CHAPTER 1

“Coming through!” shouted Falcon as he zoomed through the Long Island Mall. During his adventures as Falcon, Sam Wilson had seen some pretty crazy things. He had fought Super-Androids, alien armies, and even rock trolls. Now a group of werewolf-lizard creatures was invading, and he couldn't believe his weird luck. Falcon landed safely in the middle of the mall, where he met Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Thor, and Scarlet Witch. “Everyone has been safely evacuated. The coast is clear,” he said. “Let's go kick some werelizard butt. Avengers, assemble!”

“Not so fast, Sam,” said Iron Man. “We've got to figure out what these things are first. That way we know exactly what we're dealing with.”

“They're big, ugly, and they stink,” Sam said. “What more do we need to know?”

A group of crazed werelizards emerged from the food court, where they'd been snacking on tacos. The glint in their eyes said they were still hungry, and the Avengers looked like they could be the creatures' next meal.

“Back, monsters!” hollered Thor. He swung his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, and launched it directly at the werelizards, knocking down a row of them with a single blow.

“Help!” someone cried from nearby.

“It sounds like we missed someone during the evacuation,” said Carol Danvers, known to her teammates as Captain Marvel. “I'll handle this one.”

She followed the voice to Poloski's Department Store, where a little girl was hiding behind a rack of clothing. “Don't worry, sweetheart, you're safe now,” Captain Marvel assured her.

“Look out!” the little girl said, pointing at an approaching werelizard.

Captain Marvel kicked the werelizard, causing it to stumble backward and get disoriented. “And now for the big finish,” she said, grabbing the beast by its scruff and tossing it into the air. “Gotcha!” said Falcon, catching the werelizard and flying away with it. “Let's find a good place for you to take a bath.” He dropped the creature in the mall fountain, and returned to his friends.

“Thanks for the assist, Sam,” said Captain Marvel.

“That's what teamwork is all about,” Falcon said. Sam was so preoccupied that he didn't notice two hungry werelizards sneaking up behind him.

“I guess it's up to the handsome, super-intelligent Tony Stark to save the day, as usual,” Iron Man said, using his repulsor rays to blast away the sneaky werelizards and save Falcon. “At least I'm good at it. Hey, Wanda, what do you make of these things?”

“These beasts are unnatural,” said Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch. She tried using her chaos magic to decipher the origin of the werelizards, but came up empty. “They've been enchanted with a strange magic even my power can't seem to figure out,” she confessed.

“Magic. My favorite,” Iron Man said, rolling his eyes. It was widely known that technology lover Iron Man despised magic.

But there was one person who would know exactly where the werelizards came from. The only problem was that he didn't always see eye to eye with the Avengers—or any other heroes, for that matter—since they called him only when they needed something. He had a reputation for being aloof and difficult, though his power was undeniable. He was Doctor Strange, a master of the mystic arts. And it was only a matter of time before he showed up.

As the Avengers continued to fight the werelizards, a familiar voice echoed through the mall: “These are curious little monsters. I wonder who made them.”

“Show yourself, Loki,” snarled Thor. “We haven't time for your games!”

In a puff of mist, Loki, Asgardian god of mischief, appeared. He hovered above the heroes, watching them battle and smirking.

“These disgusting creatures are your doing, aren't they, Brother?” said Thor.

“I would never create beasts this primitive. I simply came here to watch.” Loki cackled.

Thor charged at his brother. He wasn't in the mood for this. “Defend yourself!” he shouted.

“Perhaps I'll visit again when you're less busy,” said Loki, before disappearing in a burst of thin smoke.

Suddenly, the mall fell completely dark and a rumbling shook the structure to its foundation.

In a flash of lightning, each one disappeared right before their eyes, leaving behind only a wisp of vapor. The werelizards were gone at last, and things could return to normal. The Avengers stood amazed. Doctor Strange was quite impressive.

“It took you long enough,” said Iron Man. “But thanks for the wacky magic mumbo jumbo. That was a close one.”

“Believe it or not, Mr. Stark, I have matters of my own to attend to,” said Doctor Strange. “You should know that magic is nothing to be trifled with.”

“What were those things?” asked Captain Marvel.

“They were innocent animals who had been fused together,” Strange explained. “I used a spell to transport them to another dimension, where they'll do no harm. When the spell wears off, they will return to their true forms and rejoin our world.”

“It was Loki!” declared Thor.

Doctor Strange closed his eyes. He used his power as Sorcerer Supreme to reach out across the enchanted realms and find information on the werelizards. Strange opened his eyes and they glowed bright yellow.

“This wasn't Loki's doing,” he said. “It's a dark magic I cannot identify.” Strange was very knowledgeable about magic in all its forms. If he couldn't identify the source of the disturbance, it did not bode well.

“Join the Avengers and we shall find this evil sorcery together,” said Thor.

Strange brushed aside the offer. “No, thank you. You do not know the mystic arts like I do. The world of magic can be very dangerous, as you have seen today. If we were to work together, you'd just be in the way,” he said, using his Cloak of Levitation to rise into the air.

“But we're so fun to hang out with!” joked Iron Man. “I'll even let you teach me a card trick or two.”

“Mr. Stark, I prefer to handle magical affairs on my own. Farewell, Avengers,” Doctor Strange declared, then disappeared into thin air.

Iron Man shook his head in disbelief. “Who turns down help from the Avengers?” he asked. “Oh well. Good luck, Doc. If something bad really is happening in the world of magic, you're going to need it.”