Gallery/Eternal Night Falls

Eternal Night Falls is the second issue in the Gallery series, introduced in Season 1 of Marvel Rivals. It features nine Gallery Cards: the first two are unlocked via Battlepass progression, and the other seven by completing Season Events.

Eternal Night Falls[]

Bad news, loyal readers! We’re bringing you another morning-less Morning Edition of New York’s finest newspaper, the Daily Bugle. Why? Because our beloved borough has been trapped in a state of never-ending night for who-knows-how-long, that’s why! As publisher of this peerless periodical, it’s up to me — J. Jonah Jameson — to provide you with all the info you need to know to navigate the perpetual pitch. So here’s the scoop:

• Our intrepid reporters still don’t have a solid source willing to admit what caused Manhattan to become an Empire of Eternal Night, but anonymous scientists have independently confirmed that a massive wave of chronal energy washed over our planet shortly before things went dark. Coincidence? I think not!

• Like something out of a bad horror movie, our city’s streets are now being stalked by vampires. You heard me right. These bloodsuckers have been draining veins faster than my libel lawyers drain my bank account! Our former friends are quickly turning into our worst enemies!

• Rumor has it that Dracula himself has taken up residence in Central Park. Sounds a bit far-fetched to me, but if that caped creeper really is organizing an army, we’d all be better off relocating to New Jersey. (And those aren’t words this lifelong New Yorker types easily!)

• So, where are all the Super Heroes? Eyewitnesses have identified members of the Fantastic Four coming and going regularly from their stronghold in the Baxter Building. As always, the Richards family is on the frontline of the crisis, and we here at the Bugle applaud them for their service.

• Tony Stark recently issued a press release claiming that he and Reed Richards are “collaborating on a number of innovative solutions to restore New York to its former glory as quickly and efficiently as possible.” However, my source on the inside suggests that these two big brains may be at odds when it comes to exactly how they plan to end this endless night. Reed wants to save everyone, while Tony is calculating how many losses are acceptable. (My vote goes with Richards!)

• Other heroes have been seen patrolling the streets, rescuing citizens stupid enough to wander beyond the safety of their apartments. Squirrel Girl, Moon Knight, Cloak and Dagger — you name ‘em they’re probably out there risking their lives to save yours. So, for once, I’m willing to put aside my personal distaste for costumed crusaders and say “Thank you” on behalf of the people of New York to all of those fighting the good fight...

• ...except for one. I have it on very good authority that the less-than-amazing Spider-Man dodged his duties and swung through a portal to have a Spider-party with his friends in the far-flung future! (I’ll see if my photog, Peter Parker, can get me a solid snapshot of that webbed weirdo abandoning his adoring public...)

That’s it for now, fearless readers. We’ll have plenty more news for you tomorrow... if tomorrow ever comes! — J. Jonah Jameson, Publisher

At Your Service[]

Welcome to the Baxter Building! I am a Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-Type, Integrated Electronics. But you may call me H.E.R.B.I.E.

I understand that you must have an urgent matter that requires immediate attention if you were willing to brave the streets of New York to seek out the Fantastic Four’s assistance. Unfortunately, all our personnel are momentarily occupied dealing with other crises.

Dr. Reed Richards [Designate: Mister Fantastic] is in his laboratory working on the prototype of a Timestream Reintegration Device with the help of Tony Stark [Designate: Iron Man]. If the device functions as planned, it could theoretically undo the damage caused to the Multiverse by the Timestream Entanglement. There is even hope it will break the curse that has locked New York City in a state of perpetual night. However, despite his ability to elongate his physical form, I fear Dr. Richards may finally be stretching himself too thin of late…

Susan Richards [Designate: Invisible Woman] is currently on a reconnaissance mission in Central Park, seeking out information on the organizational structure of the vampire army that has invaded the island of Manhattan during this period of prolonged darkness. Her unparalleled stealth abilities have allowed her to gather critical intel on our new foes, putting her directly in the face of grave danger far more frequently than the rest of her family would like.

Her brother, Jonathan Storm [Designate: Human Torch] is on patrol with Spider-Man [Identity: Classified], rescuing civilians who have fallen into peril and recruiting other heroes who have yet to join our cause. Now that the sun no longer rises, Johnny’s flames have made him the center of attention wherever he goes, exactly as he had always hoped to be. He has become a beacon of hope to many in these dark times — and a constant warning to any creatures of the night who might dare to oppose him.

