American Comics: Starting from the Invincible Young Hero

Chapter 83 A Surge in Strength and a New Type of Sentinel (Two Chapters Combined)

"There's nothing I can do for now."

The group took the captured Shadow King back to Xavier's Academy.

Professor X examined the situation, rubbed his temples, and was at a loss as to how to rescue the mischievous boy who had taken over the Shadow King's body.

"My mental energy cannot enter Little Rascal's mind to investigate her condition."

I wonder if she's alright.

"It's this helmet that keeps the Shadow King out, and it also prevents our mental power from penetrating it."

Jean Grey lowered her hand, which was used to help gather mental energy, but even with all her strength, she could not break through the barrier of the helmet's force field.

"What should I do?"

Even the two most powerful psychic abilities in Xavier's Academy couldn't do anything. Storm was worried about Rogue's safety and anxiously watched Rogue being chained with adamantium chains.

With his mouth gagged, the Shadow King raised his chin and looked at everyone mockingly, his eyes conveying no meaning whatsoever—"Even if you capture me, there's nothing you can do about it."

Little Mischief's consciousness was suppressed by the evil Shadow King, and no one knew if she was alright.

“Perhaps we can try removing the helmets. If Jean and I join forces, can we banish the Shadow King and seal him out of reality?” Professor X hesitated for a moment, then turned to Russell, asking him to help remove the helmets.

"Are you sure?"

Russell raised an eyebrow; the helmet was easy to remove.

However, Professor X and Jean Grey had teamed up against the Shadow King before.

They gained no advantage even in a two-on-one situation.

Although Jean Grey's abilities go far beyond this, not to mention the Phoenix Force, if she simply uses her Omega mutant potential, she could easily deal with ten Shadow Kings of this caliber.

Unfortunately, she was not stable.

"This..." Professor X was actually out of desperation, fearing that things might get complicated if things dragged on, and that if the Shadow King was trapped for too long, he might become enraged and kill Little Rascal, taking them both down with him.

Then, after Russell asked him a question, he became even more hesitant.

"I have an idea, but I don't know if it will work."

Russell pondered for a long time before speaking.

"What idea? Tell me quickly..." Storm grabbed Russell's arm excitedly, as if grasping at a straw that could save Rogue.

Wolverine, Cyclops, and the others' eyes lit up.

Russell is very capable; he was the one who subdued the Shadow King. He said he had a way, and hope rose in everyone's hearts.

"Of course we can't say that here..."

Russell smiled and glanced at the Shadow King.

Are they planning this out loud in front of the Shadow King?

The smug look on the Shadow King's face froze.

Does this guy really have a way?

"Your method is completely unreliable. Upgrading the brainwave enhancer will not be successful in a short time. Qin and I will try our best."

Half an hour later, the group returned. Russell awkwardly touched the bridge of his nose, while Professor X and the others shook their heads.

Before Shadow King could think further, the group acted swiftly, as if they had planned it beforehand.

Russell raised his hand and manipulated the helmet covering the Rakshasa's head to break apart.

The Shadow King was instantly freed, but two powerful mental forces swept in from both sides, attempting to restrain him.

"Haha, you think you can beat me!"

The Shadow King had no time to think, nor did he care whether it was a trap or not; what lay before him was indeed his only chance to escape.

As a spiritual entity, being trapped inside a human body and unable to unleash its spiritual power is akin to a shark accustomed to swimming in the ocean being trapped in an aquarium, struggling even to turn its body.

Seeing a glimmer of hope for escape, Shadow King didn't hesitate. He immediately broke free from Rakshasa's body, blasted through the mental barrier the two had jointly erected, and flew towards the ceiling, looking back triumphantly.

"Just you wait, humans..."

"It's now!"

Professor X placed his palm on Russell's shoulder and shared vision with him telepathically.

"I saw you!"

Russell suddenly turned his head, a smile playing on his lips, and his playful gaze made the Shadow King's heart skip a beat, and he immediately sensed something was wrong.

creak!

Reach out and shake hands across the air.

The massive, dark metal sheet that had been prepared long ago crushed the wall, twisted into a closed iron box, and then quickly closed up, becoming thicker and thicker.

"no no……"

The Shadow King realized he had been tricked and, in the end, let out a desperate whisper and disappeared from the room.

"Success."

Wanda looked delighted.

Until this monster called Shadow King is properly dealt with, no one can rest easy.

Nobody wants their loved ones' bodies to be taken over by a madman who wants to destroy the world.

"Where...where am I? Wasn't I on my way to Manhattan? I feel like I'm having a terrible nightmare..."

Little Rascal regained consciousness, opened her eyes groggily, and was unsure of what had happened. Storm immediately asked her with concern if she felt unwell.

Finally, an incredibly thick, perfectly sealed, mind-isolating alloy cube floated over and hovered in Russell's hand.

"I'm taking this with me."

He turned to the group and said.

"take away?"

Wolverine and his friends looked at each other.

Logically speaking, the X-Men would only feel at ease if they personally guarded such a dangerous individual.

