Hulk, frustrated with his limited impact, was increasingly angered as Johnny Storm—intentionally or not—repeatedly unleashed explosions nearby, causing flames to ripple over Hulk without actually harming him. The blasts only fueled Hulk's fury, amplifying his strength in response.
However, Johnny wasn't worried about Hulk's growing animosity. Empowered by the Extremis virus, he was now as strong as Hulk himself. In his fiery elemental form, Johnny was well-equipped to withstand physical attacks, giving him a distinct advantage over Hulk, who could only attack physically. Furthermore, Johnny's ability to fly made him a difficult target for Hulk, putting him in a naturally dominant position.
"Is this thing even a living being? There's no actual blood inside it!" Mobius muttered, frustrated with his own limitations in the fight. As a vampire scientist who had surpassed the vampires created by the Dark Dimension, Mobius was far stronger than most of his kind. If the Dark Dimension still existed, Mobius would rank as a powerful lord.
With control over his blood and even the ability to manipulate the blood of his enemies, Mobius's abilities shone in close-range combat. However, Parallax wasn't a normal living being. Once a Guardian of the Universe, Parallax was now merely a physical vessel for fear energy, transformed by the yellow light.
If Hulk's attacks were like a massage for Parallax, Mobius's claws and fangs were no more than acupuncture needles—ineffective against Parallax's defenses.
In contrast, Tony Stark displayed remarkable prowess. His upgraded suit not only excelled in close combat but could also morph into powerful energy weapons. With his suit's nanotechnology and Arc Reactor, Tony's damage output against Parallax nearly rivaled Johnny's.
Many Avengers sported similar space-compatible suits, custom-made by Tony to suit their fighting styles. With these upgrades, even Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes had exchanged their usual shields and fists for energy-based weapons, which hammered Parallax's body relentlessly.
"It's like punching a rock, except I would've shattered a rock by now," Hancock grumbled, echoing Mobius's frustration. As a purely physical combatant, Hancock struggled with his limited impact in space, though his ability to fly gave him a slight edge over Hulk.
Meanwhile, Mary, Hancock's partner with the same source of powers, fared better. With Reed Richards' help, she had overcome the proximity-based weaknesses of her powers. Now, even in the vacuum of space, Mary could unleash her full potential, summoning a cosmic storm of lightning and thunder around Parallax.
Despite some Avengers struggling to reach their full potential, Parallax's body continued to deteriorate. His fear energy dimmed, and his resistance weakened, allowing even Hulk and Hancock to deal significant damage.
"He seems to be giving up," Kara observed, frowning at Parallax. "Doesn't he fear death? With all his mastery over fear, shouldn't he be able to use his own fear to power himself?"
"Not necessarily," Robert replied, shaking his head thoughtfully. "It depends on how deeply he controls fear itself. If he can only wield fear as an external power, he might not be able to amplify himself through his own fear. But if he truly embodies fear, he should be able to."
Initially, Robert had anticipated that the Avengers could defeat Parallax but doubted they could kill him without Kara's help. Yet, Parallax's resistance seemed far weaker than expected, even without fear to feed on.
"Is this really Parallax? Are we even fighting the same enemy as the Avengers?" murmured the Green Lanterns, who had barely escaped Parallax's clutches and now watched in bewilderment.
The Avengers' flawless coordination and seemingly effortless handling of Parallax left the Lanterns dazed. They could barely comprehend how Hal Jordan, whom they knew as a rookie, had inflicted injuries on Parallax that the entire Green Lantern Corps couldn't manage.
However, the Green Lanterns overlooked an important fact: in a fear-free environment, they, too, would've fought far more effectively. Used to fighting under favorable conditions, their power naturally waned without confidence in victory.
Meanwhile, an intense battle had already concluded within the Guardians' restricted sanctuary on Oa.
"You… you're not Sinestro!" The last Guardian, weakened and sprawled on the ground, pointed accusingly at Sinestro.
When Sinestro had returned, the Guardians had tried to placate him, but he showed no interest in their manipulation and instead headed directly for the temple housing the fear energy—a forbidden move.
The Guardians, adamant about keeping Sinestro away from the fear energy, had resisted. Even when they had crafted the yellow rings, they had only allowed Sinestro access to a limited amount of fear energy, fearing his independence if he tapped into the full power.
But to their shock, Sinestro retaliated violently, unleashing a brutal massacre within the very heart of Oa. Though the Guardians were ancient and immensely powerful, they were ill-prepared to face Sinestro, whose combat experience and mysteriously enhanced yellow ring powers quickly overwhelmed them.
Only in his final moments did the last Guardian realize the truth: Parallax had taken control of Sinestro.
With a cold sneer, Sinestro crushed the Guardian's skull beneath his boot, gazing at the once-proud being now reduced to a shattered corpse.
"I'm still Sinestro. What, do you think I'm Parallax?" he scoffed, stepping over the Guardian's remains and striding toward the forbidden temple. "The era of the Guardians is over. Oa is now mine, and soon the Yellow Lantern Corps will reign supreme."
Filled with ambition, Sinestro entered the temple, his yellow ring blazing as he approached the fear energy.
"So this is the source of fear energy?" Sinestro murmured, awe-struck by the blinding yellow light before him. "Gazing upon it, I'll ascend to godhood!"
But Sinestro failed to notice a form crawling out of his ring—a shapeless yellow mass, with a faint shadow resembling Parallax.
This was Parallax's clone, left behind during his previous attack on Sinestro. It had empowered Sinestro and fueled his ambition, pushing him to murder the Guardians.
Yet, Parallax hadn't taken full control; he had merely amplified Sinestro's own ambitions, knowing that Sinestro's growing hunger for power would drive him to act.
In an instant, the clone darted into the fear energy.
"No!" Sinestro finally snapped out of his trance, his mind clearing of Parallax's influence. Realizing he'd been manipulated, he watched in horror as Parallax's clone merged with the fear energy.
But Sinestro wasn't willing to accept defeat. He knew that if Parallax gained full control over the fear energy, his own fate would be sealed.
Driven by survival instincts, Sinestro charged into the fear energy after the clone, despite the terror gnawing at him.
Back in space, the original Parallax, who had been under the Avengers' relentless assault, suddenly went still, floating lifelessly in the void like a corpse.
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