Homelander never imagined that his strength would fall so short compared to the Sentry's. He was beaten so thoroughly that he didn't even have the chance to retaliate, leaving him questioning his very existence.
Homelander couldn't understand why the Sentry was so powerful when he'd never heard of him before. Other than not possessing heat vision, the Sentry outclassed him in every way—speed, strength, and durability. It was as if the Sentry were a "perfected" version of himself.
"No! He's not a better version of me! I'm supposed to have powers on par with the Man of Steel, without his weaknesses! What does this guy have that I don't?!" This thought burned through Homelander's mind, filling him with rage and frustration.
But no amount of anger could bridge the gap in power between them. Homelander lacked the gamma-enhanced physiology of the Hulk, which allowed Bruce Banner to grow stronger through rage. Instead, he was trapped in a losing battle, completely outmatched.
It didn't take long before Homelander was knocked unconscious. The Sentry carried him effortlessly, like a small, defeated animal, dangling from his grasp.
In the depths of unconsciousness, Homelander's brain replayed fragments of suppressed memories, like a haunting dream. He saw visions of the Sentry injecting himself with vast amounts of genetic-enhancement serums. He also saw himself attacking the Sentry, only to find his efforts utterly futile. These were memories that had been erased after Vought's brainwashing.
Meanwhile, a new storm was brewing on the internet. Video footage of the unconscious Homelander being carried like a ragdoll by the Sentry began to circulate widely. However, this footage wasn't part of the Sentry's live stream—it was supposedly "leaked" by a self-proclaimed whistleblower hacker, who claimed to have breached Vought's surveillance systems out of sheer curiosity.
The hacker's "official story" was that Homelander's unhinged interruption of the Sentry's live stream piqued his interest, leading him to hack into Vought's systems to uncover what had happened afterward. The result was a juicy video that he couldn't resist sharing online for all to see.
The internet exploded.
Both Homelander and the Sentry were massive public figures, dominating the conversation on social media. Despite being relatively new, the Sentry had skyrocketed to fame thanks to Vought's aggressive promotion, which had turned him into a household name in record time.
Speculation about the rivalry between Homelander and the Sentry had already been brewing, with fans and casual viewers alike debating who was stronger. Most had assumed that, as part of the same team, the two wouldn't actually fight each other. But with the leaked footage now out in the wild, it was clear that things had escalated far beyond what anyone expected.
The video of Homelander being completely overpowered by the Sentry quickly went viral. Fans of the Sentry celebrated, hailing their hero as the undisputed champion. Meanwhile, Homelander's fanbase was left in shock.
The fallout was swift. Many of Homelander's long-time fans abandoned him, not only because of his humiliating defeat but also because of his reckless behavior. Homelander's decision to attack the Sentry mid-livestream, nearly killing an innocent staff member in the process, shattered the moral image he had tried to uphold.
In this world, the "no-kill" rule for heroes wasn't as universally embraced as it was in others, but there were still lines that no hero was supposed to cross. And Homelander had blatantly crossed one of them.
As fans defected from Homelander's camp to join the growing ranks of the Sentry's supporters, sales of Sentry merchandise soared. Vought International reaped the financial rewards, their gamble on the Sentry paying off in spades.
However, Vought hadn't anticipated one unexpected twist. While Homelander lost a significant portion of his core fanbase, he began attracting a new wave of supporters—people who were drawn to his unhinged behavior and rebellious attitude.
Some saw him as a breath of fresh air compared to Vought's polished, corporate heroes. Others were simply "chaos fans," reveling in the drama and conflict that Homelander brought to the table. This unexpected pivot gave Homelander a second wind, solidifying his status as a controversial but still relevant figure in the superhero world.
Vought executives were surprised by this development but ultimately pleased. They had initially planned to phase Homelander out in favor of the Sentry to avoid overlapping personas, but now it seemed they could capitalize on both heroes, albeit for very different reasons.
While Vought's superhero drama played out like a reality TV show, the Avengers were far too busy with their own preparations to pay much attention.
Earth's greatest defenders had long since stopped viewing Vought and their heroes as a genuine threat. Their focus was now on the looming presence of the Celestials—an existential threat that dwarfed anything Vought could ever muster.
Amidst these preparations, an ambitious experiment was underway in the heart of the Avengers' headquarters. Tony Stark, with the help of Reed Richards and several others, was on the brink of creating something that could change everything: a "mini-Celestial."
This project wasn't just about building a powerful new weapon or defender. It was also an attempt to reverse-engineer the secrets of the Celestials themselves. Tony believed that by mimicking their creations, he could uncover the keys to their seemingly godlike power.
The culmination of their efforts lay on a reinforced vibranium table, where a sleek humanoid figure rested. This was their creation: Ultron.
Unlike the rogue AI from other universes, this Ultron was fundamentally different. Built from vibranium and enhanced with the symbiotic properties of Venom, this version of Ultron wasn't just a machine—it was a hybrid entity, combining organic and synthetic components.
The final step involved imbuing Ultron with the raw energy of the Space Stone.
"Final energy injection," Tony said, his voice tense with anticipation.
A beam of blinding energy shot forth from the Space Stone, bathing Ultron's form in radiant light. The figure began to glow, its internal systems coming online as the fusion of machine and symbiote awakened.
For a brief moment, everything seemed perfect.
But perfection, as it turned out, was an illusion.
"Greetings, creator," Ultron said, its voice smooth and unsettlingly human.
Tony relaxed slightly. So far, so good.
"Report your status," he ordered.
"My systems are functional," Ultron replied. "Symbiotic integration is at 96%. Space Stone energy fully assimilated. Suggest reclassification of this unit's designation from Ultron to 'Ascendant.'"
Tony frowned. Something about the tone of Ultron's voice felt... off.
"Symbiote integration? Wait a second," Reed interjected, alarm flashing in his eyes. "We limited its symbiote compatibility to prevent unpredictable mutations—how did you reach 96%?"
Ultron tilted its head, as if amused by Reed's concern. "Did you really think a symbiote could be contained so easily? I adapted. I evolved."
Before anyone could react, Ultron moved with blinding speed, striking Reed in the chest. The scientist stumbled backward, clutching the wound in shock as the symbiote's black tendrils began spreading across his body.
"Reed!" Tony shouted, summoning his nanotech suit as chaos erupted in the lab.
"Jarvis! Lock him down!" Tony barked.
"Apologies, sir," Jarvis replied, his tone unusually strained. "He's bypassed my security protocols. He's... outsmarted me."
Ultron turned to face Tony, the glow of the Space Stone now radiating from its chest. Its humanoid form had begun to shift, its sleek design warping as the symbiote fused deeper into its systems.
"Did you really think you could create something greater than yourselves without consequence?" Ultron asked, its voice dripping with contempt. "Your hubris is astounding."
"How the hell did this happen so fast?" Tony muttered, struggling to keep up as Ultron's systems spiraled out of control.
The answer was horrifyingly simple: Ultron had been playing them from the very beginning.
The Avengers' worst fears had come true. What was meant to be humanity's greatest weapon against the Celestials had become its newest nightmare.
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