Maser is launched to investigate strange activity in the Sun. Dr. La Grieve meets with Professor Stein. Firestorm returns to Pittsburgh to meet with Firehawk. The Parasite attacks Killer Frost at the Institute for Metahuman Studies. Dr. La Grieve tries to save Killer Frost with a new antiviral medication. Firestorm and Firehawk battle the Parasite. Maser returns with news of a shocking presence within the Sun.

Firestorm826's Panel-by-Panel Story Summary (Spoiler Alert)

“You’re sending Maser to his death,” worries Ms. Radcliffe. She stands in a large control room at an observatory. A massive laser aims upwards as technicians tend to its operation.

“Nonsense,” argues Dr. La Grieve. “We’re asking him to use his command of the electromagnetic spectrum to change himself into light energy so the laser can send him to examine the Sun. That’s all.”

“The Sun is 93 milion miles away, Dr. La Grieve,” Ms. Radcliffe continues. “You make it sound like it was around the block! It’s way beyond Maser’s tested parameters.”

“But not his theoretical parameters,” Dr. La Grieve replies. “Ms. Radcliffe, I appreciate your and Sunderland Corp’s concern for your ‘investment’, but this is a crisis! Sol has suddenly become very unstable and suspicions are that it is being manipulated. If so, we need to find out how and by whom…and we frankly don’t have much time! As light energy, Maser can cross the distance between us and the Sun in minutes!”

“If he’s travelling at light speed, how will he be able to see anything?” Ms. Radcliffe asks. “His eyes won’t register the photons.”

“Actually, once I’m in proximity, I’ll change to a - - well - - maser, a beam of coherent sound - - that will travel much slower and then use other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum to analyze the Sun,” Maser explains.

“Quiet!” Ms. Radcliffe snaps. “You’re not helping!”

“We already knew about that, Ms. Radcliffe,” Dr. La Grieve says. “We have done some thinking about all this, you know.”

“Have you thought about how to get him back?” Ms. Radcliffe says, pointing sharply at Dr. La Grieve. “The Earth will be very small and continue to travel in its orbit and Maser has no tracking system to help him pick it out in the vastness of space!”

“We’ll leave a light in the window - - this laser - - to be precise,” Dr. La Grieve explains. “He’ll follow the beam right back here. Ms. Radcliffe, I don’t mean to be an ogre, but Sunderland did place Maser in the Captains of Industry…and they made the Captains answerable to the Institute of Metahuman Studies. I am the Head of IMHS and the government has asked for our cooperation and I intend to see that, in this matter, they get it. After all, if their analysis of the situation is correct, the Sun’s convulsions are expanding geometrically. It will shortly incinerate the Earth, along with every living thing on it.”

“If their analysis is correct, Doctor La Grieve!” Ms. Radcliffe argues.

“Awww, c’mon, Mom!” Maser says sarcastically. “Lemme go save the world! Huh? Huh? Can I? Can I?”

“Stop it!” Ms. Radcliffe replies. “I’m not your mother!” She turns but keeps looking at Maser. “Not with some of the thoughts about you that I get!” she thinks. “Be home for dinner. And be careful!” she tells Maser.

“I’ll look both ways before crossing the orbital path, honest!” Maser replies with a mock salute.

“Ease yourself into the firing chamber here, Maser,” Dr. La Grieve directs.

“Warp factor zillion, Mr. Isuzu!” Maser says, charging forward to the laser chamber. FZAAP! In an instant, he is beamed up into the atmosphere.

“For your sake, I hope this works, Doctor,” Ms. Radcliffe says somberly.

“So do I - - for all our sakes,” replies Dr. La Grieve.

Meanwhile, approaching Pittsburgh… “I’m going to have to confront Firehawk,” thinks Firestorm as he flies just above the treetops. “The last time we met, I lost my temper and actually burned her. I could have killed her. I’ve avoided meeting her - - dealing with what I’ve done - - since then. But Swamp Thing showed me, in Eden, that I needed to face up to what I’ve done. I cannot deny or ignore the responsibilities of my acts.”

