A YJA Moment - The Final Shadow War

 

Historians would say the Second Shadow War began with the Warworld attack on Xandar.  The loss of Xandar threatened to completely fracture the nascent Coalition of Planets. Though the alliance would remain, it was greatly weakened and focused within, allowing the Dark Armada to move without hindrance or observation.  The incursions of Vandal Savage's Battle-Sphere were but the first volleys in the conflict, and they were soon joined by the great crab-like vessels of the Shadows.

At first, the attacks were random, but soon they coalesced into a solid front that was joined by Dark Elf fleets and the Star Destroyers of the First Order.  Much of the advanced information had already been done by the Mandalorians, whose Bounty Hunters had been a ruse to conceal detailed reconnaissance.  After the Xandar tragedy did not get the desired collapse of the alien treaty, they concentrated on creating a humanitarian crisis in order to further strain the Coalition's supply lines. The Dark Fleet soon became a dagger point, piercing the Galaxy and heading towards the Core Worlds with Earth and other capital worlds in its path.

Even the loss of Warworld to the Transformers did not halt the progression.  Instead, they turned to the remains of Thanos' 'sons and daughters" of the Black Order to provide the firepower.  They had been busy augmenting their father's old flagship, the Sanctuary II, upgrading it with a host of technology reverse-engineered from Warworld and Apokolips.  The new Sanctuary III was three times the size of its predecessor, and the most powerful starship ever crafted.

Finally, they were met by the Coalition of Planets armada, a fleet made up of the bulk of the Second Nova Imperial, Shi'ar Protectorate, Tellarite Allied, and Vulcan Confederate warships. They were flanked by the Green Lantern Corps, which was composed of over a hundred volunteers from across Known Space.  Hundreds of other species also sent their ships - some to fight, but others to provide medical or logistical support.  The Coalition chose the white dwarf system, known to the Terrans as Lambda Bootis, as the site of the final stand.

Almost immediate hostilities began.  The Shadows initially inflicted heavy casualties but because their control centers were derived from sentient beings, the magics of the Light Elves of Alfheim were able to disrupt their systems.  This allowed Coalition vessels to coordinate their attacks on individual  Shadow vessels and destroy them.  This forced the Shadows to retreat, and shifted the odds greatly into the Army of Light's favor, especially with the arrival of the Cybertronian Battle-Sphere Nul.

The Mythic Avengers, backed by hordes of Vampires, then breached the Sanctuary III, tearing through the crew and onboard battalions of Stormtroopers as they attempted to disrupt operations within the vessel.  Their progress was slow, but even the outnumbering opposition could only slow the advance of the Coalition forces as they made their way towards the bridge.

The stage was set for the final battle of the Fourth World; One that would determine the fate of a Quadrillion sentient species.  This was the Final Shadow War.

A YJA Moment - Bargains and Interludes

 As the Coalition Forces and Warworld streak towards their confrontation with the Dark Fleet in Lambda Bootis, the Mythic Avengers made their own preparations for what likely will be their final battle with Darkseid.

Melinoe, the newly crowned Queen of Vampires, traveled to New York in order to marshal the undead as footsoldiers in the Last Shadow War.  Despite behind-the-scenes attempts to disrupt the proceedings by S.H.I.E.L.D, Mel was able to gather the Vampire Nation together and mobilize them.  Armed with whatever they could procure, the Nation pledged its allegiance to the Greek Goddess and made its way to the bowels of Warworld.

Mary Marvel and Kentauride journeyed to Chitauri Prime, where the Child of Thanos, Thane, was living.  Technically the leader of the Chitarui, Thane seemed more like a prisoner in his own palace.  Ken offered him the role of the god of entropy, should Darkseid be defeated.  Thane returned the offer with a bargain - he and his army would remain out of the final battle. Should his grandfather be slain, he would take on the Omega Force and rule the successor of Apokolips in the Fifth World.

With the last few hours slipping by before their rendezvous with Optimus Prime, the Mythic Avengers gathered with their loved ones.  They ate and laughed and enjoyed themselves, but you wouldn't consider it a party. There was the almost unbearable weight of their responsibility - The next day would decide the fate of a quadrillion sentient species in Known Space and it was a battle they must win at all costs.

