Marvel: Master Of Role-Playing-Chapter 204: Control

In Reid’s previous life, the Fantastic Four comic series began publication in 1961 and remained popular for nearly fifty years.

This enduring success wasn’t just because of how good their stories were. It also had a lot to do with the unique traits of the team itself.

The original Fantastic Four each had distinct personalities. And those traits didn’t come from their identities as heroes or the powers they gained. They came from who they were as regular people. That ordinary human charm—that was the true key to the team’s success.

Neighbors would complain they were too loud. The government once tried to repossess their home. Reed invested their funds into the stock market and ended up needing to trade lab equipment to cover their debts.

They weren’t perfect. And that, more than anything else, was what made the Fantastic Four team so relatable and beloved by the masses.

Reid now intended to follow a similar strategy.

He wanted the four to act as themselves. The public would see stories not just about their battles, but also about the small, everyday pieces of their lives. For example, what if Nightwing came home one day to find Luthor and Susan walking out of a room together? That awkward moment alone could spark waves of attention.

To Reid and Luthor, this might all be part of the show. But to the fans watching and following this new hero team, this kind of story was exactly what they loved the most.

Because every hero saves the world, but only the Fantastic Four fully showed their humanity: the part that made them feel real.

* * *

The introduction of the four ended quickly.

Across other states and even other countries, many people forgot why they had tuned in to this press conference in the first place. They forgot this all came from LexCorp’s experimentation.

After all, the company had just delivered a perfect answer.

The process hadn’t been flawless, but in the end, they presented a truly captivating team of superheroes to the world.

However, while the public might have been convinced, there were still others who weren’t about to let LexCorp off the hook.

They had found one last weak spot. One that, if pointed out, would surely strike a nerve with the public.

Under the guidance of these hidden forces, a reporter in the audience raised his hand and asked a question.

"Mr. Luthor, the Fantastic Four is indeed a very impressive team. And I believe they have the potential to become true heroes. However, as far as LexCorp is concerned, isn’t a technology capable of giving people superpowers too dangerous? These four might not be a threat, but what if this technology doesn’t create more heroes in the future? What if it gives power to the wrong people—those who lack the responsibility to handle it? Wouldn’t that pose a serious risk to the safety of American citizens?"

Public security was a serious issue. Even in a country that prized freedom so much it allowed civilians to own guns, none could truly ignore a threat to their personal safety.

And more importantly, this concern was genuine.

While LexCorp might tightly control the technology, who could guarantee that the people chosen by the company would truly become heroes?

What if, instead of heroes, they turned into criminals? Then the threat wouldn’t just be hypothetical: it would be real.

In an instant, all eyes turned to Luthor once again.

The people behind the scenes had a simple plan. Even if LexCorp used this technology to prove its strength, they couldn’t be allowed to keep it for themselves. It had to be handed over to the government. To the public.

Once this power was shared, those same hidden figures believed they could finally compete with LexCorp on equal footing.

Luthor, however, only smiled at that. He turned to the Fantastic Four and spoke:

"Everyone, please demonstrate your abilities."

Right away, Nightwing’s muscles tensed and swelled. His physique became more powerful, and his strength surged to the twenty-ton level.

Johnny burst into flames, his entire body burning bright like a living torch. Susan turned invisible and surrounded herself with a protective force field.

As for Ben, he simply stood still. His massive, rocky form spoke for itself. He didn’t need to show off.

Once the four had taken their places, Luthor pulled out a small device from his pocket. It looked like a specialized remote. He pointed it at the team and pressed a button.

In the next second, Nightwing’s muscle mass vanished. Johnny’s flames extinguished. Susan’s invisibility and force field collapsed, and Ben’s massive stone body also faded away, returning him to his human form.

All their powers—whether energy, flame, force, or form—were stripped away and drawn into the belts they wore around their waists.

The cosmic energy was completely extracted, and the four of them lost their superpowers.

"This," Luthor said calmly, "is the answer you were looking for."

He pressed the button again, and instantly, the four regained their abilities. Then he looked directly at the reporter who had asked the question.

"Anyone who knows me understands that I don’t leave any instability within the company. Our technology can create heroes. It gives those with justice and ideals in their hearts a stage to prove themselves. But at the same time, I can take those powers away just as easily."

With that final response, the press conference came to an end. No one brought up whether this technology should be handed over to the federal government. The most fundamental reason was Luthor’s rising political status. He was the mayor of New York City, one of the highest municipal offices in the country. And soon, he was almost certainly going to be the next governor of New York State.

According to U.S. law, not even the President has the authority to directly command or remove a state governor from office. Power belongs to whoever earns the people’s support.

If the President couldn’t win over the citizens of New York, then he had no leverage against Luthor, who now held control over the city.

And so, after suffering a major defeat, the people working behind the scenes felt even more cornered. They understood clearly—if they let this chance slip by, the only thing coming next would be a full-scale counterattack from Luthor.

LexCorp had already prepared to force all outside capital out of New York State.

* * *

Sure enough, the very next day, while the Fantastic Four heroically and efficiently stopped a plane hijacking, LexCorp also began moving in the shadows.

A massive wave of investment from rival conglomerates was pushed out of New York. The gaps they left behind were immediately filled by LexCorp, which had been preparing for this moment for a long time.

The other corporations were completely powerless to stop it. At least within New York, they no longer had the ability to challenge LexCorp. All they could do was shift their assets to other states in the U.S.

And the losses caused by such a move? No one really cared.

Since the lives of New York’s citizens remained unaffected, even if someone wanted to protest, they couldn’t gather enough support to make a difference.

Nobody in New York could stand against LexCorp.

* * *

Inside the Triskelion building.

"Coulson..."

Hearing Fury’s call, Coulson’s expression turned grim.

"Sir, I don’t have a solution. This is how the U.S. federal constitution is written. And with the public behind him, Luthor could rewrite the state constitution right now if he wanted."

"I know!"

Fury responded sharply, a bit frustrated, though he was well aware he’d been using Coulson like a workhorse lately.

"I have a mission for you. Contact Richards. We must intercept a portion of the cosmic storm sample Lex Luthor has obtained."

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