by Comickook and T Campbell
In the far-flung universe of Earth-Reverse-C, a dark mirror version of the Earth-C we all know and love, stood an ominous-looking building in the heart of Follywood, Califurnia. Within that foreboding edifice’s walls, a laboratory hummed with the energy of a thousand secrets. And at its heart, a green-feathered duck named Fantastidrake surveyed his latest invention with a mix of pride and trepidation.
Clad in a sleek black bodysuit emblazoned with a blood-red F, Fantastidrake’s eyes narrowed as the machine before him spat out a stream of data. “Fascinating,” he murmured, scanning the print-out. “This dimension-vision device of mine has uncovered the existence of another universe that’s a curious blend of the familiar and the bizarre.”
“What’s got you muttering to yourself now, Fantastidrake?” boomed a voice rich with curiosity and power. Fantastidrake turned to see Ultra-Rabbit, his muscular, brown-furred frame barely contained by a black bodysuit adorned with a silver bunny skull and the letters UR. His silver cape fluttered as he approached, a black cowl shadowing his determined eyes, while his silver belt sported two glowing carrots at the ready. “Remember, with my super-hearing, I can hear every whispered secret in this place.”
Fantastidrake cleared his throat, nervousness evident. “Ultra-Rabbit, my device has uncovered a new parallel universe. It’s uncannily like ours, yet… different. Here, look.” He gestured to the monitor, where images of Earth-C’s greatest heroes, the Zoo Crew, flickered into view.
Ultra-Rabbit leaned in, his gaze intense. “That is fascinating. And this readout suggests that their world has seen a surge of inter-dimensional activity, much like ours has.”
“Precisely,” said Fantastidrake, his feathers bristling. “But there’s a twist — our counterparts, the Zoo Crew, use their powers for good, to serve rather than to dominate. And with the inevitable ebb and flow of beings between their universe and others, it’s only a matter of time before they turn their sights on us, the Nasty Menagerie. We must strike first.”
Ultra-Rabbit knew all too well about the possibilities inherent in inter-dimensional travel. After all, it had been a being from another universe that had led to the formation of the notorious Nasty Menagerie in the first place. Standing motionless, he began to stare into space, his mind adrift in memories of the past as a flashback began. It was a tale of cosmic chance, a collision of worlds that had birthed a new era of super-powered beings on Earth-Reverse-C.
***
The story began with the Kryptonian creep known as Ultraman, who had recently found a way to escape from the prison bubble in Limbo that had kept the members of Earth-Three’s Crime Syndicate locked up. (Don’t ask us how — even we don’t know how he managed it!) In a celebratory frenzy, he was kicking up mayhem and hurling asteroids toward Earth-Three, just reveling in the chaos he caused.
But his amusement was quickly cut short when he spotted one asteroid collide with an enigmatic energy barrier and vanish without a trace.
Driven by curiosity, though mostly irritated by the interruption of his fun, Ultraman peered through the barrier with his super-vision. To his astonishment, he discovered a portal to an alternate universe, one eerily similar to Earth-Three but inhabited entirely by sentient animals. Fresh meat, he thought, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he shattered the dimensional divide, eager to conquer this new world.
Unbeknownst to Ultraman, the energy barrier had imbued the asteroid fragments with a potent charge, scattering them across the animal universe. One such fragment landed in the window garden of an artistic rabbit who would have certainly been considered the runt of the litter, forever altering the course of his life.
As fate would have it, it was this very same scrawny bunny that Ultraman soon encountered in this brave new world that had such strange creatures in it. When Ultraman tried to bully and strong-arm the small rabbit into helping him navigate this funny animal world, the rabbit, in a moment of sheer terror, reached for a carrot from his windowsill — a habitual comfort in times of stress. Little did he know that the soil had been enriched by the cosmic debris. The bite of the super-charged carrot thus sparked a transformation within him, bestowing upon him strength and confidence beyond his wildest dreams.
With newfound power coursing through his veins, the rabbit faced the intergalactic tyrant. “Okay, you cosmic bully,” he declared, his voice steady and defiant, “let’s see how you fare against… errr… Ultra-Rabbit!” And so, amidst the backdrop of a world not their own, a mighty battle ensued.
It was true that Ultraman was still technically the more powerful of the two, but Ultra-Rabbit possessed a super-agility that made him a blur on the battlefield. His leaps were so astounding they nearly mimicked flight, allowing him to dodge and weave through Ultraman’s attacks with a dancer’s grace. The battle was fierce, and while Ultra-Rabbit couldn’t claim victory, his resilience bought precious time.
As Ultraman tried to pursue him across the landscape of Earth-Reverse-C, Ultra-Rabbit was able to use that time to gather a group of powerful allies, each one of them empowered by fragments of the same meteor: The Iron Pig, the hoodlum with an unbreakable metallic hide! Katastrophe, the maniacal mistress of magic! Slashback, the fastest slasher in the world! Fantastidrake, who could not only stretch his feathery form, but also expand his mind! And Swanky Poodle, the sick puppy with the power of animal magnetism!
