Chapter Summaries

Death Knell woke paralyzed after Ba Di defeated him and tried to use his knowledge of Ba Di’s alien identity as leverage for his life. He deduced that sunlight fueled Ba Di’s rapid growth and threatened to expose him to the American elite and military.

• Death Knell woke as Jenny’s enhancement drug rapidly healed his shattered chest, but he remained unable to move because his limbs and nervous system were damaged.
• Ba Di questioned Death Knell about Jenny and used his x-ray vision to infer that she had become stronger, hated him, and had little time left to live.
• Death Knell realized that Ba Di did not value Jenny as a bargaining chip and offered to trade his life for Ba Di’s secret identity as an alien.
• Death Knell deduced that sunlight had made Ba Di stronger and threatened to reveal the truth to the American Upper Class and military.
• Ba Di acknowledged Death Knell’s intelligence.

Ba Di questioned Death Knell about who knew he was an alien, while Death Knell tried to bargain for his freedom by revealing a photograph of Ba Di’s arrival on Earth. Ba Di deduced that the film was in Metropolis and ended the confrontation by declaring himself a god.

• Death Knell admitted that he was inferior to Ba Di, who promised he would not die and agreed to keep his alien identity secret for ten years.
• Death Knell explained that General Vick had surrounded him in the Southern Suburbs of Metropolis but had not reported his identity to the American Military.
• Death Knell revealed that he had film showing Ba Di’s spacecraft and face, and that someone would deliver it to the American Military at 21:00.
• Ba Di checked the time and concluded the film’s recipient was in Metropolis, giving him one hour and eleven minutes to intercept it.
• Ba Di told Death Knell that the difference between them was that Death Knell was human while Ba Di was a god.

Ba Di deduced that Sam Lane would receive the film reel and expose his alien identity, then knocked Death Knell unconscious. That night, Sam Lane found a document envelope in his mailbox and set it aside when he went inside to greet his daughter.

• Ba Di used Death Knell's words and neural reactions to deduce that a patriotic general in Metropolis would receive the film reel.
• Ba Di called Nuo Yi, learned that Sam Lane was a patriotic lieutenant general, and confirmed that he was the intended recipient.
• Death Knell admitted defeat, and Ba Di assured him he would survive before knocking him unconscious.
• Sam Lane took a document envelope from his mailbox, set it on the shoe cabinet, and greeted his daughter.

Sam Lane discovered photographs showing Ba Di was an alien and prepared to report him and General Vick to the military. As he left his study, he sensed a frightening presence in the villa and saw a white figure in his daughter’s open doorway.

• Sam Lane put his exhausted daughter to bed, then examined reports suggesting the object that fell in Sequoia Forest was not an ordinary meteorite.
• He opened an anonymous envelope and found film and photographs showing Ba Di beside a crashed spaceship.
• Sam Lane realized Ba Di was an alien and suspected General Vick had concealed the discovery from the country.
• He packed the evidence and hurried to report the threat and have Ba Miu Luo Di captured.
• Sam Lane sensed an eerie presence in the villa and saw a white figure in his daughter’s open doorway.

Ba Di decided to keep Louis Lane under his control and confronted Sam Lane, who begged him to spare his daughter. Ba Di said he had arranged a future for both of them, then knocked Sam unconscious.

• Ba Di considered Louis Lane's identity and resolved to control her future so he could use her to bring Superman to him.
• Sam Lane entered the room and confronted Ba Di, while Ba Di recognized that Sam had seen the photographs and understood the truth.
• Sam Lane offered the documents and himself in exchange for Ba Di sparing Louis Lane.
• Ba Di told Sam Lane he had arranged a future for his daughter and stepped toward him.
• Sam Lane tried to draw his pistol, but Ba Di seized him by the throat and strangled him unconscious.

Ba Di awakened Hera's second-stage artificial intelligence and used her data probes to prepare Sam Lane for memory extraction. The chapter ended with Hera beginning to extract Sam Lane's memories.

