Chapter Summaries

Li Ang looked after his thirteen-year-old goddaughter Kara Zor-El, a Kryptonian whose newly emerging powers made it difficult for her to live normally in Gotham. As Kara struggled to control her heightened senses and strength, Li Ang recalled how he had found her in a spaceship and fled with her from the Mysterious Department.

• Li Ang sent Maggie away before Kara returned, then admitted he had called Kara his daughter to scare Maggie off.
• Kara used her Super Vision to tease Li Ang about Maggie and complained that her new senses made people look and smell unpleasant.
• Li Ang encouraged Kara to keep trying to control her powers while she complained about Gotham and having noodles again.
• Li Ang recalled finding Kara in a spaceship bearing the S symbol, taking her in, and escaping the Mysterious Department with her.
• Li Ang remembered that sunlight had rapidly awakened Kara's strength and steel-hard body.

Li Ang cared for Kara as her Kryptonian powers developed and tried to guide her while raising her in Gotham. As they shared a pizza, Kara accidentally used Super Breath to buffet their windows, and Li Ang reminded her to control her powers.

• Kara told Li Ang that her Super Vision had once made everyone appear as bones, muscles, veins, and arteries, but she had learned to control it somewhat.
• Kara complained that Li Ang made her eat noodles too often, so he agreed to order pizza.
• Li Ang checked his System Panel and saw that Kara Zor-El's Intimacy with him had reached 49, one point short of letting him draw one of her abilities.
• Li Ang received the pizza from a restaurant worker and called Kara to dinner.
• Kara blew on her wet hands with Super Breath, making the windows rattle, and Li Ang told her not to use her powers until she could control them.

Li Ang traveled through Gotham to his bartender job at the Iceberg Lounge, where Penguin’s criminal territory enforced a requirement for Crime Licenses. After Frank rescued him from two masked muggers, Li Ang reached the lounge and began his shift.

• Li Ang left Kara at home and reminded her not to answer the door or reveal her abilities.
• Two Joker-masked muggers tried to rob Li Ang in the Diamond District, and he asked whether they had a Crime License.
• Frank intervened, disarmed the muggers, and knocked them unconscious after Li Ang warned him about a gun.
• Frank drove Li Ang to the Iceberg Lounge, where guards said Boss Cobblepot had arrived.
• Li Ang parted ways with Frank and went to work as a bartender at the lounge.

Li Ang served drinks at the Iceberg Lounge and witnessed Penguin punish Tommy for betraying him. Penguin then asked about Li Ang’s goddaughter Kara and said he liked dutiful kids.

• Li Ang brought a Bordeaux cocktail to Penguin at the Iceberg Lounge.
• Penguin accused Tommy of betraying him, and Victor Zsasz beat him before dragging him away to be killed.
• Penguin lectured the others about betrayal while Li Ang served drinks around the table.
• Penguin asked Li Ang about Kara, and Li Ang said she was his dutiful goddaughter.
• Penguin laughed and said he liked dutiful kids.

Li Ang learned he had been made manager of the Iceberg Lounge, then returned home and discovered that Kara had developed super hearing and was overwhelmed by the voices around her. He promised Kara he would stay with her and help her through it.

• Frank told Li Ang that Penguin Cobblepot had made him the Iceberg Lounge's bar manager, and the staff congratulated him.
• After the club closed, Li Ang went home and found Kara missing from her locked room.
• Li Ang found Kara standing on the rooftop, overwhelmed by sounds she could hear from far away and by other people's thoughts.
• Kara realized Li Ang had thought about Professor X and Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and she pleaded with him not to send her away.
• Li Ang promised Kara that he would stay with her no matter what happened.

Li Ang extracted Kara's Super Physique ability, gaining enhanced physical strength and senses. As Kara finally fell asleep, she reflected on how Li Ang had helped her adjust to Earth and accepted that she would need to learn to control her powers.

• Li Ang persuaded Principal Juliette to let Kara miss school again, then brought her Tacos when she could not sleep or eat.
• Li Ang extracted an ability from Kara and gained Super Physique, which enhanced his body and senses.
• Kara heard Li Ang excitedly testing his new strength before he fell asleep.
• Kara remembered how Li Ang had taught and cared for her, making him her only family on Earth.
• Kara's noisy Super Hearing gradually became manageable, and she fell asleep while resolving to master her abilities.

Li Ang discovered that someone had murdered Tommy’s mother inside the Iceberg Lounge, turning the crime into a provocation against Penguin Cobblepot. Penguin arrived and identified the Falcone family as responsible, leaving the conflict poised to escalate.

• Li Ang bought Chinese food for Kara, left it at home, and went to work at the Iceberg Lounge.
• Li Ang found the lounge guarded by extra men and discovered Tommy’s mother’s bloodied body hanging in the main hall.
• Li Ang sent the shaken employees to the back room and learned from Frank that the victim was Tommy’s mother.
• Penguin Cobblepot arrived with Victor and his aides, saw the body, and named the Falcone family.

