Marvel: Superman Strength in a World of Heroes

Kingpin had always been a careful and calculating man

His intellect far exceeded that of ordinary people.

To most, Carl's earlier words, about his lost wealth and Kingpin needing to "help recover it", would've made no sense.

What does your money have to do with me?

But Kingpin understood instantly.

This was extortion.

And not just any extortion,

This was daylight robbery.

Ten billion dollars?!

Was this guy dreaming?

Did he think money grew on trees?

Kingpin was the underground emperor of New York.

Arguably the entire U.S.

His influence reached across continents.

Real estate, technology, biomedicine, heavy industry, he had a hand in it all.

According to his own estimate, his net worth surpassed thirty billion.

A staggering figure.

In the Marvel Universe, Kingpin was a classic rags-to-riches tale.

His father had been a mere street thug.

Everything he'd built, he built alone.

Among tens of millions, who else had risen so far, so fast?

Thirty billion U.S. dollars, he was the embodiment of power.

But even with all his accumulated assets,

Carl's request was still too much.

Ten billion. In cash.

Even Kingpin couldn't pull that kind of liquidity.

Assets and cash? Huge difference.

Assets could mean anything, companies, buildings, product stock, even tons of flour…

As long as it held value.

But cash?

That meant real money. Transferable, on demand. Funds that could be wired straight into a bank account.

It's not that Kingpin didn't want to pay.

It's that… he couldn't.

Not far away, Daredevil finally recovered from his shock.

He slowly grasped the nature of the exchange between Carl and Kingpin.

Extortion?

He was stunned.

What the hell is going on?

Who even was this Asian man who appeared out of nowhere?

He'd saved Daredevil, neutralized Kingpin, and possessed overwhelming power.

He looked every bit the righteous hero.

Daredevil had almost convinced himself,

This guy must be a new superhero.

But just as that idea settled,

He watched Carl… extort Kingpin?

This whole scene,

To someone who knew the scope of Kingpin's empire, it felt like a fever dream.

Who would've thought New York's underground emperor would end up being shaken down like this?

Carl noticed Kingpin's hesitation and found it… strange.

Ten billion was a lot, sure.

But between life and money, any rational person should know which to pick.

Was Kingpin choosing death?

Carl had already given him a way out.

Apparently, Kingpin didn't appreciate it.

What's going on in this guy's head?

Carl's expression remained pleasant,

But a faint red glow began to flicker in his eyes.

He stared at Kingpin and chuckled softly,

"Seems like you really can't help me find that money."

"What a shame."

He was ready to finish the job.

The red glow in Carl's eyes grew brighter.

Kingpin panicked.

"Mr. Carl! Please, don't do this!"

Carl didn't respond.

A rush of fear surged through Kingpin's chest.

Was this the end?

Carl's powers were just… too strange.

Bullseye had been incinerated in seconds.

Would his fate be any different?

Could he fight back?

No.

Not against this.

And the price Carl demanded, was simply too high.

Even if Kingpin pulled together every loose dollar he had…

He still might not reach even a few billion.

His mind raced through backup plans.

And then, Carl suddenly paused.

He tilted his head, looking Kingpin up and down.

Then said, half-surprised:

"…You're poorer than I thought."

Kingpin froze.

What did that mean?

Was he… poor?

He was poor?

He'd clawed his way up from nothing.

Built an empire worth over thirty billion.

The word "poor" had never once entered his vocabulary.

But Carl's words,

Left him utterly speechless.

Even Daredevil looked confused.

He'd battled Kingpin for years.

He knew the man's operations inside and out.

Especially that shady flour trade, he'd disrupted it more times than he could count.

He knew how much Kingpin was worth.

Yet now, Carl called him "poor"?

Carl continued nonchalantly,

"Since you're not as wealthy as I assumed, let's adjust the arrangement."

"Of course, the total amount remains the same."

He paused, then added:

"You'll still help me recover ten billion."

"But for now, I'll settle for two billion upfront."

"The rest, you can pay back later, within three years."

"With interest. Standard bank rates."

Carl smiled and asked,

"How's that sound?"

"…What?"

Kingpin was dumbfounded.

He hadn't expected this sudden shift.

But after a moment of silence, he quickly nodded.

"…Alright."

Two billion was still a huge sum.

But compared to death? It was a bargain.

Survival always comes first.

After all, a dead man can't spend money.

Carl handed him a slip of paper.

"Here's my account number. Memorize it."

Kingpin scanned it quickly.

Carl smiled again.

"By the way, I want to see the two billion deposited within three days."

"And the remaining eight billion, with interest, within three years."

"I'm sure you wouldn't want anything… unfortunate to happen, right?"

Kingpin nodded furiously.

"Yes. Of course. Absolutely."

But,

Something about Carl's tone rang a bell.

Where had he heard that kind of phrasing before?

Then it hit him.

Wasn't this exactly the tone I used in that letter to Carl, when I tried to buy his bar?

The realization struck hard.

Kingpin gave a bitter laugh.

This guy really holds a grudge.

Still…

Why the change in strategy?

Why switch from killing to extorting?

He had no idea.

And he wasn't about to ask.

All he could do was nod and agree.

"I'll wire the money as soon as possible. No later than tomorrow."

"Good." Carl nodded with satisfaction.

In truth,

Just moments ago, when Carl was wondering why Kingpin seemed unwilling to pay,

He had sensed something new from the [Silver Superman Template].

A skill had silently unlocked:

[Telepathy].

He had activated it instinctively.

And from that moment on,

He could hear everything Kingpin was thinking.

Every doubt. Every calculation. Every excuse.

So he adjusted his plan.

Two billion upfront?

That was more realistic.

Honestly…

Kingpin had far less cash than Carl had expected.

Even a few billion dollars made them almost equal.

So much for being the underground emperor of New York…

What a joke.

Couldn't even cough up enough for a proper bribe.

How pathetic.

As for why Carl didn't kill him?

There wasn't really a deeper reason.

Kingpin had shown some sense.

He hadn't fought back.

He was willing to pay.

And Carl?

He was just going with the flow.

At the end of the day, he held no personal grudge against Kingpin.

The guy had simply picked the wrong time to cross his path.

And as for this whole hero versus villain routine?

Carl couldn't care less.

He wasn't interested in "justice."

He didn't go hunting down criminals for sport.

That would be way too boring.

If someone pissed him off,

He erased them on the spot.

Simple as that.