Superman in Marvel: Multiverse Ascendant

A few days later.

Rain.

Dark clouds blanketed the sky, and drizzle turned the sea outside Stark's mansion into a honeycomb of ripples.

Underground Garage

Leon wore a tight sensor suit with round iron plates attached to various parts of his body. Wires extended from the plates, leading to a massive machine.

"Are you sure this iron block can test my strength?" Leon flexed his wrist.

Today was the day he and Tony had agreed to test his strength and new abilities.

At dawn, the sun barely managed to cast a few rays through the gaps in the clouds before Tony excitedly dragged Leon out of bed.

After washing up and having breakfast, they headed to the underground garage.

A circular iron pier, three meters in radius, was fixed to the garage wall facing the sea.

It was a strength-testing device.

"Why do you always phrase facts like questions?" Tony asked, full of confidence.

He explained, "After you went to space six months ago, I had a feeling this day would come. So, I built this strength tester in advance."

"Most of its materials come from a tungsten alloy I synthesized myself—high melting point, high density, and extremely wear-resistant."

"A million tons won't deform it. Tens of thousands of tons of impact force won't damage it."

"The alloy I developed while creating this tester is so advanced it would be cutting-edge even for shipbuilding."

Tony stood at the computer desk. "So, don't worry. I guarantee you can't break it!"

Leon still had doubts. "Tony, you do realize you have the same confident look as when we competed a few days ago?"

Tony hesitated. "This is different! Just stand in front of the tester, punch with all your strength, and leave the rest to me!"

Leon frowned. "No, that's not safe. At least put on your armor first."

Tony smacked his forehead. "I'm more than ten meters away! How is it not safe? When did you become so cautious?"

"Put on your armor," Leon repeated.

"Fine! I'll wear it!" Tony raised his hands in surrender. "If it reassures our little princess, I'll do it."

His wristbands glowed red.

Seconds later, a red-and-gold flight module zoomed in from outside the garage, transforming into a suit of armor that wrapped around Tony.

Mark III. A new suit, built in the past few days using Leon's data.

It had nearly all the functions of the Mark 7 from the movies—except the energy source wasn't made of new elements.

(Side note: Leon helped finish it so quickly.)

(Another note: Tony deliberately excluded the liquid circulation system in front of Leon. He'd regret it later.)

"Happy now?" Tony flexed his legs. "I'm looking forward to your performance."

Leon smirked. This old man even stole his lines.

"I just hope your tester is as tough as your mouth."

He stepped up to the pitch-black tester, taking a deep breath. The basement air surged around him like a growing storm.

Tony had never seen this before. Papers flew everywhere as the wind howled around him.

Then, he saw Leon crouch slightly, muscles tightening like sculpted stone.

"Why…do I feel like something's off?"

Tony barely had time to think before Leon let out a deep growl and threw a punch.

BOOM!

The entire underground garage flipped upside down.

The explosion roared like a missile detonating next to Tony's ears.

Dust and debris filled the air.

A sudden hurricane slammed Tony backward, and tables and chairs crashed into him.

Had Jarvis not activated the armor's thrusters, Tony would have been blown away.

Thankfully, the chaos didn't last long.

After a few seconds, the shaking ground and roaring wind faded.

The garage was now covered in dust, visibility near zero.

Cough, cough! "What the hell just happened?" Tony staggered, turning off his thrusters.

Then, he heard Leon exhale again.

WHOOSH!

This time, the wind was gentler, clearing the air of debris.

As the dust settled, Tony's brain short-circuited.

The sleek, minimalist garage was now a war-torn ruin.

The walls were full of holes. Everything—glass, machinery, lights—was gone.

The dozen or so limited-edition sports cars? Gone.

And the supposedly indestructible tester?

A massive hole was all that remained.

Beyond it, the misty sea stretched endlessly.

"...Oh my god…"

Afternoon – Outside Los Angeles

The drizzle continued.

Leon, now wearing a simple shirt, repeatedly struck a massive iron pier.

"You said your iron block could handle my strength!"

He grumbled, "I didn't even use half my power, and it went from flat to convex."

"And then it fell into the sea, so I had to dive to retrieve it!"

"Come on, Leon."

Tony stood fifty meters away in his Iron Man suit, operating a computer and replying via radio.

"Even if God were here, he wouldn't believe how ridiculous your strength is."

"Seriously, you were only in the sun for six months. How did your power grow exponentially?"

"Look at the three months of sunlight you got in LA before you left."

"In 90 days, your strength increased by 400 tons."

"Jarvis and I built a model based on that data."

"It predicted that after your return, your strength should be between 1,000 and 5,000 tons, and your speed no faster than Mach 5."

"But now? You've surpassed all expectations!"

"And let's talk about Smallville. Clark Kent couldn't even fly in high school, and he'd been in the sun for over ten years!"

Leon stopped punching and pressed his headset. "Wait, you watch Superman TV series?"

"I prefer the movies. They capture Superman's emotional growth better."

"But you probably didn't see the second half. Superman gets absurdly strong later on!"

Tony scoffed. "Not as fast as you!"

"Maybe it's because I'm an adult?" Leon mused. "Or because I absorb sunlight more efficiently in space?"

He struck the tester again. "Okay! It's back to its original shape. How do we test it now?"

...

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