History YMMV / ThePowerOfFive

** ''Nightrise'':
*** [[BadBoss Susan Mortlake]] is one of the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Chief Executives]] of Nightrise, and is Colton Banes and Kyle Hovey's direct superior. When they and report back to Susan Mortlake that Jamie escaped them, she concludes that one of them has to die and has Colton strangle Kyle. She then takes Scott Tyler to a HellholePrison where she and Colton torture him into helping them assassinate a Senator, [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming analyzing his cries of pain like a symphony]]. She has him [[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind control]] the senator's bodyguard into killing him, so that the death will not be linked back to Nightrise.
*** [[PsychoForHire Colton Banes]] is an assassin for [[{{Megacorp}} Nightrise]] hired to track down Jamie and Scott, two of "[[TheChosenOne The Five]]". When Jamie escapes Colton kills "Uncle Don", the stage manager they were staying, and his wife to pin the rap on Jamie. When he and his partner Kyle Hovey report back to Susan Mortlake, she has Colton strangle Kyle. Colton does this immediately and without remorse, stating the he always hated Kyle. When Jamie tries to scan him to find Scott's location, he sees, in addition to Colton's other crimes, memories of a girl locked in a battered trailer with puncture wounds. When Jamie tries to [[GetIntoJailFree go to prison under an alias]], he is caught and one the guards reports him to Colton. Colton tells the guard to turn off the air conditioning in the cell, [[EvenEvilHasStandards which the guard does reluctantly]]. During the raid on the prison Colton shoots Jamie in the back.

* JerkassWoobie: Scott, especially after the abuse he goes through at the hands of Susan Mortlake.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Of the twelve leaders of the Nexus, most of them pretty interesting characters, only two of them [[spoiler: both of whom die]]. appear in ''Oblivion'' while a third suffered from a case of DroppedABridgeOnHim during the TimeSkip. Making this even worse is that while one of those two is BigGood Susan Ashwood, the other is a literal AscendedExtra who was present at the meetings but never spoke or was specifically described during the previous books. The most blatant example of this trope is the unnamed Bishop, who could easily have appeared during the scenes set at the Vatican and either provided some minor aid to Pedro or provided a case of DramaticIrony by being unaware of his presence. This is somewhat mitigated by the implication that the other leaders of the Nexus are out there, rallying support for the World Army, but Horowitz still could have done more with them.

** [[BadBoss Susan Mortlake]], who appears is the third book, ''Nightrise'', is one of the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Chief Executives]] of Nightrise, and is Colton Banes and Kyle Hovey's direct superior. When they and report back to Susan Mortlake that Jamie escaped them, she concludes that one of them has to die and has Colton strangle Kyle. She then takes Scott Tyler to a HellholePrison where she and Colton torture him into helping them assassinate a Senator, [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming analyzing his cries of pain like a symphony]]. She has him [[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind control]] the senator's bodyguard into killing him, so that the death will not be linked back to Nightrise.
** [[PsychoForHire Colton Banes]], also from ''Nightrise,'' is an assassin for [[{{Megacorp}} Nightrise]] hired to track down Jamie and Scott, two of "[[TheChosenOne The Five]]". When Jamie escapes Colton kills "Uncle Don", the stage manager they were staying, and his wife to pin the rap on Jamie. When he and his partner Kyle Hovey report back to Susan Mortlake, she has Colton strangle Kyle. Colton does this immediately and without remorse, stating the he always hated Kyle. When Jamie tries to scan him to find Scott's location, he sees, in addition to Colton's other crimes, memories of a girl locked in a battered trailer with puncture wounds. When Jamie tries to [[GetIntoJailFree go to prison under an alias]], he is caught and one the guards reports him to Colton. Colton tells the guard to turn off the air conditioning in the cell, [[EvenEvilHasStandards which the guard does reluctantly]]. During the raid on the prison Colton shoots Jamie in the back.
** The fifth and final book ''Oblivion'' gives us the new [[CorruptCorporateExecutive chairman]] of Nightrise. The chairman is introduced by holding a press conference with ten thousand members of Nightrise, and says that they will be taken away to have their limbs cut off and replaced with weapons for the battle with the five. When one member refuses, the chairman has him shot dead before sending guards in to beat everyone up and take them away by force. The chairman orders his [[TheDragon second-in-command]], Jonas Mortlake (Susan’s son), to make Scott do a FaceHeelTurn so that without him, the five will never be united, telling Jonas that if he [[YouHaveFailedMe fails]], he will [[BadBoss suffer the same fate]] as the other members of Nightrise. When Matt and Richard are captured, the chairman has Matt crucified and [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured]] by having his [[FlayedAlive skin flayed]] and his bones broken. The chairman tries to kill Richard in front of Matt, stating that Matt will be {{forced to watch}} his best friend die, and will than continue to be tortured forever.

