When Dragon Balls Descend Upon Marvel

Coulson picked up the file his superior had tossed over and began flipping through it. Inside were details on several individuals, starting with Chen Haoran — an extraordinary individual under surveillance in Hong Kong who could control fire.

S.H.I.E.L.D. saw great potential in him and had left him at large to see if his abilities would grow. But after all these years, his control amounted to nothing more than a small flame in his palm — just enough for a magic trick or to light a cigarette.

Then there was Max Daniels, imprisoned in the Ice Box, who could absorb light and plunge his surroundings into darkness. Unfortunately, he was mentally unstable and had constantly harassed Coulson's cellist girlfriend. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attempts at research and treatment hadn't helped — in fact, they had made things worse.

Next on the list, thanks to the recent deployment of combat power detectors, was a group of superpowered individuals captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. Among them was the Purple Man, Zebediah Kilgrave, who emitted pheromones that allowed him to control women upon contact — the same type as those used by the Red Room. However, once separated from him, the effect weakened, and victims would regain their memories of that time.

Given the atrocities committed by the Purple Man, S.H.I.E.L.D. had no intention of ever releasing him to join the Avengers. He was locked away deep in the Ice Box, where scientists continued researching his abilities and pheromones.

Jessica Jones, the superpowered girl rescued during Kilgrave's capture, possessed immense strength, terrifying jump power akin to flight, and extreme physical durability. She was currently undergoing treatment and training at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy.

Further down, Coulson saw familiar names — S.H.I.E.L.D. elite agents, Hawkeye, Natasha, and more.

After reading, Coulson said,

"Director, if we're talking about potential candidates, Jessica Jones' abilities are the most qualified."

Nick Fury sighed.

"Her PTSD is severe. She still needs treatment and training. Right now, she can't be released to join the Avengers — but she's a good backup option."

"That bastard Kilgrave… the damage he did to her mind runs deep."

Coulson fell silent, then said,

"If there are no better choices, we'll have to rely on our agents."

Nick Fury looked equally frustrated. S.H.I.E.L.D. had numbers, even Skrulls — but in terms of top-tier combat power, they had nothing impressive to show. Even Ross was sitting on the Abomination as a trump card.

"How's the search for Captain America going?"

Coulson shook his head regretfully.

"No progress yet. We may need to equip the search teams with more combat power detectors."

Recalling the budget he'd secured for the Avengers Initiative, Nick said without hesitation,

"Give the search teams two more units."

Coulson immediately replied,

"Thank you, Director."

…

Meanwhile.

Back in New York, Smith Dole threw himself into training inside the gravity chamber, with Master Talin sharing martial arts philosophies and lessons on controlling ki. Bulma continued her research on William — the original werewolf — who still hadn't reverted to his wolf form.

Ivan Vanko, using the League of Assassins' intel network, had begun his nighttime crusade against crime as a superhero. By day, he worked on refining his armor and developing Baymax, the household robot Smith had requested.

Ivan's father had also been brought to the League of Assassins and placed in the best hospital for recovery.

Ivan's schedule was relentless — designing applications and models for large Arc Reactors, building Baymax, upgrading his armor, and patrolling at night to establish his superhero reputation. Yet he enjoyed the work, relishing the sense of purpose and respect.

When it came to palladium poisoning, Ivan learned from Smith about the League's healing pod — the same one Tony used — but the price was a staggering 300 million USD per session.

Shocked, Ivan realized Vanko Industries wasn't profitable yet. Bulma offered him a "member" rate of 100 million USD, but even that was far beyond his means. He'd have to wait for profits and dividends before he could afford treatment.

This only strengthened his resolve to develop remote-controlled armor. As for replacing palladium, he decided not to aim too high yet — his first goal was to match Tony's latest Arc Reactor.

…

Late May.

Night.

Tony Stark sat alone in his Malibu seaside villa, mulling over the news Rhodey had brought him. The military was pressing harder than ever — especially after Whiplash's debut, with a suit powered by a similar core. They were pushing to drag Tony back into weapons manufacturing.

Tony stood firm. He would never reverse course and return Stark Industries to the military sector. The clean energy market was already more profitable, even with Vanko Industries sharing part of the orders.

He decided to stand his ground against the military. No matter the pressure, he would not hand over his suits or produce them for the government. He even considered persuading Smith Dole to shut down his new military-tech company — though it mainly built hover vehicles, not weapons.

That, at least, was why Smith had agreed to start it. Neither Vanko Industries nor Smith's company would touch combat mechs or Iron Man-style armor.

As for Rhodey, Tony could only apologize — if the job became unbearable, he could resign, and Tony would find him a role as Stark Industries' head of security or a consultant.

With his mind made up, Tony shut off the display in front of him.

(End of Chapter)

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