Without a doubt, compared to the full version of the Mark armor, the suitcase version of the Mark armor had been designed for portability. Its lighter structure naturally meant much weaker defense.
If Ivan Vanko's electric whips had produced just a bit more power, Tony Stark's head might've been yanked clean off his shoulders.
That was why Lin Feng said he had almost overturned his car—metaphorically speaking.
This Ivan Vanko wasn't just someone who could rival him in intellect.In reality, the man was also a genuine threat—especially since their enmity had its roots in their fathers' generation.
Naturally, Tony Stark stood unconditionally on his father's side.In his eyes, with his father's genius, there was no way he would ever need to steal anyone's inventions.
Besides, that "stolen invention" was just a half-finished prototype—no follow-up plans, incomplete design.Why would his father even bother stealing that?
People steal completed works, not abandoned drafts.
Still, now that he knew Ivan Vanko had been subdued by Lin Feng, Tony was sure that with Lin Feng's personality, he wouldn't let Vanko roam free to cause trouble.
But that didn't mean their paths wouldn't cross again—especially in the field of clean energy, where future clashes were inevitable.
Not that Tony feared competition.He was confident he was the best—smarter than anyone else.
Open competition didn't scare him; what did was people scheming behind his back. That was what he could never accept.
And yet, what Vanko said earlier wasn't without reason. Tony immediately understood what he meant.Even if Vanko wasn't his match and had been easily defeated in the end, the principle remained: if a god bleeds, the wolves will come.
Just like how the mighty British Empire declined—during the Boer War, it exhausted all its strength.Though it won, it bled heavily.After that, nothing was ever the same again.What the Queen once gained with a single decree now required British soldiers to fight and die for.
That was the difference.
Meanwhile, the video continued playing.
At his seaside mansion, Tony Stark was instructing his cleaning robots when JARVIS suddenly reported an incoming call—from an unlisted number.
He answered—and to his surprise, the caller was none other than Ivan Vanko.
"Hey, Tony. How are you?"
"What?" Tony frowned, confused.
"I've doubled the rotation speed!"
The scene shifted—Vanko was in his lab, two unconscious guards hanging behind him.They were the security men Justin Hammer had sent to watch him—but clearly, that hadn't worked out.
"You told me to increase the rotation for more energy. Great advice!"
"Glad to see your crazy head's still working," Tony replied sarcastically.
"You too, hahaha!"Vanko burst into laughter.
Tony silently muted the call and instructed JARVIS to trace the signal.
"The Stark family legacy will be rewritten," Vanko said coldly. "What your father did to my family forty years ago—I'll return to you within forty minutes."
Tony kept him talking, buying time for the trace.
"Hope you're ready," Vanko sneered—and hung up before the trace could finish.
Still, Tony had roughly pinpointed the location.Combined with the latest Justin Hammer news, the picture became clear—he knew where Vanko was.
He immediately installed a brand-new arc reactor, an untested model using a completely new energy source—not palladium.
Outside the video, Tony's mind was racing.
First, Vanko had attacked him in Monaco but failed—his arc reactor was crushed, and he was taken away by security.Logically, he should've been handed over to the police—a terrorist, basically.
So how was he free now?Judging from that footage, it looked like he'd even killed the guards assigned to him.
And that new arc reactor—faster rotation, stronger energy output.Better materials, newer tech… but where did he get the resources?
Combined with what Lin Feng's diary had revealed, everything clicked into place.After being captured in Monaco, Justin Hammer must have pulled strings to extract him. With Hammer's resources, freeing one prisoner from a Monaco jail was child's play.
Tony despised Hammer—especially for constantly trying to ride his fame—but he wasn't naive.Hammer Industries still had influence, enough to bribe or pressure the right people.
With that, the entire sequence of events finally made sense.
At that same time, Justin Hammer made a grand entrance at a press conference.After a flashy, self-congratulatory speech, he unveiled his masterpiece—the Iron Soldiers Army.
There were versions for land, sea, and air alike.
Watching the scene unfold, Tony's expression darkened.
Without a doubt, Justin Hammer didn't have that kind of capability.It wasn't arrogance—just fact.Hammer Industries had always fed off Stark Industries' leftovers.They didn't have this level of technology.
