Looking over the list of components in the Iron Man suit handed out by Nick Fury, the members of the World Security Council did some quick calculations. They realized that a single Iron Man suit, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, could have otherwise been used to arm an entire military force.
With that realization, it dawned on them—they had likely been blinded by the impressive performance of the Iron Man suit and had lost sight of the broader picture.
Now, even if Tony Stark was willing to make his technology public, most countries wouldn't be able to afford it.
In other words, Iron Man was essentially just one of Tony Stark's expensive toys.
Seeing the council members discussing among themselves, Nick Fury couldn't help but feel like he was adding fuel to the fire.
"Gentlemen, I think you're all aware that humanity is not alone in this universe. In the vast expanse of space, many other civilizations exist.
In fact, many of them are far more advanced—and powerful—than we are.
Over twenty years ago, we already faced an alien invasion."
Fury then pulled out a photo from Site 84, showing a Kree battleship.
"As you can see, when we were faced with an alien threat, we had no means to stop it. If it weren't for a certain superhero intervening back then, it's unclear whether Earth would still have its own civilization."
"Let's not talk about the past—let's look at the present. There are aliens on Earth."
At that moment, a photo of Clark appeared on the screen.
"I believe everyone involved in this project should recognize this man. He shares the name of a fictional superhero—he's our real Superman."
"Let me tell you about him."
"Clark Kent. Origin unknown—though calling him a Kryptonian would not be wrong. His abilities are almost identical to those of Superman."
"Flight speed: unknown, estimated over Mach 10. Strength: unknown, but at least over 50 tons. Durability: exceeds ballistic missile damage thresholds."
"From these numbers alone, it's clear—he's virtually invincible on Earth. Even if a nuclear bomb were dropped directly on him, it's uncertain whether it would kill him."
"If someone like him turned against us, we'd have no way to resist."
"And he might not be the only one in the universe with such power."
"That's why I believe our top priority should be to gather all individuals with special abilities from around the world and form the Avengers Initiative."
As they read through Fury's report, the expressions of the council members grew grim.
After a moment of quiet discussion, the elderly man seated at the center looked up and addressed Nick Fury.
"After unanimous deliberation, we approve the formation of the Avengers Initiative."
Upon hearing those words, even the usually stoic Nick Fury couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth rise in a rare smile.
That same evening, a research van departed New York and headed toward a remote rural area near a town called Pointe Antigor in New Mexico.
Inside the van, the team leader directed the driver to a location derived from his recent calculations. They were heading there to observe a storm.
Upon reaching the designated spot, they parked and unloaded several instruments to monitor the sky. But after a while, there was still no sign of activity overhead.
Erik glanced at Jane, opened his mouth as if to speak—but said nothing.
"Let's wait a little longer," Jane said quietly, having noticed Erik's hesitation. But what else could she say?
"Jane, you can't keep doing this," Erik sighed, concerned, trying once again to reason with her.
Jane didn't respond. She simply returned to the van, opened her laptop, and began analyzing her data.
"This doesn't make sense... The last 17 predictions were accurate to the second. Why is there nothing this time? Something's definitely wrong."
Erik followed her inside and, watching her frantic calculations, couldn't help but say, "Jane, you're an astrophysicist, not a storm-chasing lunatic!"
"No—you don't get it," Jane replied. "These atmospheric disturbances are tied to my research. Erik, I wouldn't have asked you to fly out here if I wasn't absolutely sure."
As she continued cross-checking her data, her assistant, Daisy, spotted something in the rearview mirror—anomalies in the sky behind them.
"Jane, I think you should take a look at this."
Jane and Erik turned to look behind the car. "What... is that?"
They saw something resembling the aurora borealis—only this wasn't the Arctic. Intrigued, Jane and Erik climbed out through the sunroof to get a better look.
"You're telling me that is an aurora?!"
Behind the glowing lights, a strange pattern—almost like a magic circle—flickered. Jane shouted to Daisy in the driver's seat, "Drive! Now!"
Following the order, Daisy released the clutch, hit the brake, and turned the vehicle toward the phenomenon.
After some bumpy driving, they neared the source of the light.
"Come on, come on—yes!" Jane excitedly filmed the event with a specialized camera, laughing with joy as the data came in. She didn't notice Daisy's growing unease.
BOOM!
A deafening crash erupted as the storm struck the ground. Then it began to swirl, expanding rapidly.
Just as the car was about to enter the eye of the storm, Daisy gritted her teeth and yanked the steering wheel. The vehicle swerved sharply, aiming for the storm's edge.
"Daisy, what are you doing?!" Jane yelled in shock at the sudden turn.
"I'm not dying for six college credits," Daisy replied, glancing at Jane while keeping a tight grip on the wheel. She was terrified and wanted no part of the chaos.
But Jane, unwilling to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, lunged forward, grabbed the steering wheel, and forced the car back toward the storm center.
Daisy resisted, turning the wheel the other way. As they struggled for control, the car unknowingly crossed into the storm's inner zone.
At that moment, Daisy looked up—and saw a man standing directly in front of them.
She instinctively slammed the brakes and jerked the wheel, but it was too late—the distance was too short.
BANG!
The car struck the man squarely. The vehicle skidded, spinning sideways. Fortunately, the terrain was clear—no trees or rocks—so the car slid to a stop without crashing into anything else.
Being inside the eye of the storm, everything around them was eerily calm.
The car now at rest, Jane and the others froze in shock, staring in silence. Then, suddenly realizing what had just happened, Jane and Daisy exchanged glances and quickly exited the vehicle.
"Legally speaking, I think this is your fault," Daisy mumbled, still shaken. As a student, this was her first accident—and it had definitely rattled her.
"Forget that—go get the first-aid kit!" Jane barked, pointing to the unconscious man on the ground.
Snapped out of her daze, Daisy rushed back to the van.
"Please don't die… please don't die…" Jane whispered as she knelt beside the man, praying desperately that he'd survive.
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