Superhero Registration Act.
This is the source of the Marvel Civil War in the original storyline.
Of course, in the movie universe, the source and factors behind the Marvel Civil War aren't solely due to this act.
It is also deeply tied to the deaths of Tony Stark parents, Howard and Maria Stark.
In Captain America: Civil War, the emergence of Winter Soldier Bucky as a decisive factor not only escalated the conflict but nearly led to a collapse in the character of Captain America, Steve Rogers.
However, in the world Anton finds himself in, Tony Stark, who supported the Superhero Registration Act in the original storyline, took his actions even further.
He proposed that all humans with extraordinary abilities, including superheroes, should be fully registered.
The term "extraordinary abilities" encompasses superheroes and goes even beyond the scope of the so-called Superhero Registration Act, making it far more comprehensive.
This shows that Tony character in this world has become even more extreme than in the original timeline.
In fact, the implementation of this act wouldn't be without benefits for this world, but Tony approach is far too radical.
Once this act is enforced, it will inevitably trigger a massive conflict.
Those who refuse to register will clash with those who are willing to comply.
At that point, a confrontation will be unavoidable.
This is essentially the reason the Marvel Civil War was born in the original storyline.
Of course, some details aren't so simple.
But at its core, pushing forward with this act is an extremely radical move, one that disregards personal autonomy and attempts to dominate through power and force, which will inevitably lead to resistance.
Now, Tony biggest opponent in the process of pushing this act forward is undoubtedly the Justice League, which lurks beneath the surface but possesses immense prestige and authority.
The identities of several members within the Justice League are well known to Tony and other high-ranking forces.
However, the most powerful figures, led by Batman, are a mystery. Despite their stories being adapted into films, there is no trace of them to be found.
"Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Green Arrow, Shazam, Constantine..."
At the Stark Industries building.
After the press conference, Tony Stark returned to his private apartment on the top floor of the building. Gazing at the twilight outside his balcony, he muttered to himself, his eyes filled with resolve.
On the other side.
Daily Bugle.
Eddie, having heard all this from Anton, pondered for a moment before asking, "So, how should we respond?"
"Don't rush," Anton shook his head.
"The reason I had Cyborg test Stark Industries is because of Ultron. Ultron poses a greater threat to us than this so-called Superhuman Registration Act."
"Why do you say that?"
Eddie asked, curious.
In his view, it was the Superhuman Registration Act that posed a greater threat to the Justice League.
What kind of damage would be caused if the real identities of all Justice League members were exposed?
Although this so-called "exposure" wouldn't be made public, could it really be hidden from those skilled villains?
Those who hate superheroes, those who despise the Justice League, could very likely investigate the families and friends of the members, seeking to exact revenge.
If they can't retaliate against the heroes themselves, it is common for hatred to be transferred to those around them.
Furthermore, this is only the most obvious threat.
On the other hand, after the Superhuman Registration Act is implemented, superhumans would be under the control of various governments, or more precisely, the World Security Council.
At that point, the so-called freedoms promised by the government might no longer be guaranteed.
There are many other dangers as well.
As for Ultron, although it gained self-awareness and could pose a threat to humanity, it still seemed that Ultron impact on the Justice League would not be as great as the threat posed by the Superhuman Registration Act.
"Because this act will not be successfully implemented."
Anton said flatly, "Believe me, Tony will face the consequences of blindly pushing this act forward."
"What do you plan to do?"
Eddie grew even more curious.
"I'm going to expose some truths, set Tony backyard on fire."
Anton smiled. "Some things that have been buried in the past... it time to uncover them."
"?"
Eddie saw Anton teasing him, itching to know more.
But he knew Anton character well enough to understand that Anton would never tell him the answer, so he reluctantly fell silent.
After the conversation ended.
On his way home, Anton had a phone call with Harry Osborn from Osborn Enterprises.
Harry Osborn.
A member of the Illuminati, a spy for the Justice League.
The news about Tony intention to push forward the Superhero Registration Act was something Harry had informed Anton of.
This was supposed to be a secret unknown to the Justice League.
Fortunately, Harry had been bought off by Anton early on, becoming the eyes of the Justice League.
As a former comrade from the time of the Avengers, Tony still trusted Harry and the others to some extent.
Of course, due to the strong cooperation between Osborn Enterprises and Wayne Enterprises, Tony had secretly investigated whether Harry had any connections to Batman or the Justice League.
Clearly, Tony had found no traces to suggest anything.
Cyborg abilities were such that even when Anton met Harry in public, the traces of their meeting could be erased.
Their encounters were, in fact, deliberately orchestrated by Anton and Harry.
After all, Harry good relationship with the Justice League was well known from the start.
Given the positions of both Harry and Anton, they had the luxury of acting with impunity.
So what the harm in meeting a friend? Can't people with opposing stances still be friends? If the characters in movies and stories followed such a view, the plot wouldn't be as dramatic.
"Harry, you and Captain America, Steve Rogers, must be pretty close, right?"
Anton asked calmly while driving.
"Yeah, Rogers is a good guy."
Harry nodded, picking up on a hint of something unusual in Anton question. "Is there a problem?"
"From your observation, has he been getting closer to the military lately?"
Anton asked again.
"He become a special forces training instructor, so of course, he closely involved with the military," Harry replied.
"Also, I've heard he made a lot of friends in special forces, most of whom are members of the U.S. military, and they have a great relationship."
"By the way, a new top-tier military operative has joined special forces, codename 'White Wolf.'"
Harry thought for a moment and added, "This White Wolf is very close to Rogers. From what I gather, it might be the military directive—
they probably want to get closer to Rogers in order to recruit Captain America… After all, he been a symbol of the military for many years."
"White Wolf?!"
Anton smiled, this was exactly what he wanted to hear.
