Doomwar

by Boltstrike58

Chapter 4: Masters of Evil

Earth, Latveria

Dr. Victor von Doom was always the master of all he surveyed. Or rather, he should've been. Nobody on the planet was his intellectual equal. He'd mastered both science and sorcery to improve both, coming up with creations nobody before him had even dreamed of. And yet, Doom ruled one small European country alone, Latveria. It was a sham. If Earth's governments had any idea of how things should properly be run, they would've turned over all the power to Doom as soon as he'd appeared on the scene. Of course, those weak-willed fools would rather resist his rule, or call him tyrant than let him change things for the better.

Fortunately, Doom had been developing the perfect plan. A plan that would ensure that nobody had any choice but to obey his orders. The discovery of Equis had been a boon even he couldn't have predicted, yielding a new world filled with magic that could be used to his ends. And Doom would have that magic, no matter what it cost. There was only one obstacle standing in his way: The Avengers.

Once again, the Avengers were arrogant enough to presume they knew what was best for the world. That they alone could put the Earth on its proper path. In reality, they were doing nothing more than coddling humanity, ensuring they never had to face any difficulty whatsoever. Still, despite their foolishness, they were a powerful group of warriors. If Doom were sloppy or careless, they could easily dismantle his plans. They already done so to so many would-be conquerers of the world. Doom didn't intend to be like any of them. He would crush them, grind them beneath his feet, and stop them before they could do any real damage.

Dr. Doom turned on his heel, facing the room filled with the warriors he'd assembled. These were the counterparts of the Avengers, those who could defeat those would-be heroes at their own game, ensuring that the pests wouldn't get in Doom's way.

First, there was Otto Octavius. Once a nuclear physicist of some renown, Octavius' career had come crashing down around him after an accident in handling radioactive materials. Octavius' harness of metallic tentacles, designed as tools to aid in experiments too dangerous to touch with bare skin, had fused to his body, enabling him to mentally control the tentacles as easily as his human limbs. Doom had found him, attempting to continue his work without any kind of government approval, the accident having obviously damaged his brain. Octavius now sought scientific advancement with no moral qualms, utilizing his new limbs as weapons against any who'd get in his way. Doom had promised him all the laboratory work he could ever desire, and Otto had readily agreed to whatever he wanted. As far as he was concerned, the world could burn as long as he got his research, and that made him perfect for Doom's purposes.

Amora, the Enchantress. Once a powerful Asgardian sorceress, Amora had been forced into exile due to the ways she used her magic, bringing down some, torturing others, and generally using it only to get her way. She'd apparently even clashed with Thor before his visit to New Mexico. Unlike most of his new employees, Amora had sought Doom out herself, looking to exact revenge on Thor and Asgard. Her home was gone, unfortunately, but that didn't mean she couldn't still wreck havoc on Thor's life. She could probably do more now that he was king. Doom immediately saw the value in having another magic user on his team, even as he kept a close eye on her, in case of betrayal.

MacDonald "Mac" Gargan, known on the streets as the Scorpion. He'd developed a long and somewhat impressive criminal record, even if he was little more than a brute. Ultimately, Gargan was willing to follow orders, as long as there was something in it for him, be it money, or something a little more personal. His recent grudge against Spider-Man only made him more suited to Doom's purposes. Genetic enhancements had given him the proportional abilities of a Scorpion, the natural enemy of spiders, and he was equipped with a state of the art scorpion battle suit, armed with pincer claws, and a massive tail armed with a laser. He would be more than a match for the spider, as well as many of the Avengers.

Herman Schultz, reluctantly accepting the codename the Shocker. Once an employee of Adrian Toomes, he'd been arrested and sent to prison thanks to the efforts of Spider-Man. Doom had retrieved his gauntlet weapon, forged from the Avengers battle of Lagos against Brock Rumlow, and created a second, giving them the ability to shoot lethal electric blasts. Unlike his former boss, Schultz was more than willing to take revenge on Spider-Man, and was willing to serve under Doom to do it. A natural fit for Doom's team.

Georges Batroc. An Algerian pirate of some renown, his reign of terror was brought to an end when he was hired by Nick Fury for a cover up mission to retrieve data related to Project Insight. Batroc had been easily defeated by Captain America, and ever since, had been nursing a particularly furious grudge. Doom had released him from prison with the promise that he'd get to kill the Captain himself, a promise Doom did intend to keep. To aid him in this goal, Doom had provided a power boosting exoskeleton that Batroc wore underneath his clothes, giving him sufficient strength to lift cars, and leap great distances. All too easy to persuade to Doom's cause. Batroc hadn't even asked for payment, merely demanding the chance to kill the Captain.

