A Kryptonian in the Marvel Universe

At this time, when Fisk has not revealed his true colors, he is regarded as a great philanthropist and entrepreneur by the public.

"Wait, doesn't Fisk already have Bullseye? Why is he coming to me?"

It's easy to see who the employer is, though it's possible someone else involved with the cartel is getting nervous about being exposed.

After all, anyone who dares to cross Fisk could be dangerous, so it's hard to predict what goes on in their minds.

Fisk, along with Madam Gao, who's recently been in touch with The Hand, has likely made plenty of money in their operations. No wonder they're willing to be so generous.

Fisk, in fact, is worried the White Devil might turn down the offer if it's not lucrative enough. With Bullseye currently assigned to another task, he can only rely on the newly famous White Devil.

Zod scanned the details. The target was currently held in a high-security prison in New York. Breaking in wouldn't be an issue, but it might alert S.H.I.E.L.D. When the target testifies in court tomorrow, security would be tight.

The best opportunity would be to strike while they're transporting the target, but Zod preferred quicker methods. He didn't want to waste time on one mission.

Flying into New York through the Midnight Hotel's network, Zod approached the prison. With his x-ray vision, he easily located all the surveillance cameras and guards. Like a ghost, he avoided them all and made his way to the target: a man named Derek Staines.

Staines was nervous. For his safety, he'd been placed in a cell by himself. The authorities wanted to avoid any inside job.

Zod used his heat vision to melt the lock. Staines barely had time to react before Zod's hand was pressed firmly against his head.

"No—!"

Staines couldn't scream, as Zod swiftly snapped his neck. The job was done, and he disappeared as silently as he arrived.

The next morning, New York City Police Chief George Stacy arrived at the prison with a large contingent of officers to escort the prisoner to court. To his shock, he found Staines already dead.

"What happened? The prisoner's dead?"

George rushed forward, checking for signs of life, but found only a cold, stiff body.

"This is impossible. We've been keeping watch all night!"

The warden was in a panic, and the guards looked around nervously, suspecting each other. Everyone had been accounted for, so how did the prisoner end up dead?

"The lock was melted by some kind of high heat. Didn't anyone notice?" George pointed to the burn marks around the door and the melted metal, picturing someone using a blowtorch to break in. The noise should have been noticeable.

He was furious and immediately ordered a full investigation into everyone involved in the prison's security.

Word soon reached the Midnight Hotel, where they were all surprised. They had expected the White Devil to attack during the prisoner's transport, not sneak into the prison itself. How did he pull it off so quietly?

Zod received his payment without issue, opting for a direct transfer to his account. Dealing with cash was too inconvenient, especially with Hydra likely having agents inside the IRS to keep things under the radar.

Fisk, too, was stunned that the White Devil chose to assassinate Derek Staines inside the prison. Not only did he succeed, but he also did so without causing any commotion. Fisk was impressed, comparing him to Bullseye, one of his most skilled enforcers. If he couldn't find another like Bullseye, the White Devil was certainly close enough in skill.

However, the Midnight Hotel kept the White Devil's information heavily classified, and Fisk would need more time to find out who he really was.

Three Months Later.

Zod returned home with a large haul of vibranium in hand.

His basement was cluttered with failed prototypes and incomplete battle armor—pieces that would likely cause a sensation if anyone else saw them, even though they weren't functional.

But today, he would finally complete his masterpiece.

After countless attempts, he had discovered the perfect ratio of kryptonian alloy and vibranium. He'd spent everything he had on acquiring more vibranium and was now ready to put it to use.

His heat vision had grown so powerful it could now vaporize steel. He had no idea how much heat it took to sublimate steel, but it was terrifying nonetheless. He used it to melt down the kryptonian alloy and vibranium, mixing the two molten metals by hand over several hours. Finally, he completed his battle armor.

The black, matte armor had a sleek design that was perfect for a superhero. In terms of appearance, it would easily stand out among even the most iconic heroes.

The combination of kryptonian alloy and vibranium made the armor nearly indestructible. Zod called it the Helios Armor. The armor's energy source was Zod himself, so no one else could use it. The arms were fitted with retractable blades, which could be heated with his heat vision to form melting blades, capable of cutting through almost anything.

In addition to the arm blades, the armor featured claws inspired by Wolverine, which could also be heated using his heat vision. Zod didn't include any long-range attack systems since he could easily get up close to his enemies.

The Helios Armor had a built-in super battery that could store Zod's energy, as well as solar energy, for use later. Zod had seen Superman's many weaknesses exposed, so he wanted to prepare for the worst. If he ever found himself weakened by magic or red sun radiation, the armor would allow him to fight back.

"Maybe I should add a high-frequency blade... just in case I can't use my heat vision."

Zod pondered further enhancements.

Caught up in his obsession with being prepared for any scenario, Zod looked at the Helios Armor, already planning more additions to ensure he was always ready for whatever the universe threw at him.