American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

460. The Lamplighter and the Iceman!

"Tsk."

Staring at the scenes on the surveillance monitors, Alex felt a mix of emotions.

This situation reminded him of the mutants in the Marvel universe. Those individuals who had gained superpowers through genetic mutation were similarly shunned by humanity. Many humans harbored intense hatred for mutants.

The most egregious offenders, without a doubt, were the factions that sought to control these superpowers and claim them for their own.

In the Marvel universe, countless groups continuously hunted mutants, subjecting them to inhumane experiments.

These factions didn't see mutants as equals. They treated them as freaks or animals, ruthlessly dissecting their bodies, destroying their spirits, and testing every chemical compound imaginable on them—all in an attempt to annihilate this emerging species.

And in The Boys universe, wasn't it much the same?

Here, the superhumans weren't born of genetic mutation but were created by Vought International through Compound V. However, precisely because of this, Vought's methods of experimentation were even more appalling.

To Vought, all humans were mere lab rats. The superhumans they created weren't even considered "products" but tools for profit and power.

Even in their darkest hours, mutants in the Marvel universe had two leaders willing to stand up for them. Despite their ideological differences, both fought tirelessly for their species.

They united the mutants, working in their own ways to ensure the survival of their kind and striving to integrate into society.

But in The Boys universe, nearly all superhumans were scattered and disorganized. They couldn't distinguish between right and wrong, nor did they understand what their powers truly meant to them.

These superhumans were like driftwood in a storm, doing little more than keeping their heads down amid the chaos Vought created. They didn't even entertain the thought of resistance.

In the end, superhumans were still human, and Vought's greatest strength lay in exploiting humanity's weaknesses to brainwash and control these individuals for its benefit.

Vought divided superhumans into tiers. No matter the level of power, every superhuman grew up under Vought's influence, becoming a cog in their system.

While some superhumans indulged in luxury and camaraderie in grand hotels, they couldn't care less about the others like them, suffering in dark cells in some remote corner of the world.

Or rather, even if they knew, what would it matter? If it didn't happen to them, they wouldn't care.

Sitting in front of the computer, Alex typed on the keyboard, pulling up the files on all the superhumans in the facility.

There were 27 superhumans in total, 19 of whom were adults transformed using Compound V. However, the compound's instability in their genes meant they were at constant risk of sudden death.

The records showed that at its peak, this facility held 43 superhumans. However, many had died due to genetic instability.

The remaining individuals were mostly recent subjects, with the longest having been injected with Compound V less than two weeks ago. They were still in the observation phase.

Besides these individuals, there were also some highly dangerous superhumans. While their abilities had fully manifested, their control was unstable. If they escaped, they would undoubtedly cause catastrophic damage.

This, however, was precisely what Vought wanted. They kept these uncontrollable, destructive superhumans locked up, constantly torturing them to fuel their anger and nihilism.

When the time was right, Vought would release them into the world as "supervillains," creating chaos that the Seven could step in to resolve, bolstering their image.

Initially, this had been Vought's plan.

But they hadn't anticipated Homelander secretly distributing Compound V to terrorists worldwide to earn Madelyn's praise. This led to the emergence of superpowered terrorists, forcing Vought to redirect its efforts to dealing with these threats along the borders.

As a result, the superhumans originally intended to serve as supervillains remained confined here.

Leaning closer to the computer, Alex scoured the files for useful information.

However, after searching for a while, he found no clues about Compound V. It seemed the data was stored elsewhere, likely in a lab or another secure location. The surveillance room's computer didn't have access to it.

Realizing this, Alex pushed his chair back, preparing to leave.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

At that moment, the door behind him suddenly unlocked and slammed open. A moment later, the sound of a lighter flicking reached Alex's ears.

"Don't move! Hands up, or I'll melt your face like wax," a low voice growled.

Simultaneously, Alex felt a wave of intense heat at his back.

"Alright, I'm not moving. No need to get nervous," Alex said calmly, facing the computer as he slowly raised his hands.