Firestorm flies low over the outskirts of the city. “I hope I can get her to truly forgive me,” he thinks. “Actually, I’d be happy if I could just get her to listen.”

In an alley below, a creature emerges from the shadows. It looks up at the streak of light that Firestorm carves in the sky as he passes overhead. “Hurrrr..,” Parasite mumbles. “Fiii…rrre…storrrm! Reeeememm-berrr himmmm…mmust avoiiid!”

Parasite slinks along next to a building, clenching his teeth as he thinks. “Must doooo…something!” he wonders. “Cannnnot….rememmmmberrrrrr! So hunggrrrry!”

A jogger runs down the sidewalk and passes the entrance to the alleyway. “AAAA - -“ snarls Parasite. He springs from the shadows and reaches for the jogger. “AAAA!” he says as he touches the jogger’s shoulder. SUUUUCK! In seconds, only skeletal remains and jogging clothes are left on the ground. “Ahhh! Better!” Parasite thinks as he turns back to the shadows of the alley. “Need more! Killer Frost! Remember! Must take her energy! All her energy! Leave her dead! Fine by me. I still hungerrr…”

Meanwhile, at IMHS… “This is what I asked you to see, Doctor La Grieve,” Dr. Acharaya says. “Dr. Lincoln - - Killer Frost - - her temperature went up and the temperature in the cell has dramatically gone down.”

Dr. La Grieve peers through a small window to look inside Killer Frost’s cell. She stands in a chilly mist. “And you think, Dr. Achayara..,” he asks.

“That she is dying,” replies Dr. Achayara. “Oh, yes. I fear so.”

“We’ve pinpointed the ‘smart virus’ as being the cause of Dr. Lincoln’s becoming Killer Frost. How’s the antiviral medication coming?” Dr. La Grieve asks.

“It’s ready,” Dr. Achayara replies. “We’ve gotten emergency USDA approval to use it, but we can’t get close to her. The temperature in there is already minus 100 degrees Celsius.”

“Can we get her out of there?” Dr. La Grieve asks, reviewing some documentation.

“Not without endangering the rest of the complex,” Dr. Achayara explains. “Her fever is feeding her power, but it’s also feeding off her. Unless we can find a way of breaking the cycle, she will die within hours.”

“If Firestorm or Firehawk or another metahuman could supply the heat?” Dr. La Grieve asks.

“Her body would read it as an attack and increase the cold,” Dr. Achayara replies. “I fear the stress would kill her.”

“So we have the means of saving Dr. Lincoln,” Dr. La Grieve notes.

“Yes,” Dr. Achayara explains. “But we cannot get past her defenses to administer it.”

“Well, don’t give up, Doctor. The Institute has vast resources, or so I’m told,” Dr. La Grieve replies. “We may yet come up with something.” He turns to leave.

“Yes,” nods Dr. Achayara. “Please, it must be soon if it it to be any good at all.”

Dr. La Grieve continues down a hallway. He looks through a window at a nearby room where workers buzz around experiments. “Of course, if we do cure Dr. Lincoln before Oracle can figure out how Sunderland is tapping into our systems, we’ll be placing both the virus and the cure in their hands as well,” he thinks.

Dr. La Grieve opens a door and steps into an office. “Good morning, Miss Reilly,” he says. “Welcome to IMHS. Hope you’re settling in all right.”

Lorraine looks up from her desk. “Yes, Doctor, thank you,” she replies. “Martin Stein is waiting in your office.”

“Hold my calls, if you will,” Dr. La Grieve requests.

“Certainly,” Lorraine nods. “Oh, and there is a message left by Ms. Firehawk. She’s agreed to join your Captains of Industry group - - at least on a part-time, trial basis.”

“Welllll…if that’s what we can get, I suppose that’s what we’ll take,” Dr. La Grieve replies. He steps into his office where Martin Stein sits dejectedly. He reaches for his watch and presses a button.

