Recaps

Henry received legitimate U.S. identity and work documents from Tom, who warned him to protect the identity and keep money aside for taxes. Tom offered Henry a vague job that might involve two suspicious guests, but Henry declined and planned to wait for George’s boat.

• Henry saw two sour-faced guests leave Tom’s office and noticed that one had a strange, vertically blinking eye.
• Tom gave Henry a passport, Social Security documents, a birth certificate, work papers, a driver’s license, and vehicle transfer documents, explaining their uses and warning him about taxes and investigations.
• Henry told Tom that George’s boat, Annie 21, would not return for two days and that he had no plans to seek work elsewhere.
• Tom offered Henry a quick job to check something at a nearby location, but Henry suspected it was connected to the two guests and refused.
• Tom admitted he earned extra money by dealing in information, and Henry suggested he buy a boat and have someone he trusted run it.

After the king crab season ended, Henry joined Old George and his crew at a club to celebrate their safe return. George complained about growing restrictions and the dangers of crabbing before his wife took him home, and Henry left the party early.

• Henry completed three more king crab trips with Old George before the season ended, sharing the final voyage’s profits with the crew.
• Old George took the crew to a club for a celebration banquet after their safe return.
• George complained to Henry about possible catch quotas, growing competition, and the deaths of crab fishers at sea.
• Henry praised George for letting him work on his boat, and George laughed before rambling drunkenly.
• George’s wife arrived, slapped him into behaving, and took him away while the others kept their distance.
• Henry left the club because drinking and watching the dancers did not interest him.

Henry left the fishing town and reached Juneau after driving through Alaska’s blizzards with his Cadillac, using his Kryptonian powers to cross impassable terrain. He boarded a ferry bound for Los Angeles, while the townspeople back home believed he might have died on the journey.

• Henry repaired Old John’s bar before leaving, and Old John hugged him goodbye without accepting money.
• Henry drove for several days through snowbound Alaska, carrying his own supplies and fuel as he headed for Juneau.
• When cliffs, rivers, and buried roads blocked his way, Henry learned to fly while carrying his Cadillac and used Heat Vision to clear obstacles.
• Henry reached Juneau and boarded a ferry to Los Angeles with his car aboard.
• The townspeople searched nearby for Henry after he failed to return, while Old John believed he was still making his way to his destination.

On the ferry to the United States, Henry weighed his limited job prospects and considered how to build a life with his savings and lack of credentials. He settled on trying Hollywood in Los Angeles, where the story left him eager to pursue something new.

• Henry drank coffee on the ferry to train his heightened taste and smell while thinking about his future.
• Henry ruled out professional and service jobs, law enforcement, and relying on gambling, and considered the risks of becoming a laboratory test subject or turning to crime.
• Henry calculated that his nearly 300,000 Dao in savings would shrink after taxes but could support him in Los Angeles if he spent carefully.
• Henry wondered whether he had chosen Hollywood as his first stop because film and television might offer a way forward, and imagined shouting on a film set.

Henry weighed possible careers in the film industry and concluded that acting offered his best chance, while his crab-fishing income could support an easy life. He also rejected getting involved in world events or pursuing revenge for now, leaving the lab-coated researchers to face him later if they survived and prospered.

• Henry concluded that submitting screenplays was unlikely to launch his career and that directing would require skills he did not have.
• He decided that acting was his most realistic path into the film industry and that he could treat bit parts as a hobby while living off his crab-fishing income.
• Henry reasoned that he had little to fear from Thanos's Snap because he had no attachments in the world and had already endured worse suffering.
• He dismissed plans to exploit the Red Empire's collapse or rob the Federal Reserve, since his Kryptonian powers made such schemes unnecessary.
• Henry decided not to pursue revenge against the Russian researchers yet and imagined confronting them after they had struggled to build successful lives.

Henry drove around Los Angeles, bought a map, and stopped for lunch while considering what to do in the city. The chapter left him studying the map as a waitress asked why he had come to Los Angeles.

• Henry drove along the Los Angeles coast and saw surfers and a film crew shooting on the beach.
• Henry bought the Los Angeles Times and a detailed map from a newsstand, and joked with the owner about snow and Christmas.
• Henry chose an inexpensive family-style restaurant and kept his backpack of cash beside him.
• Henry ordered bacon, sausage, fried eggs, steak, and bread from the waitress.
• The waitress noticed Henry studying his map and asked whether he was sightseeing, studying, or pursuing stardom.

