It could be said that the Avengers had killed an uncountable number of villains, many of whom were keenly aware of the Avengers' unwavering policy of eradicating evil without compromise.
Take, for example, the vampire and werewolf incidents, where countless creatures of the night—once rulers of the shadows who determined the fates of countless humans—were hunted down by the Avengers until these dark races were driven to near extinction.
For the Scarecrow, standing before the Avengers now, the realization hit like a thunderbolt: he was finished.
The sheer number of superheroes present made it clear that survival was no longer an option. If there was even the slightest chance of saving himself, it lay in denying responsibility for everything that had happened in Gotham. After all, his body had been out of his control! The Yellow Lantern ring had possessed him, using the power of fear to commit those atrocities. Surely, with such an explanation, he could convince the Avengers to spare his life, right?
"Scarecrow, real name Jonathan Crane," Tony Stark began, cutting through the silence before the villain could plead his case. "A known criminal in Gotham who has used fear gas to kill thousands. Previously apprehended by Batman and diagnosed with a mental illness, you were committed to Arkham Asylum."
Hearing Stark's voice, a chill ran down the Scarecrow's spine, and an ominous sense of foreboding gripped his heart.
"No! Wait! I—uh—I really do have a mental illness! I have documentation! A doctor signed off on it!" Scarecrow stammered, desperately trying to plead his case.
"Even if that's true, it won't change your fate," Johnny Storm (Human Torch) sneered, narrowing his eyes at Crane. "You think a piece of paper absolves you of the deaths of thousands of innocent people? Really? You think that is going to save you?"
The Avengers weren't swayed by Crane's attempts to shift blame. To them, it didn't matter whether or not he had a mental illness. A murderer of thousands could not walk away unscathed—not under their watch.
A debt of blood must be paid in blood. Murder is murder, no matter the excuse, no matter the loophole.
Whoosh!
Without waiting for further protests, Johnny Storm raised his hand and unleashed a torrent of flame. The Scarecrow's body was engulfed in fire, his figure consumed by the blazing inferno in an instant.
It wasn't an especially powerful fire—it didn't incinerate Crane's body immediately. Even with his human physique, the Scarecrow didn't burn to ashes right away. Instead, he writhed in unbearable agony, his flesh and nerves slowly seared by the flames.
The fire burned through his throat, rendering him incapable of screaming. All he could do was silently convulse in agony as the Avengers and their allies stood by, watching his punishment unfold.
The battle was over. The Avengers, sorcerers, and Green Lanterns exited the Mirror Dimension. Kaecilius remained behind to maintain the dimensional barrier until the Scarecrow was completely reduced to ashes. Only then did the Mirror Dimension collapse.
Thus ended the story of Jonathan Crane, a man who had committed countless atrocities in Gotham and repeatedly evaded justice through claims of mental illness. The Scarecrow's demise was final, his life ending in fire and torment, consumed by the very fear he had so gleefully wielded against others.
Ironically, the Yellow Lantern ring—an artifact of unimaginable power—had not elevated Crane to new heights. Instead, it had led him to ruin. His grand ambitions had brought him to this point, and though the ring had briefly allowed him to live his wildest dream—spreading fear and death on an unimaginable scale—it had ultimately cut his life tragically short.
The Fate of the Yellow Lantern Ring
"What should we do with this Yellow Lantern ring?" one Avenger asked, as they all turned to regard the glowing artifact that now hovered where the Scarecrow had once stood.
While Crane had been dealt with, the ring posed a more complicated problem. After all, the ring wasn't just a tool—it was the very root of this catastrophe. Moreover, Bruce Wayne had been sidelined by an eerily similar issue.
Tony Stark had already sent one of his Iron Man suits to investigate the Batcave. Alfred had hesitated at first but ultimately allowed the suit entry. Upon seeing Bruce Wayne's condition—his body struggling to contain the conflicting forces of yellow and black energy—it became clear to Stark and the Avengers that the true threat was the reemergence of the Yellow Lantern energy.
Unbeknownst to them, the resurgence of the fear energy was no accident. It was the deliberate work of Kuur, the God of Fear. But without this knowledge, the Avengers concluded that the Yellow Lantern ring and its energy needed to be studied, tracked, and ultimately eradicated to prevent future disasters.