However, upon reflection, it was Russell who subdued the Shadow King and rescued Little Rascal from his clutches.

They had no grounds to persuade Russell to keep the Oscar winner.

"I hope you handle it properly, Infinite Man."

Professor X nodded seriously, indicating that he had no objection.

"Of course, it's best if this disgusting guy never appears in this world again."

With a wave of his hand, Russell released the adamantium chains from the little rascal and prepared to place the metal cube on Mars, burying it deep in the earth so that ordinary people would not be able to access it.

However, he doesn't intend to reveal this matter; a secret that is known to more than one person is no longer a secret.

Professor X and the entire X-Men thanked Russell and Scarlet Witch for their help in saving the world, and said that the X-Men would repay them if they needed help in the future.

"Cough cough, thank... thank you for saving me."

At the final farewell, Rakshasa was also among those seeing off. She thanked them apologetically, no longer displaying the fiery temper she had shown earlier, eager to fight Russell.

After being informed by her teammates, she learned that she had been manipulated by the Shadow King and had fought Russell, and was ultimately defeated by Russell, who even saved her.

In her hazy nightmare memories, Rakshasa remembers being out of control, and some of her memories can attest to this.

[The Shadow King's consciousness tentacle template has been included]

"Is it just the Shadow King's consciousness tentacles?"

After leaving Xavier's School of the Arts, Russell glanced at his panel on the way back to Kenosha with Scarlet Witch, Juggernaut, and the imprisoned Black King.

But that's right.

The fully evolved Shadow King is a multiverse spiritual entity; simply defeating its tentacles that penetrate into one of reality's realms is insufficient to obtain its full power.

"The biggest gain this time is still the template for Rakshasa."

Russell clasped hands.

This time, Russell's strength has increased dramatically.

Without considering Magneto with adamantium alloy, the Rogue template would be the strongest and most comprehensive template for him, surpassing Homelander.

Furthermore, the ability to drain the life energy of others through touch, and the possibility of gaining their abilities, seems quite promising. "An Omega-level variant ability might not be able to absorb Rakshasa's abilities, but it should be fine for abilities of lower levels."

Russell glanced back at the unconscious Black King, who was imprisoned in an adamantium cage.

……

A top-secret underground military base in the United States, codenamed "Homo sapiens".

The president's plane landed on a runway disguised as an abandoned factory. As soon as the cabin door opened, a biting wind carrying snowflakes rushed in.

The president's face was colder than the weather and darker than the overcast sky. He strode down the gangway, his black coat billowing in the wind, followed by a team of tense Secret Service agents.

"Where is Bolivar?" he asked, his voice sounding like it was being squeezed out between his teeth.

“In the Seventh Test Zone, Mr. President,” an officer answered, standing at attention. “Dr. Trask is ready to demonstrate the latest Sentinel to you.”

The president did not respond, but strode toward the elevator, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white—just over ten hours earlier, he had watched as nuclear missiles were remotely activated on the screens in the strategic command center, the launch procedures starting automatically.

If Professor X and his students hadn't rescued the mind-controlled soldiers at the last moment, the whole world might have been reduced to ruins by now.

All the evidence points to mutants.

Professor X called the White House to explain his actions.

The X-Men's intervention was timely once again.

"But what about next time? Is it possible to pin the fate of all humanity on the fact that mutants will still fight amongst themselves and still be able to pull humanity back from the brink of destruction in time?"

With a somber expression, the president strode down to the underground observation room in the seventh test zone, escorted by bodyguards.

On the other side of the one-way glass is a huge metal cage.

Three mutant prisoners huddled in a corner, their necks bound by restraint collars and their wrists and ankles shackled with specially made alloy chains.

“Mr. President,” Bolivar Trask turned around, his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses gleaming with calm and confidence, “Welcome to witness the future.”

"You'd better make sure your plan is reliable."

The president looked at him coldly: "This isn't the first time, Trask. Last time it was Magneto, and that young mutant called Infinite Man, who caused a ruckus at the military base."

This time it's even worse—someone almost launched all the world's nuclear missiles!

“I suppose you finally understand that mutants are not a problem that needs to be ‘controlled’,” Bolivar smiled. “They are a species that must be eradicated, otherwise humanity will suffer from them sooner or later.”

The president paused for a moment, then looked at the prisoner on the other side of the glass: "So, is your 'solution' ready?"

Bolivar pressed the button.

The ceiling suddenly opened, and a huge object slowly descended—a new type of sentinel robot, only about three meters tall.

Its streamlined metallic body and smooth black metal face panel, with no other facial features except for a pair of indifferent eyes, create a chilling sense of being stared at.

"That's all?"

The president frowned.

Bigger is always better, but that's not always the right thing to do.

However, this principle often applies to weaponry, such as high-yield missiles and aircraft carriers.

The original Sentinel robots were as big as skyscrapers, which was very intimidating and could deter illegal mutants. That was the reason he approved the Sentinel program.

“It will not disappoint you, Mr. President,” Bolívar said, his usually calm and restrained voice trembling with excitement as his perfect masterpiece was reflected in the lens.

