Appearing in "New Management"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Dr. Jane Semple
- Craig LaGraves (First appearance) (Clinic Head of Finances/Interim Director)
- Tanis Newhouse (First appearance)
- Orville Upham (Clinic Head of Security)
- Other Clinic staff
- Bazooka
- John 'Scrap Iron' Rost
Antagonists:
- Harlan Hackbarth
- Dexter Charne (Death)
- Tracy Speck (Death)
- Philip Nolan Voigt (Only in flashback)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "New Management"
Randy O'Brien's antibodies return to his body after searching for the apparently dead Philip Nolan Voigt after he and Dave Landers believe they've killed him. Randy feels faint as the antibodies return to his body, as he's unused to more than one antibody at a time.
When Dave finds out Randy's antibodies found nothing, he decides to leave, and picks up the comatose Stephanie to take her with him until Randy convinces him to stay as Stephanie needs proper medical attention and Randy's own leg muscles have atrophied, leaving him unable to go on the run again. Randy tells Dave they have to stay, not just for those reasons, but also to root out those of the Clinic's staff who seek to exploit the patients. They're interrupted by the arrival of their therapist Dr. Jane Semple and some security guards, but aren't sure whether to trust her at first as Voigt had used his powers to impersonate her before. Dave and Randy tell Semple they won't talk to her unless she sends the security guards away, which she does. Once they're gone, Randy has one of his antibodies touch her to transfer its memories to her, showing her Voigt's true nature. Semple is shocked, and the men tell her how angry they are about the Clinic's policies and that the Clinic needs a new director. Semple promises she'll get some answers for them and leaves, and Dave tells Randy he's going to find out who's responsible for putting Steph into her coma.
Elsewhere, Dexter Charne and Tracy Speck come to after being unconscious for several hours after trying to use their paranormalities on Dave (little knowing that Dave is now immune to powers that affect his mind). They're interrupted by Dave kicking the door down and demanding to know what happened to Steph. When he throws Charne up against the wall, Charne blames their colleague Harlan Hackbarth who is also in a coma due to their altercation. As Dave goes to Hackbarth's room, Charne is called away to a department heads meeting. Finding Hackbarth, Dave starts to smother him, until Randy and his antibodies arrive to stop him. Dave eventually relents, but says if he finds out Hackbarth was solely responsible, he'll return for him.
At the department heads' meeting, Semple tells her colleagues what has happened, and nominates the Clinic's financial director Craig LaGraves as interim director. Charne objects and thinks he would be the better candidate, but when it goes to a vote, he's outvoted, even though he tries to use his power of mental reinforcement on them. Speck asks Charne what he will do, and he says he'll get to them one at a time.
In the Clinic gym, Randy and Dave reunite with their other therapy group friends Lenore, Charly, Jeff, and Scuzz, while Dave impresses two newer patients, Scrap Iron and Bazooka with his superhuman strength. Dave asks the rest of the group if they know anything about what happened to Steph, but they do not. Dave and Randy go to Semple and say the Clinic's illegal activities must be halted, which she agrees to.
Later, Semple sees Charne emerging from Craig LaGraves' office, looking suspicious. He tells her to call a medic, as LaGraves has had a stroke. Semple runs for help while Charne thinks that it's a shame he was seen. When the paramedics and the security chief Orville Upham arrives, Charne implies to him that it was Semple who was acting suspiciously. Semple realizes Charne is using his power to convince Upham. Desperate, Semple goes to the only people she feels she can trust - Dave and Randy - and tells them what's happened. They realize it was likely Charne who was responsible for Steph's condition too, and, knowing he's immune to Charne's power, Dave sets off to confront him.
Charne and his girlfriend Speck are in the video surveillance room, but miss what the three were talking about. They see Dave heading for them, and Charne tells Speck to leave, but she refuses. Dave breaks into the room, and Charne unsuccessfully tries to use his power on him. When that fails, he takes out a handgun and shoots him several times, stunning Dave. When he tries to finish him off at point-blank range, Randy's antibodies arrive, knocking his arm away. Charne tries to shoot the antibodies, but accidentally shoots Speck in the throat, killing her. More angry at Speck than grieving for her, Charne curses her and tries to run away, but one of the antibodies blocks the door and Dave catches up on him. Dave starts to beat him, but is surprised when one of the antibodies passes through him and breaks Charne's neck, killing him. Semple, Randy, some medics and the Clinic's public relations director Tanis Newhouse arrive, and Randy is shocked that one of his antibodies could have killed, and dreads it returning to him. Newhouse meanwhile muses about how they'll keep the police from finding out about the killings.