Time: December 8, 1941. Location: New York City.
The chilly wind blew across the cheeks, making the cold winter more difficult. The Great Depression of the 1930s plunged the United States into an unprecedented trough.
Even in New York, a large group of workers who have no job and no food are waiting on the street for relief.
It was not until President Roosevelt came to power and implemented the famous [Roosevelt New Deal] with his powerful wrist that he stepped away from the trough.
The world-famous building, the Empire State Building, was also built against this historical background.
The state invested funds to develop infrastructure, thereby reducing the number of unemployed, and allowing workers working on the construction site to become consumers of their own products, thereby further expanding domestic demand.
Step by step, the United States became rich again.
But the good times did not last long, and the Second World War broke out in 1938. The world has not become more peaceful because of that [War to End All Wars] (World War I).
The battlefields of the European continent are full of flames, and the Asian battlefield is bloody.
Isolationism in the United States is rampant, and even President Roosevelt wanted to implement the [Arms Lending Act].
Except for a small number of European immigrants who participated in the European battlefield as volunteers, the US government has been watching the war that has affected the history of all humanity.
But at least the US government is at least willing to lend money to Britain and other countries that are still resisting Germany on the European battlefield, although the Dunkirk retreat leaves everyone hopeless about the European front.
But President Roosevelt still allowed Churchill's Chancellor of the Exchequer to issue bonds in the United States to raise war funds.
However, it is difficult to say how much it does, because many Americans are not optimistic about the outcome of the European battlefield. It is not rare to think that the defeat of Britain is only a matter of time.
After buying war bonds, can Britain win? If you can't win, how can you pay back later? This makes many people hesitate, but some British immigration ceremonies are willing to pay to support their homeland.
Of course, there are some Americans who are willing to donate money for this war of resistance, or use other methods to help these countries that are experiencing war.
It's like these two guys outside the General Electric plant.
One tall and one thin.
The tall, thick-browed man with big eyes is called Barn Buckies, and the thin young man is called Steve Rogers.
Barn-Bakis entered the GE work because of his father's relationship. Because of the outbreak of war, many departments within General Electric were converted into military departments. Production of military products supports the European front.
Bahn is one of the employees of the military product department, specializing in the production of stabilizers on aircraft.
The relatively thin Rogers is only about one meter six, and his body is too weak, the factory does not recruit him to work.
But he still has his own extraordinary. He uses a pair of dexterous hands and is good at painting. Just like now, he serialized six grid comics for the corner of the Horn Daily.
In this era, comics and animations are not on the table. Animations are generally used as a warming place before the opening of the movie. Comics are to make up for the fact that sometimes newspaper columnists cannot deliver on time, or if they do not have good news and open skylights.
Fill the layout with a few comics.
At lunch break, Barn habitually went to the river outside the factory to find his friend, Steve Rogers.
"Hi Barn. Your mother asked me to bring you a lunch sandwich at noon." Rogers lifted the lunch box in his hand. At this time, everyone brought food into the factory. It was impossible to have canteens and takeaways, which was too expensive. Ordinary workers cannot afford it.
"Thank you, Rogers." The strong Barn took the lunch box from Rogers. Open the lunch box and see that there are two very large Sebon lunch sandwiches.
"Are you going to come, Rogers?" Bath took a sandwich from the lunch box and handed it to Rogers.
"No, I do n’t need Bath. I ’ve eaten it at home and had a bowl of pasta. When you went to your house, your mother cut a large piece of lunch meat for me. It seems that everyone in your family is afraid of me. Not enough to eat. "Rogers thanked Bath for his kindness.
"Because you are too thin, look at your little arms and calves. In Brooklyn, you will be bullied by bad boys like this." Barn squeezed Rogers' shoulder, causing him a little pain.
"Okay, Bath. Don't disturb me painting." Rogers shook off Bath's hand.
Rogers is a signed painter of the Clarion Daily. He submits three sets of six-story comic stories for the Clarion Daily every week, so that he can get about eighty dollars a month. Not as good as the Bath in the factory, the Bath can make $ 125 in January.
But 80 dollars can still live. After all, his physique is too thin to find a job. It is already a good job to become a painter.
But Steve still has a small dream. He is saving money. If possible, he wants to enter the New York University School of Art to become a real painter. This is his dream from a young age, to paint all the beauty of this world with a brush.
However, this is not easy. The universities in this era were really accessible to nobles and upper classes. But Rogers did not give up, he will do his best to fight for his dream.