It was light-years from when they were students in a small school on Roosevelt Island in New York when they were naive young people learning hard lessons about being metahumans.  In a few short years, they became regents of nations, wielders of mighty artifacts, and imbued with great and terrible power.  Still, against the might of the Lord of Apokolips and his allies, their great abilities seem almost insufficient for the task ahead.

But the Mythic Avengers had overcome great odds before.  And they now have powerful friends.

A YJA Moment - Operation: Quarter

Warworld was one of the greatest weapons ever created.  The original Quintesson creators had designed it to be a massive defense platform, armed with a gigantic world-destroying laser, rocket batteries, and smaller energy weapon batteries.  After being taken over by Vandal Savage, the immortal had used Darkseid's connections to further upgrade the vessel with stealth systems and advanced matter-replicator technology which allowed Warworld to construct its own ammunition.

While Warworld was a fearsome construct, its capabilities are not endless.  The replication technology required matter in order to fuel its manufacturing processes and the reactor needed exotic gasses in order to operate.  In addition, the stealth systems had a particular flaw - the Quintessons had embedded a secret identification signal undetectable by anything other than its own technology.  While the Quintessons and the Infinite Empire did not last long enough to track the Battle Sphere, the Cybertronians have inherited the ability to detect the symbol.

All these flaws led to Operation: Quarter, the Autobot, and Mythic Avengers joint operation to take control of Warworld.  The Battle Sphere was tracked by Optimus Prime to a previously-unsurveyed system, where it was siphoning gasses from the gas giant that was orbiting its main-sequence star.  Six First Order Star Destroyers were orbiting Warworld, resupplying the weapons platform with troops, food, and other incidental supplies.

Utilizing a Cloaking Device from the Romulan Star Empire, an Autobot Shuttle docked with the Battle Sphere undetected and allowed the Mythic Avengers and a detachment of Autobots to infiltrate the structure.  While much of the structure was unprotected, there were wandering teams of special operations troopers seeking out intruders.  The group did run into a lone Mandalorian but was able to disable her before she could notify the First Order or the Warworld Bridge of their presence. 

Able to reach the command hub, the Mythic Avengers directly encountered Vandal Savage and a detachment of Sith, who attempted to kill the invaders.  While Mary and Ken dispatched the Dark Side Force-Users, Mel defeated Vandal Savage and beheaded him, claiming his Mark of Cain as her own.  As she became the new Queen of Vampires, Optimus Prime incorporated the circuitry of the Battle Sphere control circlet into his Matrix of Leadership, becoming the Master of Warworld.

As Mel and the rest of the Mythic Avengers prepared their forces for the final battle, Optimus activated the full might of Warworld and set the course for the Lamba Bootis system and the final battle for the fate of Known Space.

A YJA Moment - Lincoln March

The March family made their fortune centuries in logging, first in the lush forests surrounding Gotham, and now clear-cutting old-growth trees around the world.  They have always been loyal members of the Court of Owls and Lincoln succeeded his father on that conspiratorial body, though largely his role was limited in the day-to-day affairs of the group.  That is why it was surprising when in 2015, he was called by the other members of the Court to a special meeting. 

The Talons had discovered the still-living body of Owlman, who had been thought to have perished when the Crime Syndicate invasion of Earth-Prime. When Lincoln saw Owlman he knew why they had called him: Under his mask, Owlman looked just like him.  Weeks of interrogation has revealed that on his Earth, he was Thomas Wayne Jr, who had taken up the cowl - and later control of the entire Court of Owls of his world - in vengeance over his slain parents.

Lincoln was shocked at this news but became even more disturbed when he discovered he was adopted.  More than that, people of extreme power and influence had buried the adoption records so deep that it was impossible to discover who his birth parents were.  He came to believe that the Waynes were his real parents, and if the rules of Earth-3 were consistent, his "brother" Bruce was the hero Batman.

Before strangling Owlman with his own hands, Lincoln spent long hours discovering every secret Thomas had to offer.  He then set to work emulating his Anti-Earth counterpart, using the resources of the Court of Owls to enhance himself in mind and body.  As the Bat-Family was tearing the Court to its foundations, Lincoln was building up a new force to oppose them.  He would become this dimension's Owlman.

And then he'd bring Batman to his knees and take back the birthright he so rightfully deserves.