Because Abomination lacked one crucial piece of equipment compared to Hulk—pants—his defeat in this battle was inevitable.
Thus, the momentous Battle of New York came to an end!
S.H.I.E.L.D. might have successfully recruited Banner, but the Hulk didn't care.
After defeating Abomination, Hulk leaped from building to building, leaving New York—and a large stretch of buildings with caved-in roofs—behind.
S.H.I.E.L.D. did not intervene, merely sending agents to secretly track Hulk's escape route.
It didn't matter where Hulk went, as long as S.H.I.E.L.D. kept him under surveillance.
Nick Fury's calculations were meticulous; Hulk's combat power was clear to everyone, and keeping him close right now would only invite other forces to try and snatch him away.
Moreover, Hulk had caused massive destruction, turning the area around Broadway into ruins, with direct and indirect losses totaling tens of billions of dollars.
What if he was held responsible and asked to compensate?
S.H.I.E.L.D. definitely didn't have the funds!
As for the fallen Abomination, both the Military and S.H.I.E.L.D. rushed to the scene, each claiming their respective unit had the right to take him into custody, leading to an intense dispute.
Sensing opportunity, the U.S. Congress also jumped into the fray, instantly escalating the conflict.
Dog eat dog—nothing left but fur!
The news media was even more excited. The Battle of New York was like a grand feast for them.
Serious news outlets, gossip tabloids, shady websites hosting adult content, and even certain adult communities—all joined the frenzy.
In news reports and daily conversations, if one didn't mention the Silver Armored War God, Hulk, Abomination, or Iron Man, they seemed out of touch with the times.
The reporting angles were just as varied.
Some covered the battle itself, some analyzed New York's losses, some questioned whether Hulk and Abomination were military bio-experiments, and others discussed the Silver Armored War God's divine power and Iron Man's Mark armor.
Unsurprisingly, Iron Man was crushed in every comparison.
The outcome was painfully clear: Silver Armored War God > Hulk > Abomination > Iron Man.
The Silver Armored War God was praised endlessly, with compliments flowing like water.
Especially his mysterious identity and the portal he used to depart—these sparked endless speculation among both professionals and amateurs.
Iron Man, meanwhile, became synonymous with weakness and inferiority. With deliberate pressure from certain parties, many media outlets openly questioned whether he was still qualified to control the Iron Armor.
Some public commentators even declared that—for world peace and global safety—Iron Man should open the Iron Armor patent so it could reach its "full potential."
Never overestimate the integrity of the media, especially when someone is pulling the strings.
Criticizing Iron Man became a form of political correctness, even creating the illusion that Iron Man was the true villain of the Battle of New York.
California.Malibu Coast Villa.
A talk show played on the TV.
The host was the same annoying guy from Iron Man 1 who smashed a coffee cup with a baseball and told everyone to sell Stark Industries stock.
This time, he was overly dramatic, holding both thumbs up—and then slowly, painfully, turning them down.
"Iron Man? Take my advice: go home and keep playing your 'save the world' games in bed with those celebrity models! There, no matter how pathetic your combat power is—even worse than Ultraman—they won't expose you. Real battles aren't for playboys like you!"
"Hahahahaha!"
The studio burst into laughter.
Tony Stark's expression soured. "Jarvis, buy me this TV station. Let him continue hosting his next show—and then have him host one hundred consecutive talk shows praising me."
Jarvis: "Yes, sir."
Tony switched channels. This one had a different tone—more like a traditional celebrity interview program, with a pretty female host and an expert discussing the topic seriously.
The elderly expert, with only a few stubborn hairs on his head, confidently declared, "Humanoid mechs are a revolutionary invention. Stark is worthy of his genius title. But undoubtedly, he is only an excellent inventor, not a superhero."
The beautiful host asked, "Professor Simon, are you suggesting that Stark should open the humanoid mech patent?"
Professor Simon replied, "Of course!"
Tony remained expressionless. "Jarvis, acquire this TV station immediately. Within three days, I want this professor to publicly declare that private property is sacred and inviolable."
Jarvis: "Yes, sir. I've already sent a contact letter to Professor Simon, and the station has received your acquisition proposal."
Tony nodded approvingly. "Jarvis, compile a list of all TV stations, newspapers, and websites across the U.S. that are spreading unfavorable remarks about me."
"For those openly spreading false accusations, send lawyer letters. Contact Pepper and have her organize our legal team to file lawsuits."
"For those spreading general criticism—if they're large companies, buy their shares. I want influence in their boardrooms. If they're small companies, just acquire them outright."
Jarvis: "Sir, I regret that I cannot. Some outlets have deep backgrounds—they're the mouthpieces of the Pentagon and the Military."
Tony huffed. "Then start a public opinion war. Have the senators bring up the gun control issue again and make it huge. That should dilute this mess."
Jarvis: "Yes, sir."
To his credit, Tony was battle-hardened and skilled at manipulating public opinion.
After a wave of countermeasures, online criticism of Iron Man became much less frequent.
Tony's public opinion war also began in full force, dividing the media into two factions—supporters and opponents—both arguing fiercely.
The schemers who tried to pressure Tony through public opinion could only give up in frustration.
Tony Stark was no ordinary citizen. With enough money, even they risked burning themselves.
Side tactics were useless—everything would eventually return to official procedures.
A subpoena from the Military Committee was delivered to Tony, but he didn't seem to care.
Life went on as usual.
The Battle of New York didn't seem to impact Iron Man at all; everything continued along its original trajectory.
After the battle, Tony spent more time in the lab, and his martial arts coaches increased from three to ten.
Pepper noticed everything, but said nothing. She simply became even more attentive in taking care of Tony's daily life.
...
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