American comics: Starting with Luke the Maker

The hearing started intensely.

Tony Stark was trading barbs with Senator Stern, their verbal sparring almost materializing into actual sparks.

"You've been deluding yourself all along, deceiving the citizens! That Iron Man suit of yours is a weapon!" Although Senator Stern still wore a smile, the veins on his forehead throbbed visibly.

"Say what you will. As its creator, I define it as a high-tech prosthetic. No questions or rebuttals accepted." Tony Stark retorted leisurely, "Instead of arguing about this, if you're truly concerned about the citizens' interests, the first thing you should do..."

"Is to hand over your Iron Man suit!"

Senator Stern's outburst silenced the hearing room for a moment.

"Good heavens! Listen to the shocking words coming from the Senator's mouth!" Tony Stark jumped up from his seat in surprise. He spread his arms, turned to look at the group of important people sitting behind him, then turned back to face Senator Stern, who was now sweating profusely. "Private property is inviolable. I don't think you have the right to make me do that, Senator! If you do, one word from you could cost me Stark Industries. One word could deprive all my friends behind me of their entire fortunes."

"I don't!" Seeing the silent gazes fixed on him, Senator Stern's forehead was covered in sweat as he desperately tried to stop Stark from further framing him. This kind of thing couldn't be said publicly. If he admitted it, the hearing would be over, and he would be in deep trouble.

"You do!" Tony retorted decisively.

"I don't want to argue with you..."

"Actually, I don't want to argue with you either!" Tony Stark interrupted Senator Stern forcefully. "Technology can help people live better lives, create more jobs, more new products, and more benefits! Especially with the dawn of the new energy era, none of us should keep our eyes fixed solely on this planet."

"What do you mean?" Senator Stern was caught off guard by Tony Stark's sudden shift.

"My partner, a genius who's about to turn twenty-one, the founder of a high-tech company worth hundreds of billions, said something I agree with wholeheartedly. The future belongs to the stars!" Tony Stark declared loudly, "We have countless resources outside, and we can use them to eliminate resource disputes in the world for decades! We can also improve people's lives, create more job opportunities, and a new class of wealthy individuals who seize the opportunity!"

"Mr. Stark, Mr. Stark, please don't change the subject!" Senator Stern slammed the table angrily with his gavel, the wooden handle looking like it was about to break.

"Stark Industries and Hyperion are about to complete projects like the space elevator. A new world is on the horizon! I may not be able to bring peace to the world on my own, but Luke and I are working hard to make it better! Who is really working for the betterment of the world and its citizens? Is it the Senator on the stage who speaks of weapons and war?" As he spoke, Tony Stark pointed to Senator Stern on the stage, whose face was gloomy, then turned his finger to himself, and then to Luke and Ina sitting behind him.

"Or is it Stark and Hyperion Industries, who are dedicated to providing citizens and businesses with cheaper energy, more jobs, more cooperation, more money, and more opportunities?"

Tony Stark's words spread like wildfire through the cameras in the hall.

"Senator, as someone who manages this country, you don't even have the foresight and vision of a child. If all senators were like you, I would have no expectations for the future."

Senator Stern was so enraged by Tony Stark's sharp tongue that he was breathing heavily on the stage. His mind was blank for a moment, unsure of what to do. According to the plan, he should be calling on his helpers, such as Justin Hammer of Hammer Industries and Air Force Colonel James Rhodes, to deliver the final blow to Tony Stark, leaving him with no chance to recover.

However, looking at the murmurs in the audience, Tony Stark's smug face, and the thumbs-up gestures raised from the crowd, he clearly understood that it was useless to call out Justin Hammer and James Rhodes now. The atmosphere in the room, and the focus of the public, had already shifted from the question of whether the Iron Man suit was a weapon to the pie-in-the-sky space program that Tony had painted.

What if they successfully cornered Tony Stark on the Iron Man suit issue?

The public wouldn't care or pay attention.

They had successfully convened this hearing, but their trump card had failed before it was even played.

Many of them may not care whether the Iron Man suit is a weapon or a high-tech prosthetic.

But they would definitely care and pay attention to whether they could get involved in the future that Tony Stark was painting and get a piece of the action!

Stark didn't lack official connections.

The public's opinion should also be leaning towards Stark now.

In addition, this hearing, which had been so difficult to organize, had started off badly. Senator Stern, who had been ambitious and only wanted to argue with Tony Stark for three hundred rounds, now just wanted to raise his middle finger, spit on Tony Stark's damned face in front of everyone, and curse him a few times.

In this situation, the hearing naturally didn't need to continue. The triumphant Tony Stark flashed a victory sign to everyone and left the hall surrounded by his entourage.

The matter seemed to be resolved.

But the information Tony Stark revealed at the hearing became the headline news for the next few days.

Countless netizens expressed their opinions online, wanting Tony Stark and Luke to launch the plan quickly. Some related companies also sent various invitations to visit, wanting to reach a cooperation agreement with Stark and Hyperion Industries before everyone else. The authorities, on the other hand, were uncharacteristically silent and quiet. Although some people hadn't given up on the Iron Man suit, no one mentioned it anymore.

In this situation, Luke and Tony Stark each received a party invitation.

An invitation to a party hosted by Dario Agger, the head of Roxxon Oil.

PS1: If Hyperion can become a company of the scale of the cyberpunk world, is it feasible and readable? Seeking opinions.

PS2: Also, stop saying that Old Luke made Silent City by hand. There's a group of big shots from the Demon World, and Second Sister is helping. Old Luke has lost his power, but his experience and technology are all there. Second Sister is also the heir to Terra technology, I remember. However, the protagonist has an upgrade panel. Please read carefully. It is impossible to reach the sky in one step. I can't write ignoring all logic, and then Silent City comes out in a few years or something.