DC HERO AT MARVEL

The next day, J. Jonah Jameson turned on the television and found every channel reporting the same news.

A sudden earthquake had struck Black Canyon at the border of Nevada and Arizona, causing part of a mountain to collapse.

While the incident had some impact on the Hoover Dam, the damage was reportedly minimal.

The news broadcast included footage of the post-earthquake Hoover Dam.

One towering side of the canyon had completely caved in, leaving behind a massive circular pit.

A military presence surrounded the pit, restricting access to civilians but allowing reporters to capture footage from a distance.

Most people around the world didn't pay much attention to the incident.

No casualties!

As far as they were concerned, it was just an ordinary earthquake.

But Jameson was different.

He was among the select few who knew the truth.

More importantly, just yesterday, he had learned from Secretary of Defense John Keller about an alien that had crashed on Earth thousands of years ago, hidden within the Hoover Dam. Now, the very next day, the dam had an "earthquake"?

Did they think his years as a newspaper editor and owner were for nothing?

Batman and Cyborg had accompanied Keller to an undisclosed location yesterday, and according to Anton, there had been some "minor issues"…

"This doesn't look like a minor issue to me!"

Jameson exhaled slowly, recalling Anton explanation. He realized that whatever Batman and Keller had dealt with was almost certainly connected to this "earthquake."

More crucially, Anton had mentioned yesterday that Batman had struck a deal with aliens.

The Justice League—or more specifically, Batman—had something the aliens wanted.

This meant the aliens had no choice but to cooperate with Batman, providing their advanced technology to fuel the development of the soon-to-be-launched Wayne Enterprises.

"This world just keeps getting harder to understand," Jameson muttered with a sigh, feeling a pang of regret for knowing too much. At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a bit unsettled.

Ignorance truly is bliss.

It only with age that one learns the truth of that saying.

Los Angeles.

In his seaside mansion, Tony Stark met with his only true friend, Air Force Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes.

"Tony, you called me here, and it not to show off your suits?"

Rhodey looked at Tony casual attire, which even had traces of grease stains, with a mix of disdain and disappointment.

"I'll get straight to the point. What really happened yesterday at the Hoover Dam?"

Tony ignored Rhodey quip, meeting his gaze directly. "NBE-ONE, Batman, Autobots… Rhodey, I know you have the details. What happened there?"

Rhodey heart skipped a beat.

The military had already begun circulating internal reports about the incident at Hoover Dam.

Given the scale of the event and the military immediate involvement, even though they hadn't encountered any direct enemies, intelligence from the White House had made its way to the higher-ups.

Although Rhodey was "just" an Air Force Colonel, he had garnered the favor of many influential figures. Being Tony Stark close friend, his future was undeniably bright.

He had also been directly involved in the response.

Among the fighter jets that first arrived at the Hoover Dam, one of them had been piloted by Rhodey himself.

"Tony, how do you even know about this?" Rhodey expression shifted, surprise evident in his tone. "This is top-secret information."

"I have my sources," Tony replied. "Rhodey, I'm fascinated by those mechanical beings. You must have uncovered something from the ruins of that 'earthquake,' right?"

Tony emphasized the word "earthquake," leaving no doubt about his meaning.

"Well, since you already know…"

Rhodey hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. "We did find some things, but it not as simple as you think."

He briefly explained the nature of the Transformers, then added,

"The remains of the Transformers don't belong to the military they're under the jurisdiction of Sector 7.

That organization ultimately reports to the White House. Whatever you're planning, Tony, you'll need to deal with the politicians."

"Got it."

Tony stroked his chin thoughtfully.

If the military had been in control, his strong ties with them through Stark Industries would have made this matter trivial.

Dealing with the White House? A bit trickier.

However, Tony had recently been under pressure from certain government officials who wanted him to hand over his armor technology for government use.

The Iron Man suit was an incredibly powerful, tangible weapon—far more reliable than experimental super-soldier serums.

The U.S. government was eager to integrate Iron Man tech into their national defense arsenal.

Whether it would ultimately be used for "defense" or "offense" was another matter.

Tony, of course, had no intention of handing over his technology.

