American Comics: Heaven's Reward

At the same moment,

New York, Stark Building

After Aaron left, Tony Stark contacted Bruce Banner to leave with him.

From J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony knew that Bruce was a genius, much like himself. With a new idea forming in his mind, Tony reached out to invite Bruce to join him in some research.

The main subject of their research was Aaron.

Aaron's strength was terrifying, and their original plan had completely failed. To avoid being trapped in the same passive situation again, they needed to focus their efforts on understanding and countering Aaron's power.

"This is the most important subject," Tony said with determination.

"Dr. Banner, how's the research on your side?"

Bruce looked up from the microscope, his expression grim. "The situation isn't very optimistic." He took a deep breath. "Let's put it this way: the God of Magic's decomposition ability is a form of magic that works at the molecular level. Whether it's humans or inanimate objects, nothing is exempt from this disintegration."

"The speed of decomposition is incredibly fast. From the video, we can see that it takes only a little over ten seconds for him to completely disassemble a person. A tank is no different."

"This means that in front of him, organic and inorganic materials are treated equally."

"The upper limit of his decomposition ability is still unknown."

Bruce paused for a moment, adding, "But here's something more concerning—his magic may not stop at the molecular level. It could also affect atoms."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "That's an incredible discovery."

Bruce nodded. "It's hard to imagine any material that could resist his decomposition. Everything would just crumble under his power."

"Do you think Hulk would be able to withstand it?" Tony asked.

Bruce hesitated, then spoke slowly. "I'm afraid not. Before fighting Aaron, I was confident Hulk could take on anything. But after the battle, the Hulk was brought to his knees. The supposed indestructible defense was easily penetrated by Aaron's magic."

"Do you think Hulk's defense could handle it?" Tony pressed.

Bruce sighed, "No, his defenses aren't invulnerable. With Aaron's magic capable of disintegrating steel, can Hulk hold up?"

Tony, though unsurprised by Bruce's answer, frowned. "What about Hulk now? Any major issues?"

"Well, there are major issues." Bruce rubbed his chest. "Before, Hulk wanted to come out all the time to vent his anger. Now, though, it's different. I sense its fragility—it's not as strong as we thought."

"Hulk can be hurt, and he can feel fear just like anyone else," Bruce continued. "Before, I was afraid of Hulk, trying to suppress his anger so he wouldn't take over and destroy everything. But now, I've realized something: Hulk isn't the evil monster I thought he was."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "You have a degree in psychology, right? Maybe you should try talking to him."

Bruce smiled bitterly. "I will. But he's afraid of Aaron, not me. And honestly, I get it. There's not much I can do."

Tony was silent for a moment. "Hulk's fragility... that changes things."

Bruce looked at Tony skeptically. "Have you come up with a solution yet?"

Tony smirked. "Well, here's what I'm thinking. We need to find a way to resist Aaron's magic. We've been playing catch-up, but now we need a real plan."

"You do realize we don't need to fight Asgard directly, right? They've been good to Earth," Bruce pointed out.

Tony shook his head. "You think they treat Earth as an equal? No. Earth belongs to us. We can't just hand over our fate to anyone, especially not to gods."

Bruce sighed. "Aaron's magic is incomprehensible. His teleportation abilities, strength, and everything else—there's no clear way to fight him."

Tony, however, was still determined. "You're right, but remember, his strength isn't invincible. We need to approach this systematically."

Bruce glanced at Tony. "Are you sure about that? This isn't just about strength; Aaron has magic on his side, and that's a real game-changer."

Tony grinned. "It's not just about strength. Magic is just energy. What if we counter it with our own energy?"

"I've been thinking: combining the energy structure of the Destroyer Armor with the Ark Reactor could create a system powerful enough to handle his magic. Plus, nanomaterials would allow for self-repair, which would keep us in the fight longer."

"I call it the Armor of the God of Anti-Magic."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "That sounds promising, but how do we stop Aaron from absorbing energy?"

Tony frowned. "Well, that's a problem. His ability to absorb energy, from solar power to radiation, is ridiculous. We need to find a way to prevent him from absorbing our energy while still maintaining our defense."

Bruce nodded thoughtfully. "It's tricky. How can we fight a guy who can take away our energy at will?"

Tony clenched his fist. "We don't have to completely negate his energy absorption. We just need to resist it long enough to hit him where it hurts."

Bruce stared at Tony in confusion. "What are you getting at?"

Tony turned to J.A.R.V.I.S. "J.A.R.V.I.S, slow down the analysis for a minute."

J.A.R.V.I.S replied, "Understood, Sir."

Tony continued, "Think about it—during his fights, Aaron didn't always engage head-on. He used his defense to avoid taking damage. His magic is incredibly strong, but his defense isn't perfect."

Bruce's eyes widened. "You're saying... he's vulnerable?"

Tony nodded. "Exactly. When he fought you, Bruce, he avoided your punches, landing in a more favorable position. The golden light that appeared on his hands and feet... it might be a form of magic defense. That's why he can withstand blows from the Hulk without flinching."

Bruce's mind started to race. "So we need to exploit that weakness?"

"Yes," Tony said confidently. "We'll target that weakness and find a way to bypass it. No one is invincible. Not even a god."

Before Bruce could respond, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice cut in again. "Sir, I've detected a Mutant codenamed Phoenix and an unknown Asgardian in a green outfit in New York."

The two men froze, their thoughts racing.

Tony's gaze hardened. "Looks like the God of Magic might be in New York. Let's monitor her, see what she's up to."

They activated the surveillance system and saw Jean Grey at a public library, picking out books.

Tony and Bruce exchanged puzzled looks. The books were all related to physics. What was she doing?

S.H.I.E.L.D. was equally confused when Hill reported that Jean was learning about Earth's physical sciences.

Meanwhile, Amora had vanished from sight, her presence detected just briefly before disappearing from surveillance.

Jean, however, seemed to know they were watching. She casually glanced at the camera, a dark red glow flashing in her eyes, before turning away.

Tony and Bruce felt a chill run down their spines.

Anyone who followed the God of Magic wasn't someone to take lightly.

Meanwhile, Aaron, oblivious to the tension building around him, continued to practice his magic, refining the healing spells and his "Hand of Glory."

As time passed, Jean and Amora returned, each carrying a stack of books.

Gwen followed Amora, wide-eyed, learning about magic and discovering that Aaron wasn't just a demon but a god from Norse mythology, sent to punish those who sought to destroy gods.

The world Gwen thought she knew was crumbling. The "demon" turned out to be a force of justice, and the soldiers she had trusted were revealed to be puppets of evil.

She was caught in a whirlwind of revelations, unable to speak her doubts, but everything she thought she understood was now in question.

Amora, seemingly amused, teased Gwen about the situation, though her true intentions remained unclear.

As Gwen began to feel overwhelmed, Sif watched from a distance, displeased by Gwen's presence.

"Can I leave now?" Gwen asked nervously, noticing Sif's displeasure.

Amora, however, refused. "You don't want to miss meeting the real gods, do you?"

Gwen, unsure and feeling small, was swept up in the strange new world she was forced to navigate.

Just then, Aaron stood up, satisfied with his training. His latest magic breakthrough was significant, and he could feel the rewards of his relentless effort.

This wave of progress was just the beginning.