S.H.I.E.L.D:

This story is, like most, an alternate universe based on Marvel Characters.

In this universe, Tony Stark has gained full control of the world security task force known as S.H.I.E.L.D, after a falling out with Steve Rogers AKA Captain America. He has since disbanded the original Avengers and formed his own strike team for tasked with neutralizing threats worldwide. His acquisition of S.H.I.E.L.D has granted him access to resources he had never before dreamed of having. Despite his position as leader of S.H.I.E.L.D he still prefers active field duty, preferring to handle threats personally rather than hiding in the shadows like Nick Fury used to while he was in charge. Thanks to Tony Stark's brilliance and technological prowess, S.H.I.E.L.D has become far more efficient than it ever has. Having completely phased out all facets of S.H.I.E.L.D's previous flawed infrastructure, Tony personally handpicked every new addition to his staff and the S.H.I.E.L.D personal overall.

With global crime having risen immensely since the disbanding of the Avengers, Tony has taken it upon himself to assemble his own team of government sanctioned Avengers. The team is as follows, Tony Stark serves the role of commander and field leader while on missions with his Avengers. Having dropped the classic red and gold color scheme of his previous Iron Man suits, has since adopted a more muted color scheme of dark blue and black to further emphasize the idea that has a serious leader. S.H.I.E.L.D agents Phil Coulson and Maria Hill, both act as his personal advisors and his second in command respectively. Coulson having dropped his cheerful demeanor and adjusting to his role as second in command is now a stern and stoic man, always ready and willing to put himself in harm's way for the safety of Earth. During her tenure as second in command, Maria Hill has also become a far sterner individual, acting as Tony Stark's voice of reason and is always willing to provide him a few cracks to the head if he ever loses sight of what really matters. Next on the team is Natasha Romanov AKA The Black Widow. Her role as a spy for S.H.I.E.L.D was what cemented her position on Stark's team, her personal feeling for Steve Rogers aside, she knows better than anyone the dangers of the criminal element left unchecked. She aids the team with her stealth and fighting prowess and cold and calculating approach to fighting world threatening disturbances.

The following members of the S.H.I.E.L.D Avengers are a bit of an oddity considering their powers, but it's because of those powers that Tony Stark made sure to secure them on his team before Cap could have the change. First up is Bruce Banner & the Hulk, little explanation is need as to why this pair of individuals was needed in S.H.I.E.L.D's possession. Bruce Banner's unrivaled insight in the field of Gamma Radiation and its effects on the human body was invaluable and crucial. The Hulk was needed for his brute strength and intimidation factor alone, but to keep the raging beast under control, Tony Stark has developed an Extremis solution specifically tailored to temper The Hulks savage mind and keep him obedient. While many consider this inhumane and cruel, both Banner and Stark agree that the benefits far outweigh the liability and thus The Hulk remains essentially lobotomized for the safety of others. S.H.I.E.L.D was very intrigued by the discovery of this particular being, Machine Man, as the name suggests has an android that has been raised as a human and as such believed he a human. However Tony Stark saw much potential in his incredible and unique build and his range of abilities, so he took it upon himself to erase Machine Man's entire memory bank and replaced it with a digital copy of his A.I assistant J.A.R.V.I.S, thus making him a mobile battle chassis for the A.I and yet another Avenger that is incapable of falling out of line per Tony Stark's liking.

And finally we have the Sentry, a being whose immense power is so great that has capable of destroying an entire city in seconds, in fact has already destroyed Asgard before he joined the Avengers. He has for a time suffered from mental illness and multiple personality disorder, to combat this Tony Stark injected him with an Extremis offshoot that targets his brain and dampens his dormant personalities thus allowing Robert Reynolds to freely take control of The Sentry. In exchange for helping with mental issues, Robert aids S.H.I.E.L.D in any way they desire. However because of his shaky past, he is not utilized in combat missions very often. IN fact he prefers to remain away from the public eye because he feels that the public won't accept a"schizoid" as an Avenger. Despite all that he remains on the team as the most powerful force on earth. A merit that both S.H.I.E.L.D and Tony Stark are very thankful for.