"Professor Smith took a leave of absence. I personally saw him off and watched him get into the car. You're not Professor Smith. Who are you?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you're the Lamplighter, right?" Alex didn't respond but instead asked in return.

At this point, Alex had already figured out the identity of the person behind him. In this research facility, the only person who could move freely and use a lighter as a weapon was the Lamplighter.

Upon hearing Alex's words, the Lamplighter immediately became agitated. Holding the lighter in his right hand, he extended his left hand, palm facing the flame, as though ready to unleash fire at any moment.

"I'm asking you now. Answer my question!"

"Alright, alright, don't get worked up, brother. Calm down."

Alex slowly stood up, making sure his movements were deliberate and slow so as not to alarm the Lamplighter. His hands remained raised, showing no intention of resistance.

"Who the hell are you?" The Lamplighter eyed Alex warily, ready to unleash fire at the slightest movement.

Instead of answering directly, Alex gave a faint smile, turned slowly, and revealed his face to the Lamplighter.

The moment the Lamplighter saw Alex's face, he froze in place.

Because the face in front of him was almost identical to his own. No, not exactly the same—Alex seemed a bit younger, with no white hair at his temples.

"Hi, buddy, you can call me Bobby," Alex said with a smile.

After a brief moment of confusion, the Lamplighter quickly regained his composure. A murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and he coldly said,

"Alright, a shapeshifting superhuman. You think I've never seen one before? There was a fat bastard just like you in the Vought Tower."

"What? Oh no, you don't think I've transformed into you, do you? You've misunderstood. I just find this scene interesting. In the end, you've turned into the very thing you despise the most."

At some point, Alex had made a card appear out of thin air, as if by magic.

The card depicted a man who looked exactly like the Lamplighter—bearded, wearing custom gloves, and dressed in a blue tactical jacket, with a clear 'X' insignia visible on the jacket.

"I don't understand what you're babbling about, but you better start behaving yourself. Get down on the floor, now!" The Lamplighter roared.

"You know, if St. John Allerdyce saw you now, his expression would be priceless," Alex said, sizing up the Lamplighter with a smile.

Upon hearing that, the Lamplighter gritted his teeth, took a step forward, and said seriously, "I told you to get on the floor. This is your last warning!"

"Or what? You going to light me a cigarette with your fake fireman powers?"

Seeing that the Lamplighter wouldn't listen and was still talking nonsense, Alex refused to be intimidated. The Lamplighter could no longer hold back his temper.

"This is your fault."

With a swift motion of his left hand, the flame on the lighter exploded, transforming into a terrifying fire dragon that immediately engulfed Alex.

At first, the Lamplighter had been curious about who this person was. He simply wanted to interrogate the superhuman to gather useful information.

But now, he decided to subdue the person first and then interrogate him thoroughly.

To avoid killing Alex outright, the Lamplighter didn't use his full power. He only intended to burn Alex's body, waiting until the man had no ability to resist before proceeding further.

However, things didn't go according to his plan. Instead of the sound of flesh burning, a blast of white mist suddenly erupted.

"What the fuck?!"

This was the Lamplighter's first encounter with such a situation.

He looked at Alex in confusion and immediately increased the intensity of the fire. Having encountered this bizarre turn of events, he no longer had any intention of capturing Alex alive.

In the face of such a strange situation, the Lamplighter's only desire was to turn Alex into ashes.

The intense flames filled the surveillance room, the heat so intense that it melted everything in the room. Even the walls were scorched black and white.

Amidst the flames, Alex's voice rang out again.

"As Bobby would say…"

The Lamplighter's expression changed instantly. Before he could react, a hand made entirely of ice shot out of the flames and grabbed his hand, which was holding the lighter.

A chilling cold immediately spread, and the lighter was soon covered in frost. The flames around them vanished in an instant.

Staring at the ice figure in front of him that looked identical to himself, the Lamplighter stood frozen.

Without the flames, he was unable to use his powers. He could only watch as Alex raised his fist and slammed it toward him.

"You really should go back to school!"

.....

30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
461. Anti-Pollution!
462. The World Beyond the Well.
463. Apocalypse!
464. Action Plan.
465. Butcher's Operation.