** [[PsychoForHire Colton Banes]], also from ''Nightrise,'' is an assassin for [[{{Megacorp}} Nightrise]] hired to track down Jamie and Scott, two of "[[TheChosenOne The Five]]". When Jamie escapes Colton kills "Uncle Don", the stage manager they were staying, and his wife to pin the rap on Jamie. When he and his partner Kyle Hovey report back to Susan Mortlake, she has Colton strangle Kyle. Colton does this immediately and without remorse, stating the he always hated Kyle. When Jamie tries to scan him to find Scott's location, he sees not only the after mentioned crimes, but also sees memories of a girl locked in a battered trailer with puncture wounds. When Jamie tries to [[GetIntoJailFree go to prison under an alias]], he is caught and one the guards reports him to Colton. Colton tells the guard to turn off the Air Conditioning in the cell, [[EvenEvilHasStandards which the guard does reluctantly]]. During the raid on the prison Colton shoots Jamie in the back.

** [[BadBoss Susan Mortlake]], who appears is the third book, ''Nightrise'', is one of the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Chief Executives]] of Nightrise, and is Colton Banes and Kyle Hovey's direct superior. When they and report back to Susan Mortlake that Jamie escaped them, she concludes that one of them has to die and has Colton strangle Kyle. She then takes Scott Tyler to a HellholePrison where she and Colton [[MoreThanMindControl torture him into helping]] them assassinate a Senator, [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming analyzing his cries of pain like a symphony]]. She has him [[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind control]] the senator's bodyguard into killing him, so that the death will not be linked back to Nightrise.

** [[BadBoss Susan Mortlake]], who appears is the third book, ''Nightrise'', is one of the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Chief Executives]] of Nightrise, and is [[EvilDuo Colton Banes and Kyle Hovey's]] direct superior. When they and report back to Susan Mortlake that Jamie escaped them, she concludes that one of them has to die and has Colton strangle Kyle. She then takes Scott Tyler to a HellholePrison where she and Colton [[MoreThanMindControl torture him into helping]] them assassinate a Senator, [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming analyzing his cries of pain like a symphony]]. She has him [[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind control]] the senator's bodyguard into killing him, so that the death will not be linked back to Nightrise.
** [[PsychoForHire Colton Banes]], also from ''Nightrise,'' is an assassin for [[{{Megacorp}} Nightrise]] hired to track down Jamie and Scott, two of "[[TheChosenOne The Five]]". When Jamie escapes Colton kills "Uncle Don", the stage manager they were staying, and his wife to pin the rap on Jamie. When he and [[EvilDuo his partner Kyle Hovey]] report back to Susan Mortlake, she has Colton strangle Kyle. Colton does this immediately and without remorse, stating the he always hated Kyle. When Jamie tries to scan him to find Scott's location, he sees not only the after mentioned crimes, but also sees memories of a girl locked in a battered trailer with puncture wounds. When Jamie tries to [[GetIntoJailFree go to prison under an alias]], he is caught and one the guards reports him to Colton. Colton tells the guard to turn off the Air Conditioning in the cell, [[EvenEvilHasStandards which the guard does reluctantly]]. During the raid on the prison Colton shoots Jamie in the back.

