In the beginning, there was One, and from that One, came Two...

--Codex Draco.

INTERLUDE

In another Universe, there were two properties, the same as here. Life, and Anti-Life. They knew many names. Ormudz and Ahriman, Vishnu and Shiva, Osiris and Set, Alpha and Omega. As Faith begat Science and Science begat Super-Science, these two were known by names that made little sense: X and V. If they were numbers in a world that had lost numerology, none knew. What was known, however, was that - in a world of superheroes and supervillains - these two forces as old as time became the kings that directed al the pawns around the boards. And each game was stalemate.

Time itself became the latest battleground, two natures fighting for control of Reality, metahumanity and magic the tools at their disposal. At some point, a mystery - the V became something besides a mere force, it became a personality. The origin of how Ahriman became Viper is lost to Time, but it's consequences are the scars of an entire universe.

With this change, the rules changed, the Viper personality gained a cult of personality. And this doomed it. This nearly destroyed the V. Viper had empowered a man named Saros to hemp him stop the X from gaining a new mortal Host. However, the enmity Saros held for the last Host of the X carried across time. In a shattering of Continuity, Saros nearly destoryed both X and V to get at his enemy. He was killed, and with him almost died his new enemy, his creator.

The V awoke in a new universe, dying. A confluence of destinies meant it could only bond with one man. Luckily for it, that man was in reach. Reaching through Time with the last of his power, Viper created a cult on this new world. This cult used one of Viper's old agents, Incursion, to complete his goal. Now Viper lives, regaining his strength. It's up to me to stop him.

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In another Universe, there were two properties, the same as here. Matter, and Anti-Matter. In both sides of the universe, Earths formed and lived similarly until World War II. Then things changed. On Anti-Matter Earth, metahumans won the war, and some pushed for greater power. None pushed harder than Randall Grey. With an army of the discontent, Grey swept over and conquered America. In the end, only one man stood against him, his own son.

John Randall Grey first made the journey to Matter Earth to get the help of the orignal MBL to save his world. In doing so, he rewrote his planet's history, and inadvertantly helped change his villainous father into the mighty Lord Entropy. John Grey, known as The Indestructible Man for his metahuman abilities returned to Matter Earth (as did Entropy), where Grey joined the MBL and the time-journeying group TOMB. Over the years he fought many villains, including the evil Viper.

It was as a member of TOMB that he first learned of the history of the X and V, and got on a first-name basis of inamy with Viper. It was only after Grey merged with his own father and gained the abilities of Entropy, though, that Viper could see Grey as a true threat -- and an opportunity.

John Grey went missing, shortly thereafter. A son he never knew had been transformed by Viper into the being called Incursion, his rage against his missing father sharpened into a weapon against him. As his Universe fell, Grey was locked away for five years in an 11th Dimensional prison. Only when Viper lay dying from his battles with Saros was Grey freed, to be used for his ultimate destiny -- as the V's permanent Host on this world -- an Earth with no X, an Earth ripe for Viper's taking.

Unless I can stop him, that is. Unless I can do something and save my son's soul before it's too late...

End Interlude