‘No! it can’t be!’ Margaret Power cries out as she and her husband, Jim, are captives of the demonically transformed Bogeyman, whose grotesque form holds them by their necks inside the elevator in the Power family apartment building, while their children - Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie, have just transformed before their eyes. ‘See! It’s true! You even heard ‘em admit it! Your nice, normal little white-bread kids really are - POWER PACK!’ the Bogeyman gloats. ‘It’s impossible!’ Jim gasps, and Alex - a.k.a. Destroyer - shouts ‘All right, Bogeyman - you’ve won! Our secret is out once and for all! Now, please - release our parents!’ But the pale-skinned, blubbery Bogeyman declares ‘Don’t patronize me, boy! I’ve waited a long time or this - I’ve only begun to make you suffer!’
The Bogeyman then retreats through the hole in the elevator , pulling Margaret and Jim with him, he makes his way out of the apartment building, sliding down to the street below, laughing as he goes.
‘Mom! Dad!’ Destroyer shouts. ‘C’mon, you guys - let’s go get ‘im!’ Jack, as Counterweight, encourages his siblings. Julie shifts to her Molecula form, while Katie, as Starstreak, pulls Destroyer and Counterweight after her as she speeds through the air. ‘If he hurts them - even a little -’ Destroyer begins. ‘- I’ll kill him!’ Counterweight threatens. Molecula tells her siblings that they cannot afford to go off half-cocked. ‘But Julie - he’s gonna kill Mom and Dad! I know he is - unless we do it to him!’ Starstreak announces.
The kids climb out of the building and survey their surroundings, as Molecula points out that they have never had to kill, and the one and only thing that matters is to save their parents. She tells Alex to power up fast, and then he and Jack can follow her cloud trail as quick as they can. ‘We’ll zoom ahead and catch Carmody!’ Starstreak adds as she flies after Molecula, referring to the Bogeyman by his true name.
Alex tells Katie not to try and tackle him alone, to just tail him and wait for them, as their only chance here is teamwork. Alex picks up an old bucket and absorbs it to power up - as his sisters fly off. ‘They’re gone! Don’t think they even heard -’ Alex remarks to Jack, who tells him to forget it, that he should just disintegrate enough of the old tar buckets to work up a deadly power ball. ‘Cause I still say Carmody deserves to die for this!’ Glowing with energy, Alex climbs onto Jack’s shoulders, as Jack de-gravitizes himself and leaps into the air, while Alex remarks that is funny, as Carmody has been calling himself “The Bogeyman” for so long, but he was human, and now he looks like a real Bogeyman. He wonders what could have changed him.
Several blocks away: ‘There he is! Gosh, lookit ‘im go! He glops onta the wall like a melty “gummi worm” and just slurps up to the top!’ Starstreak thinks to herself, she sees that her parents are fighting like crazy, and realizes that the Bogeyman might even drop them. She hopes she can make him drop them onto the ledge of the building - and speeds over to him, slamming her feet into his back. ‘G’wan and drop ‘em you mean, ugly ‘ol monster - they never did anything to hurt you!’ Starstreak shouts - but the Bogeyman swats her aside and replies ‘They had you, didn’t they? Filthy mutant brat!’ He declares that he is in charge here, and will decide whether they live or die. ‘And you can’t do a thing about it!’ he adds. ‘Katie!’ Jim calls out to his daughter. Katie looks in agony, but shakes her head, gathers herself, tears in her eyes, ‘Yes, I can’ she utters, as she speeds back towards the Bogeyman.
Darting around him, but keeping out of his reach Starstreak exclaims he let go of her parents. ‘Katie! No! Stay back! He’s baiting you - trying to make you fight!’ Margaret calls out, as the Bogeyman holds onto her, while he has put Jim onto the ledge, and keeps him down by standing on him. ‘Carmody?’ Jim asks. ‘Didn’t I tell you? What’s the matter, Professor - don’cha recognize your old boss - fatherly friend and confidant Douglas M Carmody? The kindly fellow who gave you your big break in private industrial applied physics?’ the Bogeyman asks. ‘The generous old soul whom you subsequently decided to repay by stabbing me in my back!?’ he adds, as he grabs Starstreak. ‘No! it wasn’t like that, you monster!’ Katie declares. ‘No? I spent a fortune - a mega-fortune - so your dear daddy here could develop his antimatter power generator’ the Bogeyman reminds everyone, adding that just when the thing gets built, he has his creepy mutant brats steal it away from him.
