A Kryptonian in the Marvel Universe

Zod knew he could acquire Hanmer Industries' production line by simply eliminating them. The company was already struggling, overshadowed by Blade Technology's dominance in the defense industry. Stark Industries, having reclaimed a significant number of old contracts, had further weakened Hanmer, leaving the latter in a precarious position.

But the tides began to shift. After a period of intense research, Tony Stark unveiled the "Anti-War Machine" self-defense system, a response to the game-changing presence of Zod's war machines. With conventional radar and satellite technology rendered ineffective against the war machines' stealth capabilities, the global defense industry had been working overtime to develop new countermeasures. Stark, in classic form, had beaten them to the punch.

The U.S. military tested Stark's new self-defense system, using War Machine as the target. The results were startling—the system had only a 30% error rate. Considering the war machines' evasive capabilities and their small size, this was an impressive achievement.

"Leave it to Tony Stark," the military brass remarked, pleased with the result. The self-defense system was equipped with a specialized weapon that targeted the war machines' armor, neutralizing them with a precision that made these previously unstoppable machines appear as vulnerable as paper tigers.

It wasn't long before news of Stark's success leaked to other countries. However, since Stark Industries was under the control of the U.S. military, the self-defense system wasn't available for sale to foreign powers. At best, Obadiah Stane might find a way to sell it on the black market, but for now, the U.S. government kept a tight hold on the technology.

"Of course Tony would be the one to undercut the most revolutionary weapon of our time," Obadiah boasted confidently to Stark Industries' board. His words, coupled with the successful demonstration of the self-defense system, had lifted the spirits of the shareholders, who had been growing anxious ever since Blade Technology's rise.

Many of them had been on the verge of selling their shares, concerned about Stark Industries' shrinking market presence. But now, they were optimistic once more. After all, Blade Technology had yet to go public, meaning that Stark Industries' stock still had some value. However, the moment Blade Technology listed, Stark's stock would plummet even further, and everyone knew it.

Stark's self-defense system was in high demand. The U.S. military placed an order for 12 units—not a huge number, but enough to keep the system mobile and adaptable. These units included missile launchers, radar, and command posts, all designed to counter Zod's war machines.

Naturally, Blade Technology learned of these developments and received footage of the military tests. The video showed three war machines simulating an incursion into U.S. airspace. As soon as they crossed the border, a missile truck on the ground activated. Its electronic eye locked onto the targets, deploying a special missile. The war machines attempted evasive maneuvers and even fired back, but mid-flight, the missile split into sub-munitions, catching the war machines off guard. The impact was precise, detonating the war machines from within and reducing them to scrap metal.

Uld, watching the video, looked concerned. But Zod, on the other hand, seemed lost in thought.

He hadn't expected Stark to develop countermeasures so quickly—especially the Jericho missile system, which wasn't supposed to debut for another eight years. Tony Stark's brilliance was undeniable, but Zod had hoped the war machines would dominate for at least two or three more years before needing an upgrade.

"Tony has a gift for creating weapons that counter his own inventions," Zod thought with a mix of admiration and irritation.

"Zod?" Uld asked, awaiting instructions.

"Let it be. Even with Stark's self-defense system, the military still wants to buy our war machines," Zod said calmly. He wasn't worried. After all, the development of anti-missile systems hadn't stopped anyone from continuing to build missiles. The same principle applied here. The U.S. had ordered only 12 self-defense systems, but war machines were still in high demand. Their versatility and appeal had won over the world—who wouldn't want to don a suit of armor and soar through the skies, invincible?

Even Congress was hearing proposals to outfit the army with war machines, though the idea had been shot down. War machines were the domain of the Air Force, and the other branches of the military had no intention of sharing. The Navy and Air Force were already battling for a larger share of the war machines, leaving little room for the Army or National Guard to stake a claim.

In the midst of all this, Blade Technology received another major order. The U.S. government had initiated plans to build a new aircraft carrier, the "Poseidon," which would be constructed using secondary Kryptonian gold—a rare and incredibly expensive material. The projected cost was astronomical, with the order potentially consuming all of Blade Technology's secondary Kryptonian gold production for the next several decades.

"The Poseidon Project? They're building an aircraft carrier this year? I thought it was supposed to be a nuclear submarine," Zod muttered, amazed by the scale of the U.S. military's ambitions.

Secondary Kryptonian gold was valued at $8,000 per gram, and the quantity required for this project was staggering. It could take fifty years or more to complete, and there was no guarantee the project would even succeed. But Zod wasn't concerned—he'd already made the sale. Whether the project succeeded or failed, Blade Technology would profit enormously.

And with extraterrestrial resources on the horizon, Zod knew that even better materials could be discovered in the future. In the world of advanced materials, staying one step ahead could fuel an industrial revolution like no other.

This massive order was top-secret, of course, but Uld's worry evaporated once she learned about it. Blade Technology's future was more secure than ever.