Then: Brandon Sharpe's mother had an affair with a politician and ruined his career. She used her moment in the spotlight to become a minor celebrity, but it didn't last. She later used her son Brandon to regain the spotlight through him by making him a child actor. When she started dating Brandon's talent manager Rick, she didn't believe Brandon when he accused Rick of making improper advances toward him. When Rick tried it again, Brandon's electricity power kicked in and he killed Rick. At the hospital, Brandon's mother denied knowing how he gained electricity powers, but he didn't believe her. She later leveraged his abilities to make him a minor celebrity, but he was turned down for the New Warriors reality show and the "Who wants to be a Thunderbolt?" series for being too young. Then Norman Osborn recruited him. Unlike some of Osborn's other trainees, Striker wasn't tortured or threatened; in fact, he was given whatever he wanted, but this just made him bored, and hungry for some real action. Now: The Avengers Academy students are visited by Steve Rogers, who gives them a training session. Striker confronts Hank Pym over why they haven't ben introduced to the public yet, and Hank says it's because they're not trained yet. Steve Rogers tells the group that being an Avenger isn't about being famous. Striker later hits on Finesse but she turns him down, so Striker hits on Veil, who also turns him down. Later, the students are out in the city with Wasp when they're attacked by Pym's old foe Whirlwind. They fight back as the Avengers Academy and are caught on camera, and when Whirlwind is defeated, Hank rushes the students into a building away from the cameras. Striker convinces the instructors to get ahead of the media coverage; if they don't, the media will start making their own assumptions about the kids. So the next day, Hank introduces the Avengers Academy to the public. Later, Veil is excited to tell Justice about the press conference, but she walks in on him making out with Ultragirl. Depressed that her crush has a girlfriend, Veil takes Striker up on his previous offer, but Striker isn't in the mood and they end up talking all night instead of having sex. Striker gets up for a snack and has a one-sided conversation about his past and recent events with Jocasta, who doesn't respond, her intelligence apparently transmitted elsewhere. Striker's mom calls, and they discuss how she arranged Whirlwind finding them as a way of forcing the Avengers Academy into the public eye. As Striker exits, Jocasta's eyes flicker: how much did she hear, if anything?