Before they could react, Queen Veranke unleashed chaos.
A barrage of energy erupted from her, striking Fury, Quake, and Black Widow, knocking them down in a flash of light and force. Without hesitation, she released a viral blast toward Stark's Iron Man MK 9 armor.
Inside the suit, Tony gritted his teeth as alarms blared.
"Jarvis, what's happening?"
"Viral intrusion detected. System shutdown imminent."
The suit locked up, collapsed to the ground, and powered down. Stark was out of commission.
Queen Veranke's voice rang out cold and commanding. "Initiate the final wave."
Within seconds, the Skrulls hijacked all A.I.M. satellites. Red warning lights flashed across stolen control panels as the satellites formed a lethal array in orbit—activating a destructive radius that now threatened the very existence of Earth.
At the same moment, Skrull ships descended on the Damocles—a S.H.I.E.L.D. vessel. The sky lit up with explosions as the ship was torn apart mid-air in a fiery inferno.
Miraculously, no human lives were lost in the blast.
But the Skrulls weren't done. They found and executed Agent Maria Hill—only to discover she wasn't human at all. Her body sparked and fell in pieces—another lifelike decoy.
Back in the wreckage, the real Maria Hill climbed out of the debris, brushing ash from her jacket.
"When I turned 19, I started driving a single car. Nothing happened till now, but this Helicarrier seems to crash every two to three days," she said wryly, surveying the flames.
Without pause, she bolted into the chaos, navigating wreckage and fire.
Her target: Fury, Quake, and Iron Man.
She moved fast, weaving through falling beams and panicked agents. As she reached them, Veranke disappeared into the shadows, already orchestrating her next move.
Later, in the midst of a press conference, the Skrulls made their next play.
An imposter Captain America stood before the cameras, calm and menacing.
"The Skrulls have arrived," he declared. "Those who surrender will survive. Those who resist... will be buried."
Back at a hidden location, Tony Stark, though weakened, focused on a critical task—repairing the Iron Ark Reactor linked directly to his heart.
Despite the damage, despite the threat, the team worked together. After tense minutes, the core lit up, and the system came back online.
---
The battle had taken a dark turn. Wasp, Hawkeye, and Ms. Marvel were being overwhelmed by the relentless power of the Super Skrull, his shifting forms mimicking their own abilities with devastating precision. Each failed attack deepened the growing sense of despair.
"We can't hold him!" Hawkeye growled, knocking another arrow before being flung aside by a monstrous Skrull arm.
Just as hope seemed lost, a flash of red, white, and blue cut through the chaos. The real Captain America stormed onto the battlefield, his shield glinting under the broken sky.
"Stand your ground!" he shouted. "This fight isn't over!"
Moments later, Iron Man soared down beside him, repulsors glowing hot. "Thought you could use a hand," Tony said, smirking behind his mask.
Then, the heavens roared. Clouds split, and lightning crashed to the Earth. Thor descended, his eyes glowing with divine fury.
"I have returned to save Midgard!" he declared, lifting Mjölnir high as it pulsed with thunderous energy.
The tide began to turn. Thor's storm unleashed torrents of lightning, blasting enemy lines and rallying the scattered heroes.
"Let's show them Earth isn't theirs to take," Cap said, gripping his shield tighter.
But the Super Skrull refused to falter. He morphed, combining the strength of Hulk, the flame of Human Torch. With a cruel sneer, the Skrull leader stepped forward—disguised as Captain America.
"We have your face and your power," he sneered. "We are the winners."
With a brutal punch, he knocked the real Cap to the ground.
Bloodied but unbowed, Captain America stood back up. "You may have our face and power," he said, "but you don't possess our spirit."
In one swift move, he slammed his shield into the imposter's jaw, knocking the Skrull flat.
Thunder clapped overhead as Thor landed beside him. "Well said, Captain."
Meanwhile, high above, Queen Veranke watched from the command bridge of her vessel, fury etched across her alien features. Her invasion was collapsing. Desperate, she opened a secure line to her operative within A.I.M. headquarters.
"Activate the Omega Protocol. Now."
The agent obeyed, and a satellite hummed to life in orbit. Its purpose: to scan Earth for human DNA and unleash a precision energy beam that would annihilate every human being.
The sky turned red as the satellite activated, unleashing a piercing, high-frequency beam across the globe. A wave of searing pain rippled through every human on Earth. Men, women, children—all clutched their heads, collapsing as blood trickled from their ears.
Even Earth's mightiest heroes weren't spared. Captain America dropped to one knee, gritting his teeth. Tony Stark clutched his arc reactor, sparks flaring from his damaged suit. Carol Danvers screamed in pain, her cosmic energy flaring uncontrollably. Wasp fell from the sky, caught at the last second by Hawkeye—who collapsed beside her.
Only Thor remained standing, his godly form untouched by the beam. He looked around in fury and confusion, gripping Mjölnir tightly as lightning crackled around him.
High above, aboard the Skrull command ship, Queen Veranke stood with her arms raised triumphantly. "Ha, ha, ha! Do you see it now, humans? This is your end! Earth will belong to the Skrulls, and your pain will be our triumph!"
On the battlefield, writhing in agony, Tony Stark forced out a hoarse but defiant cry: "You… won't win… this fight. Ben Tennyson… will stop you…"
Queen Veranke's smile faltered. "Ben Tennyson?" she echoed, confused. She turned to Captain Skrull America, who had once mentioned the name but never explained the details. "Who is this Ben?"
"He's just a myth," Skrull America muttered, though his eyes betrayed unease.
A calm but firm voice pierced the chaos. "He was talking about me."
Everyone turned. Floating effortlessly in the air was a brown-haired teenager, his green jacket rippling in the breeze. His confident smile stood in stark contrast to the devastation around him.