“Martin, are you all right?” Dr. La Grieve asks. “You look like hell. Don’t worry…we can speak freely. I’ve activated a private jamming device…for any bugs that might be present.”

“Hm? Oh, yes. I’m fine,” Martin says, looking up. “I just stayed up all night, working on those questions you had about Cliff Carmichael and the use of the Thinker’s Helmet.”

“You have met with Carmichael?” Dr. La Grieve asks, walking to sit at his desk.

“Given what I’ve learned, that’s the last thing I’d do right now!” Martin says. “Simon, I think you have a serious problem! I’ve been piecing together bits of data - - no one’s kept one coherent file on Carmichael - - including Pangloss or Caius, who are supposedly running the experiment.” He gestures at a collection of files and requition paperwork on the desk.

“Are Pangloss and Caius running something illegal?” Dr. La Grieve asks as he looks over some paperwork.

“No, I think they’re being manipulated - - by Carmichael,” Martin explains. “Nurses report an operation that Carmichael received since they started the experiments with the Thinker’s Helmet. A series of microdiscs have been installed in Carmichael’s brain. I backchecked the discs to their manufacturer, drew out the plans, and checked them with the technology of the Helmet. They match. I think Carmichael used the Helmet to analyze the Helmet…and then made use of current microchip technology to improve on it, reduce it in size to these chips, and had them directly interfaced with his own brain.”

“Why?” Dr. La Grieve asks.

“I pulled out Carmichael’s medical records,” Martin continues. “One of the doctors noted an unhealthy obsession, while he was institutionalized, with one single form of science fiction. Simon, are conversant with the term ‘cyberpunk’?”

“The genre generally features nihilistic, amoral characters wired up on drugs and plugged into computers, set against a dystopic future,” Dr. La Grieve nods. “Actually, I’m something of a S/F fan.”

“Carmichael also had a computer port installed at the base of his skull,” Martin reports. “The data also suggest that, within a certain field, Carmichael can control other people’s alpha or beta brainwaves - - make them more relaxed or aggressive. In fact, the data suggest he can make people forget they’ve done things. He may have a certain amount of mind control. Add to this a psyche that may still be unstable…”

“…And you have a new, more powerful thinker - - who is also a cyberpunk,” Dr. La Grieve replies. “Oh, we definitely have a problem, Martin!” He quickly reaches for his phone.

“Miss Reilly, would you locate Catalyst for me and have him report immediately to my office?” Dr. La Grieve asks.

“Certainly, Dr. La Grieve,” Lorraine replies. Firestorm stands next to her. “Then if you’ll excuse me, I need to take an early lunch. There’re some things I need to deal with.”

“Simon, who is this ‘Catalyst’?” Martin asks.

“A member of the Captains of Industry, supplied by Cornelius / Krieg, the world’s largest pharmaceutical firm,” Dr. La Grieve explains. “He’s called the Living Pharmacopeia. He can induce the effect of any drug he wants on anyone he wants by merely touching them. Unfortunately, some evidence suggests he’s abusing that ability.”

Catalyst sits in chair. “…Lithium…Valium…crack…LSD..?” he says. “Ahhh! Yessss!” He smiles and taps his hand to his wrist. BRINNG! He reaches for the telephone. “Wha’?!” he says quickly.

“Dr. La Grieve’s office calling?” says the voice of Lorraine. “Dr. La Grieve needs to see you immediately.”

“Tell him Catalyst comes,” replies Catalyst.

In the sky over Pittsburgh, two streaks of light soar along. “You wanted to talk?” Firehawk asks.

“It’s a little hard while we fly - - the wind slipping by and all..,” Firestorm replies.

“Some of us still have secret identities that we’d like to keep secret!” Firehawk says.

“No one saw me enter!” Firestorm explains. “No one could overhear us.”

“What if they had the office bugged?” Firehawk asks. “Did you ever think of that?”

“Who? Why would they bug you?” Firestorm replies.

