Marvel: The Foundation

In a grand, dimly lit room within the United Nations headquarters, the world's most powerful individuals gathered behind closed doors. The air was tense, heavy with the gravity of recent events that had shaken their sense of control.

A video screen flickered at the center of the room, replaying the footage from Tokyo—a chaotic battle between an enormous reptilian creature, later designated Godzilla, and a green-skinned giant whose identity was still shrouded in secrecy.

The devastation left in their wake was unimaginable—skyscrapers toppled like children's toys, and chaos rained down upon one of the world's largest cities.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Nakamura, his face lined with exhaustion, addressed the room with barely contained frustration. "We have seen the footage. My country is in ruins. An entire district of Tokyo—obliterated. I am asking you—no, I am demanding—that we have answers and actions from those who claim to control these... things.

 How is it possible that this creature, this Godzilla, was allowed to exist freely, let alone engage in a destructive battle in the heart of Tokyo?"

President Barack Obama leaned forward, his fingers steepled in thought. His expression was equally grave. "It's not just Japan that is worried, Prime Minister. What happened in Tokyo is a wake-up call for all of us. The fact that a creature like Godzilla appeared in a major city without any prior warning is deeply concerning. And then there is the issue of the... other individual who confronted it."

He paused, his gaze serious. "I need to share with you all what we know about that individual. He's Bruce Banner—a scientist. He used to work for the military, and his… green state is the result of an accident. Now, when exposed to extreme stress or danger, he transforms into what we are calling 'the Hulk.'"

The revelation was met with stunned silence. The British Prime Minister exchanged a look with her aides before speaking up. "So you're saying this Hulk... Is some kind of American superweapon?"

President Obama shook his head slightly, his face a mixture of tension and frustration. "No, he's not a weapon, and certainly not something we have control over. While I admit that the accident had made him a weapons project, we have nothing to do with him now; in fact, we are actively trying to find him, and have ever since the accident itself.

A Russian representative, Ambassador Ivanov, cleared his throat, his deep voice cutting through the room. "Even if we believe that, are we also to believe that the sighting of who could be none other than Captain America has nothing to do with you?"

Russia was never one for passing up a chance at splashing mud at the US, so he eagerly pushed on. "It's rather suspicious that just when a monster attack happens, a lot of American weapons are around to 'handle' the situation."

President Obama sighed, leaning back slightly. "I understand how this looks, but let me be clear—what happened in Tokyo was not a coordinated effort by the United States. Captain America, or Steve Rogers, is a relic of the past, someone who has re-emerged recently. He is not acting under any government orders. In fact, his reappearance was just as much of a surprise to us as anyone else."

Angela Merkel of Germany gave Obama a skeptical look. "Mr. President, you are telling us that not only are these so-called superheroes real, but also that they are independent agents? Agents who can decide when and where to intervene without any oversight?"

Obama nodded, a serious expression on his face. "Unfortunately, yes. Bruce Banner, Captain America—these individuals act of their own volition. We are doing our best to establish communication, to ensure their actions do not lead to collateral damage like what we've seen in Tokyo. But we are still very much in the process of understanding their intentions and their capabilities."

French President Emmanuel Moreau looked unconvinced. "The problem, Mr. President, is that we can't really believe that, it sure didn't seem like they were acting alone, with all the clean up taking place. someone was behind his, and right now, every clue we have points to the US."

President Obama took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing slightly as he focused on Moreau. "I understand your skepticism, President Moreau. The response, the cleanup—that was primarily the Japanese government and their emergency services, with international assistance provided as soon as we received word of the situation. The United States was involved, but only to assist Japan in containing the fallout. We have no vested interest in keeping this kind of chaos under wraps."

Prime Minister Nakamura interjected, his voice thick with exhaustion and frustration. "I can't lie; we only had access to the site after all things of… value had been cleaned up; someone else handled the cleanup, someone who claimed to be US special forces.

The room fell into a tense silence, and Obama's face tightened at the implications of the Prime Minister's words. He cleared his throat before responding, trying to maintain an even tone. "I assure you, Prime Minister, there are no official U.S. special forces tasked with covering up events like this. If there were operatives involved, we need to find out who they are as much as you do. There are rogue elements—people who could be exploiting situations for their own purposes."

Angela Merkel exchanged a wary glance with the British Prime Minister before turning back to Obama. "Mr. President, are you suggesting that there are independent paramilitary groups acting without authorization on foreign soil, during a catastrophic event? That would imply an even greater loss of control over these circumstances."

