Reality Warping In Marvel - Chapter 30
TONY STARK – TRAITOR?
While public opinion on industrialist, inventor and superhero Tony Stark are mixed to say the least, official support of Stark has never been higher, despite his past clashes with both the U.S government and SHIELD over his refusal to sell technology to military projects. Having been one of the most high profile supporters of the Superhuman Registration Act, Tony Stark has largely been seen as an enforcer of government policy, especially upon his selection as the new Director of SHIELD after the disappearance of the previous long-time director Nick Fury. His position was seen as largely unassailable, due to his willingness to confront his former allies in the superhuman community over their refusal to comply with the SRA, a conflict since dubbed the “Civil War”, new information has recently been released that casts Tony Stark in a distinctly unflattering light.
This information, if verified, reveals that Stark Industries not only exploited the political crisis for financial gain, but also used it’s connections in the government to gain the contracts for the power-supressant technology used to enforce the SRA. Furthermore,Tony Stark is accused of colluding with fellow SRA-supporter and longtime superhero adventurer Reed Richards to create or worsen the series of events leading up to the creation of the SRA and ensuing Civil War, with the justification of avoiding “worse outcomes”. Another SRA supporter, former Avenger Hank Pym, has been accused of lesser charges.
Neither Tony Stark nor Reed Richards could be reached for comment. A spokesperson for Stark Industries “vehemently denied these groundless accusations”. Stark Industries stock plummeted once the information was published.
– THE DAILY BUGLE
FOR THE GREATER GOOD
– BY BEN URICH
You’d think being a reporter would be a relatively straightforward job, wouldn’t you? It’s our job to find the truth, no matter how unpleasant it might be, no matter how many people want it to stay buried. Atleast that’s what I thought when I started out god knows how many years ago.
Suffice to say, it hasn’t been like that, atleast not for me. Maybe in other cities, where all a reporter has to worry about is the mob, a concern which seems almost quiant to me now, it still is like that, but in New York, with it’s pantheon of costumed heroes and villains? Not a chance. I’ve dug up secrets I’ve been threatened for keeping quiet about, secrets I’ve been threatened for NOT keeping quiet about, and finally, secrets I’ve decided to keep to myself because I was afraid of what exposing them might cause. For the greater good of course.
The greater good, what a joke. I’ve been afraid, plain and simple. Afraid of making things worse, afraid of tearing down this fragile peace, if you can even call it that. Hell, what I know aren’t even really secrets anymore, no matter how hard we try to pretend otherwise, atleast two of them are already public knowledge. And I’m tired of keeping quiet.
Matt Murdock is Daredevil. Norman Osborn is the Green Goblin. And Tony Stark is a traitor not just to this country and the world, but to all the people he called friends. I doubt he ever really knew the meaning of the word. All in the name of the greater good. Which just so happened to put him in charge of everything and further fill his pockets. Pure coincidence, I’m sure.
– FRONT LINE
STARK RESIGNS, TIMOTHY DUGAN NEW DIRECTOR OF SHIELD
Following the charges brought against him, Tony Stark has been forced to resign leadership of SHIELD pending trial. In an unexpected move, World War 2-veteran Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan has been appointed the new director. This despite expectations that the position would pass to deputy director Maria Hill. Sources indicate that Hill was passed over due to the public and disastrous defeat of the government-sponsored Mighty Avengers last week, which resulted in the loss of several high-value agents. Neither Maria Hill nor Director Dugan has made any statements.
– NEW YORK TIMES
NEW FANTASTIC FOUR MEMBER, REED RICHARDS ON HIATUS