• Sam Lane woke up paralyzed and unable to speak or hear, then saw Death Knell lying beside him.
• Ba Di activated Hera and entered the passwords to awaken her first and second stages.
• Hera asked Ba Di for a body so she could stay by his side, and he reassured her that he wanted her there.
• Ba Di used Hera-controlled probes to pierce Sam Lane's skull and connect to three regions of his brain.
• Ba Di ordered Hera to extract Sam Lane's memories.

Ba Di extracted Sam Lane’s memories and discovered that the U.S. military had found a Biological Chip from Hui Core Star, which could alert Brainiac to Earth’s location. After identifying Jenny as the seven-meter-tall monster in Sam’s memories, Ba Di altered Sam’s memories and arranged for him to cover for them and inherit General Vick’s research.

• Ba Di used Hera to extract Sam Lane’s entire life and review his military knowledge and recent activities.
• Hera showed Ba Di footage of Area 51, where the military had found a Biological Chip from Hui Core Star that could transmit Earth’s coordinates to Brainiac.
• Ba Di realized that activating the chip could draw Brainiac to Earth and noted that it had not yet fully activated.
• Ba Di recognized a seven-meter-tall monster in Sam’s memories as Jenny and became angry at her recklessness.
• Ba Di ordered Hera to erase his extraterrestrial identity from Sam’s memories, plant subconscious suggestions, and make Sam cover for them.
• Ba Di arranged for Sam to take over General Vick’s research, including the Biological Warrior Bai Miu Luo Di project, and become his escort.

Sam Lane decided to use Ba Miu Luo Di to undermine General Vick, while Ba Di manipulated Death Knell into becoming his lifelong enemy and the person who knew him best. Ba Di planned for Death Knell to build a mercenary empire and eventually join the world’s heroes against him.

• Sam Lane played with his daughter, put her to bed, and reviewed reports that he believed were too weak to bring down General Vick.
• Sam Lane considered contacting Ba Miu Luo Di to take him from General Vick and use him as research material for the American Military.
• Sam Lane returned to his daughter’s room, felt uneasy that something might be there, then went to sleep.
• Ba Di used memory manipulation and subconscious suggestions to make Sam Lane inclined to protect and support him.
• Ba Di extracted Death Knell’s memories and intensified his hatred and competitiveness while suppressing his urge to reveal Ba Di was an alien.
• Ba Di planned for Death Knell to escape, establish a mercenary nation in Africa, steal Ba Di’s inventions, and eventually join the heroes who would come to oppose him.

Ba Di watched Death Knell’s memory of confronting the monstrous Jenny and learned that she may have helped keep Ba Di’s identity from the military. Hera explained that restoring Jenny to human form would alert Brainiac to Earth, so Ba Di faced a choice over her fate.

• Slade watched Sam Lane leave, then confronted Jenny in her cage and asked whether she loved Ba Di or wanted him dead.
• Slade accused Jenny of tempting General Vick with the hope of restoring his status and authority, then left the camp as Death Knell.
• Ba Di, held prisoner while lying on an operating table, asked Hera why she had shown him the memory.
• Hera said she wanted Ba Di to understand Jenny, and Ba Di considered restoring her with a Biological Chip but feared that its signal would reveal Earth to Brainiac.
• Ba Di declared that he had already made his choice and demanded that Jenny choose whether to live or die.

Ba Di reached the camp where Jenny had been imprisoned, struggling with rage and grief over her transformation. Jenny broke out of her cage and met him at the entrance, where he asked whether she was still his slave of love.

• Ba Di walked toward the camp, blaming himself and Jenny for what had happened and suppressing his fury.
• The soldiers spotted Ba Di's glowing red eyes approaching through the darkness.
• Jenny awoke, saw Ba Di, and pulled apart the bars of the Fine Steel Cage.
• Jenny emerged at thirteen meters tall and walked toward the camp entrance as a soldier reported her escape to General Vick.
• Ba Di entered the camp's light, faced Jenny, and asked whether she was still his slave of love.

