The Avengers and Protectorate let Alpha Flight take charge of the Waterwind crisis. Playing for time, Guardian offers the terrorists access to the facilities needed to repair their submarine, revocable if more hostages are injured or killed. Terrorist leader Prokvitch accepts, while his subordinate Strokov discovers that Stingray survived his apparent execution, saved by his armored suit. Prokvitch and his partners secretly plan to cause a nuclear disaster, hoping to force political and social changes to save the planet even if it means destroying present-day society. Outside, the three super-teams select a stealth squad to storm the sub, including Red Guardian, who insists on coming since Prokvitch was his childhood friend. They quickly free the hostages and capture most of the Corpse, but find Prokvitch and Strokov have biologically attached themselves to the missile controls, effectively turning themselves into living nuclear arsenals. Meanwhile, Tyrak leads his fellow Atlanteans to St. John’s, hoping to avenge their latest defeat by triggering a nuclear disaster.