At this moment, instead of pressing his attack on Kara, Parallax shifted his attention toward the Avengers. Compared to Kara, who was a difficult opponent, the Avengers seemed like an easier target—especially since they had previously destroyed his body, which filled him with a deep-seated grudge. Another reason for targeting the Avengers was his desire to strengthen himself by consuming their powers, as he still didn't feel strong enough to dominate everything.
After all, Robert, who had just teleported him into space, remained a complete mystery to Parallax. While he had some confidence in handling Kara, facing Robert left him with none.
A blast of fear energy shot toward the Avengers, now significantly more potent than before. Susan Stone and the others realized they couldn't counter it with just the three of them.
"Everyone with ranged abilities, unleash your energy to counter him! Hancock, Hulk, Spider-Man—engage him in close combat and distract him!" Steve immediately took command, and the Avengers followed his orders without hesitation.
Some Avengers launched telekinetic or energy attacks to counter Parallax's fear energy, while others donned Tony Stark's specialized armor. The combined power of their attacks formed a massive energy cannon that clashed with Parallax's onslaught. Meanwhile, a few Avengers flew in close to initiate hand-to-hand combat with him.
However, Parallax ignored Hancock and Hulk, as their previous attacks had failed to make an impact on his former body. Although his current form was not as physically robust as his previous, planet-sized form, he still considered himself impervious to their attacks. Even Peter Parker, despite being the closest to his strength level, posed little threat.
But just as Parallax brushed off Hancock and Hulk's presence and began to counter Parker, a relatively small metal fist hit him, causing him to stagger. The sudden impact disrupted his fear energy.
Peter seized the moment and launched a combo attack, finishing with an electric shock that paralyzed Parallax momentarily, dimming his fear energy.
Parallax quickly responded by releasing a surge of telekinesis that flung Peter, Hulk, and Hancock backward. Only then did he notice that Hancock was wearing a suit of armor, which had enabled him to deal real damage by amplifying his already superhuman strength.
Hancock, who had initially entered space without armor due to his natural ability to survive in such conditions, donned the nano-armor after realizing he couldn't harm Parallax otherwise. Caught off guard, Parallax was forced to reassess the threat Hancock posed.
Seeing Hancock's success, Hulk reluctantly charged Parallax, trying once more to prove his strength. However, even with Susan Stone aiding his movements, Hulk's punch was repelled by Parallax's telekinetic shield, which was now even stronger than before. Hulk's blow didn't make a dent, and the force of the shield flung him backward.
"Roar!" Hulk bellowed in frustration. His voice didn't reach Parallax but reverberated loudly through the Avengers' communication system, nearly deafening them.
"Despair! Fear! I am your everlasting nightmare, an enemy you can never conquer! Just surrender to the terror!" Parallax's voice echoed in their minds, his confidence swelling.
But Kara's voice cut through his declaration. "Aren't you celebrating a bit too early?" As the Avengers fought to counter Parallax's energy, Peter and Hancock's efforts created an opening, allowing Kara to use her freezing breath to immobilize Parallax's fear energy and rush him head-on.
With a single punch, Kara shattered his previously impenetrable telekinetic shield. Her fist drove forward, slamming into Parallax and breaking through his defenses.
"What a punch!" Parallax's eyes narrowed as he unleashed another wave of telekinesis to halt Kara's advance. But each strand of his telekinetic energy shattered like glass against her approach, failing to slow her even a fraction.
Realizing telekinesis was ineffective, Parallax tried to counter with fear energy, only to see incoming energy blasts targeting his own attack. This time, the Avengers coordinated their assault, effectively interrupting his attempts to deploy fear energy.
Undeterred by Parallax's threats, the Avengers continued to close in on him, intercepting his attacks and granting Kara the perfect opportunity.
Kara didn't disappoint. She landed a powerful punch on Parallax, her strike more forceful than her initial surprise attack. The blow caused Parallax's body to deform, releasing waves of fear energy that polluted the surrounding area.
"Everyone, activate your armor! Don't come into direct contact with this energy!" Kara warned, frowning at the leakage of fear energy around them. Unlike Parallax's earlier, more controlled attacks, this energy oozed out uncontrollably, like a noxious gas spill. Kara's own biological defenses shielded her from harm, but she advised the Avengers to avoid direct exposure.
Following Kara's advice, those without armor quickly equipped it. Even Jonnie Stone complied, but Hulk hesitated, unfamiliar with the steps needed to activate his suit in the chaos.
In the meantime, the fear energy had reached Hulk, and a yellow glow appeared in his eyes as he clutched his head in pain.
"Hulk!" Bruce Banner watched in horror as Hulk succumbed to the energy. Since separating their personas, Banner's relationship with Hulk had grown closer, and he now viewed Hulk as a younger sibling or even a son. Seeing him in pain, Banner instinctively wanted to help, especially as Hulk's green skin began to show signs of decay, changing to a sickly yellow.
Fortunately, Hulk's immense vitality and growing fury protected him from complete contamination. In his mind, however, Parallax's voice echoed ominously: "Fear me! You're about to die at my hands, your life force will become part of me!"
Yet, to Parallax's surprise, Hulk's resistance to fear was unexpectedly high. Though Hulk indeed felt fear as Parallax invaded his mind, that fear was overshadowed by an even greater fury.
Hulk's rage nearly filled his mind, and with Parallax's voice continuing to taunt him, his anger only grew.
"What is going on with this Hulk? Why is he so difficult to control? And why aren't his teammates helping him?" Parallax felt an unusual frustration. The Avengers showed no signs of stopping their attacks to aid Hulk; instead, they pressed on, increasing their assault. Even Bruce Banner, who had seemed concerned moments earlier, suddenly turned his attention back to fighting Parallax, delivering a powerful punch with the assistance of his armor.
In truth, Banner had realized that as long as Robert was nearby, Hulk's life wouldn't be in jeopardy. With Robert's healing abilities, even if Hulk was severely wounded, he could be restored. Right now, their primary mission was to bring down Parallax.
Surrounded and repeatedly struck by the Avengers, Parallax found himself no stronger than his previous, continent-sized form. Although his power had grown, he was up against a formidable team, with Kara leading the assault and the other Avengers providing tactical support.
But while Parallax's patience was fraying, Hulk's fury was reaching its peak. After a period of growth in mental maturity, Hulk's power had also evolved, and he hadn't been this angry in a long time. With his maturity, his anger had lost some of its raw intensity, but now, under Parallax's assault, he felt the urge to destroy everything again.
In Hulk's mindscape, a sudden blaze ignited, engulfing his consciousness in a blood-red inferno. The fear energy that Parallax had implanted became fuel for Hulk's raging fire, making it burn even fiercer.
"What the—?!" Parallax stammered, a flicker of fear appearing in his voice despite his mastery over fear itself.
The source of Parallax's terror was Hulk. Just as fear energy could counter the willpower of Green Lanterns, Parallax felt his own fear energy being subdued by Hulk's blazing anger.
When gripped by true rage, thoughts of fear vanish entirely. Even if fear arises, it only feeds the fury, causing it to burn ever brighter.
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