The Shadow Monarch In The Marvel World

"His weakness is his mouth and hands. Take those away, and he's no different than a normal human with magic capable of rivaling gods… so make him burn through it all. Every second, don't let him think about anything else." Ashburn spoke calmly, eyes flicking to his MP bar. It wasn't dropping. Not thanks to him, Susan was the reason.

Her force fields didn't just shield the shadows; they amplified their endurance, allowing them to withstand attacks that should have obliterated them instantly. Without her, Strange would be clearing the field faster than Ashburn's MP could regenerate.

Right now, Susan was carrying the fight. But how had Ashburn been able to raise someone so powerful in the first place?

Simple. Susan Storm wasn't truly powerful in the traditional sense. Her strength didn't come from raw energy or physical dominance. She was more of a tank, armed with offensive abilities that could bypass durability, making her overpowered in execution, But not in base strength. That meant no risk of her breaking free.

They're trying to tire me out. Strange gritted his teeth, realizing Ashburn's strategy was working. It wasn't about overpowering him, it was about wearing him down.

At the end of the day, Strange was still human, even if he was a zombie. His mind could only be pushed into overdrive for so long before the strain took its toll. Food wasn't an issue, zombies didn't need to eat unless the hunger drove them insane.

But exhaustion? That was unavoidable. And it was clear now, Ashburn could keep this up for days.

Boom!

The ground shook as Strange unleashed a burst of energy, his hand flickering red with Chaos Magic. The shadows rocketing toward him were blown away, scattering like ragdolls across the battlefield.

'He forced me,' Strange thought, eyes narrowing as he surveyed the damage. It wasn't just the blast that made it dangerous, It was the nature of Chaos Magic itself.

The shadows didn't recover instantly like before. Their injuries lingered, healing much slower and draining far more MP. For the first time, Strange saw it. A crack in Ashburn's endless assault.

But Ashburn saw something too. Desperation. Strange had been forced to break his rhythm, and now. He was running out of options.

"Susan!" Ashburn shouted, forcing himself to his feet. Susan didn't hesitate. With a flick of her wrist, a forcefield bubble snapped into place around Strange, the walls immediately beginning to shrink, compressing inward with deadly intent.

Strange's eyes widened, and he reacted fast, hands moving in sharp, practiced gestures as he unleashed barrage after barrage of spells. The bubble shuddered, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.

Stronger or not, even with Susan's 22-times boost, this was the limit of what she could do. But it was enough. The moment the bubble shattered, Rogue appeared, moving like a blur of shadow.

Strange barely had time to blink before her hand clamped down on his wrist, her grip unyielding. Why was this so important?

Simple. Rogue's touch didn't just steal powers, It ripped away memories, life force, and everything that made a person dangerous. 

Of course, Rogue didn't just settle for draining him—she tried to shatter Strange's hands while she had the chance. But even weakened, Strange's magically enhanced durability was nothing short of absurd. Even Galactus would struggle to inflict real harm when Strange was fully empowered.

"Let go!" Strange's voice boomed, laced with magic, and Rogue was blasted away, her body rocketing backward like a ragdoll.

He stood there, teeth gritted, the toll of her touch weighing heavily on him. He was weaker now, undeniably so. But weakened didn't mean harmless. With a flick of his hand, Strange rushed forward, determination blazing in his eyes wanting to put Rogue out for good… But would it really be that easy?

CRACK!

Lightning tore through the sky, a bolt so blindingly bright it momentarily whited out the battlefield. It wasn't just any lightning, This bolt burned hotter than the sun, a spear of pure destruction summoned from the heavens themselves.

Strange reacted instantly, a shimmering shield snapping up around him. But really, Would it be that simple to block an attack like that? Of course not.

A girl flew through the air, her body hurled forward by the Thing until she landed right in front of Strange's barrier. The lightning roared down from the sky, crashing toward the shield, and just as the barrier and the bolt were about to collide, the girl reached out and touched it.

And the impossible happened.

The barrier phased, allowing the lightning to pass through it. With nothing left to protect him, the lightning struck Strange head-on, the impact blasting him out of the sky and slamming him into the ground below.

