Jersey City, NJ – January 7, 2016 – An alien artifact of unknown origin was stolen from Liberty Science Center on Wednesday after a Chitauri warrior forcefully entered the building. He was swiftly removed from the premises after the arrival of Jersey City’s own Ms Marvel and fellow Avenger, Nova.

“We were coming back from the animal gallery when we saw this big dude standing over a case smashing the thing,” said Deepesh Dhingra, a 14-year-old student from Coles Academy. “I was trying to get a good Snap when Ms Marvel did her giant hand thing and threw me and C.J. behind a wall.”

The stolen artifact was found during construction of the original building in 1993. Officers from the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate (S.H.I.E.L.D.) now known as the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) did not believe the artifact to be of any significance and approved of its display in building.

“Despite our best efforts to identify the artifact, we were unable to find any meaningful reason why it would have been located under the Science Center’s parking lot,” said Paul Hoffman, Liberty Science Center President and CEO. “I am thrilled that we all still have a place to work now that Ms Marvel has saved LSC!”

While there was moderate damage to the building, Hoffman noted that the reconstruction will be paid for by Stark Industries, a long-time partner of the Science Center.

“Not ten minutes after the dastardly Chitauri was gone I had a voicemail from someone at The Stark Foundation saying that the building would be repaired within a month,” Hoffman said. “Tony Stark has a passion for supporting STEM education. We’re very lucky to count him among our friends.”

At press time, the Chitauri warrior was still at large.