Justin Hammer's presentation was going exactly as Tony remembered—overconfident claims about revolutionary weapons technology, flashy demonstrations that barely worked, and enough hot air to power a small balloon. The Hammer Industries expo was packed with military contractors, defense officials, and weapons buyers who were all pretending to be impressed by technology that was five years behind the curve.
That was, until Tony Stark stood up in the audience.
"Actually, Justin," Tony said, his voice carrying clearly through the convention center as every head turned in his direction, "there are several fundamental problems with your armor design. Would you like me to list them, or should I just demonstrate?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Justin Hammer—arms dealer, wannabe innovator, and walking embodiment of everything wrong with the military-industrial complex—stood frozen on stage with a wireless microphone in his hand and the expression of a man who had just realized his carefully planned presentation had become a public execution.
"Tony!" Hammer's voice cracked slightly as he tried to regain control of the situation. "What a… what a surprise! I didn't know you were attending our little demonstration. Still recovering from your ordeal, I hope?"
"Fully recovered," Tony replied, walking down the aisle toward the stage with the confident stride of a predator who knew his prey was already trapped. "In fact, I'm feeling better than ever. Which is why I thought I'd attend your presentation and offer some constructive feedback on your latest innovations."
The crowd of defense contractors and military officials watched in fascination as Tony climbed onto the stage, positioning himself next to Hammer's latest prototype—a clunky suit of powered armor that looked like it had been assembled from spare car parts and delusions of grandeur.
"Now then," Tony continued, running his hands over the armor's surface with the casual expertise of someone who had built dozens of superior versions, "let's start with the power supply. You're using a modified arc reactor design based on my original Mark I specifications, but you've made some… interesting modifications."
"We've improved your design," Hammer said defensively. "Made it more stable, more efficient—"
"You've made it more likely to explode," Tony interrupted, pointing to specific components with the kind of technical precision that made even non-engineers in the audience wince. "This power coupling is rated for maybe sixty percent of the energy output you're trying to channel through it. The first time someone tries to use your repulsors at full capacity, the entire reactor core is going to go critical."
He moved to the armor's weapons systems, his analysis becoming more damning with each component he examined. "The targeting system is using software that's three generations out of date, the servo motors can't handle the stress loads you're putting on them, and don't get me started on the life support systems." Tony looked directly at Hammer. "Have you actually tested this suit with a human pilot?"
"Of course we have," Hammer replied, but his voice lacked conviction.
"No, you haven't," Tony said with absolute certainty. "Because if you had, the pilot would be dead. This isn't a weapon system, Justin. This is a very expensive suicide machine."
The crowd was beginning to murmur among themselves, defense officials pulling out phones to make calls while contractors started calculating how much money they were about to lose on cancelled orders. Hammer's reputation was crumbling in real time, and everyone in the room could see it happening.
"But here's the thing," Tony continued, his voice taking on the tone of a teacher addressing a particularly slow student, "I didn't come here just to point out your failures. I came here to offer you an opportunity to learn from someone who actually knows what they're doing."
With movements that looked almost casual, Tony began making adjustments to Hammer's armor. His hands moved with practiced precision, rerouting power connections, recalibrating control systems, and implementing fixes that should have taken hours of careful engineering work. The armor that had been a barely functional death trap began to transform into something that actually resembled advanced military technology.
"Power efficiency increased by two hundred percent," Tony announced as he worked, his voice carrying to every corner of the convention center. "Targeting accuracy improved by an order of magnitude. Structural stability enhanced to military specifications. And most importantly, the pilot can now use the suit without dying of radiation poisoning or catastrophic system failure."
Within ten minutes, Tony had turned Hammer's prototype into a functional piece of military hardware. The crowd watched in stunned silence as he activated the suit's systems, ran diagnostic tests, and demonstrated capabilities that Hammer Industries had been promising for years but had never actually delivered.
"Now then," Tony said, stepping back from the transformed armor, "would you like to see what actual innovation looks like?"
Without waiting for an answer, Tony activated a device he'd been carrying—a compact projector that filled the convention center with holographic displays showing technical specifications that made Hammer's improvements look like children's toys. Advanced repulsors, self-repairing armor plating, energy shields that could stop tank rounds, and flight systems that made conventional aircraft obsolete.
"This is the Mark VII armor system," Tony announced, manipulating the holographic display to show cutaway views and technical details. "Currently in advanced prototype testing at Stark Industries. It represents approximately a fifteen-year leap forward from anything currently available in the defense contracting market."
The specifications were staggering. Energy output that dwarfed conventional power plants, weapons systems that could level city blocks, and defensive capabilities that made the suit's wearer essentially invulnerable to conventional attack. But what caught everyone's attention were the production costs—somehow, Tony had managed to create technology that was not only superior to anything else available, but also economically viable for mass production.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Tony continued, addressing the crowd of military officials and defense contractors who were staring at the displays with expressions of pure avarice, "the age of crude, dangerous, barely functional military technology is over. The future belongs to companies that can deliver actual innovation instead of repackaged failures."