He is now sitting on the embankment by the river, using charcoal to draw drafts on the drawing board and drawing paper that he carries with him. He recently serialized a full-length comic, and unlike the six short comics in general, Rogers conceived a long story complex for this era.
This is a test of his ability to compose stories, and he has to pay three manuscripts every week, which makes him spend all his time drawing and finishing his work.
Barn was sitting next to Rogers, eating a sandwich, watching Rogers skillfully write a line draft, and began the preliminary division. Of course, the subject of sub-lens in this era is not advanced enough.
"Where's the latest story?" Bath asked, chewing luncheon meat. He doesn't really like the taste of luncheon meat. It contains less than 20% of the meat, and the rest is soy flour, but it is cheap. It would be nice if there was corned beef to eat. Bath thought about it.
Rogers took a manuscript from under his drawing board and handed it to Bahn. This is the content to be published this Saturday. Unlike the black and white mimeographed content in the newspaper, Rogers' manuscript was colored.
"I like this story, Rogers." Barn looked carefully at the manuscript: "Mr. Starstrip and his partner Liberty Bond (a dog) hurt the Nazi story together, I like it!"
"Huh? But why is Mr. Stars and Stripes caught by two Nazis here?" Barn asked, pointing at the content of the comic book award.
"Oh, I forgot to add text here." Rogers immediately took the manuscript back to modify it: "They have saltpeter on them. Mr. Starstrip is very strong, able to fly, powerful, and can shoot heat rays from his eyes. , But afraid of being touched by saltpeter. This bald Nazi named Luke Leather seized the information and then prepared against Mr. Starstrip. "
"Do you want to see the free debt for the rest of the story?" Barn said with great interest: "I like the story you made, which is much more beautiful than other comics. And you painted it well."
"How much do you save now?" Barn asked suddenly.
"What?" Rogers didn't respond.
"I know, I know. You want to go to New York University School of Art to study. But this is not a small sum of money. You have the talent to become a painter and should not be wasted." Barn swallowed the sandwich in his hand.
"I have worked for two years and saved about six hundred dollars. If you have four hundred dollars, you can make up a thousand dollars. I think the first tuition fee is enough. You can apply for a scholarship when you enter the university. You must Rogers, so you may be more than five hundred dollars a year. "
Barn helped Rogers carefully calculate the account: "So do you have four hundred dollars?"
"Yes, but I can't use your money." Rogers quickly refused.
"Do n’t talk nonsense, you can become a big painter in the future and you will be able to pay more than a thousand dollars in a painting. At that time, I will be given back to me. Today is the last day of applying for admission in the new year. Yes. In the afternoon we will go to New York University. "Barn said decisively.
"But you have to go to work in the afternoon!" Rogers was dragged away by Barn before he could finish.
"I've already asked for leave. Martin and I borrowed his Ford Model T. We drove to New York University in the afternoon." Barn said, holding Rogers directly under his arm, the strong Barn Buckies The strength of Rogers could not break free.
"Let me down." Rogers struggled as hard as he could, but it was useless.
So Rogers could only be forced into the Ford Model T by Barn, driving all the way to New York University.
It was quite calm along the way, but more and more people gathered together as they drove into the city. Countless people huddled together to say something, as if something happened.
This aroused the curiosity of Rogers and Barn, who did not know what these people were doing together. Because people are crowded together, the car moves slowly.
"Outside the horn, outside the horn!" The clear voice of the New York newspaper boy appeared so obvious at this time: "Outside the horn, yesterday, December 7, Pearl Harbor was attacked, and the United States Navy suffered heavy losses without fighting for the East!"
Rogers and Bath exchanged an incredible look.
"Give me a newspaper, kid!" Barn took out dozens of cents from his pocket and bought a horn daily newspaper from the newspaper boy.
[Toyo fights without a declaration, and the US Pacific Fleet is completely lost. Eight battleships and more than ten cruisers were sunk. The loss of nearly two hundred fighters. The number of casualties among Pearl Harbor officers and soldiers exceeds 3,500! 】
Rogers and Barn quickly scanned this special newspaper supplement, and now they both know why everyone is together.
Televisions were still a rarity in this era, but some shops still bought televisions to solicit business. Crowd in front of a coffee shop because there is a TV. And the owner with a serious face moved the TV set to the door of the store to adjust the power supply and antenna and then watch it to all the passers-by.
Barn relied on his strong body to squeeze Rogers into the front row. At this time, the TV had just started broadcasting.
