It all started like any other lazy Saturday afternoon.
Alex, a 16-year-old with the energy of a cracked-out squirrel and the attention span of a goldfish watching TikToks, was sprawled across his bed. Cartoon Network blared from his TV. "The Amazing World of Gumball" was on, and Alex was cackling like a villain in a Saturday morning cartoon.
"Man, Gumball is so underrated," Alex mumbled, munching on stale Doritos. "The dude's basically a cartoon god. Like… he's toon force incarnate!"
Then he did what every teenager with ADHD does when their brain gets a random side quest notification—he impulsively got up and went outside.
And that's when the universe said, "Haha, skill issue."
Because the moment Alex stepped outside, he saw a truck speeding straight toward him. The truck, painted bright pink with the words "Turk-Kun's Free Hugs" scribbled on the side, honked exactly once.
BONK.
Darkness.
Silence.
Cue the dramatic awakening.
Alex's eyes snapped open. He blinked. "Huh?" He was sitting in what looked like the inside of a throne room built by Zeus's interior decorator on meth. The ceiling shimmered with stars, galaxies swirling in patterns that would make Stephen Hawking cry from joy and confusion.
And there, sitting on a throne made of plasma, fire, and questionable taste in cosmic decor, was a being radiating "final boss energy." A being with six wings, a golden aura, and a face that changed every time Alex blinked.
"I am the R.O.B.," the being boomed in a voice that sounded like Morgan Freeman and Optimus Prime had a baby. "The Random Omnipotent Being. And… uhh… I accidentally killed you."
Alex blinked. "Say what now?"
R.O.B rubbed his temples. "You were supposed to narrowly dodge Turk-Kun. But I sneezed and nudged the truck's quantum trajectory. My bad."
Alex crossed his arms, tapping his chin. "So… I got isekai'd because of a divine sneeze?"
"Yes."
"...Pfft. Typical."
"But," R.O.B. said, grinning sheepishly, "to make up for the whole 'accidental vehicular manslaughter' thing, I'll let you choose any character's appearance and abilities for your next life."
Alex's eyes lit up like a weeb at a convention. Without thinking, he shouted:
"GUMBALL!"
R.O.B paused. "Wait. Out of all characters? Why Gumball?"
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Bro, have you even read the Gumball wiki? My guy has toon force, reality manipulation, fourth wall awareness, immunity to logic, and can basically do anything the writers want. He's like if Deadpool and Bugs Bunny had a chaotic blue child!"
R.O.B. blinked. "...Fair point."
"Also," Alex added, turning to the invisible camera, "I am the main character, after all. Gotta go full 'Ultra Instinct Gumball Mode' before Season 2, am I right?"
R.O.B. chuckled. "Alright then. What world?"
Alex opened his mouth to respond.
"MARVEL!" R.O.B interrupted with a grin. "One day before World War II begins!"
"WAIT, HOLD ON, THAT'S—!"
ZOOM.
Before he could finish screaming, Alex was pulled through the fabric of space-time, reality itself turning into a swirl of memes, anime openings, and TikTok trends.
---
THUD.
Alex woke up in an alley, sitting upright in a trash can. He looked down at his hands. They were small. Blue. Furry.
He waddled over to a cracked mirror. Wide eyes. Cat ears. No pants.
"I'M. FREAKIN'. GUMBALL."
He turned to the imaginary camera. "This is either the greatest W of my life… or the fastest way to get clapped by Hydra."
Cue dramatic music. Cue WWII posters on brick walls. Cue a newspaper flying by with the headline: "Red Skull on the Rise?"
Alex—er, Gumball—grinned. "Alright. Let's see what kind of cartoon chaos we can cook up in this Marvel-verse."
He reached into his fur and pulled out a squeaky hammer. "Let's go make Captain America's origin story way more interesting."