Benjamin Grimm [Designate: The Thing] is on a supply run in lower Manhattan. His expert piloting skills have recently proven nearly as useful as his super strength and rock-hard skin. He has managed to single-handedly save hundreds of lives while retrieving vital equipment and valuable samples — including rare Chronovium crystals — for Dr. Richards to analyze.

With all members of the Fantastic Four indisposed, that leaves me to run daily operations here at the Baxter Building. While I wish I could offer to support you in the field, I am afraid that the few times I have ventured beyond these walls have not gone as smoothly as hoped. Unless Dr. Richards upgrades my offensive capabilities or identifies a mission with objectives that only I can complete, I do believe it would be best for us both to remain within the safety of these walls until a qualified individual becomes available to assist you.

Thank you for your patience. Please take a seat in our lobby with the other civilians who have come to seek our aid. You are currently number 1,961 on the wait list…

Thicker than Blood[]

“Tell me… why have you come here? You are a long way from Latveria.”

“I have brought you a gift, from one king to another: A tribute befitting the Lord of the Vampires.”

“A gift from Victor von Doom? Ha! Do you think me a fool? Another one of your era’s pathetic Super Villains whose loyalty can be purchased with mere baubles? I am Dracula! I have reigned over the night for centuries!”

“And with this crystal, perhaps that reign could become permanent… as could the night itself…”

“Ah… now you have piqued my curiosity, masked one. Do tell me more.”

“What you hold in your hand is called Chronovium. It was born from an experiment of mine that caused the very fabric of time and space to unravel and reweave itself in unexpected ways. As the chronal energy released in the process stabilized once again, it took this crystalline form.”

“Shards of pure time? Fascinating…”

“Not as fascinating as what could be achieved with this gem by one such as yourself. I have studied both the scientific data and the ancient texts. If my theory is correct, a single drop of blood from an immortal being such as yourself could unlock the vast power held within this crystal. You could gain complete control over time… in a limited area. Imagine a modern metropolis locked in a state of unending darkness, becoming a permanent feeding ground for your minions – an Empire of Eternal Night where you rule supreme!”

“How lovely that would be… if it were true. But I have never been given reason to trust your words before, Doom. Why would I begin now?”

“Because we both have much to gain from this arrangement. If you were to choose New York City as your new domain, your legion of followers would keep the so-called heroes who dwell there fully occupied. It would allow us both the freedom to pursue our greater goals.”

“What greater goal is there than the eternal night?”

“An existence where your people can walk in the daylight without any fear or harm. And with the proper spell, pulled from the pages of the Darkhold and enhanced by the power of this crystal, I believe that dream could become a reality.”

“The Vampiric Verses…?

“Indeed.”

“I am not naïve, Victor. There is something more you are not yet revealing to me.”

“Doom never reveals all. But I promise you, on the soul of my mother, this is not an act of deception. What I have offered you will come to pass… should you choose it to…”

“And all it takes is one drop of blood you say…?”

“Just one drop.”

“I do believe I can spare that much. After all, the streets of New York will be running red with it soon enough…”

Ancient Game[]

Ever since I first started hangin’ around with my pal Stephen Strange, he’s always told me the same thing:

“Bats,” he says, “being the Sorcerer Supreme of this dimension means that I do not have the time for games.”

But I guess that was just somethin’ he made up to get outta playin’ fetch with yours truly… ‘cause apparently, when there’s a high-stakes game to be played for the fate of all reality, the Doctor is all in!

See, a while back, we got paid a visit by another so-called Doctor (of what, I’m not really sure). This one called himself “Doom.” He wanted to get his hands on one of the spell books in Strange’s library but this tome — a book of black magic called the Darkhold — was strictly off-limits. Doom wasn’t thrilled about that fact, and Stephen had a feelin’ that his fellow Doctor was bound to come knockin’ again. Strange decided that the safest option would be to open a rift between realities and stash the Darkhold where no one would find it ever again.

And this is where things get a little kooky, even for a ghost dog like me…

Time itself got turned upside-down and Strange ended up lost in the Astral Plane for a hot minute. While he was there, he searched for the Darkhold to make sure it was still safe. But, surprise, it had somehow fallen into the bony hands of an Egyptian Moon God by the name of Khonshu. This bird-skulled freak had been protectin’ travelers in the night for centuries, and he thought the best way to keep doin’ that would be to use the Darkhold to eliminate the vampires that had overrun NYC. Not a bad plan, honestly… except for the fact that it would hurt thousands of regular folks who had been unwillingly turned to the dark side.