“Ohhh…skip it, you wouldn’t understand,” Firehawk continues. “Just make it a rule: When I’m Lorraine, you don’t refer to me as Firehawk. Don’t even suggest I know her.”

“All right. Hey - - wait!” Firestorm says. They come down on a rooftop.

“All right,” Firehawk replies. “Speak your mind. And then get out of my life.”

“I’ve done a lot of thinking…I’ve learned a lot about responsibilities,” Firestorm begins. “I know what happened the…the last time we met I lost control. I nearly killed you. I never fully dealt with that, with you. I’d like to.”

“You say you’re learned to accept responsibility; that you’ve grown. I’m not so sure,” Firehawk says skeptically. “You used to be human. You’re so into being this avenging Elemental force that I think you’ve lost touch with the parts of you that are human.”

“Then…teach me?” Firestorm asks.

“You have all you need within you,” Firehawk replies. “Just let it out a little. Let Ron out. Let me see Ron. Let Mikhail’s family see him. Be human for a little while.”

“And if they never let me come back?” Firestorm worries. “Will you make them bring me back?”

They stand quietly for a long moment. “I wanted to be your friend,” Firestorm says, breaking the tense silence. “It’s not me you want.” He leaps into the air. “I can’t - - I won’t - - do what you ask!”

“This time I’m sorry!” Firehawk says, tearfully watching him go.

“Hssst! Carmichael!” Catalyst calls. “They’ve tumbled you. La Grieve sent me to knock you out.”

Cliff looks up at Catalyst as he walks in the hallway. “Take your best shot - - if you think you can get close enough,” he sneers.

“If I had intended it, I would already have done it,” Catalyst says. “I’m telling you to get out while you can. Check with Krieg Pharamceutical; that is for whom I really work. They’d be very interested in a hotshot like yourself. And you would find many more…shall we say…’opportunities’ with them?”

“Thanks,” Cliff says. His face reflects in the glass face piece of Catalyst’s suit. “Maybe I’ll do that.”

BRANG! BRANG! Loud alarms start to sound in the building. “Now’s a good time to go,” Catalyst says quickly. “Looks like we have an intruder alert!”

Parasite explodes into the building. SUUUCK! SUUUCK! Instantly, he touches two helpless guards and reduces them to skeletons. “C’mon, munchkins! Power me up!” he yells. “Lend me your strength - - gimme your lives!”

He smashes through the cell door where Dr. Lincoln is and begins to absorb her energy. “Yes! Yes!” he yells. “Gimme more! That was tasty. Now to finish the job.” He stands ominously over her as Catalyst rushes in.

“Good. Dealing with whoever this fool is will cover my supposedly not dealing with Carmichael,” Catalyst thinks. FASHH! He leaps at Parasite.

“Anybody ever tell you, pally, that nobody likes a sneak?!” Parasite snarls. SUUCK! He quickly absorbs energy from Catalyst. “I’d like to finish you, pally, but I got a job to do first!”

SCHRAAK! FWOOSH! “Not so fast, pally!” Firehawk cries out as she flies into the room. “I heard the alarm, too!” WHAM! She smashes into Parasite.

WHAM! She blasts him through a wall. “Let’s take this outside!” she yells as she pushes him through the air. “And I wish there was any other way of doing this!” she thinks. “Drop him now and try to scramble - - !”

Parasite wraps his hand onto Firehawk’s face. “Nerve toxin. Part of Catalyst’s powers,” he says. “Got them along with his memories. Gonna find it hard to move, cutie!” SUUUCK! “And I get to take what ever I want! Yum yum!” WHUMP! Energy surrounds Firehawk and she falls to the ground as Lorraine.

Martin and Dr. La Grieve rush towards Killer Frost’s cell. Ice flows heavily out the door. “Dr. Achayara!” calls Dr. La Grieve. “How is Dr. Lincoln?”

“The Parasite took her meta-energy!” Dr. Achayara says, standing near the icy mass. “She’s human, but trapped within the ice! I can’t get to the door!”

“Firestorm!” Martin thinks anxiously. “If you’re near, if you can feel this - - come quickly! A life hangs in the balance!”