Once known as Emil Blonsky, now only called the Abomination. Once an ordinary soldier, transformed first by one of Thunderbolt Ross' attempts to replicate the famous super soldier serum that created Captain America, then by the same treatment that turned Bruce Banner into the Hulk. He was forever trapped in his monstrous form, but he didn't seem to mind. He'd achieved the power he'd craved, the only thing left was the chance for a rematch against the Hulk. And this time, Blonsky wouldn't rest until he'd slain the green goliath. Another willing participant in Doom's army, only desiring revenge. Perfect.

Barney Barton, brother of Clint Barton, having chosen the name Trickshot. His brother's virtual equal in the field of archery, Barney had grown up alongside Clint in the circus, utilizing their impressive skills to dazzle the crowd. However, over the years, Clint and Barney had grown very different ideologies and beliefs. Barney had begun stealing money, later setting himself up as a mercenary/assassin for hire, while his brother had gone on to work for Shield. Clint had previously faced off against his brother on an assignment, and now presumed him dead. In reality, Barney had simply retreated to the depths of the underworld, biding his time until a chance to take his brother down surfaced. Doom was more than happy to supply that chance.

Yelena Belova, who claimed to be the true Black Widow. Like Natasha Romanoff, she'd been raised and trained in the Red Room to be the ultimate spy and assassin. Once a valued member of the KGB, she was forced into the mercenary life once her superiors had selected Romanoff as the superior Black Widow, something she consistently resented the other woman for. In addition, Romanoff's defection to Shield had caused the KGB to fall on hard times, so that they wouldn't even consider recruiting Yelena back to their fold now. Left with nothing else besides the prospect of revenge on the woman who she believed had taken everything from her, Yelena readily accepted Doom's offer, promising to kill or break the Black Widow.

Boris Bullski, codenamed Titanium Man. Bullski was another agent of the KGB who'd fallen from grace, particularly after the loss of the Black Widow. He'd deserted his home country, working odd jobs here and there, desperately searching for some reason to exist. The rise of the Avengers had only infuriated him, as he'd wanted to rule and govern from his own position of power. The Avengers wasted their talents by coddling the world instead of grinding it under their boots. Bullski had come to Doom himself, hoping to be part of an anti-Avengers task force. Doom had granted his wish, giving him a massive suit of green titanium armor to rival Iron Man (though not as sophisticated as Doom's own armor, of course). The task of taking down the Avengers would be one Bullski relished.

Chrysalis of Equis. Once queen of the changeling hive, she'd now been forced into exile thanks to the efforts of Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, and all their various friends continuously ruining her plans time and again. The changeling empire, formerly hers to command, was now under the control of Thorax, and the changelings were sharing love amongst each other instead of consuming it. Really, Chrysalis had nowhere to go but to serve Doom. She had slowly grown more accustomed to her role, the thought of sucking Twilight and the others dry of love keeping her going through the day, the thought of revenge keeping her satisfied, even as Doom used magic to keep her from starving for love.

Garble, a young dragon of the tribe. Though little more than a bully, Garble had found himself impeded by the pony raised dragon, Spike, and his stupid pony friends far more often than he should've. He'd had Flash Magnus' shield stolen from him, as well as stopped from winning the Gauntlet of Fire, which would've won him leadership over the dragon tribe, and the chance to finally guide dragons back to their former glory. But no, it had all been stolen by Spike and Ember. Garble could only fume at the injustice of it all. When Doom had come to him, promising to eliminate Ember and instill Garble as ruler of all dragons, he'd been in no position to refuse. The hatred for Spike, and for ponies in general, boiled in his veins like fire, and Garble would gladly burn them, or the Avengers, if he had the chance.

