The Man of Steel in Marvel

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Inside the Avengers base...

"Ready?" Jiro asked in a low, serious voice.

Tony swallowed nervously."God, I hope our math is right."

Steve tightened his grip on his shield."We believe in you."

Tears welled up in Banner's eyes. "For Natasha…"

Thor raised Mjölnir high. "For Asgard!"

Rocket peeked out from behind Thor. "Can we hurry this up? I hate this waiting crap!"

While everyone was focused, Nebula quietly took a few steps back, then slipped away into the shadows of the hallway.

Jiro noticed—but he just smirked and said nothing.

He knew that even if he stopped her, it'd just cause more trouble later. Might as well let her go and take care of everything at once.

"Well then…"

Jiro took a deep breath and slowly raised his right hand, the one wearing the Infinity Gauntlet. "Let's bring everyone back."

Snap!

The sharp sound of his fingers echoed through the lab.

In an instant, six blinding beams of light burst from the gauntlet's stones.

Waves of energy rippled out from Jiro, spreading through the walls, the atmosphere, and across the entire universe…

He could feel the power rewriting reality, bringing back countless lives that had been erased.

His super hearing picked up gasps and screams of joy from all over the world.

People who had vanished suddenly reappeared at dinner tables. Empty streets filled with people in seconds. Hospital beds that had been empty were suddenly occupied again.

"We did it!" Clint pulled out his phone with trembling hands. On the screen—missed calls from his wife.

Banner's monitors started going crazy. "Global life signs spiking like mad—they're back!"

But just as everyone was celebrating, the entire base shook violently. Ceiling lights crashed to the ground.

"What the hell?!" Tony quickly activated his suit. "Friday, scan the perimeter!"

"Sir, detecting a massive spatial distortion—" Friday's voice was cut off by a deafening explosion.

The eastern wall of the base was torn apart by some massive force, revealing a sky covered in dark clouds—and a colossal alien fleet floating above.

"Is that...?" Steve's eyes went wide.

Hovering above the base was a ring-shaped mothership the size of a mountain, surrounded by swarms of Chitauri warships.

And down on the ground, sitting on a rock right in front of the base, was a giant with purple skin. A massive golden double-bladed sword was stabbed into the ground beside him.

"Thanos," Thor growled, his voice full of hate.

But what shocked everyone even more was the figure standing next to Thanos—Nebula, the one who had just disappeared.

"You humans really think you can change fate?" Thanos said in a deep, cold voice.

"I reshaped the universe. And you think you can undo it?"

Tony quickly scanned the situation. "Friday, energy readings?"

"Detecting time distortion. Thanos' fleet must've time-jumped straight to Earth!"

Thanos stood, lifting his giant blade and pointing it at the Avengers. "Today, you'll watch as this universe is completely wiped out. Not just half this time. All of it."

As he spoke, waves of Outriders poured down from the mothership like a tidal wave. The sky filled with Chitauri ships, swarming like locusts.

Steve immediately switched into battle mode. "Everyone—get ready!"

Thor summoned a storm of lightning. "For vengeance!"

But then, Jiro slowly raised his right hand. The Infinity Stones began to glow again. "Fall back."

His voice wasn't loud—but somehow, everyone froze in place.

Even Thanos narrowed his eyes, staring warily at this unfamiliar human.

"Who are you?" Thanos demanded.

Jiro didn't answer. He looked up at the fleet in the sky, then at the army behind Thanos. "That's it?"

Thanos blinked. "What?"

"I said—"

In a flash, Jiro vanished from where he stood. The next second, he was right in front of Thanos, his gloved hand clamped tightly around the Titan's throat.

"This is all you've got?"

Thanos reacted instantly, swinging his blade at Jiro's neck. But just before it could make contact, an invisible force field stopped it dead in its tracks.

Jiro let go, and his eyes flared red—heat vision blasted straight through Thanos' shoulder.

"AAAHH!"

Thanos roared and swung a massive punch at Jiro's face.

That punch would've knocked out the Hulk.

But the moment it hit Jiro's skin, crack—Thanos' own knuckles shattered.

"This... this is impossible!" Thanos stumbled back in disbelief.

Jiro didn't chase him. Instead, he looked back up at the fleet. "Since everyone's here…"

He raised the gauntlet high. The six stones blazed with light.

"Then you can all disappear together."

SNAP!

A louder snap than before echoed across the battlefield.

In an instant, Thanos' entire fleet crumbled to dust like a sand painting in the wind. Thousands of Outriders and Chitauri soldiers disintegrated before their eyes.

Thanos looked down at his body as it slowly broke apart. His face was full of shock.

"I... am... destiny..." he muttered—but before he could finish, he too turned to dust and scattered into the air.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

The Avengers stared in stunned disbelief.

The enemy they had risked their lives to stop—gone, just like that, with a snap from Jiro?

Jiro slowly floated down to the ground. The stones on his gauntlet had gone dark.

He turned to the speechless Avengers. "It's done."

Tony was the first to snap out of it. "Holy crap. Who are you?"

"I told you," Jiro smiled, "you can call me Superman."

[Ding! Mission complete! +10,000 Growth Points! Drawing random reward...]

[Congratulations! You've unlocked a new ability: Touch of Gold. The ultimate money-maker. As the name implies—you can literally turn rocks into gold.]

Jiro: "???"

Steve stepped forward and held out his hand. "Whoever you are—thank you for saving the world."

Jiro shook it. "Don't mention it."

Banner stared at the gauntlet. "Those stones…"

"As promised—Space, Mind, and Time are mine," Jiro said, taking those three stones out. He handed the rest—Reality and Soul—along with the now powerless gauntlet, back to Tony.

"You guys take care of these."

Tony accepted the gauntlet carefully. "We will. Wait—you're leaving?"

Jiro nodded. "Mission's done. Time to head back to my own universe."

Thor strode up. "Wait, friend! At least tell us where you're going?"

Jiro just smiled and didn't answer. He raised his hand and drew a golden portal in the air.

On the other side, the Avengers saw New York—circa 2012.

"The Time Stone needs to be returned. If fate allows... we'll meet again." Jiro stepped into the portal, his figure slowly fading.

The fight had ended so fast, Doctor Strange hadn't even had time to open his portals.

Just before Jiro disappeared completely, Tony called out, "Hey! If we ever get in trouble again—can we call you?"

Jiro's voice came through the portal:"Find Strange—he'll know what to do."

The portal closed, leaving the Avengers staring at each other.

"So..."

Scott scratched his head. "Did we just get saved by a Superman?"

Clint glanced down at his phone, the screen showing a photo of him with his family."Whatever he is, he helped bring our loved ones back."

Tony was staring at the Infinity Gauntlet, deep in thought."Friday, log everything you can about this Superman. I've got a feeling we'll be needing his help again."

Meanwhile, high above the skies of New York in the 2012 movie timeline, Jiro reappeared. The system's notification sound chimed again:

[Ding! All tasks completed. Would you like to claim your bonus reward?]

Jiro smiled faintly. "Claim it."

[Reward received: Multiverse Locator (freely travel between explored universes)]

Looking at the delicate device that appeared in his hand, Jiro didn't even know where to start roasting it.

This thing lets him go back to the last universe anytime—but... he could already do that using portal magic.

"Looks like my journey's just getting started…"

He gazed down at the city, then turned into a streak of light and shot off toward the New York Sanctum.

"..."