Marvel's Kryptonian Scientist Chapter 376 376

Spider-Woman was in the middle of talking a suicidal civilian down from a rooftop, preparing for the classic last-second rescue, when a massive chunk of concrete suddenly ca hurtling toward her.

Her spider-sense was every bit as sharp as its reputation suggested.

Despite having her back turned, she reacted instantly, flipping through the air and grabbing Drex Valen as she dodged the incoming projectile.

"Whoa! Sorry! I didn't an to do that!"

Only after landing did Spider-Woman realize her hand was pressed firmly against Drex's chest.

A very firm chest.

For a brief mont, she found herself wishing she could simply stay there forever.

Unfortunately, that wasn't exactly socially acceptable.

If she actually acted on that impulse, Spider-Woman would probably spend the next day being hunted across the city for sexual harassnt.

The only reason she could even lift Drex was because he was suppressing his own mass with his biofield, keeping himself at the weight of an ordinary adult man. Otherwise, moving him would have been impossible. His true mass was so absurdly imnse that even the concept defied reason.

"Spider-Woman! Today's the day you die!"

A figure descended from above.

Doctor Octopus.

Or rather...

Doctor Octavia.

Another stunningly attractive woman.

And one who clearly had no concern whatsoever about practical clothing.

She wore sothing Drex would generously describe as a bikini, paired with sunglasses and an open gray-brown trench coat that did little to improve the situation.

This universe was remarkably enthusiastic.

Tony would absolutely love this place.

Drex silently made that observation.

From what he'd learned, bikinis were considered normal sumr attire for won here. Most simply applied sunscreen and went about their day.

n, anwhile, suffered the opposite fate.

They were expected to keep nearly every inch of skin covered. Exposed skin often attracted aggressive female attention, and enduring the heat while fully dressed was considered normal.

The double standard was astonishing.

With that thought, Drex decided to intervene.

Against Doctor Octavia, his mastery over electromagnetic forces made the fight laughably easy.

Just as she prepared to unleash her chanical tentacles against Spider-Woman, the tal arms suddenly turned on their owner.

The chanical limbs wrapped around her body and bound her completely.

"How is this possible?!"

Doctor Octavia stared in disbelief.

Spider-Woman looked equally shocked as she turned toward Drex.

"Actually..."

Drex smiled.

"I'm a superhero too."

In an instant, the Dark Knight armor enveloped him.

Black tal flowed across his body like liquid shadow.

A dark cape unfurled behind him.

The armor's mirror-smooth surface reflected tallic highlights beneath the sunlight, giving him an intimidating and almost otherworldly appearance.

Both won froze.

"Wow... that looks incredible!"

Spider-Woman practically vibrated with excitent.

Incredible?

Not cool?

Drex felt a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Fortunately, the helt concealed his expression.

"Nanotech armor?"

Doctor Octavia could hardly believe it.

When had a hero this powerful appeared?

And a male hero at that?

"Spider-Woman."

Drex turned toward her.

"I need to et Stark."

He paused.

"Stark... Madam Stark, I suppose."

He needed answers.

Sothing had drawn him into this universe.

That alone was unusual.

Most universes had enough self-preservation instincts not to attract soone like him.

Unless...

This universe was facing so kind of catastrophe.

If it was a problem he could solve, perhaps he'd help.

If not, he'd tear open a black hole and return ho imdiately.

"Lady Stark is very busy right now."

Spider-Woman hesitated.

She certainly didn't want to disappoint a handso guy.

Unfortunately, Toni Stark genuinely was busy.

"Busy doing what?"

Drex looked at her.

Even after briefly skimming her mories, he couldn't find a clear answer.

All he knew was that Fantastic Woman had apparently discovered...

Or more accurately, opened...

A mysterious dinsional passage.

The Fantastic Four's headquarters had since been completely locked down by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Many superheroes, including the Avengers, had gathered there.

Their absence had caused cri rates throughout the city to skyrocket.

"Of course."

Drex sighed.

"Classic Fantastic Four behavior. They broke reality again."

No further explanation was necessary.

He'd seen this pattern before.

Open portal.

Invite extradinsional horror.

Panic.

Repeat.

The usual routine.

Still, this incident seed more serious than normal.

If Earth's greatest heroes had been stuck dealing with it for this long, then perhaps it was connected to whatever had pulled him into this universe.

There was only one way to find out.

He headed directly for the building.

Inside the heavily fortified headquarters, Drex saw an enormous gathering of superheroes.

Every one of them looked tense.

Every one of them looked afraid.

Their attention was fixed on the swirling dinsional vortex ahead.

A figure erged from within.

Darkness.

Nothing but darkness.

White lightning illuminated the heavens.

Violent winds appeared from nowhere, sweeping across the city.

Between black and white stood a solitary silhouette.

An overwhelming pressure filled sky and earth alike.

Dust slowly rose into the air.

Chaotic magnetic fields crackled with arcs of electricity.

The entire scene resembled the opening monts of the apocalypse.

Then Drex saw the figure clearly.

His pupils contracted.

For the first ti in a very long while...

He wanted to run.

Imdiately.

Because he recognized exactly who had stepped through that portal.

Abraxas.

The Son of Eternity.

"...We're dood."

Drex nearly turned around on the spot.

This universe was finished.

Absolutely finished.

His reaction wasn't an exaggeration.

Abraxas wasn't rely powerful.

He was one of the most terrifying entities in existence.

The Son of Eternity.

A being born with power on the multiversal level.

A monster capable of treating Galactus like a toy.

Galactus's daughter, the adorable little Devourer, might be a glutton, but she was fundantally kind-hearted, heroic, and harmless.

Abraxas?

That was an entirely different story.

Drex knew the truth.

Calling him the Son of Eternity wasn't entirely accurate.

He was more like Eternity's opposite.

Its shadow.

Its contradiction.

Eternity.

The embodint of cosmic order.

The living manifestation of stability and continuity throughout existence.

Abraxas represented the exact opposite.

Universal destruction.

Not ordinary destruction.

Not the collapse of a single world.

Not even the annihilation of a universe.

He represented the erasure of everything.

The complete extinction of the Multiverse itself.

Among the Five Cosmic Entities:

Eternity and Infinity represented creation, growth, and possibility.

Death and Oblivion represented vengeance, endings, and catastrophe.

Galactus represented balance.

The universe required all three principles.

Order.

Chaos.

Equilibrium.

Without any one of them, existence itself would beco incomplete.

But Abraxas transcended that frawork.

His existence carried only one purpose.

It didn't matter whether sothing represented order or chaos.

Creation or destruction.

Good or evil.

Everything had to die.

Everything had to disappear.

His very existence was a declaration that the Multiverse would eventually co to an end.

That all things would vanish.

That balance itself would cease to exist.

And if balance had a champion...

It was Galactus.

Which ant Abraxas and Galactus were natural enemies from the mont they ca into being.

Unfortunately for everyone present...

Abraxas had arrived.

And that ant the countdown to universal extinction had already begun.