Marvel : I am Thor Chapter 266 - 270

Chapter 266: Ace Card

"I can fight all day too," Corvus Glaive growled through gritted teeth, frustration creeping into his voice.

The plan had gone sideways. His unit, meant to be a swift and devastating strike force, was bogged down in an endless fight. The opponent he was locked in combat with—Steve Rogers—wasn’t the most powerful, but he was annoyingly unyielding. Worse, time was slipping away, and the tide of battle wasn’t turning in their favor.

Glaive stole a glance at the battlefield, his keen eyes analyzing the chaos. Things were grim.

The Gigantic Apes were formidable, their size and brute strength giving them a clear advantage over most mortals. Each step they took sent shockwaves through the ground, and their massive fists crushed everything in their path. Yet, even their terrifying power wasn’t enough to tip the scales.

What can you do with giants? Corvus thought bitterly.

The answer came immediately—You fight them with something even bigger.

Nearby, Ant-Man grinned as he activated his suit. "Big! Big! Big!" he yelled, growing rapidly.

Even for those who had seen it before, the transformation was nothing short of astonishing. Scott Lang’s normal-sized frame expanded in seconds, his body stretching upward until he stood tens of meters tall. The massive Gigantic Apes suddenly looked like toys at his feet.

"Whooooooo!" Scott’s gleeful laugh boomed across the battlefield. Raising one enormous foot, he looked down at the nearest ape.

"Peter, now!" he shouted.

Spider-Man, perched on a streetlight, flicked his wrists. His webbing shot out, latching onto the ape’s leg. With a powerful tug, Peter yanked the creature off balance, sending it crashing to the ground.

The ape flailed, but before it could regain its footing, Ant-Man’s massive foot descended.

"CRUNCH!"

Scott twisted his foot for good measure, the sound of bones shattering beneath his weight unmistakable. The once-mighty ape was reduced to a crumpled heap.

"Science wins again!" Scott declared triumphantly, his voice tinged with humor.

The battle was relentless. Wanda Maximoff extended her hands, crimson energy swirling around her fingers. Her powers enveloped another Gigantic Ape, lifting it into the air as it roared in fury. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the beast hurtling into a group of Chitauri soldiers, crushing them under its weight.

Corvus Glaive’s eye twitched as he watched the scene unfold. What is this planet? How does it have so many monsters?

On the northern front, the combined forces of Asgard and Wakanda fought valiantly against the unending wave of Thanos’ Vanguard and Chitauri soldiers.

The Asgardians, with their godlike strength, and the technologically advanced Wakandan warriors, wielding vibranium-enhanced weaponry, were undeniably superior in skill and power. But their numbers were limited. Neither Asgard nor Wakanda had a population large enough to sustain prolonged combat. Every soldier lost was a blow to their already fragile forces.

In contrast, Thanos had no such concerns. To him, the Vanguard and Chitauri were expendable. Their value lay in overwhelming the enemy through sheer numbers, and if they fell, they were nothing more than tools discarded in pursuit of his ultimate goal.

High above, Tony Stark and James Rhodes unleashed a torrent of firepower from their Iron Man suits, while the Black Dragon continued to rain destruction upon the enemy with its relentless dragon’s breath. Yet even their combined efforts couldn’t stem the endless tide of Thanos’ forces.

"Dammit!" Tony cursed, his voice crackling through the comms. "Does Thanos have an endless supply of these guys? We’re running out of ammo!"

He switched channels, calling out, "Thor, whatever cards you’re holding, play them now, or we’re all getting buried here!"

Chapter 267: Unexpected Reinforcements

Thor stood at the edge, surveying the chaos below. His expression remained calm, his grip on Stormbreaker firm. The tide of battle was grim, but he wasn’t worried.

Massive armies clashed across the battlefield, and while the Avengers and their allies fought valiantly, the sheer numbers of Thanos’ forces made the situation precarious. Thor could easily turn the tide with his devastating power, but he remained rooted in place. He understood the stakes.

If I leave this sanctum for even a moment, Thanos will strike.

Thanos’ absence was a glaring red flag. The Mad Titan wasn’t one to avoid battle, and his conspicuous lack of presence was an unmistakable trap. If Thor left the Holy Place, Thanos would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to breach its defenses. The threat of Baron Mordo aiding Thanos further complicated the situation, as he could use his magic to grant Thanos access.

Thor smiled, breaking his train of thought. "Don’t worry," he said confidently. "Reinforcements are on their way."

"Reinforcements?"

Tony Stark’s voice crackled through the comms. "Who else could possibly be left to join the fight? Wakanda, Kamar-Taj, and Asgard have already thrown everything they’ve got at this."