Molecula swoops down in her cloud form, explaining that it wasn’t like that. ‘You made my Daddy build his machine too soon - before he finished his research! You didn’t care if people would get hurt because of it! You just wanted money!’ she reminds him. As the Bogeyman holds Margaret and Katie up, Jim struggles to break free from under his foot, remarking that, untested, that machine would have destroyed the world. ‘I couldn’t see it - but some friendly beings from another world were wise enough to know. It was they who destroyed the machine!’ Jim explains. ‘Oh right! Blame it on space-aliens! Sure! There were some big people invested in you, Doctor Power - very big people! And they weren’t pleased when I failed to produce! Your family ruined me! And now, I’m finally going to make you all pay!’ the Bogeyman boasts. Starstreak is able to break free as Molecula’s cloud form blows around the Bogeyman. ‘No way, you coward!’ Destroyer calls out as he and Counterweight arrive at the building. ‘We won’t let you hurt our Mommy and Daddy!’ Starstreak exclaims. ‘Come back here you!’ the Bogeyman calls out as he tries to grab her.
‘Forget it, mister! You’ve got other things to worry about!’ Molecula points out, as all the Power kids surround the Bogeyman. ‘Cursed cloud-kid! I can’t see!’ the Bogeyman exclaims. Counterweight announces that he will grab the Bogeyman, while the others should grab their folks. ‘Can’t! He squooshes through my fingers!’ one of the kids calls out. ‘Where’s Ma and Pa? I just had ‘em - where -?’ Jack calls out, as the young heroes unaware that the Bogeyman has oozed over to another building, his hands wrapped around Margaret and Jim’s heads, preventing them from calling out to their children. ‘Not a peep you two - or I squeeze!’ he warns them.
Meanwhile, many light years from the site of Power Pack’s torment and anguish, some dear long-lost friends from earlier, simpler times, have problems of their own. Two of the horse-like aliens known Kymellians are inside a small ship. ‘Approaching space-port K-7!’ Yrik remarks. ‘Father - why do you seem so agitated this trip? We are going to see Friday, aren’t we? She is going to be all right?’ the young Kymellian called Kofi asks. As his father pilots the ship into the space-port, he tells Kofi that he doesn’t know, and adds that his great-uncle Byrel sounded so urgent when he sent his summons. The elderly Byrel is in the space-port when his relatives arrive. ‘Urgent indeed, my children - for I fear that the time is short!’ he thinks to himself. ‘Yrik! Kofi! Thank you for coming so quickly!’ Byrel calls out to them as he walks over to the spacecraft.
Yrik explains that they were due to come soon anyway, but he detected worry in Byrel’s voice. ‘What concerns you so that it could not wait for our regular visit?’ he asks. ‘It’s not - ? Great Uncle! Friday’s not -?’ Kofi enquires. ‘No, Kofi - Friday is not dead - yet. But there has been unexpected deterioration‘ Byrel reveals. . Other Kymellians go about their business in the space-dock, as Kofi exclaims that he thought repairs were going well. ‘The work we’ve been doing has proceeded apace…as a matter of fact, with the recent developments in Kymellian Smartship technology, we’re making quite a few improvements’ Byrel reveals. They approach an area that has been covered with a large cloth, and Byrel announces that new Smartships are faster, stronger, more defensible and far less vulnerable. Byrel announces that the new Friday may be quite different from what they remember, and tells them to be prepared that they might not even recognize her.
The Kymellians put on hard-hats for safety as they approach the curtain, and Byrel adds that these are matters of Friday’s superficial body, and he fears the tragedy is of the soul. ‘But Lord Byrel - her light has held for so long! It was not snuffed out by even the terrible crash on Snark World in which she sacrificed herself to save the lives of my son and the Earth-foal - and it has flickered on since!’ He adds that such a light surely cannot now falter without cause. Entering the area behind the curtain, the three Kymellians climb some stairs, as Byrel reports that the situation is graver still because it is so paradoxical. ‘In truth, our best techno-healers are mystified!’ he adds, announcing that all support systems have been repaired, all essential nurturing energies administered in abundance, all functions should be up and running - and yet Friday’s glow wanes. Byrel points out that if the cause of the decline cannot be found and set aright very son, then he is woefully certain that the spirit and essence of their beloved Friday will disappear irretrievably. And a look of shock falls across the faces of Kofi and Yrik as they stare at a canister holding Friday’s life essence.