Meanwhile, in Asgard
Kuur's body trembled as waves of fear energy flowed into him, revitalizing his wounds. With a sickening sound, the Eternal Spear, Gungnir, was expelled from his body and clattered to the ground.
"This is it? That's all the fear energy I've gathered?" Kuur muttered to himself, his voice tinged with frustration.
Though the influx of power had healed him, it wasn't nearly enough to satisfy him. In his calculations, the two Yellow Lantern rings on Earth should have generated far more fear energy. With Earth's vastly increased population compared to ancient times, Kuur had expected a tidal wave of power, enough to not only heal but to elevate him to unparalleled strength.
This underwhelming result left Kuur seething.
It had been this contingency plan—the activation of fear energy on Earth—that had kept Kuur calm earlier when Odin had pinned him to the wall with Gungnir. He had taunted Odin with confidence, certain that his "ace in the hole" would turn the tide in his favor. But now, that ace had failed to meet expectations.
Hela's Observation
"Kuur still has a trump card? And it wasn't stopped by the Saiyan?" Hela thought, narrowing her eyes as she observed Kuur's shifting aura. While Kuur's energy had increased, it was clear that it hadn't reached the levels he had anticipated. "It seems like he's hiding something else… or perhaps he's still waiting for the right moment to act."
Among everyone present, Hela was the most concerned with Kuur's actions. She regarded him as her greatest threat. If Kuur succeeded in taking the throne of Asgard, her ambitions would be dashed, and her life would be in jeopardy. As Kuur's aura grew, Hela instinctively stepped back, placing Odin, Thor, and Frigga between herself and Kuur.
Odin's Final Words
As Kuur's power grew, Odin's voice echoed in the minds of Thor and Frigga.
"Thor, Frigga, this is the end of the line for me. Don't grieve. I've already lived far beyond my time, and it's a miracle I've lasted this long."
"Thor, do not let Kuur's words sway you. He only craves the power of the God-King of Asgard; he has no regard for the responsibilities that come with it. If Asgard falls into his hands—or Hela's—it will be consumed by endless war and destruction!"
"I have faith in my Godhead, just as Kuur has faith in his. My prophecy has shown me the future they would create, and it's a bleak one. But you, Thor—you are the one destined to lead Asgard into a brighter era. You are the only one who can guide Asgard into the future."
"And most importantly," Odin continued, his voice resolute, "the prophecy has shown me that you and Kuur are destined to battle. No one else can kill him. Only you, Thor, can end his life."
"Me?" Thor blinked in surprise. He had long outgrown his youthful arrogance and now understood the limits of his strength in the vast universe. While he had grown significantly in power, he knew that both Hela and Kuur were stronger than him at this moment. Even Frigga's strength might rival his own.
Still, Odin's conviction left no room for doubt. "You must trust yourself, Thor," Odin said, sighing inwardly at his son's hesitation. He couldn't help but miss the brash, headstrong version of Thor who would charge into any fight without hesitation.
"How will you support me?" Thor asked, still skeptical of Odin's current frailty.
"Watch closely, my son. Frigga... we'll meet again in the halls of Valhalla." Odin's voice softened, his words tinged with finality. "This will be the last light of Odinforce. From this moment, the God-King's power will no longer be called Odinforce... but Thorforce."
WHOOOM!
With those words, Odin's body dissolved into pure energy, his physical form disintegrating into radiant golden light. The dazzling glow engulfed the entire hall, as if Odin were ascending to another plane of existence.
But this was not ascension. It was the final release of his life force—Odin's ultimate trump card. Freed from the limitations of his aging body, Odin unleashed the full might of the Odinforce, a power he had once planned to use against threats like Robert.
Now, he directed it all at Kuur.
The Reborn God-King
As Kuur prepared to react, his body suddenly froze. A figure appeared before him,
glowing with immense divine energy.
It was Odin. But not the frail, elderly king of moments ago. This was Odin in his prime—a middle-aged warrior clad in golden armor, wielding Gungnir with an air of absolute authority.
For the first time in ages, Kuur felt true fear.
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