Thor chuckled. "It’s not what you think. These reinforcements are local."

"Local? Like Earth locals? Are you serious?"

Cutting the comm, Thor activated his own communicator. "Scott," he called. "We need you on the northern line. Bring what you’ve got."

"On it!" Ant-Man’s cheerful response came through immediately.

Moments later, on the northern battlefield, Scott Lang, now back to his normal size, stepped through a glowing portal created by Kamar-Taj sorcerers. He raised a hand in greeting, his grin as wide as ever.

"Hey, everyone! Reinforcements are coming! I brought them!"

The sound of rumbling interrupted him. The ground beneath their feet trembled, a deep vibration that grew louder with each passing second. Tony turned toward the source, his HUD zooming in on a dark, shifting mass in the distance.

"What the—?" Tony muttered. "When did New York hide this many people?"

"Boss," Friday’s voice chimed in, "those aren’t people."

Tony’s eyes narrowed as he zoomed in further. What he saw left him speechless.

At the northern line, an Asgardian soldier pulled his spear from the body of a Vanguard soldier. Before he could react, another Vanguard pounced, its jaws snapping inches from his throat.

"Ah—!" the soldier cried, bracing himself for the end.

But death didn’t come. A shadow passed overhead, and the Vanguard’s body was yanked violently to the ground, locked in a death struggle with… an ant?

A giant ant.

The soldier blinked in disbelief, watching the one-meter-long insect tear into the Vanguard. Around him, similar scenes unfolded as swarms of enormous ants surged onto the battlefield, overwhelming the enemy with sheer numbers and ferocity.

"Thor," Tony called through the comms, his voice laden with incredulity. "What are these things? Some kind of Asgardian species?"

"No," Thor replied casually. "They’re just ordinary black ants."

"Ordinary?" Tony barked, pointing his helmet cam at the chaos below. "Does that look ordinary to you?"

Thor chuckled. "Pym particles. Dr. Hank Pym discovered how to enlarge not just himself but other objects, too. These ants? They’ve been scaled up to fight alongside us. If only he could do the same with mosquitoes… imagine buffalo-sized mosquitoes on the battlefield."

"That’s… disturbing," Tony muttered, his head spinning. Suddenly, his high-tech Iron Legion didn’t seem so impressive anymore.

Pym’s ants were more than just large. Their strength and mass had scaled with their size, creating formidable creatures capable of lifting and crushing far more than their normal counterparts. Combined with their natural exoskeletons, which now served as thick armor, they were nearly impervious to conventional attacks.

The Vanguard, despite their ferocity, were no match. The ants swarmed them with terrifying efficiency, their mandibles cutting through armor and flesh alike.

On Sanctuary II, Thanos watched the battlefield through a series of monitors. His expression was calm, but his fists clenched as he took in the scene. His Vanguard, Chitauri, and even the Gigantic Apes were being overrun by these unexpected reinforcements.

"Boom!"

The screen in front of him exploded as he slammed his fist down. The sharp pain in his shoulder reminded him of his injury, still bandaged and far from healed.

Despite the setback, a small smile crept across his face. "It’s time," he muttered.

Thanos had been waiting for this moment. His plan wasn’t reliant on brute force alone—it was a game of strategy. The reinforcements might have turned the tide temporarily, but the real battle was just beginning.

Thor remained calm as he watched the ants wreak havoc on Thanos’ forces. His grip on Stormbreaker tightened. He knew better than to assume victory.

"Thanos will come," he muttered to himself. "And when he does, I’ll be ready."

The defenders, bolstered by their new allies, pressed their advantage. Yet, even as the battle seemed to shift in their favor, the tension in the air remained. Thanos was out there, waiting, watching, and ready to play his final card.

Chapter 268: Thanos Enters

A deafening explosion rocked Sanctuary II, sending tremors through its hull.

Thanos steadied himself, his expression darkening. "Report. What just happened?"

An officer hurried forward, his face pale. "My lord, a large number of hostile spacecraft have launched a coordinated attack! Our frigates are being overwhelmed!"

Thanos’ eyes narrowed. "Who dares? How many are there?"

The officer gulped. "Too many, my lord. They’re coming in waves. The largest contingents are Asgardian battleships, Xandar’s Nova Corps, and the Ravagers."

Thanos’ fist slammed into the console, shattering it. "A motley band of opportunists! Cowards, the lot of them!"

Most of these groups wouldn’t have dared to confront him directly under normal circumstances. But now, with his forces spread thin and Sanctuary II still under repair, they had chosen to strike while he was vulnerable. Their coordinated assault was cutting deep, turning his once-dominant base of operations into a toothless tiger.

