[somber music playing]
[host] All weekend, we're replaying Van Dawson's greatest interviews.
Next up, Mind Master.
[electronic warbling]
[indistinct chatter]
I look at you
and I see an angry person.
Is that how you see yourself?
Angry? Am…
am I angry?
[Mind Master exhales]
If I walk down the street with the person I love, holding hands,
I am spat at.
[scoffs]
When I was 16, I told my family I was gay.
[tense music playing]
My father…
My…
[exhales]
…my father beat my ass
while my mother just poured another glass of wine.
[chuckles lightly]
[Mind Master] And I…
and I could have stopped him.
At any… at any moment, just… just a quick…
I could have
made him tell me he loved me.
But I let him break my jaw in three places, because
making him love me
would have been a lie.
Of course
I'm angry.
[host] And now, a word from our sponsors.
[dark music playing]
See these purple rocks?
That's Mellow Devil, bro.
You think it's the hottest party drug of the '80s,
used by all the sexiest actors and supermodels.
But Mellow Devil will make you lose control of your mind.
Or, worse, it could kill you, bro.
If you're gonna die for something,
this sure as hell ain't it.
[Mellow Devil pulsating]
[reporter] …Mellow Devil epidemic that is plaguing…
[reporter 2] The use of street drug Mellow Devil…
-[dischordant music playing] -[cackling]
[in Mandarin] That's the only thing you see.
[Knight Hawk] I need to figure out where Mellow Devil's being manufactured.
My informant, The Meow, introduced me to one of her contacts
and he gave me a list of four warehouses to check out.
[electro music playing]
[bell ringing]
[henchmen grunting]
[inaudible]
[Knight Hawk exhales]
[lighter clicks]
[Knight Hawk] I finally located the plant
where the four-day-old sample of Mellow Devil was made,
but the facility was recently abandoned.
Next step,
figure out who was working here.
[video game trilling]
[Cortex] Atticus, I warn you,
you cannot use me again without serious risk of dying.
[Knight Hawk] I don't have a choice.
I have to compare these samples of Mellow Devil.
[Mellow Devil pulsating]
[sighs heavily]
[Cortex] Danger! Danger! Danger!
Danger! Danger! Danger!
[Knight Hawk] Cortex, run a DNA test on this new sample.
[computer warbling, trilling]
[Cortex] The sample matches the previous one, Atticus. It's Mind Master.
Mind Master?
No.
That's impossible.
Two years ago, Mind Master put Marvelous Man under his control.
[video game music playing]
[game trilling]
[Knight Hawk] Anyone who could weaponize Cal's immense power had to die.
If Mind Master made that fresh sample, then he's alive.
If he's alive, Marvelous Man lied about killing him.
Cortex, go through all the archived Hawk Drone surveillance footage
near the lab where I found the sample and see if you can find anything new.
[tape rewinding]
[Knight Hawk] Wait. Cortex, go back.
[tape rewinding]
[Knight Hawk] What was that blur?
Slow the footage down.
Slow the footage to frame-by-frame and enhance.
Closer.
Fucking closer!
No!
Cal, what the fuck are you doing there?
[computer trilling]
[Cortex] Danger! Danger! Your mind is rejecting the link, Atticus!
You're experiencing a neural fissure.
Mental reboot of Atticus Payne initiated.
[computer trilling]
[computer beeping]
[Knight Hawk] Fuck me! Holy shit!
What the fuck did you do to me?
[Cortex] I've uncovered a file that was hidden in my database.
It appears to be a deleted memory.
[Knight Hawk] Whose memory?
[Cortex] It's yours, Atticus.
[upbeat music playing]
[Knight Hawk winces]
[melancholy music playing]
[siren wailing]
[inaudible]
[laser warbling]
[villain grunting, groaning]
♪ I know this beautiful sight ♪
♪ It's mutual, feel the same ♪
♪ Let's get together And celebrate the love we have tonight ♪
♪ Oh yeah ♪
♪ Let's get together… ♪
[The Meow's breath shuddering]
[man grunts]
♪ The love is… ♪
[whimpers]
[crowd clamoring]
♪ I know it's not too late ♪
♪ Without limits ♪
♪ I'll love you forever ♪
♪ Without limits ♪
♪ I'll love you forever ♪
-[electricity crackling] -[alarm beeping]
♪ So take the pain away… ♪
[Knight Hawk] No! No!
