Day 63
Following our victory against Maestro the party has been partaking in small quests and odd jobs. Partly to recover from our grueling ordeal and partly to build up our now depleted resources. We must become more powerful if we are to defeat The Collector, a truth that even Namor and Doom have been forced to acknowledge. The source of their newfound humility came to them today in the form of six women.
It seems that word of our victory had spread, and an international alliance of women decided to seek us out to challenge themselves against our power. This League of Ladies consisted of six women: X-23, Medusa, Wasp, Emma Frost, Rogue, and Claire Voyant. The challenge was simple my five companions against their six. Namor defeated X-23 with ease, her savage ferocity leaving herself open to counter attacks that he exploited again and again. But when it came time to face Medusa the team was overwhelmed, and only Doom remained when she was finally brought low. A drained Doom then went into battle against Wasp, who’s sting made quick work of him.
The women left laughing and pouting that we did not offer them better sport. Doom and Namor raged into the night, blaming everyone but themselves for their humiliation. After they had tired themselves out, a steely resolve seems to have set in amongst them both. They are ready to do the hard work to power themselves up. I hope that resolve holds. For there is much work to be done if we are to claim victory over The Collector.
Day 67
It’s been four days since our team’s humiliating defeat at the hands of the International Women’s Alliance. For the most part the physical wounds have healed, but the psychological ones remain. I’ve been leading us on easy jobs, looking to renew out stockpiles while building the team’s confidence back up. The strategy is working for now, but soon we will need to press into more dangerous territory.
Day 68
Today was a day of change. Archangel and Psylocke have left us. They made a mutual decision to take a break from the superhero life to work on their relationship. Which apparently was under a great amount of strain, what with the never getting any alone time. Also, Psylocke confided in me that Namor get getting handsy with her, and she was getting tired of threatening his life. I can’t fault them for focusing on their own emotional health, but I will miss them. They did not leave me high and dry, however. Before they left, they called in their X-men teammates Colossus and X-23 to replace them. They bring different skill sets to the table, but I think these two will prove useful moving forward. Provided I can keep Doom and Namor from driving them away.
Day 70
Never before have I witnessed such a titanic battle of wills. Early this morning, shortly after we broke camp, we were set upon by a creature calling itself King Groot. While our previous encounter with a Groot led me to believe the species to be docile even infantile. Not this King Groot. Without provocation he attacked, his wooden limbs twisting themselves into all manner of shapes. It was Colossus who stepped in to challenge the floral behemoth. The two traded blows for the entirety of the day and well into the night. This King Groot constantly healing itself from the damage inflicted by Colossus’ heavy blows and Colossus refusing to yield or accept assistance. Finally, Colossus wore down his foe with a string of two fist strikes and the beast succumbed. After the battle, I went and fetched water from a nearby stream. When I returned, I found my companions huddled around a sizable fire. I did not as where the wood had come from.
Day 72
This morning, for the first time, my banana pager beeped. The message was simple, just a set of coordinates. My party and I set out immediately and after a few hours trek we arrived at the camp of the Guardians with Bald Caps. I made my way to McFabio’s tent where I found him consulting with some of the other Guardians. All were wearing their ceremonial Bald Caps, so I too donned mine before entering the tent. The news was grim. Another Dr. Doom, a doppelganger of my own companion, had launched an all-out assault on the Battlerealm. His doombots where everywhere and word was, he had recruited other allies to his cause. In the face of such odds I knew we would be hard pressed to stop him, but McFabio’s faith never wavered and he assured me that Doom would be defeated, as long as we worked together. His words fill me with hope even now. I believe in McFabio. Long live the Top Banana.
Day 75
A new companion has joined our ranks, calling herself Spider-Gwen. I have no idea why so many of the champions I encounter have such derivative names but other than her name Gwen seem like a sweet young woman. She is certainly a breath of fresh air after counting so many royal stiffs amongst my compatriots. She’s so slight though, I worry that when the fighting starts, she will be a liability to the party. Time will tell. I’m hardly in a position to turn down help. We will see if I come to regret that decision.
Day 77
Between fighting off doppelganger Doom’s invasion and continuing our quest to find and destroy The Collector, my associates and I have been wearing ourselves thin. And we are beginning to make mistakes. One of the other Guardians told me a story about a section of the Battlerealm where a cosmic being calling himself Terrax was terrorizing the countryside with his giant ax and horrible facial hair. Colossus, a former farmhand and sucker for rustic scenery in need; insisted we go check it out. When we came across Terrax, the party rushed him without thought to strategy or tactics. As a consequence, we were unprepared for his defenses, which consisted of a sort of shield made out of swirling rocks that cut down anything that got within their range. Most of the team was knocked out quickly as a result of their impatience. Luckily for the group, we had Doom with us. His mystical energies rendered the rocks inert and from there he had a simple time grounding the Alien menace. Terrax swore revenge as he ran off, leaving his gigantic ax behind.