1. What We Know So Far

What do we know so far?

• We know that Daedalus has developed suits capable of holding their own against superheroes. They have used this technology to gain the contract to administer Blackstone Penitentiary. However, their goal behind these suits is far loftier - to become a new world force policing superheroes.

• To achieve this goal, Daedalus is going to have to create a situation that will both a) prove superheroes enough aren't sufficient to do the job and b) prove that superheroes need supervision and policing.

• With Chernobyl, Kill-o-Watt, Tommy One-Suit and Otaku in Blackstone, the stage is set for an inmate uprising. Given Captain Thunder's implicit trust in General Stryker, who is closely allied with Daedalus, it's almost certain that he'll be sent in to handle it. Since Thunder is an iconic figure with the American people, his defeat - and most likely betrayal and death, if I know Chernobyl - will more than accomplish the first half of that equation. That will get Daedalus more funds, but it won't get them the control they want.

• The only way to get the people of America - and potentially the world - scared enough to give that control to Daedalus is to simultaneously prove that superheroes can't be trusted. The best way to accomplish this is to be able to prove that Thunder's death was caused by betrayal from within. So they'll be looking for a fall guy.

• We know that Daedalus has already identified Xenon's network as terrorist cells associated with the Claremont Academy. Thanks to Chernobyl and Wallflower, they've got the proof they need that the school was a training ground for super-powered children (which it was), indoctrinating them with a certain ethos (which it did), run by an alien (which he is), with a secret plan against many high-ranking military figures (which we have). It doesn't matter that all of them are for the right reasons; we won't be given the chance to explain anything.

The inescapable conclusion is that Daedalus - Penumbra's puppet - is aware of Xenon and the Academy, and is maneuvering itself into a position to crush it and simultaneously propel itself into power.

The second inescapable conclusion is that Daedalus is somehow in knowing or unknowing collusion with Chernobyl. It's the only way they could have gotten that information about Xenon's organization. This may be a master plot by Chernobyl, or mind-control via Charlotta, or outright cooperation. The last part is unlikely, given that Chernobyl stole an important Daedalus prototype several months ago; why would he steal what he could have asked for outright? Nonetheless, some sort of machinations are at work.