Technically, a team of heroes like the Fantastic Four doesn't really have a leader.
After all, we are all in the same position, and there is no saying that anyone is in a higher position than anyone else.
But as long as it's a team, there will inevitably be issues of voice and leadership.
Mr. Fantastic Reed may not have had the idea of being a leader, but in the Fantastic Four, he's just got to be more of a leader than Jonathan.
It's actually quite normal that this would happen.
Because Jonathan does seem a little too unreliable.
Before he even awakened his superpowers, Jonathan was not a peaceful guy.
Not to mention Mr. Fantastic Reed and Ben the Stoner, even his own sister, Susan the Invisible Woman, is head over heels for him.
Three out of a team of four think he's unreliable.
Then his position on the team is, well, predictable.
Jonathan was a bit of a loose cannon, but he wasn't stupid.
Like the reporters, he heard the meaning of Russell's words the first time.
This ...
Jonathan didn't expect Russell to give him any face at all.
Jonathan wouldn't have been able to get a smile on his face if it weren't for the cameraman in front of him still taking crazy pictures of them.
These reporters didn't know exactly what kind of relationship Russell and Jonathan had with each other, but Russell's answer made them keenly aware of the odor that the two of them were not on good terms.
After answering the reporter's question, Russell ignored Jonathan, who had a slightly embarrassed expression, and shot his tentacles towards the building next to him.
Then, swinging his tentacles, he left the scene as Jonathan and the reporters watched.
Watching Russell's disappearing back, Jonathan felt like a clown now.
After Russell left, he had no thoughts of continuing to deal with these reporters, and flames emerged from his body, transforming into a fireman who shot up into the sky and quickly disappeared.
These little tidbits between Russell and Jonathan unsurprisingly made the headlines the next day.
After all, this is the first meeting between their two old and new superheroes.
Russell didn't take that little tidbit to heart at all.
Two more days.
The first Zago mass-produced battle armor was finally born.
3 and Peter did not disappoint Russell and managed to keep the cost under twenty million dollars.
After testing the scaled-down version of the Zagu Battle Armor for himself, Russell made a call to that Republican senator.
The product is out, and it's time to meet and chat with these military bigwigs.
Some estate in the suburbs of New York.
Introduced by the Senator, Russell had no trouble meeting the three U.S. Army bigwigs, all of whom were major generals at the minimum.
Of these three military bigwigs, Russell is pleasantly surprised to find that one of them he actually recognizes.
General Ross!
Looking at General Ross, who was wearing the uniform of a lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force, several names quickly flashed through Russell's mind.
Bruce Banner, Betty Ross, Emil Blonsky ...
I also don't know if the Bruce Banner of this world has mutated yet, I have to find a chance to investigate it when I go back.
Although many names and thoughts flashed through his mind, Russell's expression didn't change at all as if he didn't even know who General Ross was and shook their hands.
After a few polite pleasantries, Russell didn't waste everyone's time and handed General Russell's trio the information on the Zagu Battle Armor that had been prepared long ago.
General Ross is interested in super soldiers though.
What he was interested in, however, was a super soldier like Captain America, not a high-tech single combat armor like the Zagu Battle Armor.
But even so, he still carefully skimmed through the information Russell handed him on the Zagu Battle Armor.
While General Ross didn't have much interest, the other two generals were notably interested in the Zag Suuj Battle Armor.
"Your selling price for this battle armor is a bit too high, isn't it?"
One of them, an Army Major General named Jack, said to Russell.
"General Jack, expensive versus cheap depends on what weapon you're comparing it to."
"Jericho missiles are just as expensive, but the military still loves them, doesn't it?"
The 120 million dollar asking price does seem a bit steep, but Russell isn't worried about that at all.
In the absence of a comparable competitor, unless the military can develop its own battle armor.
Otherwise, even if the selling price of the Zagu Battle Armor was a bit inflated, the military would have no choice but to purchase it from him.
"The power of the Jericho missile has been proven in actual combat, but your battle armor, at the moment, only has data on paper."
General Jack continued.
"That's a bit of a misnomer General, there's no proof of actual combat simply because the battle armor has only just begun production now."
"General if you guys are interested, I can always provide battle armor on my side for actual combat testing."
Russell returned without condescension.
Although he was confident in the Zagu Battle Armor, General Jack was still a little less convinced until he had seen the results of the actual battle test.
On paper and in theory, he's seen a lot of data.
Some of the military industrial complexes are still saying they can produce Jagdpanther cannons when they are trying to get orders from the military.
There was no immediate snap decision, but General Jack and the others still gave Russell a chance to prove the battle armor.
They were going to test the Zagu Battle Armor in real combat at the military's testing grounds.
To this arrangement of theirs, Russell did not refuse.
Military orders are not that easy to get!
Without letting them see the actual effect, even if he made the Zag Suuj Battle Armor sound as powerful as he did, it would be impossible to get an order from the military.
After agreeing on a time for the practical test, Russell left the study, intending to return to the lab.
However, he had just arrived at the hall when General Ross, who hadn't said much just now, suddenly came to him.
"What did you want to see me about, General?"
"Go to the tasting room and talk."
This was the senator's estate, but in General Ross's position, there was no problem at all in borrowing the senator's tasting room.
In the tasting room.
Russell and General Ross sit opposite each other.
"You might as well say what you have to say, General?"
"I don't have much interest in your Zako battle armor, but I'm interested in you."
General Ross looked at Russell with a serious expression and said slowly.
"Uh ... General, I don't like men!" Russell said with a frown.
Upon hearing his topic, General Ross nearly spewed the red wine in his mouth.
"You ..."
After putting down the glass in his hand, General Ross looked at Russell with a straight face and said again, "I don't like men either!"
General Ross retorted righteously.
"It's just me and you here, and I'm not going to beat around the bush with you."
"You're in the Underworld, and I'm well aware of it."
"I have a plan here that needs a special person like you on board."
General Ross didn't say so explicitly, but Russell could roughly guess what he called his special program.
It's not hard to guess at all if you don't just want a team of super soldiers like Captain America!
"General, you may be a little mistaken."
"Just because I sell weapons to the military doesn't mean I want to be the military's weapon; they're two completely different things."