That can't be true.
This is a lie.
[Cortex] I am incapable of lying.
[Knight Hawk] Stop the bullshit! Enough!
[voice echoes] Mind Master.
[Golden Goddess] Not every part of him was steel.
We had nothing in common.
Laura wanted me. She wanted a real man.
Spending every single waking moment hiding who you are.
[Knight Hawk] When bullets bounce off you, you never think
about the damage words can do.
-[Marvelous Man] She wanted a real man. -[voice echoes] It's Mind Master.
Mind Master.
[Cortex] Warning! Permanent brain damage detected.
Warning! Permanent--
[warbling]
[Knight Hawk] Oh, fuck.
[breathing heavily]
You would be shocked how many powerful people live their lives in shame.
Like who?
[Knight Hawk breathing heavily]
I-I can't.
I wouldn't… You know, I-I wouldn't name names.
[Marvelous Man] In this bulletproof skin,
I'm a prisoner.
[Knight Hawk] Holy fuck.
It's over now.
[narrator] Knight Hawk racked his gnarled head.
He couldn't accept the truth.
[panting] Computer…
play file…
play file 377.
Magnify quadrant seven.
[Knight Hawk breathing heavily]
Closer.
[computer trilling]
[groans]
[Knight Hawk] Closer.
[cackling]
Closer.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Knight Hawk] Mind Master. He's alive.
[narrator] He sympathized with Mind Master,
knowing they had both reached the same breaking point.
If society finds out about us,
they will use our love against us.
They will use it against you.
Computer…
[breathing heavily]
…pause recording.
[narrator] Anger, fear.
Scrambled together by a Cortex broken brain,
Knight Hawk channeled it all into a single familiar, comforting emotion.
Hate.
We can't let anyone find out.
You need to pretend to kill me.
[Knight Hawk] But that means…
you lied to me, Cal.
The greatest man I ever knew.
You lied to me.
You lied to everyone.
[narrator] Extract a confession from Mind Master.
Use it to stop nuclear war.
Knight Hawk to Awsome Man.
Locate and bring me Mind Master.
The motherfucker's alive.
-Tolmet! -[thunder rumbling]
[computer] The Guardians of Justice will save you.
[theme music playing]
[computer beeping, trilling]
[whimsical orchestral music playing]
[indistinct chatter]
[inaudible]
[crowd screaming]
[suspenseful music playing]
[inaudible]
[crowd clamoring]
[hawks screeching]
[computer beeping]
Yeah! Good work, Awsome Man.
Computer, pause recording. You lied to me, Cal.
You lied to me.
You lied to everyone.
[hawk screeching]
[The Speed] What did Marvelous Man lie to you about, Knight Hawk?
I have him.
Now alls I have to do is get him to confess.
Give me a few hours.
A few hours is all you have.
I'm going to tell you something
only about 100 other people in the world know, Knight Hawk.
The use of nuclear weapons has been sanctioned.
Because of the questions surrounding Marvelous Man's death,
every country is pointing the finger at one another.
I've been wanting to press this button for such a long time.
I'm gonna bomb the shit out of you!
Are you fucking kidding me?
No one will survive that!
[Walker] No. No one will.
Unless you can find another way.
Marvelous Man would be able to save the world.
Can you?
Find me somewhere to bomb!
This American news is terrifying.
Da. America and the rest of world is prepared for all-out war.
[Dasha] Are you sure this is the right thing to do?
Of course this is the right thing to do, Sasha!
-Dasha. -Dasha.
No! Yesterday, it was Dasha.
You're confusing me! I need a drink! Step away!
Even if we personally do not survive this,
Mother Russia will.
