Hammer explains how to destroy Tony Stark Once Vanko was taken out of the van he had been taken in, Hammer greeted him with a table filled with dinner and smiled upon his arrival, telling the guards to remove his handcuffs as a sign of friendship before inviting Vanko to sit down with him and eat dinner. Hammer had Ivan Vanko freed from prison and his death to be faked before he took him to his personal secret storage facility where they could talk in private. That's what you kill." ―Justin Hammer to Ivan Vanko I think, if I may, you go after his legacy. But if I might make a suggestion, you know, you don't just go and try to kill the guy.
It would have been such a waste of talent. "I couldn't bear to have you shipped off to God knows where. While Vanko was being taken away into custody, Hammer immediately began making calls in order to arrange his escape from prison so they could meet. Stark survived the attack when Happy Hogan had successfully driven onto the track and given him his Mark V Armor and Vanko was then arrested, but Hammer saw an opportunity in finding someone who had successfully made a new Arc Reactor powered suit, considering how to build his own combat armors. While most people around him watched in horror as Stark battled against Vanko, Hammer studied the terrorist's technology closely to try and understand how it had been made by Vanko. Having been left alone, Hammer then watched the race unfold and witnessed Ivan Vanko step onto the track with his own weaponized armor complete with electrified whips and attempt to assassinate Stark by cutting his car in half and causing it to crash. Hammer watches Whiplash fighting Iron Man This led to Everhart quickly making excuses and leaving the interview to follow up this story instead, much to Hammer's annoyance. they noticed on the television that Stark had taken control of his own car and decided to race it himself. Hammer is interviewed by Christine EverhartĪs Hammer's interview with Everhart went underway, he attempted to claim that Stark's comments were merely playful banter between the pair and that Hammer Industries and Stark Industries were still continuing a close relationship. Hammer had come to the race with Christine Everhart, a journalist who was flirting with him for having some scoops about the new current status of his own company, Hammer Industries and an interview for her magazine, Vanity Fair however, before the interview started, she was told by Stark that Hammer lost his own contract with the United States Armed Forces, forcing Hammer to then defend his companies' future. Later, Hammer met with Tony Stark and Pepper Potts again as they were both in Monaco, where both of them were supporting one of the cars involved in the upcoming race. competition." ―Justin Hammer to Christine Everhart Him being out of the picture created tremendous opportunities for Hammer Industries, you know? Everything that Tony and I do. After his public humiliation, Hammer's weapons contract with the United States Armed Forces was suspended. Hammer tried to save face by confirming the pilot's survival but Stark won the case and confidently walked out of Washington, D.C. to hack the screens and showed Hammer attempting to also recreate the Arc Reactor and armor technology, but ending up injuring the pilot's spine. However, Hammer was then humiliated by Stark, who proceeded to use J.A.R.V.I.S. Hammer is utterly humiliated by Tony Stark As Hammer remained silent and confident, Stern attempted to prove his point as he showed the many attempts by America's enemies to replicate Iron Man's armor, claiming the technology should be in the government's hands, while under Hammer Industries' close supervision. Hammer then took his seat as James Rhodes was called to the stand and asked to read out sections on his reports on Iron Man, in Stern's attempt to discredit Stark with his own friend's words.
Hammer listens to James Rhodes' statement Hammer argued that all Stark's efforts as the Iron Man were not good enough to protect the world, noting that due to the creation of Iron Man, there would be threats which Stark would not be able to foresee, claiming Stark keeping the armor was selfish and dangerous. Hammer was called as an expert to prove that Tony Stark's ego and his monopoly on his Iron Man armor was now a danger for the United States of America, as part of Stern's attempt to force Stark to give the Iron Man suit technology to the government. I'd love to leave my door unlocked when I leave the house, but this ain't Canada." ―Justin Hammer I wish I were comforted, Anthony, I really do.
He asks that we trust him as we cower behind it. "In the last six months, Anthony Stark has created a sword with untold possibilities, and yet he insists it's a shield.