outcome of that war, the so-called real world becomes the if world, while the if world then becomes the real one.”
“That’s double-talk, you time creep,” piped up Hawkeye. “You’re just juggling paradoxes around and coming up zero. How can something that is already real suddenly change and become unreal?”
“By the great chrono-conversion equation,” returned Karzz imperturbably, “which will be formulated—let’s see —in your earth year of 1975. It is similar to Einstein’s famous equation of converting matter into energy, and vice versa. And just as matter and energy are interchangeable, so are the ‘real’ and the ‘parallel’ worlds.”
Cap digested that staggering thought. “You mean that if you succeeded in destroying earth and wiping out the human race, here in the twentieth century, all the future events in which they took part will simply disappear out of history, as you knew it in the seventieth century?”
“Why not?” said Karzz blandly. “The parallel universe, in which earth is destroyed before its prime, then becomes the real universe.”
Shrugging, he went on impatiently, “But tempus fugit. Whether you understand or care to believe is no concern of mine. The truth is that by wiping out earth today I will insure myself becoming the emperor of the Milky Way galaxy in the seventieth century.”
“Easier said than done, though,” retorted Cap. “A giant comet smashing into earth might wreck most of civilization and annihilate many millions of the human race, but there will be survivors to carry on—and to become strong again in the seventieth century.”
“The giant comet,” Karzz informed them in ominous tones, “is only the first of four world-doom catastrophes which I shall cause on earth. All four super disasters combined will make sure that not one human being remains alive on your world. Verstehen?”
“Four dooms!” gasped the Wasp. “You heartless beast! Willing to kill—to murder —three billion people! I should sting you until you cry for mercy!”
Karzz winced and stepped back a pace, but Cap said, “Forget it, Wasp. That wouldn’t stop him. The question is”—he turned to Karzz—“what are the other three dooms you plan?”
Karzz grinned maliciously, cunningly. “I would indeed be an idiot to tip my hand. And besides, it will be more agonizing for you Avengers to face unknown holocausts. However, I’ll tell you this much. The other three worldwrecking forces I’ve planned will involve fire, water, and air. Guess the rest if you can. Now I will leave Mount Everest and waft myself elsewhere on earth, to launch doom number two. Adios, amigos.”
He pressed a stud on his belt and a plastic bubble materialized out of thin air and surrounded him. Lightly as a soap bubble, it then rose in the air and gathered speed.
“Follow him, Wasp,” whispered Cap. “Let us know where he goes next and what deviltry he cooks up.”
“Right, Cap,” piped Wasp, buzzing away after the receding plastic vehicle and the leering alien.
“Well, we’ve got our work cut out for us, Avengers,” said Cap, looking at his three male companions grimly.
“We save worlds every morning before breakfast,” said Hawkeye flippantly, to hide the gnawing horror within him.
“But this is even greater,” added Goliath thoughtfully. “Not only saving the world today but also saving the whole galaxy and twenty thousand other worlds in the future.”
They stared solemnly at each other, and even Hawkeye couldn’t think of a wisecrack for that.
Following the plastic bubble, the Wasp expected a long journey ahead but, surprisingly, Karzz turned downward and landed in a valley. Stepping out, he unhooked a small microphone from his belt and spoke into it.
“Calling the future,” he said casually, as if putting through a phone call. But the Wasp, overhearing, realized he was not merely calling someone thousands of miles away but thousands of years away.
“Attention, my
“That’s double-talk, you time creep,” piped up Hawkeye. “You’re just juggling paradoxes around and coming up zero. How can something that is already real suddenly change and become unreal?”
“By the great chrono-conversion equation,” returned Karzz imperturbably, “which will be formulated—let’s see —in your earth year of 1975. It is similar to Einstein’s famous equation of converting matter into energy, and vice versa. And just as matter and energy are interchangeable, so are the ‘real’ and the ‘parallel’ worlds.”
Cap digested that staggering thought. “You mean that if you succeeded in destroying earth and wiping out the human race, here in the twentieth century, all the future events in which they took part will simply disappear out of history, as you knew it in the seventieth century?”
“Why not?” said Karzz blandly. “The parallel universe, in which earth is destroyed before its prime, then becomes the real universe.”
Shrugging, he went on impatiently, “But tempus fugit. Whether you understand or care to believe is no concern of mine. The truth is that by wiping out earth today I will insure myself becoming the emperor of the Milky Way galaxy in the seventieth century.”
“Easier said than done, though,” retorted Cap. “A giant comet smashing into earth might wreck most of civilization and annihilate many millions of the human race, but there will be survivors to carry on—and to become strong again in the seventieth century.”
“The giant comet,” Karzz informed them in ominous tones, “is only the first of four world-doom catastrophes which I shall cause on earth. All four super disasters combined will make sure that not one human being remains alive on your world. Verstehen?”
“Four dooms!” gasped the Wasp. “You heartless beast! Willing to kill—to murder —three billion people! I should sting you until you cry for mercy!”
Karzz winced and stepped back a pace, but Cap said, “Forget it, Wasp. That wouldn’t stop him. The question is”—he turned to Karzz—“what are the other three dooms you plan?”
Karzz grinned maliciously, cunningly. “I would indeed be an idiot to tip my hand. And besides, it will be more agonizing for you Avengers to face unknown holocausts. However, I’ll tell you this much. The other three worldwrecking forces I’ve planned will involve fire, water, and air. Guess the rest if you can. Now I will leave Mount Everest and waft myself elsewhere on earth, to launch doom number two. Adios, amigos.”
He pressed a stud on his belt and a plastic bubble materialized out of thin air and surrounded him. Lightly as a soap bubble, it then rose in the air and gathered speed.
“Follow him, Wasp,” whispered Cap. “Let us know where he goes next and what deviltry he cooks up.”
“Right, Cap,” piped Wasp, buzzing away after the receding plastic vehicle and the leering alien.
“Well, we’ve got our work cut out for us, Avengers,” said Cap, looking at his three male companions grimly.
“We save worlds every morning before breakfast,” said Hawkeye flippantly, to hide the gnawing horror within him.
“But this is even greater,” added Goliath thoughtfully. “Not only saving the world today but also saving the whole galaxy and twenty thousand other worlds in the future.”
They stared solemnly at each other, and even Hawkeye couldn’t think of a wisecrack for that.
Following the plastic bubble, the Wasp expected a long journey ahead but, surprisingly, Karzz turned downward and landed in a valley. Stepping out, he unhooked a small microphone from his belt and spoke into it.
“Calling the future,” he said casually, as if putting through a phone call. But the Wasp, overhearing, realized he was not merely calling someone thousands of miles away but thousands of years away.
“Attention, my
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