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Chapter 10: Tony—Am I the Protagonist of a Hollywood Blockbuster?
🕑 Added 2025-03-24 18:50:08 +0000 UTCAt least based on the limited information available, there seemed to be no limit to what was happening.
Although J.A.R.V.I.S. could infiltrate the military's network, the more classified systems were physically disconnected, making it impossible to access them directly. This explained why Tony Stark had such limited knowledge about the matter.
What he did know was that the creation of those monsters was likely connected to the military—probably some kind of secret military experiment.
Biochemical and human experimentation were not uncommon in the Beacon Country, after all.
However, Stark Industries had no involvement in any biochemical projects, otherwise, it would have been inevitable for them to be involved. As a capitalist, Tony was no stranger to such things.
Still, he maintained some boundaries. He might be a playboy, but he wasn’t the kind of person who would destroy humanity.
“So, does that mean more super-criminals like that green titan and black monster will appear in the future?” Tony Stark thought, a headache beginning to form. If that were the case, then New York was truly unsafe.
But what exactly were Iron Man’s abilities?
How did one acquire them?
Was it a birthright or something that could be learned later on?
Tony had no answers, so it wasn’t enough to simply visit Afghanistan.
From what Luo Chen had written, it seemed that Tony’s kidnapping was directly related to this situation.
Afghanistan...
Coincidentally, Tony had recently made a trip to Afghanistan.
Which meant, his kidnapping likely occurred there.
However, according to the planned itinerary for Afghanistan, military personnel were supposed to protect him throughout the journey. Logically speaking, the convoy should never have encountered any problems.
Yet, somehow, his car was overturned, and he was kidnapped. He didn’t know how he had returned or how he had become Iron Man, but he was certain it wasn’t a pleasant experience.
Now, Tony was desperate to find Luo Chen and ask him what exactly happened during his time in Afghanistan and how he had gained the ability to control steel.
“Sir, if we consider the possibility that our world is actually a story world, it could make sense,” J.A.R.V.I.S. remarked.
“From Hollywood’s typical script-writing patterns, this could be exactly how things are unfolding. The protagonist starts out inexperienced, but after a major blow, they gradually mature, gain extraordinary abilities, and ultimately defeat a powerful enemy.”
“Hollywood script…” Tony Stark groaned, realizing that this situation might be playing out like a Hollywood blockbuster.
“Judging from the situation described in Luo Chen’s diary, the world outside our reality—‘the fourth wall’—seems quite similar to ours. It’s possible that the screenwriters used their world as a reference when creating this Marvel universe. Every superhero in it could be seen as the protagonist of their own story!” J.A.R.V.I.S. continued.
“J.A.R.V.I.S., that analysis makes sense,” Tony Stark nodded. “But at least that’s reassuring—it means our screenwriters aren’t some kind of inhuman monsters.”
Tony considered the implications of this for a moment. The fact that he had been created already made him feel somewhat resentful. If the creators had made him out to be an inhuman monster, he would feel even worse.
After all, who could accept that their creator was some monstrous entity?
At least the creator should resemble a human being!
“It’s hard for humans to imagine things that don’t exist at all. Based on the complete operational rules of our world, there should be a world beyond the fourth wall that mirrors our own,” J.A.R.V.I.S. continued.
“The famous superheroes we know of, like Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, and myself, Iron Man, indicate that this Marvel universe might be a comprehensive world. This matches what Luo Chen mentioned earlier. Each superhero has their own independent worldview, and they can interact when necessary."
Tony Stark, being the sharp mind he was, immediately began connecting the dots. He realized that even though he was the protagonist, there were other protagonists and heroines in the world too.
It all made sense now!
Everyone had their own storyline, including Peter Parker, who in Luo Chen’s words might even have a father-son relationship with Tony. Peter also had his own story.
The interactions between these superheroes likely helped boost box office numbers, subscription rates, or sales—most likely at the movie box office.
Since Luo Chen had mentioned that Tony resembled Robert Downey Jr.—the actor who portrayed him—it seemed more likely that the story would be adapted into a movie.
There could also be comics or novels, especially considering the existence of multiple universes. Tony might simply be the version of himself from the 1999 universe.
As more information began to align, Tony Stark pieced together the world the screenwriters outside the fourth wall had constructed. It was a world he could now comprehend.
No wonder Luo Chen said that New York was dangerous. Since superheroes existed, it followed that there had to be super-criminals as well, or else the story would be boring.
“From this perspective, these stories are likely about superheroes fighting super-criminals. With enough funding, they could easily be turned into a blockbuster special effects movie!” Tony Stark sneered.
He understood now. Whether it was his kidnapping or becoming a new energy source, or Gwen dying as Spider-Man’s girlfriend, or Peter Parker dying in the arms of Spider-Woman Gwen as a lizardman, it all seemed like dramatic twists to make the story more intense and popular.
“Yes, looking at the story simply, to allow you, the protagonist, to grow, it’s likely that various disasters and setbacks will be arranged to push you forward. Along the way, your loved ones may be hurt, and your lover...” J.A.R.V.I.S. explained rationally.
“Damn!” Tony Stark suddenly realized something wasn’t right.
If it was just him being tortured, he could accept it, knowing that he was the protagonist. But from another angle, it seemed very likely that the screenwriters would cause harm to his loved ones to promote his growth.
These screenwriters truly had dirty hearts.