Back on Earth: ‘Does anybody have an idea where we are?’ Jack calls out from on top of a building, while Alex strides along the street below, and Julie looks around in shock, pulling Katie after her. ‘All that stuff we heard on the radio earlier… about the city going crazy, being invaded by supernatural forces, demons, whatever - it’s completely taken over now! I don’t recognize a single landmark!’ Alex exclaims, examining the strange surroundings. He adds that it is like New York has been totally changed into this strange version of itself. ‘Maybe that explains why Carmody turned into a real Bogeyman!’ Alex suggests. ‘Or why it’s been so hot and smelly lately! It’s so muggy I can hardly push my face through this air anymore…’ Julie complains, covering her face with her free hand. Alex tells his siblings to buck up, as they have to find their Mom and Dad, no matter how long it takes.
‘How can we hope to find Mom and Dad when we can’t even find ourselves?’ one of the others wonders aloud. ‘How can we even tell where we’ve looked?’ another of the Power kids asks. A third announces that they wre getting woozy. ‘This place… d’ya think it’s ever going to change back? Like it useta be?’ they ask. ‘Who cares!’ Katie thinks to herself, frowning. ‘What’s it gonna matter if we can’t save our Mama and Papa!?’ she screams as she takes flight, ahead of her siblings. ‘Katie!’ Alex calls out. ‘I’m going to have another look! I’m sick of you guys-’ Katie calls back, when suddenly, as she rounds the corner of a building, past some trash cans - where some Limbo demons are waiting for her, they grab her. ‘Iss baby? No! Too big - too much hair!’ one of the demons exclaims. ‘So we eats it, yes?’ the other demon asks. Katie then screams, and her siblings race in her direction. ‘That’s Katie! She needs us!’ Molecula exclaims. ‘Demons! Like on the radio!’ Destroyer declares as they see the demons carrying their sister into the air. ‘Too old for master N’astirh - but still tender morsel for usss!’ one of the demon remarks as they bare their teeth.
‘No way you disgusting slime ball!’ Counterweight declares as he smacks one of the demons in the face. ‘I guess our sister Katie didn’t tell you she has a couple of real mean big brothers!’ Counterweight adds, ‘And a mean big sister!’ Molecula points out as she and Destroyer engage the other demons, freeing Starstreak. Destroyer tells Counterweight to hurry up and go back to negative gravity state, as they are drifting down. ‘No problem, bro - two or three little demons are no match for Power Pack. Starstreak goes over to her brothers and Destroyer tells her that it is okay, as the demons have run away. ‘They didn’t hurt you did they, baby?’ he asks. ‘Uh oh, you guys - look!’ Molecula calls out before Katie can answer. The young heroes emerge from the side street they found themselves in, to a large open street, where they see a large mob of demons attacking some civilians. ‘No! Please don’t take my baby! No!’ a woman screams as she holds her baby away from a demon who leaps on her back, while other demons scamper towards her.
‘Mama! Mama!’ the baby cries out as one of the demon grabs it, as the others hold the woman back. ‘No! No! My baby! Please Lord, no! Not my baby!’ the woman pleads. Power Pack see the baby being taken from its mother and speed down through the air towards the mob. ‘No!’ Starstreak shouts. Pushing herself faster and faster, she thinks to herself ‘I won’t let them! I won’t let any other kids lose their mamas!’ Starstreak slams right into the demon with the baby and snatches the baby from the demon, ‘No! You can’t have him, you - you poop-heads!’ she screams at the demons, as Destroyer, Molecula and Counterweight enter the battle too. However, the demons swarm over Power Pack and the civilians who are still trapped in the area. ‘Watchit you guys! Watch out! There are too many -’ Destroyer calls out to his siblings, as the roaring, hissing demons pull him down.
