Malekith did not resemble the MCU aesthetic the Avengers were accustomed to. The gap between him and the Dark Elf in the Thor: The Dark World film was immense. His body featured a stark, jagged dividing line: the right half of his physique was a bruised blue-purple, while the left half was an absolute, featureless pitch-black that even obscured his facial structure.
He wore an ancient, medieval-style surcoat. Beneath the fabric, he likely wore protective padding or chainmail, but the garment itself looked incredibly eerie. The right side of the surcoat was black, mirroring the left side of his body, while the left side was a vibrant blood-red. Emblazoned in the center was the sigil of the Wild Hunt—the red-armored side bore a black mark, while the black-armored side featured a stark white sun.
Upon seeing Malekith, Peter scratched the back of his head with a touch of exasperation.
"Uh, can I ask a question? I know you're a Dark Elf, but are you a Dark Elf because of your left half or your right half? For instance, Drows in D&D have blue-purple skin, but half of you is just... pure void black."
"I did not expect Midgard to have such a loudmouthed clown in a leotard."
Malekith looked at the two men before him, momentarily losing his composure. The plan was to intercept and execute Thor—where did this extra guy come from?
"My apologies. My brother truly lacks taste when it comes to choosing his companions," Loki remarked with a chuckle while controlling the Absorbing Man.
Confronted by the villains of the Nine Realms who had come specifically for him, Thor remained unfazed. "Do you think controlling a common thug is enough to defeat me, Loki? I have bested the Destroyer, to say nothing of your new puppet."
Loki laughed. Controlling the Absorbing Man, he laughed so maniacally that even Malekith seemed infected by the mood, joining in with a cacophonous roar. Peter watched the two of them, somewhat baffled, and whispered to Thor, "I thought the King of the Wild Hunt would be... you know, a bit more 'regal'."
"The Nine Realms are vast. There's room for all sorts of oddities, I suppose," Thor replied.
Thor clearly didn't take Loki's presence seriously. Once Loki finished his laughing fit, he shook his head mockingly. "You truly are a fool, brother. Of course I know that a man who can turn into Uru metal is no match for you on his own. But you are mistaken; this mortal's power goes far beyond that."
"He can absorb multiple substances simultaneously and utilize them all at once—and that is not all. The substances he can absorb are not limited to physical matter. He can take in energy... even magic!"
A torrent of majestic energy suddenly surged from the Absorbing Man. The searing heat was intense enough to make even Thor recoil. He asked in disbelief, "Surtur's magic? Loki, do you truly intend to destroy Asgard?"
"It isn't my Asgard anymore. Why should I care if it burns?"
With the searing fire energy coupled with the Uru metal exterior, the Absorbing Man looked terrifying. Thor immediately stepped in front of Peter. A beam of the Bifrost's divine light blasted down; Thor had gathered enough information. He decided it was best to head back, have a serious talk with his father, and deliberate on a counterstrategy.
Besides, he wasn't alone. Thor felt having a teammate nearby made him a bit more constrained in his movements.
However, to Thor's surprise, he felt an interference disrupting the Bifrost's operation. A black storm surged around the light, making it impassable. This was Malekith's magic—the power of the Wild Hunt.
But who said there was only one escape route?
Peter immediately opened a portal. Thor grabbed Peter, intending to charge through, but the Enchantress cast a spell that sealed the Spider-Man's gateway.
"The Sorcerer Supreme could discover us at any moment. Move quickly!"
"Think of something, Spider-Man! The enemy isn't going to give you enough time to wait for the Sorcerer Supreme!" Thor shouted toward Peter.
Peter noted keenly that Thor hadn't mentioned himself. With a sigh of resignation, he began to brainstorm. After setting the "tearing a rift in reality" option aside as a last resort, Peter focused his gaze on the Bifrost beam that had yet to dissipate.
"I don't think I need to tell you what to do. Look, Asgard hasn't cut off the Bifrost yet."
Peter looked at Thor, posing a soul-deep question: "You're the God of Thunder, man. Can't you use your storm to blow their storm away?"
Thor glanced hesitantly at the sky. Peter knew what he was thinking, so he shrugged. "I'll buy you the time. We're counting on you, pal."
"Usually, I'm the one saying that to others."
Thor was still hesitating. He wasn't sure if Spider-Man could handle these enemies—foes that even Thor would have to struggle against—all by himself. But Peter was quite cavalier about it. He had fought his way through plenty of difficult enemies; he was used to playing in the high-stakes games.
"It's just the King of the Wild Hunt, an Absorbing Man controlled by Loki, an Asgardian Sorceress, and an Asgardian Berserker. Why would I be scared of them?"
Hearing this, Thor blinked in surprise, then grinned, showing off his bright white teeth. "Very well, Spider-Man. I leave my back to you. The Son of Odin shall disperse this black storm and bring forth lightning and thunder!"
Thor, who had been clashing with the Absorbing Man, swung his hammer to knock his opponent back, creating some tactical breathing room for Peter. He then raised Mjolnir high, beckoning the rolling dark clouds to gather. Peter stood firmly in front of Thor, deploying the mechanical waldoes from the back of his nanotech suit. Looking at the four non-human enemies before him, he took a deep breath.
Buying time? Perfect. I love buying time.
"Alright, alright. I know none of you have heard of me, but that's fine. You only need to know one thing."
As Peter spoke, he cast a Shield of the Vishanti, layering a magical barrier over his entire body. "I'd be more than happy to hang each of you upside down from the streetlights in Times Square. I'll set up a coin-op slot and let everyone take a turn at the punching bags. Of course, I should probably check how much punishment you can take as punching bags first."
Peter narrowed his eyes, scanning back and forth across the four of them. "So, which one of you wants to be the first bag?"