Although Shin had absorbed most of the energy from the solar storm, the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom were still thoroughly exposed to its powerful radiation, leaving them in a deep coma.
Fortunately, the spacecraft designed by Mr. Fantastic, Reed Richards, was somewhat autonomous. Even though the entire crew had lost consciousness, the vessel managed to return to Earth safely.
Of course, Shin had little interest in the aftermath of their conflicts. However, before their return, he had instructed Kingpin to seize the opportunity and prepare to take over Doom's industries, adding insult to injury.
It wouldn't be long before Doom was ousted by his company's board of directors, ultimately forcing him to take control of Latveria. Given that outcome, it made sense for his industries to be acquired rather than left in limbo.
Doom's downfall was largely due to his background. As an immigrant from a small country who had built his empire from the ground up, he had very few allies within the corporate world. The moment he showed weakness, his competitors wasted no time in betraying him.
Once Shin's body had fully recovered, he began the process of absorbing the stored solar storm energy.
At the same time, he focused on his other major project. Now that he was part of the board of directors at Oscorp, he had also taken on the role of director of their laboratory.
In the lab, Shin looked at the man sitting before him.
"Banner, how do you feel?"
Bruce Banner had been out of Shin's custody for some time now. Shin had explained that his initial detainment was out of concern for the destruction the Hulk could cause. Because of this reasoning—and the fact that Banner had some awareness of his own actions while transformed—he harbored no resentment toward Shin.
"The suppressant is working well," Banner replied with a sigh of relief. "I don't think the big green guy is coming out anymore."
"You should know that's impossible," Shin said without hesitation. "Hulk isn't some external force inside you. He's a part of you—your second personality, fully integrated with your mind and body."
Banner frowned slightly. "I know that much. I've been reading up on psychology during my time away."
Shin continued, "People assume that a second personality is separate from their original self, but that's a misunderstanding. A second personality is simply an extreme manifestation of one's own mind. In reality, every person contains multiple facets of their personality, but most of them merge into a singular consciousness. Only when there is extreme internal conflict does a secondary personality remain distinct."
"I get it," Banner sighed again. "But as long as Hulk doesn't surface, it's the same as being cured."
Shin nodded. "As long as you've come to terms with that. That being said, if you ever wanted to trigger his return, continued exposure to gamma radiation would certainly do the trick."
"I have no intention of letting Hulk run wild again," Banner said quickly, shaking his head. The thought of waking up one day to find himself responsible for massive destruction terrified him.
"That's easier said than done," Shin remarked with a knowing smile. "So, what are your plans now? Are you going to accept the offer from Oscorp?"
Bruce Banner was a scientist whom even the famously arrogant Tony Stark respected. His brilliance was undeniable, making him an invaluable asset. Though his primary expertise lay in nuclear physics rather than biology, his intellect alone made him a key figure in Shin's plans.
Moreover, top-tier scientists in the world of American comics were often polymaths—capable of excelling in multiple fields. The difference between them wasn't whether they could grasp a subject, but how deeply they could master it.
The Oscorp invitation was not entirely coincidental either. Shin had orchestrated it through Kingpin's influence, ensuring the company sought out Banner.
Forcing him to comply, however, was out of the question. Despite his condition, Banner's moral compass was strong. Even if Kingpin had personally extended the invitation, Banner would never have accepted it, just as others like Dr. Connors or Otto Octavius would have turned it down before their respective transformations.
"Can I really go back to research like this…?" Banner hesitated.
"Of course you can," Shin assured him. "In fact, with your current condition, staying at Oscorp is the smartest choice. If Hulk ever resurfaces and you don't have access to the suppressant, the consequences could be catastrophic."
"At the very least, having the right resources around you means there will be contingency plans in place."
Banner fell silent for a moment before finally nodding, a hint of gratitude in his eyes.
Shin leaned forward slightly. "One more thing—you should be careful. The military has been very interested in your mutation. They've been hunting you down in secret for a while now."
Banner's expression darkened at that.
During the chaos caused by the previous attack at the military base, much of their research had been lost. Many of the personnel involved—including Shin's former assistants—had perished. As a result, the military had been forced to restart their work on the Titan program.
Their progress was slow. General Ross had even donated large amounts of his blood in an attempt to replicate Hulk's transformation, but the results had been lackluster.
Shin had kept an eye on their experiments. So far, all they had managed to create were unstable mutations and a rising body count.
Even after capturing Abomination and other test subjects, the military still couldn't reverse-engineer the conditions needed to recreate Hulk's abilities.
During the last incident, General Ross and his forces had successfully suppressed Abomination before he could cause too much damage.
The case of the Hundred-Armed Giant was a different matter altogether. Even after being hit by a nuclear weapon, the creature survived and began regenerating at an astonishing rate.
What made it even more bizarre was its occasional ability to communicate. Shin suspected that, due to its unique nature, the minds of the countless individuals fused into its body had begun to stabilize into a single, albeit fractured, consciousness.
Despite its chaotic nature, the giant displayed moments of obedience toward the military, likely remnants of its former memories. The moment this was discovered, the military injected it with massive doses of suppressants, finally bringing it under control.
When Shin had initially developed the Hulk transformation project, he had deliberately credited Hulk as his inspiration, making sure to emphasize the role of gamma radiation. Because of this, the military had been keeping an especially close eye on Hulk himself.
However, since Shin had kept Banner hidden away in the Dark-Dark Fruit's dimensional space, the military had been unable to track him down—until now.
"Hulk isn't a weapon. He's a disaster," Banner said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Are those people in the military insane?"
Shin smirked. "You're asking the wrong person. Maybe you should have a chat with General Ross about that."
In Shin's opinion, Ross and his associates were little more than delusional. Even if they did manage to create an army of Hulks, what would they do with them? The first thing those creatures would destroy would be the United States itself.
Where exactly did the U.S. military get its endless, baseless confidence?
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