Although the diary did not explicitly mention the full name, there was no doubt that the Rhodes mentioned in it was Tony Stark's best, or rather, only friend, Air Force Colonel James Rhodes.
Otherwise, how could he appear at his birthday party?
It couldn't possibly be another guy named Rhodes, could it?
The Playboy didn't think it would be such a coincidence.
So the problem lies precisely here: why did Rhodes "beat him up"?
And at such an important occasion as his birthday party!
It seems that a very serious conflict and contradiction must have erupted between him and Rhodes, to the extent that they turned against each other!
So~
What kind of conflict was it?
Since he didn't know the cause and effect, Tony Stark truly couldn't imagine it for now.
But no matter what kind of conflict or contradiction it was, Rhodes wouldn't go so far as to do such a thing, would he?
However, what was even more unimaginable to the Playboy was another matter: Rhodes actually snatched his Iron Man Armor!
How could such a thing be possible!
One must know that was the Iron Man Armor, all under Jarvis's control.
Without authorization from him, Tony, no one else could use it.
In other words, if he, Tony, was unwilling, even if the Iron Man Armor was placed in someone's hands, they wouldn't be able to use it at all.
So how could it be "snatched away"?
The Iron Man Armor designed by the Playboy simply could not be snatched away!
"Sir, it seems that you in another Universe truly had a thrilling birthday."
The voice of the thoughtful AI, Jarvis, sounded, teasing his boss, "So intense that the house almost exploded."
Jarvis spoke unintentionally, but it made Tony Stark's brow furrow slightly at once.
What was going on now?
Did that "great battle" between him and Rhodes really reach the point where his own house was blown up?
That was too damn exaggerated, wasn't it?
Was Rhodes fighting him with grenades?
The Playboy really couldn't understand how such a thing could happen from a fight between him and his good friend.
But very quickly.
Tony Stark combined the context of the diary and came to a natural guess.
The "great battle" between him and Rhodes mentioned in the diary should have been a situation where both sides were wearing Iron Man Armor!
So Rhodes not only snatched the Iron Man Armor from him but also put it on right then and there.
Then, a great battle erupted between him and his Destroyer!
Only then could it be called a "great battle," and only then could the house have been blown up.
It's just that~
Even if they were wearing Iron Man Armor, did he and Rhodes really fire at each other?
Did the conflict escalate to this point?
Tony Stark truly couldn't understand what could have made the two of them act like that.
"'Iron Man Armor Battle'!"
"This should be the 'Iron Man Armor Battle' that was mentioned in the diary before!"
And after reaching the conclusion of the Iron Man Armor battle, Tony Stark had another flash of inspiration.
He recalled a spoiler from the diary from a long time ago.
At that time, the diary mentioned that when he was about to die from palladium poisoning, he went crazy and created many famous scenes.
One of them was the Iron Man Armor battle with Rhodes!
Calculating the time, if it weren't for the diary's reminder, which allowed him to solve the palladium poisoning problem in advance, then he should indeed be close to death by now, right?
It matched!
The Before and After matched!
So it seems that the "Iron Man Armor Battle" mentioned in the diary before was most likely the big battle at the birthday party spoiled this time.
"I understand!"
After connecting the dots, Tony Stark's Ideas suddenly opened up, and he had pretty much sorted out the matter.
It seems that in that other Universe, the other him, knowing he was about to die, made all sorts of crazy moves at the birthday party.
Otherwise, Zhou Cheng wouldn't have called him "crazy."
How crazy he was can be seen from "peeing in the Iron Man Armor" and "eating donuts while sitting on a donut."
It's even highly possible that he attended this birthday party wearing the Iron Man Armor.
This indeed fits the Playboy's self-willed and reckless nature.
So what about his good friend, Rhodes?
Naturally, he couldn't bear to see himself so decadent, so he stepped in to stop him and make him cease those crazy actions.
