21: The X-Men Debut on the Grand Stage

At eight o'clock in the evening, the Hanmer Industry Fair commenced promptly.

Justin Hammer took the stage, his flamboyant movements and exaggerated gestures reminiscent of a parody of Tony, although he was unaware of it.

One could say that he was more bark than bite, as his actions did not match his abilities.

Nevertheless, the audience still played along, laughing thunderously at every joke he cracked, no matter how unfunny.

None of it really mattered. All attention was focused on the Iron Suit.

Justin Hammer was well aware of this fact and wasted no time in keeping everyone waiting. He eagerly announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the latest weapon developed by Hammer Industries—The Iron Soldier!"

The expo instantly reached its climax. One by one, iron soldiers appeared on stage—sea, land, air, and marines.

These iron soldiers resembled remote-controlled robots more than Tony's iron suit. It was clear that this wasn't enough to truly astonish the audience.

In the next moment, Justin Hammer took a deep breath and exclaimed with all his might, "Next, I am honored to introduce to you the first prototype mecha equipped with comprehensive threat response combat armor... War Machine!"

Amidst the stirring music, Colonel Rhodes emerged on stage, controlling the war machine.

Compared to the remote-controlled iron robots, the war machine displayed superior agility, and the eyes that swiveled left and right revealed the presence of a person inside the battle armor.

As expected, after a salute, the iron mask dropped, unveiling Colonel Rhodes' face.

"Indeed, people can be shameless and invincible," Lynn remarked, her smile radiant. "Rhodes obviously snatched the iron suit from Tony. After modifications and a fresh coat of paint, it becomes the latest invention of Hammer Industries, right?"

Kitty observed the smile and replied, "The live broadcast signal is under our control. Even if the entire venue explodes, netizens will still witness it!"

Jubilee chimed in, "Tony is en route and should arrive in five minutes!"

Upon hearing the conversation between the three, Storm and the others instantly grasped the situation. The real fun was about to begin.

Justin Hammer was about to continue presenting information about the armor when suddenly, all the iron robots, including the war machine, burst into a strange laughter simultaneously.

"Hammer, you fool, you talk too much!"

The complacent expression on Justin Hammer's face froze instantly.

Before the audience could react, a voice declared right after Tony, "Tony Stark, you shameless thief! Today, I will settle my family's 40-year grudge with you within 40 minutes. And all you foolish people who believe in Iron Man and idolize him as a god, go to hell and join him!"

With the declaration of war, the cannon equipped on the war machine abruptly extended, pointing at the auditorium!

Simultaneously, the arms of the other thirty-two iron robots also rose. The black hole muzzles emitted an aura of death.

"Oh, God..."

The thousands of spectators present were dumbfounded. Before they could scream, the soldiers of the war machine unleashed their powerful weapons like a storm.

Ta ta ta ra ta ta— The bullets sprayed out densely.

If they hit their mark, half of the thousands of audience would be instantly killed or injured.

Without waiting for Lynn's reminder, the X-Men instinctively sprang into action. Jean was the first to react, activating her formidable telekinesis, causing thousands of bullets to freeze in mid-air.

At that moment, Jean stood in a red dress, her eyes shining brightly, like a goddess descending to Earth.

Everyone in the audience stared in horror, mouthsagape.

"Leave!" Jean commanded lightly, and the densely packed bullets flew back, striking the war machine and the thirty-two iron soldiers, creating a tinkling sound.

Many bullets narrowly missed Justin Hammer's face. He was utterly stunned!

"Get down, you fool!" Logan, resembling an agile wolf, dashed onto the stage. He swiftly kicked the dumbfounded Justin Hammer to the ground, then leaped up and extended his adamantium claws towards the war machine.

Stab!

With a single swipe, Logan tore off the cannon from the War Machine!

The latest iron alloy developed by Hanmer Industries proved as fragile as tofu against the sharp claws of adamantium.

"By the Great Lord..." Colonel Rhodes exclaimed, a mix of surprise, anger, and shock in his voice.

He attempted to regain control of the armor but discovered it was futile. He roared in frustration, "Hammer, what's happening? Why is the armor losing control?!"

"I have no idea!" Justin Hammer, lying on the ground, replied as he hastily tried to crawl off the stage.

But in that moment, a crimson light engulfed the entire field of vision!

Cyclops swiftly rose from his seat, removing his glasses to unleash a red laser beam. A hundred meters away on the stage, a iron soldier's chest was instantly pierced, rendering it powerless as it collapsed.

Then, Cyclops shifted his gaze from side to side, the laser beam slicing through the air.

In an instant, the dozen or so iron soldiers standing together were severed at the waist, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud!

Justin Hammer gaped as if he had seen a ghost, scarcely believing his eyes!

"What the hell! Where did these people come from?!"

Ivan Vanko, remotely controlling the suits on the other side, widened his eyes in disbelief. This sudden turn of events far exceeded his expectations.

Almost instinctively, he rapidly tapped on the keyboard. White rays of light emitted from the soles of each iron soldier's feet, launching them into the air one after another.

But before they could accelerate, a deafening "boom" resonated throughout the expo site.

The next moment, everyone witnessed Storm, clad in a dress, her eyes glowing white with lightning crackling around her body, gracefully soaring into the air.

She raised her hands, and with a crackling sound, lightning bolts struck the airborne iron soldiers. This attack would have no effect on Tony, only recharging his suit, but Ivan Vanko's technology was limited. The reactors produced were far less stable than Tony's. When struck by lightning, the internal circuits of the Iron Soldiers malfunctioned, resulting in explosive crackling sounds.

Amidst the billowing smoke, seven or eight iron husks plummeted from above.

In a span of less than two minutes, less than half of the ieon soldiers causing havoc remained.

Ivan Vanko, who controlled them remotely, was dumbfounded. The audience who witnessed this scene were equally stunned. Even those watching the events unfold via the webcast were left in astonishment.

At that moment, Lynn wore a bright smile on her face. "I didn't expect the X-Men to create such a grand spectacle during their debut on the stage... Was everything captured on film?"

Kitty and Jubilee nodded vigorously.

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