Wind Rider, former Wonderbolt, as well as former holder of the Mustang Marathon speed record. Though formerly a decorated, if retired, Wonderbolt, Wind Rider had found his world falling apart after he'd framed Rainbow Dash for a crime after she came near to breaking his record. Thanks to the efforts of Rarity, Wind Rider was exposed, and dishonorably discharged from the Wonderbolts. Since then, his fame in ruins, Wind Rider had turned to martial arts as a way to vent his rage and boiling hatred towards Rainbow Dash, along with the other Elements of Harmony. In his mind, they were leeches on Equestria society. The only reason his consequences were so bad were because he'd gone after one of the Elements, who were so coddled by ponies everywhere they practically had everything handed to them. Doom, after careful research, had found him punching a bag with Rainbow Dash's face in his apartment, and made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Chancellor Neighsay, head of the EEA, and a once trusted associate of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. From the time he took office, Neighsay had instituted a ponies-first policy in all areas of education, even at the expense of other creatures. Princess Twilight's School of Friendship, still operating despite all his efforts, filled Neighsay with fury at the equal treatment it gave to other creatures, allowing them to learn the inner workings of Equestrian friendship and harmony, something he was convinced belonged to ponies and ponies alone. Slowly, he'd convinced himself that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, mares he'd looked up to his whole life, couldn't possibly endorse Twilight's policies of their own free will. He knew that Twilight must've brainwashed or corrupted the Princesses somehow, and he intended to set it straight. Doom had promised him that Celestia and Luna would see the light once again, after his plan was completed, and Equestria would keep its autonomy in Doom's new world order. Despite Neighsay's dislike for the human species, he agreed.

Abacus Cinch, Prime Minister of the Crystal Empire. Like Neighsay, Cinch had been frightened by the changes being made to Equestrian law and policy, and became convinced that it was the influence of Princess Twilight and her friends, destroying tradition and transforming Equestria into only what they believed was best, never mind what other ponies believed. Neighsay had suggested she would make a useful ally, and Doom had agreed, inviting her to their little group. Neighsay and Cinch had been his most valuable spies in the Equestrian government ever since.

The Sphinx, legendary among Equestrians, and particularly famous in the village of Somnambula. Once facing the pony of the same name, the Equestrian Pillar of Hope, the Sphinx had faced her first real defeat at Somnambula's hooves, and was forced to flee in humiliation. Now, over one-thousand years later, the Sphinx continued to be hunted by Equestria's Royal Guard, who planned to imprison her in Tartarus. Even worse, she'd learned that her most hated enemy had escaped from Limbo, and now lived among modern ponies, happy and safe. The Sphinx, enraged as Somnambula, and the ponies that set her free, had willingly joined Doom's team, eager to regain her power.

Ahuizotl, arch nemesis of Daring Do. Eternally searching for the power to rule Equestria, Ahuizotl had come so close in the Fortress of Talacon, leaving his hated enemy to drown and attempting to use the Rings of Scorchero. However, the Elements of Harmony had arrived on the scene, and not only freed Daring Do from certain death, but removed the rings and prevented him from gaining the power he so desperately craved. Infuriated, Ahuizotl swore revenge not only on Daring Do, but on the Elements of Harmony as well, and joined Doom's team for that very purpose. Daring Do would no doubt attempt to get in the way, something he looked forward to.

Finally, Cozy Glow, a student at the School of Friendship, and one of Twilight's assistants at said school. Despite the friendly, innocent child look she put on for other ponies, in reality, Cozy Glow was a scheming manipulator, willing to use other ponies as mere tools in order to accomplish her objectives. She'd taken Twilight's lessons on friendship and turned them on their head, seeing it as the path to real power, and wanting to take power in the school for herself. Along with Neighsay, she also harbored a hatred of non-ponies, hypocritically believing friendship wasn't in their nature. Chrysalis had learned of her true nature while spying on the school in disguise, and Doom had recruited her right away, using her as a spy on Twilight and the other Element Bearers.

Doom smiled beneath his metal mask as he looked down over his assembled team. True, they were hardly a perfect, well-oiled machine, considering factors such as Neighsay's hatred of Chrysalis and Garble, but they would get the job done. And when they did, nothing would stand in Doom's way as ruler of the world. Nothing.

"This is unacceptable!" roared Octavius, hurling an empty beaker at the wall, where it shattered into multiple glass shards. "Spider-Man prevented yet another shipment of my materials from getting through New York. I've lost more time and resources to that insulting arachnid than should be possible!"

"Now you know how I feel," remarked Scorpion, flexing the pincer claws on his armored suit. "Still, that just gives us more incentive to kill the little brat."

"So uncivilized," remarked Neighsay, staring condescendingly at the humans across the castle halls. "Lord Doom, how can you accept these buffoons into this group? Even among your species, they act mentally impaired."

Cinch opened her mouth, possibly to agree with Neighsay, but she didn't get the chance before two massive metal tentacles lashed out at them, slamming the two unicorns into the wall.

"I would choose how you refer to me more carefully, you four-legged stiffs," Octavius growled. "Or else I may decide to begin experimenting with pony biology."

"Enough," Doom called out, his deep, booming voice silencing all others. "Infighting accomplishes nothing. Octavius, let them down." Otto reluctantly obeyed. "Now, we address the next step in the procession of my plans. Cozy Glow, what's the status of Princess Twilight's Friendship Conference?"

