The Journal of Craig Hollis
I remember a time of heroes, a time when people could speak and act freely without fear because they were always there to save the day. It was a time before men in Iron suits destroyed everything they stood for. At the time I considered myself one of them, Mr. Immortal they called me. The truth was I was more of a joke to most. When the Iron army started it was hailed as a great achievement, our heroes were getting old and Tony Stark had long since withdrawn from the world when news of his death came out. His company went to some conglomerate who had begun mass producing the Iron Man technology claiming they were going to use it to keep us safe, and at first that seemed to be true.
By the end of a decade all of the known super powered villains had disappeared, we didn't know how or where they went and we didn't ask until it was too late. Then the army seemed to turn. Some tragedy happened at a school for mutants, I'm not sure what it was. That information was deemed need to know, that's when the culling began. Mutants were deemed too dangerous to be allowed, they were slaughtered by the thousands forcing all those who remained to go underground. The heroes of the time tried to stand up and stop it but their was little they could do, and the likes of Captain America and Spiderman came out of retirement to try to help. It was never made known what happened to the Captain but people claimed to see him long after his disappearance, the Iron army found a way to send Thor back to Asgard and prevent him from coming back. I was present in Time Square the day the age of heroes ended.
Spider-man was trying desperately to save his family, he was no longer what he had been, his strength had waned and he wasn't nearly fast enough to dodge the Iron soldiers. I tried to help but I was useless, tossed aside like an old rag. They didn't even check to see if I'd survived. I along with the rest of the world watched as this army showed it's true collars, beating an old man to death in the streets for refusing to accept their authority. Luckily despite his death he had done what he had set out to do, his family and friends had escaped. After that the Iron army didn't hide their intentions, they swarmed this world like locusts. I watched the President go on television to announce that they were now the sole authority for upholding the law and defending our nation, then they began taking other nations in the same way, the only real resistance came in the form of what is now called New Latveria, Russia and most of Eastern Europe turned to old man Doom for help which he granted in return for them accepting his rule and now it stands to this day in defiance of the rest of the world.
My last encounter with the age of heroes came in the form of Dr. Stephen Strange, his last act was to give me the Eye of Agamatto to be passed on when the time was right, to me it's just a useless trinket but when I find it's new owner perhaps they will restore this world to its rightful order. For now I wait, though I do still see hope in this world, every time I see those spider symbols sprayed on walls or see the protests on the streets from those Thor followers screaming to the Iron soldiers that one day their god will return and make them pay for all they have done.
Hope you enjoy this so far I will get into more detail in next part
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