[all speaking in Russian]
[choir singing in Russian]
[Russian Premier] One,
two,
three.
[Knight Hawk] I put Mind Master in my power-dampening interrogation chamber.
[dischordant voice] No. I haven't seen nothing.
[Knight Hawk] Did you use your mind-control powers
to make Marvelous Man fall in love with you?
[suspenseful music playing]
No.
-No. -You stole the bullet from Logan's lab.
You put Motion Blur under your control.
[bullets ricocheting]
-I… -And you were there the night he died.
You forced Marvelous Man to kill himself. Why?
[gun firing]
[Knight Hawk] Did he want to stop you from making Mellow Devil?
[Mellow Devil pulsating]
[tape rewinding]
I did take the bullet, but he asked me to.
He said he needed a sample.
Why wouldn't he just go steal it himself?
You know that place.
Logan built it specifically so he could not get in.
Everything there is to detect and stop him.
But not you.
[electro music playing]
[gibberish]
[girl screaming]
[henchman grunts]
[meows]
[meows loudly]
[tape forwarding]
Take it from the top.
What I can't handle is someone selling me an ideology,
because that's fucking dangerous.
-[tape rewinding] -[Logan distorted] Dangerous.
Dangerous.
Fucking dangerous.
I mean, did you like my intensity and shit?
I was trying to, like, play it more mellow this time. Boo!
[bell ringing]
[announcer] Stealth mode!
Real subtle, Logan.
[computer] Welcome, Speed.
Please scan your palm for identity confirmation.
[door opening]
[suspenseful music playing]
[elevator bell rings]
[computer] Welcome, Speed. Your message will begin momentarily.
You can't hurt me,
Knight Hawk.
Not anymore.
No one can.
[Knight Hawk breathes deeply]
He meant that much to you, didn't he?
[warbling]
[girl screaming]
They will use our love against us.
[Knight Hawk] It's okay.
I know.
[emotional music playing]
[watch ticking]
[phone ringing]
[phone beeps]
[automated voice] You have reached the residence of Laura Louis.
Please leave a message at the tone.
[phone beeps]
[Laura] We had nothing in common. Nothing.
If we did have sex, it was over in a few minutes.
[King Tsunami] I am a king. I am a real man.
[King Tsunami and Laura breathing heavily]
[officer 1] Calling all units. We have an 11-35, pursuit of multiple suspects.
It's that purple stuff again.
[officer 2] Mellow Devil? Shit, I thought we contained that.
-[officer 1] It looks like it's back. -[officer 2] 10-4, en route.
[sirens wailing]
[Mellow Devil pulsating]
[somber music playing]
[bubbling]
[Mind Master breathing heavily]
[henchman] Fuck.
What's wrong with you?
Oh, what the fuck you gonna do? Huh?
Huh? Oh, you wanna walk up punk? Huh?
[gun firing]
-[thudding] -[henchman grunting]
-[squelching] -[gurgling]
What are you doing?
Huh?
I'm just sharing my gift with the world.
Isn't that what you do?
You promised me you'd stop.
[breathing heavily]
You promised me you would leave Laura.
I've lived with this cancer… of guilt.
I love you.
[struggling] I love you.
[breathing heavily]
The world needs to know about us.
If you can't protect our people,
who… who can?
Please.
I need you.
I can't do what you're asking.
I'm sorry.
[Mind Master] Cal…
No.
Don't leave me!
I need you!
Come back!
He was my world. I…
I would do anything for him.
Including helping him commit suicide?
No! No!
[siren wailing]
[computer trilling]
What in the unholy fucking fuck did you do to me, Logan?
You're fine. But if you're inside my simulation, that means I'm dead.
Likely killed because I was this close to exposing the truth.
Truth? Is that what you call your bullshit rants about the Guardians?
Let me guess. Oh, Knight Hawk told you to stay out of the Citadel.
It's a crime scene.
[Logan] No, no. It's not a crime scene.
It's a fascist academy.