Henry ate breakfast while studying a newspaper and learning about the news, sports, and movies of 1990, then used the Yellow Pages to search for businesses. He began looking up information in the phone book, a practical tool in an era without internet searches.

• Henry joked with the waitress about the San Fernando Valley and praised the restaurant’s food.
• Henry read a newspaper and reviewed reports about the Red Empire, sports, Christmas news, and Hollywood films, including the 1990 Captain America movie.
• Henry finished his meal, asked the waitress for the Yellow Pages, and brought the phone book to his table.
• Henry searched the Yellow Pages for businesses, relying on the annually updated directory instead of the internet.

Henry arrived in Los Angeles, found an inexpensive motel, and settled into a room while preparing to start a new life. As he lay on the bed, he felt the uncertainty of his future despite his Kryptonian abilities.

• A waitress recommended a cheap motel near Hollywood, and Henry left her a generous tip before driving there.
• Henry judged the motel's neighborhood relatively safe and paid for five nights, registering under the name Clark Kent.
• Henry collected a Yellow Pages directory from his clean but shabby room and rested on its spring mattress.
• Henry felt nervous about beginning a life in a strange country, knowing his powers could keep him alive but could not guarantee success.

After regretting the delivered pizza, Henry decided to find a kitchen and planned his errands using the Yellow Pages. The next morning, he set out to deposit his cash and chose to enter a Citibank branch after worrying about banks’ risks and inconsistent rules.

• Henry regretted eating the pizza and resolved to rent a place with a kitchen so he could cook for himself.
• He used the Yellow Pages to plan the next day’s errands and reassured himself that he could learn from mistakes as long as he avoided major losses.
• Henry woke early, enjoyed the winter Sun, bought a hot dog, and declined the complimentary soda.
• He decided to deposit the cash he had earned from the crab boat rather than keep several hundred thousand dollars in cash.
• After considering the dangers and rules of different banks, Henry spotted a Citibank, parked, and walked inside.

Henry opened a bank account in Los Angeles and reflected on how his new life as a Kryptonian felt less like a game now that he had to start over in an unfamiliar world. He reaffirmed that he did not want to become a superhero and felt his life entering a new stage.

• Henry presented his work and payment documents to a bank employee and deposited $290,000, splitting it between checking and savings accounts.
• Henry paid the fees for a checkbook and credit card application, then left with a debit card; the bank told him to return in two weeks about the credit card.
• Henry reflected on his former life, his time in Alaska, and how his powers had once made the world feel like a game.
• Henry considered whether to use his Kryptonian abilities for crime, then rejected the idea of becoming a superhero and called himself a slacker Kryptonian.
• Henry stood in the Los Angeles sunlight, felt his power growing, and accepted that his life had entered a new stage.

Henry went to a Los Angeles photo studio for ID pictures, but the owner tried to sell him expensive portrait packages before agreeing to a cheaper deal. While paying, Henry noticed the studio’s Stark Industries computer and heard the owner boast about its specifications.

• Henry visited a photo studio near his motel to get ID photos for acting and job applications.
• The studio owner pitched expensive photo packages, and Henry refused until the owner agreed to take his ID photos for thirty dollars.
• Henry paid a fifteen-dollar deposit and noticed a Stark Industries computer behind the counter.
• The studio owner bragged about the computer’s Intel i486 processor and features, and Henry answered sarcastically.

Henry considered using his Kryptonian intelligence to get involved in computing early, and learned about the limits and possibilities of 486-era computers and open-source software. The photographer offered to help Henry buy a computer and find a place to live, but Henry first needed housing and joked that he would only take a computer he could use in a car.

• Henry decided that developing his brain and getting involved with computers would be a better way to hide on Earth than relying on his strength.
• Henry asked the old white man about his 486 computer, and learned it ran MS-DOS 4.01 without a modem.
• Henry asked whether the man knew Linux, and explained that it did not exist yet.
• The old white man offered to connect Henry with a friend who could sell him a new personal computer.
• Henry declined for the moment because he needed a place to live, but the old white man offered to help him find one too.

Henry met an Italian who offered to help him find a house in Los Angeles, and the two went to an Italian restaurant for lunch and business talk. Henry said he wanted an affordable place of his own while he pursued opportunities in Hollywood.

• The photography shop owner introduced Henry to an Italian and secretly urged him to make up for the money the owner had failed to earn.
• Henry asked the Italian to find somewhere nearby where they could eat and discuss business, and the Italian took him to a local restaurant.
• Henry ordered several dishes and wine, explaining that the food smelled so good he wanted to try it all.
• The Italian asked Henry about his plans, stay, budget, and willingness to share a home before recommending houses.
• Henry said he planned to seek opportunities in Hollywood, expected to stay at least a year, and could afford to rent a larger home alone.

