Chapter Summaries

After the Gotham attack, the Superpowered Guard Team became a media sensation, while the military and government cautiously supported them because their leader, Dilos Sullivan, could destroy the country. The team disappeared from public view as the frenzy around them continued.

• Three days after the Gotham attack, the media and public fixated on the barefaced Mutant members of the Superpowered Guard Team and their rescue of Gotham's citizens.
• Dilos had Dante upload footage of the team fighting criminals, and online searches quickly uncovered basic information about several members.
• Media outlets brought in experts to discuss the team's identities and powers, while the military and government voiced restrained support for their actions.
• The public suspected the government had secretly created the team, but Dilos's past threats and retaliation had made officials afraid to provoke him.
• The Superpowered Guard Team vanished from public view, leaving people unable to find them.

Dilos built gravity chambers at S.T.A.R. Labs to strengthen the Superpowered Guard Team’s foundations and improve their control of force. After explaining the technology to Cisco, Dilos revealed that he could briefly withstand more than 6,500 times normal gravity.

• Dilos found that the Superpowered Guard Team’s weak foundations had caused poor force control during the Gotham City attack.
• Dilos built five gravity chambers and had the team train in them, with each member limited by how much gravity they could currently adapt to.
• Cisco marveled at the gravity-device designs as Dilos explained how the chambers generated artificial gravity.
• Dilos realized that intense training could further strengthen his evolving cells and improve his own physical abilities.
• Cisco asked how much gravity Dilos could withstand, and Dilos said he could briefly endure more than 6,500 times normal gravity.

Dilos trained under extreme gravity to strengthen his qi and blood with True Yuan energy, dramatically increasing his physical abilities. After a week, the Superpowered Guard Team had also made progress, and Dilos turned his attention to a new problem after watching the news.

• Cisco Ramon warned Dilos that moving from extreme gravity to normal pressure could cause fatal damage, but Dilos said he and the others were not ordinary people.
• Dilos trained in his gravity chamber at 4,000 times gravity, using Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound and True Yuan energy to strengthen his qi and blood.
• Dilos spent twelve hours a day training, and after one week his physical abilities rose by about eighty percent, with his one-arm strength exceeding nine hundred tons.
• Dilos sensed that he was beginning to grasp the power of the wind-control pendant and expected to reach a new realm within one to three months.
• The Superpowered Guard Team members improved their Guoshu; Qin Jiayin gained better control of Dan Jin and Gang Jin, while Piotr advanced from An Jin to Hua Jin.
• Dilos considered helping Piotr establish his foundation and giving Qin Jiayin True Yuan energy, then watched the news and decided to deal with another problem.

Dilos used the Superpowered Guard Team’s public rescues to shift opinion toward accepting mutants, and a televised debate showed the supportive camp gaining the upper hand. The chapter ended with unknown forces releasing videos of Dilos hovering over a crater in Smallville, threatening to turn public opinion against him.

• A television program aired footage of Qin Jiayin, Piotr, Kitty, and the Superpowered Guard Team rescuing people in Gotham City and Central City.
• The host presented Dilos and the other team members as young, attractive heroes, and praised their work saving civilians.
• Mikron Holmes argued for treating mutants fairly, while a bald guest called for mutants to be suppressed and cited Magneto as a danger.
• The supportive camp gained ground as guests pointed to the team’s record of rescues, while the military and government remained neutral.
• Unknown forces released videos of Dilos with scarlet eyes hovering above a huge crater in Smallville.

After footage from Smallville fueled anti-Mutant protests, Dilos and the Superpowered Guard Team faced public blame despite their efforts to save Gotham City. Dilos volunteered to attend a government hearing in Smith’s place, intending to argue for Mutant rights and force a resolution.

• Footage showing Dilos in Smallville’s enormous crater sparked conspiracy theories and anti-Mutant demonstrations across the United States and abroad.
• Qin Jiayin and the Superpowered Guard Team defended Dilos’s actions during the Gotham City crisis, while John nearly attacked protesters before Dilos restrained him.
• The authorities summoned Smith to a hearing under public pressure, prompting the team to worry that the hearing would worsen opposition to Mutants.
• Dilos offered to attend in Smith’s place and explain why he had been unable to rescue people sooner.
• Dilos said he would use the hearing to demand fair rights for Mutants and warned that he would force the issue if the authorities refused to be reasonable.