"Many scientific advances have benefited from a flash of inspiration."

But this time I wonder if fate used my hand to create such a perfect creation.

After the last prototype was destroyed, all the giant Sentinels secretly manufactured in Kenosha were wiped out. He was depressed for a while and even occasionally drank alcohol out of frustration.

But for some reason, during that period, his inspiration suddenly flowed out continuously as if divinely inspired, and various research points about the breakthroughs needed to create new types of sentinels emerged in his mind.

Even when they had just started to develop ideas for creating new types of sentinels, design diagrams would appear in their minds with incredible speed and precision.

If it weren't for the fact that no mutant could possibly want to see such a terrifying weapon as the Sentinel appear, he would almost have thought that the mutants had messed with his brain.

"Oh? You think it's so highly of you?" the president asked, surprised.

Bolivar didn't say much, and pressed another button.

The mutants in the cage began to stir. The restraint collars around their necks were shut off, and a muscular hulking man roared as he tore off his collar and shattered the alloy shackles.

Another mutant raised his palm and unleashed a burst of laser energy, destroying his own collar and then helping another mutant break free of his collar.

“Begin the demonstration,” Bolívar ordered.

The sentry's panel suddenly lit up with a scarlet light.

The burly mutant roared and charged forward, his fist slamming into the sentry's head with enough force to shatter a tank.

Click!

The new Sentinel caught the opponent's fist with its palm, scanned and recorded it with its crimson electronic eye, and suddenly its strength surged, crushing the strong mutant's wrist bone. Its other iron arm smashed the man to the ground like it was smashing a water bag.

Blood gushed from the man's mouth, and his sternum was shattered!
“The new Sentinel can instantly replicate mutant physical abilities,” Bolivar explained, “and optimize them.”

shhhhh!

Several energy laser beams struck the sentinel's body without causing any pain. Just as it was about to turn around, a gust of wind blew in, and it was punched hard, staggering.

A mutant suddenly became invisible, disappeared from the room, and moved at an extremely fast speed.

The sentry's head rotated 180 degrees, its eye sensors lit up with ultraviolet light, instantly locking onto the invisible man's heat source, and it opened its palm.

An energy laser burst, identical to that of the previous mutants, incinerated the Invisible Man.

“Energy systems can also be absorbed,” Bolivar smiled, “and with even greater power.”

"Please spare me! Please, please spare me!"

The last mutant, seeing that he couldn't harm the monster in front of him and that his teammates had all been killed, knelt down in despair and begged for mercy.

But the sentinel did not hesitate; its arm transformed into a sharp alloy blade, and it decapitated the enemy in one swift motion.

Blood splattered on the one-way glass, like a cruel abstract painting.

The president's Adam's apple bobbed silently.

"Mr. President, are you satisfied?" Bolivar asked softly.

He walked to the control panel, pulled up the warehouse video, and dozens of scarlet electronic eyes lit up: "The first batch of fifty units has been manufactured. As long as you nod, we can immediately expand the production line."

With just a thousand Sentinel robots, I'm confident I can wipe out 99% of the world's mutants within three months!

“You are a true genius, Dr. Bolivar, I should not have doubted you.”

The difference between the previous Sentinel robots and the current Sentinels is revolutionary; it's hard to imagine that you've achieved such a transformative iteration of the Sentinel program in such a short time.

The president was shocked and hesitant.

Staring at the red dots, then at the blood dripping onto the glass, he loosened and clenched his fist.

But when he turned to look at Bolivar again, there was no hesitation in his eyes. "Do what you have to do, Dr. Bolivar."

"There is no resistance ahead of us!"

"The world was nearly destroyed, and a new wave of anti-mutant sentiment is rising," the president began. "Witch hunts are reigniting around the world, targeting all hidden mutants, and some countries have already swiftly passed laws mandating the sterilization of mutant carriers."

"Mutants will soon have nowhere to hide."

"As far as I know, the Infinite Man, a mutant who is more powerful than Magneto, has recently emerged. Magneto and Infinite Man are plotting to establish a nation in Genoa."

A cold glint flashed in the president's eyes.

"If you ramp up production of your new Sentinels, they should still be able to be put to use in time."

"Infinite Man, Magneto, and the founding of a nation?"

Upon hearing the name Kenosha again, Bolívar narrowed his eyes, for it was there he had suffered a humiliating defeat that had destroyed all the previous achievements of the Sentinel Project.

But it doesn't matter, he has found someone better now.

Magneto thought he was hiding it well, but his sweeping reforms of the nation's procurement system could not be hidden from anyone with a discerning eye.

A large viewing platform is under construction in Kenosha, the capital city, and it should be completed in about two weeks...

The president made a verbal suggestion.

"It seems we can give them a big gift when they announce the founding of their nation."

Bolivar sneered. Through the one-way mirror, his perfect creation—the new Sentinel robot—stood silently in a pool of blood, a perfect killing machine, its eyes flashing with ruthless killing intent.

(End of this chapter)