Civil War Ignites! The Avengers Face Collapse!
After killing Ego, Ren packed his bags and returned to Kamar-Taj to continue his comfortable, laid-back life.
But he had no idea that his casual act of eliminating a menace would unleash a massive tsunami in the vast Universe!
Although Ego is an Ancient Celestial who likes to stay in remote star systems and cause destruction, as a living fossil that has existed since the beginning of the Universe, he is not uncommon in the Universe.
Especially those ancient beings that have lived for countless years.
They may not be as strong as Ego in combat, but when it comes to being well-informed, they are absolutely top-tier in the Universe.
The moment Ego's aura completely vanished from the Universe, these old monsters sensed it instantly.
This caused an uproar throughout the Universe.
Old hands like Collector and Grandmaster immediately poured huge sums of money into the black market, offering massive rewards for any intelligence.
Some powerful figures, confident in their strength, even crossed galaxies and personally went to the scene of the crime, attempting to use time Magic to rewind the battle.
However, when these bigwigs saw the terrifying scene in the time rewind where more than a thousand Ren simultaneously swung their swords and chopped a Celestial Planet into pieces...
Everyone fell silent.
No one dared to utter a sound; they all slunk away, erasing all traces and running away.
Who the hell would dare to spread this around? What if they angered that freakish monster in the picture? Wouldn't they turn into space debris too?
It's not just these ancient things.
The most advanced civilizations in the Universe also got wind of the news through their own channels.
After watching the encrypted video, the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree Empire nearly burned down the empire's central server due to computational overload.
The Nova Corps of Xandar also used high-tech methods to recreate some of the battle footage.
Although due to energy interference, Ren's entire body in the picture is pixelated.
However, after watching the blurry video, the Supreme Commander of the Nova Empire's face turned so dark it was almost dripping with gloom.
"Immediately issue the highest-level order to the entire army!"
The commander's voice betrayed undisguised solemnity and lingering fear. "Once the trace of this powerful figure in the image is discovered in Universe, everyone must immediately retreat and avoid him at all costs! Absolutely no one is allowed to provoke him!"
"Anyone who disobeys this order will be executed on the spot!"
The commander's heart was bleeding.
The crime scene was only a few hundred light-years away from their Xandar!
Hundreds of light-years—on a Universe scale, that's practically our doorstep!
If a monster capable of casually shattering a Celestial Planet were to wander over to Xandar in a bad mood, what would their proud Nova Corps do to stop it?
"This is terrifying! There are such unreasonable monsters lurking in the depths of the Universe."
The commander sighed helplessly and ordered the entire Nova Corps to enter a state of first-level combat readiness.
Meanwhile, on Earth...
The situation is equally worrying.
However, Earth's troubles are not because of Ren.
United Nations Headquarters Building.
Heads of state from more than 100 countries around the world gathered together.
Today, they are going to officially sign a bill restricting superheroes—the Sokovia Accords.
The recent unexpected death of the King of Wakanda has ignited widespread discontent among governments towards superheroes.
In the eyes of politicians, the existence of superheroes is a blatant slap in the face to the government, highlighting its incompetence.
Moreover, these individuals with extraordinary powers roam the world, their fights often destroying half a city, yet they are not bound by any laws or organizations.
This has instilled deep fear in governments around the world.
In the conference room.
The person responsible for reading the agreement to the Avengers was the new Secretary of Defense, Thaddeus Ross.
Thaddeus Ross immediately started by playing a video on the big screen.
The video is filled with horrific scenes of civilian casualties and city destruction caused by the Avengers' mistakes or collateral damage in various battles.
New York, Washington, Sokovia...
The horrifying scenes were like knives, stabbing deeply into the hearts of the Avengers.
Although Thaddeus Ross himself doesn't really care about the lives of ordinary people, this is definitely the best weapon to demoralize superheroes and force them to compromise.
Watching the scene on the screen, the members of the Avengers all fell silent.
"For the past four years, you have wielded superhuman power, acting recklessly and without any oversight around the world."
Thaddeus Ross turned off the video, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd. "This situation can no longer be tolerated by any country in the world."
"Therefore, after joint discussions among more than one hundred countries, we drafted the Sokovia Accords."
"Sign it. From this day forward, the Avengers will no longer be a private armed organization. You will be under the direct supervision of a United Nations task force. You may only act with United Nations authorization."
Thaddeus Ross's voice echoed in the hall, carrying an undeniable authority.
Steve Rogers, the Captain America who made great contributions in World War II, didn't even lift an eyelid.
"The Avengers were formed with the intention of protecting the world from threats. And as it turns out, we have indeed succeeded."
Steve's voice was calm, but his attitude was extremely firm.
Since experiencing the complete infiltration of Hydra. by S.H.I.E.L.D., Steve harbors a deep distrust of any government agency or regulatory organization.
If even the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.. can be a Hydra mole, who can guarantee that there aren't any ulterior motives within this so-called United Nations oversight team?
Moreover, as a veteran, he knew better than anyone else that war inevitably involves sacrifice. This is a harsh reality that cannot be avoided no matter how much regulation is implemented.
"Captain, don't be so naive."
Thaddeus Ross stared at him coldly. "Do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? You have two nuclear bombs that can destroy the world, yet you don't know where they are! Is this how you protect the world?"
"This is compromise, this is the meaning of regulation," Thaddeus Ross pressed.
"The United Nations will hold a formal signing ceremony in Queen. I hope you will make the right choice."
After saying that, Thaddeus Ross turned and left.
Steve turned his head and looked at Tony Stark, who had remained silent.
He knew that Tony had known about the agreement all along.
Tony didn't say anything, he just shrugged helplessly.
His ideas were completely different from Steve's.
Because of the Ultron Incident, so many people died in Sokovia, and Tony was filled with deep guilt and self-blame.
He believes that if the powers of superheroes are left unchecked, such tragedies will inevitably occur sooner or later. Therefore, he wholeheartedly supports signing the agreement and accepting regulation.
The meeting ended unhappily.
Back at the Avengers Compound, another heated argument broke out among the group.
Steve insisted on refusing to sign, believing it would turn the Avengers into puppets in the hands of politicians.
Tony and Vision, on the other hand, rationally believed that accepting regulation was the only way to quell public panic and maintain the legitimacy of the Avengers.
A major clash of ideologies.
This caused an irreparable rift to appear in what was once an indestructible team.
The Avengers are on the verge of splitting up.
However.
They had no idea.
While they were arguing endlessly about the agreement.
In the shadows, a pair of eyes filled with hatred were fixed on them.
Helmut Zemo.
A special forces soldier who lost his entire family in the Sokovia War.
He knew he couldn't kill Ultron, nor could he defeat the Avengers.
So he devised an extremely malicious plan: to dismantle the Avengers from within! To make these superheroes kill each other!
Now.
Zemo has successfully infiltrated the secret base and, using a red-covered codebook, has completely taken control of the Winter Soldier — Bucky Barnes.
Looking at the Winter Soldier in front of him, who was as obedient as a machine.
A twisted and crazed smile crept across Zemo's lips.
He has uncovered a deadly secret that could cause the Avengers to completely break up—the truth about the deaths of Tony Stark's parents.
"Go, my sharpest blade."
Zemo patted the Winter Soldier on the shoulder, his voice as soft as a devil's whisper.
As long as the Winter Soldier brings this intelligence to Tony.
The Avengers will become a thing of the past.