Zod observed the virus with mild interest. Though the "Desperate Soldiers" who carried the Extremis Virus were ultimately unimpressive, the virus itself had potential. Zod considered the possibilities of integrating it into his army of animalized soldiers, granting them an additional ability to release heat energy. He even wondered if the virus could be used to create a Wolverine-like super-soldier, though without the indestructible metal skeleton.
"Pursue it further," Zod instructed the Black Queen, his AI. "And locate Aldrich Killian's base while you're at it."
Zod had no interest in collaborating with Killian. He was wary of forming partnerships with villains, especially with Tony Stark's primary adversaries. Besides, Killian, like Ivan Vanko, was already doomed—Zod didn't need them complicating his plans.
It wasn't long before the Black Queen pinpointed Killian's location: an abandoned industrial site on the outskirts of town. Killian's company, Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM), had purchased the building for its low cost and the privacy it afforded their experiments.
Zod arrived swiftly, hovering above the site and using his X-ray vision to peer through the walls and into the underground facility. There, he saw Killian and his scientists conducting an experiment on a soldier who had lost his limbs. The soldier's arms and legs glowed as the Extremis Virus coursed through his body, miraculously regenerating his missing limbs. The soldier was overcome with gratitude, thanking God for what seemed to be a miracle.
But as Killian's team celebrated, a detector began flashing red. The dosage had been too high, and the Extremis Virus was spiraling out of control.
The soldier, now glowing with an eerie red light beneath his skin, began to panic. "Help me!" he cried, but Killian and his team were too busy gathering their equipment to flee.
As the soldier screamed, beams of light shot from his mouth, and a massive explosion followed. The entire building was leveled, reduced to rubble in seconds.
Zod descended slowly, unharmed, his gaze fixed on the shocked and dazed Killian and his team, who had somehow survived in the crater of what once was their lab. With a single thought, Zod's powerful psychic abilities took control of their minds. He casually plucked a suitcase from one of Killian's men, containing samples of the Extremis Virus.
After sifting through Killian's memories, Zod absorbed every detail of AIM's research. His advanced mind processed it instantly, storing it all without missing a beat. Before releasing Killian from his mental grip, Zod implanted one final thought.
"Remember, Aldrich Killian," Zod's voice echoed in Killian's mind. "Your hatred for Tony Stark is personal. It's not just physical—it's spiritual and psychological. Never forget the humiliation he caused you."
With that, Zod teleported back to his base, leaving Killian and his team to their confusion.
Back at his lab, Zod began examining the Extremis Virus in earnest. Thanks to his expanded knowledge, the issues with the virus's stability were quickly resolved. Zod chuckled at how long Killian and his team had struggled to fix the same problem. They had been so focused on finding the correct dosage, completely overlooking the real issue.
"Idiots," Zod muttered.
His research soon led him to an unexpected discovery: the Extremis Virus was the perfect antidote to the vampire virus. While the virus could incinerate a vampire on contact, its real power lay in its ability to restore humanity to those infected by the vampire strain. As long as the vampire wasn't pure-blooded, an injection of Extremis would reverse the transformation.
This realization dovetailed neatly with another project Zod had in the works: the improved panacea serum. He had worried about potential side effects from the serum's prolonged use, but now he had the perfect solution. The Extremis Virus could be injected afterward to cleanse the body of any lingering vampire virus. Once the regenerative properties of the Extremis Virus had taken effect, the human immune system would break it down, ensuring that the subject wouldn't turn into an Extremis-enhanced warrior.
Moreover, Zod saw another use for the Extremis Virus—it could serve as a weapon against vampires. This, combined with UV bombs and other high-tech gear, would be the perfect arsenal for someone like the Blade.
After running a series of successful experiments, Zod improved the virus and integrated it into his animalized soldiers, creating the "Second Generation Super Animalized Soldiers." These soldiers now possessed the ability to release intense heat and light, capable of melting steel in an instant. In hand-to-hand combat, only someone as tough as the Hulk or someone outfitted in vibranium or adamantium could withstand the extreme temperatures these soldiers could generate.
Zod was well aware that the movies often ignored the complexities of heat transfer, but this was Marvel. He didn't dwell too much on physics here.
With the Extremis Virus under his control, Zod reached out to Blade to offer him a deal. Blade Technology Industry would provide Blade with high-tech weapons, such as ultraviolet bombs, in exchange for regular blood donations—1,000 milliliters every few months.
Blade, who was gearing up for his next battle against the vampire clans, readily agreed. "Donating blood every month?" Blade smirked. "That's nothing."
Zod had a feeling Blade Warrior 2 would come sooner than expected, but with his new partnership and the upgraded weapons from Blade Technology, he was more than prepared.