In the quaint town of Saint Mary, young Martin finds himself entangled in a web of suburban secrets when he becomes increasingly suspicious that his new neighbors are, in fact, supervillains. A chance meeting in his backyard with Alexa, a self-proclaimed arch-villain known as Cassiopeia Terror Nova, pulls him deeper into a world where the lines between heroes and villains blur.
As they share a school bus ride, Alexa employs her chilling "death ray," giving Martin a brain freeze and rechristening him as her minion "Mittens." A mysterious message inscribed on the bus seat—"I'm so sorry. They are watching".
Things take a fantastical turn when Martin learns that Alexa's bracelet has the power to catapult her 400 years into an apocalyptic future where everyone is dead except for monsters that eat people and take their skins. Alexa sacrifices herself to save Martin and returns from death
Both evade Mr. Canard—a gym teacher with a heroic past—who pursues them across school grounds.
Their escapades continue in a local mall, where they encounter Cottie, an Equalizer with ambiguous loyalties. Alexa attempts to recruit Cottie into her legion of minions.
Mr. Canard falls victim to a malevolent skinwalker spider from the future, morphing into something far more dangerous.
The stakes reach their zenith when Martin and Alexa infiltrate a bank vault, now transformed into a breeding ground for horrors by a skinwalker-infested Mr. Canard. The duo make their getaway in an ice cream van, only to find Mr. Canard relentless in pursuit.
As the tension reaches its breaking point, Martin makes a valiant attempt to resist but falls prey to the very infection that claimed Mr. Canard.
Fates hang in the balance as Martin and Alexa navigate a world where the villainous may not be what they seem, and heroism comes in unexpected forms.
Chapter Summary:
Chapter 1: The dastardly neighbor
When his family moved into a small town called Saint Mary, Martin [14 year old boy] becomes convinced that his neighbors are supervillains. His suspicions are dismissed by his father. Determined to prove his theory, Martin sets out to gather evidence. Martin's sister Ember, who has the power to create ghostly copies of herself, constantly teases Martin.
In the backyard Martin encounters his neighbor, Alexa, who claims to be a supervillain named Cassiopeia Terror Nova. Martin begins to gather evidence against her using a recorder pen he took from his father.
Martin sees Alexa climbing a rope ladder into a treehouse made of stolen street signs. When he confronts her about her villainous activities, but Alexa brushes it off and offers Martin the opportunity to be her minion.
When he is too slow to reply, Alexa tackles Martin, destroying his recording pen.
Frustrated and armed with a new recording pen, Martin boards the school bus where he encounters Alexa once again. She tries to assert her authority by using a hair dryer-like "death ray" on Martin, but it only causes a brain freeze. Despite Martin's social standing taking a hit, when Alexa pressures him into referring to himself as "Mittens" he remains determined to stop Alexa's criminal activities.
As the bus continues its journey, Martin sees a cryptic message momentarily appear the bus seat from shadows [I'm so sorry. They are watching].
Chapter 2: The authority parable
Martin and Alexa chat and get into the school where Alexa rants about her supervillain family and brain parasites. Martin notices that Alexa's hair was dark in her photo, opposite of her white hair now. Miss Wickers confiscates Alexa's death ray and locks it in a drawer.
In class, Alexa grabs Martin's hand and transports him to a grim post-apocalyptic future in which everyone is dead, except for the terrifying beings Alexa calls skinwalkers. Alexa explains that she was raised in this future, making Martin realize that she is a victim of her father's plot, not a villain.
Flashing back to the present, determined to help Alexa, Martin creates a distraction by shouting alarming statements in class. Miss Wickers intervenes and orders them to go to the vice principal's office. Meanwhile, Alexa tries to retrieve her raygun from Miss Wickers' locked desk. However, Miss Wickers catches her and calls for the gym teacher, Mr. Canard, to escort them to the office. Alexa continues to protest and desperately asks Martin to save her, but he feels powerless against the gym teacher's strength and size.
