Unknown Origins (2020) - full transcript

NETFLIX PRESENTS

This is the police!

- What's going on?
- Out of the building. Go downstairs.

Police!

Everyone, vacate the building!
Vacate the building immediately!

Please, sir, we don't have time.

Everyone, move!

Take the stairs.
Do not take the elevator.

Take the stairs. Let's go.

Just take the stairs.

Get out of the building.



Get out now! Go! Down the stairs! You need
to get out of the building immediately.

- Ma'am, go down the stairs.
- Can you tell me anything?

What's going on?

Galiardo here.
Moving to secure third floor.

Move please. You need
to vacate the building now! Hurry!

Are you all right? Can you walk?

Hey, take her downstairs.

My husband. Please, my husband!

He's still inside! Help him! My husband!

You have to help him.

We still got people inside.
I gotta go back in.

Get your ass back here!
Let the firemen do that!

This building is coming down.
You hear me?

You copy? Javier? Javier?



Javier, come in!

Get the hell out of there!

HERO

CITY HALL POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDS MEDAL
TO THE HERO OF CANILLEJAS

Okay.

Well…

Fuck.

Hurry up. You're gonna be late.

What else is new?

Jorge Elías!

I don't know why I bother.

Cosme, do you copy?

I got something pretty wild for you.

Copy, Ibarra. Send me the 20.

Hey, Dad?

Morning. You got a package.

Just try robbing me now, motherfuckers.

I got the power!

Hey, excuse me, kid,
but you have to sign here.

Sure.

Thank you.

- These the only flashlights you have?
- Yep.

They all this dirty?

I'll take these.

I was told you were here.

Inspector Cosme Galiardo.

Honor to work with you
even if it's to replace you.

Don't worry. I'm getting used to it.

David Valentín, sir.

You don't have to call me sir. Let's go.

HONG GIFT SHOP

So what's going on here?

Something stinks like a dead dog inside.

There's no lease on the place,
no water, no power. Nothing.

Neighbor called in
complaining about the noise.

She said he lifted weights all night.

Gluten-free dough.

Protein powder.

Steroids.

Vitamins.

Zinc, magnesium.

Looks like we got a psycho bodybuilder.

- What the hell happened here?
- Not a clue.

What's with his skin?
The light causing that?

No, no, it's not the light.
His skin is gray.

But it sure doesn't look
like he died of natural causes.

- Smells like shit.
- Yeah.

- You all right over there?
- Fucking disgusting!

My favorite suit.

Here.

Thanks.

Mmm.

There were no laundromats in my day.

I could've used them too.

Wife died when I was young.

Had to figure out shit on my own.
Brought up two kids alone.

And you, you married?

Spend most of my time trying to make
inspector. Never had time for women.

- Hmm.
- Good sandwich.

First thing you gotta learn in Homicide,
where to get the best street food.

- Mind if I ask you a personal question?
- Shoot.

So what made you become a cop anyway?

- Why do you ask?
- I read your file.

Everyone automatically assumes I became
a cop because my parents were murdered,

that I'm looking for justice or revenge.

But it's 'cause I wanna do
what people expect of me.

I just want to do the right thing,
not let them all down.

- Probably sounds really stupid to you.
- No, I don't think it does.

In my opinion, the best cops are the ones

with that stupid sense of duty
you're talking about.

The angry ones never seem to make it.

Here, look. Check it out.

Found it at the bodybuilder's place.

A prescription
for Balbino Blázquez.

Did some digging.

He was reported missing a year ago.

But he left us a clue.

David, looks like our Blázquez
was a physics professor

and that he was working with Brussels
on an EU smart-energy program.

Look at this.

- Skinny runt.
- Yep.

His skin color looks normal,
so why was it gray?

My guess is only the killer
knows that for sure.

Homicide?

I'll tell you this, if it's
not a homicide, I'm the Duchess of Alba.

Bruguera.

Oh, man!

Would you look who's here?

How the hell are you?

Come here, you old fart.
I thought you left without saying goodbye.

- I don't get a hug?
- No, listen...

Give me a hug.

Let me introduce you to David Valentín.
He's really heading the case.

You're the one who puked his guts out
when you saw the shit pile, right?

- That's me.
- Try not to ralph on me, all right?

Sorry, no promises.

So whenever you come here,
make sure you skip breakfast.

This morning we got the torso
of a six-year-old girl.

Right, Federico?

Some kid raped her, dismembered her,

then decapitated her and refused to tell
us where he hid the rest of the body.

Lovely, right? And since he's a minor,
he'll never set foot in prison.

Three years in juvie and he's out.
What a beautiful world.

So what can you tell us
about our bodybuilder?

Oh!

A lot.

Over here.

So his body had
a piñata full of goodies in it.

He was taking a bunch of steroids
and a myriad of other illicit substances

to build this obscene muscle mass.

See these stretch marks here?

The muscle growth happened so fast
his skin just couldn't keep up with it.

The cause of death?

Compressed trachea
from a violent impact. Whack!

Looks like the bar was right here
when his wrists blew

and he dropped the weights. And he
also has some internal muscular tearing,

which tells me
the guy was doing reps over and over

and for quite a long time too.

So why is he gray?

Uh-huh.

At first, I thought it was primarily
from a case of peritonitis

or lack of exposure to sunlight.

But then I found
these subcutaneous pigments,

which involves
an extremely complex and specific process.

- So...
- Hang on.

So, the killer wanted
his skin to turn gray, right?

Bingo.

Cosme, wanna tell me
what the fuck you're doing?

- Here we go.
- Again?

- Love the outfit.
- Stay out of this.

- Who is this psychopath?
- Your boss.

