Zod had just faced off with the Ancient One again, and once more, he found himself overpowered. The realization stung. Even with all his strength, he wasn't invincible—not yet, anyway. His mind raced as he thought of ways to overcome this challenge. But deep down, Zod knew: no matter how strong he became, he would never be able to match the Ancient One. Not as long as she wielded the Time Stone.
The thought of being trapped in an endless time loop, forced to repeat his failures over and over, sent a shiver down his spine.
Still, Zod wasn't one to give up. If he couldn't overpower the Ancient One directly, he needed to become something more. And he had an idea—an idea that could take him to the next level.
Electromagnetic force.
He could already absorb and convert energy, but electromagnetic force was the key to unlocking something much bigger. With it, he could manipulate everything—cells, DNA, even atoms. He could rearrange particles, reshape the very fabric of the universe, and, if he learned to master it fully, perhaps even leave behind his physical body and become a being of pure energy.
A scientific god.
Zod's Kryptonian senses were already heightened. He could perceive the intricate lines of magnetic force running through every atom, every molecule around him. He took a deep breath and reached out, carefully manipulating one of the invisible lines of magnetic energy. With a slight flick of his finger, a metal target from the other side of the room flew toward him, pulled by an invisible force. As it hovered in front of him, he tightened his grip on the magnetic field, and with another flick of his wrist, he tore it apart, sparks flying as the target disintegrated.
Everything was connected by electromagnetic energy. With control over that energy, he could control anything.
But this was just the beginning.
As Zod delved deeper into the field of electromagnetics, he realized that it didn't just stop at manipulating the physical world. Electromagnetic force affected everything—matter, energy, time, and space. He could alter atoms, manipulate energy, and even peer into the quantum realm, where the line between matter and energy blurred.
In this new realm of understanding, Zod felt the boundless potential within himself. He now saw how magnetic fields and gravity were linked. The power of magnetism could also be used to manipulate gravity—an even greater force. With a single thought, Zod was able to alter the gravitational field around him. He bent light from the sun, wrapping beams of solar energy into concentrated strands, using the light itself to empower him further. His strength surged.
At that moment, back in Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One frowned.
Zod's learning curve was astonishing. He wasn't supposed to have figured out this much, this quickly. His mastery of electromagnetic force and gravitational manipulation was far beyond what she had foreseen. If Zod continued at this pace, he would soon become a being far more powerful than even she could control.
She had to keep a close eye on him.
Meanwhile, Zod was testing his new powers when the Black Queen's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Master Zod, I have detected activity at the Life Foundation."
Zod turned his attention to the screen. There, a symbiote fight raged across San Francisco. Eddie Brock, bonded with Venom, was locked in a brutal battle against a silver symbiote—Tear. Zod narrowed his eyes. Tear was Riot's offspring, a new threat he hadn't accounted for.
"What? Another symbiote?" Zod muttered. "I have Riot and Whiplash... how is this possible?"
It became clear that Drake, after being parasitized by Tear, had broken free from Zod's psychic influence. The symbiote had granted him immense power, even greater than that of Riot. On the screen, Zod watched as Tear relentlessly pummeled Venom, who was clearly outmatched.
Venom struggled, his form battered and bruised. Despite his best efforts, the son of Riot was too powerful. Eddie's voice echoed through their shared mind, frantic and frustrated.
"Venom, we're getting our asses kicked! How can we lose to this guy? He's not even the original symbiote!"
"Shut up, Eddie! I'm doing my best!" Venom snarled in reply.
But it wasn't enough. Tear was winning. Venom's attacks were weak, and Eddie could feel their connection fading. This was bad. Really bad.
Just as Tear was about to deliver the final blow, a blinding flash of light cut through the battlefield. Two searing beams of red energy slashed across Tear's body, slicing the symbiote cleanly in half.
Venom and Tear both froze, stunned by the sudden attack. Tear shrieked in agony, his body spasming as it was severed.
Hovering in the sky above them was Zod, wearing his full Dark Knight armor. His eyes glowed red from the heat vision he had just unleashed, and the eight sword-like floating cannons surrounding him hummed with barely contained power.
"Zod!" Drake shouted from within Tear's remains. "You again! You think you can—"
Before he could finish, Zod raised his hand, and the floating plasma cannons behind him fired in unison. The air was filled with the deafening sound of rapid plasma fire, and the ground below exploded in a hail of fire and debris. The cannons obliterated everything in their path with devastating precision.
Zod showed no mercy. Plasma shells, enhanced by his control over magnetism and gravity, rained down on the two symbiotes. Each impact was amplified, as if reality itself was bending under the weight of the blasts.
When the smoke cleared, both Venom and Tear were still alive—barely. Their symbiote forms were scorched and twisted from the attack, and they lay on the ground, too weak to move.
Zod landed gracefully beside them. Without a word, he summoned a wave of high-energy electromagnetic waves. Like a microwave, the waves heated the symbiotes from the inside out, causing both Venom and Tear to writhe in agony.
"Stop… please…" Eddie's voice was weak as he begged for mercy, but Zod paid him no mind.
Tear, however, had caught his attention. Zod observed the silver symbiote closely, impressed by its resilience. He made his decision quickly. With a flick of his hand, Tear's unconscious form was lifted into the air and encased in a high-tech containment pod.
As for Venom, Zod decided to leave him to the Ancient One. Whatever her plans were for Venom and Eddie, he would not interfere.
Zod turned and walked away, Tear's pod following closely behind. His mind was already racing with new possibilities. With Tear's power added to his collection, he was one step closer to achieving his ultimate goal.
And now, with mastery over both electromagnetic force and gravity, Zod was more dangerous than ever.