Synopsis for "Saved: Gods and Heroes"
His name is Mister Magnificent (real name Derrick Nielsen) and for the last sixty years he’s been the closest thing to a physical God the world has ever known, an immortal being of seemingly infinite power, capable of incredible benevolence and compassion. Like the American Flag itself his white and blue costume has become a symbol of America and its power and principles. But he holds more than just his home country in his hands, he holds the entire world. Within him is the raw power and will to save the world from any and all catastrophes. But also within him is the power to destroy it.
The hands that hold the world are starting to shake and the insidious Arch-Villain, the Polar-Man (once the brilliant and renowned scientist and researcher Sir. John Talbot) is the first to feel it. Even in the wake of a crushing and humiliating defeat at the hands of Mister Magnificent the villain’s schemes continue unabated. It doesn’t take long for others to become aware of the great hero’s mental state. American superhero Paragon (an Immortal veteran hero with power over various electro-magnetic forces, known to his close friends as Ted) has been noticing the decline in Mister Magnificent’s performance over the years but only recently has it become a serious concern of his. Along with the problems associated with dating a super-strong Chinese superheroine, the gorgeous Jade Empress (Lien-Hua) Paragon must contend with the abrasive and surly but incredibly skilled ex-vigilante (and ex-girlfriend) Avenger (Lorena) who seems to make it her business to make his job as acting leader of the Superhero Team Deterrence harder than it already is. Though more cooperative than Avenger, the two remaining team members Bombshell (Michelle) and the gentle giant Guardian (Jimmy) are just as oblivious as to the peril the world will soon face.
This all changes when Mister Magnificent does something unprecedented by brazenly intruding into Chinese airspace for no greater purpose than to flirt with Jade Empress. After the intervention of another Chinese superhero (Dragon) Mister Magnificent leaves on his own accord but not before shaking Jade Empress to her core with his radically altered personality. Mister Magnificent’s surprise visit does more than simply unnerve Jade Empress, it unnerves her entire nation, a nation engaged in a Cold War with Mister Magnificent’s America. After discussing the situation with Jade Empress (among other activities) Paragon is woken from a peaceful slumber by an intrusion courtesy of a quivering, pallor-stricken Mister Magnificent. The older hero complains of missing time and a feeling of powerlessness and asks Paragon for some advice. Paragon suggests he needs to take a vacation but Mister Magnificent dismisses this notion as unfeasible. He cannot imagine a world without him and fears that if he takes even a day’s rest the world may fall apart.
Mister Magnificent’s actions become increasingly erratic from there and his mood-swings and shifts in personality take him to the bowels of a secret prison for supervillains and then to the very fortress of the Polar-Man in the Arctic Circle where he humiliates the villain by defeating all his traps and defenses and breaking his hand. Afterward the hero returns to his childhood home in rural Wisconsin where he struggles to get a handle on his mind. The hero’s actions have serious repercussions for the entire world but for Mister Magnificent’s fellow heroes in particular. A vengeful Chinese superhero, the powerful and short-tempered Dragon, looking for a fight with the Man of Might settles instead for Avenger and after a brief but intense scrap that ends in the latter’s leg being seriously injured the Chinese hero is accosted by the Polar-Man and is knocked unconscious. Avenger is taken to a Hospital to receive treatment and while there she, Bombshell, and Paragon are visited by Mister Magnificent who is now struggling to contain his powers as shown by the intense blue aura that surrounds him. He heals Avenger’s leg but after she chastises him for his recent actions he flies off, filled with shame and racked with guilt.
Following his capture and subsequent release from the Polar-Man’s lair, Dragon is forced to attend the meeting between the representatives of his nation’s government and military and the Polar-Man in order to discuss their mutual problem. The Polar-Man’s plan as presented to the Chinese involves using one of their Orbital Launch Vehicles to recover the Unkillable monster known simply as Demon, a monster that was recently launched into orbit after a run-in with the Guardian in a Georgia swamp. Once the monster has been secured the Polar-Man (with the assistance of a reluctant Jade Empress) will use the monster to attempt to do the impossible: kill Mister Magnificent, the greatest threat to Chinese security and the greatest threat to the Polar-Man’s plans. Not everyone in the Chinese government is on board with the plan and in protest of the General Secretary’s decision a renowned General resigns his post but the deal proceeds regardless. Even the most skeptical persons like Jade Empress cannot imagine the full extent of the Polar-Man’s plans. In truth Demon is not the real objective rather the Polar-Man is interested in using the Launch Vehicle as a means to infect the Chinese computer systems with a virus that will put him in control of any computer it infects, including the computers controlling China’s nuclear launch sites. On the opposite end of the Pacific Ocean the American Government has a very different idea as communicated to Paragon via his government handler their plan is to minimize the damage Mister Magnificent will cause but to avoid confronting him and to above all avoid frightening the public. Paragon recognizes the plan as insane and irresponsible and flies away before the temptation to attack his handler becomes too great.
