Episode 132: Fleet Traction
Takes place 1-2 January 2013.
Paul helps as much as he can on Earth before he is called back to help against a new Reach offensive. After a brief skirmish with a Yellow Lantern Scarab Warrior, suggesting that Sinestro is exploring options but not firmly committing to either side of the war, the active Reach inner circle fleet is located, attacking the world of Karrakan, former home of the descendants of Rhea known as Ascendants. Paul and Grayven both intercept the fleet, crippling it, though a Scarab Warrior uses new anti-construct techniques that would probably have killed a regular Lantern. Paul then visits the Ascendants' new home on Minosyss, where they are working to revitalise the thaumosphere, allowing them to resist further Reach encroachment.
The title refers to the inner circle fleet that the Reach is deploying, which is far stronger than anything the Reach have deployed against L.E.G.I.O.N. before.
- Alternate Universe: We get to see X-Man!OL have a pleasant vacation with his girlfriend Rogue before they are attacked by the local forces, as the country they are in, Genosha, lures mutants in to use as slave labor.
- The Assimilator: Paul assimilates one of the Karrakanians who've joined Grayven.
- Curb Stomp Cushion: The Reach fleet and Scarab Warrior sent to Karrakan are able to hold their own against Paul for a while, and even found a way to momentarily disconnect him from the orange light itself, including the Ophidian. However, the Scarab Warrior is ultimately defeated and the ships are taken down one after another before Grayven interferes to attack the remaining ships.
- Didn't See That Coming: X-Man!OL's mere existence somehow alters the future as Destiny sees it. As such, she is unable to see the future when interacting with him and is no longer certain if anything that she sees will happen anymore. She actually says this verbatim after he reveals that he's marrying Rogue.X-Man!OL: I.. thought that your ability allowed you to walk around?
Destiny: It usually does. Anywhere where I will walk, I can look a moment or two ahead and use that to navigate. But with you here, I can't, because as far as my power knows there's no chance of this happening. - Gender Bender: Paul turns himself into a woman in an attempt to distract the Citizenry by challenging their leader to single combat.
- Internal Reveal: X-Man!OL reveals numerous truths to various characters.
- He informs Kurt Wagner of both his birth mother and adoptive sister.
- He reveals to Magneto the fact that, in addition to Polaris, Magneto had two more children with Magda Lensherr.
- He tells Havok that his brother is alive and is a member of the X-Men.
- He also tells Polaris about her birth father and two half-siblings.
- He tells Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch about their half-sister and father, and lets them know that Magneto is probably going to reach out to them in the near future.
- He tells Cable that he's from another universe, which is how he knows who Cable even is.
- Male Gaze: X-Man!OL takes the time to admire Rogue's body when they are on vacation. She catches him staring, and is very flattered.But darn does Anne-Marie fill out that bikini… Delightfully. And… I know it's not her power that does it. Sure, that gives her strength, but Ashley Crawford's strong in her augmented form and she's… Nothing like this sculpted. No, super strength actually makes staying in shape more difficult, because you seldom have to exert yourself in the way that makes the human body build muscle. Her stomach is flat with just a hint of muscle because she's spent a lot of time under one of the X-Gym's pneumatic presses, exerting herself against colossal weights.
Her breasts on the other hand are the result of a combination of good genes and good diet, though I appreciate them every bit as much. Her hips are in perfect proportion, her neck elegant and her mouth smiling as her eyes look directly at me… - Offscreen Moment of Awesome: It's revealed that X-Man!OL once defeated Magneto by taking advantage of the fact that his powers and equipment don't protect him from gas attacks. As a result, when he goes to talk to Magneto, the latter is wearing a gas mask.
- Psychoactive Powers: Storm says that she can't ever be in a relationship as the emotions it would bring up would result in her powers going out of control.
- The Starscream: The POV of one of the Citizenry's high ranking members reveals that they intend to betray Grayven by using the power of the Titan Seeds.
