People weren't just dumbfounded—they were utterly stunned.
Above them, alongside the massive spaceship, a crowd of figures hovered in midair.
Apart from the arrogant blonde woman—Carter, the self-proclaimed leader of the Skrulls—most of the other figures were all too familiar. A few, however, were complete strangers.
Former members of the Avengers:
Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Sandman, Doctor Octopus, Iron Man, Harry Osborn…
Members of the Justice League:
Spider-Man, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Daredevil, Venom, the Fantastic Four, the HobGoblin…
And villains who had once wreaked havoc:
Electro, the Lizard, the Green Goblin, Aldrich Killian…
There were even a few unknowns—but just by looking at them, it was clear they weren't to be trifled with.
Among them stood the Fantastic Four, Hulk, and even the giant mutant rat, Splinter.
In truth, even these so-called "unknowns" weren't strangers. The Fantastic Four and Hulk had fought to defend humanity during critical battles in New York. Splinter, too, had made appearances before.
For those with sharp memories, recognizing every single figure only made things more surreal.
How did all these people end up together?
Why would they be standing side by side?
One question after another raced through the minds of New Yorkers.
At the same time, footage of the event—streamed live by onlookers—spread rapidly across the world. Governments, intelligence agencies, and high-ranking officials closely monitoring the situation received the shocking images.
Staring at the video feeds, they were left in disbelief.
Of course, they knew these weren't the real heroes and villains. They were copies—replicas created by the Super-Skrulls.
But what horrified them wasn't who they were. It was how many there were.
The Skrulls had managed to replicate nearly every major superhuman on Earth—Avengers, Justice League members, even villains.
How were they supposed to fight this battle?
The enemy had copied all of their strongest fighters.
Even if Batman gathered every remaining hero to counterattack, would it be enough?
And what about Superman?
Even if he returned, how many Super-Skrulls could he take on by himself?
For the first time, some people began to doubt Anton.
Was he in over his head?
"Deploy the army!"
At the White House, the President's face turned grave as he processed the intelligence reports flooding in from New York.
His voice was sharp, urgent. "John, take command of the military immediately!"
"I want every available force mobilized and deployed to New York as fast as possible!"
"Even if we can't win, we must contain the situation! We cannot allow this to spiral out of control—understand?!"
Spittle flew as he barked orders, his frustration and fear palpable.
Across from him, John Keller stood motionless, his face grim.
"Understood!"
Snapping a salute, Keller turned on his heels and left without hesitation.
Even he, a man who had trusted Anton without question, found himself doubting.
The Skrulls had played their hand—and it was terrifying.
They had copied nearly every single superhuman powerhouse on Earth, including villains who had long been dead or imprisoned.
This was far beyond anyone's expectations.
Even if the entire Justice League assembled, New York might still be doomed.
Did this mean the city was destined to fall?
His chest felt heavy, but he pushed the thought aside.
Right now, New York needed help.
And it needed it fast.
Keller rushed toward the military base, determined to send reinforcements as quickly as possible.
Europe
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New Headquarters
Coulson and Hill exchanged glances.
They didn't have a complete understanding of the Skrulls, but at this point, information about them was spreading across the internet at an alarming rate.
Of course, S.H.I.E.L.D. had received intelligence on the matter.
After all, when governments around the world began purging Skrull spies from their ranks, a number had also been discovered within S.H.I.E.L.D. itself.
The organization had been forced to acknowledge the severity of the situation.
Now, staring at the shocking reports from New York—the images of perfect replicas of heroes and villains hovering in the sky—Coulson and Hill were momentarily stunned.
This was bad.
Not because they sympathized with Anton, but because of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s own past actions—or rather, Nick Fury's decision to welcome the Skrulls and even establish S.W.O.R.D. with their help.
And now?
The Skrulls had revealed their true ambitions and terrifying abilities. They had managed to replicate nearly every powerful superhuman on Earth.
This wasn't just a crisis. This was a catastrophe.
Now, the real question was—how would Batman turn the tide?
Or worse…
Would even the Justice League be helpless this time?
Would Batman finally be forced to surrender?
New York
For a moment, when people first saw the figures hovering above them, they simply froze in place.
Then, terror set in.
They didn't know the full story.
All they saw were familiar faces—heroes they had trusted—now seemingly siding with the enemy.
Had every superhero betrayed humanity?
If even the Avengers and the Justice League had switched sides…
What chance did humanity have?
Anxiety turned into despair.
The enemy was already at their doorstep. How could they rely on the human military to stop them now?
"No… something's not right!"
Someone clenched their fists, sweat dripping down their forehead.
Even in the face of overwhelming fear, one name came to mind—a name that rekindled a sliver of hope.
"Batman would never betray humanity!"
Others quickly joined in.
"Not just Batman! The Justice League still has Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and Green Arrow!"
"Yeah! We still have Batman!"
Their voices rose in unison, chanting his name as if it alone could ward off disaster.
And then—
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Suddenly, figures emerged from the shadows, leaping into view.
Spider-Man.
Venom.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Daredevil.
The Fantastic Four.
Harry Osborn.
The Green Goblin…
One after another, real superheroes appeared across the city, assembling before the stunned crowd.
"Wait… what?"
People blinked, their confusion deepening.
"Why are there two of them?"
"Wait—are the ones up there… fakes?"
Someone finally caught on, their voice trembling with realization.
Below, the true heroes stared at their copies with grim expressions.
"So these are the Skrulls?"
Eddie Brock narrowed his eyes, his mind racing.
"Super-Skrulls… They actually copied me? When did they even get my genetic material…?"
He clenched his fists.
Anton had already explained everything—the Skrulls' ability to duplicate powers, their infiltration methods, and the existence of Super-Skrulls.
But this?
They hadn't just copied him.
They had somehow replicated his symbiote.
His Venom.
The thought sent chills down his spine.
If the Skrulls had already stolen his DNA, then what about everyone else?
How many spies were still lurking among them?
Eddie exhaled sharply.
It didn't matter. They had already made their move—now they would pay for it.
He wasn't afraid. Because this was all part of Anton's plan.
And more importantly— Batman was leading the charge.
The others didn't know all the details, but none of them were nervous.
Because if Batman was in charge…
They couldn't lose.
"Do not engage."
The calm yet firm voice rang in their ears through the communicators.
The heroes stiffened.
"Wait… what?"
Batman's order had taken them all by surprise.
"Are you serious? You're not a Skrull in disguise, right?"
Their confusion grew, but before they could question further, Batman's voice came through once more, relayed through their teleportation bracelets.
"Everything is under control. Just watch."
"Oh, and while you're here… I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce a new member to the team."
A pause.
Everyone exchanged glances.
"New member?"
"Wait… are we supposed to let the rookie handle all of this?"
"How tough is this guy supposed to be?"
A deep frown settled on Eddie's face.
And then, after a moment—his eyes widened in realization.
His voice trembled with excitement.
"Superman?"
"The new member is Superman?!"
…
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