Apocalypse sat on his massive throne in the heart of Cairo.
The throne room was ancient and vast. Celestial technology covered the walls in glowing patterns. The Ascension Device stood in the center like a towering monument of alien metal and pulsing energy.
He had waited long enough.
Apocalypse raised one hand toward the device. His eyes glowed with power. "Begin partial activation."
The Ascension Device responded immediately. Energy surged through its core systems. The machine hummed with increasing intensity. Blue light spread from its base and climbed up the structure until the entire device blazed with power.
Then it released a pulse.
The energy wave shot outward in all directions. It passed through walls. Through buildings. Through the earth itself. Within seconds it covered Egypt. Within minutes it reached across continents. Within an hour it had touched every corner of the globe.
Humans everywhere felt it.
In New York, a businessman collapsed on the street. His skin began to discolor with strange patterns. He screamed in pain as his cells started breaking down at the molecular level.
In Tokyo, a mother clutched her children as all three of them felt their bodies changing. Burning. Mutating into something they didn't understand.
In London, entire crowds fell to their knees as the mutation symptoms hit them simultaneously.
Apocalypse watched holographic displays that showed the global effect. Data streamed across multiple screens. Numbers updated constantly.
Current human population: 7.8 billion.
Projected mortality rate: 70% within 48 hours.
Projected enslavement rate: 20% converted to mutant-slaves.
Projected natural evolution rate: 10% evolving into true mutants.
"Acceptable parameters," Apocalypse said with satisfaction.
He stood from his throne. His form towered over everything else in the room at fifteen feet tall.
Celestial armor covered his body. Power radiated from him in visible waves.
Four figures entered the throne room through different doorways.
They moved with unnatural coordination. Their eyes glowed with the same energy that powered the Ascension Device.
The Four Horsemen had arrived.
War stepped forward first. Magneto's body had been transformed by Celestial corruption. His costume was now black and silver with sharp edges. Magnetic fields crackled around him constantly.
"Master," War spoke with Magneto's voice but without his personality. "Your orders?"
"Accelerate the conquest,"
Apocalypse commanded. "Destroy their infrastructure. Break their will to resist."
War nodded once. He raised both hands and his consciousness expanded across the globe. He reached out to every magnetic field on Earth. Power grids.
Communications satellites. Metal structures.
And he twisted them.
Magnetic storms erupted over major cities worldwide. Power grids exploded in cascading failures. Satellites tumbled from orbit. Buildings with metal frameworks began to buckle and collapse.
Darkness fell across half the planet as electricity died.
Famine moved next. Storm's corrupted form floated above the ground. Her white hair whipped around her face. Her eyes were pure white with no pupils visible.
"I will starve them," she said in a hollow voice.
Storm raised her arms toward the sky. Her weather manipulation powers reached across continents. She created droughts over farmlands.
Acid rain over water supplies. Hurricanes over fishing zones.
Crops withered and died in fields. Rivers ran dry. Oceans turned toxic in coastal areas.
The global food supply began collapsing within hours.
Death stood silent and massive. Colossus had been transformed into something beyond his original metal form.
His body was now Celestial metal that was completely indestructible. He was twelve feet tall. Every movement he made shook the ground.
"Resistance bases?" he asked in a deep rumbling voice.
Apocalypse pointed to a holographic map. Red markers indicated where human forces were still organized and fighting back. Underground bunkers. Military installations. Superhero headquarters.
"Destroy them all," Apocalypse ordered.
Death nodded and walked toward the exit. Each footstep left cracks in the stone floor. He would demolish every base across Europe personally.
Finally Pestilence emerged from the shadows. Wolverine's corrupted form looked twisted and wrong. His claws dripped with a glowing green substance. His healing factor had been perverted into something that spread disease instead of health.
"The virus?" Pestilence asked with a savage grin.
"Release it in Asia," Apocalypse commanded. "Turn their heroes against them."
Pestilence laughed. It was an ugly sound. "Finally. Been waiting to cut loose."
He disappeared in a blur of motion. His target was clear. Major cities in Asia where superheroes were still fighting to save civilians.
One scratch from his claws would infect them. Turn them into mindless berserkers. Make them attack the very people they were trying to protect.
Apocalypse returned to his throne and sat down. He watched the holographic displays showing chaos spreading across the world.
Magnetic storms ravaging cities.
Droughts destroying agriculture.
Resistance bases being demolished.
Heroes turning into infected berserkers.
And everywhere, humans dying or transforming into enslaved mutants.
The numbers kept updating on the screens.
Mortality count: 157 million and rising.
Enslavement count: 58 million and rising.
Natural evolution count: 1 million and rising.
Apocalypse smiled. It was a terrible expression on his inhuman face.
"Evolution waits for no one," he said quietly to the empty room.
His plan was proceeding perfectly. Soon the old world would be completely destroyed. And from its ashes, a new world would rise.
A world where only the strong survived. A world where mutants ruled supreme.
A world shaped by Apocalypse himself.
The Ascension had begun.
Read to chapter 127 on Patreon marvelstark