Marvel Team-Up (vol. 3) #18
League of Losers Part Four
Having travelled to the distant future to prevent Chronok from stealing a time machine and using it to kill every hero in their era, the so-called Legion of Losers discover have arrived at the moment they have all been waiting for,[1] Chronok has broken into Reed Richard’s lab to steal the Chronometer. When Speedball tells thier foe that they are the Avengers, Darkhawk corrects him, saying they aren’t the Avengers. Darkhawk tells his teammates to make this count as they only get one shot at this. He is joined by Dagger, as well as Terror who utilizes the carapice he obtained when he attached Araña’s arm to his body. Also joining the fight are the Legion of Loser’s allies in this era, Mutant 2099 and Reed Richards — whose brain is housed in a robot body patterened after the Thing.
The heroes have Chronok and his men pinned, but Darkhawk decides to take on the enemy leader himself when Chronok knocks out Dagger. When Chronok demands to know how these heroes know his plans, Darkhawk explains that they have come from the past to stop him. As the battle rages on, Mutant 2099 is sent back into Reed’s lab where he recovers a massive cannon. Reed then takes it from the youth and uses it to decimate Chronok’s army. However, while the heroes are celebrating their victory, Chronok manages to recover the Chronometer. Claiming victory, he activates the device, but before he is completely sent back in time, Darkhawk fires his grappling hook at the device, shattering it. This causes the time portal to abruptly close, cutting Chronok in half, killing him instantly. To the disgust of his teammates, Terror asks them to put Chronok’s remains on ice as there is no use letting good body parts go to waste.
With the battle over, Reed suggests they start cleaning up and hope that the Sentinels didn’t become aware of this battle. When the Legion of Loserse begin to celebrate, Speedball tells the others that he can’t wait until they get back home. That’s when Reed has some unfortuante news for them: By stopping Chronok in this era they has complicated things. Theoretically, all they did was create a divergent reality where Chronok doesn’t go into the past. He can’t send them to that reality, since they all already exist there. He also fears that any any attempt to send them back could land them back to the reality where Chronok already won, making their victory utterly pointless.
Later, each of the member of the Legion tries to come to terms with their current fate. For Dagger, she realizes that she won’t see Cloak alive ever again, telling this to Darkhawk, he actually looks forward to living in the future since this era needs more heroes in it. The two then admit to having developed mutual feelings for one another. After they kiss, Dagger admits that Chris did very well as a hero that day, and he tells her that she really helped to take charge herself. Sleepwalker on the other hand now has to face a future forever severed from his human host Rick Sheridan and being unable to return to the mindscape. Terror says it could be worse, admitting that he is a walking contradiction, when Sleepwalker points out that he condemns his own existence one moment and revels in it the next. Terror then points to something that he actually finds really disgusting to him. The witness as Gravity and X-23 laughing together. The pair — also a couple — find that they are going to enjoy it in the future. Watching their new guests, Reed and Chad realize that they’re here forever. Channing points out that Reed always wanted to expand their numbers. When Chris joins them, Reed tells him that he and his fellow time displaced heros are welcome to stay with him indefinately. That’s when everyone notices that Speedball hasn’t been seen in over two hours, prompting Powell to go look for him.
Chris finds Speedball on the roof of Reed’s hideout and there Robert admits that he is disappointed that they won’t be able to go back home. Chris understands, but points out that their friends and family, every hero back home, will now live after the sacrifice they made. Speedball understands this, but he doesn’t like the fact that instead of recognition they are trapped in a future where Sentinels control the world. However, Chris points out that saving the world and not getting thanked for it exactly what makes them heroes.
Recurring Characters
League of Losers (Darkhawk, Speedball, Gravity, X-23, Dagger, Sleepwalker, Mutant 2099, Terror, Inc.), Reed Richards, Chronok
Continuity Notes
There are a lot of alternate realities at play here. The Chronok who went back in time to kill everyone is identified as Earth-6205 and the past that he decimated is Earth-6125 per Marvel Legacy: The 1990s Handbook #1. while the era that the Legion currenly exsts in is Earth-2992 per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Realities 2005.