Dilos warned Nick Fury that he would destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. if it tested his limits again, then continued his search of U.S. dams for the unusual object Cassandra had told him to find. At Reeve Dam, Dante detected something unidentified more than three hundred meters underground, and Dilos prepared to dig it up.

• Dilos told Nick Fury he would attend the hearing and used an overwhelming force to leave him incapacitated as a warning against testing his limits.
• Dilos ordered Nick Fury to tell the hearing’s organizers that everyone expected to attend must show up, or he would bring them by force.
• Dilos left Sullivan Company and used his spatial pendant to travel to the outskirts of Metropolis, where he continued searching dams.
• Dilos asked Dante to scan Reeve Dam, and a deep scan detected an unidentified object more than three hundred meters underground.
• Dilos decided to dig up the object, believing it might be the reason Cassandra had directed him to search the dam.

Dilos recovered a Kryptonian spacecraft from beneath a lake and brought it to his underground base on Isla Sorna. Thundercracker translated its message, revealing that it carried Kara Zor-El, and Dilos learned that the Kryptonian girl had been sent to be cared for as a treasure.

• Dilos used telekinesis to pull an unidentified object from beneath the lake near Reeve Dam.
• Dilos uncovered a Kryptonian spacecraft marked with Kryptonian symbols and glowing Green Kryptonite.
• Dilos decided not to open the spacecraft at the lake and transported it to his laboratory on Isla Sorna.
• Thundercracker recognized the spacecraft and explained that he had learned Kryptonian writing and language while fighting Kryptonians.
• Thundercracker translated the message, which said the spacecraft carried Kara Zor-El and asked that she be treated as a daughter.

Dilos learned from Thundercracker about the long war between Cybertron and Krypton and asked him to disable the Kryptonian ship without damaging it. Before Thundercracker could act, Dilos told him to use the Pioneer to copy the ship’s Kryptonian language and writing first.

• Thundercracker reacted with schadenfreude when Dilos said Krypton had been destroyed in a civil war, then wondered how Dilos knew.
• Thundercracker explained that Cybertronians had fought Krypton over resource mining and had gained an intelligence advantage by deciphering Kryptonian communications.
• Dilos recalled Jor-El’s scientific abilities and decided he wanted the Kryptonian ship’s technology preserved.
• Thundercracker said he could use quantum weapons from the AllSpark to disable the ship and make it open its hatch.
• Dilos gave Thundercracker the AllSpark, then stopped him and ordered him to have the Pioneer copy the ship’s Kryptonian language and writing first.

Dilos used Thundercracker and the AllSpark to activate the Kryptonian spacecraft and discovered Kara Zor-El alive inside. After Kara woke, Dilos introduced himself and told her she was on Earth.

• Dilos used the Pioneer's learning device to acquire Kryptonian and Cybertronian knowledge, then organized it with the help of his enhanced brain.
• Dilos and Thundercracker entered a shielded chamber, where Thundercracker used the AllSpark to activate the Kryptonian spacecraft.
• The spacecraft shook, rose, and opened its doors after its golden lights faded.
• Dilos sensed that someone inside the spacecraft was alive and found Kara Zor-El asleep within it.
• Kara woke, asked who Dilos was and where she was, and Dilos answered that they were on Earth and introduced himself.

Kara Zor-El arrived on Earth and met Dilos Sullivan, who recognized her identity and arranged a place for her to stay. Dilos suspected something was wrong with her mind and kept her away from sunlight, while Kara worried about her mission to protect the long-grown Kal-El.

• Kara gave Dilos Sullivan the false name Selena Jones, but he revealed that her spacecraft identified her as Kara Zor-El.
• Kara admitted that she was sixteen and from Krypton, and Dilos noticed an unusual black-red energy in her spiritual light.
• Dilos brought Kara to a furnished room in his base and sealed off her spacecraft, including the red-glowing crystal inside it.
• Dilos sent Dante information about Kryptonian language and warned him not to let Kara come into contact with sunlight, then promised Thundercracker an upgrade with Vibranium and the AllSpark.
• Kara remembered her mission to take care of Kal-El, unaware that he had grown up as Clark Kent, while Dante knew he was already with Chloe.