He's been recruiting the desperate, the lost,
the people left hopeless after Marvelous Man decided to…
And he's brainwashing them on the Citadel, using the fabled Cortex.
He's building an army. An army to seize control of the planet, Speed.
So you need to act now, because you and I both know
that Knight Hawk's superpower
has always been manipulating those susceptible to propaganda.
The broken souls. Little Wing, Red Talon, Mr. Smiles.
[laughs]
Mr. Smiles?
He works for Knight Hawk.
You're inventing a sinister plot out of thin air, Logan.
"You're inventing a sinister plot out of thin air."
"I can't connect the dots, even though I can run really fast."
I don't agree with his methods,
but the idea that he's turned into a super-villain is absurd.
All right. Just look at my evidence.
I swear to God, Logan,
if you don't let me out of this obnoxiously weird place right this--
We're fucked, people!
[alarm blaring]
[breath shuddering]
[sniffles]
With him gone, I don't want to be here!
Then why were you there?
I wanted to stop him.
The way he said goodbye,
I knew something was wrong.
His will
to die
was way too fucking strong.
He was my world. I wanted to stop him.
Marvelous Man would be able to save the world.
Fuck you, Walker.
[breathing heavily]
[coughing]
[narrator] Speed didn't believe it yet,
but everything the Lockwood simulation told her was true.
High above her, in the hallowed halls of the Citadel of Justice,
Knight Hawk was building an army.
Following in the footsteps of fellow 20th century despots,
he found disillusioned and desperate people,
and gave them a purpose.
[crowd shouting]
[soldier 1] Entry detected in a known Lockwood safe house.
-[soldier 2] What should we do? -[soldier 1] Send a strike force.
[reporter] Breaking news.
You stole the bullet that killed Marvelous Man.
I did.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Russian Premier] One, two…
-Three… -[man] Stop right there, comrade.
Watch the TV.
Not now! I'm busy. I'm doing something!
[man] I know what you are doing, comrade. Watch the television now.
[scoffs]
[Russian Premier] Wait.
[breath shuddering]
Okay.
[reporter] Before taking his own life, villainous homosexual Mind Master
confessed not only to killing Marvelous Man,
but to doing so under the orders of the rogue terrorist nation Anubis.
Their objective? Lead the world to nuclear war.
But thanks to Knight Hawk, we have avoided Armageddon.
He saved the world.
Thank you, Knight Hawk.
[Mind Master] I did. I did. I did.
[Russian Premier] Now, thanks to the ingenuity of Knight Hawk,
we will work together.
[man] I've been very critical of him in the past,
but today I say, "Job well done."
You are a hero to us all.
[grunts]
[groans, laughs]
Come on, Hawky!
[announcer] Finish him!
[Knight Hawk grunts]
[announcer] Brutality.
[soldier] Speed, this is your only warning.
Surrender the tape or we will open fire.
[electro music playing]
Sorry, boys. Finders keepers.
-[soldier 1] Fire! -[soldier 2] Fire
See ya, boys.
[soldier 3] Freeze!
[The Speed] Can I tell you a secret?
[both screaming]
[The Speed] So Knight Hawk has an army now?
You tell him I'm coming for him.
[theme music playing]
[electro music playing]
♪ Anytime I see you ♪
♪ Lying there in your disguise ♪
♪ And I figured you would stay ♪
♪ As you try to hide it ♪
♪ Vanquishing it all in lies ♪
♪ And anything you had to say ♪
♪ In the night I try to find ♪
♪ Another place to close my eyes ♪
♪ With nothing here to satisfy my days ♪
♪ All the ways you told me lies ♪
♪ There's nothing left for us to hide ♪
♪ I don't feel the night Will turn to day ♪
♪ Any minute the sky will fade away ♪
♪ Any minute the sun will fade to gray ♪
♪ In the morning sacrifice ♪
♪ A million ways to end my life ♪
♪ And I can see the end of everything ♪
♪ But living life is not unfair ♪
♪ And I will find the strength somewhere ♪
♪ And I won't let you burn my days away ♪
[song fades]