Following his departure from the Hospital, Mister Magnificent skips around the world, going first to the middle of the North Atlantic and then later visiting a Catholic church in New England where he seeks guidance from a priest only to soon after destroy the church when his personality switches once more. Sometime later in the Austrian Alps the leader of the EU Superhuman Defense Force (EUSDF), the immortal Iron Cross (Michael) investigates horrifying reports of strange lights and entire mountains crumbling seemingly without reason. To his horror he discovers that Mister Magnificent is to blame for the destruction of half the Alps mountain range and when Iron Cross calls for backup Mister Magnificent turns violent, nearly killing the German hero before help arrives. Even with the entire EUSDF assembled together Mister Magnificent proves far too powerful to stop and it is only the timely arrival of Demon (courtesy of the Polar-Man) that saves the European heroes from certain death. At the conclusion of a brutal battle Demon is vaporized by a devastating blast of energy from Mister Magnificent’s eyes and the craft that carried him to the Alps is discovered to be of (seemingly) Chinese origin. Mister Magnificent leaves the Alps for China so as to repay the enormous nation for siccing Demon on him.
Meanwhile the Guardian returns from his vacation in Las Vegas, a vacation that was interrupted by a Casino Robbery which he successfully foiled. He is greeted at the airport by Paragon who briefs him on the situation with Mister Magnificent. Paragon fills him in on all the details and informs him of the alliance between the Chinese and the Polar-Man. He realizes that the Polar-Man is a big factor but that he can’t be the one behind Mister Magnificent’s problems. Paragon then tells the Guardian that he may be the only person on the planet who has a chance of matching Mister Magnificent blow for blow. The Guardian doesn’t share Paragon’s confidence in his abilities but nonetheless promises to do his very best.
Jade Empress’s partnership with the Polar-Man ends when she is recalled by her government to China under unspecified but obviously dire circumstances. While flying over Canada she is intercepted by Paragon who is on his way to confront the Polar-Man about his involvement in the current crisis. Paragon expresses his disappointment in Jade Empress for agreeing to work with the Polar-Man. After a brief but vicious argument the two go their separate ways, Jade Empress to China and Paragon to the Arctic Circle. Jade Empress returns home to find large portions of the Chinese country side in ruins. She regroups with Dragon in her home province and comes up with a dangerous plan to lead Mister Magnificent away from China to America in the hopes that the American heroes may have better luck than the Chinese. The plan involves working with the American heroes to arrange a trap then using herself as bait to lure the rampaging hero away. It is a risky plan but Dragon agrees that it is the only plan they have.
Paragon breaks through the Polar-Man’s defenses and informs the rather unconcerned villain of his intentions to put an end to his villainy once the crisis has passed. Some time after Paragon’s departure Avenger and Bombshell arrive by way of a military jet with the aim of getting the truth from the Polar-Man. A short fight leaves the Polar-Man unconscious just long enough for the two women to have him put in restraints. After exploiting the Polar-Man’s weaknesses the women force him to tell them what’s wrong with Mister Magnificent. He believes that the split personality has formed over the years as a result of Mister Magnificent denying his innermost desires and needs for the sake of maintaining his image as a selfless hero.
In Kansas, the Guardian and Paragon await the promised arrival of Jade Empress and Dragon. After some time the Chinese arrive with Mister Magnificent in close pursuit. Jade Empress is injured when she attempts to liberate Dragon from Mister Magnificent’s grasp and she falls into Paragon’s waiting arms. Before Mister Magnificent can land a killing blow he is forced to release Dragon when the Guardian tackles him out of the sky and brings him down to the ground where the Guardian can fight him on his own terms. Despite Mister Magnificent’s best attempts the Guardian prevents him from taking to the skies and for a short time at least it looks as if the Guardian might actually win the fight. But Jade Empress realizes the truth, that Mister Magnificent isn’t totally gone yet and that there seems to be a power struggle going on inside of him. The Guardian reaches the same conclusion and realizes that true victory against such a powerful foe is impossible. The Guardian powers down just in time for Mister Magnificent’s fist to punch straight through his chest. Mister Magnificent is shocked back to his senses as if waking up from a bad dream.
After closing up the Guardian’s wound Mister Magnificent appears to break down entirely, dominated by grief and revulsion over his actions. Avenger and Bombshell tend to him as he weeps while Paragon and Jade Empress both apologize to one another for their mistakes. The crisis is far from over however and the recently recovered Dragon breaks the news to the others that a Chinese nuclear missile has been launched without authorization, a missile heading straight for their current position. In rapid succession Paragon, Jade Empress, and Dragon all take flight with the shared goal of stopping the weapon before it reaches its target. The seemingly broken Mister Magnificent sees their valor and is stirred to action. After entrusting his cape to Avenger he rockets skyward, instantly overtaking the other heroes and intercepting the missile. He disappears in the blast and when Bombshell shuts the explosion down not a scrap of the hero is left. Not long after Paragon fulfills his promise to the Polar-Man and with Jade Empress and Dragon at his back he assaults the Fortress once more, this time however he completely tears it to ribbons, shredding the metal by sheer force of will. The Polar-Man has vacated his Fortress, leaving a robotic duplicate in his place.
A few months pass and but for the absence of Mister Magnificent the world more or less returns to normal. Deterrence has been disbanded and the heroes no longer take their marching orders from the government, Jade Empress too has resigned from her nation’s military and is looking forward to her future as a mother to her and Paragon’s as yet unborn child. While the two of them take a walk through a forest on the outskirts of a small Wisconsin town they come across an ageless man working on an old pickup truck that Paragon immediately recognizes as his old friend Mister Magnificent. The hero has found peace living in a simple home removed from civilization. And though the still at large Polar-Man believes that one day he will return and retake the mantle of the hero it seems that for now at least Mister Magnificent has been saved.