Dilos brought Thundercracker to the energy shielding chamber and upgraded him with Cybertronized Vibranium and the AllSpark. Thundercracker’s strength increased dramatically, and he ended the chapter kneeling before Dilos and awaiting orders.

• Dilos and Thundercracker passed the Cybertronian workers building Dilos’s underground space carrier on Isla Sorna.
• Dilos explained that the carrier required vast quantities of metal and that he planned to prioritize its defenses before Cybertronizing it with the AllSpark.
• In the energy shielding chamber, Dilos gave Thundercracker the AllSpark and nearly twenty kilograms of Vibranium ore for his upgrade.
• Thundercracker’s body fused with the Cybertronized Vibranium as the AllSpark enhanced his Spark, increasing his strength by more than eighty times and greatly boosting his combat power.
• Thundercracker restored his usual camouflage and knelt before Dilos, declaring himself reborn and asking for orders.

As Dilos waited for Kara’s hearing, Qin Jiayin found him beneath the stars and comforted him. Their sincere affection triggered a breakthrough in both of them, and Qin Jiayin discovered a new clarity and strength.

• After Thundercracker’s upgrade, Dilos stationed him at the underground base on Isla Sorna, while Kara remained in a room prepared for her pending the hearing.
• With less than eight hours before the hearing, Dilos sat atop S.T.A.R. Labs, unable to sleep and trying to quiet his thoughts beneath the stars.
• Qin Jiayin approached Dilos unnoticed and embraced him, easing the pressure he had been carrying.
• Dilos recognized that Qin Jiayin had touched a realm beyond ordinary spiritual energy, and the two shared a heartfelt kiss and silently conveyed their gratitude and affection.
• A mysterious force passed between Dilos and Qin Jiayin, and both felt a shackle break as they entered transformations.
• Qin Jiayin experienced a breakthrough that sharpened her perception and gave her confidence she could withstand the two people who had invaded X-Mansion.

Dilus discovered that he had reached the Guoshu realm of Shatter the Void, See the God, and Remain Unbroken, while Qin Jiayin gained the ability to anticipate his moves. The two celebrated their breakthroughs by sharing an intimate night together.

• Dilus accidentally activated the hidden power in his blood and qi, enlarging his hand and blasting a huge crater into the ground.
• Dilus recognized that he had achieved the Guoshu realm of Shatter the Void, See the God, and Remain Unbroken, and considered how True Essence power could replenish his blood and qi.
• Qin Jiayin dodged Dilus's attempts to pinch her cheek before he could make them, and Dilus realized she had gained the foreknowledge associated with utmost sincerity.
• Dilus used his greater speed to pinch Qin Jiayin's cheek, then pulled her close and kissed her.
• Dilus and Qin Jiayin shared their desires and used spatial movement to reach their private room, where they spent the night together.

Dilos and Qin Jiayin prepared to attend the hearing in Washington, while crowds of mutant supporters and opponents gathered outside the US Capitol. At the X-Mansion, Charles urged everyone to trust Dilos, and the chapter ended as Thundercracker’s disguised aircraft appeared over the crowd.

• Dilos and Qin Jiayin prepared to leave together after Dilos proposed and gave her a ring.
• Thundercracker arrived in a silver-and-black disguise to take Dilos and Qin Jiayin to Washington.
• Large crowds gathered outside the US Capitol, where anti-mutant protesters shouted insults and burned a Dilos-like doll.
• At the X-Mansion, Scott, Jean Grey, Wolverine Logan, Storm Ororo, and the students watched the protests on television.
• Charles reassured the X-Men that Dilos could handle the hearing, and the group spotted Thundercracker’s plane arriving over the Capitol.

Dilos and Qin Jiayin arrived at the US Capitol in a futuristic aircraft, stunning the crowd with their appearance. They headed into the Capitol together as the aircraft vanished behind them.

• A futuristic aircraft descended vertically and landed near the US Capitol, alarming police and exciting onlookers.
• Dilos and Qin Jiayin stepped out of the aircraft in formal suits, drawing gasps and admiration from the crowd.
• Dilos took the briefcase from Qin Jiayin, and the couple walked up the Capitol steps arm in arm.
• The aircraft closed its hatch, took off, and vanished while the crowd kept watching Dilos and Qin Jiayin.

Dilos and Qin Jiayin’s dramatic arrival at the Capitol Building won mutants admiration and dominated television coverage. As Tony Stark watched the spectacle, he decided to prepare a new Mark armor and go join the action, while Pepper warned him not to provoke Dilos.

