Siberia, 1968
Morrison makes his way through a snowstorm, walking against the wind. He finally reaches a tavern and goes inside, warming his hands at the oven. The bartender, Algensky, realizes that he's wearing a gulag prisoner's outfit, but assures him that he won't turn him in. They share a toast to freedom and the prisoner demands to know what year it is. Once Algensky says that it's 1968, Morrison asks if Powers still rule. Algensky says that more show up every day, but the greatest one--SuperShock--has vanished after a fight against Morrison.
Now
Morrison sits beneath the Drainer and Deena tells Christian that Morrison just surrendered without a fight. She tells Emile that he can trust her not to hurt Morrison, and all she wants is to get a confession out of him. Emile tells Christian to put the word out that they have Morrison so that they draw SuperShock in. When Christian refuses, warning that it's a bad idea, Emile calls Edson in to leak the news.
Nicole is doing a TV editorial about whether Powers Division can keep people safe. She then meets with Edson, who insists that she not use his name. He tells her that Powers has Morrison in custody and Emile is keeping it buried so that SuperShock doesn't learn about it and go vigilante. Nicole thanks Edson for the tip and drives off, and he calls Emile.
Christian and Deena talk to Morrison and Christian asks why he surrendered. Morrison explains that since his powers failed him, he's tried to live a quiet life. He admits that stabbing Kutter was a mistake, and Kutter took him by surprise. The detectives said that they told the press Morrison was there and SuperShock will eventually find him, and Morrison realizes that he's bait. Christian explains that Deena would cheerfully kill Morrison because Kutter was her lover as well as her colleague. He says that they want a clue to get through to SuperShock and stop him from tearing apart the world. Morrison says that SuperShock is out of his mind and if he decides to destroy the world, there's nothing that any of them can do about it.
Calista is helping Krispin put on his new costume when Zora asks Calista to her outside. She and Ramirez complain that Calista didn't consult with them about inviting Krispin to join. Ramirez warns that Krispin is untested and will get them killed. Krispin comes in and agrees, and says that he hates Powers.
Morrison says that SuperShock caused the earthquake in Caracas, and Retro Girl covered it up. He says that he was in a gulag when it happened and his powers had started waning. Since Morrison mixed it up with SuperShock decades ago, he's made it a point to stay away from Powers. He figures that Retro Girl convinced SuperShock to retire for the last 40 years, keeping his madness out of public view. When Morrison heard that she'd been murdered, he'd figure that SuperShock would go off.
The building shakes as SuperShock smashes in. He grabs Emile and demands Morrison, and Christian and Deena run out. Christian asks SuperShock to put Emile down, and the Power throws Emile across the room. He tells Christian to get out of his way if he won't hand Morrison over, and insists that it's only over when Morrison is dead. Christian says that Janice wouldn't want it, and SuperShock insists that Janice is on his side. He calls to Janice, and Christian says that she's dead. SuperShock screams in frustration, unleashing a wave of sound across the city.
Once he's done, SuperShock insists that Morrison killed Janice. Christian tells him that they caught Janice's killer and it wasn't Morrison, but SuperShock figures that he's lying. Emile steps forward and says that he's a great admirer of SuperShock, and his grandfather served in the Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis that SuperShock helped end. Because his grandfather lived, he was born and formed Powers Division, and now they put away the people SuperShock captures. Before the Power can respond, Morrison walks out of the shattered interrogation room
Krispin goes to the bus station to get a ticket to see his grandparents in Tulsa. Calista follows him there and insists that the whole world needs Krispin. Krispin says that SuperShock will kill all of them and they won't come back, and Calista says that she needs him.
Christian warns SuperShock that if he kills Morrison then nothing will change. SuperShock insists that Morrison is a killer, and Christian says that Janice wrote a letter and gave it to Bailey, and SuperShock took it after he killed Bailey. Morrison admits that Cuba was his last hurrah, and says that he ran but the Russians caught him after his powers failed. The only thing that kept him alive was the thought of SuperShock, and Morrison says that SuperShock needs him. SuperShock looks at Morrison and then says that he's not Morrison because he's not a real destroyer. Morrison says that he created SuperShock during World War I, but SuperShock says that Janice made him.
Krispin and the others arrive, and Krispin charges forward. SuperShock shoves him away, smashing him through a support pillar, and then flies off. Calista goes to Krispin, who comes back to life, and Morrison says that it's better than anything he could have hoped for.
Outside, Terrance is running a live broadcast about the apparent between Powers Division and SuperShock. Nicole asks if there's any sign of Morrison, and insists that she knows Morrison is there.
Inside, Christian and Deena meet with the Powers. Ramirez admits that SuperShock is out of their league, but Christian says that they need to outsmart him rather than outpower him. He tells Calista to fly him to Patrick's cabin so they can figure out how Janice kept him safely contained, and then they do the same thing. Krispin offers to go with them, but Calista says he's done enough and Zora goes with them instead. Deena tells Ramirez and Krispin to go through Triphammer's files and sees if he had anything on how Janice kept SuperShock subdued. Meanwhile she's going to see someone before it's too late.