** [[BadBoss Susan Mortlake]], who appears is the third book, ''Nightrise'', is one of the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Chief Executives]] of Nightrise, and is [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Colton Banes and Kyle Hovey's]] direct superior. When they and report back to Susan Mortlake that Jamie escaped them, she concludes that one of them has to die and has Colton strangle Kyle. She then takes Scott Tyler to a HellholePrison where she and Colton [[MoreThanMindControl torture him into helping]] them assassinate a Senator, [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming analyzing his cries of pain like a symphony]]. She has him [[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind control]] the senator's bodyguard into killing him, so that the death will not be linked back to Nightrise.
** [[PsychoForHire Colton Banes]], also from ''Nightrise,'' is an assassin for [[{{Megacorp}} Nightrise]] hired to track down Jamie and Scott, two of "[[TheChosenOne The Five]]". When Jamie escapes Colton kills "Uncle Don", the stage manager they were staying, and his wife to pin the rap on Jamie. When he and [[ThoseTwoBadGuys his partner Kyle Hovey]] report back to Susan Mortlake, she has Colton strangle Kyle. Colton does this immediately and without remorse, stating the he always hated Kyle. When Jamie tries to scan him to find Scott's location, he sees not only the after mentioned crimes, but also sees memories of a girl locked in a battered trailer with puncture wounds. When Jamie tries to [[GetIntoJailFree go to prison under an alias]], he is caught and one the guards reports him to Colton. Colton tells the guard to turn off the Air Conditioning in the cell, [[EvenEvilHasStandards which the guard does reluctantly]]. During the raid on the prison Colton shoots Jamie in the back.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Of the twelve leaders of the Nexus, most of them pretty interesting characters, only two of them [[spoiler: both of whom die]]. appear in ''Oblivion'' while a third suffered from a case of DroppedABridgeOnHim during the TimeSkip. Making this even worse is that while one of those two is BigGood Susan Ashwood, the other is a literal AscendedExtra who was present at the meetings but never spoke or was specifically described during the previous books. The most blatant example of this trope is the unnamed Bishop, who could easily have appeared during the scenes set at the Vatican and either provided some minor aid to Pedro or provided a case of DramaticIrony by being unaware of his presence.

* MagnificentBastard: The world's magnificent bastards are working for the Nexus: Shang Tsung, a ruthless Asian crime lord, a DGSE spy and a not-so-subtle Rupert Murdoch analogue, are both the villains of another story, but here are vital warriors on the side of good.

* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: Matt's story is ''suspiciously'' similar to the life of JesusChrist. Born with special powers according to some higher plan, destined to save the world from TheLegionsOfHell and their very {{Satan}}-like leader, leads a small group of followers of whom the closest to him is named Pedro ('Peter' in Spanish), accepts his destiny despite wishing there was another way, betrayed by one of his companions, flogged and beaten and hung up to be jeered at, [[spoiler: died, came back and ascended to Heaven right in front of his friends]].

* TheWoobie: Most of the Five, to be honest.
** JerkassWoobie: Scott, especially after the abuse he goes through at the hands of Susan Mortlake.
** IronWoobie: Matt, once he learns that his destiny is [[spoiler: to be tortured by the Old Ones and given a MercyKill by Richard]] and [[{{Determinator}} still manages to keep going]].
** StoicWoobie: Matt again, by the last book. Also Pedro, who never really complains despite being a starving street urchin who spends most of his pagetime being hunted, abused, betrayed, nearly killed on several occasions and repeatedly exhausting himself trying to use his [[HealingHands power]] on grievously-injured people who often don't make it anyway.

