Ego represented a fundamentally different category of threat than Ben's previous adversaries.
This was an ancient entity with a lifespan measured in space epochs—a member of the immortal Celestial race, former participant in the Elder Council of the Universe, and wielder of power that operated on planetary scales. Unlike opponents who relied on technology or borrowed authority, Ego's strength was intrinsic and virtually limitless within his domain.
If Star-Lord were facing this danger alone, Ben might have calculated the acceptable risks differently. But with Looma, Ben Sr., and May Parker all rushing toward Ego's planet based on incomplete intelligence, the margin for error had effectively disappeared.
"Send me their spacecraft's coordinates immediately," Ben ordered, already feeling the weight of time pressure. "I'll handle this personally."
He turned to address Caiera and the command staff with crisp efficiency. "I'm leaving the remainder of Sakaar's operations in your capable hands. When Eunice. and Beta Ray Bill return, reorganize our forces for the Nine Realms offensive immediately. Also, maintain close surveillance on Vilgax—he's been far too quiet lately."
Compared to Malekith's obvious provocations and direct assaults, Vilgax's movements had become increasingly secretive and coordinated. That pattern suggested something far more dangerous than the Dark Elf's relatively straightforward conquest campaign.
But tactical analysis would have to wait. More immediately, Ben needed to address the logistical challenge of carrying Infinity Stones during interstellar travel.
All six stones were now in Plumber custody, distributed across multiple secure locations to prevent catastrophic resonance effects. The Mind Stone remained integrated with Eunice.'s consciousness, the Time Stone resided in Genesis under the Ancient One's protection, the Power Stone was secured in Earth's most advanced containment facility, and the Space Stone had been stored on Sakaar.
However, Ben had only recently acquired both the Reality Stone and Soul Stone, leaving their permanent placement undetermined.
"The Reality Stone should be sealed on Primus," he decided after brief consideration. "Its molecular manipulation properties will help maintain ecological balance during the planetary transformation project. As for the Soul Stone..."
"I believe storing it on Sakaar poses minimal risk," Caiera suggested thoughtfully. "The Infinity Stones cannot be kept together in groups of six for extended periods, but two stones should be manageable from a stability perspective."
She paused, considering alternative arrangements. "Alternatively, you could carry the Space Stone with you and leave the Soul Stone here under our protection."
The suggestion had merit. As a utility-focused artifact, the Space Stone provided more practical functionality than any other Infinity Stone except possibly the Mind Stone. Ben had used it extensively for transportation and tactical applications.
But Dr. Otto Octavius's recent breakthrough in particle collider technology had begun reducing their dependence on Space Stone capabilities. While the teleportation network wasn't fully mature, it no longer posed significant safety risks to users. Plumber agents could now travel throughout most of the galaxy using conventional faster-than-light transportation augmented by dimensional shortcuts.
As long as destinations fell within the Plumber particle collider network's coverage area, transit times had been reduced to mere hours rather than weeks.
"That's a sound tactical approach," Ben agreed. "Keeping one stone with me ensures that even in the worst-case scenario—someone acquiring five stones—I'd still retain the ability to counter their efforts."
If an enemy somehow managed to collect the sixth stone directly from him... well, that would represent a level of power disparity that made strategic planning largely irrelevant.
However, a practical problem remained. In his baseline human form, Ben couldn't directly handle raw Infinity Stones without protective equipment. Converting the Space Stone back to Tesseract form would make it far too bulky for convenient transport during combat operations.
"Why not embed it directly into your Omnitrix?" Brunnhilde suggested with characteristic directness. "If that proves insufficient, we'll wait for the dwarven craftsmen to forge you a proper Infinity Gauntlet."
The proposal was surprisingly elegant. The Omnitrix's construction materials didn't exist naturally in the Marvel universe—they represented technology from a completely different reality with correspondingly exotic properties. While not absolutely indestructible, the device could certainly withstand the energy output of a single Infinity Stone.
