"Hey! Imhotep! Look over here! Your Anck-Su-Namun has arrived!!"
Down below, the Hulk was still futilely tearing at the giant Sandman's toes. But from the sky, Tony Stark's provocative shout rang out.
The Sandman turned his massive head toward the sound.
He saw that annoying little metal bug flying toward him at high speed, carrying a massive tanker truck on its shoulder.
"Get—Lost—"
The giant's roar was deafening.
As he shouted, his cavernous mouth spewed a violent stream of sand and gravel.
Tony ignored it. He charged straight through the oncoming sandstorm, reached the giant, and hurled the tanker truck with all his might.
Simultaneously, he raised his palm, repulsor aiming at the tanker hurtling toward the giant.
"Today's forecast: Sandstorm followed by localized showers~"
Zzzzt~ BOOM!
The pale blue repulsor blast hit the tumbling tanker instantly.
However, the expected explosion of water and "localized rainfall" did not happen.
Instead...
KABOOM———
A terrifying explosion ripped through the air. Fire erupted, sending waves of scorching heat in all directions.
The shattered "water tanker" transformed into a massive fireball.
Black crude oil, ignited by the explosion, rained down from the fireball.
It drenched the Sandman's head in an instant, setting him ablaze.
His roar of pain became even more shrill and agonizing.
"This..."
Tony, who was too close to the blast, was blown back dozens of meters by the shockwave. After stabilizing himself, he stared dumbly at the sea of fire engulfing the giant.
"JARVIS, didn't you tell me that was a purified water truck?!!"
"Yes, sir. Agua Pura is a well-known local water supplier in Florida, specializing in high-quality purified water. The license plate and branding on the vehicle confirmed it was a private transport truck owned by Agua Pura."
"Then..." Tony looked at the flaming, even more terrifying Sandman in the distance with a "you've got to be kidding me" expression.
JARVIS wasn't finished.
"However, there were local news reports that Agua Pura used their purified water trucks to transport edible oil, which caused their stock to plummet. But the company later won the lawsuit, and the local newspaper that reported the news had to pay a large sum for defamation."
Hearing this, Tony understood immediately. He gritted his teeth.
"Those bastards! JARVIS, report this company later! Have my legal team sue them into bankruptcy!"
But Tony's anger had to wait.
Right now, he was facing the Boss's Second Form: Flame-Enchanted Sandman.
Although the Sandman was screaming in pain, his destructive power had actually increased.
With a wave of his hand, he sprayed scorching hot sand mixed with burning oil.
Even the Hulk, who had been giving the giant a pedicure, had to dodge the molten sand occasionally.
Just then, a white figure swung between the buildings and landed next to Stark, shouting over the noise.
"Mr. Stark! This isn't the Sandman from my world! That idiot wasn't this strong!"
Spider-Gwen had been harassing the giant Sandman with her webs, but now that he was on fire, her webs were useless.
"Leave this to me, Gwen! Go help Cap with the rescue efforts!"
Tony didn't wait to see if she heard him. He blasted off again, jets flaring.
It didn't matter which universe this villain came from anymore.
Steve had suggested luring the Sandman to the ocean. But Tony knew that wasn't going to happen.
A villain with such an obvious weakness (water) would be hyper-aware of it. Luring him to the sea would be harder than reaching the sky.
But Tony knew that high-voltage electricity could fuse sand into glass. His original plan was to soak him with water and then lure him to the nearest power station.
But now, with the flame enchantment, that plan was out the window.
"JARVIS! ETA on Veronica?!"
"Sir, the Anti-Boxer Armor will arrive in 1 minute!"
Good. Tony knew what to do. He flew directly above the Sandman's head.
"Hey! Big guy! Look up! Your eyes need laser surgery!"
The Sandman, who had just smashed a building, looked up at Tony.
The Unibeam on Tony's chest fired a thick beam of red energy.
The sustained high-heat beam swept from the Sandman's left eye to his right.
A deep red groove of melted, crystallized sand instantly "connected" his massive sandy eyeballs.
The extreme pain made him howl, shaking loose sand from his body.
He covered his eyes with one hand, rubbing them furiously, while swinging the other giant fist wildly at Tony.
Tony dodged every clumsy strike with ease.
"Surgery was a success, but the patient seems unstable."
Shoulder pods opened. A swarm of micro-missiles snaked through the air toward the Sandman's head.
"Let's try some acupuncture anesthesia? Maybe this will improve your mood!"
BOOM BOOM BOOM~
The micro-missiles exploded in quick succession. They didn't deal critical damage, but they blasted craters all over the Sandman's face.
With Veronica arriving soon, Tony didn't need to conserve energy or ammo. He unleashed everything he had.
Finally, the Sandman lost all reason. Roaring, he charged toward Tony.
Buildings in his path were either eroded by the sandstorm or simply knocked over. He left a trail of ruins.
Just as Tony was successfully kiting him toward the coast...
"ROAR!!"
An angry bellow echoed.
The Hulk, frustrated by his lack of results, found a burst of strength and leaped onto the Sandman's waist.
Scrambling up with hands and feet, he quickly reached the Sandman's face and started pounding it furiously.
"HULK SMASH————!"