"You don’t have time for this," came the smooth, calculating voice of Mordo from the shadows. "Your forces will never recover their former glory after today, win or lose. This is your final chance. Summon my master, and victory is yours."

Thanos clenched his fists, his rage dissipating into cold calculation. Mordo’s words carried weight, but Thanos hated relying on others. Still, desperate times called for desperate measures.

Northern Manhattan Battlefield

The tide of battle had turned dramatically with the arrival of Ant-Man’s enlarged ant army. The Vanguard and Chitauri forces, once overwhelming, were now being torn apart by the sheer strength and numbers of the colossal insects.

Thor observed the battlefield from the Holy Place, his expression calm but watchful. He had foreseen this development. The ant army wasn’t just a stroke of luck; it was part of a plan months in the making. Using Wilson Fisk’s vast resources, Thor had secretly funded Dr. Pym to create an unprecedented stockpile of Pym particles. The investment was paying off spectacularly.

Despite the favorable situation, Thor’s grip on Stormbreaker tightened. The enemy’s losses were mounting, but Thanos was nowhere to be seen. Thor knew the Mad Titan wouldn’t accept defeat so easily.

On the battlefield, Ant-Man, standing amidst the chaos, was enjoying an unlikely moment of pride. Commanding an army of ants felt surreal—he had never imagined himself in such a position.

Behind him, a glowing golden portal quietly materialized. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable amidst the chaos, and most nearby fighters paid it no mind, assuming it was another Kamar-Taj sorcerer summoning reinforcements.

But Tony Stark noticed the discrepancy. His HUD zoomed in, analyzing the portal’s energy signature. His stomach dropped. "Scott, watch out!" he shouted. "That’s not one of ours!"

Before anyone could react, a massive golden glove emerged from the portal, gripping Ant-Man’s back. Thanos stepped through, his presence an imposing storm on the battlefield. His left hand wielded the Overlord Skyblade, its edge gleaming ominously.

The Mind Stone on his gauntlet glowed, and Scott’s eyes glazed over as his will crumbled. Controlled in an instant, Ant-Man’s swarm of ants ceased their attack, moving aimlessly for a moment before redirecting their attention toward the Avengers.

"No," Tony muttered, his heart sinking as he watched the tide of battle shift.

Above, another portal opened, and Mantis dropped through, landing gracefully on Scott’s head. Her gentle hands pressed against his temples.

"Sleep," she whispered.

Ant-Man collapsed, unconscious, his giant form crashing to the ground. Tony wasted no time, rushing forward to drag Scott to safety. The ant army dissolved into chaos, scattering without their leader’s command.

Thanos grinned, his movements calculated and deliberate. He hurled the Overlord Skyblade into the fray, the spinning blade carving a path of destruction. Wherever it landed, limbs were severed, and lives were lost.

Hulk roared, raising his massive hammer to intercept the blade. He swung with all his might, the impact reverberating through the battlefield. But the Overlord Skyblade’s force was too great. Hulk’s hammer was ripped from his hands, and the blade struck him across the chest before boomeranging back to Thanos. The green behemoth staggered, green blood spilling as he fell back, wounded and dazed.

Black Panther saw an opening and charged, his vibranium claws gleaming as he aimed for Thanos’ throat. But the Mad Titan was faster than expected, his bulk moving with deceptive agility. Thanos caught T’Challa mid-leap, slamming a gauntleted hand into his chest. The Wakandan king was sent flying, landing unconscious several meters away.

Thor watched the carnage from above, his expression dark. Thanos was proving once again why he was considered one of the universe’s most dangerous beings. Despite his injuries and the setbacks his forces had suffered, the Mad Titan was still a force to be reckoned with.

Chapter 269: The Death of Ebony Maw

A thunderbolt several meters thick tore through the heavens, striking Thanos with devastating force and knocking him back. The sky darkened as a massive storm brewed, and Thor's battle axe, Stormbreaker, crackled with raw energy in his grasp. With the might of a god, he charged forward, aiming to strike Thanos with an attack that could obliterate everything in its path.

Thanos, still reeling from the lightning strike, rolled to the side just in time to evade the fatal blow. The battle axe slammed into the ground, unleashing a surge of thunderous energy that spread across the battlefield. Lightning bolts arced out in every direction, reducing hordes of Chitauri and Outriders to ash. Even the Vanguard troops, renowned for their tenacity, fell like leaves in a storm.

