American comics: Starting with Luke the Maker

"This doesn't exactly look like a proper cocktail party."

Looking at the chaotic scene, Ina Sandra, who had been invited, said to Pepper Potts, who was greeting them. Luke stood beside her, flanked by Snoke and Jessica, who were keeping the crowd away. Air Force Colonel James Rhodes had also come along.

"Don't even mention it, my life has been a mess lately! I don't know what's wrong with Tony, but I know he's not normal! I invited you here hoping you could find out something," Pepper Potts said with a worried expression, leading them through Stark's mansion.

"I saw that accident. Afterward, I even tried to have someone interrogate the person who attacked Tony. But unexpectedly, before they could transfer him to another prison, there was an accident at his prison. He died, in an explosion! It's like someone didn't want him to live," James Rhodes revealed his latest information.

As Tony Stark's friend, he naturally knew about the attack on Tony during the race. However, before he could do anything, all the information and the person disappeared in an explosion.

As for the original timeline's event of the military trying to forcefully break in with planes and tanks to seize Stark's armor, it hasn't happened yet, thanks to the Heberon channel. Although they still coveted Stark's Iron Man armor technology, they didn't need to resort to such extreme measures with an alternative available.

So, this time, James Rhodes really just accepted Pepper Potts' invitation to come and check on Tony Stark's condition.

The surroundings were noisy. As the loud music grew louder, the group arrived at the source of the sound, a DJ booth. Tony, wearing his Mark series Iron Man armor, was half-heartedly DJing, his movements swaying as if he were drunk or sleepwalking.

"I think he's relapsing, what do you think?" James Rhodes crossed his arms, stroked his chin, observed for a while, and then turned to Pepper Potts and Luke.

"I don't think so." Although the surrounding lights were dim, it didn't stop Luke from seeing Tony's current state.

"Then what is it?" James Rhodes looked at Luke, pointing at the swaying Tony on the stage.

"A pre-death celebration?" Luke's words made Pepper Potts and James Rhodes' expressions change drastically. Before they could express their anger, his next words made them look at Tony on the stage with surprise and doubt again. "Look at the reactor on his chest, that's the deadly thing."

"What's wrong with that reactor?" James Rhodes asked, puzzled. He looked at Luke, "That's what saved Tony's life. It's there to prevent the iron shrapnel that wasn't completely removed from Tony's heart from penetrating deeper and killing him."

"Do you know what its technology is? Do you know what its energy source is? Do you know what kind of impact this technology and material will have on him when used under high load?" Luke's questions left the two non-technical people blank. Fortunately, Luke didn't need them to really understand. "He's currently using cold fusion technology, which is safer than hot fusion when miniaturized. But it requires a chemical element called palladium. If it enters the human body, it will cause dizziness and fatigue. If it can't be resolved, he will die very painfully from the toxin."

"What can be done?" Pepper Potts covered her mouth in horror when she heard Luke's words, her face filled with disbelief. She didn't doubt Luke's words. In her opinion, Luke wouldn't use such an easily exposed lie to deceive her. After quickly glancing at Tony on the stage, she forced herself to calm down from the shock, hoping for a solution. "What can be done to keep Tony alive? Does he need to go to the hospital, or make an appointment with a doctor?"

"Can I have a private conversation with him?" Luke asked.

"Yes, you can wait for him in his underground laboratory. James will take you there." Pepper Potts looked at Colonel James beside her with a questioning gaze. James Rhodes, stared at by Pepper, raised his hand.

"Call me if you need anything, I'll take them there," James said.

...

"Wow, little boy, I'm really glad you came, but why not go over there and play? There are a lot of beautiful girls over there, all hot chicks, who can help you relax." Tony Stark hadn't even appeared yet, but his unique voice and tone had already traveled down the stairs. When he came down the stairs and saw the people below, he subconsciously raised his hands under Ina's burning gaze.

"I didn't mean to, girl, I definitely didn't instigate him. I just think he should socialize. Yes, that's what I thought." Tony stood there awkwardly for a moment, rolling his eyes to forcibly find an excuse for his previous words.

"Can we have some private time?" Luke put down the pen in his hand, picked up the paper covered with symbols and formulas, and looked at everyone.

Pepper Potts, who was holding the stair railing, immediately seemed to wake up and remembered something, inviting Ina Sandra: "I recently bought a few dresses, Ina, can you come and help me with some advice?"

Watching Ina Sandra get up and smile as she walked towards Pepper Potts, the two went up the stairs one after the other. James Rhodes also got up somewhat uneasily, glanced at Tony's treasured Mark armor series in the laboratory with some reluctance, and raised his fingers upwards: "Maybe they'll need some male advice, or help. I'll go up and take a look."

Saying that, James Rhodes had already stepped onto the stairs before he finished speaking, disappearing around the corner of the stairs. Snoke and Jessica simply didn't come down, sitting on the sofa upstairs.

"I think you'll need this." Luke handed the paper in his hand to Tony.

"What is this?" Tony took it over suspiciously, glanced at it, and then looked at Luke with some surprise and uncertainty, as if he had recognized something.

"Lithium dioxide, something that can neutralize and alleviate the toxins in your body. With your brain, you can easily make it with this paper. This will buy you a lot of time," Luke said.

Tony looked at Luke with a complicated expression. With his intelligence and ability, he certainly understood what Luke had given him, and with his knowledge, he could roughly judge the truth of Luke's words.

"Actually, I've tried various elements, but..." Tony said dejectedly.

"I recently discovered a new energy that might be suitable for you, or it might give you a reference." Luke, with Tony Stark's authorization, awakened Jarvis and virtually DIYed an energy device similar to an arc reactor. Its energy core was like a crystal of light, beautiful and mysterious.

"A new element containing special energy." Luke presented his final result to Tony without reservation.

"Ha, I never thought I'd be lectured by you." Reining in the complicated expression on his face, looking at the technological crystallization that could be called a work of art, he said with some embarrassment.

"The technology can be licensed to you, but any technology derived from it in the future cannot be kept secret. You should be able to do this, right?" Luke clapped his hands, turning a blind eye to Tony Stark's arrogance. All he needed was Tony's good brain.

"Of course. If you need it, Stark's technology can also be opened to you." Tony breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the step Luke had given him, and was unusually generous.

PS1: Asking for follow-up reading. I'm saving up manuscripts, it should be on the shelves either this week or next week. Asking for follow-up reading on Monday!