In the films, the so-called new element was portrayed as a stable, non-radioactive transitional element used as a catalyst. But in reality, according to Mendeleev's periodic law, humanity has only synthesized elements up to atomic number 118. Every slot before 118 on the periodic table is already filled, and the elements discovered beyond that point all exhibit extreme radioactivity with extraordinarily short half-lives—decaying almost the instant they're created. An element like the one shown in the movie simply shouldn't exist. This was basic high school chemistry.
What's more, although it was called a "new element," judging from the data model, it was actually a spherical polymeric composite—something that couldn't even be classified on the periodic table.
To truly create a new element, it would have to fall outside the periodic table entirely. That meant its atomic nucleus would need a proton count higher than anything currently known.
And everyone knew this much: the higher the proton count, the more unstable the element. The artificially synthesized elements at the end of the periodic table could barely exist for a second.
Even if such an element could somehow be created, its radioactivity would inevitably exceed that of palladium, the element Stark originally used. In other words, Stark would've died even faster.
As for the claim that the new element was an isotope of the Space Stone—did people even know what an isotope was?
Isotopes weren't new elements. Isotopes had the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. Only a change in proton count defined a new element. If Stark had merely altered the neutron count of palladium, then not only would it still not be a new element, its radioactivity would remain dangerously high.
The most classic example was obvious to anyone with basic knowledge: naturally glowing substances in nature were radioactive. And that so-called new element? It glowed brilliantly—before it even entered a reactor.
And yet, Zod had successfully synthesized the new element anyway.
The entire process fell squarely into a blind spot in Zod's understanding. He didn't even know why it had worked.
He'd originally intended to replicate the film's process purely to prove that it was impossible.
Instead… it succeeded.
Why?
Zod couldn't figure it out. But since the element already existed, he decided not to waste time overthinking it.
He named it simply: the Zod Element.
The emergence of a new element required a corresponding framework—a system of rules to define it. And naturally, those rules had to be established by the discoverer themselves. Much like how, without Mendeleev's original table, later generations wouldn't have been able to categorize newly discovered elements according to any consistent law.
This element didn't belong to Mendeleev's periodic table, nor could it be classified under Krypton's elemental system. Zod also had no intention of publicly releasing its molecular structure. Doing so might have immortalized his name in history—but he didn't need fame. He could live long enough to watch history pass by anyway.
Still, to prevent Tony Stark from eventually producing the Zod Element himself, Zod publicly announced that he had successfully created a new element. Aside from withholding its molecular structure, he released most of the supporting data and verification results.
The announcement caused an uproar.
Soon after, reactors based on the new element appeared. Like the Arc Reactor, this element also supported cold nuclear reactions.
The scientific community was shaken to its core. For the first time, the name Zod Hess truly entered the field of vision of the world's top scientists. Before this, even breakthroughs like sub-Kryptonian alloy materials or the War Machine—which had sparked a global arms race—had barely registered to them.
But this was a new element.
At the same time, Zod's refusal to fully disclose the element's structure sparked dissatisfaction among some researchers. After all, a new element held enormous potential to advance humanity as a whole.
Zod couldn't be bothered to respond to people who tried to morally kidnap others with claims of "selflessness." These were people you couldn't reason with. He respected those who chose to be selfless—but he had no intention of becoming one himself. After having Uld register the patents with the available data, Zod washed his hands of the matter.
Uld couldn't find words to describe Zod's genius anymore. At just twenty years old, he had discovered and synthesized a new element. What kind of earth-shattering invention would come next?
Tony Stark, who had been gearing up for his own big breakthrough, fell silent when he saw the news.
What?
A new element?
Discovering the existence of a single element carried immeasurable significance for the advancement of human civilization.
Were young people these days really this unhinged?
Still, Tony Stark didn't give up. He had always believed he was the greatest genius alive.
A new element? So what. I can do it too.
Tony Stark pulled himself together.
Meanwhile, on the international stage, attitudes toward Zod Hess shifted dramatically. Any small, under-the-table maneuvers the United States had once considered were immediately abandoned.
Persecuting a genius capable of benefiting all humanity was simply irrational.
"Sir, we've identified a target."
Black Queen spoke up as Zod continued his research.
"What target?" Zod asked.
"A subject for the Superhuman Program—Jessica Jones."
Black Queen replied.
Jessica Jones—originally named Jessica Campbell—had been a high school classmate of Peter Parker. During a family trip to Disney, she and her brother argued in the back seat, distracting their father at the wheel. Their car collided head-on with a military vehicle transporting radioactive chemical agents. The entire family was exposed to radiation and died as a result.
Only Jessica survived.
She was rushed to the hospital and remained in a coma for months. When she eventually woke, she discovered she had gained the power of flight and strength far beyond normal human limits. She was later adopted by the Jones family and renamed Jessica Jones.
Zod was extremely interested in that truckload of chemical agents—whatever it was that had caused such a mutation—but that was clearly impossible to obtain now. Instead, Jessica Jones herself was the more realistic subject.
At present, Jessica was still lying unconscious in a hospital bed. In the original timeline, she wouldn't awaken until the Fantastic Four confronted Galactus near the hospital. For now, she was simply a comatose high school girl who had lost her family.
Blade Tech Industries took her away with ease.
Since she hadn't yet been adopted by the Jones family, her name was still Jessica Campbell.
"Black Queen, scan her physical condition. But don't stimulate her."
Zod's X-ray vision pierced through the hospital gown and flesh, observing the violent changes occurring inside Jessica Campbell's body as he gave the order.
"Understood, sir."
Black Queen immediately began scanning and establishing Jessica Campbell's profile.
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