That evening, Thor joined Peggy Carter and the others outside, gazing up at the night sky. Suddenly, a crimson figure streaked across the darkness like a shooting star.
"What's that?" Peggy asked.
"A new superhero," Thor replied, "not quite like Steve. This one's a mere mortal, armed only with technology, yet almost godlike."
"Tony Stark?" Natasha guessed, recalling Stark's armor built in Afghanistan.
Thor nodded, smirking. "He's finally taken that step. I wouldn't be surprised if Stark Industries' stock rises soon. If you're looking to make a fortune, now might be the time to invest."
Though Tony had moved beyond his playboy phase, Thor knew his showy nature would remain unchanged—he'd reveal his identity soon enough.
…
Stark, however, was in a foul mood. A news report covered a brutal massacre of civilians at the hands of a warlord, using none other than Stark Industries weapons. Filled with guilt, Tony decided to right this wrong personally.
He attacked the warlord's stronghold, destroying weapons left and right. Despite it being the earliest version of his Iron Man armor, it easily withstood conventional weaponry. After his mission, however, Tony found himself targeted by two fighter jets.
As he dodged through the sky, one of the jets crashed, but Tony managed to save the pilot. This incident catapulted Iron Man into the public spotlight.
What Tony didn't anticipate was Obadiah Stane's reaction. Seeing Stark's success drove Obadiah to desperate measures.
At Tony's mansion, Obadiah ambushed him, paralyzing him and taking the reactor from his chest. Watching Tony's face pale, Obadiah sneered, taunting him before leaving him to die.
But Obadiah underestimated Tony's will to survive. With every ounce of strength he had, Tony dragged himself to his workbench, picked up the old first-generation reactor, and reinstalled it into his chest.
When Tony suited up in his armor, he found the Iron Monger—piloted by Obadiah—waiting for him.
The fight began between the two Iron machine. In terms of power, Tony's Mark III was a match for the Iron Monger, but there was a catch—even the best vehicle still needed fuel.
After firing off a few laser blasts, J.A.R.V.I.S. issued a warning: energy levels were dangerously low. Realizing he couldn't rely solely on weaponry, Tony changed tactics, engaging the Iron Monger in hand-to-hand combat.
But the Iron Monger, a massive, brute-force mech, had the upper hand in strength. Mark III became a human punching bag as Obadiah hammered Tony with blow after blow.
With J.A.R.V.I.S. repeatedly alerting him to the low energy levels and the Iron Monger's relentless assault, Tony finally devised a desperate plan. He launched himself upward, rocketing toward the sky at full speed, and Obadiah followed.
As his energy dropped to 5%, Obadiah caught hold of Tony's leg, yanking him downward. His voice crackled with bitterness: "I'm stronger than you, Tony! It's time you accept your fate!"
Tony replied calmly, "Then tell me—how'd you solve the icing problem?"
Obadiah hesitated for a moment. Suddenly, the view inside his helmet went black as the Iron Monger's systems froze up.
With a smirk, Tony tapped the Iron Monger's head, breaking off a chunk of ice, and watched Obadiah's mech plummet toward the ground.
But fate, as always, had its own twist. As the Iron Monger fell, a piece of ice dislodged, jumpstarting the system just moments before impact. Obadiah recovered, landing with a thundering crash, while Tony, running on just 2% energy, could only watch in disbelief.
Obadiah laughed maniacally. "What now, Tony? Got any other tricks? If not, it's over!" He wasn't in a hurry to finish Stark off; he wanted him to taste the depths of despair—a bitter payback for thirty years of frustration.
For a brief moment, Tony felt the weight of hopelessness. But just as quickly, he made a surprising move.
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