But the Transformer incident had piqued his interest.

He thought it might be possible to trade some of his outdated armor designs—or even a completed suit—for a Transformer remains.

Compared to the potential insights from studying a Transformer, such a trade would be more than worth it.

Tony mulled over the idea carefully.

Suddenly—

A sharp pain shot through his neck.

His body twitched slightly, and his expression changed.

"Tony."

Rhodey noticed something was off and asked with concern, "You look… weird."

"It nothing."

Tony frowned slightly. "Let wrap it up here for today, Rhodey. I have some things to take care of. I won't see you out."

A short while later, Tony received the results of his blood tests.

Palladium poisoning…

Standing shirtless in front of a mirror, Tony examined the dark lines radiating from his chest implant. His expression darkened.

What had been a relatively good mood quickly plummeted.

…

One Month Later.

New York.

Wayne Enterprises Launch Event.

"Thank you all for attending today event."

Jameson stood on stage, a confident smile on his face.

Facing the gathered press, government officials, and corporate elites, his tone remained calm and authoritative:

"As we've promoted over the past month, Wayne Enterprises is proud to introduce a groundbreaking innovation: limb regeneration technology.

"This is a revolutionary advancement, a beacon of hope for people with disabilities. It offers a permanent solution for those suffering from limb loss."

Jameson gestured to someone standing at the side of the stage.

A man with all four limbs intact stepped forward, looking slightly nervous but more so excited and expectant.

At the same time, a photograph appeared on the screen behind Jameson.

It was an image of the same man from a month ago, before undergoing the limb regeneration procedure. In the picture, he sat in a wheelchair, his legs amputated, his expression one of despair and hopelessness.

The stark contrast between the two versions of the same man—one defeated, the other revitalized—elicited gasps of astonishment from the audience.

As the presentation unfolded, it dawned on everyone that the limb regeneration technology was literal, offering exactly what the name implied.

The audience buzzed with excitement, save for the representatives of Osborn Corporation, who wore sour expressions.

To them, limb regeneration technology was supposed to be their breakthrough—a piece of the pie meant to be theirs. Seeing it snatched away felt like a bitter betrayal.

Jameson, however, cared little for their grievances.

He knew that introducing this technology would inevitably disrupt certain industries and tread on a few toes.

But more importantly, it represented a monumental opportunity—a massive market that the Jameson family was poised to dominate.

As a businessman, nothing was more satisfying than securing an entire market for oneself.

Meanwhile, Anton stood to the side with a smile, watching Jameson confident presentation. Scanning the attentive faces in the audience, he chuckled softly, knowing Wayne Enterprises' debut product—limb regeneration technology—was about to be a resounding success.

Even though the outcome had been predictable, seeing it unfold in real time brought him a deep sense of satisfaction.

After the event, Jameson approached Anton with a broad grin.

"I just secured a massive deal," he said.

"Oh? What kind of deal?" Anton asked, intrigued.

Anton was intrigued.

If Jameson, known for his far-reaching vision, considered this a major deal, it must be significant.

"Our Vice President has a daughter he adores," Jameson began with a faint smile. "Unfortunately, due to certain circumstances, she lost her right lower leg."

"The moment the press conference ended and the feasibility of limb regeneration technology was confirmed, he called me immediately."

"So, our first client will be the Vice President daughter?" Anton asked, blinking.

"Exactly."

Jameson nodded.

"With his support, Wayne Enterprises' path ahead will be much smoother. Plus, we could secure numerous government contracts.

You know how this works—wealthy individuals aren't short on goodwill. Of course, the associations for people with disabilities might end up despising us."

"Well, we are businessmen, after all," Anton said with a shrug.

Jameson gave a reminder:

"Limb regeneration technology is just the beginning. If you plan to expand into other fields later, don't forget to offer new innovations.

I'll maintain our connection with the Vice President. Through him, I can try to establish ties with the military and secure defense contracts."

"Understood," Anton replied before heading out.

Seated in his car, Anton made his way to DC Studios to discuss with Jim the upcoming release of The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins.

