In the dimly-lit chamber, Dr. Doom stands regally before his thronelike chair, gazing with cold eyes at the men who face him: Ten AIM agents, clad in their traditional yellow beekeeper jumpsuits and cakebox head covers. Between the AIM agents and Doom stand two larger-than-life figures-- the Super Adaptoid and the Super Skrull. Both are motionless, staring blankly ahead. AIM agents stand nearby, murmuring to one another in technobabble.

Doom: "Tell me again why the men of AIM should dare to set foot in Doom's sanctum."

AIM leader: "We bring you an offer, Doom. One we believe will be mutually advantageous."

Doom (indicating the immobile green robot and the catatonic, bionic skrull): "And to attempt to win my indulgence, you have brought me these two gifts?"

AIM leader: "Er, not exactly. We bring these two to you because, despite all the vast reserves of technology at the disposal of AIM, we simply cannot reactivate the Adaptoid nor wake the Skrull. Something has completely shut down the Adaptoid's computer mind, and we also believe the bionic implants in the Super Skrull have somehow overridden his conscious mind and induced a form of coma."

Doom steps down from his dais and walks between the two figures, studying them.

Doom: "So--you seek Doom's vast and unmatched knowledge of robotics in order to reactivate and reawaken these two. A wise decision. But-- toward what end?"

AIM leader: "We would enter into a partnership with you, Doctor. Imagine--your might, coupled with the vast resources of AIM--"

Doom: "FOOL! What need has DOOM for your pitiful 'resources?' The resources of a NATION are MINE to COMMAND! The resources of a WORLD, too, should I WISH it!"

Doom pauses, and the AIM leader steps back, stunned at Doom's rebuff. Doom looks over the two figures again.

Doom: "Tell me-- where did you find these two? I had believed them lost in the Negative Zone." *

[* See Fantastic Four #428 -- Mr. Van-tastic]

AIM leader: "They-- they were, it is true..."

Doom: "So now AIM possesses the ability to enter the Negative Zone?"

AIM leader: "Well..."

The Red Skull stalks out of the shadows behind Doom.

Red Skull: "Certainly not, Doom. Who but I could locate and retreive them? Who but-- the RED SKULL?"

Doom (whirling, arms raised to attack): "SKULL! You DARE invade Castle Doom!?"

Behind the grate, Captain America tenses, ready to attack. "Not yet, Rogers," he thinks to himself. "This is getting more and more interesting. Not to mention slimy."

Red Skull: "Calm yourself, Doktor. I come to bargain, not to battle."

Doom: "Then, before I destroy you for trespassing on Latverian soil, SPEAK!"

Red Skull (puffing on a cigarette in a long holder): "I located the two beings you see before you while exploring the Negative Zone for... my own purposes. Both can be subverted to my-- OUR-- use, but I have a special need for the Adaptoid."

Doom: "Ah. I can imagine. It is no secret that you yet yearn for the Cosmic Cube. Nor is it a secret that the Adaptoid draws its power from a shard of that same object."

Red Skull: "Your sources are impeccable as always, Doom."

Doom: "But I lose patience, Nazi. I have yet to see how Doom shall benefit from this."

Red Skull: "Because AIM is now under MY control, Doom. The Super Adaptoid and the Super Skrull soon will be--and permanently, not for the brief moments I can control them now. And the Cosmic Cube as well will soon fall into my hands." The Skull paces before Doom's dais. "Soon I shall rule this world, Doom. It is INEVITABLE. Your expertise would be invaluable in aiding my conquests. Thus, I offer you this one opportunity--be on the side of the victors, or be CRUSHED, like all the others, beneath the heel of the RED SKULL!"

Doom says nothing, merely stares, unmoving, back at the Red Skull.

Red Skull (after a long moment's wait): "Well, Herr Doom? I had expected that you would rant and rave-- that you would lash out in some berserk fashion, unable to accept the truth."

Doom walks slowly forward, until he stands directly before the Red Skull, his bloodshot eyes boring into the Skull's. Despite himself, a bead of sweat trails down the Skull's brow.

Doom (whispering): "You imbecile."

Red Skull: "Wha--?!"

Doom: "You dare to think that you can simply declare your intentions, and Doom will fall into your camp? Fool! How many times in the past have you made such wild claims, only to meet bitter defeat--on more than one occasion at my own hands?"

The Red Skull seethes in anger. He whirls, stalking back towards the AIM agents. "You will regret this, Doom! You--"

Doom: "But wait-- what treachery is this?"

Red Skull: "Eh?"

Lead AIM Agent: "What do you mean, Doom?"

Doom: "Merely this, fool--NINE of your lackeys accompanied you into my sanctum, yet now--there are TEN!"

The AIM agents whirl about, staring at one another, as the leader frantically attempts to count his agents. One of the agents pulls out a gun, but then cries out and slumps to the floor. A tiny, winged figure flies out from under his helmet.

At that moment, Cap smashes the grating out of his way and somersaults out, landing between Doom and the Skull.

Red Skull: "ACH DU LIEBER! CAPTAIN AMERICA!"

Doom: "And the Wasp. So. Skull, you are indeed a fool. You have allowed the Avengers to follow you here, into my sanctum!."

Doom retreats toward his throne as the AIM agents and the Skull draw their weapons from their holsters and seek to draw a bead on the Wasp and Cap.

Cap: "We've been on your trail for some time now, Skull. I just wanted to get a better idea of what you were up to, before we acted."

