It's a trap!
After the appearance of the Martian Manhunter, Captain America immediately realized that the frequency of the energy wave they had detected using the Power Gem was most likely fake!
But now, even though they knew it was a trap, they had no choice but to face it head-on.
Because Quicksilver had been captured!
Until they rescued him, the Avengers would never even consider retreating.
Because Avengers never abandon their comrades!
"Rhodey!"
"Got it, Cap!"
The sound of metal and wind filled the air.
War Machine immediately aimed the barrel of his Gatling cannon at the Martian Manhunter.
He was afraid of injuring Quicksilver, so he couldn't use any weapons of mass destruction.
But the six-barreled Vulcan cannon on his shoulder roared, spitting tongues of flame.
"Bullets?"
The Martian Manhunter didn't even bother to move.
Even if his physical strength wasn't on Superman's level, he was still among the three strongest in the Justice League.
To him, bullets were toys.
But the very next moment...
The Martian Manhunter paid a small price for his arrogance.
Whirrr—!
With the thunder of the Vulcan cannon, a barrage of fiery rounds struck the ground, raising a storm of dust and knocking the Martian Manhunter off his feet!
A bullet pierced his body, hard as steel!
"Aaaah!"
The Manhunter struggled to rise, gripping the wound tightly where the bullet's warhead was still lodged, but it wouldn't budge!
"You idiot, you think we haven't read DC comics!?"
War Machine took aim again.
He knew the Manhunter's body was incredibly durable.
But if he used vibranium bullets…
How would he handle that?
"Bruce!" shouted the Martian Manhunter, calling for reinforcements.
The Manhunter quickly decided not to stand still any longer.
Whirr—!
As the projectiles tore up the terrain, he shot into the air, dodging the vibranium rounds with speed barely visible to the naked eye.
At the same time, a mental wave spread from him like an invisible storm, trying to penetrate War Machine's mind.
Psychic attack detected!
Counterattack initiated!
But just as Rhodey's mind was about to be seized, a current surged inside his armor, not too strong, not too weak, just enough to jolt him back to consciousness.
"Oh, that tastes awful!" Rhodey muttered and immediately opened fire at full strength, unleashing a rain of mini-rockets from his shoulders and forearms.
"You... you shielded yourself from my powers!?" the Martian Manhunter exclaimed in shock.
At the moment he tried to invade Rhodey's mind, he managed to read a fragment of memory, seeing Tony Stark installing mental defense devices into Rhodey's armor.
In fact...
It didn't matter if it was Marvel or DC, scientists on both sides never stopped innovating.
Especially Tony Stark, who had designed an entire arsenal of defensive and offensive systems engineered specifically to counter DC heroes.
Among them was a device that neutralized the telepathic attacks of the Martian Manhunter.
Moreover, Tony had made the same system for the rest of the team, including Quicksilver.
But for well-known reasons, Pietro refused to use anything that came from Stark's workshop.
That's why he had become vulnerable to the Manhunter's psychic control and ended up in a coma.
"I'm going to save him!"
Seeing the Martian Manhunter momentarily suppressed, Captain America immediately charged forward.
Boom! Boom!
Two rockets flew across the horizon and landed right in front of him, exploding in a brilliant cloud of smoke.
His path was blocked.
From a distance came the growl of an engine, the Batmobile!
Batman was approaching at incredible speed, its wheels slicing through the dirt, exhaust flames lighting up the night.
Just as it was about to slam into the Avengers team, Batman suddenly leaped off the vehicle!
His cape spread wide, transforming into glider wings that carried him through the air like a dark bat.
The Batmobile, now without a driver, slammed into the ground and exploded in a fiery ball.
BOOM!
Flames spread, but when the smoke cleared...
Captain America stood unharmed, kneeling on one knee with his shield raised in front of him.
An extra layer of energy shimmered across the shield's surface.
Wakandan technology, energy shield activated.
"Batman?"
"You're a well-known hero in our world… famous, with a will of steel."
Captain America, his armor now covered in dust from the explosion, slowly stood up.
He held the shield in his left hand, while from his right extended an energy sword glowing blue.
Batman didn't respond. He just stood silently, watching his opponent.
He knew comic books and reality weren't the same.
But...
It was a shame he had to prove that through battle.
Fortunately, he wasn't alone.
Even though it looked like he had driven the Batmobile alone, in reality, he wasn't the only one there.
From a microscopic perspective, someone was already near Captain America.
The Atom had been following Batman for a long time.
"Sorry, pal!"
His voice suddenly echoed.
The tiny figure, smaller than an ant, began to expand until he grew as large as a building!
As he grew, he swung a mighty punch upward, hitting Captain America square in the jaw!
The impact was so strong that the Captain was flung dozens of meters into the air, flying across the sand before crashing somewhere in the Gobi Desert.
"Scott!" shouted Black Panther.
The Atom, still in his gigantic form, was ready to continue the assault.
"Leave him to me!"
The second-generation Ant-Man, Scott Lang, had already pressed the control on his suit.
His body began to grow until he matched Atom's size.
"Hahaha! Pick on someone your own size!"
Scott laughed and charged.
The two giants collided with a force that shook the ground.
Every blow was accompanied by a thunderous crack, shockwaves spreading for kilometers around.
Meanwhile, Black Panther charged at Batman.
Two masters of martial arts faced each other.
Their movements were almost invisible due to their speed, strikes, blocks, rolls, all in perfect rhythm.
"Very primitive fighting techniques," said Batman coldly. "You learned them in the jungle?"
His tone was calm but precise, every motion deliberate.
Although physically weaker than Black Panther, who possessed the strength granted by the heart-shaped herb, Batman's techniques were lethally accurate.
In just a few seconds, Batman landed several precise hits and temporarily gained the upper hand.
But then...
At the points where Batman's strikes had hit Panther's suit, a purple glow began to appear.
"No!" Batman realized it too late.
The vibranium suit of Black Panther had absorbed all the kinetic energy and was now releasing it back.
The energy exploded!
Batman was thrown backward, slamming into the ground and rolling several times before stopping.
"Ugh…" He coughed up blood and pressed the communicator on his mask.
"Cyborg… how much longer?"
The response came immediately.
BOOM—!!!
The sound of a supersonic impact shattered the sky above them.
Thunder roared and dust exploded outward.
"He's already here."
Cyborg's voice came through the comm link, right as the clouds split open.
From them descended a massive figure, black lightning blazing in his eyes as he floated above the ground.
"Shazam?"
"No…"
"It's Black Adam."
Captain America and the others who had read the manga recognized the man's identity.
Black Adam, ruler of Kahndaq, the man who had been sealed away for thousands of years, now stood before them.
Doctor Fate had once foretold this moment, a vision of Black Adam's seal breaking, his rise inevitable.
He had known.
And Batman had known it was inevitable too.
"Just you?" asked Black Adam coldly, hovering a few meters above the ground.
His gaze swept over the Avengers.
The next moment, he vanished from sight!
BOOM!
The sonic boom came a split second later, only then did they realize he was already moving.
"Captain! Look out!"