A healing factor combined with a vibranium body made Luke Cage absurdly durable.
But durability alone wasn't enough.
Being impossible to kill had limited value if you couldn't hit hard enough to matter.
So Drex added one more mutant gene.
Originally, the super-strength gene had been fairly mediocre. Under normal circumstances, it would've granted its host maybe ten tons of lifting power.
After Drex modified it, however, the gene became vastly more potent.
The downside was obvious.
It offered no defensive enhancement whatsoever.
Still, once the upgraded strength gene merged with Luke Cage's existing mutations, the results became monstrous.
Luke's physical strength surpassed one hundred tons.
At that point, he could directly trade blows with Red Hulk, the Hulk, or even Super Abomination.
More importantly, his body barely changed in size.
Even after transforming into living vibranium, he remained agile because vibranium was significantly lighter than most metals at equivalent volume.
"Drex."
Morgan quietly slipped into the laboratory while Drex was reviewing data.
He glanced toward her.
"Something wrong?"
Morgan hesitated awkwardly.
"If... if I can never use Soul Magic again... what happens to me?"
Ever since the incident, she'd been painfully aware of one thing:
The only reason she had ever gotten close to Drex Valen at all was because of the explosion and the dangerous magic inside her.
Otherwise, someone like her never would've crossed paths with someone like him.
There were countless beautiful women and brilliant girls trying to get close to Drex every day.
Morgan didn't have Pietro's carefree confidence.
And unlike Wanda, who worked tirelessly without overthinking things, Morgan constantly worried about becoming unnecessary.
Drex studied her for a moment before answering.
"Then you find other ways to help."
He spoke casually, like the answer was obvious.
"You could study cellular biology, genetic engineering, high-energy physics, astrophysics, spatial physics, theoretical physics, energy systems..."
He shrugged lightly.
"I'm desperately short on people in those fields."
Drex could see straight through her anxiety.
Pietro was reckless and uncomplicated.
Wanda was diligent and focused.
Morgan, meanwhile, clearly wanted shortcuts.
Jessica Campbell had reacted differently from all of them. After losing her family and suddenly finding herself alone in the world, she'd thrown herself into studying with almost desperate determination.
She genuinely believed education could change her future.
Which was ironic, considering she was only a short distance away from becoming a heavily nerfed version of Supergirl.
Morgan, on the other hand, felt a headache forming just listening to Drex list scientific disciplines she barely understood.
The private academy he'd established offered virtually every subject imaginable for students willing to learn.
Still...
"I'll work hard," she said quickly.
Then she fled the room like she was escaping a burning building.
Drex watched her leave, fully aware of the thoughts spiraling through her head.
Morgan wandered the streets afterward feeling strangely miserable.
Yes, she was hopelessly attracted to Drex Valen's appearance.
That much was obvious even to herself.
But Drex wasn't just handsome.
He was a genius centuries ahead of the modern world.
Someone like him probably needed people who could actually understand the things he talked about.
I'm way too stupid for someone like that...
As she walked through a quieter section of the street, a voice suddenly echoed beside her.
"Do you want him to love you?"
Morgan froze.
Ever since the Soul Magic incident, she understood this world contained far more than science.
Ghosts.
Dimensions.
Things far worse than ghosts.
Slowly, she turned around.
A shadow-like figure composed of dark blue and black light stood behind her.
Its form remained blurry and unstable, yet the moment Morgan looked at it, a clear image appeared instinctively in her mind.
An enormous demon towering like a mountain.
Four crystal-blue horns rose from its head.
Its entire body was covered in massive scales, each one larger than Morgan herself.
The creature's face looked exactly like the kind of devil people painted in religious nightmares.
Morgan immediately tried to run.
Her body refused to move.
"Do not fear me, Morgan," the entity said gently. "I am your father."
That only terrified her more.
The Ancient One had already warned her that one of her parents likely wasn't human, and that her existence might be tied to an extradimensional entity seeking access to Earth.
Morgan didn't fully understand what a dimensional god truly was.
But she understood enough to know they were bad news.
Then the shadows in front of her shifted.
An image appeared.
Drex.
Inside a gravity chamber.
Sweat glistened across his bare chest and sharply defined abdominal muscles as he trained under crushing force.
Morgan's eyes widened instantly.
"Morgan," the entity repeated patiently, "do you want his love?"
The dimensional god sounded almost fatherly.
Manipulative.
Gentle.
Careful.
"You're trying to tempt me!"
Morgan swallowed hard, desperately trying to look away.
"No," the entity replied softly. "I am your father. I understand your thoughts better than anyone. I simply want my daughter to live happily."
Morgan shut her eyes tightly in refusal.
The entity continued speaking anyway.
"Did you notice the woman beside him? His secretary. Urd."
The shadows shifted again.
This time, Morgan saw Urd bathing.
Morgan instantly suffered complete psychological defeat.
From appearance to confidence to capability, she felt utterly outclassed.
"There's another problem," the dimensional god continued calmly. "From what I've observed, Drex Valen prefers mature women."
Its voice became quieter.
"How many years do you think you'll need before you can compete?"
Then suddenly, the entity paused.
Apparently, the Ancient One had begun noticing its presence.
The dimensional god withdrew immediately.
"I'll give you a few days to think about it, Morgan."
The shadows vanished.
Morgan collapsed onto the pavement, breathing hard.
Several minutes passed before she finally managed to stand again.
She ran straight toward Blade Tech Industries.
She needed to tell Drex what had happened.
Needed to warn him.
But when she reached the upper floors, she saw him talking with Urd.
Morgan couldn't hear the conversation.
But the sight alone stopped her cold.
Urd stood beside Drex naturally, effortlessly.
Beautiful.
Capable.
Confident.
The two of them laughed together while discussing something Morgan couldn't begin to understand.
Her feet refused to move.
For the first time in her life, Morgan truly understood jealousy.
Deep inside her heart, something quietly began to grow.
Far away, the dimensional entity smiled in satisfaction as its connection to Earth's dimension strengthened slightly.
Negative emotions were nourishment to beings like it.
Fear.
Envy.
Desire.
Resentment.
Humans without darkness simply didn't exist.
In the end, Morgan never told Drex about the encounter.
If I don't have power...
Then I'll never be able to stay close to him...
Later, Wanda noticed almost immediately that something felt wrong.
"Morgan?" Wanda asked gently. "Are you okay?"
Morgan forced a smile.
"I'm fine, Wanda."
She could tell Wanda genuinely cared about her.
Which only made the guilt worse.
Morgan didn't want to drag her into this.
Wanda was too good for that.
"If something's bothering you, tell me," Wanda said sincerely. "We're friends, remember?"
Wanda treasured the peaceful life they'd found together.
Morgan.
Jessica.
For the first time in a long while, she actually felt happy.
Morgan laughed softly.
"Don't worry. If things get bad, I'll annoy you to death asking for help."
But behind the smile, she had already made a decision.