After Black Bolt met his end in the most humiliating way, Mr. Fantastic became the second to fall.
It was just a brief encounter—barely even a face-off—and two of the four members of the Illuminati were already dead. Wanda's overwhelming power far exceeded everyone's expectations!
The audience, having seen the earlier footage of Wanda soloing Kamar-Taj, already understood the weight behind the title "Scarlet Witch." But still, this level of power was insane!
Just to give a sense of scale, the Illuminati had defeated a Thanos wielding four Infinity Stones and judged a version of Doctor Strange who had succumbed to darkness after reading the Darkhold. Each member was at least on par with the Avengers—if not stronger.
And yet, such a powerful group crumbled like paper in front of Wanda!
Off-screen, Pietro muttered, "It's over. I've got a feeling I'll be stuck with the name 'Wanda's Big Brother' for life…"
Stephen chuckled softly. "Is that really such a bad thing? 'Wanda's Big Brother' has a nicer ring to it than 'Quicksilver,' don't you think?"
Pietro glanced at him in surprise and frowned. "You don't seem upset. In fact, you look… almost happy? Why?"
Logically speaking, both the future Doctor Strange shown in the footage and the present-day Stephen, who was watching as a player, should be aligned with the Illuminati and opposed to Wanda.
Seeing her take down two Illuminati members so quickly—shouldn't that make him angry?
Stephen shrugged. "You know, if there's one thing I've learned from this game, it's not to get too invested in the future. Especially things that haven't even happened yet—it only causes stress. So I'd rather just enjoy it like a movie. Isn't that more relaxing?"
That's what he said out loud—but it wasn't entirely true.
No one can remain completely indifferent to their own future, and Stephen was no exception. The real reason he looked somewhat pleased was thanks to some private thoughts he wouldn't dare speak aloud.
Whether Wanda was good or bad, she was still a magical powerhouse. And even though superheroes didn't officially have "factions," people tended to gravitate toward those like themselves—mutants, tech geniuses, "regular" humans (so-called), and of course, sorcerers...
From that perspective, Wanda and Stephen were on the same side—both wielders of magic. Watching Wanda absolutely demolish the Illuminati only served to confirm the strength of the mystical arts.
Deep down, Stephen even felt a little proud—as if Wanda's display was a win for their whole camp. That pride, of course, was something he'd never admit publicly.
Back to the video—after one brief exchange, Wanda had already taken out Mr. Fantastic and Black Bolt. The remaining two—Captain Marvel and Captain Carter—glanced at each other, their faces serious. Only now did they realize the cost of underestimating their opponent.
This time, they didn't dare hold back. With a silent nod, they rushed at Wanda from both sides.
Captain Marvel flew into the air, her body glowing as she fired dazzling energy blasts downward. Captain Carter seized the moment and hurled her shield at Wanda with brutal force.
Now facing two powerful women at once, Wanda seemed a bit strained under the pressure.
It became clear—if the Illuminati hadn't underestimated her, leading to Mr. Fantastic and Black Bolt getting taken out so easily, things might've gone differently. Even if they still lost, it wouldn't have been so one-sided.
That said, Wanda's reality-warping powers were truly absurd. Her abilities were like a fusion of Ebony Maw's telekinesis and some mysterious, arcane force. She casually swatted the flying shield aside, then used her magic to hurl a massive sculpture into the air, smashing Captain Marvel out of the sky.
Meanwhile, the camera cut to Stephen again. While Wanda was fighting the two heroines outside, Stephen was busy trading verbal jabs with Mordo.
Before leaving, Charles had expressed his trust in Stephen, which Mordo clearly didn't like.
And now, with Stephen calmly asking Mordo to help him find the Book of Vishanti, Mordo's irritation boiled over. "You have no authority to give orders! When they return, my vote will put an end to this farce!"
This guy still had no idea how bad things were. He couldn't imagine that, in such a short time, the Illuminati had already lost two of their best.
Back on the battlefield, Wanda had temporarily shaken off Captain Marvel—but Captain Carter was still in the fight.
Using the smoke and debris as cover, she launched a surprise attack, slamming into Wanda with her shield and sending her flying.
At that moment, people also noticed a key difference: while her design clearly echoed Steve Rogers, Captain Carter had one extra piece of gear—a small "backpack" that seemed to function as a jet booster, enhancing her speed and impact during charges.
Off-screen, Steve's eyes lit up as he watched the bold and valiant Carter. Pride and affection bloomed on his face as he thought to himself, 'We really are dressed like a couple.'
Beside him, Sam laughed. "Cap, maybe it's time you got a backpack too. I'm sure Tony could design one for you."
Steve shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. "I've gotten used to this setup. I was just wondering—how did Carter become 'Captain' in Earth-838?"
Sam raised a brow. "Is it possible that she got the super-soldier serum in your place?"
"Maybe," Steve said, though now his expression turned a little worried. "Wanda's just too powerful. I'm not sure Carter can handle it."
As he said this, the video showed Wanda getting knocked away and rolling across the floor. When she got up, she glared at Carter and growled, "You want another beating?"
Carter spat out a mouthful of blood and smirked. "I can do this all day!"
Oh, damn. That line was iconic—Steve's signature catchphrase!
Everyone watching, including Steve himself, couldn't help but smile… but their smiles froze in place a moment later.
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I know it's a bit late, but I still want to do this properly.
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