Issue Four: Do You Believe In Magic?

After the conclusion of the three-issue miniseries Avengers: Warlord of Baluur, the AEF's own title returns where it left off, with issue four of their own series, featuring:
- The return of a hero!
- A traitor revealed!
- The secret origin of several team members!
- Villians gallore!

In the Negative Zone portal room, a large purple humanoid spies Radical Warrior laying on his back and, in a deep bellowing voice, asks simply:

"Where is my minion?"



House Cleaning Details

Rad looks up a bit puzzled. "Minion???" All the while thinking quietly to himself. "This guy must be talking about that Blastar dude."

"I'm just a repairman." he says as he pulls himself to his feet. "Can you hold this for a sec??" Rad continues talking while holding the heavest spool of rope or wire he has handy.

If the mysterious stranger takes the end of the wire/rope Rad will jump into high gear and circle the man with his lighning speed to tie the man up so he can try slow this guy down by catching him off guard.

If he does'nt take the bait Rad will just rush in like a fool and lightning charge him Since he is alone for a few rounds he will spend KARMA to achieve success. I don't want to be KO'd b4 help can arrive.

The purple stanger glances over in Rad's direction. "I don't have time for such foolishness", he says to himself in response to Rad's request.

"MINION: I DO NOT LIKE TO BE KEPT WAITING", the creature annouces, not only with his voice, but with a telepathic reasonance heard by nearly everyone in the top several floors of the building.

The Avengers and FF staff below heard it as well - they know it originated from somewhere above them. The rambunctious Blue Marvel immediately heads for the closest staircase up when he hears it. Crystal, the ledaer of the Fantastic Four, follows after him. Ever the faithful servant, the HUBERT unit floats along behind her.

Rad races into the creature, bounces off, and lands on the ground at his feet. Ouch. That hurt. It was like crashing into an immovable object. Well, to be fair, he may have taken a half-step forward with one foot...

The tall creature turns to look directly at Rad, who is lying, sore, at his feet, as if to notice him for the first time. He leans over and offers Rad his hand as if to help him up. He makes no offensive move beyond that.

A wave of panic rushes over Energystar. Rad is up there. Alone.

She too runs after the others. Minion? What IS this thing?

Maelstrom blinks. That one is BIG

Then he blinks. In a second he is beside Radical Warrior.

"Ummm...excuse me, sir. Who are you?"

If bubbles hears the Crashing and banging he runs up stairs to see if he can be of assistance.

Cap, of course, hurriedly follows EnergyStar, while some of the others, uncertain at this point of what exactly the immediate threat is, follow behind or mill about with confused looks upon their faces (Ms. Marvel and Wyatt, for example).

His Purpleness shifts his attention momentarily from the downed Rad to the newly appearing Maelstrom and begins to answer ”I AM…”

“Master!!” squeals Blue Marvel as he reaches the top of the stairs and looks into the room. Blue Marvel then runs across the room, dives to the floor, and wraps his arms around one of His Purpleness’ legs, hugging it closely in a manner reminiscent of an overjoyed puppy seeing his owner return home.

”MY MINION”, big-and-purple says, placing the hand he had previously extended to Radical Warrior upon Blue Marvel’s head. ”DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING FOR ME?”, he asks.

”Ooh!”, Blue Marvel replies excitedly, ”Ifoundthistodaywhenwewerecleaningupafterthissilverladycameflyinginthroughtheroofandpunche dthatbigholeinoverourheadssheknockedherselfoutdoingitandweallrushedupheretoseewhatwasgoing onbecause…”

“CEASE YOUR MINDLESS PRATTLING, BOY. WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND?”

“This”, Blue Marvel replies, producing a small item of some sort from his belt.

”EXCELLENT WORK, MY MINION. WE ARE DONE HERE.”

With that, his Purpleness and Blue Marvel both disappear. Instantly. Completely. As in, gone without a trace.

Loud talking, but no sounds of combat. That can’t be bad, right?

”Ooohh…that can’t be good” She-Hulk offers from the top of the stairs behind Crystal, EnergyStar, and Cap.

”That was Thanos.”

Pulsar bursts in seconds after the Titan disappears.

Hey, what? I thought I heard something there. Something about a Thanos? Wasn't he a guy who had the Cosmic Cube for a while or something?

Jen (She-Hulk), who is both a member of the Fantastic Four and a reserve member of the Avengers, can give you a quick brief on Thanos.

Thanos is an Eternal, a member of a humanoid race engineered from original human stock by the space-faring race, the Kree (of which, pothumous Avenger, Captain Mar-Vell was a member). He was born on Titan, a moon of Saturn, one of the worlds the Eternals call home. A select group of Eternals actually lived on Uranus for a while back in the 1950's: Marvel Boy and his father (both humans and not Eternals), lived among them for a while.
Thanos is insane and is responsible for the deaths of millions of Titanian Eternals. He is a nihlist and once attempted to prove his "love" for death, by seeking out the Cosmic Cube in an effort to destroy all life in the universe. Fortunately, Captain Mar-Vell and the Avengers defeated him. But that was long before She-Hulk was a member.

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