Henry reviewed rental listings with Fabio, enjoyed a meal at the Italian restaurant, and toured available properties. He rejected the first apartments he saw and had not yet found a suitable place to rent.

• Fabio explained the difference between agency-managed properties and owner-listed rentals while showing Henry the listings.
• Henry praised Salia's food, finished the pasta, pizza, and fried rice balls, and looked through property photos taken by Giovanni.
• Henry selected several listings and asked Fabio to arrange viewings, so they visited the properties that were immediately available.
• Henry rejected a noisy downtown apartment because traffic, poor soundproofing, and pipe noises would bother his Super Hearing.
• Henry reluctantly passed on a top-floor Santa Monica apartment because coastal moisture and salt could damage his electronic equipment.

Henry searched for an apartment in Los Angeles with Fabio and chose a furnished unit in a building managed by the flamboyant Gary. After inspecting the apartment and hearing the house rules, Henry accepted the terms.

• Fabio showed Henry listings over several days, and Henry chose an apartment building near a Portuguese-speaking neighborhood.
• Fabio introduced Henry to Gary, the building's landlord, who inspected Henry and asked why he had come to the city.
• Henry said he wanted to experience the big city and would return to Alaska if it disappointed him.
• Gary showed Henry a clean, furnished corner apartment on the third floor.
• Gary explained the rules against pets, loud parties, and causing trouble while intoxicated, and Henry agreed to them.

Henry moved into Old Gary’s apartment and invited him to share a Christmas meal of Chinese food. As dinner ended, Henry asked about Old Gary’s family history in Hollywood, and Old Gary began recounting his own experience before Henry pressed him about his knowledge of the industry.

• Henry renovated the apartment’s kitchen with Old Gary’s permission so he could cook Chinese food.
• Henry invited Old Gary to celebrate Christmas with a homemade meal, and they traded jokes about family and the holiday.
• Henry asked whether Old Gary’s grandfather had carried cameras for Charlie Chaplin, and Old Gary said he had a photograph proving it.
• Old Gary said his father had worked behind the scenes at a major studio and that he had worked in props and carpentry with Harrison Ford.
• Old Gary said he quit Hollywood after Harrison Ford was cast as Han Solo and returned to manage the apartment building.
• Henry asked whether Old Gary knew all the ins and outs of Hollywood.

Henry asked Old Gary how to find acting work while staying out of the spotlight, and Gary explained the tradeoffs between using an agent and joining a union. The chapter left Henry with the choice of pursuing low-profile extra roles through Hollywood’s union system or seeking an agent to find better opportunities.

• Henry asked Old Gary where an aspiring actor should start, and Gary recommended finding an agency.
• Henry told Old Gary that he only wanted to work as an extra and experience Hollywood without becoming famous.
• Old Gary suggested the San Fernando Valley, but Henry rejected the idea and said he would not trade sex for acting opportunities.
• Henry assured Old Gary that he could pay rent and asked whether he could join a union without an agent.
• Old Gary explained that agents could find opportunities but took a cut, while union-only casting usually led to low-budget jobs.

Old Gary explained how actors found background roles and how mutants could use their abilities to get Hollywood work. Henry considered pursuing stunt work, but he worried that his Kryptonian durability would expose his abilities and left the conversation uncertain about his future.

• Old Gary told Henry that major agencies selected actors for background roles, while speaking roles were more competitive.
• Old Gary explained that mutants with useful abilities could find work in Hollywood, and Henry noted that this world seemed unusually accepting of mutants.
• Old Gary described stunt performance as a dangerous but well-paid route for actors willing to perform action scenes.
• Henry considered using his Kryptonian durability for stunt work but worried that showing it could reveal too much about his abilities.
• Old Gary said stunt performers usually needed someone to introduce them or had to seek opportunities through the Actors Guild, leaving Henry more confused about his prospects.

Henry settled into life in Los Angeles in 1991, pursued acting work, and used his extraordinary memory to absorb the city library’s public collection. He came to understand the alternate world’s technology and its open discussion of Mutants, leaving him better prepared for the future.

