Marvel: I am Iron Man

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Iron Man was still circling Laufey, exchanging blows. The Mark 7 armor had gained the upper hand, but the battle wouldn't be over anytime soon.

Laufey, the Frost King, possessed considerable magical power, and the icy energy surrounding him continuously repaired his injuries. Therefore, although Laufey was constantly wounded and howling in pain, his body, being of the giant race, was naturally resilient, and he could even regenerate health—he was incredibly tough.

Thor was frozen solid before he could even get close. He felt like an insignificant nobody, unable to do anything but watch others fight while he was just an observer... no, worse than that, just a burden.

Coldness has weight.

It didn't slice down like a sword, but rather felt like billions of transparent hands seeping into every inch of his skin and pores. Thor felt himself being encased in a vast, dark blue tomb, his consciousness fading, like a diver sinking into the deep sea, falling...falling...

Earlier today, the words that wondrous mortal named Tony Stark asked him echoed in his ears again.

"So your hammer is Thor, and you're just a hammer stand?"

No, it's not like that.

In a daze, those words seemed to transport Thor back to a long time ago. He stood in the endless corridor of the golden palace, with his father Odin standing beside him.

That was the day he first obtained "Mjolnir". The young Thor cherished this hammer that represented his godhood.

"Mjolnir, it is the symbol of Thor. It will be your companion and weapon, but do not become overly reliant on it," Odin said. "One day..."

"..."

What did Father say next?

Thor couldn't remember. Too much time had passed, and his attention had been entirely on his hammer; he hadn't been paying attention at all. He'd never imagined he'd be separated from his hammer one day.

Even now. He has lost the hammer, and he has lost everything. A world is being dragged into disaster because of his arrogance, and he is powerless to stop it.

Now that he had lost his divine powers, he suddenly realized how reckless he had been to venture into Jotunheim alone. He had put his best friend in danger, pushed civilians from two nations to the brink of war, and now he had brought conflict to a world that had never been his before...

He wields his hammer not to protect, not out of duty as Thor, but simply to conquer and assert himself. Thor's hammer is not merely a symbol of his power, but a crown of pride.

Is this what you wanted to tell me, Father? Is this why I must accept this punishment, watching helplessly as disaster strikes?

Thor wanted to scream and struggle, but trapped in the ice cave, he couldn't move even a finger.

"I was wrong, I know I was wrong, Father!" he tried to shout.

But mortals...human beings are innocent; they have nothing to do with these things!

In an instant, countless faces flashed through Thor's mind. Everyone he had met in his short time on Earth: the dedicated mortal warrior Coulson, the amusing little mustache Tony Stark, and Professor Erik, who would drink and smash glasses with him.

And of course, there's Jane, Jane Foster, a beautiful woman full of fighting spirit and wisdom...

Should we let them all get dragged into this mess because of us?

No, absolutely not.

Suddenly, as if lightning had ripped through the darkness, Odin's voice echoed in Thor's pitch-black consciousness.

"The power of thunder belongs to you, not the hammer, my son. One day you will understand, and then..."

Saul remembered. He remembered what his father had said that day.

Odin's voice pierced through time and ice, resounding once more in his soul.

You are Thor.

It's not because you can lift a hammer.

It's not because it's always been in your heart.

Inside the ice sculpture, Thor's tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open!

An electric arc exploded, and pale blue electric snakes emerged from beneath Thor's skin. At first, they were weak pulsations, but they immediately spread at a terrifying speed. Spiderweb-like cracks spread with the electric light, accompanied by continuous "crackling" sounds, spreading wildly from Thor's heart outwards into the surrounding dark blue ice.

boom!

The ice sculpture shattered, even shattering Thor's damaged armor. Thor, now enveloped in lightning, seemed to have been transported there by the bolt of lightning, his Thor armor covering his entire body inch by inch like thousands of scales, his crimson cloak fluttering like a battle flag.

Even without a hammer, he still managed to summon lightning.

He is still Thor!

Tony, who was bombing Laufey from the air, glanced over here.

"Wow, it actually worked." Tony's lips curled up slightly.

He just casually made up a few words, but unexpectedly, Thor actually awakened his powers ahead of schedule. This is great news.

Thor opened his eyes and felt the thunder churning within them, coursing through his limbs and veins.

This was the first time he had unleashed lightning without the aid of Mjolnir.

This was the first time in his life that he had invoked divine power not simply to defeat his opponents or conquer territory.

Rather, it stemmed from a strong desire to protect.

Laufey noticed the situation and angrily shouted, "Thor!"

"Loufi!"

Thor roared, concentrating all his lightning into his palms, and unleashed a powerful strike from a distance.

Laufey was struck head-on, and lightning exploded all over his body. Iron Man seized the opportunity, firing a series of missiles from his right shoulder, which exploded one after another on Laufey's body.

The double barrage of fire caused Laufey to scream in agony as his back slammed heavily against the stone wall behind him.

But Laufey, enhanced by the Frost Box, was truly a tank. His body was blasted and torn, but as he got up, the icy magic surrounding him was already repairing his injuries at a visible speed.

As the saying goes, the thickest armor makes you the hardest hit. Although Laufey was constantly being beaten, it wasn't so easy to bring him down.

"You coveted Asgard, raided our treasury, and killed our warriors..." Thor roared as he continued to unleash lightning, "and now you're even targeting Midgard!?"

What Thor was referring to was the catalyst for everything in Thor 1. Frost giants infiltrated Asgard's vaults and killed the guards. This prompted Thor to disobey Odin's orders and angrily storm Jotunheim to demand justice, setting the stage for everything that followed.

Laufey dodged a lightning bolt, unleashing torrents of icy energy from his palms in retaliation against Iron Man and Thor, while coldly stating, "That wasn't my doing at all. I didn't understand then, but I do now."

"Releasing the Frost Giants to your vaults, provoking you to Jotunheim, even arranging for your banishment to the mortal realm... all of this was orchestrated by your good brother, Loki."

Thor was taken aback.

"What did you say?"