"Oh, it's proceeding quite nicely, Dr. Doom," said Cozy Glow, smiling maliciously. "They're holding it tomorrow. Most of the Avengers will be in attendance, along with the Pillars, and leaders of every tribe united with Equestria. Dragons, changelings, yaks, hippogriffs, griffons, kirin, you name it."

"Ooh, is this where we take them all out at once?" asked Chrysalis, grinning with the joy of someone who was about to commit murder. "The chance to drain Thorax dry is just too tempting."

"Not to mention the Pillars," said the Sphinx. "I've waited a millennium for a chance to kill Somnambula."

Doom silenced the room once again with a wave of his hands. "The Friendship conference wasn't part of my original plan. However, the opportunity is simply too good to pass up. And with the other tribes in attendance, particularly the kirin, a plan begins to form. Neighsay, Cinch. I'll need you to cast a certain mind-altering spell."

"Certainly, Dr. Doom," replied Cinch. "We'll be attending the conference as well. We'll be in the perfect position to act on it."

"He's already aware," said Barton, sardonically, "but thanks for reminding him."

"Now, as for the rest of you," began Doom, "here's my plan..."

---

Equis, Twilight's Castle, Tomorrow

The transport mirror shot out its familiar white beam of energy as Twilight jumped up in her seat. Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, Starlight, and Spike didn't react as she did, as they hadn't had their noses buried in a book for the past hour or so. The Crusaders had demanded to be allowed into the event, since they probably couldn't go to the conference. Even Lyra was there, absolutely needing to see Vision at least once before the conference. For Twilight, getting distracted by reading was almost second nature by now. However, she calmly levitated the book back onto the shelf, and trotted over to the portal. The vortex flashed blue, before opening up as Tony Stark stepped out, followed by Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Peter Parker, T'Challa, Vision, Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, Bucky Barnes, and Nick Fury.

"Tony!" Twilight exclaimed, stretching her wings and flying over to the billionaire, who embraced the alicorn in a firm hug. Several additional hugs occurred around them, most notably initiated by Pinkie, who hugged every single Avenger at least once. Bucky, a little weirded out, nonetheless accepted her gesture of affection. Fury stood off to the side, not quite as friendly with the ponies yet, but he didn't mind. That is, until a certain pink pony bounced over and insisted on hugging him.

"So glad you could all make it, darlings!" said Rarity, as she nuzzled Natasha, making the spy laugh. "T'would be such a shame to hold this conference without you!"

"Ah, you know us," replied Sam. "Punctual as always."

"It is good to be back, though," said Peter, bumping his fist against Spike's claw. "I kinda missed this place."

"Well, we missed you," said Spike, flapping his wings until he was eye level with T'Challa. "What do ya think? Pretty cool, right?" He turned his back, showing the king his wings.

T'Challa's helmet dematerialized from around his head. "Impressive, little one," he remarked, shaking Spike's claw. "I'm glad you've come into them so well."

Rainbow, in the midst of getting noogied by Sam, noticed T'Challa's disappearing helmet. "Wow!" she exclaimed, managing to wiggle out of the Falcon's grip and fly over to T'Challa. "Since when could you do that?"

"Since he upgraded to the nanotech suit," said Tony, tapping the arc reactor newly implanted in his chest. "I've tried it myself, it works out pretty well."

Twilight came back over to Tony, noticing the reactor. "So you had it implanted after all?" she asked, nervous. "How did Pepper take it?"

"Better than I would've expected," Tony said, looking a bit somber, but his mood brightened up as he flashed his new ring at Twilight. "We haven't set the date yet, but you'll definitely be invited."

"A human wedding?!" screamed Rarity, jumping up and down from sheer excitement. "Oh! So many ideas! So many wonderful ideas!" As she swooned, Twilight levitated over a nearby couch for her to catch her falling head.

"By the way, I brought you a little present, too," said Tony. He reached into the portal behind him, pulling out a pony-shaped mannequin with another arc reactor mounted on its chest, though this one was held by a necklace like apparatus. Twilight started at the object, as her jaw slowly dropped.

"You didn't..." she began, but couldn't finish.

"Oh, yes I did," said Tony, taking out an injector device. He placed the barrel against Twilight's neck and squeezed the trigger, causing a snapping sound and eliciting a sharp yelp from the alicorn.

"What was that for?!" she demanded.

"Control module," said Tony, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. "Now tell it to turn on."

