At Grayburn College, the massive green monster hurled General Ross's soldiers around like insects. The Hulk's power was unstoppable — tanks, jeeps, and men were tossed aside as if they weighed nothing.
By the time it was over, the entire college looked as if it had been trampled by a raging Godzilla. General Ross's operation had ended in disaster.
The Hulk had vanished without a trace. Emil Blonsky, Ross's most elite soldier, was missing. Four tanks, two helicopters, and hundreds of soldiers were destroyed.
If Ross couldn't recover from this debacle, not only would the hunt for the Hulk be over — he himself might be dragged before a military court.
When his rage finally subsided, the Hulk reverted back into Dr. Bruce Banner. Staring at the devastation around him, Banner was overwhelmed with guilt and self-loathing. Worse still, Betty had nearly been caught up in the chaos, her fear of him growing each day.
"Why? Why me?"
In New York, Dr. Banner sat slumped on a park bench, his clothes shredded to rags. His eyes were hollow, filled with despair. The thought of ending his own life crept into his mind.
But instead of silence, the only response he heard was a low growl inside his head — not a wild roar this time, but something different: anger, frustration, and confusion.
Stark Tower, top floor — CEO's office.
Tony Stark sat comfortably in his chair, overlooking the city through the transparent floor beneath him. Below, a high-tech assembly bay worked tirelessly, robotic arms piecing together his Iron Man suits one after another.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., has Samuel Sterns begun his experiment yet?" Tony asked.
A holographic display flickered to life in front of him, showing surveillance footage of Grayburn College.
"Yes, sir," replied J.A.R.V.I.S. in his smooth, mechanical voice. "Professor Sterns has begun reverse-engineering the process to assist Emil Blonsky."
Tony smirked faintly. He wasn't interested in the abomination that was about to be born. What caught his attention was Sterns himself — a man whose brain, under prolonged gamma exposure, would soon become a thousand times more intelligent.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., activate the Mark 49 armor," Tony ordered.
Instantly, robotic arms below sprang to life. As Tony walked forward, armor components latched onto his body in rapid sequence — chest plate, gauntlets, helmet — all snapping into place with precision.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, now encased in his gleaming red-and-gold suit, Tony gave another command.
"Open the flight hatch."
The window panels slid upward. With a burst of energy, Tony launched himself into the air, flames erupting beneath his boots.
"Activate stealth mode," he said calmly.
The armor shimmered and vanished from sight.
Boom!
A shockwave rippled through the clouds as Iron Man accelerated to Mach 10, reaching Grayburn College in seconds.
"Shockwave detection active," J.A.R.V.I.S. reported. "Optical scan engaged."
A holographic 3D model of the entire campus appeared inside Tony's HUD. Every structure and heat signature glowed in detail — even through reinforced concrete.
"Sir, I've located Professor Sterns."
The image zoomed in on Sterns's private laboratory. Inside, the professor stood beside a massive machine, its core pulsing with eerie green light. On the table lay Blonsky, his body already showing signs of strain and mutation.
"Ahem… Professor Sterns," Blonsky said coldly, holding a pistol in his trembling hand, aimed directly at the scientist. "If you try anything stupid, I'll put a bullet through your heart. Don't doubt that I can."
Sterns didn't even flinch. "Don't worry, Mr. Blonsky," he said, his tone seething with resentment. "We both have a common enemy. That damn Bruce Banner rejected my work — but I only ever wanted to help humanity."
He muttered under his breath, his anger burning. But deep down, Sterns's fascination with Banner's transformation had grown into obsession.
Now, under pressure from Blonsky's threats and his own curiosity, Sterns began the experiment — the one that could create a monster.
Using Banner's gamma-irradiated blood as a template, Sterns calibrated the energy output to dangerous levels. The machine roared to life, metal arms spinning, beams of green light lancing across the lab.
Gamma rays filled the room as Sterns injected Banner's blood into Blonsky's veins.
"Sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. reported, "gamma radiation levels are spiking — energy output is at maximum capacity."
Inside the lab, Blonsky's body convulsed violently. His muscles bulged, tearing through his skin. His spine elongated and jagged bone spikes erupted from his back. His roars of agony turned into monstrous laughter.
"This power…! Hahahaha! I've done it!"
The monstrous figure that had once been Emil Blonsky ripped himself free from the machine, his enormous frame bending metal like paper. With one casual motion, he hurled the multi-ton apparatus aside, smashing it into the floor.
BOOM!
The impact cracked the ground open. A piece of shrapnel — contaminated with Banner's blood — sliced across Sterns's forehead.
Blonsky, now the Abomination, didn't even glance back. Consumed by power, he stomped out of the lab, his thunderous steps shaking the ground.
Behind him, Sterns lay sprawled on the floor. His eyes were wide with horror as the cut on his head began to pulse and expand. His skull swelled grotesquely, his brain mutating under the surge of gamma radiation. Neural signals multiplied a thousandfold as his intellect skyrocketed beyond human limits.
In that dark, chaotic lab, another monster was born.
The Leader — a mind more dangerous than any weapon — was beginning to awaken.
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