Chapter 46: The Aftermath of the Invasion

DAILY BUGLE SPECIAL EDITION:

"Human Ingenuity Triumphs! Max Stark's Technological Mastery Saves the Day!"

By J. Jonah Jameson

NEW YORK, EARTH— Once again, humanity proves that no costumed freaks or so-called "superheroes" are needed to protect our planet from an alien invasion. Forget about the Avengers or any other superhuman vigilantes; the real hero of the day is the human brain and technological brilliance!

In the aftermath of the New York invasion, one thing stands clear: Max Stark, the biological son of billionaire playboy Tony Stark, has proven himself to be the true protector of our great city. Not with superpowers, but with hard-earned, human-built technology. Pictured on today's front page, the Storm Chaser, Max's massive dreadnought-class spacecraft, served as the Earth's first line of defense. With the flick of a switch, the Storm Chaser deployed energy shields that saved most of New York from being turned to rubble by the alien scum that descended from the sky.

This is the kind of thing that makes a person proud to be human! Not reliant on freakish powers or costumes but on our ability to invent, create, and defend ourselves using our own hands. The Avengers, aliens, and other freaks can do what they want—but when push comes to shove, it's humanity's technology that saved us. That's a fact!

The Avengers may have fought bravely, but let's not get too comfortable with these so-called "heroes" thinking they're our saviors. Remember, it's people like Max Stark, inventors like his father, and the dedicated engineers of Stark Industries who deserve the real credit. Humanity's brainpower—its greatest resource—is the reason the world is safe today!

Now let's get back to protecting our city the right way: using our own strength, intelligence, and, most importantly, our hard-earned technology!

In Midtown High School, during lunch break:

The buzz of excited conversations filled the air in the Midtown High cafeteria. At one of the tables, Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, and Ned Leeds sat huddled, their lunches half-eaten as they animatedly discussed the New York invasion.

"Man, did you guys see that footage of the Avengers fighting the aliens?" Ned asked, his eyes wide with excitement as he scrolled through his phone. "They were taking out the Chitauri left and right! Cap's shield, Thor's hammer—boom, bam! It was crazy! There's this video of Hulk smashing this huge Chitauri ship like it's made of paper!"

Peter grinned, though his thoughts were elsewhere. "Yeah, I saw that. It was insane. But you know what's even crazier? Ben was in the city during the invasion. He was only a few blocks from Stark Tower."

"Whoa," Ned said, his eyes widening. "Wait, your Uncle Ben was that close?"

"Yeah," Peter nodded. "He said he saw Iron Man fly by and blast a bunch of Chitauri, then he was rushed under one of those energy shields they set up. If those shields hadn't been there, who knows what would've happened."

"Those shields were amazing!" Gwen said, her eyes lighting up. "They basically covered huge parts of the city. And did you guys hear? It was the Storm Chaser that set them up! Max Stark's ship. He's, like, our age, and he has this insane spaceship hovering over New York."

Ned nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, yeah, I heard about that! How does someone that young build a spaceship? He must be some kind of genius, just like Tony Stark."

"Maybe even smarter," Gwen added, leaning in with a grin. "I mean, he's got energy shields that protected almost all of Manhattan. I wonder if we can visit the Storm Chaser someday. Do you think it's possible?"

Peter's eyes lit up at the thought. "That would be awesome! Imagine getting to see everything up close—the technology, the defenses... I bet even the Avengers haven't seen all of it."

Ned chuckled. "Hey, maybe Gwen's already on the inside. She's working at Oscorp, right? Probably spying for Stark Industries because she wants to get her hands on the Storm Chaser's tech."

Gwen laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, right. If anything, Oscorp's more focused on biological stuff. But, funnily enough, we've got a field trip to Oscorp coming up in a few weeks. We're supposed to visit some of the research labs."

"That's still cool," Peter chimed in. "You'll get to see all the latest tech before it even hits the market. Maybe Max Stark will swing by, looking for something new to add to his ship."

Gwen smiled, a bit of a far-off look in her eyes. "Maybe…"

In the Baxter Building:

High above the streets of New York, Reed Richards stood at the large observation window of the Baxter Building, staring intently at the massive Storm Chaser hovering in orbit. Beside him stood Victor von Doom, arms crossed and eyes narrowed in thought. The two had been discussing a joint project—a mission to observe a cosmic storm scheduled to hit near Earth's orbit in the coming months.

"This is a game-changer," Victor finally said, his voice cold but calculating. "We've been preparing for months to launch that rocket to study the cosmic storm. But now, with Stark's technology..."

Reed nodded thoughtfully. "The Storm Chaser changes everything. We could get our equipment into space without the need for a costly launch. Max Stark's already out there. He's demonstrated a level of technology we haven't even begun to tap into. If we can collaborate with Stark Industries, it would cut our costs and give us access to far superior tech."

"Superior," Doom muttered, his tone edged with contempt. "Perhaps." His gaze lingered on the ship as if weighing its worth against his own vast knowledge and resources.

Behind them, Johnny Storm and Susan Storm listened in on the conversation. Johnny, ever the joker, couldn't resist. "You think Max named his ship the Storm Chaser because he's chasing after you, Sue?" he teased, flashing a grin. "Romantic, isn't it? The youngest Stark trying to win the heart of Susan Storm."

Sue rolled her eyes, though a faint blush crept up her cheeks. "That's ridiculous," she muttered. "It's probably just a coincidence."

Johnny laughed. "Come on, Sue. You know how these billionaire types are—dramatic, over-the-top gestures. Just look at Tony."

Sue gave her brother a playful shove, but the pink tinge on her face remained. "It's absurd," she insisted. "I've never even met Max Stark."

"Yet," Johnny added with a wink.

Across the room, Ben Grimm was grumbling as he cleaned up the cluttered lab space Reed had left behind. Beakers, tools, and unfinished experiments littered every available surface, and Ben sighed as he shoved a pile of gadgets into a drawer.

"Ya know," Ben muttered to himself as he glanced out the window at the distant spaceship, "I wouldn't mind takin' that thing for a spin. Can't be much harder than flyin' a rocket, right?"

As he worked, Ben couldn't shake the feeling of excitement that the sight of the Storm Chaser brought him. Despite all the weirdness they'd been through working for Reed, something about that ship, so far above the earth, captured his imagination. He wondered what it would feel like to fly it, to navigate through the stars in something as powerful as the Storm Chaser.

Maybe, just maybe, one day, he'd get his chance.