Outside, Parasite stands over the helpless form of Lorraine. Three heavily-armed guards rush out. “C’mahn, you slugs!” a guard directs. “Gonna let the metas do all out work? Fire Tangler!”

CHOF! A guard fires a bazooka-like weapon at Parasite. SPRANG! Instantly, Parasite is tightly wrapped by coils of metal.

“What is this?” Parasite yells. “You bozos are messin’ with my feedin’ time!”

“Leaving me some of my power!” Lorraine thinks, quickly returning to Firehawk. “Must try…to burn…poisons out of system before Parasite gets free!”

Firestorm phases into the hallway near Killer Frost’s cell. “Brother, you called me?” he asks Martin.

“Yes!” Martin replies quickly. “We have a chance to save Louise Lincoln, but we can’t get past the ice! And Firehawk is battling Parasite outside!”

SCHRAK! Firestorm blasts a burst of energy at the ice flow. “See to Dr. Lincoln!” he yells. “I will deal with Parasite!”

The ice melts away from the cell door. Dr. La Grieve looks inside to see Louise lying motionless on the floor. “Dr. Achayara!” he yells. “Bring the antiviral medication! Now! While we have the chance!”

“All right, chumps!” Parasite growls. He flexes mightily and the coils break away from his body. “You’ve done it now! You’ve made me mad! Yer all dead!”

“And I haven’t the strength to stop him!” Firehawk worries as she gets back to her feet.

“Parasite, I let you live last time,” Firestorm calls out. “How many people have died because of that mercy? Perhaps this time I shouldn’t repeat it!”

Parasite turns warily at Firestorm. “Noooo!” he yells. “Kill you dead first, man!” SCHRAAK! He fires energy at Firestorm.

KRAK! Firestorm tenses into the energy and stones and chunks of sidewalk erupt at his feet. “Why?” he asks. FOOOSH! He blasts Parasite, sending him flailing back in the air. “If you have stolen Killer Frost’s powers, then you may have her weaknesses as well,” he continues. “Shall we see?”

“NO!” Parasite bellows. KRAK! WHAM! SCHRAK! He fires again at Firestorm. FZAAM! Firestorm blocks the energy. “I’m just part of the food chain, man!” Parasite yells. “The humans eat to survive! Why shouldn’t I? Don’t I have a right to live - - same as them?! I got a right to live!”

SSSSSS! SCHRAK! Parasite withers under the energy and weakens. “The right to live is not a right to kill - - to destroy!” Firestorm replies. “That also applies to me. So I will not kill you Parasite - - not this time. But you will be stopped - - now!”

KRAK! Firestorm lunges at Parasite and punches him across the face. Parasite falls motionless to the ground. Firestorm stands ready as the guards approach. “Well, well,” Firehawk thinks. “Maybe he has learned something.”

“Well, Doctor? Were we in time?!” Dr. La Grieve asks nervously. He kneels next to Louise as Martin looks on.

“Killer Frost is now truly dead,” Dr. Achayara explains as he finishes injecting her with the antiviral medication. “But Dr. Louise Lincoln - - Dr. Lincoln will live.”

“Thank God!” Dr. La Grieve says with great relief. “Now if Maser returns safely, this will truly be a red letter day!”

“He’s coming in!” a technician observes. He and Ms. Radcliffe stand at the massive laser projector in the observatory.

ZZZZZ! Slowly, energy coalesces into a human form. “Maser!” yells Ms. Radcliffe.

Maser tumbles to the floor, exhausted. “Medics! Over here!” yells the technician.

“Easy, Maser!” Ms. Radcliffe says as she rushes to his side. “You’re back - - you made it! Don’t try to talk!”

“NO!” Maser yells. Sweat runs down his forehead. “Must listen! Made it! Saw…what was wrong! There’s someone there! In the heart of the Sun! Recognized him…from S.T.A.R. Labs’ files! Tell them! Warn them! Brimstone lives! In the heart of the Sun!”