As a demon holds Destroyer against the ground, Alex tries to absorb what energy he can, and wonders what good is just one single power ball against so many. ‘Wish I could -’ he thinks to himself, when suddenly, ‘YOW!’ Alex exclaims as several power balls burst from his body, striking multiple demons at the same time. Alex grins, ‘Awright! Eight humming little power balls instead of just one big one! They’re less powerful! But maybe that means they’re not lethal either! And I can use ‘em to take out several bad guys at once!’ he thinks to himself. As Alex releases more power balls, he boasts that he will have this place cleared in no time, and as Counterweight punches a demon and Molecula clouds her way through her opponent, Starstreak flies over to the baby’s mother and picks her up, too. ‘C’mon baby and mama - I’ll get you out of here!’ she calls out.
Above one of the demons, Julie starts to shift from her cloud form to her human one, and thinks ‘Swell! Alex has a new power! Jack has his “posi-gee-super-punch” even Katie is putting up a great fight - and she’s only five!’ As her form starts to shrink, and she drops down onto one of the demon’s heads, Julie laments that all she can do in a fight is this stupid Julie-hammer - which she can’t even aim properly! ‘No wonder Jack thought it was a lame power’ she recalls. Suddenly, ‘Hey twerps! Aren’t you forgetting something!’ the Bogeyman calls out as he dangles Margaret and Jim off a ledge nearby. The kids look up from the battle scene, ‘It’s Carmody! He’s going to drop Ma and Pa off the edge!’ Molecula exclaims, but Destroyer tells her that he is taunting them, probably been hiding, waiting for them to get stuck in a situation like this, thinking they would be torn between saving all these people and saving their own parents. ‘That - he’s probably been watching us all along!’ Counterweight declares as he punches a demon.
Destroyer tells Starstreak to go and keep track of the Bogeyman, but not to try and fight him alone. Katie speeds off towards their hated foe, as Destroyer adds ‘He’s not done toying with us yet! He wants us all there for his “coup de grace” - and he knows we can’t just leave these people to die!’ Destroyer points out. Starstreak tells Alex not to worry, as she won’t be dumb, because saving Mom and Dad is all that counts. Molecula switches back to cloud form and tells her brothers that they don’t need her here, so she will follow Katie, while Alex tells Jack that they should finish this up fast. ‘G’wan you monsters! Beat it! We ain’t got time for you!’ Counterweight exclaims as he chases some of the demons away. ‘That’s just about it! You folks take care now! Good luck!’ Alex calls out to the civilians. ‘The demons - they’re all running! You saved us!’ one of them calls back, waving at Destroyer and Counterweight as they race after their sisters. The woman with the baby whom Katie saved stands around the corner of a building, clutching her baby, she utters ‘Perhaps the Lord can still hear us’.
As the sky grows dark above, the horrid Bogeyman shouts ‘What’sa matter with you, brats! Don’cha even wanna know if they’re dead yet, or not!? What’s keeping’ ya!?’ ‘Shut up, you!’ Starstreak calls out as she flies towards the Bogeyman, who stands on a ledge at the Empire State Building. ‘Ha! Feeling guilty, kid?’ the Bogeyman asks. ‘Guilty for leaving pool ol’ mommy and daddy in the clutches of the big bad Bogeyman while you were off doing your little “superhero” thing?’ he snarls. Starstreak swoops in closer, as the Bogeyman holds her motionless parents up. ‘Where’s your sense of responsibility, you ungrateful little snot?’ the Bogeyman asks. ‘Didja ever even bother to think of your own family before going off selfishly gallivanting?’ he calls out. Katie starts to sob, ‘I hate you!’ she shouts at the Bogeyman. ‘Good!’ he snaps back.
