this.
It was a "trap" that Zod deliberately set for John.
Before entering low Earth orbit, experts from the mothership's technology department had already retrieved all environmental readings of the Earth.
A deductive model specifically designed for Carl El was constructed.
This logic, built on rigorous biomechanics and environmental compensation, can maintain self-consistency to the greatest extent.
They assumed.
Imagine an individual who was separated from its mother planet in infancy.
They lived on this yellow-sun planet for nearly twenty stellar revolutions.
His physiological structure will be domesticated and reshaped by the local environment during the long development process.
He was used to the weak gravity of his home planet, which was only one-fifth that of his home planet, and to the thin, dry, and pure oxygen with very few impurities.
This is undoubtedly weak compared to Krypton's atmosphere.
The environmental parameters here are a perfect replica of Krypton's normal atmosphere.
Once an individual adapted to Earth's ecology suddenly intrudes into this space...
The first to be affected is the paralysis of the respiratory system.
Earth's atmosphere is mainly composed of nitrogen and oxygen, which are light and have a very small molecular weight.
However, the main component of Krypton's atmosphere is inert krypton.
Not only is the gas density extremely high, but it also contains a large number of unsettled metal particles and radioactive dust.
Once inhaled, the high density of impurities will instantly clog the entire bronchus, triggering a violent coughing and suffocation reaction.
Immediately afterwards, the sensory nerves will begin to weaken.
Five times the gravity of Earth means that the body's organs, blood vessels, and bones have to bear many times the tensile force every second.
At the same time, the fully enclosed lead-steel gate will completely block out the yellow sunlight from outer space.
Under conditions of hypoxia, high stress, and disordered metabolism.
Muscles can accumulate excessive lactic acid in a short period of time.
The entire motion system will also quickly collapse and eventually shut down.
"Tap, tap."
Footsteps sounded through the copper mist.
General Zod stepped out of the shadows.
Behind the translucent mask, his deep-set eyes gleamed with a waxy, sinister light, like the menacing gaze directed at something in a bag.
"Can't Shang-Chi... Carl El?"
Then, Zod stomped his boot so hard that it smashed a section of the deck.
Behind the breathing mask, the shadowy face was revealed.
The deep black exoskeleton armor resembled a mechanical skeleton draped over his body, making his already imposing frame appear even taller.
Behind him, the Krypton servants on either side stood solemnly, without uttering a word.
To Zod's right.
Faora leaned slightly forward, her black, streamlined battle suit clinging tightly to her body.
The heat dissipation slots on both sides of the full-coverage faceplate were faintly emitting purple smoke.
His hands hung down, resting against the short blade at his waist.
Zod looked down at the figure lost in the smoke and dust, a slow smile curving his lips.
" Carl El..."
Zod spoke.
"In this low-gravity greenhouse, filled with cheap oxygen and sunlight, you seem to have... forgotten all your Krypton instincts."
Zod lifted his heavy boots and took a step down:
"Now, you're back in the embrace of your home planet... savor its solitude, and then—"
"Kneel down, you bastard of the El family!"
Zod's eyes narrowed slightly, deep in their sockets.
That sickly, viscous, waxy yellow light suddenly surged, staining the whites of his eyes with a strange, cloudy layer:
"Cooperate with us and retrieve the Codex of Life... Out of consideration for your father, I can allow you to live a few more years."
"Until... we rebuild Krypton."
But Zod was met only with silence.
The only sounds at the scene were the hum of the generator and the annoying mechanical noise of the air circulation pump.
And in the center of that thick, bronze-colored mist.
The almost invisible figure did not suffer the pain or vomit blood that Zod had expected.
There was no sign of weakness whatsoever.
Moreover, in the dim light and shadow, that slender figure... moved.
"Despair."
A light, crisp sound of leather shoes hitting the ground.
John remained standing in the same spot, upright and with a calm expression.
The front of his suit jacket was slightly open, revealing the white shirt underneath.
At this moment, he raised his left hand, his slender index finger casually brushing away a bit of debris that clung to the lapel of his suit.
Then--
"Call..."
The sound of blowing air stirred up the cloud of copper mist, which began to tumble and swirl in the light and shadow.
At the microscopic level.
If someone were to zoom in on John's lungs with a high-speed camera, they would find—
The moment the body was touched, the dust, enough to corrode the respiratory tract in a short time, was released.
This did indeed cause some of the cells in John's body to instinctively resist and contract.
However.
This "image" lasted only half a second.
Next second.
Compounds incorporated into the double helix of deoxyribonucleic acid within all cell nuclei.
It was quickly stimulated by this foreign "antigen" and began to unleash new energy.
The blue particles began to evaporate like a geyser, dispersing throughout all the cells.
And it autonomously achieves an infinite cycle of "contraction-expansion".
"Call--"
John let out a long breath.
Then he slowly raised his head.
On that pretty young face, there was not a trace of the pain and fear that Zod had hoped for.
Instead, his mouth turned outwards in a wide grin, revealing a fang, and several noticeable crow's feet appeared at the corners of his eyes.
Zod could tell that it was a fake smile.
"The atmosphere of the home planet?"
John took a deep breath and then shrugged.
"The smell isn't fresh enough, and secondly, some of it is nauseating... it's even worse than the air in my pigsty."
As he spoke, John raised his wrist and glanced down at the Rolex Daytona on his wrist.
"You've got a pretty good plan, but what a pity..."
John's gaze traveled across the long flight of stairs, settling casually on Zod's scarred face:
"You've miscalculated one thing..."
"Nobody but Old Joe and Martha can boss me around."
"I'll do whatever I want... You guys aren't worthy."
"Thump--!!!!"
Next second, sonic boom!
The figure vanished from the spot.
Along with this, there was also the sinking and collapse, and the splashing of steel shavings!
"Boom--!!!!"
A spiderweb-like crack flashed by, leaving only an elusive black afterimage in its wake!
Immediately afterwards, a powerful punch rose into the air, carrying terrifying kinetic energy, and slammed straight into Zod's face.
One frame is pure black, the other is pure white.
The high-contrast black and white negative film frames suddenly flashed wildly within seconds!
not good!!
Zod's instincts, honed through countless battles, made him react immediately, and he crossed his arms tightly over his chest.
Protect your heart.
"When------!!!!"
A deafening roar, like the sound of a great bell, resounded throughout the entire ship.
A violent shockwave swept across the ground in a spherical shape, centered on the two individuals.
The meter-thick main deck beneath Zod's feet instantly bulged and shattered into a crumpled metal shell with a "crack".
The armor, weighing hundreds of pounds, was blasted backward more than thirty meters.
"Sizzle..."
He barely managed to get up after his boots had scraped two deep, molten grooves.
Zod rose straight from the collapsed ruins, his two gauntlets right in the center.
Two vivid fist-shaped imprints were clearly visible, with white smoke still hissing from them.
A fierce glint flashed in his sallow eyes, and then he shouted:
" Faora!"
Half a step later, Faora, who had been poised to strike, wielded a short blade and transformed into a streak of black light, heading straight for John.