The next day.
When Reid woke up the next morning, he still faced the same problem.
That was choosing which company to target in New York City.
In his apartment, Reid cleared a wall, and now it was covered with information about the three forces.
First, there was Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, who operated out of Hell's Kitchen and was still nobody at the moment.
On the surface, Kingpin's criminal empire seemed small compared to other famous tech companies in the Marvel universe. However, according to the lore, Kingpin's black-market empire controlled 70% of the nation's underworld industries.
In some Spider-Man solo movies, if it weren't for the presence of Stark Industries and Osborn Industries, Kingpin's Fisk Enterprises would have had the potential to become the ruler of New York City.
Moreover, since Kingpin hadn't fully established his empire yet, now was the easiest time to get involved. With someone like Luthor's skills and starting from scratch, Reid believed he could eventually take control of Kingpin's organization and turn Fisk Enterprises into something like LexCorp.
"Easy, straightforward, but the profits would be rather low."
This was Reid's evaluation of Kingpin. Compared to people like Osborn and Victor, Kingpin's ambition and capabilities seemed a bit weak.
The title of "crime lord" sounds impressive, but it never quite holds up in the public eye.
In the comics, Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, mostly faces off against street-level heroes like Spider-Man, Punisher, and Daredevil.
This highlights the limited scope of his abilities. While Fisk does occasionally gets involved in multiverse crises due to Spider-Man's influence, his role is minimal and often insignificant.
Fisk, like Killer Croc in Gotham City, frequently appears but mainly serves as cannon fodder or a mere pawn. Taking control of Fisk's organization would offer limited returns. If not for Spider-Man's leniency, Fisk wouldn't have lasted as long as he has.
Quickly, Reid ruled out this first option. The benefits of controlling Fisk were too low.
Though it was easy, it wasn't worth using Lex Luthor's card for such a small gain. With Luthor's abilities, a bigger goal was needed.
Reid's focus then shifted to Victor Von Doom and his company, the future birthplace of Doctor Doom, and the company that could bring the most benefits. Doom Industries was clearly the best option among the three.
Victor, whether the comic or the movie version, was originally from Latveria, where there were mystical ties to the Gypsy witches. Taking control of Doom Industries would grant Reid access to magical energies. In the comics, Doctor Doom is far from a simple villain—he rarely misses major events and always plays an important role.
It wouldn't be that difficult to control Victor. As of now, he hadn't yet mastered magic and was just an ordinary man, making him easier to manipulate.
Aside from him, there was also the matter of the Fantastic Four. Reed Richards would most likely rely on the Doom Industries for space exploration and cosmic research.
Reed's intellect was almost otherworldly, comparable to Luthor, making him an exceptionally gifted individual.
However, Reid had no particular fondness for Reed.
His thinking was often erratic, and in the zombie universe, Reed took extreme measures by considering zombies as the next stage of human evolution.
After losing his children, he injected the virus into his wife and friends, which led to the extinction of the Fantastic Four and the spread of the virus to other universes.
Setting Reed aside, there were still benefits to controlling the Fantastic Four. While The Thing's strength didn't rival Hulk's, he was still a formidable powerhouse.
Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, could unleash supernova-level heat, a deadly weapon on Earth.
Invisible Woman Susan's powers were the strongest in the group, and her son, Franklin, had the ability to rewrite reality and repair the multiverse, a power that came with immense potential.
However, controlling Doom Industries was the most difficult option. Victor's aggressive approach to attracting external capital meant that decision-making had already shifted to the hands of investors.
As long as Victor could continue to create value, he was the leader, but if the company faced losses, it could change drastically.
This was a dilemma rooted in societal rules.
New York wasn't Gotham, and even Luthor's influence would be difficult to wield in this environment. As outside capital had already entered, Luthor wouldn't have much weight in Victor's organization, especially since Victor was already wealthy and an accomplished scientist, reducing Luthor's chance of gaining full control.
"The cost is too high. It's not worth it. By the time the Fantastic Four are formed, Luthor still won't be able to gain control." Reid muttered, shaking his head.
With that, he dismissed this option, leaving only one choice left.
"The Osborn Corporation, or rather, in this world, the Os Industries."
At this point, the company had just been established. Although its founders, Norman Osborn and Otto Octavius, were both geniuses, even the most brilliant minds cannot succeed without resources. The biggest challenge Os Industries faced was insufficient funding and immature technology.
Both Norman and Otto had their own goals, but in order to achieve them, they needed continued investment. At this point, they had no viable technology to generate profits.
Reid had also gathered information and learned that Norman and Otto were considering seeking investment, just like Victor. Though their respective projects couldn't yet generate profits, they were more than enough to attract investors.
The reason they were hesitant was simply the fear that, after bringing in outside capital, they might lose control of the company, just like Victor had.
If Luthor were to join Os Industries now, bringing both funds and technology, it would be like adding fuel to a fire.
His position within the company would immediately be just beneath Norman and Otto, the two founders.
Moreover, the two people, one being the Green Goblin and the other Doctor Octopus, would have their names linked to Spider-Man in the future.
'And if I play as Luthor and join.' Reid thought, 'Perhaps I could help Os Industries make a sharp turn, surpassing the rapidly expanding Doom Industries. And most importantly…'
Reid recalled the events that took place within Oscorp in the games.
Eventually, Norman and Otto would fall into conflict, and Otto would leave Oscorp, leaving Norman to take full control of the company.
Their conflict was inevitable, and that meant an opportunity would arise for Reid to step in and seize control.
With that thought in mind, Reid made his decision.
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