American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

230. Fisk Lake City.

Fisk Lake City

Fisk Lake City, once known as Salt Lake City, now belongs to Kingpin.

Originally, this place was ruled by Magneto, who saw the resources and minerals here as the hope for the rise of mutantkind. At that time, Magneto naively believed that these resources would be the key to mutant supremacy, but reality proved his thinking was somewhat short-sighted.

In the early years of the Brotherhood's rule here, the lawless mutants began a campaign of retaliatory oppression against the local humans, deepening their resentment towards mutants.

With no ordinary people available as labor, local production quickly came to a halt. This widespread strike had a significant impact. When people preferred to leave rather than work, Magneto's rule began to backfire.

To maintain resource output and local development, Magneto was forced to make deals with criminal organizations. He needed a large number of slaves to boost productivity, or his city-state would soon face financial ruin.

The influx of gangsters did revitalize the area, but it also challenged Magneto's authority. Although they feared Magneto's power and kept a low profile, Magneto understood he was merely nurturing a potential threat. By now, it was probably too late for Magneto to turn back.

For the impoverished common people, they had no control over their fate. The early measures against mutants had nothing to do with them; the anti-mutant laws were set by those in power. Their fear of mutants was all they knew.

Is fear a mistake?

They didn't understand why the mistakes of others made them pay. The mutants, having been discriminated against in the past, were now venting their anger on them. It was entirely unreasonable.

In contrast, Magneto found himself in an awkward position. His original intention was to elevate the mutant race, but he realized the importance of peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants once he became a leader.

Both sides should be interdependent, rather than constantly creating conflicts. To this end, he even introduced many policies to benefit the public, promoting that mutants should care for and coexist with humans.

But while the intention was good, the implementation was extremely difficult. Magneto knew well what kind of people were in the Brotherhood. Those who had grown up in the darkness knew nothing about manners.

Perhaps they would put on a pretense of goodwill when Magneto was present, but the moment his back was turned, they would twist ordinary people's heads off.

When the rule of law is gone and everything returns to darkness, those 'evolved' from human genes would revert to the law of the jungle. Only the strongest have a say.

Here, countless ordinary people die at the hands of mutants almost daily. Although reports to Magneto would conceal and underreport the numbers, claiming them as accidents, Magneto wasn't a fool. He knew what kind of people were under his command.

At that time, Magneto regretted. He understood why Charles spent his life seeking methods to coexist harmoniously with humans and the necessity of creating the X-Men. But unfortunately, it was all too late. He was already too old, and too many eyes were on his position. Whether young mutants or gangsters, countless people were eyeing him, ready to take his life.

In fact, this had already happened.

The so-called second-generation Kingpin, when Magneto was too old to control his magnetic powers, used poisoning and assassination to end his rule.

It was a twist of fate. Who could have imagined that the ally admired by Doctor Doom, the opponent that gave the X-Men and Avengers a headache, the tyrant who fought for his own kind, would end up dying in his own bed?

Ironically, the thug who assassinated Magneto used the most ordinary bullets.

Perhaps this is the so-called unpredictability of the world. However, it's worth noting that Magneto's death indeed caused a significant change here. Since the second-generation Kingpin wiped out Magneto's loyalists and drove away the remaining mutants, ordinary people's lives here have improved significantly.

Although these gangsters still oppress them, at least they can distinguish between a beating and losing a life.

Kingpin renamed the place Fisk Lake City and continuously expanded his territory. Today, Kingpin's influence even covers the surrounding areas of Las Vegas, Nevada, Idaho, and Hammerfall.

Logically, Red Skull and Hydra wouldn't allow such a 'domestic country' within their dominion, but what could they do? Kingpin paid well.

Every year, the money Kingpin gives to Hydra accounts for two-thirds of Hydra's total revenue. With such a money-making goose, Red Skull naturally enjoyed his leisure and let it be.

One could say, in the western part of the USA, apart from the Hulk Gang, Kingpin is the most powerful presence. Although he's just a skilled fighter, no one dares to underestimate Kingpin's power, and no one dares to resist his rule!

"I really want to kill Kingpin right in front of everyone."

Looking at the massive statue of Kingpin made of pure gold, Ashley sighed from the heart.

"Lower your voice. This is Kingpin's territory. Don't drag us down with your death wish," Pietro said, knocking on Ashley's head, which made her glare angrily.

"What's to fear? He's just an ordinary person. I could punch through his chest with one blow," Ashley retorted angrily.

"Right, and then the next moment you'd be turned into a sieve by countless bullets."

Pietro rolled his eyes and continued.

"I beg you to use your brain. A guy who designed to kill Magneto—how reckless do you think he would be to give you an opportunity to assassinate him?"

"Then we can just storm in and take him down. After all, his subordinates are useless," Ashley said defiantly, with Venom also chiming in quietly. "Yes, yes."

"'Yes' my foot. Don't let that parasite corrupt my daughter!" Old Barton angrily pointed at a fire hydrant.

"."

Everyone fell silent, looking at Barton with a mix of helplessness. Old Barton's glaucoma had worsened; he could barely see anything now, and blindness was imminent.

....

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