Marvel: Superman Strength in a World of Heroes

Carl thought to himself,

Sending Bruce Banner to Stark Industries wasn't a bad idea.

For two reasons:

First,

Carl didn't believe the Hulk deserved such a tragic life.

Second,

Because this guy was truly a genius,

He could bring real value to Stark Industries.

And after all...

Carl was also a shareholder of Stark Industries.

Tony Stark, hearing Carl's suggestion, looked at him incredulously.

"You mean... that guy? The doctor?"

"Mr. Superman, are you saying…"

"That monster is a human being?"

"Of course he is," Carl nodded calmly.

"It's just... because of gamma radiation,"

"He can transform into this form."

Tony couldn't help but scan Hulk up and down.

"My god... if this is true, I'm definitely interested."

Upon learning that the creature was once human,

Tony Stark's curiosity about Banner was piqued.

Carl simply nodded.

"You'll see when he transforms back."

Just then,

A voice suddenly rang out:

"Bruce!"

Carl and Tony turned toward the sound,

A black-haired woman came running toward them.

Several uniformed soldiers followed close behind.

Leading the group was an older man with graying beard and hair.

Carl raised an eyebrow slightly,

Because he recognized these people.

It was General Ross and his soldiers,

And with them,

Betty Ross, the General's daughter,

and Bruce Banner's girlfriend.

"Bruce? Bruce, are you okay?"

Betty rushed to Hulk's side, checking on him anxiously.

Meanwhile, General Ross stood back slightly,

His gaze wary as he looked at Carl and Tony Stark.

Tony, being one of the wealthiest men in the country,

And the military's top weapons contractor,

Had also worked with Ross on the Super Soldier Project.

Naturally, General Ross recognized him immediately.

However,

Even with that familiarity,

Ross didn't rush forward.

After all, this place had not only the Hulk...

But someone even more dangerous.

It was wise to stay cautious.

As for Betty,

She had simply rushed forward on her own.

Tony Stark noticed General Ross and his people too.

But despite their previous collaborations,

There wasn't much of a personal bond.

Just business.

Tony's closest military relationship was with Rhodey, after all.

And at this point,

Tony had no intention of letting Ross know about his Iron Man suit.

So,

Tony quickly lowered his faceplate,

Covering his face.

But,

Ross had already spoken.

"Tony?"

"What are you doing here?"

Moments earlier,

While Carl and Tony had been talking,

Tony wasn't wearing his helmet,

And one of the soldiers had been streaming video footage.

So Ross had already identified him.

Hearing Ross speak,

Tony remembered that,

And realized he'd already been spotted.

Not that he regretted it.

What's the big deal if Ross recognized him?

Sure,

He had hoped not to be noticed...

But now that it happened?

Whatever.

"Stark!"

Ross called out.

"I've got a lot of questions. Mind giving me some answers?"

Naturally,

He was talking about Carl,

And Tony's own armored suit.

"Of course, no problem,"

Tony responded.

Ross looked genuinely surprised.

In his experience, Tony Stark was rarely so cooperative.

But before Ross could press further,

Tony continued:

"But not right now."

"I've been busy for hours. I'm exhausted."

"General, how about we talk another day?"

At that moment,

Multiple searchlights swept across the area.

Dozens of soldiers, planes, and armored vehicles appeared around them.

Earlier, Ross had issued an order,

Mobilizing all available forces to this location.

Of course,

That had originally been to deal with Abomination.

...

Seeing more and more troops show up,

Tony felt it was time to leave.

He turned to Carl and said,

"Mr. Superman, I don't think this is the best place to chat."

"How about we head to my place instead?"

"I've got everything, fine wine, beautiful women, you name it."

Carl raised an eyebrow.

"You got any red wine?"

Tony blinked.

He clearly hadn't expected that to be Carl's first question.

Still, he quickly nodded.

"Of course!"

"Whether it's Screaming Eagle or Romanée-Conti, drink as much as you like."

Carl nodded.

"Alright. Then what are we waiting for?"

In this lifetime, Carl had developed a taste for red wine.

Naturally, he knew exactly which wines Tony was referring to.

Romanée-Conti,

Reputedly the most expensive wine in the world.

Carl had heard of it back in his previous life in the East,

Thanks to a certain movie.

As for Screaming Eagle,

That was something he learned about after crossing over.

A ridiculously expensive American red wine,

Often hailed as the "King of Cult Wines."

Reportedly, some bottles fetched prices in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Carl had tried both,

Though never their rarest vintages.

Not because he couldn't afford them,

But because they were simply impossible to buy.

There was a time he really wanted to try them...

But after failing to find any, he gave up.

Now, hearing Tony casually offer them up,

Carl's interest was definitely piqued.

Tony nodded.

"Great. Then let's head out."

"Wait a sec, how about we bring him along too?"

Carl gestured toward the Hulk.

Tony paused, then nodded.

"If that's what you want, sure."

He hadn't originally planned to take the big guy home,

But since Carl asked, he wouldn't say no.

Besides,

He was curious.

How could a normal person turn into something like that?

Tony said,

"In that case, let's go."

"Mhm."

Carl nodded.

Then asked, "Want me to fly you over?"

"Nonono,"

Tony quickly waved him off.

"I can fly myself."

"Alright then."

Carl helped steady the unconscious Hulk, preparing to leave.

At that moment,

Betty spoke up.

"Excuse me... Are you... Superman?"

Carl glanced at her.

"Yeah. What of it?"

Betty quickly asked,

"Mr. Superman... What happened to Bruce?"

After all,

In the hearts of many,

Superman stood for justice.

That gave Betty some reassurance.

"I hypnotized him. Don't worry, I won't hurt him."

Carl said casually,

"Leaving him here wouldn't be safe. It's better if I take him."

"This..."

Betty glanced at the Hulk,

Then at the soldiers around them.

Right now, leaving Hulk here

really didn't seem like a good idea.

Suddenly, Betty pleaded,

"If you're taking him... Could you take me too?"

"Please, Mr. Superman."

"Alright."

Carl nodded.

Then,

Carl, who had been floating not far from Tony,

Suddenly vanished.

And with him,

The Hulk and Betty also disappeared.