"The Space Stone is rather large," Wanda observed doubtfully, gesturing to indicate the gem's thumb-sized dimensions. "How exactly would you fit something that substantial inside the watch mechanism?"
Ben was already opening the Omnitrix's access panel, revealing the complex crystalline matrix within. "For the Space Stone, spatial limitations are never really a problem."
He carefully positioned the blue gem against the watch's interior components, unsure whether he was expanding the internal space or shrinking the Infinity Stone to fit. The integration process felt almost organic—like two pieces of space technology recognizing their compatibility and adapting accordingly.
When Ben closed the access panel, the Omnitrix immediately began emitting a steady blue radiance that transformed its entire aesthetic. The device now resembled something from a more advanced timeline, its green coloration replaced by azure energy patterns.
"Will your alien transformations change as well?" Wanda asked with obvious curiosity.
Ben had wondered the same thing. The 23rd-century Omnitrix from his original timeline featured blue-colored alien forms rather than the traditional green variants. While some purists complained about the aesthetic change, Ben had always found the blue aliens more visually appealing.
Unfortunately, when he tested a quick transformation, Feedback retained his familiar black and green coloration rather than shifting to blue patterns.
"Perhaps the Space Stone's influence isn't sufficient to alter the core transformation matrix," he mused. "Or maybe it requires time to fully integrate with the device's existing systems."
Either way, the functional enhancement was more important than cosmetic changes.
"I'm leaving this in your hands," Ben announced, snapping his fingers to open a spatial portal. "Maintain planetary security and prepare for the final offensive."
He stepped through the dimensional gateway and vanished, leaving behind only fading traces of blue energy.
Svartalfheim - The Dark World
The Dark Rainbow Bridge delivered a battered and furious Malekith back to his ancestral realm, space forces crushing ancient ruins and leaving behind mysterious geometric patterns burned into the blackened earth. The terrible energies required for dimensional transit had left him weakened and disoriented, his half-light, half-dark appearance flickering with unstable power fluctuations.
The Three War Witches materialized around him immediately, their gnarled hands weaving healing enchantments to mend both physical injuries and magical exhaustion.
"Lord Malekith, King of the Dark Elves and Ruler of the Nine Realms," they chanted in unison, their voices carrying the weight of ancient loyalty. "Are your wounds severe?"
Malekith pushed the elderly sorceresses away with visible disgust, his dual-toned features twisted by rage and humiliation. "I underestimated the so-called King of Sakaar!"
His eyes blazed with blood-red light as space fury burned through his enhanced physiology. "I never anticipated that he could absorb the power of multiple realms and integrate them so completely. His strength exceeds even my enhanced capabilities!"
The admission tasted like poison on his tongue, but tactical reality demanded honest assessment.
"I require additional power sources," Malekith declared, clenching his fists until dark matter sparked between his fingers. "No matter the cost in pride or resources, I will not accept defeat again—especially not to some upstart mortal!"
His voice carried the authority of someone accustomed to commanding space forces, but underneath lay the desperation of a being who had staked everything on a single gamble.
"Where are Psyphon and Sindr?" he demanded. "What is the status of our Vanaheim campaign? And where is that treacherous fool Loki?"
The Battle of Niflheim had been a complete disaster—Malekith had witnessed Ben's casual capture of both Hela and Hodr, followed by his absorption of the unified Crown of Death. But other fronts in the Nine Realms campaign might still provide salvageable assets.
The Three War Witches exchanged glances before delivering their report with characteristic bluntness.
"The Vanaheim offensive has failed," they announced. "Loki betrayed you and allied with Queen Frigga to annihilate every Dark Elf warrior you dispatched to that realm."
"Loki!" Malekith snarled, his features distorting with barely contained fury.
He had always expected eventual betrayal from the God of Mischief—Loki's nature made treachery inevitable. But he had hoped to extract more tactical advantage before that betrayal occurred. Instead of helping secure Vanaheim, Loki had actively destroyed one of Malekith's most experienced armies.
