Adapting in Marvel

Black King Shaw looked at Angel with a cold expression.

As he listened to Angel's suggestion about baptizing the whole world with nuclear bombs, his fiery anger began to subside.

"Indeed, compared to the clowns of the X-Men, using nuclear bombs to create a beautiful new world is what I should focus on most," Black King Shaw said with a nod, agreeing with her reasoning.

The idea of using nuclear bombs to baptize the entire world had always been Black King Shaw's ultimate dream.

He was firmly convinced that the nuclear radiation from the explosions would activate the mutant X-gene in humans, transforming all of humanity into Mutants.

Now that he had ascended to the presidency of the Soviet Union, he was closer than ever to realizing this vision.

All he needed to do was launch the Soviet Union's arsenal of 7,800 nuclear bombs simultaneously, and the world would undergo a transformation on an unprecedented scale.

"You're right, Angel. My top priority now is to sign the presidential decree to initiate the Soviet nuclear bomb program," Black King Shaw said as he patted Angel on the shoulder.

He then turned to face the Red Devil.

"Azazel, summon all the Soviet military leaders to my office," Shaw commanded, his tone decisive and authoritative.

With that, Shaw and Angel headed back toward his presidential office.

Bang.

The Red Devil, watching Shaw and Angel's figures disappear, frowned slightly.

A moment later, he dissolved into red mist and vanished as well.

...

The Presidential Office of America.

A swirl of red mist materialized in the room, prompting Raven, who was in Brian's arms, to spring to her feet instantly.

"Red Devil?" Raven asked, her voice tense as she instinctively prepared for a confrontation.

The red mist unmistakably signaled the arrival of the Red Devil.

"Raven, relax. He's one of us," Brian said as he stood up, gently patting Raven's shoulder to calm her.

Once Raven was somewhat at ease, Brian shifted his attention to the Red Devil, who had emerged from the swirling mist.

"Azazel, is there any new information about Shaw?" Brian inquired directly.

"Yes, the Black King is preparing to activate all the nuclear warheads in the Soviet Union," the Red Devil reported gravely.

The weight of his words filled the room.

In truth, the Red Devil was no longer aligned with Black King Shaw's vision of a Mutant Empire. The constant scheming and obsession with domination had drained his enthusiasm.

He found himself envying the X-Men, who had risen to fame as America's beloved superheroes, admired and celebrated by the public.

The Red Devil had begun to dream of a different path for himself. He no longer wanted to be just a Mutant; he aspired to be a superhero.

His plan was simple—help Brian eliminate Black King Shaw, and then see if there might be a place for him among the X-Men, as a member of the iconic super seven.

"Shaw is going to activate all the nuclear warheads in the Soviet Union?" Brian's expression darkened.

The notion of Shaw planning to launch every single Soviet nuclear warhead at once stunned him.

Good grief, Brian thought to himself. Black King Shaw had truly gone mad.

In the original timeline, Shaw's ambitions would have led him to orchestrate the Cuban Missile Crisis, serving as the spark for the Cold War and the eventual start of global conflict.

However, thanks to Brian's interference and the ripple effects of his actions, Shaw not only managed to ascend to the presidency of the Soviet Union, but now had taken his plans to an entirely new and dangerous extreme.

The thought of Shaw using the entirety of the Soviet Union's nearly 8,000 nuclear warheads to blanket the globe in devastation chilled Brian.

If Shaw's plan came to fruition, the world would face utter annihilation.

Even the Black King himself, along with other resilient Mutants like Logan might not survive such catastrophic fallout.

And as for Brian, despite his infinite adaptive evolution, even he wasn't confident in his ability to endure the simultaneous detonation of thousands of nuclear warheads.

The sheer scale of destruction would be incomprehensible—enough to fracture the earth itself.

"That asshole is simply insane," Raven muttered, taking a deep breath after hearing the Red Devil's words.

She was visibly shaken by the sheer audacity and madness of Shaw's plan.

Turning her gaze to Brian, Raven's expression was filled with concern.

"Brian, maybe we should consider retreating to the presidential safe house," she suggested, her tone revealing her fear.

Brian gently patted her head, a reassuring gesture meant to calm her.

