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Peter was quite satisfied with the nano-suit, but he felt its appearance needed a little tweaking.
"No problem. That just makes me look more… 'low-key.' I'm good at low-key. Always have been," he said with a grin.
While others were still pondering the weirdly colorful black sheen of the armor, Tony returned to the lab from outside and immediately agreed with Peter's suggestion.
…
A few hours later, a figure streaked across the night sky and entered Tony Stark's mansion.
On the sofa, a shadow appeared.
"Officer… welcome home!"
Seeing a familiar figure suddenly appear inside the mansion, J.A.R.V.I.S. immediately ceased its warning alerts, frantically searching for trash cans to avoid any accidental alarms. Slowly, all the lights in the mansion illuminated as if welcoming their master back.
"Ah, J.A.R.V.I.S., long time no see!"
Tony swirled a sip of the expensive red wine from the fridge and slumped onto the sofa, lazily waving at J.A.R.V.I.S.
"Sir, shall I notify the others?"
"Nah… it's too late. Let them rest tonight; we'll update them in the morning."
"Yes, sir."
With that, the mansion returned to silent calm.
"This… was quite an experience."
Tony stared at the familiar ceiling, his mind replaying the bizarre sequence of events surrounding his kidnapping.
"Superman… nano-suit…"
He muttered to himself, then suddenly sat upright on the sofa.
"J.A.R.V.I.S…"
"Sir, always at your service."
"Create a new research project, and call it—uh…"
"Let's just call it Nano Armor MK1."
Tony suppressed the weird urge to give it a flamboyant name and settled on something perfectly normal.
"Right. Also, start sourcing experimental equipment and special materials globally…"
"Understood, sir. Project initiated, and orders for materials and equipment have been placed. Expedited delivery is in progress…"
Sir, is there anything else you require?
Tony fell silent for a while, lost in thought. Then he spoke again:
"J.A.R.V.I.S., gather all the latest news on Superman."
"And also, collect every Superman comic…"
"Sir… you did say you were only three years old before…"
"J.A.R.V.I.S., perhaps you should learn how to use some emotional intelligence. Don't embarrass your boss."
Tony mused that awkwardness wasn't about himself—it was about making others feel awkward.
"Yes, sir. I am making efforts…"
"Nano-technology… you've truly shown me a path of hope for the future!"
He recalled the nano-suit experience in the lab earlier, and a look of fascination spread across his face.
Chapter 49: Could Magic + Armor Be a Viable Solution?
"A hero for all mankind? A god among men? And then there's an alien… some guy calling himself Thor…"
As Tony learned about the enormous changes in the world over the past month, he was both prepared and utterly shocked.
"Haha… absurd!"
"That scoundrel has been made into a human hero. Have the politicians gone mad?"
What struck Tony most was that the man who kidnapped him was now hailed by governments and media as humanity's savior.
"Sir, according to online sources, since Superman appeared, his popularity consistently ranks at the top worldwide, surpassing countless Hollywood stars…"
"His reputation is impeccable. Support exceeds 99.9999%. The majority acknowledge that Superman makes their lives better."
"Even more extreme: some claim that as long as Superman doesn't destroy Earth, he qualifies as a hero, citing classic events from the Injustice League comics…"
"Enough. I don't care about his heroics," Tony interrupted J.A.R.V.I.S., who was collecting information.
"I just need to know… what are his weaknesses?"
Though Superman had kidnapped him and forced him to do labor, he hadn't truly harmed Tony.
Now, Tony needed to prepare for the inevitable confrontation.
The nano-suit was his focus—but ordinary nanotech armor alone wouldn't be enough to face Superman.
Researching his weaknesses was essential.
"Sir, Superman's weaknesses are well-documented in comics: Kryptonite, red sun radiation, mind control, magic, and his inherent goodness…"
"Kryptonite? Extremely rare on Earth, existence not guaranteed."
"Red sun? Can be simulated, but effectiveness unknown."
"Mind control? Forget it, let's rule that out for now."
"And his goodness… does he really have it?"
Tony was skeptical.
"And magic… but does magic even exist in this world?"
Before the kidnapping, Tony would have scoffed at magic. Now… he desperately hoped it did exist.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., conduct a detailed global search using the keyword: 'magic'."
"Magic combined with tech armor… this could be promising."
"I'll try it. If magic exists, combining it with nanotech armor could finally make us even with that guy…"
"Sir, I must remind you: Superman's hearing is extremely acute. Anything you do now could…"
"Damn it, J.A.R.V.I.S.! Why didn't you warn me sooner?"
Tony glanced out the window—no familiar figure flew past—and finally exhaled.
"Heh… this guy really enjoys provoking me."
"But fine. Let him play his game. In the end, I'll benefit."
"Magic armor? Supreme Sorcerer Iron Man? Honestly, I can't wait to see myself in the armor, right hand wielding a magical whip, left hand a magical shield!"
"Even more satisfying would be tearing it apart afterward… imagine the sense of achievement."
Peter, no longer listening to Tony's mansion stories, wore a hopeful smile.
Even a fool could see Tony was naturally restless. After being kidnapped, returning home meant he was bound to cause trouble.
And that was why he could become Iron Man.
Yet Tony's fate in this universe had changed—this might not be as simple as becoming Iron Man.
"Next, we need to upgrade the combat suit."
"The key… lies in Pym Particles and Dr. Hank Pym…"
Peter thought carefully about the next phase. Pym and his particles were the key.
Some of the most advanced tech in the Marvel universe defied human comprehension.
Hank Pym's Pym Particles were among the most incredible secret technologies, even beyond nanotech.
They could shrink molecular distances, reducing objects from massive to minuscule—and even allow a person to enter the quantum realm, an experience beyond mere science, almost magical.
"However, the Pym Particles aren't urgent—they can't escape anyway."
With Dr. Pym's arrival imminent, Peter had returned Tony to the mansion.
After all, there were unresolved tensions between Pym and the Stark family. Cooperation could easily spark conflict.
Additionally, Tony's contributions to the nano-suit project were nearly complete.
Future research didn't require Tony's presence, though he could be brought back if needed.
"Before dealing with Dr. Pym, we need to handle Dr. Otto…"
In Peter's mind, the image of the Doctor Octopus with four mechanical tentacles slowly took shape.