• Henry visited the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, then prepared an actor profile and sent audition materials to suitable productions.
• Henry had Giovanni take audition photos and asked him to order a Stark i486 computer, while buying household electronics and vinyl records.
• Henry spent most of his time studying books, journals, and newspapers at the Los Angeles Public Library, where his rapid reading drew attention from librarians.
• After reading the library’s publicly available materials in just over two months, Henry believed he could develop advanced technologies using his knowledge and deductions.
• Henry learned that Mutants were openly discussed and researched, while racial conflict between Black and white people remained the main social issue in the United States.

Henry gradually found more background acting work in Hollywood while spending his free time building advanced computer skills and secretly infiltrating computer systems. His technical ambitions expanded to modifying hardware and even considering hand-made chips, as his reputation grew among small productions.

• Henry landed his first union acting job, earning a day's pay for a brief, silent shot and helping the crew with other work.
• After his first production credit, Henry began getting work on sets about once a week and spent his remaining time studying, watching films, and using his computer.
• Henry wrote an operating system for his i486 and began secretly infiltrating computer systems, planting worms and concealing his presence.
• Henry studied communication protocols and electrical engineering to improve his intrusions and make his modem and computer hardware more reliable.
• Henry realized his Super Brain could extrapolate solutions in unfamiliar fields and considered building custom chips, while his willingness to perform embarrassing stunts earned him a reputation among small productions.

Henry visited the Screen Actors Guild to check for casting notices and learn whether any productions had responded to his audition materials. He found no new opportunities, then leisurely headed to a nearby street shoot for his first major-production job.

• Henry drove to the Screen Actors Guild after buying breakfast from street vendors and coffee from Paul's shop.
• Henry met Marianne outside the guild, complimented her makeup, and gave her a cup of coffee.
• Marianne told Henry that no new casting notices had arrived and that no production team had contacted him about his audition materials.
• Marianne noticed Henry had acting work that day, and Henry explained that his street shoot was nearby and he had time to spare.
• Henry left the guild and strolled toward the closed-off street where his production was filming.

Henry arrived at a chaotic film set and learned that the stunt performers had refused to shoot because they considered the safety measures inadequate. After the lead actor’s stunt double walked off, the producer, director, and action team leader argued over how to film the scene before the team leader suggested using the male lead.

• Henry asked the background actors why filming preparations had stopped, and they told him the stunt performers had rejected the safety measures.
• A Hollywood veteran explained that stunt performers could refuse dangerous work when they judged the safety precautions insufficient.
• The lead actor’s stunt double threw his denim jacket at the director and left the set.
• The producer demanded that the director build a studio set rather than seek another street closure, while the director insisted on filming the climactic action scene as planned.
• The action team leader suggested that the male lead perform the stunt himself, but the others immediately berated him.

Henry volunteered to replace the missing stunt double and proposed a staged test of the dangerous car jump. Qian Ning brought him to the producer and director, who began asking about his contract as the opportunity moved forward.

• Qian Ning struggled to find a replacement after the original stunt double left and the director's schedule was at risk.
• Henry approached Qian Ning and offered to try the stunt despite having no previous stunt experience.
• Henry proposed testing the jump between stationary cars first, then moving cars, before attempting the explosion sequence.
• Qian Ning took Henry to the producer and director and explained his plan for proving he could perform the stunt.
• The producer asked whether Henry had signed a performance contract and who represented him, and Henry said the Actors Guild's public agent handled his contracts.

Henry assessed the dangerous car-jump stunt and agreed to test it while keeping his Kryptonian powers hidden. He completed a stationary practice jump cleanly, but the director rejected the attempt.

• Qian Ning arranged temporary contracts and insurance for Henry before explaining the stunt and its limited safety cable.
• Henry recognized that the safety plan was dangerously unreliable but decided to focus on completing the stunt without revealing his powers.
• Henry inspected the vehicles and asked to practice the jump before attempting the real take.
• With both cars stationary, Henry leaped from the brown car's window into the convertible's back seat without trouble.
• The director shouted that Henry's first test jump was no good.

Henry performed a dangerous car-explosion stunt for a B-movie, adding the midair flip the director demanded. He landed safely in the red convertible, and the director celebrated the completed shot.

• The director demanded that Henry flip through the air after jumping from the car and land in the convertible, and Henry practiced the move.
• Henry completed a moving test jump with a safety cable while Qian Ning checked that he was confident enough to continue.
• The crew prepared the explosive brown car and camera positions before Henry climbed onto the car for the real take.
• Henry jumped as the brown car exploded, flipped through the air, and landed in the red convertible, where burning fuel briefly caught on his pant leg.
• The crew extinguished the fires, and the director celebrated the finished shot.