"Raven, Sabastian Shaw's plan will not succeed," Brian said confidently. His expression radiated certainty, as though he already knew the outcome.

Seeing his unwavering confidence, Raven began to relax.

"Brian, what should we do? Should we head directly to the Soviet Union to stop Shaw?" she asked.

"No need," Brian replied with a shake of his head.

He then turned his attention to the Red Devil.

"Azazel, continue with the task assigned to you by Black King Shaw," Brian instructed.

The Red Devil hesitated, momentarily confused. His mission was to gather all the Soviet military leaders.

Once these officials entered the Soviet President's Office, they would be forced to yield to the overwhelming power and influence of Black King Shaw, agreeing to activate all Soviet nuclear warheads.

"Go ahead. Don't worry—even if all the nuclear warheads in the Soviet Union are prepared for launch, I have a way to stop them."

Even in the face of a potential global catastrophe, he exuded an air of calm assurance.

"I hope you're right," the Red Devil replied, casting a deep, scrutinizing look at Brian before vanishing in a swirl of red mist, teleporting back to the Soviet Union.

...

Ten Minutes Later

The Red Devil completed his task, transporting Soviet military leaders one by one into the Soviet President's Office.

Black King Shaw stood confidently in the center of the room, waiting for his gathered audience.

"Gentlemen, I need you to sign this order," Shaw announced in a commanding voice.

He held up a document, presenting it to the officials with a chilling sense of authority.

The military leaders exchanged uneasy glances before cautiously scanning the document.

Their expressions quickly turned to shock as they realized the contents—a presidential order to fully activate the strategic deployment of all nuclear warheads in the Soviet arsenal.

As senior military officials, they knew the devastating consequences of signing the document. Once activated, all the nuclear warheads in the Soviet Union would emit electromagnetic signals detectable by every nuclear-armed nation in the world, triggering an inevitable global nuclear war.

"Sabastian Shaw, you are utterly insane! Even if it costs me my life, I will never sign this document," a senior Soviet official declared, his voice trembling with anger as he forcefully threw the document at Shaw.

"I won't kill you," The Black King replied with a chillingly calm demeanor. "I still need you to sign this document."

Shaw snapped his fingers lightly.

A blonde girl entered the room, her presence commanding immediate attention. She was strikingly beautiful, but her most unnerving feature was her eyes, which glowed an ominous blood-red at intervals.

"Blood-Eye Kate, control them," Shaw ordered, his voice steady and devoid of emotion.

"Yes, Mr. President," Blood-Eye Kate responded obediently, stepping forward.

One by one, she touched each of the Soviet officials.

At first, they were confused, their faces reflecting uncertainty. But as her blood-red eyes flashed intensely, their expressions turned to horror.

"Sign the document," Blood-Eye Kate commanded, her voice low but firm.

To their shock, the Soviet officials realized their bodies were no longer under their control. Against their will, their hands moved on their own, gripping pens.

Even as they desperately tried to resist, their bodies moved on their own, compelled by an invisible force, signing their names on the document against their will.

"That girl… that girl is a Mutant!" one of the Soviet leaders gasped in horror, finally realizing the truth about Blood-Eye Kate.

"Well done, Blood-Eye Kate," Black King Shaw said with a tone of satisfaction, his eyes gleaming with approval as he turned toward her.

Blood-Eye Kate had only joined Shaw's ranks a day earlier. Her ability had proven invaluable, and Shaw immediately decided to keep her close.

Her power was reminiscent of Silver fox's, as she could control others simply by touching them. Anyone she touched would be forced to obey her commands without question, regardless of their mental resistance—their bodies would act entirely against their will.

Although Blood-Eye Kate's ability was not on the same level as a true telepath like Professor X, it was more than sufficient to control ordinary humans, including the high-ranking Soviet officials now under her influence.

"Blood-Eye Kate, take this document to the Cabinet Council and ensure the order is carried out," Shaw instructed, handing her the signed decree.

"Don't worry, Mr. President," Blood-Eye Kate replied with unwavering confidence. "No one can resist your will. The era of Mutants will inevitably rise."

_________

Read 12 Chapters ahead:

Patreon/LiveLifeLove