Chapter 82: End of Retrospection
"Well done!" you cackled, giving your other self a theatrical thumbs-up. You hadn't expected this alter ego to be so formidable; even your poison gas and firearms couldn't harm him. But you didn't mind the prospect of death. In fact, the thought of dying at your own hands was hilarious.
Ultimately, however, the battle was inconclusive. Bruce Banner transformed into the Hulk and faced off against your other self. While you inflicted significant damage on S.H.I.E.L.D., after your Joker poison wore off, it became clear that you could no longer defeat their combined forces. Afterward, Bruce Banner told you that he recognized the man: Zhou Ning, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., a legendary scientist, war hero, and owner of Starry Sky. The revelation sent you into a fit of laughter. What a ridiculous world! How could the most dangerous criminal and the greatest hero be one and the same person?
In August 2007, you learned that former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Zhou Ning had returned to the agency, replacing Steve Rogers. Meanwhile, Tony Stark, with Zhou Ning's funding, had re-established a biopharmaceutical company, stealing many of your orders from Stark Industries. However, you were completely unconcerned. You were merely the silent owner of Stark Industries, with subordinates running it for you. On the surface, everything was perfectly legal. Besides, you had no interest in money; you simply enjoyed the process.
[You also noticed that, despite the absence of the Hulk and Thor, your alter ego still formed an Avengers team consisting of himself, Winston, Black Widow, Hawkeye the Lizard, Captain America, Peggy Carter, and Tony Stark—one more person than the original version. Meanwhile, you were considered the most dangerous criminal, wanted by both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the police.]
From September 2007 to February 2008, you and your alter ego clashed several times. Though you each had victories and defeats, he ultimately had the upper hand. Despite falling into your traps multiple times, despite you nearly murdering him on several occasions—you even personally put a bullet through his heart once—you were still unable to kill him. You came to believe that only the Infinity Stones or a bomb powerful enough to shatter him to pieces could kill him for good.
From March to June 2008, you began searching for the Infinity Stones. You originally wanted to collaborate with Hydra to see if you could use them, but perhaps it was another butterfly effect you caused, as Hydra was nowhere to be found in either Europe or the United States. So you hatched another gloriously evil plan.
You contacted the Kingpin, luring him to Hell's Kitchen to discuss a possible alliance by offering him the secret formula for the super serum. You then leaked this false information to the Avengers. Next, you sent Henrietta to the meeting in your place while you, along with your trusted henchmen—including the Hulk and Electro—infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Just as planned, when Henrietta appeared, the entire Avengers team arrived, only to be greeted by the bomb you had planted in advance. Meanwhile, you successfully located the Tesseract in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s underground base and escaped unscathed. (You obtained the Epic Item: Tesseract.)
The first half of the plan was a success, but the second half was a complete failure. The bomb killed Kingpin and your right-hand woman, Henrietta, along with a few elite agents. Not a single Avenger escaped unharmed. They were all seriously injured, with Hawkeye coming closest to death. Unbeknownst to them, you had mixed your specially crafted ultimate poison into the bomb. If all went according to plan, it would slowly alter their minds over time. (You gained 1 Legend point.)
From July to August 2008, you tried to get Bruce Banner to start researching the Tesseract. Since even Hydra could use 1940s technology to create a superweapon with it, there was no reason you couldn't. Bruce Banner's research progressed, but you noticed a significant leap in the strength of your opponents. In just two months, not only had Winston and Tony Stark donned Iron Man suits, but so had Black Widow, Captain America, and the others. Suddenly, you were facing seven more Iron Men. Even you were a little confused by the development.
From September to December 2008, with Bruce Banner absent, your forces were attacked by the Avengers and the US military. To protect against you, Tony Stark even teamed up with your other self to design an anti-Joker armor. It not only completely blocked nerve gas but also had thicker plating to provide some protection against explosions.
Their attacks were effective. Your criminal empire collapsed in less than two months. Your loyal subordinates, Electro and Sandman, were killed in battle, while Hydro-Man and Dr. Connors fled early. You always considered yourself a courageous person. And what is courage? Grace under pressure.
Even when cornered, you didn't flee. Instead, you silently gazed at your other self. In his eyes, you saw that familiar spark of madness and understood that while you had lost, you had also won. You wouldn't truly die, because you are more than a person—you are an idea. And ideas live on in the shadows.
With a broad smile on your face, you raised your pistol at your alter ego and pulled the trigger. Bang! A flurry of small flags shot out from the muzzle. The prank startled the armored heroes surrounding you, and they opened fire.
[Backtracking ends.]
Summary: Congratulations, a commendable performance in this retrospective. You became the most notorious criminal in the entire Infinity War universe. You disregarded law and order, a master of public deception who truly reveled in death. You caused countless casualties, and your crimes are innumerable. But to your own men, you possessed a sinister allure that made them willing to die for you. Furthermore, your other self has, as you wished, transformed into your true successor. With his maniacal smile, he now wreaks havoc far beyond your own, even spreading his destructive power throughout the universe. Bruce Banner, meanwhile, has developed a superweapon based on the Tesseract, inheriting your evil empire and becoming the new supervillain. Of course, that is a story for another time. Perhaps you will encounter him in a future retrospective.
Rating: B+, World Exploration 96.7% (+1.5%). Due to the extremely profound impact you had on the "Infinity War" world, you have been rewarded with 12 Time Travel Coins. When your rating in a retrospective world reaches A, you will be able to obtain a temporary template card for this random template; you will not obtain one this time.
Only after the simulation ended did Zhou Ning collect his thoughts and sigh. He felt that this "Crazy Clown" version of himself had performed quite well, essentially reaching the full potential of that persona. Anyone else would have been wiped out long ago. Unfortunately, the legendary vampire Zhou Ning's immortality was too flawed. Furthermore, being at such a disadvantage meant a head-on confrontation was out of the question. Perhaps if he could have held out until Bruce Banner returned with the Tesseract, he might have had a fighting chance.
Below the retrospective interface was an option to receive rewards. After clicking it, a prompt appeared immediately:
[You chose to receive the reward.]
[You have obtained the epic item: Tony Stark's Super Serum.]
[You obtained the epic item: Cosmic Cube.]
[You have obtained the purple talent: Explosive Genius!]
---
⭐ $5 Tier – Early Access!
Stay 50 chapters ahead of public releases on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Scribble Hub.
Latest available chapter: 148.
⭐ $10 Tier – Super Early Access!
Stay 100 chapters ahead of public releases on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Scribble Hub.
Latest available chapter: 198.
📖 Chapters are uploaded as soon as they're completed, so you'll always stay ahead of the curve.
💖 By joining, you'll be directly supporting the story while enjoying exclusive early access.
🔗 Patreon link is in My Profile/About.
⚠️ Please select your membership carefully, as I have multiple novels ongoing.
🍎 If you're on Apple, consider subscribing through your browser instead — it's cheaper for you, and I'll receive payments faster.