** The fifth and final book ''Oblivion'' gives us the new [[CorruptCorporateExecutive chairman]] of Nightrise. The chairman is introduced by holding a press conference with ten thousand members of Nightrise, and says that they will be taken away to have their limbs cut off and replaced with weapons for the battle with the five. When one member refuses, the chairman has him shot dead before sending guards in to beat everyone up and take them away by force. The chairman orders his [[TheDragon second-in-command]], Jonas Mortlake (Susan’s son), to make Scott do a FaceHeelTurn so that without him, the five will never be united, telling Jonas that if he [[YouHaveFailedMe fails]], he will [[BadBoss suffer the same fate]] as the other members of Nightrise. When Matt and Richard are captured, the chairman has Matt crucified and [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured]] by having his [[FlayedAlive skin flayed]] and his bones broken. The chairman tries to kill Richard in front of Matt, stating that Matt will be {{force to watch}} his best friend die, and will than continue to be tortured forever.

** [[PsychoForHire Colton Banes]] is an assassin for [[{{Megacorp}} Nightrise]] hired to track down Jamie and Scott, two of "[[TheChosenOne The Five]]". When Jamie escapes Colton kills "Uncle Don", the stage manager they were staying, and his wife to pin the rap on Jamie. When he and [[ThoseTwoBadGuys his partner Kyle Hovey]] report back to Susan Mortlake, she has Colton strangle Kyle. Colton does this immediately and without remorse, stating the he always hated Kyle. When Jamie tries to scan him to find Scott's location, he sees not only the after mentioned crimes, but also sees memories of a girl locked in a battered trailer with puncture wounds. When Jamie tries to [[GetIntoJailFree go to prison under an alias]], he is caught and one the guards reports him to Colton. Colton tells the guard to turn off the Air Conditioning in the cell, [[EvenEvilHasStandards which the guard does reluctantly]]. During the raid on the prison Colton shoots Jamie in the back.
** [[BadBoss Susan Mortlake]] is one of the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Chief Executives]] of Nightrise, and is [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Colton Banes and Kyle Hovey's]] direct superior. When they and report back to Susan Mortlake that Jamie escaped them, she concludes that one of them has to die and has Colton strangle Kyle. She then takes Scott Tyler to a HellholePrison where she and Colton [[MoreThanMindControl torture him into helping]] them assassinate a Senator, [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming analyzing his cries of pain like a symphony]]. She has him [[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind control]] the senator's bodyguard into killing him, so that the death will not be linked back to Nightrise.

** Colton Banes stands out as especially vile - when not killing and torturing for Nightrise, he lives in a disgusting trailer where he keeps a drugged and abused young woman. And yes, that last part is as bad as it sounds.
** [[TortureTechnician Susan Mortlake]] starts to seem like this when the reader gets to see flashbacks of [[MindRape what she did to Scott]]. Of course, by then we've already seen her get a bullet in the face, which makes it easier.

* TearJerker: What Richard eventually uses the ''tumi'' for... [[spoiler: And Matt knew it was coming ever since he read his own book.]]

* CompleteMonster: Colton Banes stands out as especially vile - when not killing and torturing for Nightrise, he lives in a disgusting trailer where he keeps a drugged and abused young woman. And yes, that last part is as bad as it sounds. [[spoiler: He gets a well deserved come-uppance.]] The bastard.

* CompleteMonster: Virtually a job requirement for the Old Ones. Of all their servants, it is difficult to pick out a single one who is remotely sympathetic. Colton Banes stands out as especially vile - when not murdering and torturing for Nightrise, he lives in a disgusting trailer where he keeps a drugged and abused young woman. And yes, that last part is as bad as it sounds. [[spoiler: He gets a well deserved come-uppance.]] The bastard.
* MagnificentBastard: Interestingly enough, since the world's complete monsters are serving the Old Ones, the world's magnificent bastards are working for the Nexus: Shang Tsung, a ruthless Asian crime lord, a DGSE spy and a not-so-subtle Rupert Murdoch analogue, are both the villains of another story, but here are vital warriors on the side of good.

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel