Alex and Querl arrive in the Fortress and free Supergirl. They explain that they traced Rama Khan's energy trail there, and Supergirl tells them that Lena hates her because Supergirl didn't tell her her secret identity. She tracks Lena to Mount Norquay, one of Lex's old hideouts, and Supergirl flies there.
Lena and Hope arrive at Norquay, and Hope reports that their q-wave generator is ready to integrate with Myriad. Supergirl arrives and Lex's countermeasures launch. Lena orders them to fire, and they arm with kryptonite despite Lena's attempts to override. Supergirl sees the cannon glow green and raises her hands, and Lena overrides the cannons. She tells Hope that they don't kill people no matter how much they've hurt them.
In the sky, Supergirl vows not to give up on Lena.
Khan returns to the Leviathan base, and Gamemnae says that they're whispering that he's lost his edge. The Elder may put Tezumak in charge. Khan says that he's been in charge for two million years, and Gamemnae notes that he's been losing recently. She says that the world is at a tipping point and they must destroy the humans before they destroy the planet. Khan wonders how they can stop Supergirl, and Gamemnae says that the planets are coming into alignment for the first time in 2,000 years. She figures that not even Supergirl can stop a massive volcano, and takes out the Staff of the Shadow World. Khan notes that it's useless without the Medallion, and Gamemnae tells him that the Medallion's power is in Acrata.
Supergirl arrives at the DEO and asks Querl to contact Lena. Alex demands to know what's going on, and Supergirl explains that Lena shot Lex and he told her Supergirl's secret identity before he died. Now Lena has stolen Myriad, and Supergirl figures that Lena saved her and she can get through to her. Alex wonders why Lena needs Myriad, and John and Malefic arrive. John says that he might know what Lena has in mind, and that Malefic is there to help with information about Lena.
The group talks to Malefic privately and he says that he was never in the Phantom Zone. Lena teleported him to Lena's lab, and she experimented with his inception power. Querl warns that Lena could get worldwide control in a minute, and Supergirl says that Lena thinks she's doing good. Malefic agrees, saying that Lena stopped him from killing John. Supergirl insists that she can save Lena and tells Querl to get the hologram projector online to communicate with Lena.
Khan approaches Andrea and she tells him that she's not working with Leviathan. He pins her to the wall with a burst of earth and says that he endowed her with his powers. Khan offers her a way out of her pain if she obeys him. Andrea agrees and Khan tells her that after one last job she'll be released and her father can keep his riches.
Querl activates the hologram projector and transmits Supergirl's image to the bunker. Lena is ready to bring Myriad online, and insists that she's not the bad guy. Supergirl admits that she let her down by lying to her, and warns that Lex used her mistakes to change Lena. The heroine insists that Lena is nothing like Lex, and begs Lena not to let Supergirl's mistakes turn her into something she's not. Lena says that she's good and Supergirl exposed her to the ugliness of humanity. Seeing Supergirl's deceit inspired her to use Myriad, tells Supergirl to leave her alone, and cuts off the communication beam.
Later at the DEO, Supergirl tells Alex that she couldn't get through to Lena. She understands why Lena feels betrayed, and Alex tells her that Supergirl hid her identity to protect the people she loves. Alex wonders who "their" Lena is, and notes that Lena has kept things hidden from them. She insists that Lena is a Luthor, and warns Supergirl that they can't put their faith in the hope that Lena will do the right thing when she never has. Supergirl refuses to treat Lena like a villain, and Alex says that she will. She says that she used the communication beam to piggyback a virus into the bunker's computer and then destroy it using the Claymore satellite. Alex promises to give Lena time to surrender and says that they have to think with their heads rather than their hearts.
Hope tells Lena that she can see that Supergirl caused Lena pain. She asks if she should activate Myriad, and they do it together. Nothing happens, and Hope reports that a virus is interfering with the dish controls. The AI warns that the DEO will be able to deactivate their security defenses in 20 minutes, and offers to go despite Lex's lethal defenses. When Lena objects, Hope says her programming requires self-sacrifice. Lena suggests that they replicate the virus and reverse-engineer it, and Hope agrees to help her.
John looks over the captive Malefic, and says that together they will move beyond the transitions of the past. Supergirl arrives and tells John that he needs to talk to Alex and convince her that Lena has changed. John says that he banished Malefic to the Phantom Zone out of pain, and wonders what other option Lena has. Supergirl suggests that they harness Malefic's Q-qaves to counter Lena's. Malefic offers to do it despite the risk to his life.
At the tar pits museum, Khan and Andrea arrive and find an exhibit about the supervolcano. When Andrea objects, saying he could wipe out humanity, Khan immobilizes her and says that extinction events have been happening since the beginning of humanity. He says that humanity's existence is their sin and releases Andrea. Andrea says that she won't work for Leviathan any longer and Supergirl can stop him. Khan insists that he's a god and slams the Staff into the floor, shaking the place.
As Acrata, Andrea teleports to the DEO and says that Khan prepares to destroy the world. Khan pulls her to a construction site, says that he's saving the planet, and binds her with earth and plants the Staff nearby to use the Medallion's power within her.