Molecula arrives on scene and in her cloud form, rises up close to the top of the transformed building. ‘Don’t listen to him, Katie - he’s just talking to himself!’ she calls out. Counterweight has de-gravitized himself and floats towards the building, with Destroyer in tow. ‘Well, if it isn’t the three lazy little piggies, bringing up the rear as usual! Too bad you’re too slow and lazy to save Mommy and Daddy!’ the Bogeyman calls out. Destroyer and Counterweight set down on the ledge near the Bogeyman and Destroyer points at his foe, accusing him of lying. ‘You wouldn’t’ve killed them yet! You want to make us watch while you do it!’ Alex points out. Counterweight announces that their parents are unconscious, that he can see them breathing. ‘That’s right! Heh! I beat ‘em up a little!’ the Bogeyman calls out. He adds that before their parents passed out, they said something he wants them to hear: ‘They said they wished you were never born!’ he roars. ‘LIAR!’ Molecula screams. ‘Why are you dragging this out? Why do you hate us so much?’ she demands.
‘Why?’ the Bogeyman grins. ‘Y’mean besides the face that you ruined my business, my marriage, my life?’ he asks. ‘I hate you because you’re so “ootsy-poo!” You and your whole family have always acted so “lovey-dovey, close-and-cuddle” and it makes me sick!’ he shouts, telling them that it is such a fake. Molecula has shifted to her human form, and as Katie drops down onto the ledge beside her and the boys, Molecula narrows her eyes and declares ‘But now you’ve won - blown our secret! Our parents fear us as much as they fear you! Isn’t that enough? Aren’t you happy?’ Molecula enquires, asking the Bogeyman if he can’t just put them down now and go enjoy his victor. Wrapping his large hands around Margaret and Jim’s faces, the Bogeyman replies ‘Just one thing more - to see your faces as I twist off your parents’ heads!’ he calls out. Suddenly, ‘Now, Jack! Go!’ Alex calls out, as Jack hurls a charged-up Alex at the Bogeyman.
Alex lands on the Bogeyman’s enormous face, ‘Let them go, Carmody, or I’ll disintegrate your face!’ Destroyer threatens. ‘Get offa me, boy!’ the Bogeyman calls out, before suddenly, ‘G’wan - fetch!’ he exclaims as he throws Margaret and Jim off the ledge! ‘NO!’ one of the Power kids screams. ‘MAMA! PAPA!’ Katie shouts as she flies down the building, Julie following in cloud form. ‘I can’t catch ‘em both, Julie - or hold ‘em! I can’t!’ Katie exclaims. ‘I know, baby!’ Julie calls back. Julie thinks to herself that there is no hope. ‘God, if only there were a net - or a giant air bag like they use in the movies -’ she thinks to herself, when suddenly, she forces some of her power forward, ‘Bubbles?’ Katie thinks to herself, as bubbles materialize from Julie’s power - and as more and more bubbles spread, Katie grins, ‘Julie! You did it! It’s a bubble force field like the one Whitey made remember?’ she calls out as their parents land on the bubbles. ‘Oh, you saved them, Julie! You saved Mom and Dad!’ Katie exclaims. Molecula tells herself that it is a molecular density field - balls of condensed air, just like Whitey made - the ultimate cushion. ‘Maybe my power isn’t so lame after all’ Julie thinks to herself, smiling.
Back up on the ledge of the Empire State Building, ‘They’re all right! They’re safe!’ Alex exclaims. ‘Omigosh, I don’t believe it…I don’t believe it…’ he adds, while Jack suddenly, asks his brother where the Bogeyman has gone. ‘Uh-oh’ Alex remarks, as Jack is unaware that a figure is starting to materialize behind him. ‘I don’t get it! He was just here! How -’ Jack begins, when suddenly, the white fleshy mass forms into the Bogeyman - who swats Jack aside. ‘Watch your back, boy! Heh!’ the Bogeyman exclaims. ‘Jack!’ Alex calls out to his brother. ‘Jack! Are you okay?’ Alex asks. Jack looks up from where he hit the ground, ‘Just fine, bro - went to no-gees and rolled with it…bloody lip is all!’ he calls out. Alex fires two power balls at the Bogeyman, who asks ‘What’sa matter, glow-boy? Afraid to use deadly force!? Heh! I won’t be!’ he warns him. ‘What’re we going to do? Are we gonna kill him?’ Alex asks his brother. ‘Well, I sure as heck and going to beat him up some!’ Jack replies as he races forward and shoves his fist into the Bogeyman’s flesh.
