For the Avengers, the nightmares seemed to last only a fleeting moment, as if they had been caught in a brief trance. On the chaotic battlefield, there was no time to question what had happened. The battle raged on, unrelenting.
The duel between Hulk and Thanos, however, had changed. With Wanda's interference suddenly absent, it was now a one-on-one fight.
Unaware of what had transpired, Hulk felt a surge of confidence. His earlier success, with Wanda subtly aiding him, made him believe he could reduce Thanos to a battered purple husk. He lunged forward, his massive fists swinging with raw power.
If it had been the fruit farmer Thanos of the past, Hulk's confidence might have been justified. But this Emperor Thanos was a different beast entirely, his strength magnified many times over.
Hulk's punch was intercepted mid-swing, Thanos' massive hand clamping around his fist like an unbreakable vice.
"Huh?!" Hulk's confusion turned to disbelief as his other fist, swinging in from the side, was caught just as easily.
Under Hulk's incredulous gaze, Thanos slowly pushed his arms apart, the green titan's strength seemingly irrelevant.
"BOOM!"
A left uppercut from Thanos rocked Hulk's jaw, sending him spinning in a full 360-degree arc. Before Hulk could recover, Thanos delivered a devastating right hook, turning the raging behemoth into a helpless punching bag.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
Blow after blow rained down on Hulk. The once-proud titan of rage was now at Thanos' mercy, his confidence shattered as the purple juggernaut pummeled him into submission.
Meanwhile, in the Dark Dimension, the battle had reached a breaking point.
The collar restraining Jean Grey's powers shattered as the Phoenix Force surged forth, unrestrained for the first time. The release was cataclysmic.
Jean screamed as flames erupted from her body, illuminating the Dark Dimension with blinding brilliance. A realm that had existed in unbroken darkness for eons now resembled the surface of a blazing star.
"BOOM!"
The energy's shockwave obliterated countless celestial bodies, their remains scattering across the void. Dormammu, positioned at the epicenter of the blast, bore the brunt of the eruption.
"What is this power?!" Dormammu's voice trembled with uncharacteristic fear. "This… this is not a force of this universe! Who are you?! Stop it! STOP IT!"
For the first time in his existence, Dormammu felt true terror. The energy radiating from Jean was ancient and primordial, a force born at the dawn of creation itself. It was chaos and eternity, destruction and renewal, all at once.
Fortunately for Dormammu, the Phoenix Force was still immature. While it was powerful enough to wound him, it had not yet reached the level needed to annihilate him outright.
"You cannot succeed!" Dormammu roared defiantly. "Your power is vast, but it is not enough to destroy me! You can only cause me pain!"
Jean said nothing, her expression blank, her power unrelenting.
Thor, standing beside her, answered instead. "Perhaps not now," he said coldly. "But that will change."
Thor reached into his armor and withdrew both the Tesseract and the Aether, their combined energies glowing with unimaginable intensity.
Dormammu's massive eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you doing?"
Thor didn't answer. The Tesseract and Aether released twin beams of energy, converging to tear open the fabric of the Dark Dimension. A crack appeared in the void, small at first but widening as energy poured through.
The rift faltered briefly, its edges wavering, but then a blazing light erupted from within. Flames spilled forth, their intensity matching the fiery power of the Phoenix Force.
The flames surged toward Jean, drawn to her like a moth to a flame. They engulfed her, merging with the Phoenix Force already within her body.
Jean screamed, her voice raw and unrestrained. Her hair erupted into wild flames, her skin glowing with golden cracks that pulsed with unstable energy. She was no longer in control; the power of the Phoenix Force overwhelmed her, pushing her body and mind to the brink.
Thor's expression darkened as he watched. He had known this would happen. The influx of energy was excruciating for Jean, and once released, the force could not be contained. Yet there was no other choice.
The energy surge lasted for a full minute, during which neither Thor nor Dormammu could move. The Dark Dimension itself seemed to hold its breath.
"BOOM!"
The flames receded suddenly, coalescing around Jean. They formed the shape of a majestic golden phoenix, its wings spread wide as it hovered protectively around her.
Jean floated motionless within the flames, her appearance transformed. She was no longer merely Jean Grey—she was Dark Phoenix, her power fully realized.
The crack in space closed abruptly, sealing the Dark Dimension once more.
In another universe, far from the Dark Dimension, an ominous voice echoed across a barren void.
"It's gone," the voice hissed. "The energy appeared here, but it has vanished. Who dares steal what is rightfully mine?"
The voice paused, seething with frustration. "We must find the one who absorbed it. That power belongs to me!"
But even as the voice raged, its search would be in vain. The Phoenix Force had crossed into another universe, pulled irrevocably toward Jean Grey. Unless fate conspired to draw them together again, this force would remain beyond reach.