Chapter 3: The detention of doom
Mr. Canard locks Martin and Alexa in the waiting room after their unacceptable behavior. Alexa reveals that she has a time-traveling bracelet built by her father, a supervillain. She explains that she is constantly sent 400 years into the future to learn how to be a perfect villain and prevent the end of everything. However, she is unable to remove the bracelet, and her equipment is locked away by teachers now. Martin holds Alexa's hand, causing them to travel to the future.
They find themselves in the ruins of the Vice Principal's office, and Alexa reveals that her bracelet is connected to a reactor beneath the cathedral. They attempt to escape through a window but are attacked by a skinwalker. Alexa sacrifices herself to save Martin and falls to her death. Holding onto her dead body and crying, Martin is suddenly bathed in light and finds himself outside, holding a miraculously alive Alexa.
The pair decide to run from Mr. Canard and embrace their newfound friendship.
Chapter 4: The villainous shopping experience
As Martin and Alexa find themselves being pursued through the streets, Alexa speculates that the teacher may be a retired superhero due to his size. Alexa is annoyed that her backpack with weapons was confiscated by the school, and they head to a hardware store to acquire new tools. Alexa fills her shopping cart with various tools and chemicals. Martin is concerned about the cost of their purchases as he uses his dad's credit card for it, but Alexa assures him she will pay him back with diamonds.
Alexa reveals that she keeps her diamonds and other possessions in a treehouse rather than her home in the church, where her father works in a laboratory. They manage to elude the teacher.
As they sit in a booth at a fast food restaurant, Alexa spots a teenage girl wearing the gray cloak of an Equalizer, a formidable group that opposes both the Superstate and the Villains. Alexa confronts the Equalizer, calls her "Cottie" and offers her a position as her 2nd minion, but the Equalizer remains committed to her mission of Equality. Martin realizes that Alexa has had other minions before him.
Despite Alexa's warnings, Martin is determined to protect her and insists on accompanying her. Transported to the future, they find themselves in a dangerous situation facing a spider skinwalker. Alexa sets it on fire. Martin attempts to defend himself with a nail gun, but it proves ineffective. Just as the spider is about to attack, giant limbs descend from the sky and destroy the creature. Alexa and Martin, now covered in spider remnants, take cover under a truck. They narrowly escape the notice of a colossal skinwalker Mr. Noodles and then continue their journey to their school, with Martin leaning on Alexa for support due to his injured leg.
Chapter 5: Theft and arson
In Miss Wickers' classroom, Alexa and Martin unexpectedly appear and cause chaos by setting the teacher's desk on fire. The students are shocked by their blatant disregard for authority and destruction of school property. As the teacher tries to extinguish the fire, the sprinkler system activates but fails to put out the chemical fire. Miss Wickers orders an evacuation as Alexa tends to Martin's injuries before they sneak into a janitor's closet.
Inside the closet, Alexa reveals that the black sludge on them is skinwalker blood, a valuable resource. Alexa removes the blood and explains that it may also be radioactive.
Mr. Canard confronts them outside the school. The gym teacher questions the pair about their appearance and their involvement in dangerous activities. Alexa falls asleep and Martin reveals their predicament, explaining that Alexa is a hostage in a supervillain's plot and that they need to handle it themselves. Mr. Canard, recognizing Martin's SCA technology, offers his help and takes them to his portable office for rest.
Both of them nap in the office.
They discover that the skinwalker blood formed into a small skinwalker spider inside Alexa's glass bottle.
When Martin tries to contact the SCA for help with his pen Alexa destroys his communication device, revealing that she knew about his superhero family all along and intentionally befriended him.
Alexa uses a hammer to smash a desk open. She finds Mr. Canard's wallet in the damaged desk as she wants to know where he lives.