Thor’s strike did more than devastate the enemy—it provided much-needed relief to the Allied forces. With the sudden destruction of their foes, the Avengers and their allies were given a moment to regroup and push forward.

This was the power to annihilate an entire army in a single blow.

Thanos had no time to concern himself with his decimated troops. His focus narrowed to the god of thunder before him. Clutching the massive Overlord Skyblade in his hand, his gaze met Thor's, and an unspoken understanding passed between them.

Thor, too, was bracing himself. This confrontation was no ambush or act of cunning but a true test of strength—a clash of titans. There was a sense of inevitability in the air, as if destiny itself had orchestrated this moment.

The soldiers on both sides instinctively retreated, creating a vast clearing in the midst of the chaos. Though the battle raged on, countless eyes turned toward the duel unfolding—a fight between the strongest warriors of their respective sides.

Thanos made the first move, hurling the Overlord Skyblade with a force that seemed to tear the air apart. Thor countered with a sliding maneuver, evading the attack before launching himself skyward, Stormbreaker poised to strike. Their weapons clashed with an earth-shaking impact.

Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, the remaining Chitauri soldiers were falling rapidly. Some succumbed to Jean Grey’s telekinetic onslaught, while others accidentally struck their own comrades in desperate attempts to retaliate. Jean showed no mercy, her precision and control leaving no room for the invaders to regroup.

Ebony Maw, who had once reveled in his intellect and control, now stood on the brink of madness. Helplessly, he watched as his carefully assembled forces crumbled before his eyes. This was Thanos' most important campaign, and he was powerless to stop it.

Despair turned to desperation, but even that offered no reprieve. Maw was no match for Jean Grey. The moment his psychokinetic abilities faltered against her superior power, his fate was sealed.

A shard of iron, lifted effortlessly by Jean’s telekinetic grasp, floated ominously before slashing across Ebony Maw’s throat. He gasped, staggering as life slipped away.

With that, another of Thanos’ Black Order had fallen.

The once-feared enforcers of the Mad Titan were now reduced to Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight—though the latter was conspicuously absent from the fray.

In the southern battlefield of Manhattan, the absence of Ant-Man’s colossal form left a noticeable void. Without him wreaking havoc on the giant Outriders like a one-man wrecking crew, Thanos' forces found a momentary reprieve. However, the majority of their ape-like troops had already been decimated, leaving the survivors scattered and disoriented.

Despite the lull, the Avengers pressed their advantage, keeping Thanos’ forces pinned near the coastline.

Corvus Glaive, recognizing the dire situation, decided it was time to unleash their most fearsome weapon.

The waves surged violently as massive mechanical beasts emerged from the sea—the gear chariots of the Thanos Legion. These rotating monstrosities tore through the battlefield, leaving destruction in their wake. The Avengers concentrated their firepower on one of the machines, attempting to redirect its path, but their efforts proved futile.

The ground split apart, buildings crumbled to dust, and chaos reigned wherever the chariots passed.

In the nick of time, Wanda Maximoff intervened. Red energy flared around her as she extended her hands, exerting her full power. One of the chariots suddenly halted mid-charge, suspended in the air as if caught in an invisible grip.

Corvus Glaive’s eyes widened in disbelief. Wanda, undeterred, directed the massive machine back toward its source. With a wave of her hand, the gear chariot reversed course, hurtling toward the Thanos forces like a giant blade through grass. Corvus Glaive narrowly dodged the incoming destruction, but many of his troops were not so fortunate. The machine plowed through them, carving a bloody path and leaving devastation in its wake.

The tide had turned, and the Thanos Legion suffered yet another devastating blow.

At that moment, the skies erupted with thunder. The battlefield was bathed in blinding flashes of lightning as Stormbreaker’s power surged to its peak.

Corvus Glaive stiffened, his expression darkening as he grabbed his communicator. In a low, urgent tone, he muttered into it:

"He's out."

Chapter 270: Stealing the House for a While

Luring the tiger away from the mountain—that had been Thanos’ plan all along.

Of the remaining members of the Black Order, Corvus Glaive was struggling to hold his ground on the southern coastline. Ebony Maw had already fallen, and Proxima Midnight had yet to appear on the battlefield. She was biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment—a moment when Thor would leave the Sanctum unguarded.

This phase of the plan was the most critical. It required nothing less than Thanos himself to execute.

But convincing Thor to abandon his position was no simple feat. After all, Thor had learned his lesson. He had already seen Asgard stolen from under his nose and witnessed the Sanctuary II plundered. There was no way he would leave the Sanctum’s crystal unguarded again.

Yet, faced with mounting defeats on the battlefield and chaos threatening from all directions, Thor had no choice but to step forward.

