After the Kingpin incident, Anton finally took some time to relax. He'd spent the past few days focused on work at DC Company, overseeing content creation and mapping out plans for future development.
One of his key responsibilities involved working with Toby, the head of the screenwriting department, to outline story arcs for the superheroes DC would be introducing soon.
Top of the list? Superman, of course.
Despite Anton's choice to model himself after Batman, he was well aware of Superman's immense power. If he could eventually unlock a Superman template, he'd gain a significant boost in combat power—almost unparalleled by anything else available.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, power levels are typically divided into planetary, galactic, and universal tiers, but Superman in his ordinary form could nearly breach the universal threshold.
And some versions of Superman—like Golden Age, Silver Age, or Superman Prime—went far beyond, reaching the multiversal level, beyond comprehension for most people.
Justice value must be earned by performing good deeds. However, redeeming a special form of Superman goes beyond simply saving the Earth; it would likely require resolving multiple cosmic crises, saving the universe, or even addressing multiverse-level threats.
Naturally, Anton envisions this as his ultimate goal for the future.
However, to obtain even an "ordinary" Superman template, Anton would need an astronomical 100 million fan value.
Right now, despite everything he'd accomplished as Batman, his total fan value was just under 50 million. This goal seemed distant, but Anton knew it would be a game-changer if he could pull it off.
Even if Thanos showed up tomorrow, as long as he didn't have the Infinity Stones, Superman's power would allow Anton to stand a chance in a one-on-one battle.
In the meantime, though, Anton had to be realistic. The Superman plan would take time—perhaps two years, he estimated.
Meanwhile, he needed a secondary hero to back him up. The current single-hero approach, relying solely on Batman, was feeling stretched thin.
His mind wandered to other DC heroes with templates that might be both powerful and affordable. Green Arrow was a possibility, with only a 10 million fan value requirement.
But Anton quickly dismissed this idea; while Oliver Queen's skill set mirrored Batman's in many ways, he lacked the appeal and versatility Anton was looking for. Green Arrow felt like a "budget Batman" rather than a fresh addition.
Cyborg, however, caught his attention. For 20 million fan value, Cyborg could bring a new skillset to the table.
Victor Stone was originally an athlete who suffered a life-threatening injury from a Mother Box explosion.
On the brink of death, he merged with elements of the Mother Box in the explosion's aftermath.
To save him, his father, Silas Stone, brought him to STAR Labs, where the U.S. government stored various alien technologies for research and rescue.
Due to the Mother Box's influence, Victor absorbed all the advanced technology in the lab, eventually transforming into a cyborg.
With most of his body replaced by machinery, Victor gained superhuman strength, endurance, and resilience.
Various parts of his body now contain lethal weaponry, along with enhanced abilities like flight, a sensor system, bulletproof durability, and reconnaissance capabilities, making him a highly mobile fighter.
Additionally, his brain has been transformed into a quantum computer, staying in sync with the internet 24/7, rendering him a unique semi-mechanical lifeform similar to intelligent AI.
If Anton can exchange for this incredibly mobile cyborg, he would significantly bolster Batman's strengths. And the best part? It's affordable!
"20 million fan value," Anton mused to himself. "I could probably hit that within a few months."
Given his success with the Batman brand and his status as a celebrated director with an established fan base, launching a new IP under DC's banner seemed feasible.
Anton had enough resources to push this without fear of failure.
With his decision made, Anton called Toby into his office.
"Boss, I've completed the preliminary storyline for Superman," Toby reported. "I've got an outline ready. We're prepared to start working on the novel or script anytime."
"Good. Keep up the momentum," Anton replied. "Superman and Cyborg will be our priority IPs right now, so let's focus our resources on developing their storylines."
"Got it." Toby nodded, rubbing his hands eagerly. "And once we've finished, I assume we'll start with online serialization on the Daily Bugle forums?"
"Exactly. Also, the movie scripts for Superman and Cyborg need to be wrapped up soon," Anton added. "These will be our next film projects, and I want everything ready as soon as possible. I'm doubling the bonus for everyone on the team who completes this project."
Toby's eyes gleamed. "No problem at all, boss. We'll get it done."
"Following Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Shazam, and others, we are accelerating preparations, and the novel will soon be available on the Daily Bugle forum."
As Toby left, Anton couldn't help but smile. Life as a wealthy director had its perks, and he was beginning to understand Tony Stark's joy in "throwing money at problems."
Although, with his current net worth, he was still far from Tony Stark's level. Maybe one day, though.
After wrapping up his orders at DC, Anton returned to the Daily Bugle. As he walked in, Eddie waved him over, looking disgruntled.
"Anton, I just got news. Obadiah Stane is holding a press conference today. Apparently, he's going to announce that someone within Stark Industries has been working with Kingpin. He's framing it as Stark Industries taking full responsibility and offering an apology to the public… Classic move from that old fox."
"Oh?" Anton raised an eyebrow, pausing to watch the live broadcast on TV. The screen cut to a scene at the entrance of Stark Tower, where Obadiah Stane stood in front of the cameras, looking solemn and remorseful as he prepared to speak to the press.
….
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