Episode 30: Aberration
Takes place 10-16 January 2011.
Short version
The Team visits Aberrance, home of the bioengineered Un-men, and protects them from an attack by Kobra.
Longer version
This is the first episode that takes place primarily from the Renegade's point of view, with occasional interludes from Paragon.
After encountering Kobra cultists using a performance-enhancing substance similar to the banned drug Argonate, Batman sends the Team to Aberrance, Nevada, the home of the Uncorporation. The Un-men are a collection of altered humans and synthetic lifeforms originating from the twisted experiments of Anton Arcane, and have the only remaining stocks of Argonate and relevant experience in producing it. Though their leader, Doctor Otto von Schadel aka "Cranius", is initially hostile and does not wish to be disturbed, his attitude changes after the Renegade presents him with a research diary obtained from Anton Arcane's former workplace. Cranius allows the Team to check the Uncorporation vaults to ensure that no Argonate is missing.
However, while the Team is present, an external force takes over the minds of several Un-men and makes them go on the attack, attempting to burn down the Uncorporation building before the Team is able to subdue them. Upon investigating, the Team learns that the affected Un-men were created using the unstable tissues of Damien Kane, and it is thus possible for anyone who has a part of Kane's body to easily influence them with Sympathetic Magic — much to Cranius's horror.
They turn the tables by using the remaining Kane tissue to trace the attacker to the tunnels under Aberrance, where a giant composed of a collection of mutated flesh attacks them under the direction of one of the first-generation Un-men, Crassus, who has a grudge against Cranius. Cranius talks him down, but the Kobra cult uses magic to take control of the mutant, disables Crassus, and continues the attack until Kon and Match are able to kill the mutant's core neural cluster. Cranius takes Crassus back to the Uncorporation building for treatment, and intends to make him a full partner in their "Uncreation" bio-engineering work.
In the Paragon timeline, without the diary, all efforts to cooperate with von Schadel were unsuccessful. The mutant is fully awakened and lays waste to most of Aberrance before the Team is able to bring it down, stripping many Un-men of their modifications and cementing Cranius' hostility toward the Team.
The title almost certainly refers to the Un-men's biological modifications.
- Backstory: Mr Zoat explains a bit of Father Mattias'
and Vandal Savage's. - Blackmail: The Renegade reveals to the British government that he's aware of the atrocities its higher ups get up to, particularly in the Caligula Club."I have lists. Names. Faces. Times. Dates. Photographs and camera footage. Step out of line again and I will make this country a republic, French style, am I clear?"
- Body Horror:
- Some of the Un-men aren't too bad, but the Un-Titan is a mass of ooze covered in eyes and mouths, grown from the tissue of Damien Kane, which traps people in its own blisters filled with power-draining goo.
- Several characters are also rather bothered by The Face, whose torso sports a mouth, nose and eyes.
- Evilutionary Biologist: The evil has really been toned down since the Un-men killed (and ate) Anton Arcane, but the mad science is full speed ahead.
- Fantastic Racism: Cranius and Janus don't like Gaffs.
- Flawed Prototype: The Kobra cultists who fought against Batman were apparently using a beta version of their Super Serum. Or possibly an alpha version. It was not kind to their bodies.
- The Grotesque: Several Un-men are this, especially Anton Arcane's first-generation experiments. The Kobra cultists who tried to copy their work end up this way, too.
- Head Desk: Paul does this upon hearing that Ocean Master's body was stolen, as this most likely means that he's been resurrected.
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Word of God: Paul assumes that something as horrid as the Caligula Club couldn't possibly exist.- The US is monitoring the Teth Adom situation due to being unsure if they want it to succeed or fail.
- Renegade!Kon values his Kryptonian heritage more than Paragon!Kon.
- Britain 16 has three main parties.
- John Constantine declined to summon the shade of Ahri'ahn.
- There is no need for someone like Ixy in the Paragon timeline.
- Mr Zoat gives an overview of what made the Renegade initially different from Paul.
- Graven just told Father Box he was ill to explain his lack of a soul.
- Mr Zoat explains why the Forever People stayed on Earth after detecting Paulphidian.
- Mr Zoat explains what happened in the Paragon timeline.
- The US is monitoring the Teth Adom