Thanos understood one thing: Thor’s relentless hatred for him was unmatched. Even before the Mad Titan had attacked Asgard, Thor had harbored a burning desire to see him fall. That hatred was the only bait strong enough to pull the god of thunder away from his post.

With Thor distracted, the task of infiltrating the Sanctum and dismantling its defenses fell to Proxima Midnight.

For Thanos, his presence on the battlefield was a game-changer. If Thor refused to engage, the tide of the battle could shift irrevocably in Thanos’ favor.

“You’re moving slower than I expected,” Thor taunted, his voice laced with mockery. “You’re not the Destroyer you once were, Thanos. Maybe it’s time for you to retire.”

Thanos narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

The Mad Titan remained silent, but his tightened grip on the Overlord Skyblade betrayed his irritation.

“Why hide? If you’re a man, come and fight me!” Thor bellowed, his voice echoing across the battlefield.

Thor was relishing this moment. In all his countless battles, he had never felt as satisfied as he did now. For the first time, he was dominating Thanos in a head-to-head confrontation. Though Thanos was stronger and more skilled in combat, Thor was no mere warrior. He was a master of both magic and might, and his control over lightning allowed him to harass Thanos relentlessly.

Moreover, Thor’s enhanced durability allowed him to trade injuries with Thanos without hesitation. And Thanos’ left arm, still weakened from previous battles, proved to be a significant liability. While the injury might not hinder him in ordinary circumstances, in a life-or-death duel, it was a fatal flaw.

From the outset, it was clear Thanos stood no chance.

Their weapons clashed with a deafening boom. Sparks flew as Stormbreaker and the Overlord Skyblade met in a flurry of strikes and counterstrikes.

Thanos, seeking an opening, delivered a powerful slash to Thor’s battle axe. Before Thor could react, Thanos unleashed a rapid sequence of strikes—an old combat technique, honed over countless battles.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Thor gritted his teeth as the successive impacts sent tremors through his arms. Stormbreaker wavered in his grasp, allowing Thanos’ blade to dart toward his neck. At the last moment, Thor twisted his body, avoiding a fatal blow by mere inches.

Thanos moved to retrieve his weapon, but Thor seized the blade with his bare hand, ignoring the sharp pain as it bit into his palm. The sword was too powerful to hold for long, but the maneuver forced Thanos to hesitate for a crucial moment. In that instant, Thor swung Stormbreaker in a deadly arc.

Crack!

The axe brushed Thanos’ waist, sending a jolt of electricity through his body. The Mad Titan stumbled back, clutching his side as blood seeped through his fingers.

Thor raised his injured hand, smirking despite the blood dripping from his palm. “That’s it? All that effort just to draw a drop of blood?”

Thanos’ expression darkened, a mixture of pain and fury etched across his face.

Nearby, Tony Stark, who had been keeping a close eye on the duel, grinned beneath his helmet and gave a discreet thumbs-up. “Nice work, Thor,” he muttered.

Thanos knew the truth of an old saying: It’s better to break one finger than to bruise ten. Yet, against Thor’s overwhelming physical strength and resilience, even breaking a single finger was an impossible task. Every strike he landed barely left a scratch, while Thor’s attacks were devastating, each one capable of delivering a killing blow.

Thanos had managed to graze Thor several times, his blade leaving shallow marks on the Asgardian’s skin. But for a warrior like Thor, these injuries were inconsequential. The hope of wearing him down through attrition was nothing more than a dream.

Meanwhile, the wound on Thanos’ waist continued to bleed, sapping his strength with every passing moment. And Thor, ever the provocateur, refused to let up on his taunts.

The sky brightened suddenly as flames erupted across the battlefield. A series of explosions rippled through the air, accompanied by the sound of metal rending and shattering. The Sindon, one of Thanos’ largest battleships, was engulfed in flames. With no way to retaliate, the massive vessel had been reduced to little more than a hollow shell. Now, it was utterly destroyed under the Avengers’ relentless assault.

Thanos’ gaze flicked toward the burning wreckage, his eyes betraying a flicker of nostalgia. But when he turned back to Thor, his expression hardened into a cruel smile.

“Do you really think you’ve won?” he asked, his voice dripping with menace.

Thor didn’t reply, but his grip on Stormbreaker tightened.

Thanos’ smile widened. “After all this time, did you really think I wasn’t prepared? Some things... should be just about finished.”

His words sent a chill through the battlefield. He glanced in the direction of the Sanctum.

The expressions of Tony and the other Avengers shifted instantly, their faces filled with dread.