DC Heroes in Marvel

After Osborne's presentation, everyone agreed it was a worthwhile event.

Even Tony Stark's much-anticipated R8 paled in comparison to the moment when the chairman of Osborne made his debut as a hero. This was a trip worth taking!

The media at the scene, eager to break tomorrow's news, went into a frenzy.

Reporters whipped out their phones, calling their offices with manic urgency. Some would inevitably have to work overtime, despite the late hour. 

After all, the news that Harry Osborn, chairman of Osborne Corporation, was preparing to follow in Tony Stark's footsteps and debut as a superhero was explosive.

The shock value far exceeded Tony's latest armor reveal.

"Did you get everything?" Anton asked, turning to Phil.

"All of it!" Phil nodded excitedly. "I'll be staying up late to finalize the draft. This is definitely tomorrow's front-page story."

"Don't be so sure," Anton said with a knowing smile. "Even if this news is sensational, the front page tomorrow might not belong to Osborne."

"What do you mean?" Eddie asked, distractedly arguing with Venom in his head.

Venom, while unsympathetic toward its symbiote kin, felt uneasy. It could sense the danger in humanity's newfound ability to transform symbiotes into tools.

Eddie, trying to calm the alien, repeatedly promised he would never subject Venom to such treatment. This managed to soothe it for the moment.

Hearing Anton's cryptic remark, Eddie felt a chill of foreboding.

"Is something else going to happen today?" Eddie asked, swallowing nervously.

Eddie trusted Anton's predictions implicitly. Since meeting him, every one of Anton's forecasts had come true.

"Wait and see," Anton replied calmly. "Once Osborne is done, it'll be Hammer Industries' turn. Justin's about to take the stage."

Eddie's head snapped around, just in time to spot Justin Hammer, chairman of Hammer Industries, striding confidently toward the largest booth at the Stark Expo.

"Hello, everyone," Justin began with a confident smile. "I'm Justin Hammer."

He paused, letting the room settle before continuing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you think Osborne will be tomorrow's headline, then I must tell you—you're wrong. Very wrong."

Eddie and Phil exchanged wide-eyed glances before turning back to Anton, their expressions a mix of shock and awe.

Once again, Anton's prediction had been spot on.

With just those few words from Justin, it was clear that what followed could rival—or even surpass—Harry Osborn's superhero announcement.

"Today," Justin continued, "I'm proud to introduce the newest asset to the U.S. military..."

He gestured toward the platform behind him.

"The Hammer Iron Soldier."

With a dramatic flourish, mechanisms on the stage activated, and the platform slowly rose.

Rows of robotic soldiers appeared, their designs reminiscent of Iron Man.

"Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps!" Justin proclaimed, pointing to the various models. "The four branches of the military, united in power."

"Good grief," Eddie muttered, staring at the rows of robots.

On stage, Justin stood tall, beaming with pride, his grin as wide as a chrysanthemum in bloom.

Now it was clear where his confidence had come from.

Iron Man might be one-of-a-kind, but Hammer Industries had produced more than twenty of these iron soldiers.

Even if their combat capabilities weren't on par with Iron Man's suit, their sheer numbers posed a serious threat. It wasn't hard to imagine even Tony Stark feeling a pang of dread at the sight of them.

If the U.S. military decided to purchase Hammer's iron Soldiers, these remote-controlled war machines could become one of the most feared weapons in the world.

In the audience, several military personnel narrowed their eyes, intrigued. Among them was a high-ranking officer who had been personally invited by Justin Hammer.

Although he was prepared for Hammer Industries' technological display, when Hammer revealed the iron Soldiers, Harry couldn't help but feel both surprised and uneasy.

For the general public, the technology demonstrated by Hammer Industries might seem comparable to, or even less impressive than, Osborne's innovations.

But for the military, Hammer's technology held immense practical value.

If an army of Iron Soldiers could be assembled, it would represent a significant advancement, something the military would undoubtedly desire.

"Hammer really solved the energy problem of the Steel Soldiers," Eddie muttered, exchanging a glance with Phil.

Both men were visibly stunned.

They weren't the only ones. Everyone in the audience understood where the real challenge lay.

The issue wasn't producing Iron Soldiers—it was finding a way to sustain their energy needs for prolonged combat.

Tony Stark, with his exclusive control over Arc Reactor technology, had maintained a tight grip on this critical component, refusing to share or license it.

But now, Hammer had apparently cracked the technology.

No wonder Justin Hammer looked so smug.

Harry's expression darkened as he took in the scene.

Though he had anticipated that Hammer's products might be surprising, he hadn't expected Hammer to unveil functioning Iron Soldiers.

This would likely become Hammer's most successful imitation yet, one capable of overshadowing Tony Stark, the original Iron Man, by a significant margin.

Unless Tony decided to bring Stark Industries back into the arms industry and reclaim the military contracts from Hammer, Hammer Industries would revel in its triumph for a long time.

However, knowing Tony Stark's character and his current convictions, Harry doubted that would happen. 

Tony was a prodigal son who had turned over a new leaf. Even with his vast fortune, he wouldn't revisit the arms business.

Fortunately, Harry thought to himself, 'I've already positioned myself as a superhero to boost Osborne's stock.'

At the very least, this move ensured that Osborne wouldn't fall too far behind Hammer.

Not far away, Tony Stark sat in a specially reserved section of the auditorium, his expression unreadable.

The Iron Soldiers surprised him, but they didn't rattle him.

To be honest, even if Hammer Industries had managed to crack Arc Reactor technology and solve the energy issue, Tony still didn't take Hammer seriously.

When Tony had decided to pull Stark Industries out of the arms business, he had prepared himself for this eventuality.

While the Arc Reactor was an advanced piece of technology, Tony knew it wasn't beyond the capabilities of the world's brightest minds to replicate.

Still, Tony never underestimated two things: the intelligence of others and his own potential for innovation.

On stage, Justin Hammer basked in the moment.

Looking at Tony and Harry seated in the audience, he opened his arms dramatically and continued his impassioned speech.

"This is revolutionary technology! Hammer Industries will reshape the technological landscape of this world!"

But as Justin spoke, he failed to notice something crucial.

One of the Iron Soldiers behind him had quietly rotated its weaponized arm, its barrel pointing at the audience.

Most attendees didn't notice the movement either. Those who did dismissed it as part of the presentation, assuming it was a pre-planned performance gimmick.

However, Tony and Harry weren't so easily fooled.

Their expressions changed, subtle but unmistakable.

Anton, Eddie, and Phil, observing from a distance, also noticed the shift.

For Eddie and Phil, realization struck like lightning.

They suddenly understood what Anton had meant earlier.

The Iron Soldiers themselves weren't the big news.

The real story—the real danger—was the riot about to unfold.

….

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