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1. The Magician
Upright: willpower, desire, creation, manifestation
Reversed: trickery, illusions, out of touch
There’s a shift in the magic balance, as clear and overwhelming as a sandstorm on the horizon, ready to ravage all that stands in its way. Doctor Stephen Strange is – obviously – the first to sense it. He’s all alone in the Sanctum Sanctorum, a common event, truth be told. However, today is a day of mystic significance, even though he cannot bring himself to remember the exact reason, probably a symptom of a troubled mind. Perhaps a reading is required , he ponders.
Heading to his study room as the last rays of sunshine touch the Window of the Worlds, the wood cracking even though his feet never touch the floor, Stephen closes the door with a wave of his hands and summons the deck from the drawer. His hand, however, twitches due to his damaged nerves, and the deck falls on the floor, spreading all the cards, most of them face down, but not all. Seven figures catch his attention. This is not a coincidence. Nothing really is in this kind of business. The sorcerer, then, takes his time to carefully analyze the set. After a brief moment, his mind clicks as his heart skips a beat. He finally recalls why today is such a significant day, as the fates of three men are hanging in the balance.
2. The Hermit
Upright: contemplation, search for truth, inner guidance
Reversed: loneliness, isolation, lost your way
“Stephen, you know that I respect you a lot, even though I rely on the fact that magic is just science we can’t fully comprehend yet. But you have to excuse my skepticism when you come to the Baxter Building unannounced, telling me that we must hurry to Latveria because your tarot cards told you so,” Mr. Fantastic has his eyes fixated on the microscope lens and thus doesn’t turn his head to contemplate his guest.
“You do realize today is Rapprochement Day, don’t you?” the magician crosses his arms with a sigh.
Reed then finally diverts his attention to Stephen, straightening his back on the chair, his brown eyes quite saddened at that certain memory taking shape in his brain. “I… forgot,” he confesses, a sting of guilt giving him a heartache.
“Do not be hard on yourself, my friend. It also escaped my mind, like a cloud purposefully cast by someone. Or something . My instincts should not be taken for granted. I’ve been doing this for a long time now. If you don’t trust magic, at least, trust me .”
Mr. Fantastic complies with a nod. “He’s not an easy man. He’ll not welcome us this time, considering we were not invited.”
“And yet, he’s lonely, brooding over the memory of his mother. I’m quite confident he will find our arrival far more interesting than wallowing in self-pity.”
3. The Emperor
Upright: authority, structure, control, fatherhood
Reversed: tyranny, rigidity, coldness
Doctor Doom does not feast for he cares little about the fancy dinner his chef, Pierre, has prepared. Instead, he’s sitting on his throne, fiddling with a chalice of wine while his amber eyes stare at the locket which holds a picture of Cynthia von Doom. He misses her every single day, and it’s law that every house in Latveria features a picture of hers hanging on the wall.
“Master,” Boris gently bows, interrupting the thoughts of a haunted tyrant. “You have guests from America. They wish to speak with you.”
“Send them away,” he mutters in annoyance.
“But master, it’s the doctors.”
Victor raises an eyebrow under the mask. His curiosity is finally awakened.
Reed and Stephen enter the throne room, the magician’s cloak engulfing and protecting his body while the explorer watches carefully for booby traps. One is never too prepared when it comes to Victor von Doom.
“Ah, the accursed Reed Richards and the fool they call Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. State your business swiftly, for I desire to be left alone on this day,” the king props his head on his right hand and spreads his legs, a bored expression followed by a bored tone.
“Rapprochement Day,” Reed specifies, his eyes now fixated on the majestic sovereign.
“A day of mystical significance,” Stephen adds, turning his eyes at the locket in Doom’s hands. “I’ve drawn the Tarot cards, Victor. I’m sure you’re familiar with the magic residing in the reading. The Magician, the Hermit, the Emperor, Justice, the Empress and—”
“The Devil,” a wicked voice echoes across the throne room as Cynthia’s locket glows brighter and brighter. A demon crosses the thin barriers between realities through the mystic object, a conduit. “I was not expecting more guests, Victor, but I’ll not take this opportunity for granted. You’re all welcome to my kingdom, for all eternity,” Mephisto manifests two fiery claws and a tail, dragging the three of them to Hell.
4. The Devil
Upright: addiction, materialism, playfulness
Reversed: freedom, release, restoring control
A dreadful storm of scarlet sand cloaks their visions as they try to find the way out of Hell. They’ve been there before, and yet, the landscape is always shifting.
