"Weren't you dead long ago?"
Obadiah's gaze toward Chen Mo was full of disbelief.
Someone who'd disappeared seventy years and should have died long ago suddenly appearing before him—ordinary people indeed had difficulty accepting this immediately.
Regarding Obadiah guessing his identity, Chen Mo wasn't too surprised. Although he hadn't made films or performed stage plays like Steve, becoming America's household name superstar, Chen Mo's fame was no less than Captain America Steve's. After all, the entire WWII situation could be said to have been rewritten single-handedly by him.
Chen Mo's tremendous contributions to all humanity worldwide were indelible. After he crashed into the sea and disappeared, countless people from Allied nations remembered his great achievements, spreading his legendary deeds everywhere.
Biographies, novels, comics—even adapted into films. So although seventy years had passed, Chen Mo's deeds were still known by countless people.
His strength, his pride, his fearlessness, his sacrifice—everything about him held deep attraction for ordinary people. Regardless of gender, age or youth, all were fascinated by him, worshipping, respecting, even admiring him.
If they knew he was still alive, countless crazy fans would definitely surge forth. Tony Stark's mansion would be directly dismantled into ruins by them.
Obadiah of course also knew of Chen Mo. Moreover, as Howard Stark's partner, from Howard's mouth, Obadiah had deeper understanding of Chen Mo. Precisely because of this, his fear of Chen Mo was also deeper.
Originally full of confidence, Obadiah finally showed fearful expression.
But Chen Mo didn't care about these things. Instead he looked at Obadiah's left hand transformed into a high-tech weapon, a trace of contemplation flashing through his eyes.
"Ulysses Klaue."
Chen Mo looked into Obadiah's eyes and spoke a name.
Hearing this, Obadiah's pupils contracted. Already shocked beyond measure from discovering Chen Mo's true identity, his heart added several portions of deep wariness.
How did he know?
Originally when Obadiah had his left hand severed by Crossbones Brock Rumlow in Afghanistan, after bringing Mark I's prototype and design blueprints back to New York, he'd planned to install an impact hammer similar to Iron Monger's on his left hand.
As a result, arms dealer Ulysses Klaue, who'd always done business with him, somehow learned he'd lost his left hand and proactively came to deliver this tremendously powerful sonic cannon. Of course, Obadiah also paid a huge sum for it. But he thought it extremely worthwhile.
Normally, the sonic cannon hid beneath a prosthetic mechanical arm capable of simple movements, usable as a decent prosthetic. When attacking, the palm split open, exposing the sonic cannon hidden inside.
This sonic cannon could fire powerful sonic and shock waves, causing violently attacked objects to vibrate intensely and impact, directly disintegrating.
With this sonic cannon disguised as a prosthetic, even without Iron Monger, Obadiah still possessed powerful attack capability—counted as a quite good trump card, very suitable for catching people off guard with sneak attacks.
After Iron Monger was destroyed, Obadiah had originally planned to wait until Tony Stark relaxed his guard, then use the sonic cannon for a sneak attack to eliminate him in one strike. Who knew Chen Mo would discover it.
Subsequently the sonic cannon's attack was also easily blocked by Chen Mo with his shield. He even spoke Ulysses Klaue's name—the one who'd sold him this prosthetic sonic cannon. Originally confident Obadiah completely lost his nerve.
But the already somewhat crazed Obadiah hadn't given up because of this. Even if Chen Mo was that legendary commander, powerful in strength and able to easily withstand the sonic cannon's powerful attack, Tony wasn't necessarily the same.
Having reached this point, it was either you die or I die—no retreat whatsoever. Obadiah temporarily set aside his wariness of Chen Mo and again aimed the sonic cannon on his left hand at Tony Stark beside him.
This sonic weapon couldn't only fire powerful shock waves but could also emit sonic waves causing machinery to vibrate at high speed, then structurally collapse—could be said to be all machinery's nemesis.
Although Mark II had astonishing defensive power and possessed a shock absorption buffer system like black technology, Chen Mo really wasn't certain it could withstand the sonic cannon's attack.
Chen Mo's ability to easily block the previous attack relied on original Adamantium alloy's characteristic of absorbing energy, attacks and vibration—the magical property of nullifying all attacks.
The sonic cannon mainly using sonic vibration as attack method was completely countered by the shield. Attacks fired were directly absorbed and offset. Its powerful destructive nature couldn't be displayed at all, posing no threat to Chen Mo. But Mark II's armor didn't have original Adamantium alloy's magical properties.
