As the difficulty of the questions increased, the participants realized that they needed to focus even more intently on the videos shown on the screen. Erik and Charles, knowing they couldn't change the game's rules, focused all their attention on the footage, ensuring they didn't miss any detail.
After the latest question, the screen started playing another video.
The footage showed a ferry at sea, where two masked figures were locked in intense combat. One of them wore a red and black suit with a spider emblem on his chest, immediately identifying him as Spider-Man.
His opponent was a man in a peculiar suit of armor, with a helmet obscuring his face and a pair of mechanical wings on his back. The wings allowed him to fly freely over the ocean, where he wielded a weapon capable of firing powerful purple energy blasts. Using his aerial advantage, he continuously fired at Spider-Man.
The purple energy beams were incredibly destructive, slicing through reinforced steel with ease. Spider-Man countered by shooting webs to interfere with the man's flight, attempting to pull him down. After a prolonged struggle, Spider-Man managed to snag the opponent's energy weapon with his web and rip it away. However, the weapon turned out to be unstable. After being jostled a couple of times, it malfunctioned and began firing uncontrollably in all directions.
At that moment, Spider-Man stood frozen, overwhelmed like a child who had made a mess and didn't know how to fix it.
The video paused, and a new question appeared on the screen:
[In the video, who is responsible for driving the Vulture to a life of crime?
This is a team buzzer question. Answer correctly to gain 4 points; an incorrect answer deducts 4 points. For a regular answer, 1 point is gained or lost]
[A: Peter Parker (Spider-Man)
B: Nick Fury
C: Tony Stark/Iron Man
D: Thanos]
Young Peter tilted his head, muttering, "The Vulture, huh? Doesn't sound like a nice guy. A vulture's a scavenger, after all."
Pietro chuckled. "Ha! You're just saying that because he's your opponent. Little guy, he's your opponent to deal with now."
Turning to Doctor Strange, he asked, "What do you think? That armor of his reminds me of someone. You know who I mean."
"Tony?" Strange rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There wasn't much information in the video, but the question is interesting. You might be onto something—Tony does have a way of rubbing people the wrong way. Remember Killian? Tony's arrogance drove that guy to revenge."
Strange seemed inclined to pick Tony Stark as the answer.
Meanwhile, Team A was stumped. With little to go on and limited knowledge of the Marvel Universe, Erik and his team decided to go with Peter Parker (Spider-Man) as their answer.
As the countdown began, both teams hit their buzzers. Erik successfully secured the chance to answer first, choosing A, while Team B selected C.
When the countdown ended, the correct answer was revealed:
[Team A's answer is incorrect. Player Erik Lenhenserr, player Charles Xavier, and player Logan Howlett each lose 4 points]
[Congratulations to Team B! Player Stephen Strange, player Pietro Maxinoff, and player Peter Parker each gain 1 point]
Young Peter cheered with a triumphant "Yes!" while Strange smirked. "See? I told you. Tony has a knack for creating his own problems—and dragging others into them."
Pietro nodded in agreement. "It's not just his mouth. Stark Industries was a weapons manufacturer. How many lives were lost because of their creations? While Tony may not be solely to blame, he definitely bears some responsibility."
The screen resumed playing, showing the backstory behind the Vulture's descent into crime.
The video opened with a man wearing glasses, speaking in a calm, reflective tone. He held up a childlike drawing and said, "The world has changed so much. Look at this picture—aliens, that green giant… How many buildings did they destroy? Back when I was a kid, I used to draw cowboys."
Though the drawing was crude, it clearly depicted scenes from the Avengers' first battle against the Chitauri invasion.
The camera then panned out, revealing a ruined cityscape. The once-bustling metropolis of New York was now scarred and devastated. Piles of debris littered the streets, remnants of the alien invasion.
"This must be after the Battle of New York," Strange commented solemnly. "The aftermath of that fight left a huge mess."
The Chitauri had not only left behind destruction but also alien wreckage and waste. The scene shifted to focus on the man holding the drawing—Adrian Toomes. Toomes appeared as a resourceful middle-aged man who had found opportunity amid the chaos. Tasked with clearing debris from the city, he had discovered a way to profit from salvaging alien scrap. Over time, he gained valuable experience in handling alien materials.
For Toomes, this work had become a lucrative business. He invested his savings into buying equipment, hiring workers, and building his operation. Everything seemed to be going well—until disaster struck.
A government cleanup team arrived, coldly informing Toomes that all operations involving alien materials would now be handled by them. His company was being shut down.
Toomes was stunned. Having poured all his resources into this venture, he couldn't accept losing his livelihood.
____________
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