And considering that he was wearing the Iron Man Armor, how could Rhodes stop him?
Naturally, he would put on another suit of Iron Man Armor.
Then what happened next was only natural.
Although he hadn't experienced the state of his other self, the Playboy could still empathize with the other party's state at that time.
The other party wouldn't have listened to Rhodes!
The conflict between the two of them thus appeared, thus began to escalate, and evolved into a great battle!
Hmm, that should be how it was.
"Sir, your entire theory has no problems, except for one point."
And when Tony Stark told Jarvis his deduction, Jarvis pointed out a problem incisively, "Without your authorization, no one else can use your Iron Man Armor, including Colonel Rhodes."
"So, haven't you already given the answer?"
Tony Stark naturally spread his hands, "It must have been the authorization I gave!"
Even if this didn't happen to him, it was still an "alternate version" of himself.
So Tony Stark could still understand the actions of that other him.
He was about to die, so he couldn't take the Iron Man Armor with him, could he?
In that case, it would be better to take this opportunity to give Rhodes a suit of Iron Man Armor, which could also be considered a legacy.
And it wouldn't let his life's work be cut off in the World!
So, is this why Rhodes got his Iron Man Armor and became War Machine?
The Playboy had previously thought that it was because his other self couldn't withstand the Military's pressure and was forcibly snatched away by the Military.
After all that, it turned out he had voluntarily given it away.
But that's right, that's how it should be.
How could the other him in that other World be so incompetent, unable to even handle a mere hearing?
So this was the truth!
"So, Sir, what are you thinking now?"
"Are you still considering granting authorization to Colonel Rhodes?"
Jarvis's voice sounded again in his ear, interrupting Tony Stark's thoughts.
The Playboy immediately fell into contemplation.
Yes, his other self gave Rhodes a suit of Iron Man Armor, so what about him?
"No, I don't plan to do that."
After only a slight hesitation, Tony Stark made this decision.
The Destroyer was unique, belonging exclusively to him, Tony, and no one else could share in it.
Not even Rhodes!
The Playboy believed that his other self must have made that decision because he was about to die.
Otherwise, there was no way he would have let the Military benefit so easily.
After all, Rhodes's position was there; giving the Iron Man Armor to Rhodes was equivalent to giving it to the Military, and Tony Stark would never do such a thing.
[If that's the case, how will War Machine be born in this Universe?]
[Or, will it not appear at all?]
[Then if Iron Man faces an enhanced Whiplash later, won't Iron Man be dead? That's not a big guy Iron Man can deal with alone.]
[No, Stark didn't go racing in Morocco, Whiplash didn't attack Stark, and he wasn't captured either.]
[So Whiplash being rescued by Justin Hammer, and the two of them secretly teaming up to deal with Iron Man, creating a group of Iron Man Armor to hunt Iron Man or something, might not happen either.]
[The ultimate battle of "Iron Man Two," the famous scene of a group of Iron Man Armor in a chaotic fight, won't happen either, will it?]
[It's completely unrecognizable! The plot of this movie is truly unrecognizable.]
That's right!
War Machine in this Universe will no longer appear!
Tony Stark secretly nodded.
Rather than letting Rhodes wear the Iron Man Armor and become a puppet controlled by the Military, it was better to maintain the status quo.
In this Universe, one Destroyer, him, Tony, was enough!
However, just as this thought flashed through his mind, the Playboy was immediately slapped in the face.
What the hell?
A group of Iron Man Armor hunting him down?
And created by Ivan Vanko and Justin Hammer working together?
Those two clowns, together, actually did manage to accomplish something!
"Hammer, you really don't miss any opportunity."
The Playboy couldn't help but sneer.
Although the diary stated very clearly that it was a group of Iron Man Armor created by Ivan Vanko and Justin Hammer working together.
Tony Stark still didn't take Justin Hammer seriously at all.
The Playboy knew that guy too well; he deeply understood that Hammer Industries simply didn't possess such capabilities.