Jenny reunited with Ba Di at the military camp, but her monstrous transformation and painful confusion over their relationship turned to rage when General Vick ordered Ba Di killed. She killed Vick and Colonel Violet, then the soldiers recovered and prepared to open fire.

• Jenny saw Ba Di and struggled with her pain, monstrous appearance, and the ring embedded in her hand.
• General Vick emerged with Colonel Violet and ordered the camp’s weapons to kill Ba Di.
• Jenny roared that no one could hurt Ba Di and attacked General Vick as Colonel Violet pushed him aside.
• Jenny smashed General Vick to death and killed Colonel Violet with a slap.
• The soldiers recovered from Jenny’s roar and shouted for the camp to open fire.

Jenny rampaged through the military camp to avenge Ba Di, and he used Heat Vision to destroy the soldiers and weapons attacking her. As the burning camp fell quiet, Jenny asked Ba Di if she could still hug him.

• Jenny stormed through the camp, killing soldiers and destroying vehicles as Ba Di watched from the entrance.
• Ba Di realized Jenny had helped conceal his identity from General Vick and softened toward her.
• The soldiers used an Ultrasonic Weapon and laser cannons against Jenny, and she crushed the ultrasonic vehicle but was wounded by the lasers.
• Ba Di used Heat Vision to destroy the laser cannons and kill the soldiers attacking Jenny.
• Jenny stopped amid the flames and asked Ba Di, “Can... I... still... hug... you?”

Jenny reunited with Ba Di amid the burning ruins, but her pain overwhelmed her and she gave up on living. After she erupted in a catastrophic blaze, Ba Di walked away clutching their ring and vowed to become a god and bring her back.

• Jenny carefully cupped Ba Di in her enormous hands, and he embraced her as she wept blood and told him how much she hurt.
• Jenny said they should die together, then closed her eyes and began to erupt with blinding light before Ba Di could explain that he had a way to save her.
• Ba Di clung to Jenny as she exploded, but the blast tore her from his grasp and left him alone in the flames with their ring.
• Ba Di walked out of the fire clutching the ring and swore he would become a god, reverse time, and bring Jenny back.

Ba Di reflected on Jenny’s suffering and why she had tried to become stronger for him, then decided to expand into Central City. A hotel employee found him lying naked on the roof and told him to stop.

• Ba Di considered how Jenny had helped conceal his identity and created a serum to become strong enough to embrace him.
• Ba Di recalled Jenny’s pain and realized her transformation had left her suffering as a monster.
• Ba Di clenched Jenny’s ring and chose Central City as the next city to target.
• A hotel employee brought breakfast to Ba Di’s room, found him naked on the roof, and told him not to lie there.

Ba Di consolidated his control of Organization One Hundred in Metropolis and demanded most of its funds to finance his expanding business ambitions. He ordered Tobias Whale to prepare for a transformation and a move to Coast City, where he would compete with Bruno for control of California.

• A room attendant found Ba Di naked on the hotel roof again, helped him dress, and was sent to summon Tobias Whale.
• Death Knell was blamed for the Southern Suburbs military camp explosion and fled toward Africa to build his own forces and wage war.
• Tobias Whale reported that Organization One Hundred's remaining members had been pacified and Metropolis was under Ba Di's control.
• Ba Di ordered Tobias to hand over eighty percent of Organization One Hundred's funds, and Tobias agreed to contribute personal assets as well.
• Ba Di told Tobias that he would modify him and send him to Coast City, where he would compete with Bruno, who was headed to Star City, for control of California.

Ba Di learned that the Family planned to recruit Cosmic Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and agreed to attend their party, while his secretary secretly plotted to kill him. In his underground laboratory, Hera reported that the Hidden Subconscious Guidance Spores were complete, giving Ba Di a tool for influencing powerful people over time.

