Chapter 275 Recruiting Members

The initial roster was essentially set.

Tony himself, Captain America, Sandman, Doctor Octopus, War Machine.

Although currently, the Illuminati could only muster these five members, they were individuals Tony could trust to a certain extent.

Of course, they couldn't compare to the deeply entrenched and widely respected Justice League, but once formed, this would be a force under Tony own control.

After making this decision, Tony breathed a sigh of relief.

The unease and fear that had long plagued him were temporarily set aside, replaced by a slight sense of relief.

"The Illuminati... should not be known to outsiders for now."

Tony pondered for a moment and decided to form this team in secret, to avoid unnecessary overt checks and balances.

Just like the Justice League.

Tony was very aware, despite the Justice League current prominence, that their actions in many situations had been reactive, unable to seize the initiative.

At its core, this was naturally due to constraints from the military and other official powers.

Tony didn't want to be like the Justice League thus, he planned to establish the Illuminati in secrecy, and for a long time into the future, he did not intend to make it public.

The purpose of establishing the Illuminati was to gain a sense of security and, in times of crisis, to have trustworthy companions and the ability to turn the tide.

Normally, members of the Illuminati could act independently, but in critical moments, that would be the time for the Illuminati to assemble and act.

In some ways, fate is always strikingly similar.

Even in the current world, Tony still chose a path akin to what he knew.

In the comics, the Illuminati consisted of the smartest and wealthiest superheroes on Earth,

existing to address threats to Earth and even the universe, advocating for minor sacrifices to avoid greater ones,

making it one of the more prestigious superhero groups in the Marvel universe.

It worth noting that, consistent with Tony current thoughts, the identities of the Illuminati members were kept strictly secret,

so much so that even their families and superhero peers were unaware of the organization existence.

In both the comics and this world, Tony was a major member of the Illuminati.

In fact, in the Marvel universe, many superheroes had joined the Illuminati, such as Mr. Fantastic, Doctor Strange, Professor X, Black Bolt, Namor, Black Panther, Captain America, Hulk, Ant-Man, among others.

Just to add, Black Bolt is the king of the Inhumans, and Namor is Marvel version of Aquaman, the king of Atlantis.

However, the hallmark of the Illuminati was "good intentions, bad outcomes."

No matter the situation, as long as the Illuminati were involved, regardless of the intentions, it inevitably led to poor outcomes.

Contemplating this, Tony drew inspiration from Batman previous actions when forming the Justice League and had another idea.

"Relying solely on the current preliminary roster is still far from sufficient."

Tony mused.

"We must find some new members who are trustworthy... Perhaps, I could cultivate some individuals with the right qualities and potential!"

He summoned Jarvis: "Show me some recent successful street-level heroes."

"Here is the list."

Jarvis said, "Kick-Ass, Punisher..."

Pausing, Jarvis then said, "Sir, perhaps you'd like to see another list, which includes Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones..."

Tony reviewed the information on these individuals collected by Jarvis, his expression calm.

"Jarvis, well done."

As soon as he finished speaking, as if realizing something, Tony gaze wandered over the virtual screen in front of him.

"Jarvis, perhaps... I could create a body for you, turning you into my real assistant..."

Washington.

Anton signed the appointment letter, officially becoming the head of the UFO Special Police, or as they are also known, the Men in Black (MIB).

He had no intention of refusing.

A pie falling from the sky shouldn't be wasted.

Becoming the head of the Men in Black meant that he was officially part of the powers that be, making his future endeavors not just easier, but potentially allowing him to act within the rules as he saw fit.

"This is your uniform."

John Kler watched as Anton donned the black suit and clapped his hands: "You look very good, very much like a director."

"Thank you."

Anton nodded, "I owe it all to your arrangements."

"By the way,"

John Kler said, "Although this department is directly governed by the World Security Council, we've still assigned you an assistant, Agent Z."

"Z, come and meet him."

As Kler spoke, a tall, forty-something man with an expressionless face appeared before Anton.

"This is Agent Z, our intelligence department finest agent..."

Anton raised an eyebrow, "Is that his name?"

Kler nodded, "Yes, Z is his codename, and his name, only to be replaced with his real name upon his official retirement."

"Do I only have one assistant?"

Anton smiled, "Besides Z, could you maybe bring in a K and a J to help me? Leading such a large department for the first time is a lot of pressure for me."

"Stop dreaming, we've given you our ace agent, and that the limit. Forget about anyone else besides Z!"

Kler rolled his eyes, "If you want a K and a J, you'll have to find them yourself. There are 26 letters in the alphabet you can choose whatever you want, O, M, T, C, H, anything really, since you're the boss."

"Alright."

Anton smile deepened, "I'll remember the letters O, M, T, C, H you mentioned. Once I find K and J, I'll use the rest as codenames. There indeed plenty of room to maneuver with 26 letters."

"By the way, the UFO Special Police, let just stick with MIB Men in Black sounds better... Your first mission has already been assigned by the World Security Council.

They hope you can participate in negotiations with Asgard, as after all, Asgard counts as aliens."

John Kler continued, "Also, you have a good relationship with Batman, and Batman seems to know quite a bit about Asgard.

He might be helpful in these negotiations... And among you, there even a goddess, Diana Prince, who supposedly the daughter of Zeus, right?"

"That not important, even if she is the daughter of Zeus, we're dealing with the Norse king of the gods, Odin, in these negotiations."

Anton shrugged, "Of course, if you wish so, I can join these negotiations. However, as far as I know, Asgard is more adept at using magic, which they consider just another form of technology, but don't expect to get too many benefits from it."

"The key point is, this counts as humanity first official communication and contact with intelligent life from outer space, not to mention that they claim to be gods and look just like humans."

Kler nodded, "Let leave it at that for today. You can have a good chat with Z you two will probably be working together for a long time."