Notably, Superman had officially concluded its global theatrical run the day before, grossing $760 million worldwide.

While it didn't match the box office success of Batman or Cyborg, it was still a commercially successful film.

In terms of fan value, Anton gained 31 million Superman fan points.

This left a gap of nearly 70 million to reach his target of 100 million.

Even if he were to produce sequels, it would likely take at least two more films to close the gap.

Moreover, the impact of subsequent films would diminish over time due to audience fatigue.

Only by consistently releasing new Superman-related content across various formats, saturating public consciousness over time, could he achieve his goal.

Anton wasn't worried, though. He wasn't in dire need of combat power right now.

Given the current roster of villains on Earth, Anton thought smugly, "Not to brag, but there isn't a single one who can pose a real challenge."

At DC Studios, Anton sat down at his desk and casually opened his computer. A news pop-up caught his attention.

"Tony Stark: The Playboy Returns!"

"Stark Expo: Real Innovation or PR Stunt?"

The entertainment gossip section was flooded with headlines about Tony Stark.

Over the past month, Tony seemed to have returned to his old lifestyle of luxury and excess, frequently hosting extravagant parties.

Meanwhile, Stark Industries had announced the upcoming Stark Expo, scheduled to take place in two months.

Anton knew exactly what this meant—Iron Man 2 had officially begun.

Tony, aware of his impending palladium poisoning, was likely trying to relive his past happiness before it was too late.

Of course, Anton had no intention of getting involved.

He didn't believe Tony would actually die. 

Just then, Jim knocked on the door and entered.

"I'm planning to host the premiere next week. The Dark Knight is one of the most anticipated films, and as the second installment of Batman saga, it bound to be unstoppable! It'll dominate the entire release schedule!"

Jim was brimming with confidence.

Firstly, The Dark Knight story was packed with enough explosive twists and depth to captivate audiences.

Secondly, Batman had become a national icon.

As the most popular superhero in America today, all Batman-related merchandise was flying off the shelves.

While most people understood that the fictional Batman and the real-world Batman were not tightly connected, the parallels were undeniable.

For instance, in the real world, Batman never denied that he wasn't Bruce Wayne.

And Anton, the creator of the fictional Batman, had a well-known close association with the real Batman.

This connection gained even more attention recently with the establishment of Wayne Enterprises by the Jameson family. Hardcore Batman fans had already dug into this fact, tying it back to their hero.

The buzz around limb regeneration technology only fueled the hype, elevating it to rival the excitement surrounding Tony Stark Stark Expo.

However, for most fans, their focus remained squarely on the upcoming The Dark Knight.

They were eager to see what role Batman would play in this sequel.

Would the alien references hinted at in the Cyborg movie become the central conflict of Batman next story?

Could the villain in the sequel also be someone who existed not just in the world of fiction but in the real universe?

The public curiosity was insatiable.

What they didn't realize, however, was that they were about to witness the debut of one of DC most dangerous and captivating villains

It was the one and only figure who had consistently ranked as the number one comic book villain in American media polls.

In countless rankings of the greatest comic book villains of all time, this character had secured the top spot.

The Joker.

Clown Prince of Crime.

It a shame the system doesn't include a villain role-playing guide.

If it did, Anton mused, creating a Joker clone to stir up chaos, only for Batman to heroically take him down, would surely rack up a massive amount of Justice Points.

Of course, this was just idle daydreaming.

If the system actually required him to play the role of a villain, he'd refuse outright.

In reality, Anton had no interest in villainy.

Juggling endless crises as a hero while secretly causing trouble as a bad guy?

That was too contradictory.

It was the perfect recipe for a mental breakdown!

Anton simply didn't have the energy for that.

…

New York City.

Inside a high-rise building.

"Limb regeneration technology…"

A gaunt man sat in a chair, his hand faintly glowing red as it emitted an almost unimaginable heat.

"Wayne Enterprises…"

His expression remained stoic as he stared at the television, which was broadcasting news about Wayne Enterprises' press conference.

The announcement of their limb regeneration technology caused his brow to furrow ever so slightly, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.

"The plan is just about to begin… I can't let you interfere."