The so-called collaboration between the two was undoubtedly a model where Ivan Vanko provided the technology and Hammer Industries provided the resources.
So Justin Hammer was not worth mentioning; the only one Tony Stark truly paid attention to was Ivan Vanko!
The diary had already said that this person possessed his technology and even created an "enhanced version" of the Iron Man Armor.
The diary also mentioned a long time ago that when this person made a comeback, it was he and War Machine who teamed up to defeat him.
Although Tony Stark had always believed that he was unrivaled, the World's top scientist.
There was no doubt that Ivan Vanko, who inherited relevant technology from Anthony Vanko, was enough to make the Playboy take him seriously.
A major hidden danger!
That Whiplash, Ivan Vanko, was a major hidden danger!
Even Tony Stark had to admit this.
"Jarvis, are there any clues about Ivan Vanko yet?"
Thinking of this, Tony Stark immediately began to question his AI.
"Sir, there are no relevant clues."
"I have screened and compared all the Ivan Vankos I found, and none of them fit the criteria."
"I think Ivan Vanko most likely isn't using that name."
Jarvis, however, gave this answer.
"Keep an eye on it."
Tony Stark was not surprised by this, merely continuing to instruct Jarvis.
However, the Playboy would never have imagined that Ivan Vanko, whom he had been searching for, was already in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s prison.
Oh, no, that's not right.
To be precise, it should be Nick Fury's private secret Base.
Considering HYDRA's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury immediately took over with his private channels after Agent Hill arrested Ivan Vanko.
This was to prevent related technology from flowing to HYDRA.
So, if there were no accidents, Tony Stark should never find Ivan Vanko again.
Of course, being suddenly attacked by Whiplash or anything like that would naturally not happen either.
But Tony Stark could not know these things.
However, one thing Tony Stark was absolutely certain of.
That was, he was going to continue researching more powerful Iron Man Armor.
To deal with the potentially appearing enhanced Whiplash Iron Man Armor, which he and War Machine could only defeat by teaming up!
[However, if that's the case, it's actually still a good thing for Rhodes.]
[At the very least, he won't be accidentally crippled by Vision during the Civil War!]
[After all, Vision's strength is indeed a bit too strong; Iron Man Armor is completely trash in front of him, and even a slight brush is fatal.]
[Although Thor always boasts that he is the strongest Avenger, he might not necessarily be stronger than Vision.]
[Especially Thor before his transformation, he couldn't possibly be Vision's opponent.]
[It's just that Vision didn't want to make a move; otherwise, the Civil War wouldn't have even started. Vision alone could have swept the entire Avengers at that time!]
Rhodes was crippled during the Civil War?
Tony Stark's brow couldn't help but twitch fiercely.
He had always believed that the Civil War was just a "friendly spar."
After all, both sides of the battle were Super Heroes, and even former colleagues; the diary also said that neither of them intended to kill.
The Playboy naturally assumed.
Aside from some Super Heroes being officially arrested, there shouldn't have been any serious consequences.
But who would have thought, there really were!
Rhodes was crippled!
And it was Vision who accidentally injured him.
"Vision!"
This name immediately drew Tony Stark's high attention.
The diary had mentioned it before, but only in fragmented words.
The Playboy knew that this was Scarlet Witch's lover, and his ultimate fate was very, very tragic.
Not only was he killed multiple times, but he eventually ended up dismembered.
Tony Stark never would have imagined that Vision's strength was actually so powerful!
During the Civil War, Rhodes was clearly participating as War Machine, wearing the Iron Man Armor.
Yet he was accidentally crippled by Vision.
Even in Zhou Cheng's eyes, Iron Man Armor was completely insignificant in front of Vision; even a casual touch from him was fatal.
What the hell, was that Vision really that strong?
Stronger than Thor, capable of sweeping the entire Avengers by himself?
Thanks to Book Friend 08a for the repeated tips.