If Zod was indeed behind the kidnapping, it could cause significant complications.
Though Nick Fury didn't want to believe it, he activated Natasha Romanoff, who had infiltrated Blade Technology Industries under the alias "Natalie" as a senior assistant.
Natasha was eager for the challenge. Her goal was not merely to become a trusted insider but to uncover the company's darkest secrets—especially Zod's. Given the tension between Blade Technology and Stark Industries, Tony Stark's kidnapping only fueled her suspicions.
Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, was born in 1928 in Stalingrad, in the former Soviet Union. Trained as a special operative from a young age, Natasha's body had been altered by Soviet technology, slowing her aging process, boosting her immune system, and enhancing her combat abilities. Despite these alterations, she remained one of the world's deadliest spies. She later defected from the Soviet secret service organization known as the Red Room and joined the Avengers. As of 2000, Black Widow was only eight years younger than Captain America—an ageless warrior.
According to the comics, Natasha had once been involved with Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. Their relationship, however, was not permitted by the Soviet state, leading to their separation. Natasha later married test pilot Alexei Shostakov, though their marriage was arranged by the Soviet authorities. Despite this, she genuinely fell in love with Alexei, only to be heartbroken when she received news that he had died in a rocket test. After his death, Natasha fully embraced her role as a "Black Widow," undertaking numerous missions in which she seduced scientists and defectors for the Soviet cause.
Now, Natasha carefully approached a restricted area within Blade Technology Industries—a zone even Uuld, her boss, lacked clearance to access. Natasha reasoned that if Zod was truly behind Stark's abduction, Tony Stark might be hidden there.
Unbeknownst to Natasha, she had already been detected. The Black Queen, Blade Technology's advanced AI, immediately alerted Zod to her presence. Amused, Zod watched through a pinhole camera.
"A beautiful woman, but not like Scarlett Johansson," Zod commented to himself, failing to recognize her as the Black Widow. "Is she a spy?"
Intrigued, Zod observed her actions, curious to see how this agent would attempt to breach the secure zone. The 50-millimeter-thick Kryptonite-reinforced gate was an impenetrable barrier, but Natasha wasn't deterred. Lacking the necessary intel, she couldn't figure out how to open it, but she pulled out a miniature camera to document every corner of the area, hoping S.H.I.E.L.D.'s researchers could analyze the footage and crack the security.
What Natasha didn't know was that behind the gate was a laser defense system. Unless she had Alice's agility, her death would have been instantaneous without plot armor.
Unbothered, Zod returned to his own research: Mechanical Soldiers.
These mechanical warriors had once been an essential part of Krypton's intergalactic rule. While the number of Kryptonians was substantial, it was insufficient to govern 100,000 worlds, so mechanical soldiers were developed to assist in governance and management. Controlled by advanced artificial intelligence, these machines had formidable strategic capabilities. Now that Zod had created the Black Queen, it was only natural that he would revive this technology.
However, due to current technical limitations, Zod's mechanical soldiers were only average compared to their Kryptonian counterparts. Each one was equipped with four multi-barrel machine guns, a 75mm recoilless cannon mounted on its shoulder, and a hexapod mechanical leg for movement in diverse environments.
In Krypton, these soldiers were powered by miniaturized hydrogen batteries, but Zod had something better—the Zod Element Fire Reactor. This power source would sustain the soldiers for their entire operational lifespan and fuel their advanced weapon systems.
The mechanical soldiers were outfitted with secondary Kryptonite-reinforced armor, which provided superior defense. Zod refrained from using A-level Kryptonite for the soldiers due to its exorbitant cost.
Zod had created these soldiers with future threats in mind, such as the Zeta Rising Stars and Thanos' Dark Order. While the War Machines he sold to various countries were essentially downgraded versions, they still offered nations a semblance of defense—though not much more than that.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark found himself in an entirely different predicament. Rather than handing him over to the Ten Rings, Zod had organized for Stark to be captured by another group of Middle Eastern terrorists posing as a faction.
"He wants you to build a war machine for him. Once it's done, he'll let you go," said an older white man, taking on the role of Yinsen in this fabricated narrative.
Tony stared at the ragtag group of terrorists in front of him. "He's lying. He won't let me go."
Tony knew his captors wouldn't honor their word. Still, he cursed his bad luck. If they wanted a war machine, why not capture Zod? Tony's forte was in Iron Man suits, after all.
What baffled Tony the most was how Zod had avoided a similar fate. Zod didn't indulge in the same vices Tony did, like taking cover models to hotels. Instead, he was always holed up in his lab. Tony had once mocked Zod for his lack of enjoyment, but now he saw that Zod's dedication had kept him safe.
Tony also noticed something that disturbed him: Stark Industries weapons were scattered throughout the terrorists' base. Confusion washed over him—how had these weapons ended up in the hands of terrorists? His mind reeled with the implications, and though he suspected something was amiss within his company, he didn't immediately suspect Obadiah Stane. After all, Obadiah had suffered attacks and injuries. Now, with Tony kidnapped, Stark Industries was likely in chaos. Tony just couldn't figure out how deep the rot went.
At this point, Obadiah had no plans to eliminate Tony—not yet. After all, only Tony had the skills to build the next generation of Iron Man suits. As far as Obadiah knew, Stark's disappearance was an unfortunate accident, but little did he realize just how close the impending reckoning was.