Penguin Cobblepot rallied his men against the Falcone family after Tommy and his mother were killed, then ordered Li Ang to call the police. Commissioner James Gordon arrived, recognized Li Ang, and began investigating the deaths, leaving Li Ang to go to the station and give a statement.

• Penguin Cobblepot blamed the Falcone family for Tommy and his mother's deaths and vowed to retaliate, rallying his underlings behind him.
• Penguin assigned Li Ang to handle the incident and told him to call the police because the Iceberg Lounge was a legitimate establishment.
• Commissioner James Gordon arrived and spoke with Li Ang, whom he knew from helping him and Kara in the past.
• Li Ang told Gordon that the staff had found Maria Saxon's body and repeated Penguin's description of Tommy as a good kid, revealing Tommy's ties to Penguin.
• Gordon criticized Tommy and ordered Li Ang to go to the station to give a statement as officers photographed the scene and removed Maria's body.

Li Ang avoided becoming Commissioner Gordon’s informant to protect himself and Kara, then returned home and encouraged Kara to join her school’s weekend outing. Kara suspected Li Ang wanted time away from her and urged him to find a godmother.

• Li Ang told Commissioner Gordon he would not become an informant, and Gordon let him leave the police station.
• Li Ang saw Batman flying over the rooftops on his way home and hurried back to Kara.
• Kara told Li Ang she had blocked out the thoughts she heard with her new ability, and Li Ang advised her not to pry into other people’s hearts.
• Kara went to school the next day, then told Li Ang that her class was planning a weekend outdoor activity and asked whether she should go.
• Li Ang encouraged Kara to attend and make friends, but she teased that he wanted to get rid of her and told him to find a godmother.

Li Ang worked through a quiet shift at the Iceberg Lounge until Sophia Falcone’s gang stormed in and killed Penguin’s remaining men. After learning Li Ang was the manager, Sophia shot the bartender who had identified him and turned her attention to Li Ang.

• Li Ang made egg fried rice for Kara, went to work, and continued absorbing solar energy.
• A group of armed intruders burst into the Iceberg Lounge and opened fire, killing many patrons and Penguin’s remaining men.
• Li Ang shielded a South African woman and discovered that a bullet wound on his arm healed quickly without piercing his skin.
• Sophia Falcone arrived, took control of the Lounge, and warned the survivors not to expect help from the police.
• A bartender identified Li Ang as the manager, and Sophia shot the bartender before giving Li Ang a faint smile.

Sophia Falcone took Li Ang hostage while confronting Penguin over her kidnapped brother and the Iceberg Lounge. Batman attacked the club, and Li Ang was forced to fight him as Sophia fled.

• Sophia Falcone made Li Ang call Penguin and threatened to destroy the Iceberg Lounge unless he returned her brother.
• Penguin taunted Sophia, then revealed that the Bat-Signal had appeared over Gotham.
• Sophia returned to the Iceberg Lounge with Li Ang as Batman attacked, filling the club with smoke and knocking people down.
• Sophia ordered Li Ang to stop Batman and ran outside, but Batman attacked Li Ang instead.
• Li Ang blocked Batman's strikes and used his speed to withstand Batman's rapid attacks.

After a violent attack at the Iceberg Lounge, Batman investigated Li Ang and discovered that he had arrived in Gotham with an alien girl. Li Ang got a few days off and headed home with breakfast for Kara.

• Batman stopped fighting Li Ang, questioned why he worked for a gang, and vanished when GCPD arrived.
• James Gordon questioned Penguin about the destruction at the Iceberg Lounge, while Penguin praised Li Ang and promised a bonus and time off.
• Penguin rejected retaliation for its own sake, but said he would reassure his men.
• Bruce Wayne asked Alfred to investigate Li Ang and learned that satellite footage showed Li Ang opening a spaceship and a girl crawling out.
• Alfred concluded that the girl was an alien, and Bruce wondered whether other aliens might be on Earth.
• Li Ang received a thousand-dollar bonus and a few days off, then bought meat buns, soy milk, and youtiao for Kara.

Li Ang met with Lianlian, then returned home to find Sophia Falcone waiting with Kara. Sophia offered him a job and promised Kara a better home and education, leaving Li Ang tempted by the offer.

• Kara asked Li Ang whether he had lost his job, and he explained that he was taking a few days off from the Iceberg Lounge.
• Li Ang met Lianlian outside Wayne Pharmaceuticals, but she grew distant after learning he worked at the Iceberg Lounge and had a daughter.
• Li Ang returned to his apartment and found Sophia Falcone there, while Kara emerged unharmed from her bedroom.
• Sophia offered Li Ang ten times what the Penguin could pay, a better home, and support for Kara's education.
• Li Ang felt tempted because Sophia's offer promised the home and education he wanted for Kara.

Li Ang turned down Sophia's offer and focused on protecting Kara and keeping their life in Gotham. When Kara's school bus crashed into the river, she revealed her powers to save everyone, leaving her classmates afraid of her.

