US Airdate : 18 May 2002
UK Airdate : 8 May 2002

Brennan (Victor Webster) and Shalimar (Victoria Pratt) attempt to rescue Kelly Rice (Kim Schraner), a mutant with the ability to start fires, from GSA agent Morgan Fortier (Karen LeBlanc) and her team of super-mutant field agents. Just as Brennan prepares to throw an electrical arc, things suddenly change. The electricity backfires, sending Brennan flying. Shalimar jumps in, pushing Kelly to safety. As they're about to flee, however, Morgan uses her telekinetic powers to trap Kelly in a maze of pipes. Shalimar and Brennan abandon Kelly, returning to Sanctuary to inform Adam (John Shea) of the super-mutants they've encountered, and Brennan's sudden inability to control his powers.

Morgan enters Genomex and uses her powers to put all security officers and agents into a deep sleep. She then releases the handsome but intimidating Gabriel Ashlocke (Michael Easton) from the pod that has held him since childhood. Once the two escape, Morgan snaps her fingers, releasing the employees from their trance. When Eckhart (Tom McCamus) learns of Gabriel's disappearance, he frantically explains to his cohort, Dr. Harrison (Andrew Gillies), that Gabriel Ashlocke, also referred to as Patient Zero, was the first child of Genomex. Undeniably the most powerful mutant, Gabriel was placed into a pod for his own safety and the good of the world. Eckhart immediately orders Morgan and her field agents on a manhunt. Back at Sanctuary, Jesse (Forbes March) tells Emma (Lauren Lee Smith) about the bizarre encounter he had with Kelly at a safehouse. He says she tried to recruit him into a group called The Strand, describing it as an alternative to Mutant X. He shows Emma the flyer Kelly gave him. Meanwhile, Shalimar tells Adam that she too, can no longer control her mutant abilities.

At the Museum of Antiquities, Gabriel presents himself to the devout members of The Strand, who listen intently as he preaches against Eckhart and Mutant X. That night, Emma panics when a shimmering star-shaped energy burst suddenly appears in front of her forehead. Moments later, when Jesse attempts to phase out, he realizes that his powers are also off-kilter. Testing all of their blood, Adam concludes that they are experiencing a growth spurt and will need to adapt to their new powers. When Jesse informs Adam of his encounter with Kelly, Adam goes to Emma to get the flyer. Upon reading it, he goes pale and calls an emergency meeting. He tells the team that Gabriel is a sociopath, who was born without a conscience and believes himself to be God. After Gabriel killed his parents, Adam created the subdermal governor and the pods to protect the world from his wrath. Adam secures the Anomite in a place no one will ever find.Back at the museum, Kelly informs Gabriel that she knows a way to recruit mutants into The Strand. Later at a safehouse, Brennan and Shalimar are practicing their new powers when they suddenly find themselves in a romantically awkward moment. The silence is broken, however, when Gabriel and Kelly enter and ask the two to join The Strand.

When Shalimar declines, Kelly uses her powers to create a wall of fire around the computer console. Shalimar recoils while Brennan attempts to create a tesla coil, which Gabriel easily stops. Gabriel then uses his super powers to blast Brennan, knocking him out. Kelly works on downloading files from the Mutant X database, while Gabriel hits Shalimar with an energy pulse. He then throws the unconscious Shalimar over his shoulder, exiting the safehouse with Kelly.

Back at the museum, Morgan becomes enraged when she realizes that the database Kelly stole is encrypted, and therefore useless. As Kelly flees the room visibly upset, two feral mutants enter with Shalimar. Realizing that Shalimar is unimpressed by his powers, Gabriel places his palm on her forehead, freezing her in place. The moment he removes his hand, she submits to him. Back at Sanctuary, Emma senses that Shalimar is in grave danger and insists they search for her.

At Genomex, Gabriel enters Eckhart's office with Morgan and Shalimar, ordering that Eckhart be apprehended and taken to a pod. When Brennan suddenly bursts on the scene, Shalimar, still under Gabriel's control, lunges at him. Brennan dodges Shalimar and immobilizes Morgan with a bolt of electricity, before shooting an electrical arc at Gabriel. In all the chaos, Harrison frantically tries to decrypt the Mutant X database, but Emma and Jesse appear and pounce on him. Gabriel recovers, and he and Shalimar attack Brennan with a vengeance, but Emma comes to the rescue shooting a psionic blast at Shalimar that releases her from Gabriel's control. When Shalimar turns on Gabriel, Brennan stops her and tells the team it's time to go. As Gabriel watches them exit, he comments that there's no better place to start conquering the world than Genomex.