American comic book: Absolute Spider-Man

Chapter 92 Four Things

An image appeared on the holographic projection.

A very ordinary T-shirt with the Avengers logo and an image of Captain America printed on it.

But for some reason, the captain's jersey was worn by a black man who grinned and looked just like a basketball star.

Clint nearly spat out his coffee.

He choked, coughed twice, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand: "What the hell is this thing?"

"They sell them on Amazon," Peter said. "Nine dollars and ninety-nine cents with free shipping. I don't know what's going on in the minds of the sellers who print out an image of a Black Captain America. But they sell really well because a lot of Black kids feel that the Black version of Captain America is more relatable."

Steve wasn't angry that his image had been changed to a black version; on the contrary, he was quite pleased.

"If the kids like it, I have no problem with it. Superheroes shouldn't just be lofty icons; they should be friends who bring joy and hope to ordinary people."

Peter pointed at Steve and said, "Captain, I agree with you. But there's something you need to know."

As Peter spoke, the images on the holographic projection changed.

"When you can't even control your own image, your ideas become a joke."

Peter pointed to a bunch of plush toys of Avengers cartoon characters on the projector: "They're quite cute, kids like to hug them while they sleep."

The pictures of the dolls were transformed into test reports: "But what if the fabric and stuffing of these dolls contain multiple Group 1 carcinogens, or the pigments contain excessive levels of heavy metals such as lead and chromium?"

Steve frowned, and Peter's voice continued.

"Your image has been used countless times without your consent. You have never received a single penny in royalties, and no one has ever asked you for permission. Because you are superheroes, you feel that your image should not be used as a tool for profit."

But the truth is quite the opposite; your image has not only become a tool for profit-making by certain speculators, but has even played an accomplice role in poisoning the next generation.

Peter removed the test report from the holographic projection.

"So what we need to do now is to protect your image through legal means, and then sue all those unscrupulous manufacturers who misappropriate your image for inferior products until they go bankrupt and send them to prison."

There have been cases of commercializing the copyright of images in holographic projection.

"From now on, only officially licensed images of you will appear on the market. Where your faces and your costumes appear and to what audiences they are intended for is entirely up to you."

Johnny the Human Torch muttered to himself in the corner, "I love hearing that," only to be glared at by his sister, Susan the Invisible Woman.

After Peter and the others processed the information, he continued, "The second thing. Where are your mouths?"

Saul had just peeled an orange and popped a segment into his mouth. Hearing Peter's words, he touched his mouth, which was still chewing on the orange, looking confused.

"You don't have your own channels of communication. The only link between you and the public is press conferences. You're a media outlet controlled by established capital giants and media families." Peter looked at Tony, who shrugged and didn't deny it.

"Those who hold the power of discourse won't always be on our side. Are we superheroes or uncontrollable potential criminals?" Actually, our voices don't count, because the public doesn't hear us.

"Parker Industries has already begun its foray into new media, not only because of the enormous potential profits, but also because of the power it wields. When someone tries to smear us, we no longer need to wait for fair media coverage. We have our own channels to tell the world the truth."

Steve tapped his finger lightly on the table.

He thought of the various PSA (Public Service Announcement) short films he had made, which were shown to students by teachers in high schools across New York.

He wanted to educate students through his own experience, so that the children could get on the right track.

"If there were a more authoritative channel that could allow more children to see this, that would be a good option." Peter grabbed the holographic projector and took out a bill from the interactive interface. "The third thing." How many people in the Pentagon do you think want to turn you into weapons? How many people on Capitol Hill want to push for a superhero registration bill? How many people in the intelligence system are building files on you, marking potential threats?"

9

The projection showed a draft bill that Jarvis had stolen from the Pentagon.

"I'm not saying we should go against the government, but we have to be wary of them, don't we?"

Peter said in a chilling tone, "Don't forget, during the Battle of New York, those insectoids dropped a nuclear bomb on New York. If Tony hadn't carried the nuclear bomb through the wormhole, the Avengers and all 160 million residents of Manhattan would have been casualties."

Banner thought of his ex-girlfriend's father, General Ross, the person who indirectly led to the birth of the Hulk.

He said with lingering fear, "Yes, the military and the government really do only hold us back in most cases, but we don't have any good ways to restrain them—unless the Avengers stage a coup, but that's obviously impossible."

Peter picked up where he left off: "But America is a democracy—at least on the surface. If we control our own voices, would those vile creatures dare to openly harass us?"

"The fourth thing. And the last thing."

He looked up at Gwen, Tony, Steve, Thor, Clint, Natasha, Banner, Susan, Reed, Johnny, Ben, and everyone who had survived the battles.

"We should leave something behind for this world. Besides the Iron Man suit, the super serum, and countless high-tech gadgets, we should also leave behind what we, as superheroes, value most."

What makes a hero is not his ability, but his choice to use that ability to shoulder responsibility.

We should pass this spirit on to the next generation; it's much more meaningful than a few superheroes flying around in the sky.

Even if we are all gone one day, new heroes will still emerge in this world.

Steve looked at Peter, clapped, and then everyone joined in.

The applause from the dozen or so people wasn't loud; it came and went quickly.

After the applause subsided, Peter took out the draft contract and placed it on the table: "Take a look. If you have any objections, revise them on the spot, and then we'll sign it."

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