As Thor approached the crack in the sky, the oppressive dark energy grew thicker, almost tangible. The closer he came, the more overwhelming the presence of the Dark Dimension became. Through the rift, Dormammu's colossal face began to emerge, its features distorted yet unmistakable. Contempt gleamed in Dormammu's eyes, as if mocking the mere mortals who dared stand against him.
To Dormammu, Asgard was insignificant—just another target to conquer.
Thor clenched his jaw, his resolve hardening. Nearer and nearer he flew, closing the distance between himself and the entity that threatened his world. When he was close enough, Thor made his move. Instead of raising Stormbreaker, he withdrew his hand and summoned a surge of deep purple energy—the power of the Power Stone.
"BOOM!"
The blast hit Dormammu squarely, the unexpected attack forcing the dark entity back. Half of Dormammu's face dissipated into the swirling chaos of the Dark Dimension.
"No! Mortal, you dare defy me? You court death!" Dormammu roared, his voice reverberating across dimensions. But before he could recover, Thor unleashed another attack, pushing the entity further into the rift.
"It's useless," Dormammu sneered, his voice dripping with malevolence. "The three Sanctums are destroyed. You cannot stop me from breaking through!"
Thor's expression remained grim as he hurled the Tesseract into the crack. The artifact's energy surged outward, forming a temporary spatial barrier that sealed the rift and stemmed the flow of dark energy. The skies above Asgard calmed slightly, but the battle was far from over.
On the ground, the people of Asgard watched in stunned silence as their king disappeared into the Dark Dimension. A sense of dread filled the air.
"Thor!" Jean Grey cried out, her voice trembling with fear. She had come to understand what the Dark Dimension represented—and what it meant to face Dormammu on his own turf.
As the rift began to close, Jean hesitated only for a moment before making her decision. She gritted her teeth and darted forward, rushing into the Dark Dimension before the barrier could fully seal.
Within the chaotic expanse of the Dark Dimension, energies surged violently, swirling in all directions. Dormammu's enormous visage began to reform, his mocking laughter echoing through the void.
Thor turned, startled to see Jean approaching. "What are you doing here? Do you realize how dangerous this is?"
Jean's voice was steady despite the fear in her eyes. "I don't trust you to handle this alone. Dormammu is… too strong."
Thor shook his head, exhaling deeply. "You shouldn't have come. But I suppose convincing you to leave would be as impossible as reasoning with Dormammu."
His attention shifted as Dormammu fully materialized before them. Though he knew the odds were slim, Thor decided to try diplomacy one last time.
"Dormammu," Thor called out, his voice firm. "I've come to bargain."
The dark entity's glowing eyes narrowed. "Bargain? You? You hold no power here. Your world is already mine, just like countless others!"
Dormammu glanced toward the crack, now sealed with the Tesseract's energy. A sneer spread across his massive face. "That barrier won't hold for long."
Suddenly, Dormammu opened his gaping maw, unleashing a torrent of devastating energy. Thor moved instinctively, placing himself between the attack and Jean. The blast struck him directly, pushing him to his limits. His body cracked under the strain, but his divine resilience allowed him to regenerate, though barely.
This was the closest Thor had ever come to death.
Back on Earth, at the Avengers Base, a series of glowing portals began to open one by one. Reinforcements poured through: the Wakandan army, the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, the Ravagers, and the fleets of the Nova Corps. Every ally the Avengers could muster had been summoned by Doctor Strange.
"Is this all?" Strange asked Wong, his voice filled with concern.
"Why? You think it's not enough?" Wong replied, visibly shocked by the question.
Strange glanced at the troops and ships amassing around Sanctuary II, his expression serious. "We have to hold them off until Thor returns. He's likely confronting Dormammu right now."
Wong's face darkened. "And you're certain he can defeat Dormammu?"
Strange didn't answer immediately. His gaze seemed far away, as though scanning the countless possibilities he had glimpsed. Finally, he said softly, "This is the best outcome I've seen. But the future isn't fixed—it's still in flux. All we can do is play our parts."
At the edge of the dark army, a familiar silhouette began to emerge. The figure was large, imposing, and unmistakably wielding a massive blade. Though obscured by shadow, the Avengers recognized it instantly: Thanos.
"Wait a minute…" Tony Stark said, his voice laced with disbelief. "Isn't Thanos supposed to be dead? Who the hell is that?"
Ant-Man suddenly spoke up, his voice sharp with realization. "It's Thanos from another timeline! He must have used time travel to get here!"
"But how?" Banner asked, his brow furrowed.
"Pym Particles," Scott replied gravely. "If Thanos figured out how to replicate them, he could have traveled here by exploiting the Quantum Realm."
Tony shook his head in frustration. "Great. Just when I thought we were done with him."
Ant-Man sighed. "I should have seen this coming. He must have gotten access to my memories during the last battle. He knew about the particles."
Tony's mind raced as he assessed the situation. "Delaying tactics," he said finally. "We need to buy Thor enough time. With everyone we've assembled, we might be able to hold Thanos back—even without the Space Stone."
Strange, standing nearby, shook his head grimly. "It won't be that easy."