• Ba Di arrived at Cosmic Biotechnology Co., Ltd. after taking the International Gang's and Organization One Hundred's accumulated funds, promising their leaders special abilities if they stayed loyal.
• Ba Di's secretary reported that Noah Technology Park's companies had rejected him and that Mr. Luther had arranged a party where the Family intended to recruit his company and share its profits.
• Ba Di agreed to attend the party, while his secretary privately decided that it would be the end of his life.
• Ba Di went to his underground laboratory and asked Hera to develop a controllable enhancement plan using two blood samples.
• Hera told Ba Di that the Hidden Subconscious Guidance Spores were complete, though they required five to ten years to fuse with brain cells.

Ba Di prepared Hidden Subconscious Guidance Spores to influence future leaders and generals, then returned upstairs and spoke with Little Luther. Mike reported news about Ba Di’s request, and Ba Di learned that Joe El’s son had arrived on Earth.

• Ba Di programmed twenty-seven Hidden Subconscious Guidance Spores to influence prominent political and military figures.
• Ba Di left the laboratory and found Little Luther waiting with his secretary.
• Ba Di told the secretary to come to his room the following night, prompting Little Luther to suspect something was wrong with her.
• Ba Di told Little Luther to observe the secretary more carefully and listened as Little Luther reported news from Mike.
• Ba Di learned that Joe El’s son had arrived on Earth and reacted with excitement.

Ba Di recalled how Joe El had thwarted his ambitions on Krypton and concluded that Joe El had secretly placed the Codex of Life inside Kal-El before birth. Ba Di arrived at the Galaxy International Hotel determined to discover what preparations Joe El had made to protect his son.

• Ba Di rode through Metropolis, troubled by the news that Joe El's son had landed on Earth and wondering whether he carried the Codex of Life.
• Ba Di remembered how his alliance with Haier ended after Joe El adopted Haier, uncovered Ba Di's ambitions, and helped bring him down.
• Ba Di recalled his failed attempt to seize the Codex of Life and his escape to Earth after Joe El sabotaged his ship.
• Ba Di reasoned that Joe El had integrated the real Codex of Life into Kal-El before birth and had planned for Krypton's destruction.
• Ba Di suspected that Joe El had preserved his consciousness as an artificial intelligence to protect his son, then arrived at the Galaxy International Hotel.

At a lavish Family banquet, Ba Di arrived to be welcomed into the organization, drawing admiration from women and scorn from its second-generation heirs. The heirs were angered when they learned he would join the Family and take the 18th Seat, placing him on equal footing with their parents.

• Family members gathered at the Galaxy International Hotel banquet hall to welcome Ba Di, while some objected to admitting a man from Suicide Slum.
• Ba Di entered in a white suit, and the guests admired his appearance and imposing presence.
• Jealous second-generation heirs mocked Ba Di as a lucky country bumpkin who had acquired Nuo Yi Biological Company.
• A prominent woman in a purple evening gown praised Ba Di's looks and joked that he would be their parents' equal after joining the Family.
• The second-generation heirs reacted with anger and humiliation when they learned Ba Di was to take the 18th Seat.

Ba Di attended a banquet arranged to bring Cosmic Biotechnology Co., Ltd. into the Family, but he remained indifferent to the gathering and its guests. When Yada Edge warmly approached to embrace him, Ba Di stopped him and said he did not like hugs.

• Ba Di entered the banquet hall as guests and second-generation heirs watched him.
• A woman in a purple evening gown mocked the heirs who insulted Ba Di, then became intrigued when he ignored her toast.
• Ba Di surveyed the guests for women to approach while waiting for news from his subordinates in Kansas and preparing for Qiao Ai Er's arrival.
• Yada Edge, the head of the Family, welcomed Ba Di and opened his arms to embrace him.
• Ba Di pressed a hand against Yada Edge's chest to stop him and said he did not like hugs.