"Are you suggesting… the super-soldier serum?" Nick Fury's eye widened. The idea that Zod could have something even more powerful than the serum that created Captain America was almost too much to believe.
Natasha nodded. "It's probably not the exact serum from Captain America, but a more advanced, stable version." She sighed. After all, if Zod had cracked the formula, her own skills might soon be outclassed.
Nick Fury, aware of the unpredictable effects of the original serum, was disturbed. Even with all of America's research into the serum, results had been limited. For example, General Ross's attempt with Blonsky had barely succeeded. But Zod, with his genius, might have perfected it without any Tesseract.
"If Zod has developed a super-soldier serum," Fury mused, "he's keeping it quiet—probably to avoid having it commodified."
As Fury pondered, Coulson came in with urgent news that stopped him mid-thought: Zod had filed for the establishment of a "Superhero Association." The organization would legally recognize superheroes, with Zod himself, dubbed "The Dark Knight," as its president. He was calling on all super-powered individuals to join, uniting as official heroes to confront crises.
"What the… How is this even possible?" Fury was stunned. Zod had outpaced everyone, even Stark, by founding this association. Just as he processed the news, Tony Stark publicly announced his membership, giving the organization an immediate boost in credibility and visibility.
Suddenly, the Superhero Association was everywhere, capturing headlines and stirring up the super-powered community. Inspired by this formal platform, numerous mutants, tech-empowered individuals, and other enhanced beings considered signing up.
Fury's head throbbed. If the Superhero Association became a fixture, Zod and Stark's combined resources could effectively create a private, legally recognized superhero force that rivaled, or even replaced, traditional law enforcement. In the wake of the Deep Sea invasion, superheroes had gained massive public support as they outshone the military's response, leaving the latter scrambling to restore their reputation.
With Zod's influence and his association's legal standing, any heroes who joined would enjoy protections that even the law couldn't easily oppose. Previously, street vigilantes could be shut down under anti-vigilante statutes, but with the Superhero Association behind them, they were practically untouchable.
Meanwhile, Zod continued refining the association's structure. Tony Stark, annoyed at being classified as an "A-rank hero," argued that he deserved S-rank status.
"Unless you can match the strength of the Metal Knight or the mythical Demon Cyborg, you'll remain an A-rank," Zod responded coolly.
"Who's this 'Metal Knight'?" Tony muttered, puzzled.
Applications to join the association started pouring in. Zod debated over some of them, especially the Fantastic Four's Mr. Fantastic, Reed Richards. Although brilliant, Reed's occasional recklessness could jeopardize missions. Ultimately, Zod declined Reed's application but accepted the others, classifying Sue Storm as an A-rank hero, Johnny Storm as B-rank, and Ben Grimm, the Thing, as S-rank.
Tony noticed and immediately objected. "Why is Big Stone here an S-rank?"
"Because he could easily overpower you," Zod replied. Though the Thing didn't have the finesse of some other heroes, his sheer power was undeniable.
Under Zod's management, heroes joining the Superhero Association would receive compensation, a controversial yet pragmatic approach. While some saw it as tainting the spirit of heroism, Zod was confident that financial stability would only strengthen their resolve.
He established the association's headquarters in Manhattan, positioning it to defend against potential alien invasions, including a rumored attack from the Chitauri. Within a month, the towering Superhero Association HQ appeared in Manhattan, bearing its name boldly across the city's skyline—a new era of heroes had arrived.