THE FALL OF THE HAMMER (1994)

Threatened by the rise of a new Heroic Age that could challenge their control of America, soulless mega-corporation Alchemax aim to reclaim their power by introducing the Aesir. With Thor leading the charge, the Aesir are charged with killing the 2099 incarnations of Spider-Man, the Punisher, Doom, the X-Men and the bizarre beast-man Ravage and reclaiming the love of the hopeless American people from their floating city, Valhalla. But our heroes don't die easily...

Officially a five-parter, the unofficial aftermath is featured in a Spider-Man story I've also included below...

Previous events that directly impact this story:

• THE RISE OF THE HAMMER - Alchemax recruits the Aesir and raise Valhalla

Crossover: A standard five-part crossover with an optional epilogue issue.

• Spider-Man 2099 #16
• Ravage 2099 #15
• X-Men 2099 #5
• Doom 2099 #14
• Punisher 2099 #13
• Spider-Man 2099 #17 (tie-in)

Spider-Man 2099 #16

Miguel O'Hara and Dana D'Angelo's tour of the floating city dubbed Valhalla has been interrupted by the arrival of 'Thor' and 'Heimdall' who claim Valhalla as their own. Miguel questions Thor's identity, so the Thunder God throws him through a window, leaving Dana thinking he's dead. Miguel dons his Spider-Man costume and returns to find Dana and others have been evacuated. After a protracted battle with Thor, Spider-Man is hurled through a window again, this time by the force of 'Mjolnir'. He lands in Downtown where he's found by the Punisher. Elsewhere, Miguel's mother Conchata O'Hara escapes the Wellvale Home...

Ravage 2099 #15

The X-Men confront Ravage over his apparent connection to Valhalla and the disappearance of scientist Jordan Boone, Alchemax employee and long term friend of Meanstreak. Ravage convinces the X-Men to join him in attempting to take down Valhalla. The fly a ship up to the city where Meanstreak, Krystalin and Bloodhawk face Heimdal, while Ravage's attempt to sabotage Valhalla is interrupted by 'Hela'. Ravage realises Hela is actually his girlfriend Tiana Sikoski and breaks Alchemax's control over her. In Downtown, Spider-Man and the Punisher become uneasy allies...

X-Men 2099 #5

Heimdall makes short work of the X-Men. Skullfire attempts to join his friends on Valhalla by coercing an aircab driver to fly him up, but the cab's engine gives out as he makes his approach and he's saved by Doom. 'Loki' emerges and approaches Meanstreak who quickly realises it's a transformed Jordan Boone. Loki explains how he volunteered to be transformed and reveals the source of the Aesir's powers is neuro-technology which can be blocked. With that, the X-Men defeat Heimdall just as Skullfire and Doom arrive. Thor shows up and strikes down Bloodhawk with a bolt of lightning...

Doom 2099 #14

Doom and Thor battle it out until Doom blocks the source of Thor's power, sending them both hurtling to the ground below Valhalla. Doom survives the fall by becoming intangible, while Thor is recovered by Alchemax. CEO Avatarr threatens to take back Thor's power, making him Father Cecil McAdam once again. McAdam relents and agrees to follow Avatarr's orders. Loki explains that Valhalla will fall from the sky as part of Alchemax's plan, dodges the arriving Punisher and Spider-Man and takes his leave before his new power can be stolen back from him. Doom locates Avatarr who challenges Doom's new heroic role. Doom returns to the other heroes with the threat of Valhalla's fall getting ever closer...

Punisher 2099 #13

After they've defeated the Berserkers and are taunted by a hologram of Avatarr, Doom instructs the Punisher and Spider-Man to bring down the Aesir while he and Ravage attempt to prevent the fall of Valhalla. Jake Gallows' split personality almost allows 'Baldur' and Heimdall an easy win, but the Punisher soon reclaims control and disintegrates them with a plasma gas blast. Doom instals his own Null-G Warp Matrix into Valhalla and prevents it from falling. Thor tries to smash the matrix and send Valhalla crashing into New York. The Punisher and Spider-Man bring Thor down and end the threat. Avatarr's hologram appears once again and taunts the Punisher with a premonition that he will suffer at the hands of Jigsaw in his own Punishment Hotel...

Spider-Man 2099 #17 (tie-in)

The heroes depart Valhalla, with Doom betraying them in order to claim the floating city for himself. Spider-Man parts ways with the Punisher and heads straight for Downtown where Bloodsword - now 'Bloodhammer'- has claimed 'Mjolnir' and the adoration of Conchata O'Hara. Back in street clothes, Miguel tries to convince his mother to leave the crowd, but the fuss she makes gains Bloodhammer's attention and he strings Miguel up, ready to kill him. Miguel uses his claws to escape while pretending to call on the gods for help, winning over the crowd. He knocks Bloodhammer down and gets his mother to safety. Nearby, a weathered Cecil McAdam reclaims Mjolnir and wanders away... 

Punisher 2099 #15 (1994)
Jigsaw escapes the Punishment Hotel after almost killing the Punisher with his own Molecular Disintegrator chair.

Spider-Man 2099 #18-19 (1994)
Dana learns Miguel O'Hara is alive; Lyla's apparent emotional behaviour is revealed to be the result of a virus; Lyla has her original programming restored after she tries to kill Dana D'Angelo.

X-Men 2099 #16-19 (1995)
Jordan Boone is tortured by the Synge Casino and when they believe he's cheating; Boone is transformed into the mischievous Halloween Jack; Jack seeks out Meanstreak to help him gain his revenge on the Synge.

2099 Unlimited #4 (1994)

Sigurd, one of Alchemax's failed Aesir experiments, is unleashed on San Francisco until it's defeated by the Hulk.

Spider-Man 2099 #25 (1994)
Conchata O'Hara makes confronts Tyler Stone, warning him not to tell Miguel O'Hara that he's Tyler's son on pain of death; Miguel overhears the conversation.

Captain Marvel #28-29 (2002)

Jordan Boone appears to have willingly returned to Alchemax in his human guise.

X-Men 2099 #21 (1995)

Doom puts an end to Halloween Jack's plot to use Virtual Unreality to turn the whole planet into a state of chaos during ONE NATION UNDER DOOM.

Doom 2099 #31 (1995)
CEO Avatarr is revealed to be an alien and is killed by Doom during ONE NATION UNDER DOOM.

Spider-Man 2099 #35 (1995)
Bloodsword/Bloodhammer takes on a new identity as Bloodmace; Bloodmace is killed by the Venom Symbiote during ONE NATION UNDER DOOM.

X-Force #92 (1999)
Halloween Jack is revealed to have jumped back in time (and reality) to Earth-616.

See how this story fits into the wider Marvel Multiverse:

• 2099: The New Heroic Age (1992-1994)