She-Bang returns to Dakota, full of new confidence now that the secret agents after her DNA are in jail, and she can finally settle down in one place. There is just one problem: Virgil and Richie are taken aback by Shenice's awakened, forceful personality. She is shaking things up, and no one like the changes. Things only get worse when Madelyn Spaulding, the girl that tried to mind-control the school, develops telekinesis.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Apple of Discord: She-Bang while tied up starts a fight between Ebon and Madelyn by pointing out that since she arrived, she usurped his position and leader and has turned him into a lackey. Madelyn realizes what She-Bang is doing and tries to talk down Ebon, but has to knock him unconscious.
- Better the Devil You Know: When Ebon and Madelyn fight, Hotstreak roots for Ebon because he's preferable to Madelyn. Also, he bet Talon five bucks that Ebon would win.
- Berserk Button:
- As Virgil and Richie express joy over Madelyn no longer remembering Static's secret identity, she's watching them from inside the store and expresses irritation over once again being laughed at.
- She-Bang exploits Ebon's by mocking him for going from fearsome leader of the Metabreed to a pathetic lackey under Madelyn's thumb.
- Break the Cutie: She-Bang sheds a single tear when Static and Gear tell her to stay away from hero work. Then she ends up in Heroic BSoD when she's cut from the Homecoming Dance, and no one likes the new her.
- Call-Back: Virgil recalls that Madelyn tried to take over the school, and take over his mind. He ended up frying her brain instead.
- Cartesian Karma: Madelyn says she's been expelled from the school because of what she did while she had her powers, and her memory. She's sore about it, and on getting new powers, she quickly reverts back to crime.
- Control Freak:
- It's revealed that when Shenice is allowed to be herself, she acts like this about heroics, and about civilian life.
- Madelyn becomes one when she leads the freed Metabreed. She-Bang uses this fact to turn Ebon against her.
- Discard and Draw: Madelyn discovers that Static frying her brain turned her powers from mind control into telekinesis.
- Double-Meaning Title: "She-Back" isn't just about She-Bang's return: it's also about Madelyn's return as an antagonist.
- Foreshadowing: An incredibly unsubtle example, with Richie explaining to Virgil that their favourite superhero got new powers between issues, just as happpened to Madelyn.
- Genre Blindness: Despite the fact that they are superheroes and they're buying superhero comics, Richie tells Static that things that happen in comic books can't happen in "real life", like powers changing. He has to eat crow when they see Madelyn's telekinesis.
- Hope Spot:
- Virgil and Richie are relieved that Madelyn seems to have lost her powers and doesn't remember Static's secret identity. Then she develops new powers, frees the Metabreed, and goes on a crime rampage.
- Shenice hopes that now she and her parents are no longer on the run that she can settle in Dakota and team up with the boys. They quickly turn her down after a few heroic encounters go wrong, she gets shut out of the school homecoming dance for being bossy, and no one wants to hang out with her.
- Hypocritical Humor: After it's over, She-Bang says Madelyn is just too pushy. Static opts to keep his mouth shut this time.
- Jerkass Realization:
- When Shenice goes missing, Virgil and Richie are worried she was either captured by the Metabreed or convinced to join them out of spite. They are much nicer to her afterwards, especially on how she tricked Madelyn into taking down Ebon.
- After seeing Madelyn acting like a Control Freak, Shenice gets a taste of how she's been treating her classmates and friends. She tells Static and Gear that she'll tone it down and not bother them at school.
- Moral Myopia: Madelyn sees herself as the victim when her fight with Static causes her to lose her mind control powers, even though Static stopped her from turning people into her mind-controlled thralls.
- Mundane Solution: When Static and gear are flying around to find She-Bang and the Metabreed.Gear: I've got Backpack scanning for any pressure changes, temperature spikes, high frequency sounds...Static: (sees the tornado caused by Ebon) ... or we could just use our eyes.Gear: Er... yes... but that would've been too easy...
- Never My Fault: Madelyn says Static is to blame for her downfall and that she wants payback.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: After Madelyn knocks out Ebon, Static and Gear arrive and "thank" her for making things so much easier for them.
- Oh, Crap!: Virgil and Richie upon seeing that Madelyn is the clerk at the comic book store.
- Revenge: Madelyn wants to make Static pay for what happened in her last appearance.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: During the fight outside the station, Ebon advises the Metabreed do this before a bunch of cops join the three heroes in fighting them.
- Series Continuity Error: Madelyn’s outfit in the flashbacks is different to the one she was wearing in her previous appearance.
- Side Bet: Talon and Hotstreak have one on whether Madelyn or Ebon will triumph. Talon wins.
- This Is Reality: Richie tells Virgil that powers changing couldn't happen in "real life". They find out that it did happen, for Madelyn.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Virgil and Richie talked a bit about Madelyn while outside her workplace, high-fiving in relief that she completely forgot that Virgil and Static are the same person. Watching from the window, Madelyn thinks they're teasing her like everyone else, making her angry which triggers her new powers.
- Women Are Wiser: Talon is willing to follow Madelyn's orders, as she sees it as the best chance to achieve their goal of beating the heroes once and for all.
