The
Invaders (Steve Rogers, Captain America, Vision, Human Torch, Toro, Sub-Mariner,
Spitfire, Union Jack) have asked for 24 hours to find a cure for the gruesome
virus and, succeed or fail, they will return to offer themselves as the
wizard’s sacrifice to restore his loved ones to life. The wizard, once he
understands exactly what they are promising, agrees….
Steve Rogers contacts Iron Man, Wasp (Hank Pym),
Beast, and Reed Richards and provides them with the blood and mineral samples
they need to search for a cure. They fail because the cure would be a
combination of science and magic—and all of the magic-type heroes are out of
reach. Namor consults his science-mages and they identify Shuma-Gorath as the
entity behind the magic part of the virus and suggest certain mystic artifacts
that may help. The Invaders travel around the world, collecting as many as they
can…and it works! Reed is able to hand Aarkus a serum that the heroes use to
cure Union Jack and the villagers. It is then that they must submit to their
sacrificial deaths. The wizard opens up a gateway and speaks to his long-dead
family—and they refuse to allow him to continue. His dead were at peace and do
not want to be brought back to a newer world they wouldn’t recognize—and they
also don’t want to deprive the world of its much-needed heroes. The wizard
apologizes to the Invaders and tries to undo the spell but it’s too late:
Arnim Zola shoots him down to ensure the ritual completes itself. With the cure in
hand, Zola can now create an enhanced contagion and cause some real mischief.
And he has revived the Uberkommandos (Warrior Woman, U-Man, new Iron Cross, new
Master Man and two of the latter’s henchmen) to make sure the good guys don’t
interfere. The wizard tries to intervene so Zola shoots him fatally this time;
the heroes react—and then the sky opens up and Shuma-Gorath arrives….