Inside a dark, oppressive interrogation room—
Gordon sat with calm composure, his eyes locked on the woman in front of him, gaze deep and unreadable.
As the leader of this Sphinx Operation, Sefa Fila regarded him with icy disdain. This man could forget about getting a single word from her lips.
But then, she noticed something strange in his eyes—two swirling vortexes forming deep within.
Am I seeing things?
If her hands hadn't been cuffed, she would've rubbed her eyes.
Her second reaction—well, there wasn't one. Her mind soon turned hazy. A stream of questions echoed around her ears, and before she realized it, she was spilling everything she knew.
By the time Gordon left the room, he had everything he needed.
Martin's ability is truly useful.
Indeed, this ability had been a gift from Martin. But it came with a catch—it could only be used three times.
Martin had constructed a magic core inside Gordon's mind, capable of storing magical energy. Once depleted, it had to be recharged—just like plugging in a battery.
"Everyone, we have five days to extract our people. After that, the Sphinx task force's safety signal will automatically change. Any delay, and the Mossad will grow suspicious."
...
Four days and three hours later—
Back in Los Angeles, Martin received a call from Gordon.
"Martin, it's done. All one hundred and twelve scientists have been successfully relocated to the Guinea base."
"Excellent."
"But we did learn something from one of the Mossad agents. Amir tatt, currently in Egypt, has caught the CIA's attention. Getting him out might be a little tricky."
While the Mossad and CIA were on par in terms of field capability, there was one key difference—Martin and Gordon were Americans. If they were caught pulling strings behind the scenes, it could land Martin in serious political trouble.
To Gordon's surprise, Martin just chuckled. "Don't worry. The CIA's not a problem."
Over the years, Martin's influence had seeped into the U.S. government more deeply than anyone could imagine.
Even without long-term loyalty like Gordon's, Martin had secretly implanted magical triggers in the minds of dozens of federal agents. These tiny mechanisms only activated when something related to Martin came up, guiding their decisions in his favor without them even knowing.
As for Amir Tatt—Martin had to have him.
This guy wasn't just a physicist; he was also a top-level chemist.
He was the mastermind behind the upgraded "Run-B" ground-to-ground missile system.
They called him "The Super Brain." He'd studied in Europe for years. If he'd gone into academic science instead of military R&D, he might have won a Nobel.
Martin had his sights set on more than just the U.S. presidency now. He was considering founding his own country.
And for that, he needed talent. A lot of it.
But for now, he still had a movie to release.
...
May 2, 2008.
Iron Man premiered, officially kicking off the summer blockbuster season.
Martin strolled down the red carpet with his girlfriend on his arm, smiling for cameras before heading into the afterparty. At his side, Robert Donny Jr. whispered to him with a mix of excitement and nostalgia:
"It's been so long since I've done a movie premiere... whether mine or someone else's. It feels like a distant memory."
Martin laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Enjoy it while it lasts. Ready to join the ranks of the A-listers?"
Robert chuckled. "You always did believe in me, didn't you?"
"Of course. I picked you for a reason. I'm Martin Meyers, after all," Martin said with a mock-arrogant smirk.
"So that's it, huh? Your faith in me is really just your faith in yourself. I thought you saw something in me—but really, you just trust your own judgment."
"Bingo. Nailed it," Martin said, clapping again.
The lighthearted exchange helped Robert relax a little.
Martin then moved off with Alexandra Daddario, mingling with other guests.
Robert turned to his wife, Suzanne Donny, and said, "Martin really is a good friend."
Suzanne nodded. "He treats his friends well, that's for sure. But he's such a womanizer. Did you see he brought another girlfriend tonight?"
Robert shrugged. "That's just how this industry is. At least he treats all his women well."
He caught himself mid-sentence and quickly added, "But I'd never follow his example."
Suzanne withdrew her hand from his back with a teasing smile.
...
Half an hour later, the movie began.
The story was simple: Tony Stark, a billionaire playboy, inherited the massive military enterprise Stark Industries from his father, Howard Stark. But instead of running the company, Tony spent his days drinking and chasing women.
Then, during a trip to the Middle East for a weapons test, he was captured by terrorists.
With the help of a fellow captive, scientist Yinsen, he built the first version of his Iron Man suit from scraps—and used it to escape.
Thus began the legend of Iron Man...
But Martin had directed it with flair.
Unlike the dark, brooding Batman trilogy, Iron Man was bright, fast-paced, and packed with humor and explosions. Pure, unapologetic entertainment.
Put simply, it was gloriously fun.
Avi Arad and Stan Lee sat in the front row, visibly nervous as the movie started.
After all, this was Marvel's make-or-break moment.
Halfway through the film, Stan Lee leaned over and whispered, "Listen to the laughter and applause behind us. I think we can breathe easy now."
Avi Arad nodded. "Martin's incredible. He turned Iron Man into a complete bastard—and made the whole world love him for it!"
The movie didn't shy away from Tony Stark's flaws: selfish, arrogant, undisciplined, emotionally stunted from childhood trauma, allergic to responsibility, and hopelessly womanizing—he'd fall for any pretty face he saw.
In short, the film painted Tony as a total bastard—but a bastard every guy secretly wished they could be. Love him or hate him, you couldn't look away.
The turning point came during his captivity in the cave.
With Yinsen's help, he built the very first Iron Man suit and broke free.
But Yinsen didn't make it.
That moment of loss—combined with the pain he'd witnessed in war-torn villages—shook Tony to his core.
He remembered what Yinsen had said to him in the cave:"You're the man who has everything... and nothing."
Those words had haunted him for a decade.
And so, one day, Tony Stark chose to become Iron Man.
And the armor would give him a new life.