This is a national live broadcast (the first live TV broadcast in history occurred in 1936). US President Roosevelt took a serious look at the podium: "All Americans, the war has begun, and no one can stay away. Thousands of kilometers away, we already have thousands of compatriots dead. It's time to fight back, for the innocent people in this world who died in this war! It's time to end this! "
Rogers clenched his fists in secret while watching the unclear picture on TV. The charcoal pen that had been squeezed in his hand was pinched into several paragraphs.
The war has changed many things, and since then there has been one less person on the earth who could have become an outstanding painter.
…………………………
Time: Now. Location: Sotheby's Auction House, New York.
"This collection was auctioned by an anonymous seller. It was Captain America in 1941. The pen name was: Three comic manuscripts drawn by the American Dream. Although the captain's painter was still very jerky at that time, it was very historical The value of a collection starts at $ 100,000. "The auctioneer introduced the collection.
Each time the price increases by 10,000 US dollars, the last three manga manuscripts were shot at a high price of 500,000 US dollars.
………………………………
Illumination meeting, Venus base.
Tony Stark said in disgust: "Jason, this is what you bought for half a million dollars? You know that this price can already buy the work of many well-known painters. Renaissance masters, as long as they are not Can also be bought.
Li Jie didn't care too much about Tony's provocation, he just handed these paintings to Captain Rogers: "I didn't really know that you have a gift for painting. Unfortunately, it didn't last. What made you put down the brush?"
Captain Rogers shook his head: "Because a lot happened."
"Maybe you can come to my company as a painter and draw your own story. What do you think?" Li Jie suggested.
"Oh, forget it. This is all past tense." Captain Rogers glanced at the light meeting and said.
"Yes, some things should be eliminated, you can't keep the old things for years and years." Tony said.
Thor and the professor and Dr. Hank looked aside without talking.
Li Jie glanced at Tony: "Like your eliminated steel armor?"
"Yes, all of them were destroyed by me, otherwise there is a waste of space?" Tony said of course.
Li Jie did not argue with him, but just handed the original manga to Captain Rogers: "Keep it, look back on the way, and don't forget the original intention."
……………………
Location, West Coast Los Angeles. Tony Stark's villa.
Below this huge villa is a huge intelligent processing plant, where Tony's steel armor is mostly produced.
He did not allow Jarvis to turn on all the lights in the room, but only turned on some of the lights, which put the house in a semi-dark state.
There is another special decoration on his workbench, that is the first ark reactor he made, which was made in a cave in Afghanistan. Originally, he let Pepper Peper throw away, but she packed it and gave it to Tony as a gift. Until now, she still placed it on his workbench and did not throw it away.
Standing in front of the workbench, Tony lifted the Gennaco of the entire underground factory by unlocking. All his steel armor was raised one by one.
Including those old models of armor that he just said "have been processed". He looked at the armor with his hands on his chest, but he finally smiled.
…………………………
Long Island, Rogers rented apartment.
Sitting at the window, Rogers looked at the three manga manuscripts Li Jie gave him today, which reminded him of many memories, good or not.
The dreams of my youngest years, and those who struggle for their dreams day and night. Rogers opened his hands now covered with calluses, and once there were only unclean carbon colors on these hands.
In the end he posted these originals on his bedside ~ www.novelhall.com ~ I remember there were pencils and drawing papers here. "Captain Rogers was looking for something in front of his desk."
"Or buy a tablet?" Rogers thought.
…………………………
Manhattan, Southern Cross Welfare Home.
Penny has recovered and can be discharged from the hospital. Thor carries Penny and holds a small fish tank in his hand. It contained the peach jellyfish prepared by Li Jie for Penny.
"Penny, Penny is back!" Seeing Thor carrying Penny back, a child in Zone 2A on the 10th floor ran back excitedly.
When the childcare pushed open the blue door, the first time he was greeted by the ice bucket that fell from the sky, and now it is the cheering and cheering of the sky.
There was a faint smile on Thor's face.
……………………
Li Jie wears a pair of special gloves with ten rings in it. With a solemn expression on his face, he went to Kamateki to meet Gu Yi.
Li Jie: "Master, you once said that this world needs warriors, and I am one of them?"
Gu Yi: "Yes, but you didn't quite agree with me at that time. Now you figured it out?"
Li Jie: "Yes, I have experienced many things since this time. I know more responsibilities and more responsibility. I expect peace, but peace will not fall from the sky. My parents, my family , My friend. There are many things I do n’t expect them to step in. "
Gu Yi: "So you are willing to take it now?"
Li Jie: "Not all, but I want to do something."
Gu Yi: "What's the matter?"
Li Jie: "Although a little arrogant, but I hope that the name of the nightwalker will be heard through the universe one day!
ps: Ask for votes. Both are more than 9,700 words.