The lights dim inside the underground command center. A massive holographic globe rotates slowly in the center of the room. Around it sit several of Earth’s strongest defenders. Cecil Stedman stands with one hand in his pocket, calmly watching the projections. New data scrolls across the holographic display. Alien fleets. Dimensional breaches. Unidentified superhuman signatures. Cecil sighs quietly.

“Well.” He presses a button on the control console. The room fills with new images. Viltrumites. Cosmic warriors. Unknown entities from distant universes. Cecil adjusts his tie slightly.

“It seems Earth has officially attracted the attention of the entire galaxy.”

He glances toward the gathered heroes. His expression is calm. Almost too calm. “So here’s the situation.” Cecil folds his hands behind his back. “We are very, very outmatched.” A pause. Then a small, confident smile. “But that’s fine.” The hologram zooms in on dozens of hidden defense installations across the planet. “Because we’ve been preparing for this exact nightmare.” He looks back at the group. “Welcome to Plan B.”