At that exact moment, the Super Skrull, Ashburn's last unsummoned shadow, finally emerged, stepping from the darkness like a silent predator.

He didn't act alone. Susan Storm appeared beside him. Without a word, they combined their powers, forging a sword of force and flame, its edge shimmering with heat and hard light. The blade shot forward, aimed directly at the fallen Sorcerer Supreme.

But once again, one of Strange's many enchanted items flared to life, projecting a protective barrier that deflected the blow, leaving him unharmed.

Susan didn't flinch. The sword shimmered, its form shifting in an instant, It became binding chains, serpentine, and fluid, surging forward to entrap Strange.

Strange's eyes narrowed. He moved fast, stepping out of reach as the bindings snapped shut, missing him by inches. 

Strange was struggling, forced back into defense as the relentless assault continued. But this time, he changed tactics.

With a flick of his wrist, weapons began to manifest, dozens of blades, spears, and axes floating around him like a protective orbit. At the same time, countless ethereal hands emerged from thin air, each one grasping a weapon, striking down any shadow soldier that dared to approach.

But Ashburn wasn't idle. He joined the fray, activating [Umbrakinesis] to directly manipulate the shadows around him. Darkness twisted and churned at his command, wrapping around his shadow soldiers like armor, sharpening into weapons, or stretching into ropes that snared Strange's conjured hands.

The more Ashburn used [Umbrakinesis], the stronger his shadows became… Time passed.

The battle dragged on, each second a brutal war of attrition. Strange was holding his ground, but barely. Bit by bit, he was winning, slowly whittling down the army as he adapted to their tactics.

But bit by bit, Ashburn's army was also evolving, the rate of their regeneration increasing as Ashburn's control over darkness deepened.

Ashburn kept the pressure constant, turning shadows into spikes, ropes, walls, and blades, anything to disrupt Strange's rhythm.

His attacks weren't deadly, not yet. But they forced Strange to move, to expend energy, to stay on the defensive. In the end, Ashburn's real advantage wasn't in direct combat. It was in time. Because the longer the fight dragged on, the stronger his shadows became.

'By time.' Ashburn's eyes narrowed as he caught movement in the distance. Dozens of Iron Man armors appeared in the sky, thrusters flaring as they rained down attacks on Strange without hesitation.

Strange's face darkened. He already knew science-based powers were his greatest weakness, but not everything could pose a threat. Normally, he'd shrug off such attacks with ease.

But now? With an army of shadows keeping him pinned and this new assault from the armors? Yeah, he was annoyed.

"Sorry for being late, my lord." A familiar voice drew Ashburn's attention. Reed Richards appeared beside him, standing tall

Ashburn blinked, momentarily stunned. "How the hell did you get Stark's armor?" he asked, genuinely confused.

Reed smiled, the expression almost smug. "My lord, I am now more than 22 times more capable than when I was among the living. This?"

He gestured toward the sky, where the Iron Legion swarmed like angry hornets. "This is a simple task."

Boom

A Thor Buster Armor shot forward, slamming into Strange and sending him rocketing through the air. Strange gritted his teeth, trying to regain control, but the attacks didn't stop.

He was forced into pure defense, his staff whirling, hands flashing through spell gestures just to block the onslaught. Not a single moment to counterattack.

But even defense had limits. Slowly, the pressure built. Attacks he once shrugged off now forced him back, each blow chipping away at his defenses.

Barriers flickered. Shields cracked.

No matter how quickly he repaired them, they were breached in some way, shape, or form. And to make things worse? Susan and the Super Skrull were working together, their combined powers bypassing durability entirely.

Force fields sharpened into blades. Heat and pressure collapsing barriers from within.

Boom!

The breaking point hit like thunder. A combined attack from the Iron Legion, Susan, and the Super Skrull shattered Strange's defenses, sending him spiraling backward.

For the first time, he was wide open and vulnerable. The next wave of attacks closed in, streaking toward Strange's exposed form.

Victory was seconds away… but a barrier erupted around Strange, a shimmering dome of energy, deflecting every attack.

Everyone froze. Even Strange was shocked by this. This wasn't his doing.

"Doom shall step in."