DC Heroes in Marvel

If Iron Man is considered the cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then in the comics, that mantle naturally belongs to Mr. Fantastic—Reed Richards, the leader of the Fantastic Four.

Before Iron Man ascended to god-like status through the movies, he was more akin to a mortal with extraordinary abilities—a description often applied to DC's Batman. 

In the comics, however, Mr. Fantastic is hailed as Marvel's smartest individual.

For Reed Richards, time travel, like the final battle in Avengers: Endgame, is just another tool in his repertoire. 

With his intellect and inventions, he has ventured through countless parallel universes using space shuttles of his own design, even forging connections with extraordinary beings from other dimensions. 

Reed's genius and contributions have earned him immense respect among Marvel fans, who sometimes refer to him as a "sacred intellectual beacon."

However, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Reed Richards must take a backseat to Iron Man. Tony Stark, through his intelligence, charisma, and sacrifices, revitalized Marvel's cinematic presence and is often seen as the "father" of the MCU. 

This parallels how the Fantastic Four once kept Marvel Comics afloat during tough times.

In the movies, Tony is always portrayed as a successful, confident figure, maintaining his suave demeanor even in the face of adversity. 

In contrast, Reed Richards is often depicted as a struggling scientist, burdened by failure and near bankruptcy.

At one such critical moment in Reed's life, his personal research institute faced an existential crisis. The four-person research group he led was barely holding together, trying to make sense of the extraordinary effects of the cosmic storm they had endured. 

Reed's teammates—Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm—began noticing strange and profound changes in their bodies.

Ben Grimm's transformation was the most visible. His entire body was now composed of rock-like material, earning him the nickname "The Thing" and subjecting him to psychological torment.

 Reed discovered that he could manipulate his body like rubber, stretching and reshaping it at will, even becoming immune to physical attacks.

Sue Storm developed the ability to become invisible and generate protective force fields, while her brother, Johnny, could produce flames at extreme temperatures, fly, and even became immune to fire. 

These incredible changes signified that they had gained superhuman powers, far beyond the genetic engineering research Reed had initially pursued.

Despite the unexpected nature of their transformation, Reed viewed it as proof of his research's potential. 

"This means we've achieved results—preliminary, yes, but promising. We can save our investors and continue our work," he suggested.

Johnny, later known as the Human Torch, was thrilled. Despite his reckless nature, he understood the implications. 

"If Reed's research succeeds, my status will skyrocket!" he thought. Johnny, an avid Batman fan, even entertained the fantasy of joining the Justice League someday.

However, Reed rejected the idea of returning to their former investors. "No," he said firmly. "They pulled out at the most critical moment. That's their loss. If they don't trust our results, then we'll find someone who does."

"Do you want to keep looking for Victor?"

Sue Storm responded, "Victor is one of us. If our bodies have changed, then his must have too..."

Reed frowned. "Victor isn't the investor I have in mind," he said with clear disdain for his rival. "However, I'll contact him later to explain the situation."

"Who are you looking for?"

Ben Grimm, the Thing, asked, his voice heavy with frustration. "No matter what you want to do, I'm with you, Reed. But my abilities are different from yours. The changes in my body have been nothing but torment. I just want to go back to being… normal."

"Ben, I'll help you."

Reed's expression softened. He wasn't an arrogant man, and he understood the pain Ben had endured because of his transformation.

"I'm going to find John," Reed announced after a moment of thought.

"John?"

"John Jameson," Reed clarified.

"Wait, Coach John Jameson?"

The others exchanged puzzled glances. As a retired astronaut, John Jameson had once been their coach during their space training.

"Why him?" Sue asked, still confused.

"Do you remember when we were in training? I used to chat with John a lot," Reed began, smiling faintly. "He told me that after he retired, he'd most likely go home and take over his family business."

"Wait, John's family is rich?" Johnny Storm's eyes lit up.

Reed nodded. "Not just rich—very rich."

"How rich are we talking?" Johnny pressed, his excitement growing.

Reed chuckled. "Think about it. Who's the most famous Jameson in America right now?"

The group froze for a moment, then gasped in unison. "Anton Jameson?"

"Exactly," Reed confirmed. "John once mentioned he had a son..."

"Are you telling me John's son is Anton Jameson? Batman's ally?" Johnny exclaimed, his jaw dropping.

The others were equally stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.

"This is huge!" Johnny nearly jumped out of his seat. "If John's son really is Anton Jameson, then we could meet Batman. I could finally join the Justice League!"

"God, who knew John was this low-key?" Sue marveled.

Reed smiled, amused by their reactions, but his thoughts turned serious. He remembered how John had once vented to him about his son—a so-called "prodigal" who spent his time chasing girls and wasting money. 

Who could have imagined that after one trip back home, the Jameson family would soar to such heights?

The next day

Anton Jameson, currently at the DC offices supervising the script revisions for Constantine, looked up in surprise when his father walked in.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Anton asked, raising an eyebrow.

John Jameson hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "Uh… I need to discuss something with you," he admitted after a pause.

Anton smirked. "If it's something that'll make the old man lose his temper, I'll agree to it right now. But if you're about to tell me you don't want to work with Wayne anymore and want to go back to being an astronaut, don't even bother."

"Of course not," John assured him quickly. "It's about a friend of mine. He's hoping Wayne Enterprises can invest in his project."

Anton frowned. "Shouldn't you talk to the old man about this kind of thing?"

"I thought so too," John said with a helpless shrug, "but my friend specifically asked to meet you. I couldn't turn him down."

"Who's the friend?" Anton asked, now curious.

"Reed Richards," John replied. "I coached him and his team during the space station project."

Anton's eyes lit up. "Reed Richards? Say no more." He stood up, his interest piqued. "Let's go. I've been wanting to meet him."

…

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