At the DEO, Lucy and her agents inform Non that the HQ is secure. Non tells them to release all prisoners except for Hank, and Vasquez does so. Lucy then goes to the cell holding one prisoner, Maxima, who says that she is Queen of the planet Almerac. Unimpressed, Lucy releases Maxima and the alien immediately knocks out the guards and grabs Lucy. Lucy tells her that Myriad has begun and Non calls Maxima to his legions. Once they swear their fidelity to Non, the prisoners will be the kings and queens of Earth.
Maxima agrees to serve Non and the two women go to the command center. Supergirl attacks them and Maxima fights back. Maxima's strength is the equivalent of a Kryptonian and she holds her own against Supergirl. Supergirl finally manages to knock her out, and the DEO agents open fire with Kryptonite weapons. As she takes cover, Supergirl yells at Lucy to fight the mind control. Lucy and Vasquez keep firing, and Supergirl uses her spaceship as a shield. She then activates the engines, knocking them down, and manages to override the cell override just in time. Once she pries a kryptonite bullet out of her arms, Supergirl apologizes to the unconscious Lucy.
Supergirl flies to the Fortress of Solitude, and Kelex reports that Superman is off-planet. It warns that it isn't authorized to discuss Myriad, but Supergirl points out that it's programmed to obey any member of the House of El. Kelex flies off, and the Alura AI appears. It explains that Myriad was designed to prevent Krypton's destruction. Astra implemented the technology to force people to obey her. When she and Non were captured, the two of them were sentenced to Fort Rozz. The High Council banned any mention of Myriad because it could be used to control any planet. Alura warns that Myriad cannot be stopped.
Thirty miles outside of Midvale, the bus that a disguised Alex is taking is pulled over. The troopers say that they're looking for two fugitives. Alex secretly draws her gun, and the trooper scans the passengers. They don't recognize Alex because she's wearing a wig, and the eyes of the boy seated next to Alex glow red.
Supergirl flies to CatCo and discovers all of the employees mindless typing Kryptonian code at their stations. Winn is among the employees, and doesn't respond when Supergirl tries to get through to him. She goes to find James and discovers that he's under Myriad's influence as well. General Sam Lane is on the news from where he's stationed outside of National City, and says that the Army has quarantined the city. Supergirl contacts him and says that Lucy is alive and safe, but admits that she's affected by Myriad. She asks Sam to keep everyone outside of the city and let her deal with the situation, and Sam agrees and wishes her luck.
Cat arrives, free-willed, and Supergirl realizes that she isn't affected by Myriad. She explains what's happening, and Cat finally notices that something is wrong. Superman calls Supergirl on her cell phone and says that he's coming to help. Supergirl runs to the balcony and looks for her cousin, but he falls under Myriad's influence and joins the mind-controlled population. Cat wonders why they're unaffected, and Max comes out and says that he has his moments.
In Cat's office, Max explains that he's using an ion blocker once he realized that Non is using his LTE satellite interface system to generate the Myriad signal. He didn't give the blockers to the DEO because he didn't trust anyone there. Cat is wearing the earrings that Max sent her... and he secretly put an ion blocker in them. Supergirl wonders why Superman was affected, and Max explains that since Kal was raised on Earth, it made his brain more human. He admits that the Kryptonians put force fields around the satellites and can't reach them, so he plans to kill Non and his followers.
At the Kryptonian base, Non and Indigo monitor National City. Non is pleased that nothing can stand against them, and Indigo reminds him that Supergirl is unaffected. He dismisses Supergirl as inconsequential, but Indigo says that they should kill her. Non doesn't see the point, but Indigo warns that if he doesn't kill her then he will have to fight her.
Eliza returns home and finds Alex and the shapeshifted Hank waiting for her. Hank transforms into Hank and Eliza remembers the Hank that recruited Jeremiah. Alex explains that Henshaw blackmailed her father into joining the DEO, and Hank saved him. Alex says that they're on the run, and Eliza tells them what's happening in National City.
Max explains that he won't explain his plan until he knows Cat and Supergirl are both on board. He insists that they're at war and the only time to win is to kill the enemy. Non comes in and tells Supergirl that she will soon kneel before him. He advises her to accept that she's already lost, and Supergirl says that in Astra's final moments, they forgave each other. Non insists that Astra wanted peace on Earth, and now it can live rather than suffer Krypton's fate. There are no more racial or political division, and all the people are working to save the world. Supergirl insists that Humanity is better than that, but Non points out that Max and Cat have spent their time helping the populace amusing themselves to death.
Winn and James speak up, insisting that everyone is united to eradicating famine, disease, and climate change. Max figures that Non is using the brain power of everyone's minds to solve the world's problems. Non realizes that Winn and James are Supergirl's friends and commands Winn, James, and another employee, Kelly, to walk to the balconies. They jump and Supergirl flies out and grabs James and Winn. However, she isn't fast enough to catch Kelly, who falls to her death. Non speaks through the two men, warning that if Supergirl stands against him then more will die. He says that now that he has saved National City, he will save the world.
At the Danvers house, Hank looks at a photo of Jeremiah and his family. He tells Eliza that he was with Jeremiah when he died, and he promised to keep Alex and Kara safe. Eliza thanks him and starts analyzing how he can shapeshift, and Hank points out that she's just like Alex. Meanwhile, Alex calls Supergirl and explains that they're at Eliza's. Supergirl tells her about Max's protection, and admits that they don't have any choice but to trust Max. Alex tells Hank and Eliza what is happening, and Hank figures that he's immune to Myriad. He insists that Alex stay behind and leaves.
