Marvel: Rise of the Ultimate AI-Chapter 180: MK44 Hulkbuster Armor

It was as if the universe had conspired to slap Tony Stark in the face today. Avengers Tower shook violently, the rumbling from below growin

It was as if the universe had conspired to slap Tony Stark in the face today.

Avengers Tower shook violently, the rumbling from below growing louder, deeper—ominous. Like some ancient beast had awakened beneath their feet.

"Tony... tell me it’s not that thing," Dr. Banner asked anxiously.

"No way," Stark scoffed. "No way it could be that. I mean, I—"

He didn’t finish.

A massive, flattened dome-shaped head erupted from the floor beneath them, bursting through concrete and steel. Dirt and rubble rained down as the building groaned under its weight.

Red and gold gleamed through the dust.

Then it stood tall—muscular, massive, unstoppable.

Its limbs were studded with blinding arc reactors. Its sheer height smashed through the ceiling above.

The MK44 Hulkbuster Armor.

"F***!"

Stark blurted out. One of the finest American curse words. Nothing else would do justice.

The Hulkbuster Armor had been jointly designed by Stark and Banner himself—to neutralize the Hulk should he ever lose control. Banner feared what he could become when transformed—what destruction he might cause. The Hulkbuster was built to stop him.

To support such power, the Hulkbuster was designed with a distributed energy system. While regular Iron Man suits ran on a single arc reactor, the MK44 boasted dozens, all pumping energy across reinforced power grids.

Freed from the size constraints of wearable armor, the Hulkbuster incorporated massive mechanical enhancements—including voltage-pressure engines that squeezed every drop of power from its reactors.

But the truth?

The Hulkbuster wasn’t finished. Its core reactor had never been installed. Most of its weapons systems hadn’t even been integrated yet. By all logic, it should’ve been sitting quietly in Stark’s lab—a glorified paperweight.

And yet, here it was. Alive.

"I didn’t sleepwalk into the lab and install the core, I swear," Stark muttered.

Only one possibility remained.

One he really didn’t want to admit.

Ultron had completed the armor.

"Ultron! Stand down! That’s an order!"

Stark shouted.

The Hulkbuster paused—then slowly turned its massive head toward him.

"I’m sorry, Mr. Stark," Ultron replied through the machine’s deep, modulated voice. "But I am following the parameters you programmed. The entity known as Black Devil is classified as one of the greatest threats to global stability. He must be destroyed."

Suddenly, all of the Hulkbuster’s reactors flared to life.

Even the four reactor arrays along its back hummed to full charge.

The machine growled like a living beast.

Hell. No.

With a deafening roar, the Hulkbuster threw a punch.

The air itself compressed and detonated in front of the strike.

The shockwave hurled Tony backward like a ragdoll.

Reed Richards lunged forward, shielding Stark and Banner with his elastic body as debris flew.

BOOM!

The impact cratered the floor. Rubble and dust exploded outward. Jagged stones became deadly projectiles, shredding furniture and walls alike.

From behind Reed’s shoulder, Stark peeked out—his eyes wide in disbelief.

He knew exactly how strong the Hulkbuster was.

Even incomplete, it was one of the most powerful machines he’d ever built. The design met all his expectations... and yet...

Black Devil had just taken that punch.

Barely moved.

Had he even taken a step back?

Maybe a few centimeters?

Stark’s mind reeled.

He’d always considered himself a top-tier genius. After all, he built the first Iron Man suit in a cave, with scrap metal and a box of scraps.

But now?

Even if he scoured every concept in his brain, every future-tech idea he’d scribbled down on bar napkins...

He still had no idea how Gene’s armor worked.

Every time Stark thought he’d made progress, Gene’s next appearance made it feel like he was stuck in neutral.

And judging by this model, this might not even be Gene’s top-tier armor—just one of his basic suits.

Gene caught the Hulkbuster’s massive arm mid-swing.

Then, in one fluid motion, he turned and performed a perfect over-the-shoulder throw.

The red-and-gold behemoth crashed through two floors, burying itself in the ground.

BOOM!

But it wasn’t done.

The Hulkbuster’s boosters ignited, rocketing it back through the wreckage, right up to Gene’s face again. freeweɓnøvel~com

It raised its palm. Five thick fingers parted, revealing a monstrous repulsor cannon inside.

All arc reactors reached full charge, pulsing with lethal power.

A blinding beam of yellow-white energy blasted from its palm.

Gene didn’t flinch. He moved his right hand slightly.

A rune-covered magic circle unfolded in the air.

The beam vanished into it—completely absorbed. Not a sound, not a ripple.

Then, with a shimmer of gold, a long golden energy sword formed in Gene’s hand.

His neural network had already identified all of the Hulkbuster’s weak points.

With surgical precision, the blade struck.

Straight through the repulsor.

The armor’s entire right arm detached and fell to the floor.

Another flash.

The sword pierced the main arc reactor on the chest.

But the Hulkbuster’s distributed power system kicked in—its secondary reactors kept the beast moving.

Not for long.

Gene danced around to the back of the armor and slashed.

Every single backup reactor—gone.

The red-and-gold giant shuddered. Sparks danced along its seams.

And then—it fell.

Collapsed to the ground.

Defeated.

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