Khonshu took Strange captive and tried to make the Doc cast that nasty spell for him. But Strange knew he had to shut Khonshu down. Luckily, the Scarlet Witch had reminded Stephen that Khonshu loved a good game of Senet — which is some kinda fancy Egyptian board game, like chess. Even better, Khonshu wasn’t particularly great at the game. (Seriously! Accordin’ to legend, he lost a match to some other god named Thoth and forfeited his radiance as part of the wager. That’s the whole reason the moon waxes and wanes! Look it up!)

Anywho, Strange played the game of his life, securin’ not only his freedom, but recoverin’ the Darkhold as well. Funny part is, Stephen used a strategy that Doc Doom had himself unintentionally tipped him off to, movin’ his piece to the House of Truth space and drownin’ Khonshu’s in the House of Water, givin’ the Doc a chance for a major comeback.

It was a big gamble, but one that paid off. And now that he’s back safe and sound, I haven't even gotten on his case about always turnin’ me down whenever I wanna play. The guy did save thousands of innocent lives, after all. He deserves a free pass… this time…

But you’d better believe it that next time I ask him to toss a ball for me, I ain’t takin’ “no” for an answer!

Fall of Midtown[]

Name’s Blade. Folks call me that ‘cause of the swords I use to slice the heads off every vampire I cross paths with. To be fair, I use a lot more than swords. Wooden stakes… silver bullets… Hell, I’ll use a squirt gun full of holy water if that’s what it takes to put a fanger down for good. I ain’t picky.

I’ve been huntin’ vamps my whole life, sendin’ the undead back to their graves to make the night a safer place for the livin’. It ain’t an easy job, but I’m one of the few with the skills – or the guts – to do it.

When I heard that Dracula had some sorta master plan brewin’, you can bet I jumped on the first red eye to Transylvania. Turns out, Drac wasn’t home. He’d decided to make New York City his new stompin’ grounds… and he had a trick up his sleeve that even I didn’t see comin’...

Somehow, that freak cast a spell that stopped the sun from risin’, trappin’ Manhattan in a state of non-stop darkness. That made NYC the perfect place for his hungry horde to run wild 24/7. Even worse, it took away my biggest advantage.

See, I’m half-vampire, half-human. I’ve got all the powers of a regular vamp, plus the bonus of being able to walk — and hunt — in broad daylight. But when the dawn don’t ever come? Well, it means my usual way of doin’ things ain’t gonna cut it anymore.

Found that out the hard way when I got back to New York. I sliced a trail through an army of fangers straight to Central Park. Dracula already had a fortress there, and I was itchin’ to pay him a visit. Turns out, he knew I was comin’ and wanted to give me a proper welcome. That pasty creep ambushed me and, even though I fought for my life alongside Spider-Man and the Human Torch, he got the upper hand and hauled me away to the dungeon beneath his castle.

Gotta say, it was a smart move on his part. When you know who your biggest threat is, you take them out first, right? That’s why I was goin’ after Drac. And the fact that he felt the same way about me is kinda an honor. Or it would be, if I weren’t shackled to the wall in this rat-infested cesspit!

I ain’t the only one Dracula needed outta the way either. Apparently, there’s some Asgardian squirrel named Ratatoskr whose enchanted horn can end the life of whatever it pierces, no matter how immortal. Drac summoned that magic squirrel to Earth and locked it up in chains, too.

With his most dangerous foes off the board, Dracula’s minions have free reign of the city. Sure, there are other heroes tryin’ to take ‘em down, but the numbers are in Drac’s favor. All I can do is wait and hope that someone eventually sets me free.

It’s gonna be a long night…

Midnight Missions[]

Don't know if you can hear me right now, Khonshu. It's never been like you to actually listen to anyone's prayers. But if, by some strange chance, this is one of the rare moments where you've decided to give a damn, you might as well know what your Moon Knight has been doing in your name.

You sent me here to New York City to continue your sworn mission, keeping travelers in the night safe from peril. And that's been no easy task now that the entire city has been overrun by vampires. But luckily, I'm not the only one who's been looking to bust up Dracula's bloodsucking brood. Your knight has formed his own round table. We've been calling ourselves the "Eternity Knights." Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

It all started out when Iron Man and I came to the mutual realization that some of the other heroes we'd aligned ourselves with wouldn't be willing to get their hands — or their costumes — dirty. They're all so hung up on the idea that some of these vamps used to be innocent civilians. They aren't willing to accept the notion that every war has casualties. It's like you always taught me, vengeance comes at a steep cost. So does victory.