‘Go ahead! You think I feel it? You think I care?’ the Bogeyman asks as Jack manages to topple his foe. The Bogeyman lands on his back, and declares ‘You mutants are all the same! Up against a real human, you’re a bunch of gutless wonders! You won’t kill me! You haven’t the spine for it! Jack is forced off the Bogeyman as the villain reduces his mass, becoming oozy gunk, he slips away from Jack, declaring that as long as he has strength to breathe, he will just keep slipping away - and coming back! He re-materializes behind Alex and smacks the young hero in the back of the head. He swears that next time, he won’t wait and he will kill “Mommy and Daddy” and he will see Power Pack destroyed! Counterweight comes up behind the Bogeyman and picks him up, as the Bogeyman boasts that he can hide anywhere, strike anytime - they will never know where or when - but he will watch them. ‘Mutants! You don’t think I watch? Don’t see what you do? I’ll kill Mommy and Daddy! When you least expect -’ he rants, as Jack interrupts, pointing out that the Bogeyman won’t be able to slither away if he can’t reach a crack!
As the Bogeyman thrashes about while Counterweight holds him up, Jack tells Alex that the Bogeyman is nuts and that he can’t hold him long. ‘We’ve got to do it, now!’ he shouts. Sizzling with energy, Alex tells Jack that he is right, that there is no other choice. ‘The Bogeyman must die!’ Alex exclaims, when suddenly, ‘NO!’ a voice calls out. It’s Jim Power, who, along with Margaret, has been brought up to the ledge by Starstreak and Molecula. ‘Alex! Wait! Don’t do it, Alex!’ Jim calls out to his son. ‘Well, well. Here come dear old Dad and Mom!’ the Bogeyman snarls. Jim grabs Alex’s wrist and tells him that he can’t kill, that he mustn’t. ‘But he won’t stop until he’s killed us all! He’s crazy! We’ve handled him before, but we won’t risk his killing you! He has to die!’ Jim continues to talk to Alex: ‘I’m your father. I don’t want my kids to be killers! I don’t want you to have to live with that!’ he tells him, but Alex reveals that they have been super heroes a long time, that they have dealt with monsters and death and horrible things. ‘And we’ve never had to kill… but now there’s no other way!’ Alex shouts.
‘No! There has to be another way!’ Jim exclaims. ‘You’re wrong, Pa! I -’ Alex begins, as Jim tells Alex that he doesn’t understand - causing an upset Alex to spin around and shout ‘No! You don’t understand! He’ll destroy this family!’ Katie and Julie look on at their visually upset brother in shock, while Margaret Power hangs her head, ‘Maybe he already has!’ she whispers. The Bogeyman tells Jim that his kid is right, that the only way they will stop him is by letting his boys become killers. ‘Kind of a “no winner” wouldn’t ya say?’ he asks, while adding ‘Mother knows best!’ Margaret is agonizing over these revelations. She turns away from her children, holding herself, she declares ‘We’re just normal people! How can we tell “superheroes” what to do? - that we could have been so out of touch for a whole year of your lives - the biggest part of your lives and not know! What kind of parents are we?’ she asks.
‘We kept it secret!’ Katie calls out to her mother, rushing over to her, she tries to get her mother to pick her up, but Margaret won’t turn around to look at Katie. Counterweight continues to hold up the Bogeyman, as Jim declares ‘But that’s the point! We’re your parents! We should have known that something was going on - what happened to communication? We’re a family! Families communicate!’ he shouts. Angrily, Julie exclaims ‘We didn’t tell you ‘cause we knew you’d react like this!’ She sobs and rushes past her mother, as Jim tells his daughter that she is not being fair. ‘You can’t just drop a bombshell like this and not expect some kind of reaction!’ he points out, while the Bogeyman bursts into laughter. Margaret looks over at Julie and takes Katie by her hand, ‘Come with me, sweetie…’ she remarks as she drags her over to Julie, who is standing further along the balcony. Margaret hugs Katie, and puts an arm around Julie, asking her if she remembers once, a long time ago, that she was terribly worried about something, and she told her that she would still love her even if she sprouted wings and flew. ‘I understand what that was about, and…honey - baby - that hasn’t changed. we still love you - all of you - and we always will, no matter what!’ Margaret declares.
