In the Marvel Universe…
A middle-aged man was leaning against a stone wall, pressing his hand against a deep wound in his chest. Sweat poured from his forehead, and his breaths came in hard, ragged gasps.
"endure… your family is waiting for you."
Tony Stark looked at Ho Yinsen with eyes full of sorrow. Rage had consumed him completely.
"My family is dead, Stark… now I'm going to join them."
Yinsen was gasping, his consciousness slowly fading. The color had drained from his face, and his voice trembled.
Tony clenched his teeth. He hated this helplessness. His friend was dying before his eyes, and there was nothing he could do. All he could do was watch.
Some time ago…
Tony Stark had been the same arrogant, self-centered playboy who only cared about partying and pleasure. A spoiled child in a man's body.
But arriving in Afghanistan changed everything.
Captivity by terrorists, brutal torture, and enduring pain and suffering finally made Tony grow up.
But what burned him most was his own weapons. The same weapons he had crafted with his own hands had now fallen into the hands of terrorists, and were being used to kill innocents. That sin was so great, Tony began to hate himself.
And from that hatred, a new vow took root in his heart:
"If I get out of here alive, I'll never let anyone get killed with my weapons again."
That pain, that suffering… it was what set the heart of a hero beating inside Tony Stark's chest.
And now…
In this very moment, he was experiencing one of the greatest turning points of his life. He who had always seen himself as an unmatched genius, was now utterly powerless in the face of Yinsen's death.
The friend who had saved his life was now dying because of him. How could Tony not be filled with grief and fury? He wanted to strangle every terrorist with his own hands!
"Don't waste your life… don't waste it…"
Ho Yinsen, in the final moments of his life, whispered these words. Then, slowly, he closed his eyes. Under Tony's red, tear-filled gaze, his breathing stopped.
"Dammit! Don't close your eyes!"
Tony growled in his metal armor with rage. But it was too late. Ho Yinsen was dead. And the dead never return.
"What a beautiful sacrifice…"
As Tony was drowning in sorrow, suddenly these words echoed in his mind. He turned his head, but saw no one. It was as if the voice had resonated directly in his thoughts.
Feminine… majestic… and mysterious.
"Let me help you, my hero…"
Tony thought he was hallucinating from the grief. But suddenly—
The space trembled.
Golden lights appeared from nothing and circled around Yinsen's lifeless body. In Tony's astonished gaze, a miracle happened.
Yinsen's wounds closed. Color returned to his face. Even the warmth of his body came back. And then—
He breathed.
Tony Stark, a man of science and logic, was frozen before this supernatural phenomenon. Bringing the dead back to life? Even the most advanced technology couldn't achieve that.
A god?
Tony's eyes widened in shock. Was this voice that of a goddess? Did beings beyond human comprehension truly exist?
"When the time comes, we'll meet again, my hero…"
Just as the voice had come, it vanished. Tony quickly lifted Ho Yinsen. Now wasn't the time to think about such things. Escaping this place was the priority.
---
At the same time, in Stark Tower…
A bald, middle-aged man, holding a glass of red wine, smirked.
Obadiah Stane.
The infamous Iron Monger—Iron Man's first enemy. A man who, on the surface, appeared to be Tony's caring uncle, but deep down, only cared about himself.
He was so happy about Tony's absence, he could almost dance. That feeling of control over everything… even if it meant the destruction of Stark Industries, it was still worth it to him.
The only thing that irritated him was the greedy terrorists. The same ones who had been paid to kill Tony, but now greedily demanded more money.
"Money-hungry bastards…"
He muttered angrily. But before he could think more—
The shadows moved.
Black tendrils crept out of the darkness and grabbed him before he could react. Obadiah wanted to scream, to resist, but—
A strange force took over his mind.
His eyes lost focus. His face froze in terror and shock. Then, suddenly—
He fell. Dropped to his knees. And began to worship.
"Praise be to Lord of Demons…"
Like a crazed disciple, he bowed his head in reverence.
While Samael's clones were carrying out their mission, the Earth's supreme sorcerer—the invisible guardian of the world—sensed a strange change in the timeline.
An unknown force… had altered history.
---
And in the DC Universe…
The Goblet of Greed had reached Metropolis.
In a dark alley under the dim light of streetlamps, a simple middle-aged office worker found it.
"It is definitely valuable…"
The man murmured greedily. He quickly grabbed the goblet and hid it under his coat. Looking around nervously, he hurried toward his home.
He didn't know that this goblet would change his fate forever.
Was it a blessing? Or a curse?
Time would tell. But one thing was certain—
His ordinary life was over.