If I had kept the Casket of Ancient Winters as insurance, Malekith thought with bitter regret. With that artifact's power, I could have matched Ben Parker's enhanced capabilities.
But regret served no practical purpose now. He had dismissed the Casket as irrelevant when the Aether particles seemed within reach.
"What of Psyphon and Sindr's assault on Nidavellir?" Malekith asked, dreading the answer.
"The Nidavellir operation also failed," the War Witches reported with obvious reluctance. "Plumber reinforcements proved overwhelming. Psyphon's whereabouts are unknown—he is presumed eliminated. However, the dwarven forges were destroyed during the battle, preventing them from creating additional artifacts for the Plumbers."
"The Plumbers again!" Malekith felt cosmic fire burning in his chest, rage threatening to overwhelm tactical thinking.
Psyphon's motivations hadn't been pure—the alien had clearly been pursuing his own agenda while serving Malekith's cause. But compared to Loki's active betrayal, Psyphon had proven genuinely useful until his apparent death.
"What about Sindr?" Malekith asked, seeking any positive news.
"Sindr the Ash Queen survived the Nidavellir assault," they confirmed.
Finally, something approaching good fortune.
A genuine smile crossed Malekith's features for the first time since his defeat. "Summon her immediately. Tell Sindr that the great Malekith requires her power for the final phase of our campaign!"
He had no intention of killing the Fire Demon queen—her knowledge and abilities were too valuable. But he absolutely needed her Crown of Fire, the primary artifact of Muspelheim's authority. With that additional power source under his control, his dark magic would be further amplified when the Nine Realms achieved perfect alignment.
During the Convergence, with multiple power sources integrated into his enhanced physiology, Ben Parker would discover what true space authority looked like.
"Also, I want dominion over Heaven's power!" Malekith declared, staring upward at the darkening sky.
The Nine Realms were approaching perfect alignment—an astronomical event that occurred only once every five thousand years. He had perhaps days remaining before the window closed forever.
Time was running short for space ambitions.
Deep Space - Vilgax's Command Vessel
"Time may be limited for Malekith," Vilgax observed from his command throne, "but we have all the time we require."
The entity that had once been merely a Chimera Sui Generis warlord now resembled something from the deepest space nightmares. Absorbing the divine power of Laufey, Surtur, Kallark, Thanos, and Cul Borson had transformed him into a creature of terrible majesty. The power of Fear emanated from his enhanced form like a space constant, causing even his most loyal subordinates to tremble involuntarily.
Standing before him were Sixsix, Sevenseven, Eighteight, Psyphon, and Sindr the Ash Queen—but their appearances had been dramatically altered since their last encounter. Each warrior now wielded one of Cul's massive Sky Hammers, the enchanted weapons radiating authority that elevated their bearers to near-godlike status.
Even the weakest among them now possessed power comparable to Thor's baseline capabilities. The Sky Hammers were remarkable artifacts—they granted immediate divine authority regardless of the wielder's original strength, and if one bearer died, the weapon could be immediately transferred to a replacement. The hammers represented the true source of power while their wielders remained ultimately expendable.
After absorbing Cul's essence and divine authority, Vilgax had naturally become the master of all Sky Hammers scattered throughout the universe.
Observing Malekith's increasingly desperate situation, Vilgax had recalled all his agents from their various space missions. The time had come to eliminate his temporary ally and claim the Dark Elf's accumulated power for himself.
"This time, we will secure the Omnitrix," Vilgax declared, his enlarged fist clenching as though he could grasp the entire universe.
Then his attention shifted to the three mercenaries in purple armor, his voice carrying a subtle note of concern. "Sixsix, during your intelligence gathering operations, did you encounter any... familiar entities from our home universe?"
The question referred specifically to the Incursean Empire, whose arrival in the Marvel universe had been confirmed through various sources.