Together, this motley crew of super-powered animals faced Ultraman in a clash that would echo through the annals of their world. With teamwork and tenacity, they sent the inter-dimensional intruder back to Earth-Three with his tail between his legs, so to speak, his ego bruised and his plans thwarted.
The aftermath of the battle brought a revelation to Ultra-Rabbit. “Listen, gang,” he addressed his comrades, “alone we’re strong, but together, we’re invincible! Let us unite our powers, not just for this battle, but for all the challenges that may come!”
The stirring speech had its effect, and none of the others could disagree. Well, the Iron Pig soon decided he wanted no part of it, but he was eventually worn down by a seemingly endless stream of battles with each of the other super-powered animals, forcing him to make this choice: “Are you with us or against us?”
The Iron Pig would finally relent and grunt in agreement, his earlier skepticism washed away by the tide of their collective will, as he told Ultra-Rabbit, “Okay, I give, I give! I know I’m gonna regret this, bunny, but… I’m in.”
Earlier, during the heat of their final confrontation, Ultraman had sneered at Ultra-Rabbit and the rest, “You think you and this… this nasty menagerie… can defeat me?” The words, which had been meant to belittle, instead became a badge of honor. Thus it was that Ultra-Rabbit, with a twinkle in his eye, proclaimed, “The Nasty Menagerie it is, then!”
But the Nasty Menagerie’s adventures were far from over. After setting up shop in the colossal Los Antelopes skyscraper they dubbed the Menagerie Cage, they soon found themselves entangled with the notorious Crime Critters from the peculiar universe of Earth-Reverse-C-Minus. Initially, these inter-dimensional interlopers presented a formidable challenge to the Menagerie, their powers seemingly unmatched.
The standoff began with a tense encounter in the heart of the city. The Menagerie, led by the ever-cunning Ultra-Rabbit, faced off against the Critters in a spectacle that would have made any comic-book fan’s heart race. The Critters, oozing confidence, seemed to have the upper hand until Fantastidrake, that duck of deception, unveiled his latest contraption — a power-siphoning device, supercharged by Katastrophe’s mystical might.
With a flick of a switch and a burst of arcane energy, the machine whirred to life, draining the abilities of the Crime Critters: the super-speed of Johnny Quickshell, the Chiptonian powers of Ultra-Squirrel, the strength and golden lariat of Superbunny, and the intermittent mental abilities of Owlrat. And just as these powers were being drained, the machine was bestowing them upon Slashback, Ultra-Rabbit, Katastrophe, and Fantastidrake, respectively. The tide of battle turned in an instant, the Menagerie’s powers swelling to new heights.
However, their triumph was nearly cut short when Power Ram, with a blast from his power ring, obliterated the device. But Swanky Poodle, ever the opportunist, used her bio-magnetic charm to snatch the ring mid-air, amplifying her own powers with the stolen cosmic jewelry.
Yet, uncertainty began to cloud Ultra-Rabbit’s thoughts as he began to consider the implications with his logical mind. The powers he had absorbed from Ultra-Squirrel — were they permanent? Or would they vanish, along with his own abilities, once he reverted to his original form? The thought haunted him, but his paranoia would ultimately keep him from letting himself find out the hard way.
Amidst the chaos of the Nasty Menagerie’s triumph over the Crime Critters, Earth-Reverse-C’s only living super-hero intervened. Clad in his self-engineered super-suit, Doctor Hoot whisked the Crime Critters back to their own dimension, sparing them from the Menagerie’s wrath. His moral compass unwavering, Doctor Hoot refused to let any life, hero or villain, be extinguished on his watch.
The battle won, the Menagerie emerged victorious, their enemies vanquished, but their spirits unbroken. And just as they faced other short-lived super-heroes who dared to challenge them before, the Nasty Menagerie continued to do what they did best — killing every super-hero they met in battle. It was good to be a super-villain on Earth-Reverse-C.
***
Back in the present, Ultra-Rabbit snapped out of the flashback. His fist clenched, as he knew what had to be done. “Then it’s settled. We’d better call the rest of the Menagerie,” he growled, determination in his voice. “If this ‘Zoo Crew’ thinks they can outwit us, they’re in for a surprise. We’ll show them that, in our world, it’s survival of the nastiest.”
As Ultra-Rabbit and Fantastidrake exited the lab, the two villains shared a look of dark understanding, their resolve as unyielding as the steel walls that surrounded them. They were ready to face whatever lay ahead, and they would stop at nothing to ensure their dominion remained unchallenged. The battle lines were drawn, and the Nasty Menagerie was ready to pounce.