It's not often we get to break such stories, but a Norse demigod, Thor, has demolished and scattered the fragments of a Cosmic Cube in order to keep it away from his adoptive brother, the trickster deity Loki. The Cube is a battery fashioned by the Beyonders, a higher-dimensional species, and could unleash unimaginable destructive power upon the earth if reconstructed. Thus, Earth's mightiest heroes have assembled to recover the fragments. It seems likely they'll be opposed in this quest by a coalition of supervillains, including Nazi war criminal Red Skull, mad scientist Otto "Octopus" Octavius, and the so-called "Green Goblin" of New York. The fate of Tacoma rests on the outcome of this epic confrontation.

Are you a Marvel true believer? Then the Avengers will require your assistance - not to mention your kids' - when this high-stakes battle reaches the Tacoma Dome. Brought to you by Feld Entertainment, producers of such beloved traveling shows as Disney on Ice and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, Marvel Universe LIVE! is an extravaganza like no other. With a reported budget in the eight-digit range, expect lasers, pyrotechnics, 3-D projections, flipping jeeps, an eight-foot Hulk, and enough high-flying stunts to give Cirque du Soleil a case of vertigo.

The intimidatingly fit cast features X Games silver medalist Louise Forsley as Black Widow, and three-time X Games champion Phil Smage as Captain America. "These are intense roles," director and co-writer Shanda Sawyer explained, "that require performers (who can) push the limits of anything the audience has ever seen in an arena show of this caliber - and they need to do this day in and day out." Sawyer is a two-time Emmy winner who's worked with such diverse talents as Beyoncé, Andrea Bocelli and Miley Cyrus. Her fellow writers, the brother-and-sister team of Melanie Wilson LaBracio and Adam Wilson, are veterans of Disney, Disney Interactive, DreamWorks, and Nickelodeon animation, plus the live show Disney on Ice Presents Frozen.

"The quest for this cube," said Thor, "has made monsters of good men, wiped out entire realms with useless warfare. No more!"

Loki begs to differ. "Just like my brother Thor, in his noble arrogance, to have underestimated my persistence," he sneered. "Soon you will all kneel before Loki, and your world will be mine!" If you want to help prevent that, join Spider-Man, Wolverine, and S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury's entire Avengers team in their globe-spanning quest. The show is, of course, kid-friendly, but people with certain neurological disorders should be warned it uses strobed lighting effects. Children under the age of 2 get in free (on a parent's lap). Marvel cosplay is encouraged, but please refrain from bringing any Tactigons, Infinity Gauntlets, or other galactic superweapons into the arena. Safety first.

MARVEL UNIVERSE LIVE!, 7 p.m., Thurs.-Fri. Feb. 25-26, 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. Sat., Feb. 27, 1 and 5 p.m. Sun., Feb. 28, Tacoma Dome, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma, $25-$75, 253.573.2350