Unlike Vibranium, which came with no label, the item specifically meant to deal with Superman had a very clear name written on it—Kryptonite.
At first, Ivan Vanko hadn't believed in its existence. After testing it, he found it no different from any regular iron meteorite. Using comic book lore to target a real-life Superman? That sounded insane to the old Ivan Vanko.
But once he realized how effective Vibranium was, he started to reconsider this so-called Kryptonite.
Following comic book references, Vanko ground the mysterious rock into powder, then crafted custom Kryptonite bullets. Though the Vibranium shipment didn't include much Kryptonite, it was enough to make 10 rounds.
If Superman didn't interfere, great. But if he did show up… well, Vanko was ready.
Now, with Superman standing before him, Ivan issued a final warning. He didn't want to waste bullets if he didn't have to—Superman was fast, and Kryptonite was scarce.
But would Clark be scared off by a few threats?
Of course not.
Clark didn't know what exactly gave Vanko this ridiculous level of confidence, but one thing was certain—he was going to make the ugly Russian regret it.
In a flash, Clark broke the whip coiled around Tony's neck, then launched a lightning-fast kick to Ivan's chest.
BOOM!
Vanko flew through the air like a cannonball, plowing a 500-meter-long trench across the park. He was nearly kicked out of the park entirely.
Fortunately, this was a remote area, and the civilians nearby had already fled when Iron Man began fighting. Otherwise, seeing a human-shaped missile fly by might've sent someone into shock.
But the reason Vanko only flew 500 meters wasn't because Clark held back—it was because Clark intercepted him.
Right after kicking Vanko, Clark used his speed to get ahead of him and waited. Just as Vanko flew into range again, Clark kicked him back in the opposite direction.
"That armor of yours is pretty tough."
After the second kick, Clark noticed something strange. Though Ivan's armor had warped heavily, it wasn't shattered. That surprised Clark—he couldn't recall any Earth-made material being this durable…
...except for one.The one made by a guy richer than Tony Stark.The Black Panther.
"Wait… is your suit made of Vibranium?"
Realizing this, Clark immediately questioned everything. How the hell had Vanko gotten Vibranium? Even Tony couldn't acquire pure Vibranium, let alone someone like Justin Hammer.
"You guessed right. Now go to hell."
Before Clark could react further, shoulder-mounted machine guns popped out of Ivan's armor, and two bullets were fired straight at Clark.
Clark was a little confused—was Ivan trying to kill himself? But at the same time, he felt no danger at all.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four bullets hit Clark.
And just like ordinary bullets, they shattered on impact, unable to even bruise him.
"Impossible… those were Kryptonite bullets!"
Ivan Vanko was in disbelief. The ace up his sleeve—the one thing he trusted to kill Superman—had failed completely.
Frustrated, Ivan emptied the entire clip, firing the remaining six Kryptonite rounds at Clark.
As Clark heard the word "Kryptonite," he suddenly recalled what Jonathan Kent had once told him—the meteorite that brought him to Earth.That rock had been black. Why would someone think this greenish powder was Kryptonite?
Clark casually waved his left hand—and caught all six bullets mid-air.
Examining them, he found the bullets filled with some unknown powder. Ivan had referred to it as Kryptonite, but using microscopic vision, Clark saw it was just a mix of iron, nickel, and other trace elements.
"Has Vanko gone mad?" Clark thought.This wasn't Kryptonite. Kryptonite was supposed to be a unique element, not some synthetic blend.
More importantly, he didn't feel anything when holding it. No weakness. No pain.
"So this is what you call Kryptonite?"
Clark looked at Ivan with mocking amusement, surprised this was the weapon Vanko thought would bring him down.
"Looks like Vanko's dealings with Justin Hammer didn't just start recently."Just then, Tony—finally back on his feet—flew over in his damaged Mark VI armor.
"Ha! Tony, you've already lost."
Vanko laughed, even though he knew he couldn't kill Stark himself.His suit was nearly destroyed.Clark could tear him apart.But that didn't matter.
Because what came next would destroy Stark's legacy.
Without the Stark fortune, Tony Stark—the billionaire playboy—would soon become a homeless man.
With a perverse smile, Vanko initiated his self-destruction protocol.
His chest reactor began to flash red.
Tony and Clark had very different reactions to this.
"Damn it, it's a self-destruct system! Pepper!"
The moment he saw the flashing arc reactor, Tony's mind jumped to Pepper Potts.She was probably still at the Stark Expo.
Clark's arrival meant the robots there were likely neutralized—Pepper would assume it was safe now.She wouldn't know that Vanko could detonate the robots remotely.
Tony didn't even pause to talk to Clark.He launched himself into the air—racing back toward the Expo.
Meanwhile, Clark hesitated for a moment.Should he stop Ivan Vanko from self-destructing?
But then again…Why should he?
A man like Vanko—dangerous, vengeful—would only be a tool in someone else's hands if he lived.
Clark gave him one last glance… and took off for the Expo as well.
He figured Jonathan Kent should be arriving soon, too.
At that moment, Pepper Potts had just called the police and had Justin Hammer arrested—pinning the Expo attack on him.
She now stood at the Expo gate, watching as security and guards evacuated the crowds inside.
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