Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1211, Section 1207: The MK-Ultra Project (Second Update)

"Then let me ask you another question, Mr. Stark. Do you know the Emperor of Latvia?"

The head of the FBI's Manhattan office in New York was unmoved by the protests from Colonel Rhodes and the Air Force security forces. He began to list a series of evidence, including a photo taken in 2012 of a man riding a pure white horse during the Chitauri invasion of New York, followed by a photo of the Latvian emperor riding the same pure white horse into the UN Security Council.

Although the two wore vastly different armors, this suggests that the mysterious knight had some connection with the Emperor of Latvinia, and the Avengers, who once fought alongside the mysterious knight, must have known some information.

The fact that almost all the Avengers are now in refuge in Latvinia further confirms the FBI's suspicion that the Avengers had been in contact with the Emperor of Latvinia long ago. Ever since the Emperor of Latvinia began to pose a threat to the United States, intelligence agencies such as the CIA have spent a lot of money and manpower investigating information about him, but even now, much of the information remains shrouded in mystery.

All the agents who tried to get closer to the truth either received false information, had their operations halted due to political factors, or worse, were betrayed and killed, with all the intelligence they gathered disappearing without a trace. The CIA and FBI didn't even know where the problem lay, and they were facing accountability issues because the Latvian agents could move freely within the United States. In addition, with the election approaching, some political issues were also brought to the forefront, such as the current president's intelligence budget, the Hydra infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the corruption of members of Congress. The progress of the work of the US intelligence agencies has become problematic.

Tony Stark, the Avenger who is currently still in the United States, has become the breakthrough point for relevant intelligence and is also the only known channel to uncover the true identity of the Latvian Emperor. The FBI, which finally has the opportunity to get the answer, will definitely not let go of any opportunity.

Even Colonel Rhodes kept quiet when FBI agents began listing the evidence.

It wasn't that he didn't want to help; after all, the blame could easily be placed on Nick Fury. Rather, even the colonel of the U.S. Air Force Security Forces had become suspicious because of the so-called evidence. Tony Stark's answer directly impacted his connection to the treason charge. If proven guilty, neither public opinion nor Tony Stark's connections could save him. "So, either we live in the Harry Potter world, with Hogwarts and magical creatures we don't understand existing on Earth, or this knight and the Emperor of Latvinia are the same person," the FBI agent asked emphatically. "Which answer do you choose, Mr. Stark?"

Colonel Rhodes also chimed in, "Any kind of news is fine."

“I don’t know,” Tony Stark sighed. He truly felt he was being cornered by an old friend; such a cunning enemy was terrifying. “I used to know, but I don’t anymore,” he said. “The Emperor of Latvinia erased my memories. Do you understand? He has the power to manipulate minds. All I remember is being very familiar with him in the past, nothing more.”

"You mean... brainwashing?" FBI agents and Air Force military police all perked up their ears.

They all recalled a CIA-led experiment in the last century known as Project MKUltra, designed to control human minds, including the covert administration of drugs and other chemicals, hypnosis, sensory deprivation, isolation, verbal abuse and sexual abuse, and various forms of torture. At the time, US intelligence agencies, the White House, and the Pentagon all believed the Soviet Union possessed mind control capabilities. The discovery of American soldiers refusing to return home and accusing American capitalism during the post-Korean War prisoner exchanges further solidified the US government's belief in brainwashing abilities and the truth serum program.

Operation Paperclip, a CIA program launched after World War II, formed the basis of Project MKUltra. This experiment, conducted with the tacit approval of the then-president, proceeded rapidly, with approximately 6% of the CIA's budget spent on the project. Over 20,000 financial documents have been found to date. This program, which had been running since 1951, only came to light in 1975 after being exposed by the Church Committee of Congress. However, official documents had long been destroyed by the CIA; only clues could be found in the testimonies of participants and in civilian records. The program's consequences included the spread of LSD, widespread drug abuse, and the mental breakdowns and deaths of unsuspecting participants.

"It's not that simple," Tony Stark shook his head. "It's about precisely cutting and modifying memories."

"What drugs did you take, Mr. Stark?" Everyone present tensed up. "Do you remember anything?"

"No, he did it out of thin air, just waved his hand..." Tony Stark wanted to continue, but Pepper Potts kicked his shin under the table, stopping him in his tracks. However, the topic had already piqued the interest of everyone present, and regardless of whether it was true or not, Tony Stark's situation was not looking good.

The absurd news on television caught the attention of the Latvian emperor. A White House spokesperson accused the Latvians of inhumanely torturing Tony Stark, attempting to brainwash the "great tycoon" through supernatural means to change his patriotic ideals, and cruelly murdering the Navy SEALs who came to his rescue. Of course, this ridiculous claim failed to convince everyone and instead drew ridicule from the reporters present.

In addition, bureaucrats swiftly approved the awarding of the Medal of Honor to civilian Tony Stark. To make this possible, the U.S. Air Force also planned to award Tony Stark an honorary military rank in recognition of Stark Industries' contributions to clean energy, aiming to make it a symbol of the new American Dream.

The Latvian emperor sat on the sofa, deeply immersed in the alcohol and desserts of the estate's women's tea party, trying hard not to roll his eyes at this ridiculous news—it was true that he had removed Tony Stark's memories, but he couldn't believe that the White House spokesperson would make such a big deal out of it instead of handing it over to the CIA for investigation, and that without any evidence, the current Latvian government would accuse the Yugoslavs of using drugs to brainwash them, turning what could have been an investigation into a complete joke.

The underlying logic is still elections.

With only a few months until the election, the incumbent Democratic president needs to campaign for the next Democratic candidate, which necessitates the candidate claiming Latvia is an evil country, a puppet of Hydra. Waging war against Latvia to "defend the free and democratic world" is a convenient pretext—however, Latvia and the United States have long been at war, though both sides have tacitly reached a certain equilibrium. Those in the White House and the Pentagon now know that even if they risk triggering a nuclear war by dropping massive amounts of nuclear weapons to destroy Latvia's production and living facilities, their own lives might not be spared from a decapitation strike by Latvia.

Emperor Latvian also knew that Yugoslavia's security relied on his personal strength and the overwhelming power of a small amount of advanced technology, rather than the country's military strength and industrial level. The real priority was to use this time to rebuild industry, earn trade profits through the export of high-tech products, and develop infrastructure. As for the biological warfare, assassinations, and special operations being conducted on the border, those were clandestine battles fought behind the scenes, not to be brought into the open and humiliating for everyone.

This is a tacit understanding in international politics, where both sides can get what they want, but electoral politics doesn't follow these rules.

"What are you doing now?" Bayonetta, reeking of alcohol, leaned closer. Her flushed face, unlike her usual self, looked unusually cute, and her loose white shirt gave her a completely different aura tonight. She pressed her burning cheek against Salomon's. "Why don't you join us?"

"I'm manipulating the US election with my mind, just wait a moment." Salomon picked up the dozing Milia. "Would you like something to drink, hmm?"

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)