Obama nodded grimly. "We all know about that private feeling suddenly showing up to claim that strange island. Sure, some out there claimed those ships belonged to them. But we all here know the truth; it is someone else, some non-governmental force, and it could be them at play here."

Ambassador Ivanov gave an exasperated snort. "Your nation's problems are now everyone's problems, Mr. President. Godzilla, the Hulk, Captain America—what next? Are we to sit and wait until a catastrophe hits another city, while each of us just hopes it's not ours?"

The British Prime Minister spoke up, her voice calm but firm. "We need a structured, collective response to these threats. Not just for Japan, but for all of us. Clearly, the threats we are facing are beyond the capabilities of any single nation. We need to pool our intelligence, share our resources, and establish clear protocols."

President Moreau folded his arms, his voice still tinged with doubt. "Isn't that what SHIELD is supposed to be? A global force for things like this? What is all the funding going to if they can't handle something like this?"

President Obama sighed, a note of frustration evident in his voice. "SHIELD was supposed to be that, yes. But as we all know, they operate under their own jurisdiction and often aren't as forthcoming as they should be. We're as much in the dark about some of their actions as the rest of you. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't act."

Prime Minister Nakamura nodded thoughtfully. "Then what do we do now? The people of Japan demand answers and assurances. We can't continue like this, pretending we're in control when it's clearly not the case."

Angela Merkel agreed. "We need an organized response. SHIELD should be that, and if they aren't doing what they are supposed to, then maybe we should do something about that? Surely we can't just let them go rogue?"

The room filled with murmurs of agreement, a mix of frustration and resignation passing between the gathered leaders. President Obama nodded, his expression hardened by the reality they were facing.

"You're right, Chancellor Merkel. SHIELD was established to address exactly these types of situations, and it's clear that accountability is lacking. We need to establish new protocols for their oversight. If SHIELD continues to act autonomously, then they should answer to the collective will of this assembly."

The British Prime Minister spoke up, her voice calm but firm. "We need something concrete, Mr. President. A formal coalition that is capable of enforcing international oversight over SHIELD. Additionally, we should establish our own task force to deal with these extraordinary threats, rather than just relying on their agents and vigilantes who have no allegiance."

Prime Minister Nakamura nodded. "Agreed. It is not just the monsters and superhumans that are a threat. It's the lack of coordination and preparedness. Japan cannot afford another incident like this, and I doubt any of our nations can."

President Obama took a deep breath and met the eyes of the leaders around the table. "Maybe a full overhaul of SHIELD? Make use of the exciting recourses already invested in it, turn it into something else? Something that truly can do as we need of it?"

The French President, Emmanuel Moreau, leaned back thoughtfully, his skepticism slightly softened by Obama's suggestion. "A complete overhaul, Mr. President? That would require unprecedented international cooperation. And it means tearing down the parts of SHIELD that aren't working, building something new in its place. The question is, will SHIELD—or those benefiting from its current structure—allow that to happen?"

Prime Minister Nakamura nodded slowly. "If it means that the chaos we witnessed in Tokyo can be prevented in the future, then I believe Japan would support such an initiative. But it needs to be clear that the oversight is shared, and no single nation can dictate the course of this coalition."

President Obama agreed, his gaze sweeping the room. "Precisely. SHIELD was meant to be global, but it has clearly fallen under the sway of certain influences. An overhaul means restructuring it as a transparent, multinational organization, accountable to this assembly, rather than to a few individual powers."

Ambassador Ivanov seemed to be weighing the proposition carefully, before finally nodding. "If SHIELD is to be overhauled, then Russia will insist on complete access to its archives—no hidden records, no secret agents beyond our oversight. We must know the full extent of their operations if we are to support rebuilding it."

Merkel looked at Obama, a sense of resolve now building. "Then we move forward on this. We will form a committee, composed of representatives from all our nations, to investigate SHIELD's current activities and create a framework for its transformation. We can no longer afford to have an organization with such capabilities acting in the dark."

The British Prime Minister added, "We will also need to address the presence of independent actors like Captain America and Bruce Banner. They cannot be allowed to operate unchecked. We need a dialogue, an understanding, and if possible, a way to bring them into the fold."

Prime Minister Nakamura spoke up once again. "Japan will be part of this. We have seen firsthand the level of destruction unchecked entities can cause. We owe it to our citizens to take every step necessary to prevent such devastation in the future."

Obama nodded, feeling the weight of the moment. "Then it's settled. We move forward with a plan to overhaul SHIELD and establish our own task force—a true international coalition to oversee emerging threats. We take control of the situation, together."