C 95

Obadiah Stane didn't openly turn against Tony or sabotage him like in the original plot. Instead, he worked hard to cover up any evidence of his attempt to murder Tony. 

Why? Because he realized the immense potential benefits Tony brought to the table.

The Ark Reactor was one.

The Mark I suit was another.

While Obadiah had already secured the Mark I suit, the Ark Reactor—the key to powering it—was still in Tony's hands, and Tony refused to give it up.

Unable to obtain the Ark Reactor from Tony directly, Obadiah decided to explore alternative options. His search eventually led him to Dr. Otto Octavius, also known as Dr. Octopus, who was developing the groundbreaking "Artificial Sun" energy project.

Although Otto was a respected scientist with the leverage to choose his collaborators, he wasn't about to turn down an offer from Stark Industries, a corporate giant. 

Partnering with Stark Industries would undoubtedly accelerate the success of his Artificial Sun project.

The two villains quickly struck a deal.

Obadiah intended to use the Artificial Sun's energy output to power his reverse-engineered suit, which he'd now renamed Iron Monger. 

His ultimate plan was to mass-produce the Iron Monger, allowing Stark Industries to dominate the arms industry once again.

At the same time, Stark Industries' investment in the Artificial Sun would position it as the leader in the energy sector, revolutionizing the industry.

For Dr. Octopus, success with the Artificial Sun would make him a household name, reshaping humanity's relationship with energy and solidifying his legacy as one of the world's greatest scientists.

Thus, the two villains formed an alliance.

The question now was whether Tony could handle this double threat.

Anton, however, wasn't worried. Originally, he'd intended to leave Obadiah for Tony to deal with, giving him the opportunity to grow and mature as Iron Man. 

But with the addition of Dr. Octopus, this conflict would no longer be Iron Man's problem alone.

Still, Anton wasn't concerned. Stark Industries and Octavius's company, OckTech, were both based in New York—a city crawling with heroes like Spider-Man, Daredevil, and even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

The situation was unlikely to spiral out of control.

Without any immediate need to intervene, Anton decided to let events play out naturally. Besides, there wasn't enough evidence to convict either Obadiah or Otto at this point.

And in terms of combat power? Neither of them was particularly strong. If the need arose, Anton could handle them with ease.

Closing his eyes, Anton leaned back in his seat, quietly contemplating the situation.

The next day, Anton and Betty boarded a plane and returned to New York.

The Following Morning

A striking woman with red hair walked into the DC office.

Her stunning beauty and curvaceous figure immediately turned heads. It wasn't until she entered Anton's private office that the onlookers reluctantly resumed their work, their envy and disappointment palpable.

"It seems she's the new assistant hired by the boss," someone whispered.

Inside the office, Anton lounged casually in his chair, legs crossed, a faint smile on his lips as he regarded the woman standing before him.

"So, you're Natasha Romanoff?"

The real-life Black Widow was even more captivating than the photo in her résumé.

"Yes," Natasha replied with a charming smile that radiated sophistication.

Dressed in a sleek office outfit, she looked every bit the professional assistant. Yet, to Anton, there was something undeniably alluring about her that reminded him of Catwoman's iconic suit from his Batman movies.

'I think you'd look better in Catwoman's costume,' Anton mused briefly, before pushing the thought aside.

The smile faded from his face as he assumed a more serious demeanor.

"Get familiar with your tasks," he instructed. "I hope you'll adapt to your role quickly."

"Understood," Natasha nodded, said nothing further, and turned to leave the office.

At their first meeting, Natasha refrained from taking any overt action, opting instead to spend a few days observing and working before making her move.

Her strategy was clear: she needed to familiarize herself with Anton's habits and earn his goodwill to facilitate her mission. 

As a woman, Natasha was confident that her appearance and charm alone could help her garner his favor if necessary.

After a while, Natasha seemed to have grasped the rhythm of her work.

With the confident air of a professional, she clicked down the hallway in high heels, holding the first day's box office statistics for Cyborg. 

Twisting her slender waist as she walked, she entered Anton's office to deliver the report.

"The first-day domestic gross for Cyborg is $54.3 million," she said.

This figure fell short of the opening numbers for 'Batman Begins'—and not by a small margin—but Anton still appeared satisfied.

There were many reasons for 'Batman Begins' success, with Tony Stark's involvement being a major factor.

Tony had been one of the film's investors and had generated a lot of publicity with speculative chatter leading up to its release. 

Even more dramatically, during the movie's screening period, Tony Stark vanished in Afghanistan, with his fate unknown.

Capitalizing on the media frenzy, Anton marketed 'Batman Begins' as "Tony Stark's Posthumous Work," drawing enormous attention.

Thousands of people flocked to theaters simply because of the tagline, "Tony's Last Work," and became lifelong fans of Batman.

Thanks to Tony's inadvertent support, 'Batman Begins' had become a massive success.

Cyborg, however, lacked such fortuitous circumstances.

The only investor with ties to Tony—Harry Osborn—was embroiled in corporate infighting within the Osborn Group and couldn't lend his name to the film.

Still, Cyborg had managed to strike a chord with certain audiences. Its marketing, which heavily emphasized its Black protagonist, had resonated strongly within Black communities. 

The film was also of high quality, and Anton believed it had the potential to surpass even Batman Begins in cultural impact and box office performance.

He thought back to his previous life, where Marvel's Black Panther, a film with similar themes, had achieved unprecedented success both critically and financially.

'Niche films have niche marketing strategies, while mainstream films have broad appeal', Anton mused.

Cyborg aimed to do both. With its blend of visually engaging popcorn action and representation-driven storytelling, Anton was confident it would succeed.

He glanced at the fan value for Cyborg in the system space: 4.7 million.

Anton knew that with the combined momentum of novels, comics, and other tie-ins, the Cyborg franchise would explode following the movie's release. 

Its growing popularity would ignite a chain reaction, drawing even more fans and skyrocketing its value as an intellectual property.

Moreover, Cyborg was also set for a simultaneous overseas release. If its domestic box office performed well, there was no doubt the international market would respond just as enthusiastically, if not better.

Anton estimated that at this rate, the fan value for Cyborg would surpass 20 million in no time. When that happened, it would pave the way for the logical debut of his second superhero identity.

With Cyborg accounted for, Anton took a moment to check the fan values of his other superheroes.

The results were astonishing.

Stories about Wonder Woman, Flash, Superman, Aquaman, and other heroes had been serialized on the Daily Bugle's online platform. Additionally, comics featuring these characters had been released digitally and were garnering significant attention.

Yet, among all these heroes, the one with the most fame and highest fan value wasn't Superman, nor the sole female lead, Wonder Woman.

The frontrunner was—

Green Arrow.

Oliver Queen.

...

Fan value 

Arrow : 6.89 million.

Superman: 3.2 million.

Flash: 2.6 million.

Wonder Woman: 2.16 million.

Aquaman: 1.98 million.

Excluding Cyborg and Batman, the fan values of the other heroes barely exceeded 1 million, which Anton found pitiful by comparison.

With a fan value nearing 7 million, Green Arrow's popularity far outstripped that of the other heroes, which surprised Anton.

Cinematic adaptations are usually a major factor in boosting a hero's fan base.

However, even without the promotional power of films or television shows, Green Arrow had managed to amass an extraordinary following—something Anton hadn't anticipated.

….

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