• Dilos and Qin Jiayin entered the Capitol Building in a showy display that left onlookers stunned and sparked mixed reactions to mutants.
• The Superpowered Guard Team, the students and X-Men at X-Mansion, Lex Luthor, Chloe and Gabe, Michael Corvin, and Selene watched the scene and reacted with admiration or surprise.
• Tony Stark lamented that Dilos and the mutant news had repeatedly stolen his headlines.
• Tony ordered JARVIS to prepare a new Mark armor, saying he planned to join Dilos.
• Pepper warned Tony not to act recklessly, and JARVIS offered to verify Tony’s claims about his dating habits with recordings.
• Tony headed to the basement to revise JARVIS’s programming.

Diloss, Qin Jiayin, and Hank McCoy entered a live congressional hearing where Diloss intended to pursue mutants' legitimate rights as well as explain the events under scrutiny. They took their seats under the watch of soldiers, reporters, and wary senators, and Senator Stern announced the hearing's start.

• Hank McCoy greeted Diloss and Qin Jiayin, then explained that they should calmly present their account while he handled the others.
• Diloss told Hank he planned to fight for mutants' legitimate rights, and Qin Jiayin assured Hank that Diloss had prepared carefully.
• The three passed through metal detectors and entered the crowded hearing hall as reporters photographed them and armed guards watched nervously.
• Diloss sat between Qin Jiayin and Hank at the hearing table, and Senator Stern announced that the hearing had begun.

Dilos Sullivan defended the Superpowered Guard Team at a hearing over its Gotham City rescue, arguing that the accusations reflected broader injustice against Mutants. After an anti-Mutant activist challenged his account, Dilos openly condemned the crowd’s self-righteous ignorance.

• Senator Stern opened the hearing by calling for fairness, and Dilos immediately broadened the dispute to the treatment of Mutants.
• Dilos told the cameras that the rescue was real and claimed his strength could destroy dozens of skyscrapers with a few punches.
• Cohen Cyrus challenged Dilos’s claims, argued that Mutants had caused the crater together, and accused the team of failing to rescue Gotham’s citizens for ulterior reasons.
• Dilos secretly had Dante record Cohen’s remarks and waited for Thor’s arrival to expose the activist.
• Dilos called the critics self-righteous fools and said such people had always been numerous.

At a public hearing, Dilos rebuked Cohen-Siris and the crowd for condemning him without knowing what happened in Gotham City. He demonstrated his power by opening spatial portals and detonating an immense energy blast above the U.S. Capitol, leaving the hearing silent and terrified.

• Hank urged Dilos to stay calm, but Dilos stood by his remarks and dismissed Cohen-Siris's accusations.
• When Cohen-Siris insulted him, Dilos overwhelmed him with an excruciating psychic attack and then condemned the crowd for fearing his strength while ignoring his explanations.
• Dilos described the poisoned Gotham City sewers, the criminal organization behind them, and the Superpowered Guard Team's rescue efforts, demanding to know what the crowd actually understood.
• Dilos opened a portal to the sky and Qin Jiayin disabled the soldiers' guns with energy blades when they aimed at him.
• Dilos opened another portal showing the U.S. Capitol, sent a massive gold-and-blue energy sphere through the first portal, and detonated it high above the Capitol.
• After the blast shook the Capitol and terrified the people outside, Dilos told the crowd they were not worthy of deceiving.

At the hearing, Diloss demonstrated his terrifying power, then argued that Mutants were part of humanity and represented its ongoing evolution. As Senator Stern tried to shift blame for anti-Mutant hostility onto Mutants, Diloss saw through his maneuver and prepared to counter it.

• Diloss used the Disintegration Destruction Bomb to frighten the hearing audience and released his control over the senators.
• Qin Jiayin withdrew her energy blades after Diloss signaled her, leaving the soldiers disarmed.
• Diloss declared that he would reclaim the rights Mutants deserved and explained that Mutants evolved from ordinary people with dormant superpower genes.
• Diloss told the audience that all humans would eventually evolve into Mutants, while Senator Stern questioned his claims and pointed to crimes committed by Mutants.
• Senator Stern acknowledged that Mutants should not be hated but tried to place greater blame on them, and Diloss recognized his scheme.