At the DEO, Querl says that they have eleven minutes until the bunker. He's identified the Staff from the museum footage, and discovered Khan and the Staff were last seen in Pompeii. They figure Khan is trying to recreate Pompeii in National City, and Alex tells Supergirl and John to stop Khan at the tar pits. They tell her about their plan to use Malefic's Q-waves to stop Myriad, but Alex says that it's she can't risk Malefic switching sides. Supergirl warns that that if they use Claymore than there's no turning back. The city shakes and Supergirl tells Alex that she'll get the sonic cannon they used against Khan before and then go to the tar pits. Alex tells John that Supergirl doesn't understand how hard it is for her, and John can't promise her that Malefic has changed for good. He says that they have to let people do better and bring them back into the light, or there's no point in saving everyone.
Hope tells Lena that their defense will drop in nine minutes. The bunker shakes and Hope confirms that there's an earthquake in National City. The AI offers to align the satellites herself, and says that she believes in Lena and wants to help so they can stop humanity from committing more vile acts. Lena tells Hope that their partnership has meant the world to her, and Hope reminds her that she created the AI. After a moment, Lena agrees, figuring that it's the only way, and Hope leaves.
Supergirl and John arrive at the museum with the sonic cannon. There's nothing unusual at first, but then Khan appears out of the ground and the two heroes attack him. He shields himself as Supergirl fires the cannon at him, and then knocks her and John back. Khan summons the volcano in the harbor and they realize he's using more than earth-bending powers. Supergirl spots Acrata and the Staff with her x-ray vision, and John goes to get them while Supergirl fights Khan.
Querl tells Alex that there's little chance Lena will survive if they use Claymore, and a slight chance they will succeed if they use Malefic. Alex agrees to have Claymore and Malefic both ready, but to shoot Malefic if he betrays them.
John is unable to move the Staff but John refuses to give up.
Hope goes to the satellite dish and Lena directs her to an access panel. The keypad is rigged to blow, and they figure that the code is based on Lex's favorite quote from Paradise Lost. The code works and Hope repositions the satellites to launch Myriad. Lena activates Myriad and at the DEO, Querl reports that it has launched. They have 30 seconds until the Q-waves reach Earth, and Alex has Malefic intercept the Q-waves. His power output isn't enough, and they can up the powers by turning off the DEO's psychic inhibitors to increase Malefic's power by 6%. Alex refuses to risk it, and Querl says that John told them Malefic has changed.
Khan smashes the sonic cannon and buries Supergirl in concrete. Alex finally tells her agents to turn off their inhibitors, and Malefic gains the necessary power to shut down Lena's bombardment. Khan tells Supergirl that the humans destroy everything they touch, and he scourges with fire. In the sky, Malefic's Q-waves knock back Lena's bombardment. John pulls the staff free, and the volcano Khan has created recedes. Khan tells Supergirl that people never change, but Supergirl says that they can. She frees herself and traps Khan in the tar pit. John and Acrata arrive, and Acrata grabs the Staff and impales Khan, who frees himself and flees with Acrata.
Hope returns to Lena, who says that she lost. She figures that sometimes the good guys don’t win.
Khan returns to Leviathan and Acrata. Gamemnae takes the Staff and tells Khan that it's over. He collapses, weakened, and Gamemnae tells him that his reign is over. Gamemnae says that their leader appointed her and walks away, as Khan yells that it's not over.
Lena and Hope teleport to Lena's lab, and Hope apologizes for failing. She wishes that there's more she could do for her, and Lena hands her a gun. FBI agents burst in, and Hope grabs Lena and says that she did all of it. The soldiers tell Hope to drop the gun, and after a minute she does so and they take her away.
Alex asks Supergirl if she's okay, and says that the FBI captured Hope and she confessed to everything. They both figure that Lena won't stop, and Alex admits that Supergirl was right about Lena and Malefic. Supergirl figures that if they can save Malefic's soul then they can save Lena's, and Alex agrees. Alex goes to get sushi with Kelly, while Supergirl stays there.
Andrea returns to her office and puts in the VR contacts. She looks at virtual images of being with Russell, and figures that it's over now that she did the right thing. Crying, Andrea wishes that she could have saved Russell.
In her office, Lena looks at a photo of her and Kara.
In her apartment, Kara looks at the same photo.
John thanks Malefic for saving them, and says that there's a way he can make up for what he's done. His older brother suggests that he meet with M'Gann on Mars and stop the war he started. John tells him that it's Malefic's role and he can appeal to the White Martians, bringing peace to Mars. He assures his brother that he was meant to be the promise, not a pariah. Malefic thanks John for his support and vows to end what he started. John takes him to his disguised spaceship and Malefic flies off to Mars in it. The Monitor arrives and tells John that he passed the test. John realizes the Monitor brought Malefic there, and the Monitor says that John has learned that his vulnerabilities are his strength and now he's ready for the Crisis.
The Monitor then travels to his base where Lex is playing chess against himself. The alien says that it's time for Lex to fulfill his destiny and become the hero he has longed to be. Lex insists that he's always been the hero, and says that he's happy to help... after they discuss Lena.
In the sewers of Central City, Nash says that he's traveled across the Multiverse to kill the Monitor. Now the Monitor has saved his life, and he Monitor tells him to submit and begins his life anew. The runes glow and Nash touches them in sequence. The panel opens and a burst of light shoots out, bathing Nash in its radiance. He disappears, screaming.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 2, 2019