SuperShock flies to the forest in France where he first manifested his power and talks to his hallucination of Morrison. "Morrison" tells him to let go and bring all the suffering the world to an end, and says that they both want peace. All SuperShock has to do is rip out the world's heart and watch it die. He disappears and SuperShock tells Janice that he can't do it.
Christian, Calista, and Zora go to Patrick's cabin and confirm that he's not there. There's a note in Janice's handwriting taped to the refrigerator, telling Patrick to remember all the good that he's done. Calista figures that Janice did it out of love, and Christian says that Janice should have told him so he could have helped them both. They find a photo of a view of the city from the hills, and leave.
Nicole goes to see Deena at her home and asks what happened between SuperShock and Morrison. The reporter says that they have footage of SuperShock grabbing Rainbow just before her death, and says that it's a great story. Deena punches her unconscious and then slams the door, and stares at her hands as they glow purple
Krispin and Ramirez go through Triphammer's files and find his personal diary. Triphammer talks about how he loved Janice and she made him feel whole. He then writes about how he was angry that Retro Girl was happy when she was with Diamond. There's another entry of Janice warning Triphammer that one day they'd have to deal with a Power that can't be fought or stopped, not even by her. The others arrive and explain what they found, and Christian says that has some idea. He also has faith that they can be better heroes than he was. Christian figures that Janice didn't tell him what was going on with SuperShock because she figured that she couldn't trust Diamond. He asks the Powers if they trust him, and Zora tells him to tell them what to do.
At the station, Morrison is sitting in the cell beneath the Drainer when it goes out. Deena comes in and shorts out the security camera with a glance. She then tells Morrison that she has not been in control of her actions recently, and says that Morrison almost killed the only man she ever loved. However, Deena says that she wants to kiss him, and releases black essence from her mouth into his. Morrison goes into convulsions, and Deena reverts to normal and runs out as Morrison collapses, dead.
Deena goes to her car and SuperShock appears, asking her where Diamond is. She says that he's not there, and SuperShock wonders why Deena looks so familiar to him. Deena says that SuperShock saved her life once, and offers to call Christian. The Power agrees but grabs her arm, and her new power repels him briefly. He says that they can't help themselves and it will be Deena's ruin as well as his. SuperShock then says that he saw Deena with Morrison and rams his hand into her chest, ripping her heart out. The Power apologizes and puts the heart back in, but Deena doesn't recover.
The next morning, Patrick is on the hill overlooking the city when the four new Powers approach him. He realizes that they found him because of the photo, and says that he's waiting for someone. Ramirez says that they're there to help, and Zora tells him that they're ready to pick up where he left off... if he'll let them. Calista says that they're going to call themselves New Unity to honor what the original Unity stood for. SuperShock admires their courage but warns that the Power will rot them slowly from the inside, just like it did with him.
When Calista refuses to get out of his way, SuperShock knocks her back a half mile through the forest. He easily takes down Krispin and Ramirez, and Zora tries to hold him off with her energy cubes. SuperShock eventually manages to take her down as well, and Calista flies back and slams into him. She beats him thousands of times at superspeed, and he calls her Janice. Calista starts to crush his skull but hesitates, then backs away and insists that SuperShock isn't evil. SuperShock gets up and knocks her out, and prepares to kill them all.
Christian steps forward, wearing his Diamond costume, and tells SuperShock that it's enough. The Power figures that Janice sent him, and Christian agrees. SuperShock says that Morrison has done something with Janice, and says that it all has to end. Laughing, he levitates and spreads his arms, and a vortex opens in the sky above him. Christian grabs his former mentor, and SuperShock says that all of mankind deserves to die. When Christian says that Janice wouldn't want it, SuperShock says that Janice is dead and the humans murdered her. Christian says that he killed her and he's Morrison, pretending to be Diamond. The Power hallucinates Christian as Morrison, boasting that he killed Retro Girl and Cobalt Knight, and says that he'll never stop coming after him. It only ends when they're both dead. He asks if SuperShock will fly them both into the sun and sacrifice himself to stop Morrison. SuperShock grabs Christian and flies into the sky and then towards the sun.
Nicole is soon reporting that PTB has confirmed that SuperShock was the source of the disaster earlier that day, and that he attacked and nearly killed Deena. Christian is missing and presumed dead. Nicole says that Retro Girl lied to them, covering up SuperShock's murders.
New Unity watches the news as Nicole warns the public that Powers are dangerous. Congress has convened an emergency session to bring Bailey's anti-Powers legislation back to the floor. If passed, it will make the use of Powers illegal. Nicole declares that the age of Powers is over.
SuperShock flies into the sun, still holding Christian.
Deena wakes up in her hospital bed and mutters Christian's name.
Later, Christian floats in a white void. Unseen entities watch him and figure that Christian would be an ideal candidate. They agree to bring it before the Council, and in the meantime put Christian through the level two trials and see what he's truly made of. After a moment, Christian screams in agony.
Written by Gadfly on Jul 20, 2016