The Marvel Superman

Evening, Stark Industries—Howard Stark's private laboratory.

Inside the lab, only Howard and Jarvis remained. Everyone else had been dismissed, but no one minded—this was nothing unusual.

Howard carefully lifted the child from the box and turned to Jarvis. "Can you prepare some equipment for me?"

"Of course, sir, I'll get right on it," Jarvis responded and immediately got to work.

Jarvis—surname unknown (or perhaps that was his surname, Howard never bothered to ask)—had been with Howard for about twenty-five years. He was more than just a butler; he was also Howard's trusted assistant, present for all of his most critical experiments.

Before long, Jarvis had set up a series of diagnostic instruments. Handing Howard a blood collection needle, he said, "Everything is ready, sir."

Howard took the needle, then gestured for Jarvis to hold the child still. He only intended to draw a small amount of blood to compare it with a normal human's. However, he quickly encountered a problem—the needle wouldn't pierce the child's skin.

Jarvis noticed it too. "Sir… what just happened?" he asked, puzzled.

Howard examined the now-deformed needle in his hand and shrugged. "Looks like I underestimated the little guy." He handed the bent needle to Jarvis.

Seeing the damaged instrument, Jarvis gasped, "Oh, my God… What is this child?"

Howard's expression turned serious. "No need to be so shocked, Jarvis. We'll find the answer." Grabbing another needle, he tried again, but no matter what he did, he simply couldn't pierce the child's skin.

Jarvis glanced at Howard, who looked increasingly frustrated, and chuckled. "Well, sir, I must say—I'm no longer surprised!"

Howard ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, this isn't working. Jarvis, fetch that small scrap of adamantium I left here a while back. The leftover piece from that project."

Jarvis nodded. "Understood, sir. I remember where it is." He left the room.

Howard, now alone with the child, looked into his eyes and murmured, "Just what are you…?"

Jarvis returned shortly, handing Howard the adamantium sample. "Perhaps we should also examine his suit. There may be some clues there."

Howard nodded. "Good idea. You inspect the suit while I craft a proper needle. At this rate, I may need to stockpile some adamantium just to trim his hair and nails!"

Jarvis, pulling out the child's suit, shook his head. "Oh no, sir, that sounds dreadful. Surely there's another way?"

Howard laughed. "Relax, Jarvis, I was just joking. Don't take everything so seriously." He turned to his tools, preparing to forge a new, very expensive blood collection needle.

Meanwhile, Jarvis studied the suit carefully. "The material feels like some kind of advanced synthetic fabric. Judging by the design, its owner was likely a superhero—similar to Captain America. And this 'S' emblem on the chest… it must be his insignia."

Howard, still working, smirked. "That much was obvious from the start."

Ignoring the remark, Jarvis continued, "And this cape… He must be able to fly. Otherwise, it'd just be an inconvenience. Oh my God… this is—"

His voice suddenly faltered, filled with disbelief.

Howard immediately turned to him. "What is it, Jarvis?"

Jarvis, still staring at something beneath the cape, muttered angrily, "Damn it… Those bastards… They belong in hell!"

Alarmed, Howard abandoned his work and rushed over. The adamantium had already melted, but he ignored it. "What the hell is going on, Jarvis?"

Jarvis didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pointed to a line of text printed inside the suit. Howard leaned in and read it, his brows furrowing.

LuthorCorp | April 2022 | Project S | Specimen L7

The marking was clearly some kind of production label. A casual observer might assume LuthorCorp had manufactured the suit. But Howard and Jarvis knew better—LuthorCorp wasn't in the fashion business. That meant the real "product" here… was the child.

They both came to the same conclusion—this boy was a clone.

Howard clenched his jaw. "So he's a clone. And based on this timestamp… he came from the future. But clone or not, my decision stands. He will still be my son."

Jarvis looked at the child with sympathy. "Meeting you, sir, is the best luck this boy could have hoped for…"

Howard exhaled sharply. "Let's keep this discovery between us. We'll erase all traces of these markings."

Jarvis nodded. "Understood, sir."

A heavy silence settled over the lab—until a notification sound from the computer broke the tension.

Howard sighed. "The needle is ready. Let's get to work."

Jarvis hesitated. "Sir, I understand your concerns, but is this truly necessary?"

Howard shook his head. "We need to be thorough. We don't even know how long he can survive. A full medical examination is crucial."

Jarvis nodded solemnly. "I understand." He handed the adamantium needle to Howard.

This time, when Howard pressed the needle against the child's arm, it pierced the skin effortlessly. Adamantium—Earth's strongest metal—did not fail. A small sample of blood was drawn, and Howard immediately began analyzing it.

The results came faster than expected. And what they revealed shocked them both.

Jarvis stared at the data, eyes wide. "This… this isn't possible!"

Howard, however, smiled gently at the boy. "Maybe even God couldn't bear what was done to him. Not only did he send this child to our world—he gave him a normal human body."

The analysis confirmed it: The boy was biologically human. He had no X-gene, meaning he wasn't a mutant. Howard felt a wave of relief—though he had no prejudice against mutants, raising one would have invited complications.

Jarvis exhaled, smiling. "It really is a miracle. He can grow up like any other child."

Howard nodded. "Alright, let's finish the rest of the tests. Once we're done, you can start preparing his legal identity."

Jarvis straightened. "Understood, sir."

They resumed their work, running every possible test. The final results were remarkable—during his journey to this world, the boy had been exposed to an unknown cosmic radiation. This radiation not only eliminated the usual defects of cloning but also ensured his body would develop just like the original.

Even more astonishing, the radiation had infused his cells with a mysterious element. This element prevented any further cloning—if anyone tried, the genetic material would self-destruct.

Howard deleted all experimental records and grinned. "That's the best news I've heard all day! Jarvis, bring out the champagne—we need to celebrate!"

Jarvis chuckled. "Of course, sir. But first, I believe the boy needs a name."

Howard looked down at the sleeping child and, after a moment, said, "Adam. Adam Stark."