On the outer perimeter of the blockade line.
General Ross stood beside the command vehicle, his cigar long since fallen to the ground.
To be honest, he was a little scared.
Yes, a fear that runs deep in your bones.
Hulk didn't instill this much fear in him.
His gaze was fixed on Luca, his back already soaked with cold sweat.
Is this even human?!
The tentacles, which the military's artillery shells couldn't penetrate, were caught by the enemy with one hand and torn into scrap metal with his bare hands!
This pure physical strength is almost on par with the Hulk.
Thaddeus Ross originally planned to capture Doctor Octopus alive and seize Stark Industries ' energy core.
But the current situation made him abandon this suicidal idea.
Stealing Stark's things?
Are you kidding me!
Who dares to provoke this monster?!
If they angered Luca Stark, all he had to do was storm into the Pentagon and smash them into a pulp with one punch!
"Pass on my orders!"
General Ross turned around and shouted at his adjutant.
"All troops, retreat immediately! Lift the blockade! Hand the scene over to Stark Industries!"
"General, what about Doctor Octopus and the energy core..." The adjutant hesitated for a moment.
"Are you out of your mind?!" General Ross roared.
"Do you want my men to go to their deaths? Retreat immediately! From now on, all military operations must avoid Stark Industries!"
The reporters and onlookers on the periphery were completely stunned.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at Luca, who stood in the center of the ruins, wearing a black cloak.
Ten seconds later.
"Oh, God!"
Screams and cheers erupted from the crowd.
"That's Superman! Superman has appeared again!"
"Incredible! He took down the monster!"
The live broadcast also showed Luca grabbing Doctor Octopus with one hand and smashing it wildly, transmitting the footage in real time to television screens around the world.
The media and audiences reacted remarkably in unison.
Luca Stark is a god descended!
As long as he is there, no monster on Earth will be able to do evil.
"Quick! Call the brokers at the New York Stock Exchange!"
An investor in a suit and tie shouted into his phone in the crowd.
"Buy Stark Industries stock! Buy it all, no matter the price! This company will never go bankrupt because their boss is a god!"
Manhattan, inside an apartment.
Wanda sat on the sofa watching the news broadcast on TV.
Seeing that Luca was alright, their surprise and excitement were palpable.
"He's so strong... he's really so strong..."
Wanda covered her burning cheeks, her eyes sparkling with adoration.
As the excitement subsided, a deep sense of security and attachment enveloped her.
This powerful and invincible man had just been holding her gently in his arms.
She felt that all the effort she had put in, and the recharging process that she was ashamed to talk about, was worthwhile.
"As long as I can help him, as long as I can make him stronger, I'm willing to be his 'power bank' forever."
Wanda made a silent vow in her heart, and the smile on her face became incredibly sweet.
Chief George's house...
Gwen Stacy sat at her desk, the same live stream playing on her phone.
She first let out a long sigh of relief.
At first, she was genuinely worried that Luca would get hurt.
But seeing Luca's incredible prowess, she felt relieved.
"So cool..."
Gwen Stacy sighed softly, her worries completely vanishing.
She had such a strong, decisive man by her side who was wholeheartedly protecting her.
What is a Hydra hiding in a dark corner?
"I knew it, he never disappoints."
Gwen Stacy leaned back in her chair, recalling Luca's always mischievous smile, and her heart filled with deep affection.
A nightclub in Manhattan.
Inside the VIP box.
Pietro sat on the sofa, holding a glass of champagne.
He also saw Luca swinging Doctor Octopus around with one hand and smashing it wildly.
"Clatter!"
The cup fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Pietro was so startled that he pushed away the two blonde supermodels standing next to him and gasped.
"This... this power feels even stronger than when I fought Hulk in Monaco?!"
Pietro's eyes widened, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
He knew Luca was strong, but he didn't expect his strength to improve so quickly.
Originally, he still felt a little resentful.
He was thinking that once he could improve his speed, he would find an opportunity to secretly play a trick on Luca.
But now, that idea has been nipped in the bud.
"Never mess with him. No matter how fast you run, if he catches you, you'll be killed with one punch."
Thinking of this, Pietro swallowed hard.
"Actually... thinking about it carefully, it seems like my sister isn't at a bad deal by being with him."
"At least in this world, no one can bully Wanda anymore. I'd better just be an obedient henchman and work to pay off my debts; that's not bad."
Inside the Stark Tower office.
Jessica and Natasha had just finished organizing some documents and were now watching the news on their screens.
When Luca's footage was broadcast.
The two reacted remarkably in unison.
For example, he swallowed a mouthful of saliva at the same time, and his face turned pale.
"How do I fight this monster?"
A desperate question simultaneously arose in their minds.
Jessica felt deeply fortunate.
I'm glad I obeyed, and glad I'm a good actor, so I wasn't discovered.
"If my identity is exposed, it won't be the tentacles that are torn off, but my limbs."
With this thought in mind, Jessica made a decision in secret.
"I must send a message to headquarters immediately. Tell Secretary Pierce, under no circumstances should any more people be sent to their deaths."
"I'll just be a good assistant and definitely not mess with him."
Unlike her, Natasha gave a wry smile.
She finally understood why Director Fury had slunk away after only one visit to his office.
"The director still wants to control them? He wants to recruit them into the Avengers as henchmen?"
Natasha shook her head, thinking the idea was a complete joke.
" S.H.I.E.L.D.. has no right to control this level of power."
"I'd better just stay here and organize the invoices, and maybe I can use his power to protect myself."
"If S.H.I.E.L.D.. has truly been infiltrated by Hydra, staying by Luca's side might be the safest option."
Washington, D.C..
Inside a secluded office.
Hydra, a high-ranking member of Pierce, was already sweating profusely.
"A monster... this is a complete monster!"
Pierce felt he was incredibly lucky.
He had previously held onto a sliver of hope, believing that Luca's abilities might have reached their limit.
But now he saw that Luca not only had limitless strength, but was also ruthless and had no bottom line whatsoever.
With this in mind, Pierce decisively gave the order.
He picked up the command cube and shouted at his men.
"Destroy all files related to the assassination plans against the Stark brothers! Permanently shelve all operations against them!"
"Anyone who dares to provoke Stark Industries will be executed as a traitor!"
Some of his men didn't quite catch on, but Pierce didn't give them a chance and continued speaking.
"Our current mission is to focus on dealing with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.. As long as we hold our ground and don't attract that psychopath's attention, Hydra still has a chance."
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters building.
Inside the director's office.
Nick Fury also felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
"His power has increased again. And his suit has changed; it's made of unknown technology that isn't even in S.H.I.E.L.D..'s database."
Fury felt desperate.
Originally, he considered the model left behind by Howard as a trump card, thinking he could use it when Tony Stark was on the verge of death to force them to submit.
But now, seeing Luca's terrifying strength, he abandoned that illusion.
"It's useless. These trump cards are meaningless in the face of absolute power."
He felt that if he dared to use the model to blackmail them, Luca would definitely tear down the S.H.I.E.L.D.. building.
Fury slumped into the chair, looking dejected.
He knew he had lost the right to control the Stark brothers.
" Coulson!" Fury pressed the call button.
"Chief, I'm here."
"Seal off the files on Howard Stark permanently. No one may access them without my order."
"Inform the agents to shift all their focus to internal investigations."
"I'm going to purge S.H.I.E.L.D. from within Hydra.! As for the Stark brothers... whatever they do from now on, don't interfere."