Red Skull: "You have only invited your deaths, Avengers!"

The Red Skull and the AIM agents begin to fire away with their blaster pistols. Cap deftly deflects their shots as he vaults around the big room.

The Wasp zips in, stuns another AIM agent, and then flies out alongside Cap. "Now?"

Cap: "Not yet, Wasp!"

Red Skull: "Bah! Why should the Red Skull soil his hands with the touch of these inferior Americans? Why indeed, when the impenetrable force shield perfected by Doom himself is mine to command?"*

[*The technology was acquired by the Skull prior to SVTU #11 -- impenetrable Van]

A force field bubble appears, surrounding the Red Skull as well as the AIM agents. Before anyone can act, however, one of the AIM operatives lashes out, smashing a fist into the face of the nearest agent. Surging forward, the renegade agent cuts a swath through the others and bears down on the Skull.

Red Skull (backing away): "Ach! No! Who--? HOW--?!"

The renegade AIM agent reaches up, pulls away the head covering, and reveals--

Red Skull: "MS. MARVEL! Nein! The apex of Aryan womanhood-- but obedient to these jackals!"

Ms. Marvel: "Shut up, Skull! Your forcefield doesn't help you now! It only holds you in here-- with ME!" She swings her fist, barely brushing his jaw but still sending him sprawling.

Red Skull: "Nein! NEIN!" He snaps off the field, scrambling to get away from Ms. Marvel.

Cap rushes forward. As the Skull turns to escape, Cap lays him out with a roundhouse punch. The Skull scrambles to his feet and squares off against him, even as Doom watches the proceedings with a detatched air.

Ms. Marvel and the Wasp quickly subdue the AIM agents, while Cap drives the Skull back into a corner.

Red Skull, pulling a remote control from his belt: "You have not won yet, schweindunt! I still command-- the SUPER ADAPTOID and the SUPER SKRULL!"

Ms. Marvel: "I thought they were catatonic!"

Red Skull: "They are indeed-- but I have found that I can activate one or the other for brief periods of time. And that time is-- NOW!"

The Skull points his controller at the closest figure, the Super Skrull, and presses a button. The big villain's eyes flutter, open, and he begins to move-- --when suddenly the fifteen-foot-tall Super Adaptoid whirls in one fluid motion and smashes a massive fist down onto the Super Skrull's head. The Skrull slumps to the floor, comatose yet again.

Red Skull: "WHA--?! NEIN-- THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"

The Super Adaptoid reaches up and pulls at its featureless green face. The mask comes away to reveal--

Red Skull: "Pym!"

Wasp: "Hank snuck in behind Cap, and swapped places with the Adaptoid while you and the AIM agents were distracted, Skull."

Pym: "Fortunately, I'd rigged some devices into this disguise which fooled the AIM boys pretty well. Not that they were paying much attention there at the end."

Cap, Pym, the Wasp, and Ms. Marvel surround the Red Skull.

Cap: "Give it up, Skull. You can't beat us all."

Red Skull: "Bah! I do not have to! Once again, Von Doom provides me the means of my escape!" The Skull touches a stud on his belt and light flares around him. "This teleportation device has served me well in the past. Farewell, Avengers! We shall meet again! As for you, Doom-- the Red Skull will not forget what happened here today."

The Red Skull vanishes in a blink of light.

Ms. Marvel: "Gone." She points nearby. "And he took the Super Skrull with him."

Cap: "The Skull has always been very good at running away. You don't like it, but you sort of come to expect it."

Doom: "The Skull is a coward and a buffoon."

Cap, the Wasp, Pym, and Ms. Marvel turn, squaring off, facing Dr. Doom where he sits on his throne.

Cap: "Well, Doom? What's it going to be?"

Doom: "Have a care, Captain. Doom knows not of what you speak, but he likes not your tone!"

Giant-Man (leaning towards Cap): "Um, Cap-- I hate to say it, but Doom really didn't do anything other than listen to the Skull-- did he?"

Cap glances at Hank, frowns.

Doom: "Your overgrown lackey is quite correct, Captain-- is he not?"

Cap balls his fists up momentarily, then relaxes. "Okay, Doom, point taken. We have no real quarrel with you-- for now."

Doom: "Certainly not. In fact, I should... THANK you for disposing of the TRASH that had infiltrated my sanctum."

Cap turns and walks toward the door.

Ms. Marvel: "Wha-- you mean we're just gonna walk out of here? And-- and he's gonna LET us?"

Cap: "That is exactly what's going to happen. Doom hasn't broken any law--certainly no law of his, here in his own country-- nor any international law. We have no choice."

Wasp: "I guess you're right, Cap, but... Grrr!"

Pym: "C'mon, Jan-- at least we stopped the Skull and AIM."

Pym pulls the real Super Adaptoid from an alcove where he had hidden it, and grows large enough to scoop it up under one arm.

Doom: "You will leave that with me, Avenger!"

Cap, turning back: "Sorry, Doom. This is now evidence against the Skull and AIM." He pauses. "However, if you were to seek to prevent its extradition, we might have grounds against you after all..."

Doom glares back at Cap. "Take it. Go."

The four Avengers exit Doom's throneroom. As they leave, Doom glares at their backs. "Yes, go home, Avengers. Savor your victory over the incompetent Skull, and your escape from Castle Doom. For all too soon... you and your ilk will kneel before me! So swears DOOM!"