POWERNAUT 1995!

I've been asked, "What actually happened to everyone when the Powernaut was summoned in #12? And why?"

As you know, everyone on that battlefield who had Powernaut powers had collapsed. At the time, I was able to make a quick battlefield observation. The scientist S.O.S. had said, Powernauts can't share power. Given these Powernauts had all collapsed, I guessed he was spectacularly right.

Knowing what I learned later, I'd say the original Powernaut went into shock after his resurrection. And resurrection it was; he'd been discorporated. His shock cascaded into everyone who had shared his power, because they'd been recently linked.

What caused that shock? Apparently he really wanted a "Paula" to meet him. About which, more with the next strip.

Just before the original Powernaut went into shock, he was asking for some kind of "Paula". Assuming Powernaut comics are true to life, that's almost certainly the woman who was with him at the time he was discorporated. That woman was discorporated also.

Other people of course have other theories about "Paula". S.O.S. himself said on TV, "Paula" was probably Paula Page, the woman who was with Jeff Goldblatt on the beach the same time the Powernaut was. Perhaps the Powernaut was trying to rescue them both - but he felt most urgent about Paula.

... Yes, this was the day. My trenchcoat started flying that day - and ever after. And so did its replacements. When a Pentahedron gives you a gift, it doesn't take it back. By that same principle, my glasses *still* have telescopic vision and cardio electroshock capability - though I often forget those capabilities.

Vara Hosea the Champion of Death herself presided over the Powernaut's resurrection *and* mine that day. So I do not take her statements lightly.

There's a theory that the only reason the Powernaut resisted a Death Touch that day is, he was wearing gloves. Which might have helped. But the Champion of Death said, he was resisting further Death that day.

One might speculate over whether that Powernaut is immune to death from now on. Or indeed whether *I* am, because I was resurrected that day also. But I'm assuming based on family history, I will die the True Death the next time it comes for me. I will extrapolate to say, even mighty Earthly heroes such as the Powernaut will face that death the next time it comes for them.

People often critique later-period Powernaut Comics as being difficult to understand because they're so dense with artistic clues instead of explanatory dialogue. So as the episode finally nears its end, let's try a strip's worth of commentary - panel by panel!

1. Megaphone just slugged the Powernaut, who is lying on the ground. Megaphone is of course gloating. The Powernaut is of course having nothing more to do with this fight. (If they did continue, it would be on roughly equal terms, only Megaphone is a much better boxer.)
2. Sorting things out.
   • Upper: Crusher Joe escorts Megaphone away, almost tenderly. Megaphone literally has no place to go except back to Total Conversion HQ in the Bahamas.
   • Lower: The Powernaut is thinking, "I don't let people get hurt - especially not myself!" He's shown a healing touch before, in 1987. And Leo reveals the existence of a Time Police force, from whose far future Megaphone came from, in search of 1990s adventure. Megaphone never admitted *how* far his future is, but it's at least well beyond 2005.
3. Cleanup. Apparently Total Conversion is taking custody of the junior alien of the invaders! The other aliens have either died or fled. And the guy from Hypergaard is proud to be helping, and even taking charge. (Note how he has actual color to his skin when the rest of us don't. It's an effect of his being 4-dimensional.)
4. "Then My Work Here is Done!" _TM - It seems Powernaut Comics is trying to trademark that phrase from the 1988 comic! Total Conversion (the superhero team on premises) is saying Yeesh. But Leo is such a fanboy as he starts his career, that he's impressed.
5. Racer Girl is impatient that the Powernaut has been interfering with our mission to rescue the Powernaut. Go figure. The Mad Axeman from Shenandoah and I were still waiting there to watch. (Racer Girl is from 4-dimensional Hypergaard and has actual color to her skin.)
6. The Powernaut had been recreated from fragments of himself. He has sensed that his ladyfriend Paula Page will have to be recreated likewise.
7. As the Hypernaut comes back from the flooding platform, Racer Girl tells the Powernaut that recreating Paula will not be that easy.