Battle of Earth

"In all my years of conquest, violence, slaughter, it was never personal. But I'll tell you now, what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet... I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much."

- Thanos to Captain America

The Battle of Earth was the culminating battle for the fate of the planet and the entire universe, fought amongst the Avengers and their allies united, against alternate timeline versions of Thanos, the Black Order, and their full arsenal of Outrider, Chitauri and Sakaaran armies. The monumental scale of the battle makes it one of the largest extraterrestrial conflicts in Earth's history.

The battle took place in the demolished ruins of the New Avengers Facility in New York, shortly after it was annihilated by Thanos' flagship, the Sanctuary II. After the Avengers rallied their own defenses in the Wakandans, Masters of the Mystic Arts, Ravagers, Asgardians and the Guardians of the Galaxy, both sides collided to a head in a massive assault, fighting for possession of the Infinity Stones. Many casualties from both battlefronts resulted from the battle.

With both sides vying for supremacy, the tide turned in favour of the Avengers when Captain Marvel used her cosmic powers to destroy the Sanctuary II, which up until that point pinned down the Avengers and gave Thanos the tactical advantage. The battle came to a decisive close when Iron Man sacrificed his life to activate the completed Iron Gauntlet, wiping out Thanos and his armies, effectively avenging the resurrected trillions who previously perished in the Decimation, and ending his war on Earth.

Tony Stark's Nightmare
"We can bust down arms dealers all the livelong day, but that up there? That's the endgame."

- Iron Man

In 2015, during the War on HYDRA, when the Avengers attacked Wolfgang von Strucker's base in Sokovia, Tony Stark was induced a horrific vision by Scarlet Witch of the impeding Battle of Earth, where the Avengers laid either dead or mortally injured, and a swarm of Leviathans were descending upon the planet under Thanos' command. Keeping this vision to himself, Stark became increasing fearful for the planet's safety. However, most of his efforts to protect the planet were mere stepping stones to place these grave events closer into motion, including the campaign against Ultron,, the Avengers Civil War , and inevitably, the Decimation.

Attack on the New Avengers Facility
"Avengers... assemble!"

- Captain America

In 2023, five years after the Decimation, the Avengers began orchestrating a Time Heist to recollect the Infinity Stones from the past. During the Theft of the Power Stone, Thanos, from an alternate 2014 timeline, had learned from Nebula that the Avengers would defeat him, and reverse the Decimation. Now fully convinced that the universe wouldn't be grateful for his actions and wouldn't let go of the past, he set off with a new plan to destroy the current universe with the Infinity Stones, and start fresh to create a universe which Thanos had deemed to be peaceful. He sent Nebula (from his timeline) to infiltrate the Avengers, and shrink the Sanctuary II to their timeline in 2023.

Following the Reversal of the Decimation, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Thor rallied themselves and confronted Thanos after he destroyed the New Avengers Facility with bombs fired from the Sanctuary II. Sending The Mad Titan incapacitated Iron Man and overpowered Thor, but Rogers proved worthy to wield Mjolnir and intervened. He was eventually overpowered and his shield was split in half. Meanwhile, the Nebulas from both timelines fought each other, with the 2023 Nebula emerging victorious.

After being beaten by Thanos, Rogers got a message over his comms from Sam Wilson. Shortly after, portals created by Doctor Strange began to open up behind them, revealing the allies of the Avengers: the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Dora Milaje and the Wakandan tribes, the Masters of the Mystic Arts, the Asgardians and the Ravagers. Heroes who were decimated by Thanos also returned: Black Panther, Shuri, Falcon, Doctor Strange, Drax, Mantis, Star-Lord, Spider-Man, Winter Soldier, Groot, Scarlet Witch, and Wasp. Heroes who were not decimated by Thanos also appeared to aid the Avengers in battle: Pepper Potts, donning a new blue-and-silver armor, Okoye, M'Baku, Wong, Valkyrie, Korg, Miek, Howard the Duck, Kraglin, and Gamora from 2014. The two sides held a short standoff before Captain America gave the call sign and the two sides collided.

Battle
"Do you remember when we were in space? And I got all dusty? And I must have passed out, because I woke up and you were gone, but Doctor Strange was there, right, and he was like "It's been five years, come on, they need us." And then he started doing that yellow sparkly thing he does all the time."

- Spider-Man to Iron Man

To be added

Aftermath
"Hey, Pep..." "Tony, look at me. We're gonna be okay. You can rest now."

- Tony Stark and Pepper Potts

After Thanos and his army disintegrated into ashes at the hands of Tony Stark, a fatally wounded Stark collapsed onto the ground and laid against a mound of wreckage. Rhodes came to his side and upon seeing the state of the injury the Infinity Stones had inflicted on Stark knew that he wouldn't have long to live. All he could do was smile whilst crying and place his hand on his best friend's head, giving a silent final farewell. Spider-Man rushed immediately towards him next trying not to cry whilst seeing the severity of his injury and proclaiming that they had won. The last to arrive was his wife Pepper Potts. Stark was swiftly losing consciousness. However, when Potts spoke to him, he managed to acknowledge her and placed her hand on his chest as a final gesture of love to his wife. She then told him that they had won, that everything was going to be okay and now he could rest. Soon afterward, Stark died and his arc reactor permanently powered down, leaving Potts, Spider-Man, and War Machine to weep profusely with his fellow Avengers looking on in sadness; they had lost not only the hero who saved the universe from Thanos, but also a husband, a father, a mentor, a comrade, and a best friend.

Stark was laid to rest at his riverside home, with all the allies he had and his friends had made on their respective journies attending. A wreath holding Tony's Mark I chest piece, inscribed by Pepper with the words "Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart", was laid on the river and floated away. Happy Hogan comforted Morgan Stark during the funeral and asked if she was hungry. Morgan responded to Hogan that she wanted cheeseburgers, with Hogan saying that he would get her all the cheeseburgers she wanted if it made her happy.

Thor passed his leadership to Valkyrie as the new leader of the New Asgard, and he later joins with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Peter Quill continues his search for Gamora since she mysteriously disappeared after the battle.

Following the funeral, Captain America took it upon himself to return the Infinity Stones to the separate timelines where they had been taken, as well as Mjolnir, which Thor had recovered in the same timeline they had retrieved the Reality Stone, in order to prevent the possibility of alternate, horrific timelines without the stones that the Ancient One had described to Bruce Banner. Banner, Bucky Barnes, and Sam Wilson saw Rogers off as he used the Quantum Portal to return the items, with Banner stating that it would take him "as long as he needed" while for them only five seconds would pass.

As Steve Rogers disappeared through time, Banner prepared to return him on the count of five; however, after five, Rogers did not return, despite Banner's efforts. Fearing the worst, that perhaps he had failed somewhere, Banner and Wilson panicked, whilst Barnes noticed an old man sitting alone on a bench on the shore of the lake. Barnes called Wilson over, who understood what the man meant immediately, walking over to reveal an aged Rogers sitting by a circular bag.

Rogers reminisced over the memories they had shared, and pulled the bag over, opening it; it contained Rogers' shield. Rogers asked Wilson to try it on, and in doing so, Wilson mused over the retirement of Rogers, saying that America would never be the same without its captain, a statement to which Rogers bestowed the title of Captain America unto Falcon. Sam, shocked, accepted the honor and told Rogers that he would do his best. As they shook hands, Wilson noticed a wedding ring on Rogers' ring finger and asked him to elaborate on his wife, to which Rogers simply said "No. No, I don't think I will."

Meanwhile, in America, many decades before, Rogers and Carter dance to romantic music slowly in a suburban neighborhood home, ending with a kiss.