James pierced Earth's atmosphere, his black combat uniform floating in the void. He cast a final glance at the planet, a smirk on his lips.
"Stark Industries' satellites…"
He spotted a glinting dot. In a flash, he appeared beside a silver satellite bearing the STARK INDUSTRIES logo, its solar panels shimmering in starlight.
James grinned and flashed a V-sign at the camera. "A little keepsake."
Then he turned his gaze to the sun, the colossal star at the solar system's heart. "Time to meet the real sun."
He leaned forward slightly, his bio-force field forming a golden aura around him. The next moment, he surged forward at staggering speed, trailing a glow through the cosmic darkness.
As he approached, the sun grew from a bright speck to a fiery orb filling his vision. Even with his Steel Body, he felt a rising heat.
"System, analyze my energy absorption efficiency."
[Ding! Yellow solar radiation absorption detected. Energy efficiency: 137%.]
James raised an eyebrow. On Earth, his efficiency capped at 100%. This proximity to the sun clearly amplified his abilities.
At one million kilometers from the surface, he stopped. Even he felt intense thermal pressure, his skin starting to redden like heated metal.
"Not close enough," he growled, pushing closer. 500,000 km… 300,000 km… 10,000 km…
The temperature became unimaginable. Yet his skin took on a golden hue, as if adapting to the extreme environment.
[Energy absorption efficiency: 500%… 700%… 1000%…]
System alerts flashed, but James was too focused to care. His energy concentrated on withstanding this unleashed cosmic power source.
At 10,000 km from the surface, he halted. For any human, this was a zone of absolute death. For him, it was the cradle of his evolution.
"This is the place," he said, spreading his arms to let solar plasma storms engulf him. His cells thrummed with ecstasy, absorbing near-infinite energy.
[Energy reserve: 300%… 500%… 1000%…]
His eyes turned pure gold, his heat vision reached extreme temperatures, and his bio-force field expanded tenfold.
"Not enough. I'm going in."
He inhaled deeply, though the void was empty, and dove into the sun's surface like a diver.
Instantly, the world became light and heat. Inside, temperatures hit 15 million degrees Celsius, with pressure 2,500 billion times Earth's. Hydrogen nuclei fused into helium, releasing colossal energy.
James felt like he was in a golden ocean, surrounded by roiling plasma. His skin cracked slightly but regenerated instantly, fueled by absorbed energy.
[Warning! Host's body undergoing fundamental restructuring.]
[Steel Body evolution: 1%… 5%… 15%…]
An indescribable comfort washed over him, like soaking in a hot spring. Time passed, his cells reorganizing, atoms optimizing, energy channels widening.
[Steel Body evolution complete: 100%.]
[New ability unlocked: Matter Recombination (initial level).]
At Stark Industries' lab, lights blazed for 30 hours. Tony, bags under his eyes, worked on two distinct armors via three holographic projectors.
"Adjust the chest plate arc by 0.5 degrees," he ordered, manipulating holograms. "No mask; I want his face visible."
Mechanical arms adjusted a matte black armor, adorned with a simple golden S emblem on the chest.
"Sir, you've been working for over 30 hours," Jarvis warned. "Ms. Potts has sent a 12th warning."
Tony downed a coffee. "Tell her I'm finishing this masterpiece first."
He caressed the armor. "Alternative alloy test results?"
"Compatibility with Mr. Holden's bio-field: 99.2%," Jarvis replied. "But resistance is only 15% of Mark 3."
Tony smirked. "Good enough. This guy survives anything. The armor's just for style."
He stepped back, admiring his work. "Black's perfect for Superman. Powerful, mysterious, unstoppable."
"Sir, analysis suggests Mr. Holden doesn't need armor," Jarvis objected.
"Jarvis, you don't get it—it's about style," Tony replied, muttering, "He gave me a gift; I'm returning the favor."
Deep in the sun, James opened his eyes. To his surprise, he saw clearly, the plasma flows as gentle as streams. He could track every energy current.
"The sun's perspective?"
He touched an energy vortex, and, to his shock, the plasma shifted to his will.
[Matter Recombination ability: Allows host to manipulate matter at the atomic level. Current limit: non-living matter, max volume 100 m³.]
James grinned. This power was near-divine. With time, he could create objects from nothing.
"System, how long was I in there?"
[Earth time: 37 hours, 42 minutes.]
James nodded, took one last look at the golden world, and shot out of the sun like a rocket. His evolved Steel Body ignored the extreme conditions, gliding through plasma like a fish in water.
En route to Earth, he tested his new abilities. His speed hit 0.5c, his heat vision burned hotter, his bio-force field stretched wider. His perception sharpened, sensing every living being's energy on Earth like twinkling fireflies.
Reentering the atmosphere, his bio-force field suppressed any sonic boom.
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