Sorcerer in the Marvel Universe

An extraterrestrial order of spellcasters, founded by those who had embraced darkness in order to fight it, had quietly established its lineage on Earth long before Kamar-Taj.

The Ancient One organized everything Evenson had told her, but one question immediately surfaced.

"Then why didn’t I sense their arrival?"

She knew exactly what crossing between worlds entailed.

Without someone on the destination side to anchor the passage, tearing through the boundaries of space created violent distortions. The kind of event no Sorcerer Supreme could possibly overlook.

Yet she had no memory of such an occurrence.

Her memory hadn’t failed her.

So what had she missed?

"Because they arrived before you became the Sorcerer Supreme," Evenson answered matter-of-factly. "Our lineage has existed on Earth longer than yours."

A knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"History has a funny habit of repeating itself, Sorcerer Supreme."

"You sought me out because I wield forbidden power."

He leaned forward.

"But what you probably don’t know is that the moment you accepted power from the Dark Dimension..."

"...my order began watching you."

That explained far more than she liked.

The Ancient One had often wondered how Evenson knew so many secrets about her.

Her use of the Dark Dimension’s power was one of Kamar-Taj’s most closely guarded truths. Even her own disciples knew nothing of it.

Yet Evenson had named it without hesitation.

If an unseen organization had been observing her for centuries...

Then it all made perfect sense.

"And what conclusion did your observers reach?" she asked.

For centuries she had been the one watching civilizations rise and fall from the shadows.

Now she found herself on the other side of that gaze.

She couldn’t help wondering what judgment had been passed on her.

Evenson shrugged.

"The fact that you’re still alive to ask the question should tell you."

"The founders sent to establish new branches across different worlds belonged to the very first generation of Warlocks."

"They spent ages immersed in corrupting power, fighting endless wars."

"They became unimaginably strong."

He paused.

"They also became disturbingly similar to the evil they opposed."

"The only real difference was who they chose to fight."

He pointed directly at her.

"If they had ever decided you were a threat..."

His smile turned cold.

"...they wouldn’t have shown mercy."

"They wouldn’t have cared how many innocents died."

"And they certainly wouldn’t have hesitated the way I did."

Evenson knew exactly what he was talking about.

The Warlocks of the Council of the Black Harvest would do almost anything to accomplish their mission. Outside their unwavering commitment to defending Azeroth from the Burning Legion, they were often indistinguishable from the Legion’s own practitioners of fel magic.

The Ancient One simply nodded.

"Then it seems I escaped a rather unpleasant fate."

"You did."

Evenson gestured toward the Scepter of Sargeras resting nearby.

"That staff."

"Ulthalesh, the Deadwind Harvester."

"And one more Artifact Weapon."

"Those were once wielded effortlessly by the founders."

"When they eventually left Earth..."

"...they abandoned all three."

For the first time since entering the fortress, genuine shock crossed the Ancient One’s face.

She had witnessed Ulthalesh’s terrifying hunger firsthand.

Today she had personally experienced the overwhelming power of the Scepter of Sargeras.

More importantly, she knew Evenson couldn’t draw out their full strength.

He was only borrowing a fraction of what those artifacts truly contained.

If their original masters had wielded them without restraint...

The thought was unsettling.

"They left weapons like those behind?" she asked quietly.

"Were they simply powerful enough not to need them anymore?"

"Maybe."

Evenson offered no further explanation.

In truth, the Council of the Black Harvest had reacted quite differently after discovering the three Artifact Weapons had mysteriously vanished.

First came stunned silence.

Then collective despair.

The current Grand Harvester had even been accused of collaborating with the Burning Legion and nearly paid for it with his life.

Fortunately...

The Ancient One didn’t need to hear that part.

She folded her arms.

"Your organization claims to oppose cosmic evil."

"But from everything I’ve seen..."

"...you haven’t actually done much on Earth."

She knew better than anyone how many invasions the planet had endured.

Demons.

Interdimensional horrors.

Creatures from beyond the stars.

If this secret order truly existed, where had they been?

Evenson scratched his head awkwardly.

"Well..."

"They eventually concluded Earth was... surprisingly safe."

"Safe?"

The Ancient One looked genuinely baffled.

Ordinary humans might think so.

She knew otherwise.

Demons slipped into Earth from Hell with alarming regularity. Minions of the Dark Dimension constantly sought opportunities to invade. Her disciples had even reported suspicious demonic activity in New Mexico not long ago.

Safe was hardly the word she would have chosen.

"When the founders first arrived," Evenson explained, "the first major invasion they witnessed was the Frost Giants attacking from one of the Nine Realms."

He shrugged.

"But they weren’t natives of Earth."

"To them, it looked less like an apocalyptic invasion and more like a territorial war between neighboring civilizations."

"They were still debating whether intervention was necessary..."

"...when Odin showed up."

Evenson spread his hands.

"The All-Father marched in with the armies of Asgard and utterly crushed the Frost Giants."

He grinned.

"If the stories are true, he even walked away with the Frost Giants’ prince and accidentally became a father."

The Ancient One gave a small nod.

She had heard that story herself.

"Then you appeared," Evenson continued.

"After you accepted the Dark Dimension’s power, you protected Earth remarkably well."

"So the founders decided there was no need for them to interfere unless you fell."

The Ancient One’s expression became strangely complicated.

For centuries she had taken pride in safeguarding Earth.

Now...

It felt as though she had unknowingly been covering someone else’s shift.

"Since Earth remained stable under your protection," Evenson continued, "the founders left after establishing their legacy here."

"They traveled to worlds that actually needed them."

"My predecessors eventually followed."

"One after another."

"In the end..."

"I’m the only one left guarding this place."

The Ancient One resisted the urge to rub her forehead.

My deepest apologies for making your centuries of guard duty so uneventful.

"I originally intended to train a successor and leave as well."

Evenson’s expression darkened.

"But something changed."

"I had to stay."

"The same reason," the Ancient One guessed, "that made you abandon your organization’s policy of remaining hidden?"

"The reason you began dealing openly with ordinary people..."

"...and even joined S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Evenson nodded.

"Exactly."

"What happened?"

He grew unusually serious.

"Darkness is rising, Sorcerer Supreme."

"Before I ever made contact with S.H.I.E.L.D., reports began arriving from our branches across the multiverse."

"Dark forces."

"Ancient horrors."

"Organizations that had remained dormant for ages."

"They all began moving again."

"And one message..."

His voice became almost inaudible.

"...terrified me."

The room fell silent.

The Ancient One’s expression hardened.

"What message?"

Evenson closed his eyes.

"It wasn’t a report."

"It was a dying declaration."

"A universe’s final words."

He opened his eyes.

"My world is finished."

"The Burning Crusade is about to begin again."

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