“What is the meaning of this effrontery? Explain yourselves at once,” Victor shouts, enraged eyes burning as brighter as hellfire.
“Mephisto will never forgive us for tricking him into saving Cynthia’s soul, Doom,” Stephen covers his mouth with the Cloak of Levitation. “He’ll always try to find a way to make you pay for such humiliation. Today is significant for both you and your mother, and the magic connecting Earth’s and Hell’s dimensions is stronger, the barriers thinner. The demon must be aware of said weakness. I saw him in my reading. The Devil.”
“We tried to warn you, Victor, but we were too late,” Reed stretches his palm in order to protect his face from the sandstorm as well.
“Yes, my dear Mr. Fantastic. And now I have my most hated enemies all trapped in my realm. It seems fate is finally on my side,” Mephisto’s shadow manifests behind the sandstorm, a huge crimson figure on the horizon, wicked and low voice making the three of them shiver. The wind intensifies, and it carries an ominous aura with it.
“I know that evil magic, he’s trying to cast a haunted spell on us,” Stephen warns Victor first since they’re both sorcerers. “Victor, protect Reed while I try to dispel the sandstorm!” the Sorcerer Supreme stands between the winds and the two men.
“Fool, I will not—”
“No time to deal with your ego, Victor. Hurry,” Stephen conjures the Shield of the Seraphim around Doom and Reed, casting them away.
The shield does not hold much longer, and Victor finds himself forced to make a drastic decision. Reed does not know magic. He does.
“Damn you, Richards,” he mutters, softly, while conjuring a new Shield of the Seraphim in order to protect Mr. Fantastic while Doom faces the sandstorm alone, despite Reed’s protests.
After a while, the second spell finally wears off as the winds calm down, and Reed finds himself wandering alone, pushing his brain to its limits in order to come up with a plan. All for nothing. A demon sneaks from behind and casts a sleeping spell. The three men are finally damned.
5. Justice
Upright: cause and effect, clarity, truth
Reversed: dishonesty, unaccountability, unfairness
Mr. Fantastic wakes up trapped in a cave, and most of his body is stuck inside a frozen lake, truly a poor reference to Dante’s ninth circle of Hell. It hurts when he stretches, and it’s not the first time an enemy realizes this is one of his weaknesses. The brilliant mind of Reed Richards, for just a brief second, loses all hope. He never felt so alone and hopeless before. He thinks of his family, his friends, and the two men who were dragged into this nightmare.
Reed, however, is not as alone as he believes himself to be. He suddenly feels a weight on his right hand. It’s a device. Since when does he have it? More to the point, who put it in there? Swallowing the pain, the explorer stretches his thumb in order to press the button on the device. A crack, and the ice shatters, freeing him.
The demon which was guarding the lake is easily overtaken by a surprise blow to the back of its head. Mr. Fantastic is now slithering in the endless corridors of the cave in search of Victor von Doom and Stephen Strange. As he goes deeper into the cave, light slowly fades.
In the dark, he hears a cry, and decides to follow it. Reed sees a silhouette of a man, curled-up on the corner of a cell. He stretches his body thin and goes through the bars. The man is Stephen, and his mind is lost to intrusive thoughts.
You let her go. You betrayed your friend. You used dark magic. Sad man. Lonely old man. The Ancient One never believed you’d be good enough to become the Sorcerer Supreme. Not good enough. You deserve the pain. Not good enough. You deserve to be all alone. Not good enough.
Reed can’t hear the demons inside Stephen’s head. He’s sobbing, muttering incomprehensible words, a shadow of the majestic man he usually appears to be.
“Stephen, please, it’s me, Reed!” he cups the sorcerer’s face, forcing them to stare at each other. Stephen’s once blue eyes are now gray, lifeless. No response whatsoever. “Stephen, you have to come to your senses. Whatever you’re dealing with, you’re the Sorcerer Supreme. Remember us. Memento mori .”
“ I-Illuminatus ,” the magician replies with an impulse. The tears in Stephen’s eyes are soaking Mr. Fantastic’s fingers now, but they don’t break eye contact. “Why have you wiped my memories, Reed?” a faint voice escapes from his lips.
The explorer flinches and hesitates. He owes Stephen the truth. “Because your heart was broken,” Reed stretches his arms around the magician’s body, holding him tenderly. “I’m sorry, I was trying to protect you.”
“He loves you. You know that, right?” the man sighs, finally gathering his strength back.
“Even better. We can make something beautiful with these facts, don’t you think?”
