Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics Chapter 5972 - 4991: Forward Yueke, Forward (9)_2

Now it seems that Thor’s grip on the Nine Major Kingdoms is indeed strong, even exceeding Brainiac’s. At least Brainiac has no coercive power over the superheroes; he and the superheroes simply function as mutual overseers.

Both were handcuffed but not taken away. Instead, they found a place at Gotham University for a face-to-face mediation.

This is also a regulation of the Rebirth Alliance, which stipulates that if superheroes have conflicts, they must immediately address them face-to-face rather than sulking at home and then leading a faction to start a civil war.

Marvel has quite a bit of experience in this regard. Back when they went to war over the registration act, they were actually coaxed into it, having never confronted each other, which led to the conflict.

Therefore, the rule now is that you must address issues face-to-face and not walk away, only to settle scores later. Also, it is best to mediate on the spot, as taking them away might leak information and cause panic.

When ordinary citizens panic, they may demand a trial for this person or attack that person, and public opinion will only increase the pressure. If their peers, which means other superheroes, panic, they may start forming small groups and taking sides. People who have no major conflicts might end up in a heated situation due to surrounding influences.

Another regulation is that mediation cannot occur in the presence of just the two parties involved. There must be a Law Enforcer present, who possesses absolute power to subdue both parties. Thor usually plays the role of the Law Enforcer, as he is always on call.

Violence alone isn’t enough; a mediator is also necessary. This mediator must be adept at mediation, capable of deeply understanding the thoughts of both parties to reconcile their differences.

This role is typically played by Professor X or the Martian Manhunter. Both are mind power users and excel at mediation. Most importantly, they are very cautious and avoid escalating conflicts. If they are unavailable, they often turn to emotionally stable long-life entities, like Wonder Woman Diana.

This time, without hesitation, Peter invited Shiller, and no one objected to this decision. To them, Shiller is also a mind power user and possibly a long-life entity, and it appears this Shiller is not the money-seeking one, so inviting him should be fine.

The venue for the mediation was the auditorium, mainly because it had enough space to completely separate them; otherwise, holding them down continuously would be tiring. Shiller first looked to Iron Man on the right: "Present your argument."

"I just don’t understand," Iron Man said. "You all think I’m evil, right? Even though I did the right thing in the last civil war, you won’t change your minds."

Thor opened his mouth to speak, but Natasha gave him a look. Thor looked at Shiller, expecting the mediator to start with conciliation and then reasoning.

But Shiller merely stared into Iron Man’s eyes and asked, "Are you truly ready to become a genuine superhero?"

Iron Man was speechless, not expecting Shiller to ask this. He had prepared a defense full of arguments but found himself unable to give a definitive answer.

"What you’ve done in your original cosmos isn’t that significant. What you do well in this cosmos isn’t unacknowledged either. But the key is, do you have the resolve to consistently do good like a true superhero? That’s their only concern."

"Acting on a whim is always easy, but restraining oneself, staying clear and vigilant, and upholding justice is always difficult. From another perspective, they insist on viewing you as evil possibly to avoid imposing this pressure on you because, in the end, no one is obligated to be a superhero."

Peter wanted to speak, but Carter gave a look indicating silence. Shiller continued, "Them not holding expectations for you isn’t entirely bad. Without expectations, you don’t bear responsibility, nor need to risk yourself in upcoming dangerous events to protect anyone. Isn’t this favorable for you? Ask yourself, Tony, which part of you is protesting?"

With his handcuffed hands clenched, Iron Man’s fingertips nearly dug into his palms, and he pressed his lips together firmly. Still gazing at him, Shiller said, "It’s your talent, your genius."

"No one here acknowledges your evil talents, which means, if you don’t do good deeds, no one will acknowledge your talents. Only those used in saving the world like a superhero will be seen and recognized."

"On one hand, you lack the resolve to become a superhero, doubting you can always save the world just like this time. On the other hand, you’re unwilling to let your talents remain unseen, unsung, and unpraised."

"You don’t want to adhere to moral standards but desire accolades matching your abilities. Many serial killers think like this, believing their evil talents should also be recognized, thereby creating sensational cases to attract worldwide attention."

Peter’s expression changed, and Iron Man immediately retorted, "I have not! If that were true, I wouldn’t have brought the Three Great Empires to resolve cosmic issues and block Darkseid."

"Repeating this doesn’t mean everyone says you’ve done poorly or that they negate all your accomplishments due to stereotypes. You merely want to prove your importance and then control something."

Shiller paused and then said, "But I don’t think it’s a desire for control at play; you’re just scared."

"Scared of what?" Spider Man asked. "Will we kill him? Or is he guilty-conscious, fearing a trial for his past actions?"

Iron Man was about to speak again, but Shiller stopped him and said, "No, someone like him wouldn’t feel guilty. He believes what he did before was merely helping the human race secure a better future, never thinking he was wrong."

Iron Man opened his mouth, and Shiller voiced his thoughts.

"What he truly fears..." Shiller turned to Thor, "is this newly minted god. He’s too powerful, capable of controlling everything, including even the unrelenting Iron Man."

"Enough!" Iron Man’s voice trembled slightly.

Yet Shiller continued, "But all of you act friendly towards Thor, as if welcoming such an omnipotent god above your heads without any precaution, without considering his potential downfall, or even hesitating to discuss any preventive measures about him."

"He thinks you’ve been controlled and completely brainwashed. Now, he lives inside a grand script, needing to find a flaw to escape this false world. Hence, he exhibits aggression, believing only this can breach the manipulator’s baseline and force exposure."

The others were initially stunned, then exchanged glances, displaying helplessness.