Stark came around to my way of thinking pretty quickly, but not everyone followed suit. The Fantastic Four and that annoying girl with all the squirrels were too squeaky clean to do what needed to be done. So, while they're up in their ivory tower trying to figure out ways to save everyone, we're down here on the streets doing the real work, saving as many lives as we can... and ending the ones that can't be saved...

Some of my crew are proud to be doing what we do so well. Wolverine and the Winter Soldier wear the ichor like it's a badge of honor. So does the new girl with the giant sword that speaks Japanese. She may be a better hunter than I am. But others don't want their reputations to be tarnished by the blood we're spilling. Good thing Stark has an endless flow of cash and a knack for design. After some recent experiments, he incorporated Chronovium into his armor specs, tapping into its ability to rewind time. The results were some epic new suits with a gothic aesthetic that hits all the right notes... and faces.

We may not be the only ones sporting new threads, though. We recently ran across a group of vamps near my hideout in Greenwich Village that were being led by a man in fancy white armor — and I could've sworn I recognized him from somewhere. Whoever he was, he looked like he was ready to give ol' Dracula a run for his money when it comes to leadership over the vampire army. And when he does, I wanna be there to watch!

In the meantime, I'll be here, keeping the streets safe and doing your dirty work for you, just like a good Fist of Khonshu does. As long as the moon stays out, your knight will be at your service... whether you're listening or not...

Turning the Pages[]

The Baxter Building. Reed Richards’ Laboratory.

”We’ve done it, Reed!” Doctor Strange exclaimed. “Almost all of the pages of the Darkhold are back in our hands once more.”

”And according to my calculations,” Mister Fantastic replied, “the chronal energy that’s been grafted to them should be sufficient enough to get the Timestream Reintegration Device running. All we need to do is extract the time essence from each page and-“

”Not so fast fellas,” a voice unexpectedly interrupted over the Baxter Building’s comm system. “Last I checked, the TRD was a joint effort... and Tony Stark has never been one to miss a product launch!”

”Tony?” Mister Fantastic gasped.

”We cannot let him stand in our way,” Doctor Strange said. With a quick gesture of his hands, the ancient pages of the Darkhold began to swirl around him in a mystical frenzy.

”Get those pages into the Chronal Stephon now, Stephen,” Mister Fantastic ordered. “I’ll deal with our uninvited guest.”

”Deal with me?” Iron Man laughed over the speaker. “And how are you going to do that? By building an untested device and activating it before it’s got enough energy to get the job done? Oh, wait... You’re already doing that...”

”You know full well that we don’t have the time to wait until everything is perfect, Tony,” Mister Fantastic said. “The Timestream Entanglement has to be undone. And the TRD will get the job done. I’ve crunched the numbers.”

”But somehow you’ve lost count of the seconds,” Iron Man said. “Because I’ll be there to stop you from your biggest mistake ever in four... three... two...”

before Iron Man could finish his countdown, Mister Fantastic stretched his malleable body into a sheet-like barrier, blocking off the entrance to his laboratory.

”ONE!” Iron Man yelled from the other side of the doorway. Mister Fantastic grimaced as a barrage of repulsor beams hit him from behind. Though his elasticized form absorbed most of the impact, the pain was still excruciating.

”Reed!” Doctor Strange shouted, deep concern showing on the Sorcerer Supreme’s usually stoic face.

”I wasn’t aiming for you, old friend,” Iron Man said. “You just got between me and my targets.”

”The pages...?” Mister Fantastic asked through gritted teeth. “But Tony... they may be our only hope...”

”I fully agree,” Iron Man answered. “But only if we have all of them. And Moon Knight tells me we’re missing two of the most powerful spells in the book.”

“The Montessi Formula and the Vampiric Verses,” Doctor Strange said knowingly.

”Bingo!” Iron Man replied. “Without those in the mix, the chance of the TRD failing increases beyond a mar gain of error I’m willing to accept. So tell me Reed... are you still going to bet the fate of our universe and countless others on a device that isn’t ready?”

Mister Fantastic paused, then uttered a phrase that he couldn’t recall leaving his lips in ages.

”I don’t know.”

Star Turn[]

When I was younger, I always wanted to be a star.

Whether it was as the hottest actor in Hollywood or the fastest driver on the racing circuit, I had this nagging feeling that the name Johnny Storm was destined to be burned into people’s minds forever. If I’d only known how right I was...