Queen Veranke narrowed her eyes. "You're Ben Tennyson?"
"That's right." Ben's eyes flicked toward the satellite overhead, still spewing its deadly signal. "You said all the humans would die?" He clenched his fist. "Not on my watch."
Veranke scoffed. "Even if you can fight, you're too late."
Ben smirked. "Let's see about that. Upgrade!"
Activating his Upgrade powers, he soared toward the sky like a missile.
The Skrull satellite loomed overhead, its beam cutting through the atmosphere like a blade. But Ben didn't flinch.
Passing through each satellite like a beam of pure energy, Ben merged with the technology, his voice echoing from within:
"Let's see how you like it..."
Queen Veranke's eyes narrowed. "What is he doing?"
Suddenly, the torturous soundwaves that had crippled humanity... stopped.
The fallen heroes and civilians stirred, eyes opening, breathing easier. Captain America grunted as he rose to his knees. "The pain... it's gone."
Iron Man slowly stood, still holding his side. "He did it... he shut it down."
Queen Veranke's eyes widened. "He saved them? No... that's impossible."
But before anyone could react further, a new sound pierced the air — screaming. Skrull soldiers, once cold and calculated, now clutched their heads in agony. Their shrieks rang across the battlefield.
Veranke turned to the sky, fury in her voice. "What have you done?!"
Ben's voice boomed from above, calm and cold:
"I reprogrammed the satellites. They now target Skrull genetic signatures instead of human ones."
The green glow faded as Ben rematerialized in the air, arms crossed, watching the panic unfold below.
"Felt that? That's what you made them feel."
Skrulls dropped left and right, clawing at their ears, overwhelmed by the unbearable pain. Queen Veranke fell to her knees, rage turning into desperation.
"You arrogant man!" she howled. "You've doomed your people too—this is war!"
Ben hovered lower, looking her dead in the eyes. "Then welcome to it."
Down below, Steve Rogers looked on in horror. "Ben! That's enough!" he shouted. "We don't torture people. Even our enemies."
Ben looked down, his expression unreadable. "You don't. I'm not you, Cap. I'm Ben Tennyson." A smirk played on his face, though his voice carried the weight of a deeper conviction.
"Ben, this isn't justice—it's revenge," Steve pleaded, stepping forward.
But Ben didn't stop.
Seeing the Skrulls writhing on the ground, Tony turned to Thor with urgency. "We have to shut it down. Now!"
Thor nodded, gripping Mjölnir tightly. "Then let it be done."
With a roar, he soared into the sky, lightning trailing behind him. As Ben watched, Thor hurled Mjölnir through the final satellite just as Iron Man launched a disruptor beam. One by one, the satellites exploded in bursts of fire and metal.
The signal ceased. The skies went quiet.
The Skrulls gasped in relief, the pain gone at last.
Ben crossed his arms, eyes scanning the aftermath.
"Wow… you guys are really something," he said with a hint of awe. "Even to your enemies, you show mercy. Gotta say, that's impressive."
The Avengers exchanged glances. Their choice to spare even the Skrull infiltrators spoke volumes about their values. But Ben's eyes hardened.
"But I made a promise," he continued, his tone shifting. "I said the Skrulls would be gone. So… they're gone. Gutrot."
He raised a glowing hand, energy crackling through his veins.
He conjured a vial of swirling green and red energy in midair. "This formula targets Skrull DNA specifically. It's harmless to humans. But for them… it's the end."
He launched it into the sky. The concoction exploded into a shimmering red mist, rapidly spreading across the Earth's atmosphere like a second sunset.
Moments later, a soft red glow descended over a small town—and then, everywhere.
"Ben, what did you do?!" Steve Rogers shouted, eyes wide with horror.
Before Ben could answer, Captain Skrull America gasped—and began dissolving into crimson particles.
All across the world, Skrulls—disguised or known—collapsed into dust. Nick Fury's closest ally fell beside him. In cities, homes, even hidden bases, Skrulls vanished, leaving only grief behind.
Even Queen Veranke, standing atop a building with defiance, met her end in silence—her form fading into the wind.
Silence fell. Only the sound of wind and distant cries remained.
Steve turned to Ben, his voice low but sharp.
"You wiped out an entire species. Some of them were helping us."
Ben didn't flinch. "Maybe you're merciful. That's your code. But I'm not you."
He met Steve's gaze coldly. "My life. My rules. Don't try to make me follow yours."
Then, he turned toward the injured Carol Danvers. Without a word, he gently lifted her into a princess carry.
"You need training," he murmured to her with a half-smirk. "Or you're going to lose next time."
Carol gave a small nod, dazed but responsive.
With a powerful burst of energy, Ben launched into the sky with her in his arms, leaving the Avengers and the world below to process what had just happened.
Not everyone welcomed Ben's actions with open arms. Tension hung in the air like a storm cloud ready to burst.
"He wiped out everyone," Hawkeye muttered, trying to steady himself against the wall. Blood on his sleeve, dust on his face, but disbelief more than pain filled his voice. "Good or bad, they're all gone. That's not justice… that's execution."
Tony Stark crossed his arms, his gaze following Ben's trail across the sky. "And he made one thing clear—he doesn't play by our rules," he said, tone colder than his armor. "I'm adding him to my watchlist. High-level threat. Unpredictable."
Thor, ever the optimist, leaned on Mjölnir and grinned. "Bah! Earth is safe. Victory is ours. Time to celebrate, no? I'll bring the mead!"
But Nick Fury remained quiet, lips pressed tight. His mind raced through contingency plans and worst-case scenarios. "We just watched someone wipe out an entire species with a chemical formula," he finally said. "We need to be very careful. Ben Tennyson just became a wildcard."