Marvel: Superman Strength in a World of Heroes

Tony Stark's face was still frozen in that same stiff, anxious expression.

He could only stare helplessly as the Hulk faded into the distance.

The Hulk himself looked completely bewildered.

He had no idea what had just happened.

The reason he hadn't caught up to Tony Stark,

Was simple.

Carl had intervened.

Just moments ago,

Had Carl not stepped in,

An enraged Hulk would've caught Tony, and likely ripped both him and the armor apart.

Carl wasn't about to just sit there and let that happen.

He'd grabbed the Hulk by the leg and casually flung him aside like a ragdoll.

...

Not far from the scene, aboard a military aircraft,

General Ross and his team were observing everything unfold on the ground.

There were troops stationed below.

From the plane, it was easy to see what was happening.

And what they saw left everyone in shock.

First,

Before the Hulk even made his entrance,

The monster down below had already been defeated.

They hadn't caught exactly who landed the finishing blow...

But based on what little they could piece together,

It had to be that man in the Superman-like suit.

And what's more,

He could fly.

『Soldier A』: "Could he really be Superman?"

Everyone who'd seen the footage had that same question swirling in their minds.

But there was one thing that made them hesitate,

『Soldier B』: "...If he is Superman, why's he Asian?"

General Ross, on the other hand, was already thinking several steps ahead.

This mysterious figure who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, floating in mid-air...

Was there any way he could profit from him?

What if they could,

Study his abilities and grant flight capabilities to his own soldiers?

That would be revolutionary.

And that wasn't the only thing that shocked them,

They also noticed Tony Stark.

Yes,

They spotted Tony.

Earlier,

Tony had lifted his helmet to avoid Carl mistaking him for an enemy.

His face had been clearly exposed.

And thanks to their high-res military cameras,

They got a perfect look at him.

『General Ross』: "Tony Stark... inside some kind of flying mech?"

That caught the General completely off guard.

A fully mobile, airborne suit of armor?

That... had serious potential.

General Ross began to wonder,

Could this tech be mass-produced for the military?

Should they attempt to forcibly seize it?

However,

That thought didn't last long.

It vanished just as quickly as it came.

And it wasn't because the suit would be too expensive to replicate,

But because of who Tony Stark was.

A shareholder in Stark Industries.

One of the most famous billionaires in the world.

With deep ties to government contracts and the military-industrial complex.

Even though Stark Industries was facing setbacks due to Tony's recent decisions...

General Ross knew better than to cross him.

Not even if the suit could massively boost combat effectiveness.

That,

Was the power of background.

Take Bruce Banner, for example.

After becoming the Hulk,

General Ross had seen him as a potential military asset.

Someone who could enhance the physical power of soldiers.

So what did he do?

He ordered a full-scale manhunt.

Tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters...

Even sonic cannons.

All deployed in broad daylight, in full view of the public.

And it didn't stop for years.

The Hulk was basically hunted like an animal.

But now, look at Tony Stark,

The moment General Ross saw him, he immediately gave up the idea of taking action.

Even though Tony's technology could strengthen soldiers beyond belief.

That was the difference.

That was the power of status.

...

Tony Stark had surprised General Ross by showing up in such a bizarre armored suit,

Flying through the air like a sci-fi hero.

But then things took an even stranger turn.

Tony actually got into a fight with the Hulk.

And then,

He was saved.

By the man who looked like Superman.

General Ross watched,

As that armored figure in the air casually threw the Hulk aside.

His desire for that kind of power only deepened.

A power far beyond the Hulk's.

...

Carl hadn't even used much force when he tossed the Hulk.

He hadn't intended to kill him.

His goal had simply been to save Tony Stark.

So naturally, the Hulk wasn't seriously hurt.

"ROARR!!"

The Hulk scrambled to his feet, roaring in fury.

He swung his fist at Carl.

But Carl wasn't fazed in the slightest.

He smiled faintly,

And in the next instant...

The raging Hulk, face twisted in fury just moments ago,

Suddenly froze in place.

His punch never landed.

He just stood there,

Blankly staring at Carl, unmoving.

Carl had hypnotized him.

For Carl,

Hypnotizing anyone was a simple matter.

Especially emotionally unstable types.

People like the Hulk... or the Abomination,

Were even easier.

And in just one moment,

The Hulk became nothing more than a puppet.

Of course,

Carl had no intention of controlling him.

Sure, the Hulk's power was massive...

But compared to someone like Carl,

Who could blow out stars with a breath,

It was nothing.

If there was something that needed doing,

Carl would just do it himself.

He didn't need a mind-controlled Hulk tagging along.

Just then, Tony Stark's voice rang out:

『Tony Stark』: "Mr. Superman, are you alright?"

Carl looked up.

Tony was approaching from nearby.

His shoulder-mounted missiles were deployed, ready to fire.

『Carl』: "I'm fine. Don't worry."

He said it casually.

Hearing that, Tony moved in closer.

But,

He didn't retract his missiles.

Earlier,

The Hulk's terrifying speed had genuinely shaken him.

If Carl hadn't stepped in, he would've been caught for sure.

『Carl』: "Relax."

Seeing Tony's wary expression, Carl added:

『Carl』: "He's hypnotized. He won't attack you."

Tony blinked.

Then,

『Tony Stark』: "...Wait. You can hypnotize people?"

『Carl』: Nods "Mm. At the very least, I can."

『Tony Stark』: "...That's insane."

He stared at the Hulk, stunned.

『Tony Stark』: "That's actually kinda cool..."

After watching for a few more seconds,

He finally confirmed it.

The Hulk really wasn't moving.

Then,

Tony retracted his missiles.

He walked up to the Hulk and examined him, curiosity written all over his face.

This kind of creature...

Had never been seen before.

『Tony Stark』: "So what do we do with this guy, Mr. Superman?"

『Carl』 thought for a moment, then replied:

『Carl』: "Why don't you take him with you?"

『Tony Stark』: "...Me? What would I even do with him?"

『Carl』: "Don't let his appearance fool you."

He explained:

『Carl』: "This guy's a genius. Seven PhDs. Physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics... you name it."

In Carl's opinion,

The Hulk didn't need to live a life of hiding.

But he also didn't want to keep the guy around himself.

Now, if he'd been a pretty girl,

Sure. He'd have taken her along.

But this was a guy,

Who could randomly Hulk out at any moment.

Yeah...

No thanks.

So,

Carl figured it was best to send Bruce Banner to Stark Industries.

After all,

Carl was a major shareholder in Stark Industries.

If Banner could contribute to the company,

All the better.

End of chapter...

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