After returning to Stark Tower, Tony Stark took off his armor.
He did not have JARVIS check it for damage as usual, did not log the flight data, and did not even put the armor back in the armory.
He merely walked out of the lab, entered his bedroom, and lay down on the bed.
The ceiling was white. He stared at that expanse of white without moving.
Pepper stood at the door for a while, then gently closed it.
At the same time, aboard a spaceship in outer space, a green-skinned, pointy-eared alien stood before a holographic projection.
This alien was none other than a Skrull.
The projection showed Tony Stark's face, footage from his appearance at the Stark Expo—smiling, confident, and utterly arrogant.
"Our secret invasion operation has finally begun!" the Skrull commander declared.
"Sir, what do we need to do?" another Skrull asked.
The commander brought up another photo. The person in it was Bucky Barnes.
"Have someone impersonate Tony, then kill him. Afterward, upload footage of Iron Man killing Bucky to the internet.
Then Captain America and Iron Man, the two pillars of the Avengers, will be divided forever."
"Sir, why do we need to split them up?" the young Skrull asked in confusion.
The commander looked at him, his green face expressionless.
"Because the Avengers are Earth's strongest defensive force. If we want to conquer this planet, we must first make them fight among themselves.
And the rift between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers is the best weapon we can find."
Brooklyn, New York. A basement.
A Skrull stood before a mirror, his skin changing.
The green faded away. His bones restructured, and his muscles rearranged themselves.
A few seconds later, the person standing in the mirror was Tony Stark.
He flexed his fingers, rolled