He turned to face Hammer directly, his expression carrying the kind of predatory satisfaction that made it clear this had never been about technology at all. This had been about sending a message.
"Justin," Tony said, his voice carrying clearly through the convention center, "I want you to understand something very clearly. You've built your entire business model on selling inferior products to people who deserve better. You've endangered the lives of soldiers and civilians with weapons that barely work and armor that's more likely to kill its user than protect them." His voice grew harder. "That ends now."
The crowd was completely silent, every person in the convention center focused on the confrontation playing out on stage. Hammer looked like a man who had just watched his entire career collapse in the space of a few minutes.
"But I'm not here to destroy your company," Tony continued, his tone shifting to something that might have been generosity if you didn't know better. "I'm here to offer you a choice. You can continue trying to compete with technology you don't understand, using designs you can't properly implement, selling products that endanger the people who use them. Or you can accept that the market has evolved beyond your capabilities and find a new line of work."
"What are you proposing?" Hammer asked quietly.
"I'm proposing that Hammer Industries becomes a subsidiary of Stark Industries," Tony replied. "Your manufacturing capabilities, your existing contracts, your personnel—all of it gets folded into a company that actually knows how to build military technology that works. Your shareholders get a generous buyout, your employees keep their jobs working on projects that won't get them killed, and you get to walk away with your reputation somewhat intact."
"And if I refuse?"
Tony's smile was sharp as a blade. "Then you try to compete with technology that makes your best efforts look like scrap metal held together with duct tape and prayer. Your contracts get cancelled, your shareholders sue you for gross negligence, and your company becomes a cautionary tale about what happens when ambition exceeds competence."
The silence stretched for several heartbeats. Then, from somewhere in the back of the convention center, someone started clapping. The applause spread through the crowd like wildfire, defense officials and contractors who had just watched a master class in technological superiority showing their appreciation for what they'd witnessed.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Tony announced, raising his voice over the applause, "effective immediately, all Hammer Industries military contracts will be fulfilled by Stark Industries using actual functional technology. Existing orders will be upgraded to Mark VII specifications at no additional cost, delivery schedules will be accelerated, and product reliability will be guaranteed."
The crowd erupted into cheers and sustained applause. Military officials were already pulling out phones to call their superiors, defense contractors were calculating the implications for their own operations, and everyone present understood that they had just witnessed a fundamental shift in the balance of power within the military-industrial complex.
As the crowd began to disperse, Tony found himself approached by Colonel Rhodes, who had been watching the entire demonstration with a mixture of admiration and concern.
"That was impressive," Rhodey said quietly. "Also brutal, manipulative, and possibly illegal under several antitrust regulations."
"But effective," Tony replied, watching as Hammer's people began packing up their now-obsolete displays. "And necessary. Hammer Industries has been selling defective weapons to American soldiers for years. How many people do you think have died because his targeting systems failed at critical moments? How many injuries could have been prevented if his armor actually provided the protection it claimed to offer?"
"So this was about justice?"
"This was about optimization," Tony corrected. "The military-industrial complex is too important to be run by incompetents who care more about profit margins than performance standards. Sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet."
Through the convention center's floor-to-ceiling windows, Tony could see the Los Angeles skyline stretching toward the horizon. Somewhere in that sprawling city, Ivan Vanko was probably working on arc reactor technology in a dingy workshop, planning revenge against the Stark family for perceived injustices committed decades ago. In the original timeline, Vanko had allied with Hammer Industries to create weapons that had nearly killed dozens of innocent people.
This time, Hammer Industries was no longer a viable partner for anyone wanting to threaten American interests. And Ivan Vanko was about to receive a very different kind of offer.
"Rhodey," Tony said, pulling out his phone, "I need you to arrange a meeting with someone for me. A Russian physicist named Ivan Vanko. He's currently somewhere in the greater Los Angeles area, probably working on arc reactor designs in less-than-ideal conditions."
"Why?"
"Because he has skills that could be very useful if properly directed," Tony replied. "And because I'd rather have him working for us than against us."
As they left the convention center, Tony's mind was already working through the next phase of his plan. He had neutralized Hammer Industries as a potential threat, positioned Stark Industries to dominate the defense contracting market, and demonstrated technological superiority that would make potential enemies think twice about challenging American interests.
But more importantly, he had sent a message to anyone who might be considering alliance with people who wanted to use inferior technology to harm innocent civilians. The age of accepting substandard military equipment was over.
The future belonged to companies that could deliver actual innovation instead of repackaged failures. And Tony Stark intended to make sure that future arrived as quickly as possible