Twilight looked at the mannequin, thinking 'on' as loudly as she could. As she did so, nanites began to crawl out from the depths of the reactor, covering the mannequin like a swarm of ants. Circuits began to form, followed by shimmering armor, until the suit in front of her was complete.

It had similar designs to Tony's, but where his was red and gold, Twilight's was painted silver and purple. The armor even had extensions for her wings and horn, as the wings unfolded with a mere thought from Twilight. The mechanical wings were gorgeous, formed of thin metal sheets almost like feathers. The mask had two large, round eye holes in it, more suited to a pony than a human, and even included a metallic sheath for Twilight's tail. In addition to the main arc reactor, there were multiple purple lights throughout the suit, containing various small mana batteries for extra juice.

"I call it Iron Sparkle," said Tony.

"I...I can't..." Twilight breathed.

"That. Is. Awesome!" screamed Rainbow, flying so fast she was practically bouncing off the walls. "Tony, you gotta make me one of those! I swear, if I could do a rainboom in one of those—"

"Slow down, eager beaver," said Tony, laughing at the sight. "That thing cost me a bundle as it is. I figured you wouldn't be too keen on the implantation, so I rigged up that necklace so you can take it off if you want. Friday's already set in there, so you won't be flying solo when you put it on."

"But...I...Tony, thanks, but I...I just don't know," Twilight stuttered out, looking at her new suit with something between awe and fear. She was delighted at the gift, of course, but also afraid of using it for real. The Iron Man suit, as fascinating as it was to her was also definitely a weapon, and Twilight wasn't exactly comfortable with weapons. She also wasn't sure of her ability to operate the more technical aspects of the suit.

"Don't worry," Tony assured her, placing his hand on her shoulder, "I'll show you the ropes of using the suit."

"Thanks, Tony," Twilight replied, a little more assured. As she looked at the billionaire, she could've sworn that, for a second, a deep purple glow seemed to invade his normal brown eyes. It was a familiar shade, though she couldn't quite place where she'd seen it before. However, the moment passed so quickly that she guessed she must've imagined it.

"So Ant-Man and Wasp couldn't make it?" asked Scootaloo, somewhat somber.

"Yeah, they had prior engagements," answered Steve. "But they promised they'd visit once they got the chance."

Meanwhile, Lyra was chatting it up with Vision and Wanda.

"So are you two officially together yet?" she asked, completely unprompted.

Wanda spewed out the drink she was taking, nearly soaking Vision completely. "I—kaff, kaff—Lyra!"

"Come on, it's so completely obvious!" said the unicorn. "Even Thorax could feel it!"

"We're...um, working on it," Vision answered, trying to placate her. He reached behind his cape, producing a handful of books on human anatomy. "Anyway, I figured you'd want these more than I would."

Fortunately for the two, Lyra completely forgot what she'd been talking about, squealing with joy at the sight of the books and grabbing them with her telekinesis. "OHMYGOODNESS I GOTTA READ THESE SO BADLY I NEED TO KNOW HOW HUMAN DIGESTION WORKS." She scurried off to read her new acquisitions, squealing all the way.

"Thank you," Wanda whispered, quietly gripping Vision's hand behind his cape. The synthezoid gave a small nod at the gesture.

"I don't mean to be rude," said Fury. "But don't we have a conference to attend?"

"Oh, right," said Twilight.

Comments

[Leo Archon]

I see you're drawing inspiration from multiple sources, here. And on a re-read of the summary, you're not compliant with Infinity War. Hm... I wonder how that will play into things.

Also, I'm very much behind the times for canon MLP, having stopped watching the main series after season 4 and EQG after Everfree. I should probably catch up at some point.

[Bumblebee16]

Awesome!!! Iron Sparkle, I love it!!

[everydaygamer]

It's a bit of a stretch to have both Cozy Glow and Neighsay in the same group of villains. I feel like it should be a one or the other type of deal since Neighsay realizes how stupid he was after coming face to face with a pony who wanted to bring more harm to Equestria than a non-pony.

[Bumblebee16]

Can Bruce Banner come back anytime?

[Bumblebee16]

Do you think that Twilight and her friends will forgive Bruce for running away?

[Bumblebee16]

Beside, I want to see what happen in this story when the hulk transformation back to Bruce Banner.

[Boltstrike58]

9523405
Just be patient.

9520119
Yeah, but I really wanted to use Neighsay as a bad guy, and since he get 'redeemed' in the Cozy Glow arc, I felt like it made more sense to stick 'em both in there. Especially since Cozy Glow hasn't tried to do her plan in this timeline.

[Bumblebee16]

9523427
ok sorry