Stark Industries' predicament

In a world where Howard Stark is still alive, should one warn the other about the possibility of assassination attempts by Hydra?

Anyone who does this is an idiot!

First, I have no evidence.

Secondly, Henry wasn't sure which version of death the Old Man Stark couple would use in this world. He couldn't even pretend to be a prophet; spouting nonsense would only ruin his already limited credibility.

Furthermore, if I guess right, I feel like I'll be in even more trouble.

After all, this was an internal problem within S.H.I.E.L.D.. Those who would side with Stark would naturally investigate Henry's source of information; Hydra would also want to know where the leak came from.

In short, if you guess correctly, you'll attract the attention of both sides, drawing all their focus to yourself. At that point, even if you try to act like a charlatan and claim you've made a prophecy, you won't be able to escape the trouble.

There's another, more complicated, personal motive: without sacrificing Tony's parents, how could Iron Man possess such boundless power?

Henry wasn't sure if preventing Iron Man from appearing was a good thing.

To be honest, he didn't intend to stabilize any particular historical trajectory, nor did he have the idea that he had to change the future. From his own perspective, Howard Stark's life or death would not bring him any benefit or loss.

Is it about making the other party owe a favor in exchange for entry into Stark Industries ' system, or about demanding something else?

How is this any different from running to New York, the center of the universe, and shouting, "I'm Kryptonian, everyone have the guts to shoot me!"

Henry hadn't forgotten that his goal was to live a peaceful life, not to get himself embroiled in trouble. So what reason was there to interfere?

His relationship with Tony Stark? They've only met five times. Just because Tony casually mentioned being friends, he thinks he's someone important?

This is no different from assuming your beloved goddess has fallen in love with you at first sight just because she glanced at you in a crowd. There's a limit to excessive self-awareness; does she really think the world revolves around her?

The above thoughts are based solely on the Marvel superhero universe. What If...? one were actually in that world, considering its economic situation, one would realize that Hydra was definitely not the only force that wanted Howard Stark dead.

The Rockefeller family, once a dominant force in the oil industry, was broken up, and the Carnegie family, renowned steel magnates, followed in the same footsteps.

It's often said that the United States is a nation built on conglomerates, but if any conglomerate becomes so large that it can dominate the United States, it will inevitably face dismantling. The famous antitrust laws provide the legal basis for this purpose.

Of course, where there's a policy, there's a countermeasure. These dismantled family businesses weren't subjected to execution or confiscation of property; they were simply dispersed and moved from the public eye to the background in a more discreet manner.

Therefore, surnames such as Rockefeller, Carnegie, Rothschild disappeared from the public eye.

Those who can still appear in public are financial tycoons like Morgan. In the industrial sector, almost no one has the status of an oil magnate or steel kingpin as they once did.

The reason for saying "almost" is, of course, because there are exceptions. And that exception is Stark Industries, founded by Howard Stark.

Compared to the future before Iron Man's emergence, Stark Industries was a military-industrial complex, part of an arms manufacturing conglomerate.

Under Howard Stark's leadership, Stark Industries was a diversified industry that dabbled in everything. If it involved manufacturing, Stark Industries would have a laboratory, even if it didn't have a production line.

Basically, if Old Man Stark was interested in something, he would touch it if he could make it. Just by looking at Hollywood, you can see the shadow of Stark Industries, which tells you that his habits were like a dog, marking its territory everywhere.

Perhaps in a single field, it cannot compare to those long-established industries with deep roots, such as Boeing in the aerospace industry, Lockheed Martin in the defense industry, Ford in the automotive industry, and Intel in the chip industry.

However, Stark Industries has its own ecosystem and manages both upstream and downstream industries. In terms of overall industrial strength, even the combined strength of the second to tenth ranked companies in the United States and even the world is not necessarily stronger than Stark Industries.

He single-handedly transformed the global business landscape into a "one superpower and many strong players" situation. Just look at this one person—which of those in power or his business rivals could tolerate him?

What's even more damning is that this guy has only one heir, Tony Stark!

Simply put, the fall of Howard Stark would be a capitalist feast no less spectacular than the collapse of the Red Empire.

What was placed on the dining table was Stark Industries.

The reasons why Stark Industries has been able to develop to its current scale are not hard to imagine.

Howard Stark has always had a good relationship with the military, and he was one of the founders of the Strategic Scientific Reserve. World War II, this unit was reorganized into the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, the famous S.H.I.E.L.D..

With the military as his backing and intelligence organizations supporting him from within, even a pig could thrive, let alone Howard Stark. Even those who dislike him and want to harm him have no way to do so.

To put it more bluntly, if Howard Stark of this era wanted to enter the White House, all he had to do was express that desire, and he could gather a Legion of people to protect and support him. Even established political families would have to make way.

It's said that the strongest fortresses collapse from the inside out. Wasn't Howard's death orchestrated by Hydra, which was hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D..?

As for taking the Super-Soldier Serum, that seemed more like an afterthought. No one could guarantee whether Howard's restored serum was truly effective. And judging from the subsequent developments in the MCU, it certainly didn't play any significant role.

In short, if Henry wants to keep Howard Stark alive today, he'll have to provide him with 24/7 protection.

Otherwise, even if he managed to thwart the Winter Soldier's attack disguised as a car accident once, there would be a second, a third, and countless more attempts until the assassination succeeded.

In this situation, unless Howard Stark willingly relinquishes Stark Industries and takes some retirement shares or a pension, he can forget about living a peaceful life.

But would Old Man Stark agree? It's obvious that it's impossible. Even with solid evidence, it wouldn't necessarily convince this scientist and businessman who had experienced World War II; moreover, Henry had no evidence at all.

So, was it really necessary for Henry to save Howard? The truth is, it was neither necessary nor possible.

This is a calamity that Stark Industries is bound to face, and also a hurdle that will determine whether Tony Stark can transform and grow.

Just as the Red Empire was destined to collapse, Henry, as Kryptonian, didn't even qualify as a pawn in this situation. Let alone profit from it; at most, he could only scrape off some insignificant scraps.

Having figured this out, Henry felt at ease turning his attention back to his employer, no longer focusing on that trendsetter of the era. Audrey Hepburn's story was no less significant than anyone else's.