If he did, he wouldn't be leeching off Tony's fame.
Clearly, this was Vanko's handiwork.
Lin Feng had been right—Vanko truly was a genius.
But the thought also sparked a new idea in Tony's mind.If Hammer could build an army of armored soldiers…Why couldn't he?
Even if the suits weren't as advanced as his own Mark series, they'd still be extremely useful for large-scale battles.
Especially after what he'd seen during the New York Battle—that event had left a deep mark on him.
The more he analyzed that battle, the more anxious he became.The terrifying realization that Earth's armies could be crushed in moments by the Chitauri made him lose sleep night after night.
The gap was simply too wide—one that no amount of human progress in a few centuries could bridge.
Yes, in the "correct timeline," humanity had won.But this wasn't that timeline.Which meant that even if he carried a nuclear missile into the wormhole this time—there was no guarantee he'd succeed.He might just die.
Because they didn't have Lin Feng's so-called "main character halo."
Depressing, to say the least.
So all he could do now was strengthen himself—and forming an Iron Legion was a solid plan.At least it would give humanity some backup in a crisis.
But then, a new comment from Lin Feng flashed across the screen, making Tony's face darken instantly.
[Hahaha, probably no one knows this—but Justin Hammer was once considered a potential candidate for the title of Iron Man! So close! Well, what's meant to be, will be; what's not meant to be, don't force it.]
Tony froze.
He couldn't help overthinking it—especially after Lin Feng had just explained that every Spider-Man wasn't created by accident.Regardless of how bizarre or different their origin stories were, the real reason was the same: they were chosen by the Spider Totem—destined "chosen ones."
Tony didn't know what a Spider Totem was, or what it meant to be chosen by one.But he could faintly grasp the concept.
If that logic applied here…Was Lin Feng implying that Iron Man was also tied to some kind of Iron Totem?That in every parallel universe, there existed an Iron Man—but not necessarily Tony Stark?
Just like in the so-called Spider-Verse, where the central protagonist was supposed to be Peter Parker—yet countless alternate Spider-Men still existed because of different circumstances.
Lin Feng had mentioned long ago how Gwen Stacy became Spider-Woman after Peter turned into the Lizard, dying in her arms.
If that was true…
Then this was ridiculous.
Did that mean he might have to share the title of Iron Man with Justin Hammer?
That was beyond humiliating.
It would drag the prestige of Iron Man straight through the mud.
Even worse than knowing about his own future death—this was true emotional pain.
Was Iron Man supposed to be some cheap label anyone could wear?Any random cat or dog could just claim the title now?
What next—let a Black teenage girl be Iron Man too?
This was madness.
Meanwhile, Nick Fury was staring intently at Ivan Vanko on the screen."What a troublemaker," he muttered. Arrogant, defiant, impossible to control.
Clearly, Vanko had been saved by Justin Hammer—but he was now using Hammer's resources purely for revenge, with zero regard for the consequences.
Such a man, as the old saying went, "bears rebellion in his bones." He would never truly bow to anyone.
But Lin Feng, that inhuman monster of a being—He was a different story. He knew how to instill fear.And now Fury realized that what Lin Feng had written in his diary wasn't bragging, nor self-praise.
If he had truly subdued Vanko ahead of time, preventing him from causing trouble—then yes, he had done everyone a great service.
Because Fury had no doubt—Ivan Vanko would have caused chaos again.
-----------------------
Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!
Guys, I've uploaded some High Quality english translated fanfic on my Patreon shop! Feel free to check it out-if you're interested, you can grab a copy and support me there.
patreon.com/SuperTL
Here are a few titles of recently uploaded fanfics:
" The Giant of light in the marvel world "
" Marvel and DC: The Ruthless Challenger "
" Marvel: Lord of the Multiverse "
" Marvel: The Navy Admiral's Arrival "
" Marvel Rise of the Spider-Verse "
" Marvel: The Multiverse Wanderer "
" Marvel: Wrath of the Dark Superman "
many more are available 40+
Your support means a lot-thanks in advance, legends!
patreon.com/SuperTL
(End of Chapter)