Chapter 73 The Resentment of Vanke

Luke and the other two tilted their heads upward, gazing at the somber sky. Within the swirling clouds, a streak of light flashed. Moments later, a black iron-hued steel soldier crashed down with a thunderous impact.

The mask of the steel soldier swung open, revealing a familiar face.

Whiplash—Ivan Vanko.

Strictly speaking, this could no longer be called a mere steel soldier; it was a true suit of iron armor. Embedded in the chest of this black iron suit was a bright arc reactor. Compared to Tony’s Mark VI, this armor was taller and more robust, its surface layered with heavy plating, perfectly matching the rugged style of a warrior nation.

“It’s good to be back,” Ivan Vanko said as his mask opened.

A mocking smile played across his lips as he surveyed the three before him, his eyes cold and unyielding.

Tony and Rhodey stood side by side, and behind them towered Luke.

Rhodey lowered his voice, “This doesn’t look good.”

Inside his Iron Man suit, Tony’s expression grew grave.

At that moment, Ivan Vanko crossed his hands with dramatic flair and slammed them toward the ground. Instantly, two thick electric whips—one left, one right—sparkled with intense blue-white lightning, surging with power.

The arc reactor in his armor had undergone a second upgrade, delivering ample energy; the force of those electric whips was clearly greater than it had been in Monaco.

Ivan Vanko stared at the trio with arrogant disdain. His intention was obvious: a challenge.

Rhodey stepped forward. “I’ve got a special weapon for him. Let’s see how ‘Ex-Wife’ handles this.”

“What?” Tony was bewildered. Ex-Wife?

Rhodey’s shoulder-mounted missile launcher rose, revealing a small missile loaded within—Hammer Industries’ Ex-Wife.

His suit had been fully modified by Hammer Industries, with all its weapons sourced from their arsenal.

Justin Hammer had claimed the Ex-Wife missile was his crowning achievement, treating it like a prized treasure and describing it as a top-grade cigar infused with the scent of gunpowder.

Tony had never seen the Ex-Wife missile before and had no idea what to expect.

Luke, however, knew this story well.

He knew what was about to happen, and could hardly bear to watch.

Rhodey fired the Ex-Wife missile; it shot out with a hiss and streaked toward Ivan Vanko, barely ten meters away.

Strangely, Ivan Vanko didn’t even bother to dodge. He left his mask open, calm and mocking, watching as the missile struck him.

The Ex-Wife missile hit Ivan Vanko squarely in the chest.

A metallic clang rang out.

And then the missile fell silently to the ground…

Water pooled beneath them; the missile fizzed weakly like a damp firecracker, sputtering sparks.

And then… nothing more.

Rhodey quietly retracted the launcher.

“Hammer’s weapon?” Tony asked, his tone odd.

“Yes…” Rhodey was at a loss for words.

“Let me handle this…”

Tony had barely spoken when, behind them, Luke cleared his throat.

In the original storyline, Tony and Rhodey joined forces and, though it took some effort, ultimately defeated Whiplash. Luke could have chosen to stand aside as a spectator, but that would not serve his interests.

At present, their mission rating was only at B-level—enough for a single purple-quality weapon. That simply wouldn’t do.

Luke’s goal was to earn at least an S-level rating.

The Warlord stepped forward. Luke addressed Ivan Vanko, “You’ve reached your stop, comrade.”

“Hmph. Apostle?”

Ivan Vanko sneered, his eyes filled with cold contempt. “You weren’t part of my plan. But since you stand with Stark, you’re my enemy. The world will witness the fall of the Apostle.”

Luke felt a strange kinship; here was another comrade eager for upheaval.

It was unfortunate, though, that this comrade’s luck had run out—he’d crossed paths with Luke.

“I think you’re mistaken,” Luke said calmly. “Do you truly believe that defeating him—or me—will ruin our reputations? Or perhaps you think that by defeating us, you’ll restore the honor of the Vanko family? Is that what you believe?”

Ivan Vanko said nothing, only snorted coldly—an admission in itself.

“Then you’re gravely mistaken,” Luke said contemptuously. “You fail to understand what a ‘superhero’ is. A superhero is a spirit; even if the body falls, it can rise again. At the same time, when the body falls, the spirit enters the hearts of all. You are a fool.

Yes, I mean you—a thorough fool. When you defeat Tony, in reality, you help to forge the image of a superhero. And you? You’re nothing but a villain—a foolish and incompetent one at that. On the contrary, no one will remember your name. You’ll bear only one label: villain.”

Tony, listening nearby, was visibly moved. He hadn’t expected the Apostle to speak up for him.

Ivan Vanko’s expression grew darker. From the very start, his desire for revenge against Stark had been born of deep-seated anger. His father’s depression and demise—all because of the Stark name.

His so-called revenge was merely a way to vent his confusion and grief over losing his father. Now, how could he not understand? He simply refused to admit it.

Yet Luke’s few words had torn away his fragile mask.

Ivan Vanko didn’t know how the Apostle could see so deeply into him.

He only knew that his rage now had a true target.

Unlike the original storyline, this time Ivan Vanko attacked not Tony and Rhodey, but Luke.

Ivan Vanko swung his electrified right-hand whip in a vicious arc, launching it at Luke.

“Such deep resentment?” Luke mused. “All I did was rip away a scar, and you take it so seriously? I like it.”

He had been waiting for Ivan Vanko to make a move against him.

He remembered from the film that Whiplash’s most powerful attack was to wrap Iron Man in his electric whip and unleash the arc reactor’s potent currents, disrupting the suit.

Though Tony’s improvements had granted the suit some resistance to electric shocks, there were limits. Prolonged exposure to high-energy arc reactor surges—Mark VI wouldn’t endure.

Just as in the film, Ivan Vanko’s whip wrapped tightly around the arm of the G-0 Warlord.

A surge of powerful electricity erupted!

Given the Warlord’s massive size, the whip could only wrap around his arm.

But that was enough—for Luke.

“I believe I’m under attack,” Luke said with a wicked grin.

Ivan Vanko was momentarily stunned, but before he could react, a thunderclap echoed overhead. A thick bolt of lightning, as wide as an arm, fell from the sky, striking him with uncanny precision!