While giving Xadhoom a psychological test, One involuntarily presses some of her buttons and makes her flee. She soon encounters a new breed of Evronians and starts decimating them, but when their commander orders a barrier of Coolflames, she recognizes Xari between them, forcing an HeroicBSOD and the loss of her powers.
Tropes Present In This Issue:
- Alien Blood: In a flashback we see Xado bleed and we discover that Xerbians have inky-black blood. This is also the only case of bleeding seen in the whole series.
- Benevolent Boss: For a terrible living being with no qualms in killing the "regular" Evronians because he considers them unwhorty, Raghor cares for his soldiers and praises them when they do something right.
- Big Damn Heroes: Paperinik comes in to save Xadhoom and all the guests of the gala... and he is quickly defeated by Raghor's vastly superior strength.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: After regaining her powers, Xadhoom forces Rhagor to say her Battle Cry before blowing him up.
- Brought Down to Normal: What happens to Xadhoom. In reality, it's all in her head.
- Brought Down to Badass: She is far from helpless, however.
- Chekhov's Gun: In a moment of rage, Xadhoom throws a fork to Donald. Later, she uses a bigger one to stab Raghor.
- Containment Barrier: One activates those when Xadhoom's energy reaches levels too high: he however admits they are useless should she truly lose control.
- Continuity Nod: Xadhoom's first encounter with Angus, her personality problems from "Shooting Star" and Morrighan's encounter with the Evronians in "The Darkest Night" are mentioned.
- Crack Pairing: Invoked. How else can you describe Angus taking Xadhoom out to a date?
- Darker and Edgier: Arguably the darkest of the whole series: an issue that deals with the psycological state of one main character, Survivor Guilt, near suicide and a villain ready to wipe out his own species? Yes, sounds like that.
- Despair Event Horizon: Xado hits her during the Gala: she is powerless, surrounded by Evronians, Paperinik has been defeated and his boyfriend-turned-coolflame is about to kill her. She simply
accepts to die. - Flash Back: The issue is full of Xadhoom's flashbacks, but the writer does such a great job in cleverly tieing them to the main plot that they don't feel out of place.
- Genius Loci: Once again, One uses the Ducklair Tower to help Paperinik in fighting the Evronians. Unfortunatly, since they are much tougher that the regular kind, the results are less than stellar.
- HeroicBSOD: Xadhoom gets a severe case of this when she meets a coolflamized Xari. It's actually a justified case of Identical Stranger.
- Hulk Speak: Except Raghor, all the Beast Evronians talk in a very simplistic manner.
- Killed Offscreen: Raghor. It's quite satisfying.
- Knight of Cerebus: For a Villain of the Week, Raghor is surprising scary and ruthless.
- Identical Stranger: What the Xari lookalike actually is: an alien of another race who became similar enough to him thanks to the coolflaming process.
- Improbable Weapon User: Xadhoom and forks. See under Chekhov's Gun.
- Literal-Minded: After Angus sees Xadhoom's true eyes he cries out: "Blow me down!". She promptly slugs him.
- Megaton Punch: Caused by the above-mentioned Literal-Minded moment.
- Nightmare Face: Look out for when Rhagor takes off his helmet.
- No-Sell: Raghor is initially overjoyed at the sight of Xadhoom, ordering his troops to blast her with some bazooka and boasting that he can finally defeat a real enemy... until she laughs off the attack and start frying them.
- Suicide by Cop: Or by Coolflame: Xadhoom at the very bottom of her Despair Event Horizon just accepts to be killed by the Xari lookalike. Thankfully her powers weren't really gone.
- Super-Soldier: Yet another kind for the Evronians, this time a crossbreed of regular Evronians with the beasts of Raghor. They come complete of Super-Strength and Super-Senses.
- The Social Darwinist: After becoming a Super-Soldier, Raghor doesn't see a reason to keep around those old, boring Evronians.To Zortag:"Now, if you excuse me, I must wipe out a whole race! Yours!"
- Villain Ball: Raghor. It completely ruins his plans when he mutinies and decides to kill Zortag only after showing him Xadhoom's dead body, giving him the chance to escape and use the Mind Control devices in the helmets of Raghor's soldiers.
- Villainous Rescue: Amazingly, Zortag is the only thing that saves Paperinik's life. Twice.
- We Can Rule Together: Raghor offers Xadhoom to join him. As she has sworn to destroy all Evronians in the universe, you can guess her reply.