• Li Ang refused to accept Sophia's offer immediately, and Kara told him she did not want to leave Gotham or change schools.
• Kara left on a school trip, and Li Ang prepared to spend the day out until her teacher called to tell him to come to the scene.
• Li Ang hurried to the riverbank and found Kara sitting alone, soaked and shunned by her classmates.
• Kara told Li Ang that she had pushed a sinking school bus back up by herself after it crashed into the river, revealing her powers to the students and teachers.
• Li Ang comforted Kara as she cried and apologized, while her classmates called her a monster.

After Kara saved people, Li Ang comforted her when the students called her a monster and the school barred her from returning. James Gordon offered to help Kara find a new school and secure identification for Li Ang, while Li Ang resolved to support Kara in being herself.

• Li Ang reassured Kara that she had done nothing wrong and urged her to be herself despite what others thought.
• Teacher Emma told Li Ang that Principal Juliette had decided the school could no longer teach Kara.
• James Gordon praised Kara for saving people and asked Officer Judy to look after her.
• James Gordon told Li Ang he would try to keep the witnesses quiet, arrange a place for Kara at Louis Memorial Middle School, and help Li Ang get identification.
• James Gordon warned Li Ang to protect Kara from Gotham, and asked him to call him Jim.

Li Ang took Kara shopping and spent time with her, helping her recover from the day’s events. After Kara’s intimacy score reached 60, Li Ang worried about finding her a new school and heard something land by the window.

• Li Ang and Kara returned to their apartment after Officer Judy drove them home.
• Li Ang took Kara to the Civic District, bought her clothes, and let her choose two comics.
• Kara declined a Spider-Man suit and asked whether an ordinary person could become a superhero; Li Ang answered, “Pancake Man.”
• Li Ang received a notification that Kara Zor-El’s Intimacy had reached 60.
• Li Ang considered how to find Kara a new school and rejected the idea of joining Sophia Falcone’s side.
• Li Ang heard something land by the window.

Li Ang refused Batman’s demand to take Kara out of Gotham and struggled to find a school willing to enroll her. A call from Principal Connie offered Kara a place at Louis Memorial Middle School through a Wayne Enterprises scholarship.

• Batman offered Li Ang and Kara new identities if they left Gotham, but Li Ang refused and insisted Kara would become their god.
• Li Ang learned that schools would not enroll Kara without an identity or connections, and he hesitated to seek help from Gotham’s powerful crime figures.
• Kara apologized for getting expelled and told Li Ang she could study on her own, but he explained that school and social connections mattered.
• Principal Connie called Li Ang with an offer to enroll Kara at Louis Memorial Middle School through a Wayne Enterprises scholarship, and Li Ang accepted.

After Wayne Enterprises arranged a full scholarship for Kara, Li Ang took her to a remote area to test her powers and encouraged her to try flying. Kara made several enormous leaps, eventually crashed into the ocean, and ended the day thrilled by the freedom of using her powers.

• Li Ang and Kara learned that Louis Memorial Middle School had invited Kara to attend on a full scholarship funded by Wayne Enterprises.
• Li Ang took Kara to a remote part of New Jersey to test her abilities, and she agreed to try flying.
• Kara launched herself hundreds of meters into the air, then repeatedly leapt higher without learning to fly.
• A child on a passenger plane spotted Kara above the clouds, but his mother dismissed what he had seen.
• Kara overshot the coastline, plunged into the ocean, and laughed with delight before swimming toward shore to avoid a fishing boat.

Li Ang returned to work at the reopened Iceberg Lounge after agreeing to let Kara test her abilities alone and advising her to spend more time in the sun. At a meeting with Penguin Cobblepot and the other gang leaders, Penguin declared his determination to protect Gotham.

• Li Ang agreed that Kara could test her abilities on her own, warned her to keep them secret, and told her to spend more time in the sun.
• Li Ang told Kara he would take her to her new school, then stopped two would-be muggers on his walk to work.
• Frank told Li Ang that Penguin Cobblepot had called a meeting, and Li Ang joined the other Iceberg Lounge employees and gang leaders.
• Frank reminded Li Ang to act as if he saw, heard, and said nothing about the gang's affairs.
• Penguin Cobblepot opened the meeting by declaring that he loved Gotham and would not let anyone destroy it.

Li Ang learned that the Iceberg Lounge’s liquor supply had been cut off because its Mexican suppliers were in Demon Gang territory, so he headed to Old Town with Frank to resolve the problem. They entered the Demon Gang’s district, where Li Ang would need to negotiate for the club’s liquor.

• Penguin Cobblepot ordered his people to restore order in Gotham and told Li Ang to keep the Iceberg Lounge stocked with liquor.
• Li Ang learned from a bartender that the club’s Mexican suppliers had stopped selling to them because tensions with the Demon Gang had disrupted the supply line.
• Li Ang decided to persuade the suppliers to resume deliveries and borrowed Frank’s car, with Frank agreeing to drive in exchange for a drink.
• Li Ang and Frank drove through the quieter Diamond District and entered Old Town, the Demon Gang’s territory.