When my sister’s genius boyfriend, Reed, invited me to join him on a mission to space, I thought I’d found my ticket to fame. “Johnny Storm, Astronaut” wasn’t exactly the role I’d been prepping for my whole life, but traveling the stars seemed like a logical first step to stardom. The sky was the limit.

When we crashed back to earth, we had new cosmic powers that turned us into a team of superheroes. People on the streets called me the Human Torch whenever I “flamed on,” but underneath the sheath of burning hot plasma, I was still good old Johnny Storm. And it was finally my time to shine!

Being a member of the Fantastic Four skyrocketed me to celebrity status. I made the front page of the Daily Bugle at least once a week (and the gossip page at least three times). I nabbed a bunch of lucrative product endorsements. And I amassed a following of diehard fans who hung on my every move. It was everything I ever wanted when I was a kid.

But I’ve started to think that maybe it’s not enough.

See, between commercial shoots and night club openings, my day job has always been saving the world. And I’m not gonna lie, I’m really good at it. Or at least I was, until Dracula somehow cursed New York City and trapped it in constant darkness. The city’s heroes have been fighting vampires - and each other - as we’ve tried to find a solution... but nothing seems to be working. And frankly, I’m feeling a bit burnt out.

But there may still be hope. While Reed tinkers with some sort of timeline-fixing doohickey, my big sis, Sue, is taking the battle straight to its source. She found a way into Dracula’s Castle, and she’s planning to lead a squad in to finish the fight. But she’s gonna need a major distraction to pull it off. Good thing her baby brother has never been one to pass up on some extra attention!

If I push my powers to their limits, I can go supernova and buy Sue and her crew the time they need. And since I’ll essentially be on a mini-sun for a hot second, I’ll wipe out a ton of vampires in the process. (Boy, do those jerks hate the sun!)

Yeah, I know the risks. At best, I’m gonna lose consciousness. At worst... well, let’s just hope the Bugle writes me a good obituary. And it’d better be on the front page, above the fold! Because if Johnny Storm goes down…

…it’s going to be as the star he was always meant to be!

Plans Within Plans[]

A Passage from the Book of Doom - 2099.

Doom rarely finds himself a reason to admit fault, but I must say, I seem to have underestimated myself.

When that bothersome past version of me - the one decades ago whose foolish meddling fractured the timestream - gave a powerful shard of Chronovium to the Lord of Vampires as a part of a ploy to shroud New York City in darkness, I assumed he was merely playing games that were far beneath my notice. I should have realized that any Doom, even one lesser than I, always has a scheme in play that will unfold into something far grander... with time...

Despite his initial reservations, Dracula convinced himself that the Doom of his era was an ally to his cause, having provided him with a means to locate a missing page of the Darkhold containing the Vampiric Verses. With that incantation, Dracula believed he would be able to raise an infinite army of the undead that would spread across the world and feast until the end of days. Though Dracula knew in his black heart that Doom could not be trusted, he looked past his trepidations to achieve his own goals. It was an error in judgment that would prove fatal.

Doom had deceived Dracula from the very start. My past self did indeed want Dracula to locate the Vampiric Verses, but not so that the vampire king could create of more children of the night. Instead, Doom wished to tap into the very essence of the immortality bestowed upon vampirekind through this arcane rite. By funneling that time-defying magic into the Chronovium, Doom believed he could create an even stronger form of the crystal - Pure Blood Chronovium. After all, if a single drop of Dracula’s blood infused into the shard could give the vampires an empire, Doom suspected that an endless supply of that same immortal energy would help him reshape the timestream as he saw fit.

Knowing full well that such machinations would be instantly opposed by the Sorcerer Supreme and his heroic allies, Doom could not risk his true plot being discovered. So he manipulated events from the shadows, letting Dracula and his minions dirty their hands as they unwittingly held Doom’s greatest foes at bay. And once the Vampiric Verses were located, Doom changed his allegiance and secretly assisted the heroes in their efforts to defeat Dracula - all in order to claim his ultimate prize and work his ancient magic on the Chronovium.

Surprisingly, Doom’s plan turned out to be a resounding success, with every move unfolding just as he had orchestrated it. Outwitting everyone, Doom stood triumphant with the Pure Blood Chronovium in his iron grip. Even I was impressed.

But he is not the only Doom with grand plans in motion. And while he may have ended this round with a win, I will soon prove to him that he is but a mere glimmer of the man he is destined to become.

Now, if you will excuse me, Doom has a gala to attend...