Amidst a dazzling rain of energy, Malrick, having restored his colossal ninety-million-kilometer form, floated high above the ground. The God-Kingdom Space, a pocket dimension within the God-Kingdom Universe, seemed to revolve entirely around him, as if all creation bowed before its king.
Observing closely, one could see the space itself distorted. The rules of gravity, electromagnetism, and the fundamental forces constantly shifted. Any being entering it risked instant annihilation by the overwhelming power.
At last, Malrick slowly opened his eyes and descended. Golden light radiated from him like burning fire. Where it touched, life itself blossomed: grass sprouted and grew into thick, swaying fields several meters tall, moving without wind. From the grass seeds, small green figures emerged—little grass-men, each unique and endowed with powers. Some could summon lightning with a raised arm; others could reverse time with a glance.
Malrick watched these lives he had created, then waved his hand, and they returned to seeds.
"I've absorbed and fused every gene I could find, inching ever closer to Silver Superman, yet I remain just short of perfection," he murmured.
Two years had passed. Beyond necessary interventions, Malrick had devoted himself entirely to studying his own genes, bathing in sunlight while dissecting samples collected from countless worlds. Over time, he had fully transformed into Golden Superman, his strength reaching Multiverse-level potential, surpassing many others.
His main body's abilities also grew, allowing him to manifest nearly any power he desired. He knew he was only one step away from Silver Superman—but that final step eluded him. His research had stalled at the 89,999 level for half a year. Another half year of intensive study, assisted by his Super Brain, brought him to this moment, though he paused briefly.
"Burying myself in research only leads to dead ends," he reflected. "I understand life and genes well enough, but I lack inspiration."
His consciousness extended beyond the God-Kingdom Space, sweeping across the boundless Universe, detecting Tony's conversation with Jarvis.
"Tony was right. It's time to explore other Universes and gather new genes for reference," Malrick decided.
Activating his traversing ability, he keyed in: Silver Superman, Blood. The ability located the corresponding universe, confirming it was where Silver Superman resided. Without hesitation, Malrick disappeared from the Marvel Universe.
After traversing a chaotic void, he crossed the DC Universe's Origin Wall and arrived at Earth-One of the Silver Age comics. Outside the planet, he activated Super Vision and hearing, pinpointing Clark Kent's location: a laboratory. Superman's iconic red cape fluttered over his chest, his costume worn outside his underwear as tradition dictated.
A spherical, green sea-urchin-like device held green Kryptonite, being transformed into an iron ball by a scientist. Malrick noted the experiment's impending failure.
Boom! The experiment erupted. Superman reacted with Super Speed, shielding everyone. He then covered the device with a hemispherical metal lid—but the blast's force blew both the lid and Superman away. Radiation from the Kryptonite likely interfered, propelling him into a desert. He crashed, forming a human-shaped sand pit, and lost consciousness.
Malrick appeared beside him instantly.
"I… arrived just in time," he murmured, raising an eyebrow at the unconscious hero. With a slight gesture, he drew the dispersed blood mist from Superman's injuries and condensed it into a single drop in his palm.
"This is Silver Superman's prime blood… acquired effortlessly."
Observing Clark, Malrick decided to help him further. According to the comic timeline, the hero's strength was about to weaken by one-third.
This Silver Superman was Clark Kent of Earth-One, from DC Comics' Silver Age (1956–1986). The era began with the birth of Flash in 1956 and ended with Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1986, which consolidated the multiverse.
During the Silver Age, Superman's abilities evolved. Before 1971's Sand Superman Saga, his powers were virtually limitless, only constrained by Kryptonite. In that story, a scientist attempted to convert Kryptonite into iron. During the experiment, Superman was thrown into a desert, unconscious. While he slept, a mental energy from the Quark Dimension stole a third of his power, merging it with sand to create a new entity: Sand Superman.
Malrick observed all this with keen interest, fully aware that he had arrived at a pivotal moment.
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