Chapter 6: The guest from the future
Martin, chewing on a stale McHeroes burger, follows Alexa, unsure whether to leave her or not. Despite Alexa's confession of knowing everything and keeping enemies close, Martin feels compelled to stay with her. Alexa insists they need to find a missing skinwalker. They spot an ice cream truck, which Alexa skillfully breaks into and jump-starts and starts driving to their destination.
While in the truck, Martin contemplates the consequences of his actions and worries about being caught. A sense of regret and panic sets in when their family car passes by with Martin's dad and Ember inside. Alexa speeds away, evading his dad's pursuit. They eventually arrive at an apartment complex, where Alexa breaks into an apartment in search of the missing skinwalker. Martin questions her actions and tries to reason with her, but she remains determined to catch the skinwalker herself.
They then drive to a bank, where Alexa breaks into the building through a vent. Martin becomes increasingly concerned about the cameras and the consequences of her actions. He attempts to stop her by using his nail gun to immobilize her, believing he is doing the right thing. However, as Martin secures her, they witness the gym teacher, Mr. Canard, emerge from the vault. Mr. Canard opens his mouth and skinwalker spiders begin to pour out of him.
Chapter 7: The gold rush
Martin regrets his actions and decisions, such as nailing Alexa to the floor and not listening to her warnings. Mr. Canard, the gym teacher, has been overtaken by spiders and is now speaking in an alien voice. As Alexa yells "This is a robbery" the bank is placed under a lockdown by the automated security system, trapping everyone inside. The bank's interior is filled with swirling patterns and calming music that hypnotize Martin and the spideres.
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Alexa throws bombs at the skinwalkers and leaps into the future with Martin.
In the ruined bank, she reveals that she had planned this and knew about the security system. She had brought Martin along as a moral lesson, intending to show him the gray areas of the world.
In the aftermath, Alexa tells Martin about her past experience with villain minions and her failed attempt to rob Fort Knox and lots her hired supervillain minions who betrayed her.
They descend into the sewers together, with Martin carrying the stolen gold, feeling guilty about his actions.
Chapter 8: The ill gotten gains
While waiting, Alexa offers Martin another crushed pocket burger, which he declines. They banter back and forth until they flash back into the present, where are interrupted by Mr. Canard, who is possessed by a skinwalker. With no other choice, they make their escape through the sewers and emerge into the late summer evening. However, Mr. Canard chases after them.
Alexa leaps into an ice cream van and urges Martin to join her. Mr. Canard catches up to them and enters the van, overpowering Alexa. He flings her out of the moving vehicle knocking her out and causing the van to crash into a playground. Martin tries to fight back using a nail gun and hides in the playground tube, but is ultimately attacked and captured by the skinwalker spider.
Martin faints as the skinwalker spider claws itself into him.
Chapter 9: Checklist
Alexa meets an unexpected obstacle when she collides with a concrete pole and loses consciousness. She wakes up halfway with quirky colors in her vision and reminds herself of the items on her plan. With eight out of ten tasks completed, she is pleased with her progress.
Meanwhile, Martin Kilborne, now a skinwalker, confronts skinwalker-infected Mr. Canard, refusing to help him escape the playground slide despite their shared condition. Martin warns Mr. Canard about the dangers of drawing attention and suggests integrating into society slower to gather information and strike later. Martin then spots his father's car approaching and walks towards it.
Alexa is abruptly, fully awakened by a hard slap to the face from Ember Kilborne, who is known as the hero Resonance. Ember, angry with Alexa for involving Martin in her crimes, prepares to break all of her bones with multiple copies of herself.
Just as Alexa expects pain, the Equalizer, Cottie, intervenes, threatening Ember with her nullifier railgun. The Equalizer reveals that Alexa is valuable to the Order and demands Ember's cooperation. Reluctantly, Ember complies, and restores Alexa's broken arms. As Ember leaves, the Equalizer gives Alexa a book on surviving middle school, explaining that she was sent to supervise her integration into humanity.