At CatCo, Max asks Supergirl if she's ready to do what needs to be done. Once she agrees, he explains that he was working on a bomb filled with Kryptonite dust. Once it's set off, it will choke the Kryptonians to death. Cat points out the bomb will kill Superman and Supergirl, and Max says that Supergirl can detonate the bomb over the city's center. Then she and Superman will leave. She won't be able to come back for 50 years, but it's a small price to pay. Max admits that the concussive force will kill 8% of the population, over 300,000 people. He points out that Non will turn 7 million people into zombies, and figures that Supergirl is considering it because it's their only chance. Max warns that he won't let the Kryptonians conquer Earth, and every second they waste threatens all of humanity. He tells Supergirl that it's time to save the world and asks if she's with him.
Max contacts Sam and the general says that the President has given her approval to Max's plan. S
General Sam Lane: May God have mercy on our souls.
Maxwell Lord: If there was a God, General, I'm sure she wouldn't have put us in this mess in the first place. Supergirl wonders how Max became so ruthless, and he explains that he warned his parents about the faulty hazmat suits that got them killed. No one listened to him, including the CDC, and Max swore that from then on he wouldn't wait for permission to save people. He says that he and Supergirl are more alike than she thinks, and heads to his facility to get the bomb ready.
Non returns and tells Indigo that he didn't kill Supergirl so she could suffer seeing her friends enslaved. He says that they expand Myriad's influence across the planet, but Indigo dismisses his ambitions as petty. Non insists that he is the Lord of Earth, and Indigo says that he could be the Lord of the Universe thanks to Myriad and the mind-controlled army it has given him. She says that the entire universe could worship Non as she does.
Alex prepares to go with Hank, insisting that she won't let him go it alone. Eliza agrees with Hank, but Alex says that Hank can protect her with his telepathy. Hank reluctantly agrees and Eliza hugs her daughter before she goes. Alex starts to tell her that Jeremiah is still alive, but Hank interrupts her and Alex says that she'll tell Eliza when she comes back. Hank transforms into his Martian form and leaves with Alex.
At CatCo, Cat joins Supergirl on the balcony. She points out that people will die when Max tries to save the city, and Supergirl asks what she would have her do. Cat says that she should come up with a better plan, and Supergirl says that Alura faced the same decision on Krypton. Alura chose wrong and failed to save Krypton like she promised, wiping the planet from the stars. Cat says that they're all scared, and they're letting their fear guide them. She tells Supergirl that someone has to stand up despite their fear, and Supergirl showed her that there was another way to be strong by having faith in people and believing that goodness will prevail. Because of Supergirl, Cat has let people in like Kara and her son Adam. Cat says that Supergirl has taught her that hope is greater than fear, and she believes that Supergirl can change everyone in the city by being Supergirl. Supergirl hugs Cat and then says that she has an idea.
At the Kryptonian base, Indigo detects Hank approaching.
Hank and Alex land at a construction site and Hank warns that it's taking up a lot of his mental energy to shield Alex. He assures her that he won't sacrifice her, and says that he didn't want to worry Eliza by letting Alex tell her that Jeremiah is alive. Indigo yanks Alex away and shrugs off the bullet when Hank fires. She reminds Hank that he's the sole survivor of Mars, and Hank attacks her. He throws her into a nearby shed and the fuel explodes. Indigo emerges from the flames and slams Hank into a truck, impaling him in the chest. She then threatens to kill Alex unless Hank surrenders. Alex tells Hank to find Supergirl and save the city, but Hank reverts to his Martian form and collapses from his wound.
Supergirl and Cat go Max's lab, and Supergirl explains her plan. She says that she's counting on hope, and points out that no one will win if he detonates the bomb. Supergirl points out that Max hated her for using her powers indiscriminately, and now he's going to do the same thing. She tells Max that they can't let fear direct their actions, and asks him to make a choice that honors both their parents. After a moment, Max agrees to listen to Supergirl's plan.
Indigo brings Alex out of the mind control spell, and Non explains that she's at the heart of the Kryptonians' operation. He reminds Alex that she killed Alura, and he explains that he wants Alex alive so he can see the pain and fear in her eyes as she dies. Alex says that Astra came to her and told her how to save Supergirl from the Black Mercy, and she lost her taste for Myriad. Indigo tells Non that she knows how to hurt Alex and Supergirl.
Cat takes Supergirl and Max to the closed TV station where she first worked, and says that they're there to show the people a symbol of hope. The people will recognize it under the Myriad spell. Max piggybacks their signal off of Myriad, and rigs it so that Indigo can't trace them. Cat wonders how Max knew she would wear the earrings, and he admits that he didn't. He just had hope that she would.
Something makes a noise outside, and Supergirl goes to investigate. It's Alex, wearing a Kryptonite battlesuit, and Non speaks through her saying that she found an opponent that knows Supergirl's every weakness. Supergirl refuses to fight her sister, and Non says that she has no choice. Either Supergirl dies or she kills Alex. Alex draws the same Kryptonite sword that she used to kill Astra, and Non says that he wants Supergirl to join Astra in death. The two sisters leap at each other.
Written by Gadfly on Apr 12, 2016