Stephen smiles as Reed helps him stand. Those bars won’t hold the Sorcerer Supreme much longer.
6. The Empress
Upright: motherhood, fertility, nature
Reversed: dependence, smothering, emptiness, nosiness
Stephen casts a cloaking spell upon them both. With the aid of the Eye of Agamotto, it becomes easier to find Victor. The amulet glows and illuminates the path with a mystic light, guiding the heroes toward the damned king.
At the deepest corner of the cave, the area enlarges to what resembles a throne room. Mephisto is laughing on his wicked seat while he watches a demon torture an imprisoned Victor von Doom. The demon burns his face, healing it soon afterwards just to repeat the never-ending circle of pain. The king, on the other hand, refuses to growl. Even in Hell, his pride is unmatched.
“We need a distraction and a way out,” Reed whispers while the heroes hide behind a rock.
“I’m confident we can create an exit through Cynthia’s locket. It’s around Mephisto’s neck. I’ll retrieve it while you free Victor. Don’t worry, I have a card up my sleeve,” the magician winks with a smile.
The Sorcerer Supreme then conjures the Vapors of Valtorr, dissipating the mist as soon as he stands before the profane throne.
“Mephisto, you foul demon,” Stephen summons all his dramatic theatrics in order to misdirect the enemy. “This façade ends now!”
“I don’t know how you escaped my nightmare, you pathetic sorcerer, but rest assured, you’ll be joining von Doom real soon,” he raises, shapeshifting into his snake, huge form. Things do not look so great.
Meanwhile, Reed slithers towards the shackles that hold the king of Latveria. He’s unarmored, only the green robe protecting his skin. Worse, he’s maskless and ashamed. The minion is easily countered. However, a tougher task awaits Mr. Fantastic.
“Victor,” he whispers softly and tenderly, struggling to not stroke the king’s scarred skin.
“You… should not be here. Leave this place,” he looks away, trying to hide his grotesque face as he breathes heavily.
“Stephen told me about this device. It’s the same you planted on his hand when you both fought Mephisto, isn’t it? You saved me the same way you saved him, didn’t you? Allow me to return the favor,” his fingers stretch thin inside the keyhole in order to unlock the shackles. With a click, Reed releases Victor and holds him in his arms as the king’s massive body leans forward.
“This changes nothing,” he’s still facing the other way, the curly brown locks of his hair hiding his defeated expression.
“It changes everything,” Reed replies while propping Victor’s arm over his shoulder. “Now it’s all up to him.”
Absolutely.
“Demon,” the Eye of Agamotto tells him that both Reed and Victor are ready. Enough stalling. “You seem to have forgotten that the picture of the woman you wear around your neck is the picture of a saint. You can’t stand her light!”
Stephen then, for his last act, prays and summons the presence of Cynthia von Doom. The locket glows once more, this time burning Mephisto and making him screech in agony. She manifests in Hell, her light cleansing all evil.
7. ???
Upright: ???
Reversed: ???
Cynthia’s light is magnificent. Mephisto can’t stand it, thus he teleports away amidst curses and profane words.
“I remember you,” she stares at Stephen tenderly.
“Mother?” Victor raises his head to her figure, teary eyes as he contemplates her while Reed brings him closer to her.
“Victor,” Cynthia cups his face and kisses his forehead, her touch as warm as the morning sun. “You’re safe now, let me guide you back to your castle.”
The shift is subtle. They don’t feel the passage across dimensions, only a voice in their hearts. A child cannot lie to their mother, after all.
These men love you. The world has wronged and hurt you, and yet they’re trying to heal you. Allow them to ease the violence and hatred in your heart. Allow yourself to be loved, Victor.
The king is standing in his throne room again, crestfallen and heartbroken. He misses his mother, even though he was granted the privilege of seeing her again. He’s fighting the urge to cry, but he will not, for those two accursed men are watching.
His thoughts are interrupted when Stephen offers him a dented mask. He remembered to pick it before they were sent back. At his other side, Reed shows the device that saved his life and the locket of his precious mother. Victor hates them for learning about his vulnerability. Still, Cynthia’s words echo in his mind. Enough violence and hatred.
Victor von Doom takes the mask off Stephen’s hand and wears it back. The king finally feels comfortable to raise his head and stares at them.
“There’s much to be discussed. Boris will take you to your chambers, you’re both invited to join me for dinner,” he states, turning and disappearing in one of the many dark, cold corridors of his castle.
Stephen’s secret last card: The Lovers
Upright: partnerships, duality, union
Reversed: loss of balance, one-sidedness, disharmony