Cottie, the Equalizer, comforts Alexa, noting her lack of family and friends, and offers her support. Alexa initially resists but eventually breaks down in tears, accepting Cottie's comforting hug. Cottie admits to being an orphan herself and reveals that Equality saves orphans around the world and expresses her desire to help Alexa become more human.
Chapter 10: The puppeteer
Martin finds himself trapped in a body that is controlled by an alien intelligence from 400 years in the future, referred to as Spiderbro by Alexa. Spiderbro has taken over Martin's body and can hear his thoughts. Spiderbro plans to use Alexa to bring more of its kind to their world. Martin's body, now under Spiderbro's control, exercises vigorously and undergoes minor physical transformations such as seeing weird notices and improved vision.
In the living room, Martin's dad and sister, Ember, confront him about his recent involvement with a supervillain. Spiderbro takes over the conversation, lying convincingly and reassuring Martin's father that everything is under control. Ember is furious with Martin and demands punishment, but their father dismisses her and promises to investigate the supervillain's actions.
Martin desperately tries to warn his father about Spiderbro's presence, but he is unable to communicate his thoughts. Spiderbro taunts Martin and reveals that it plans to propagate its kind, but acknowledges that it must first study and understand their world. Frustrated and overwhelmed, Martin is unable to stop thinking about Alexa, which Spiderbro uses against him. Meanwhile, Martin's father advises him not to get involved with villains and promises to handle the situation.
Chapter 11: The Palladin
Alexa wakes up in her tree fortress. Cottie, the Paladin of Equality, reveals that she took off the helmet to let Alex rest. They engage in a conversation about using Benadryl to force sleep and Cottie's role as Alexa's monitor. Alexa suggests that Cottie should help her save the world instead. Cottie questions Alexa's plan to destroy the Superstate and Alexa explains that they are secretly evil and reveals her intention to die to stop the Superstate and bring real equality to the world.
Observing the damaged artwork in the tree fortress, Cottie wonders if Alexa had stolen them or if they are elaborate copies. Cottie remembers the words of Eminence Equality, instructing her to befriend and protect Alexa but ultimately end her life.
Chapter 12: The power of loops Twenty-four Nineteen (Cottie) observes Alexa applying band-aids to her many scratches. Alexa suggests adding some colorful band-aids to Cottie's plain gray cloak, but Cottie declines. They discuss the uneven shower floor and the questionable safety of the shower.
Alexa reveals that the treehouse they are in is lined with suitcases containing hydrogen bombs, shocking Cottie. Alexa explains that she wants to push Cottie out of her comfort zone and create a unique bond between a supervillain (herself) and an Enforcer (Cottie).
She reveals her ability to time travel and explains her plan to exponentially increase the number of bombs [referencing the rice and chessboard problem]. Alexa warns that if Cottie kills her, the bombs will detonate, causing widespread destruction. Overwhelmed by the situation, Cottie reluctantly agrees to protect Alexa. She realizes that she has greatly underestimated the supervillain girl. Chapter 13: A nutritious breakfast
Spiderbro, [a skinwalker in Martin's head], accompanies him to school. Martin does not wish to go to school, but Spiderbro is eager to learn about humanity. On the school bus, Martin's body confronts a jock who mocks him and Spiderbro insults the jock. The confrontation escalates into a physical altercation won by Spiderbro.
Suddenly the bus stops and Alexa and Cottie enter inside. Alexa offers Martin a bowl of fruit loops but accidentally drops them. As Martin is distracted, Alexa shoots him with her ray gun, causing him intense pain and seizures.
Martin/Spiderbro pleads for her to stop, but she continues, revealing her villanous plan to track him down, befriend him and infect him with a skinwalker shard. In his desperation, Martin reaches out to the dying skinwalker in his mind, triggering a forced transformation into a superhero.
Alexa claims victory.
