Awakening Kryptonian Bloodline In Marvel.

After Tony asked his question, he hesitated, worried Malrick might take it the wrong way. He quickly tried to defuse it with a joke.

"For example, if you really turn into Superman and save the world, are you planning to haul all the nuclear bombs into space and vaporize them?"

"Or maybe find a few girlfriends to pass on your superman genes?"

"Come on, don't keep me hanging. You've clearly thought this through. Satisfy my curiosity!"

Tony nudged with a grin.

"If I had your powers, I'd date ten cover models in one night, then fly straight out of the solar system to see if there are any aliens. Hopefully some alien babes, too!"

Malrick chuckled—this was exactly what he'd expect Tony to say.

"You'll probably just run into a facehugger, not a space beauty."

He fired back the joke just as easily.

"But I'm not you. I'm not looking for anything that flashy. I'll just keep living like I did before."

"I was already the second young master of Stark Industries. People smiled wherever I went. The world was kind to me."

"Now that I'm stronger? That doesn't change anything. I've got no reason to turn bad, don't you think?"

"Well said, kid." Tony nodded approvingly, looking like a proud father.

Malrick took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at him. "Tony, if you keep looking at me like that, I swear I'll smack you with Pepper's new slippers."

"I'm your brother, not your son. Get it through your head."

Tony groaned. "You're always so touchy, Malrick. Fine, how about a toast to make you feel like an adult?"

"Oh please. I'm more adult than you." Malrick clinked his glass, refusing to fall into Tony's trap.

"But I'm not done talking."

"Even if I don't plan on changing how I live, I am walking a different road now."

"What road?" Tony asked, standing up straighter in the water.

"The road to becoming stronger," Malrick said, finishing his wine.

"That's it? But you're already ridiculously strong!" Tony blinked.

"There's no kryptonite here, no one who can beat you—why keep pushing?"

Malrick smiled faintly. "There's no kryptonite yet. That doesn't mean it'll stay that way."

Tony didn't argue that point. "So how are you planning to get stronger? Just soak up more sunlight?"

Malrick shook his head.

"Of course sunlight helps, but there's a limit to what that alone can do."

"I'm planning to improve from multiple angles—learn magic, qigong, scientific knowledge..."

"And once I understand enough, I want to study my own genes."

The moonlight shimmered across the water as Malrick gently clenched a fist beneath the surface.

"Gene research? You mean like the Super Soldier Serum from Cap?" Tony looked uneasy. "That stuff wouldn't even work on you, right?"

"It's useless to me," Malrick agreed. "But I'm not talking about that. I mean my own genes—Kryptonian DNA."

Tony froze. His expression turned grim. "You're serious?"

"In the comics, anyone who tried to tamper with Kryptonian genes ended up creating Doomsday."

"That's a monster. A weapon. Pure destruction. Krypton itself couldn't control it."

Tony's tone darkened. "This isn't a simple path. It's dangerous and narrow."

"If Kryptonian biology were that easy to enhance, they'd all be gods already."

"Malrick, think it over. You don't have to go the genetics route. We can explore other ways together. Smarter, safer ways."

Malrick shook his head. "I will explore other options. But I'm not abandoning the gene angle. If I can increase my potential at the root, I will."

Tony ran his hands down his face, frustration building. He looked more like an overwhelmed parent than ever.

"Okay... but have you thought about what might happen if something goes wrong and you actually become Doomsday?"

Tony leaned in, voice low.

"If that happens, no one on Earth can stop you. You'll do whatever you want, unchecked."

"If that version of you loses control... what happens to Earth?"

"Is there any outcome other than destruction?"

"You're being extreme, Malrick."

Malrick didn't answer right away. He just stared, visibly shaken by Tony's words.

Tony Stark, of all people, calling him extreme—that carried weight.

Tony was no stranger to reckless decisions: creating Ultron, backing the Sokovia Accords, splitting the Avengers. He never backed down, never hesitated.

If even he was warning Malrick, then maybe... he really had gone too far.

"…Alright," Malrick said slowly. "I admit it. Researching Kryptonian genetics is a pretty extreme move."

Tony let out a breath of relief.

But then Malrick added calmly, "That's why I won't start until I have kryptonite in hand."

Tony's eyes widened. "Wait—kryptonite? Where the hell are you getting that?"

"We don't have any. Obviously." Malrick gave him a flat look. "I'm talking about going to the DC Universe and bringing some back."

Tony blinked. "The DC... No, hold on, are we talking dreams now?"

"I'm being serious," Malrick said, refilling his empty glass with a quiet clink.

"I think my time-travel ability might also let me cross into fictional universes. Including DC."

"And when I get the kryptonite, I'm putting it in your hands."

"If I ever turn into Doomsday, I want you to stop me."

Tony barely heard the second half. He was still stuck on the first.

"Hold on, hold on—forget kryptonite for a sec. Time travel? You can time travel now? And the DC universe is real?"

"I told you on my birthday," Malrick said, frustrated. "I said I awakened my Kryptonian bloodline—and that I could travel through time and space."

"But you didn't believe me."

To be fair, Tony hadn't. He'd assumed Malrick had some kind of rare genetic mutation and got strong by sunbathing like a cosmic lizard.

It wasn't until Malrick came back from space—casually surviving things no human ever could—that Tony began to accept just how far beyond normal he truly was.

But time travel? That detail had completely slipped Tony's mind.

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