‘I love you, Alex…’ Jim begins as he holds Alex, adding that they don’t understand all this yea, but that something incredible has happened to them that changed their lives - something they had no control over. ‘No! No! This is just fakey-fake! It’s all lies!’ the Bogeyman exclaims. ‘Shut up, Potato-Face!’ Jack tells the bogeyman as he throws him backwards. Jim admits that they can’t keep the kids from using their amazing gifts, or tell them what to do with them. ‘I don’t even know if we have the right to try! That’s something we’ll have to deal with…’ he points out. Margaret hugs the girls, while Jim hugs the boys, and the tells them that they seem to have chosen a life of deadly danger, and they can no longer help and protect them from harm, they way they could when they were babies. ‘Heck…we’re way out of your league, and we know it’ he admits, adding that whatever danger they may face, no mater how helpless they are to aid them, their hearts will always be safe with them - always.
‘No! Stop it! Shut up!’ the Bogeyman calls out as he crawls towards the Power family. ‘Good Lord! You people are sick! These kids are mutant monsters, and you love them as if they were normal! As if you don’t even care -’ the Bogeyman snarls. As he crawls closer, he asks them what has happened to standards and respect? ‘When I was a kid you had to earn your parents’ love! And if you didn’t live up to what was expected of you, then “forget it, you fat little pig”!’ he quotes. ‘But you - you hug them like it was their God-given right! I should have killed you all a minute ago - before you tow mutie-loving hippies started to -’ the Bogeyman begins, as Jim leaps to his feet, standing between the Bogeyman and his sons, as the Bogeyman points out that there is a war on - humans against the advancing mutant abomination. ‘You want abomination, Carmody? Just listen to yourself - what you’re babbling!’ he calls out. ‘Pa! No!’ Jack shouts, trying to pull his father back.
‘Better yet, look at yourself!’ Jim shouts at the Bogeyman, pointing to his reflection in a window nearby. ‘Is that face human? Or does it reflect the soul of the monster who’s behind it?’ Jim asks. ‘A face only a mother could love!’ he exclaims. The Bogeyman touches the window, ‘No - not my mother…or father…’ he whispers. ‘you could kill us all, and never change the fact that we are - a family!’ Jim tells the Bogeyman. ‘CURSE YOU ALL!’ the Bogeyman roars as he spins around, and knocks Jim over. ‘Look out!’ Jack shouts. ‘Jim!’ Margaret calls out to her husband, as the Bogeyman crashes off the edge of the balcony, screaming, he plummets to the street of fire below. ‘Omigod, the street is opening up into a canyon of fire!’ Jim points out. ‘He - he’s gone!’ Margaret gasps as they stare over the edge and see that the Bogeyman has disappeared.
Soon, Counterweight has de-gravitized himself, Destroyer and their parents so that Starstreak can carry them, as Molecula floats alongside in cloud form. ‘You kids travel like this a lot, do you?’ Margaret asks nervously as she looks down at the street below. Equally anxious, Jim asks Jack if he is sure he can carry them all. Julie points out that their neighborhood seems more normal, quieter than the rest. ‘I wonder why?’ she asks, suggesting that whatever was happening in New York might be starting to pass. As the Power family return to their apartment through a window, Molecula flies about in cloud form and returns to the living area, announcing that she has checked all the rooms and that they are messy, but normal, and even the monster mildew has gone. ‘Good! I’ve a hunch it’ll be safe to leave you folks here for a while, after all…’ Alex begins. ‘WHAT?’ Jim asks. ‘For God’s sake, Alex - after all that’s just happened you kids are going to -?’ he begins.
Alex tells his parents that he knows, and they are sorry, but most of the city is overrun with demons. Jim hugs Julie and Margaret hugs Katie as the boy move to the window, Alex announces that people are dying out there - babies are being stolen from their mothers. ‘We can’t just let it happen! Not when we -’ Alex is interrupted by Jim, who tells him that he knows. ‘Don’t cry, Mama…we won’t stay long’ Katie assures her mother. Jim and Margaret move to the window and wave as their kids leave. ‘It’s okay, kids - really. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine!’ Jim promises. ‘…goodbye, kids…’ Margaret utters, both parents have tears streaming down their face, and they appear to be anything but fine….