Chapter 14: The trust square
Martin is frustrated that his awakening as a hero did not happen as he had envisioned, and is concerned about the brain spider inside his head. Alexa, on the other hand, seems nonchalant and dismissive about the situation.
Alexa sits on Cottie's lap. Martin is surprised by Cottie's agreeable nature, considering the reputation of the Equalizers as formidable enforcers.
As they continue their journey, Martin becomes suspicious of Alexa's true motives and questions her about the strange letters he sees in his eyes.
Alexa defines GLMs, G-Dir and Terraforge and falls asleep on top of Cottie and Martin as they sit next to each other on the bus.
Cottie reveals that Alexa buried numerous hydrogen bombs around the country. Shocked by this revelation, Martin fears the potential destruction that could be caused by the bombs. However, his brain spider reminds him that Alexa's story about time travel and changing the future is likely a lie. Martin does not share his discoveries with Cottie as he does not trust the Equalizer Order.
15. Mothra
Martin walks to school with Alexa and Cottie. He is feeling burdened by dark questions and thoughts about the skinwalker's influence on his mind.
Other students are scared of Cottie's presence. Alexa tries to cheer Martin up, but he snaps at her, feeling deceived and manipulated. Alexa shows him a worn-out photo of himself as 12 year old, claiming to have been investigating him. Martin accuses her of using him as a test subject for the skinwalkers.
Martin questions why she lies and manipulates him, but Alexa points to the sky, indicating the imminent end of the world. Cottie comments nonchalantly on Alexa's desire to destroy the Superstate. Martin worries about the side effects of his awakened power and questions Alexa's sanity.
Amidst the chaos, Alexa playfully interacts with Cottie, trying to find the invisibility mode on her cloak. Martin begins to giggle nervously, fearing Cottie's response. Alexa declares them all part of a fellowship and mentions an Admiral who will join them soon. Martin wonders who the Admiral is.
16. Lunch on the Lakeshore
Martin is surprised by Alexa's normal behavior at school, as she acts like a regular student without causing trouble. He suspects that she may be lying or manipulating him. The skinwalker spider in his head remains silent, observing the world. Martin realizes that there is still another skinwalker nearby and asks Alexa about Mr. Canard, who is infected with a skinwalker shard. However, Alexa tells him that she has already called the authorities to handle it.
Martin contemplates what he would do if he encounters the skinwalker himself, knowing that he can now control the spider in his head. The trio sits by the lakeshore, and Alexa starts reading a book while resting her head on Cottie's lap. Suddenly, an orange delivery drone arrives with a pizza, which Alexa pays for using a credit card. Martin wonders if Alexa lied about manipulating the SCA to protect him from the skinwalker's control.
Martin reflects on the impossibility of Alexa manipulating the Superstate, given the SCA's advanced security measures and experienced heroes. He realizes that Alexa herself was manipulated by her father and the villain minion team she hired. Meanwhile, the spider in Martin's head detects an irregularity in his memories, suggesting that someone is tampering with his mind. Martin becomes concerned about the presence of a mysterious stranger following them.
17. How do you do fellow kids
Martin gets separated from the girls when he goes to use the bathroom, and on his way back, he encounters a group of students blocking his path. Among them, he notices a tall, red-haired girl who looks strangely familiar. He realizes with shock that it is his sister, Ember, who appears to have de-aged herself. Martin confronts Ember about her presence in their school and her mission.
Ember reveals that she is on a mission to protect Martin and the town from Alexa. She explains that she has used her friends combined powers to alter her appearance and pass as a fourteen-year-old student. Martin questions her methods and her authority for this mission, but Ember dismisses his concerns and insists that she is qualified and acting in their best interests. She reveals that she's been watching Alexa via the eyes of Titanomachy.
When Ember leaves, Alexa appears and reveals that she is not afraid of Ember and the SCA agents, or "wardens," as she calls them. Martin asks Alexa for her raygun to give his sister a migrane in class.
18. Anger Management 19. The Song of Terror 20. Quintet interrobang