"You mean those accursed amphibians?" Sixsix replied in his characteristic electronic warble. "The frog-faces are indeed problematic. Their Death Ray Cannons possess planet-killing capabilities. However, they became involved in an interstellar conflict shortly after arriving in this reality. They're currently entangled in warfare with the Shi'ar Empire and cannot spare resources to threaten our operations."
"That's not the information I'm seeking!" Vilgax roared with sudden fury.
The Sky Hammers' influence had made his former employees utterly loyal—they would never dare resist his orders now. Of course, even without divine compulsion, Vilgax's current power level made disobedience suicidal. Crushing any of them would be as effortless as destroying insects.
"Tell me something I don't already know!" he demanded.
The mercenaries exchanged nervous glances, unsure how to respond. They had spent relatively little time in the Marvel universe, and the cosmos was vast enough that even major entities could remain hidden for extended periods.
Apart from the obviously unstable Incurseans, what other beings would create such dramatic disturbances upon arrival? They had no answers to offer and could only bow their heads in fearful submission.
But their silence actually provided Vilgax with a measure of relief.
Sometimes no news was the best news possible.
He, Vilgax, feared no entity in the universe—except for the possibility that Aunt Wade had also traveled to this reality. Not because he couldn't defeat her now, but because of their first encounter when he was still relatively young and inexperienced. During that humiliating defeat, she had actually made him cry...
The memory remained his darkest shame.
Now, on the verge of universal conquest, the thought of that woman suddenly appearing to mock him—"What's this? Vilgax? Isn't that just the squid who used to cry all the time? Master of the universe? Is he worthy?"—made Vilgax shudder with social anxiety.
The Wade family members were notorious for their chaotic tendencies. If any of them had arrived in this universe, they would have immediately caused massive, obvious disruptions.
Just as he was contemplating this reassuring logic, Sindr stepped forward and knelt before his throne with appropriate deference and terror.
"Lord Vilgax," she announced, "Malekith is summoning me back to Svartalfheim. The Dark Rainbow Bridge is preparing for my transport."
"Excellent," Vilgax replied, his eyes immediately lighting with predatory anticipation. When he opened his mouth, superheated air flowed out like molten magma, hot enough to melt gold and forge steel.
His other subordinates quickly moved closer to Sindr, preparing for group transportation.
Moments later, dark radiance descended from the cosmos like a torrential waterfall, engulfing their vessel in dimensional transit energy.
Svartalfheim - Malekith's Throne Room
The Angel King crawled across the filthy ground of the ruined throne room, presenting Malekith with the most powerful weapon in Heaven's arsenal—a blade wreathed in divine light that hummed with space authority.
Malekith accepted the offering with obvious satisfaction, but before he could speak, a cascade of black light fell from the sky like a space waterfall. Within the dark radiance, Queen Sindr's flame-wreathed silhouette became gradually visible.
"Perfect timing, Sindr," Malekith began with renewed confidence. "Present me with the Crown of Fire, and we shall—wait. Psyphon? You survived?"
Malekith turned as more figures emerged from the Rainbow Bridge's dimensional light, recognizing the alien strategist he had presumed dead at Nidavellir.
But his relief quickly transformed into wariness as he realized far more beings had arrived than expected.
"Psyphon, who are these entities?" Malekith demanded, his enhanced senses detecting power levels that seemed impossible.
Psyphon offered only a slight bow before stepping respectfully aside. The towering form of Vilgax moved forward, his presence radiating such overwhelming malevolence that the air itself seemed to thicken with supernatural dread.
"Malekith," Vilgax said with deceptive courtesy, his voice carrying the weight of conquered worlds, "you desire to acquire tremendous power. I can help you realize that ambition."
Then his true intentions became clear as space authority blazed around his enhanced form.
"Your strength will become mine. Your spirit will serve me eternally."
The betrayal had finally come—but from an ally Malekith had never expected to challenge him directly.