"I see."
Anton said, "There something I need you to do for me."
"Please, go ahead."
Harry nodded. "I'll do my best."
...
A moment later, Harry arrived in front of the Stark Industries building.
He paused for a moment, recalling the events and situations Anton had described to him over the phone, and he couldn't shake the feeling that the future was going to be very frightening.
"Ha—"
He exhaled deeply, then without hesitation, walked into the building.
Click!
The door opened automatically without any identification card or sensor.
Ultron, through facial recognition and various other details, confirmed Harry identity and granted him full access.
In the quiet, sparsely populated Stark Industries building at night, Harry quickly made his way to the top-floor apartment, where he met Tony.
"Harry, what brings you here?"
Tony had already poured two glasses of bourbon, smiling as he sat on the couch, facing the elevator, waiting to greet Harry.
"What going on?"
Tony asked. "I rarely see you with such an expression."
"Tony, I have something important to tell you."
Harry pulled out his phone, tapped on it, and projected several lines of data in front of him.
"Recently, Hydra base in Europe was attacked, and a lot of sensitive information about Hydra was leaked. I'm sure you've seen it too."
"Right."
Tony nodded, somewhat puzzled. "We have enough clearance at S.H.I.E.L.D. to access this information. Is there something special about these files?"
"Special situation?"
Harry face became awkward. "It not really a special situation for me, but for you, it might be."
"Hmm?"
Tony furrowed his brows, sensing something unusual. "What do you mean?"
"I found a detail in Hydra database that might... be related to the accident that killed your parents."
Once Harry finished speaking, the large apartment fell into complete silence.
Tony gaze hardened, his eyes fixed on Harry, his tone dry but tinged with a hint of aggression.
"What did you say?"
He enunciated each word carefully, "Are you sure, Harry?"
"Of course."
Harry met Tony gaze with a firm tone. "I wouldn't joke about something like this."
How could the Superhuman Registration Act be made to fail?
The simplest way is to divert the person proposing the act, making them lose focus on its implementation.
Just stall.
As time goes on, the act would naturally fade away.
Of course, reality might not be that simple, but as long as Tony own affairs are set on fire, things will unfold as Anton predicts.
Just like the Civil War in the original storyline.
As the fighting dragged on, the Superhero Registration Act was forgotten, and Captain America and the Winter Soldier vanished.
Only Tony Stark remained, holding Pepper Potts, having surgery on his heart to remove the shrapnel, and deciding to retire from being a superhero.
In this world, Tony relationship with Captain America is even closer than in the original storyline.
As fellow members of the original Avengers, the trust between Tony and Steve far surpasses that in the original plot.
After all, they've fought side by side, and under the pressure of the Justice League, they've never had any major conflicts.
The series of failures, instead, strengthened their bond.
Captain America was undoubtedly a competent spiritual mentor, and his guidance helped Tony step out of certain shadows.
However, during the Washington incident, the Winter Soldier appeared, was captured by the Justice League, and was ultimately taken away by a military representative, the Secretary of Defense, John Keller.
The Winter Soldier appearance was undoubtedly a turning point.
Now, as Tony plans to introduce the Superhuman Registration Act, the Winter Soldier has transformed into the White Wolf and become a member of the special forces.
At this moment, Anton finally had the opportunity to use this turning point, turning it into the key to drive a wedge between Tony and Captain America.
"Winter Soldier, White Wolf..."
Anton recalled the information the military had once shared with him, a cold smile forming on his face.
Although his cooperation with the military had been relatively smooth and was tied to mutual interests, they were still not one and the same.
It was normal for the military to withhold information from him.
For example, the fact that Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, had been fully healed and had transformed into the White Wolf, joining the special forces—he had never been told about this.
Considering Bucky various identities, this was considered classified information.
What bothered Anton, though, was that Tony proposal for the Superhuman Registration Act had been discussed with many high-ranking officials.
Within the military ranks, this matter was far from foolproof.
Yet, not a single person had reached out to him not even a secret notification.
What disappointed him most was that even his closest ally, Secretary of Defense John Keller, had not mentioned this to him.
Clearly, both the World Security Council and the military had a significant portion of people who were eager about this issue.
This was likely why the members of the Justice League had united with these people to suppress the information.
"Looks like..."
Anton smirked coldly, muttering to himself, "Have I been too friendly, making you overlook the respect you should have for superheroes, for the Justice League..."
Exposing the White Wolf identity served two purposes: on one hand, to drive a wedge between Tony and Captain America, and on the other, as a form of revenge against the military,
to show them that the Justice League was not an entity they could control at will.
...
Lost in thought, Anton called John Keller.
"Anton, well, this is a surprise. You actually called me. Is there something you need?"
John Keller tone was filled with surprise, his voice warm and friendly, with no hint that the military faction he belonged to was already scheming to monitor every member of the Justice League.
"Yes, there is something I'd like to ask you."
Anton replied, "Not long ago, you took away the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, who was brainwashed by Hydra.
He was Captain America comrade during World War II. How he been lately?"
"Oh?"
On the other end of the phone, John Keller eyes flickered briefly, though his tone remained unchanged,
"He doing well. We're still working on undoing the Hydra brainwashing. As I told you last time, it a long process."
"That good to hear."
Anton responded, "A few days ago, from the S.H.I.E.L.D.-breached Hydra base in Europe, I picked up some unusual information. It related to Bucky Barnes, and it also involves Tony Stark parents, Howard and Maria Stark..."
"What?"
John Keller face showed a look of shock, and he couldn't hold himself back, exclaiming,
"What did you say? Bucky was involved in the death of Howard and Maria Stark?"
"Yes."
Anton nodded, "I am 100% sure that the car accident where Howard and Maria Stark died was staged by Hydra. Bucky was the one who killed them."