So when Obadiah aimed the sonic cannon at Tony Stark, Chen Mo quickly moved to block before Tony. Simultaneously a throwing knife instantly appeared in Chen Mo's hand. With a flick of his hand, the knife transformed into a streak of light, flying lightning-fast toward Obadiah and precisely embedding in his left shoulder joint.
A sharp pain struck. Obadiah's left arm instantly lost all strength and powerlessly drooped. The sonic cannon barrel that had lit up and was charging also dimmed accordingly.
"I should thank you for teaching Tony several lessons. Now, you can die."
After Chen Mo finished, he didn't continue acting but turned to look at Tony Stark.
"Tony, finish him off!"
...
The next day, at the press conference about last night's battle between two iron men near Stark Industries, Tony Stark still admitted like in the film that he himself was Iron Man.
As Tony's words "I am Iron Man!" fell, the press conference venue instantly boiled over. Agent Phil Coulson helplessly turned to look at Chen Mo. The meaning in his eyes was obvious.
Boss, your son didn't follow the plan!
Before Tony Stark took the stage, Phil Coulson had given him a prepared speech, explaining last night's hero "Iron Man" who battled the evil robot and protected civilians as one of Tony's bodyguards. Who knew Tony would directly admit he himself was Iron Man.
But Chen Mo wasn't angry at Tony not playing by the script. This was the real Iron Man Tony Stark.
Don't look at how Tony behaved obediently like a biological son before Chen Mo. He was actually an extremely proud, conceited and extremely narcissistic person. If not for growing up hearing Chen Mo's legendary stories since childhood, heart full of worship toward Chen Mo, plus being rescued from danger by Chen Mo multiple times, Tony couldn't possibly be so obedient and well-behaved before Chen Mo.
Tony Stark now was his usual appearance.
He disdained covering his identity, cautiously hiding himself with lies. I am who I am—free and unrestrained, no need to keep low profile.
After this press conference, Tony completely became famous. This time not because of his genius, wealth, or philandering, but because he was a superhero—Iron Man!
The battle that occurred inside Stark Industries that day—the outside world didn't know specific details. This incident was taken over by the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. The police had no authority to interfere. Obadiah's death also brought no trouble.
Ultimately, Obadiah still died at Tony Stark's hands. The current Tony Stark was no longer the previous playboy. Having experienced being kidnapped by terrorists in Afghanistan, plus the deception and betrayal of the close, trusted Obadiah, Tony Stark had matured.
When previously destroying munitions Obadiah sold to terrorist organizations and anti-government militants, he'd also personally eliminated quite a few militants. Regarding killing, Tony had no great resistance—just having to kill his once-close partner who'd already lost combat capability, Tony still hesitated somewhat.
Under Chen Mo's deep, sharp gaze, Tony Stark understood he was being somewhat soft-hearted and couldn't help but begin reflecting.
Thinking of Obadiah's actions over these years, the huge harm brought by behind-the-scenes arms deals, Chen Mo's somewhat hesitant heart gradually became firm. If he didn't kill Obadiah today, with his personality and consistent performance, he'd inevitably become a huge hidden danger.
Obadiah's ambition was very great. Initially at Stark Industries, he'd always wanted to seize Stark Industries' control and had almost succeeded.
After obtaining the powerful Iron Man suit Tony Stark invented, his ambition further expanded. He wanted to rely on the powerful new weapon of the Iron Man suit to control the entire world.
If they didn't eliminate him today, once he escaped in the future, with his huge ambition and crazed disregard for human life, he'd inevitably bring greater destruction to the world. Since that was the case, let his evil deeds end here!
Having made up his mind, Tony Stark finished off Obadiah with a repulsor blast.
Chen Mo nodded with satisfaction. What he wanted to cultivate was a superhero, maintainer of world peace—not a pedantic law enforcer. Toward truly evil people, huge hidden dangers threatening Earth's safety, the best handling method was to eliminate them root and branch, not lock them in prison and give them opportunity to make a comeback.
Having eliminated Obadiah and cleaned out this tumor in Stark Industries, next was to completely resolve the company's problems.
After the press conference ended, Chen Mo had Tony summon all members of Stark Industries' board of directors for a board meeting.
Previously the board, instigated by Obadiah, had stopped Tony's work on grounds he'd developed post-traumatic stress disorder after being kidnapped in Afghanistan, seizing Stark Industries' control from his hands.
Now Obadiah was dead. The company's power needed reshuffling.