Torch by the legs and pulling him back—avoiding a fatal blow just in time!
Although the war hammer didn't strike him directly, it still slammed into the ground, triggering a shockwave even more devastating than before!
The entire earth trembled violently.
Cracks spread in all directions, tearing through Freedom Square. The powerful shockwave launched debris in every direction, sweeping up concrete, steel, and bodies alike.
Countless people died in an instant, and the Human Torch, who had been nearest, coughed up blood violently!
If his physique hadn't evolved long ago, he would've been dead many times over.
Although Mr. Fantastic's body was rubber-like and resilient, he was still injured—his body covered in wounds, with his right leg pierced through by a jagged piece of debris!
Reed looked desperate.
He never imagined things would escalate to this point so quickly.
No time for analysis, no room for preparation. All of their scientific weapons were still locked away in the lab. And within less than a minute, all three of them had lost their ability to fight!
It felt like heaven one second... and hell the next.
The Thing—no longer their friend Ben Grimm, now consumed by darkness—grinned grimly at Reed's expression and laughed:
"Yes! This is how the Fantastic Four die—drowning in despair!"
"Let this bring endless fear to the weak mortals!"
Mr. Fantastic, stunned by the sudden turn of events, finally snapped back to his senses.
Saving The Thing was now out of the question. At this rate, even surviving would be a miracle.
He yelled toward the bloodied Human Torch:
"We haven't lost yet!"
"Use Nick Fury's plan—now!"
With a pained cry, Reed pulled the spike from his leg and stretched his body like a noodle. Wrapping around The Thing, his body suddenly flattened into a sheet and covered the monster's head!
Blinded, The Thing roared in fury and tried to tear it off—
But no matter how much he pulled, the fabric only stretched longer and refused to tear.
The Human Torch looked up and saw Reed wrestling with The Thing, his face pale and full of strain. He knew Reed wouldn't last much longer.
Now was the final chance!
A complex expression flashed in Johnny Storm's eyes. He had once thought Fury's idea was ridiculous—a joke. But now, it was their only hope.
And the saddest part was—
This was all he had left. He didn't even know if it would work.
If it failed… the Fantastic Four would be nothing more than a footnote in history.
Despite all the doubt clouding his mind, the Human Torch didn't hesitate. With his last shred of strength and unwavering belief, he shouted the names he had memorized only ten minutes ago:
"The Great Master of Thunder!"
"The King of Flame!"
"The Lord of Winter!"
"The God of Light Who Shines Upon the World!"
"Please… save all the humans trembling in fear!!"
SZZZZT!
Mr. Fantastic's body was shredded by debris. He screamed as he snapped back into his original form and was sent flying!
The Thing roared:
"You're all dead, fools!"
"Even if your gods came down, they wouldn't be able to save you!"
He raised his war hammer, jumped high into the air, and brought it crashing down with unstoppable force!
Johnny Storm collapsed on the ground. His arms tried to support his broken body. In his vision, all he saw was that terrifying figure descending from above—
It was over.
That was his only thought.
But just then—
A thunderbolt flashed across his eyes!
It was like a scene frozen in a single frame… and then it morphed into a figure!
The man raised his head slightly and said—
"1177/20."
As the voice echoed in the air, Johnny saw The Thing—still airborne—suddenly struck by an invisible force!
With a deafening boom, his chest exploded, and he let out a monstrous scream as his body was thrown backward and smashed to the ground!
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