Say what?

Graduated top of her class at the academy
and is Madrid's youngest head of Homicide.

Why is she dressed like that?

Maybe I was in the middle
of cosplay in my free time,

and Jessica fucking Fletcher over here

just ruined my entire goddamn day.

And maybe that's
the reason I'm so bloody pissed off?

So who's feeding you info, Cosme?
Ibarra? Tell me.

Well, I just figured
I'd help out Inspector Valentín.

- Your retirement's in the works.
- Are you forcing him to retire?

His experience
would help me out on the job.

Come pick up all your stuff tomorrow.

Are we clear on that? Well?

And you, let me give you
a little bit of a tip right now.

I'm a pretty cool boss, all right?

But don't try pushing my buttons
because you might hit the wrong one.

Jorge!

Boy, when the food's on the table,
you really move your butt, don't you?

Uh, why are you in your pajamas?
You gotta take out the garbage.

It's not pajamas. This is a shirt.

Ah, okay. I didn't know that.

At least I'm not dressed up
like a lawyer like you.

What was it Mom said
when you went to the station?

"Put on your suit and go out there
and make the world a better place."

That's so corny.

It's not corny at all.

And Javi liked it.

I know, Dad. My brother
was a Gryffindor, and I'm a Slytherin.

- Get used to it.
- Whatever.

All right, can you
pass me the bread, please?

That's it. That's it.

Keep it up. You got it. Keep going.

Okay. Now, remember…

A left then right. Hit him hard.

Yeah?

No, I'm having dinner with friends. Why?

I'll be right there. What's the address?

I said not to move
the body till I got here.

No, we haven't moved anything, Inspector.

This stretcher is
part of the crime scene, it seems.

What is this?

I don't even know what I'm looking at.
What the hell's he got on?

The victim sold weapons
to collectors on the Internet.

Looks like it included
armor, katanas, that kind of thing.

Well, somebody was an unhappy customer.

Got anything for me?

A magazine clipping,
found on the back of the victim's neck.

Get it analyzed.

Jorge, clean this up.
I need to free up the table.

- Holy shit!
- What?

Who's this?

- Looks like the Hulk.
- You think so?

- I thought the Hulk was green.
- Not at the beginning.

In the first issue, Hulk was gray.

- Really?
- Yeah.

It happened a lot in the '60s.

The colorist would get mixed up
or color it any old way.

Or Stan Lee'd change his mind
from one to another. Same with Iron Man.

At first, in Tales of Suspense #39,

his suit is gray.

And in the next, it's gold.

Makes no sense.

- Too bad.
- What's wrong?

- It's just a shame.
- What is?

With your memory, you could've had
a good, solid job in government.

Anyway…

NATIONAL POLICE

All right, just sign here.

Don't look at me like I just took
away your favorite toy. Just sign it.

And clearly, you're a smart enough cop

to know that they've organized
a surprise party upstairs just for you.

And I'm deliberately hiding
from said party.

I'm not going upstairs
until everybody's gone.

Ah, shit, Cosme.

You can be
even more infantile than Jorge.

I doubt it.

He said you can help him out
in the store now that you're retired.

That's a load of crap,
like most of what he says.

I don't know anything about comics.

The only one I can remember
is The Masked Warrior.

Yeah.

Here.

- How are you?
- Retired.

What's that?

What?

Oh, that. Some guy
gets his jollies ripping out hearts.

Jack the Ripper wannabe.

Look, according to Bruguera,
he was kept alive for hours

with some kind of transplant machine.
Freaky, huh?

Well, what about this here?

Um, we're not sure.
It's an old magazine clipping

found on the scene.
We don't know what it means.

- Is it okay if I...?
- Well, no.

But since you always do whatever
the fuck you want, go on, take it.

Thanks, Norma.

EVIDENCE

This isn't from a magazine.

Secret origins.

- Hey, Dad, how's the party?
- Fine.

- Listen up for a sec.
- Is there cake?

Save me a piece.
You know I love chocolate cake.

Just listen to me for a minute.

Do you remember which collection
the Incredible Hulk first appeared in?

Incredible Hulk #1. Why?

Dad?

Can you hear me? Incredible Hulk #1.

What?

Do you have to chew so loudly?

- Do you mind?
- Yeah, I do.

In the first murder,
the killer recreated a comic, The Hulk.

This guy turned a skinny little scientist

into a huge, gray, muscular beast,

exactly what happens in the comic,
The Incredible Hulk #1.

In the second murder,
he recreated another comic, Iron Man.

He turned a weapons maker

into an armor-clad man
that needed a machine

to make his heart function.

Exactly what happens
in the comic book Tales of Suspense #39.

So we're dealing with a geek.

Inspector Valentín, given
your astounding ignorance of the subject,

we thought that, for this case, it would
be best to bring in some outside help.

Seriously? He's basing
his killings on comic books.

What if the next murder is based on
a cheesy pop song? Who you gonna bring in?

You said it would be helpful to have
someone with experience in the field.

- Yeah, but I was referring to someone...
- Well, here he is.

We think this guy's knowledge of comics
could help us prevent more murders.

And he's also been helping us
since the beginning of the investigation.

Valentín…

- Give that back to me!
- No way, it's mine!

- I said, give it back!
- Hey!

Hands behind your back!

You're under arrest for stealing evidence.

- No...
- Shut up!

- What is this?
- It's cake.

I was gonna eat it outside,
so I didn't leave any crumbs.

Norma, thanks for saving me a piece.

- Uh, David, I'd like you to meet Jorge.
- He's your new partner.

That's my dad.

All right, let's start over. Jorge Elías.

Inspector Valentín.

Right. Can I call you Val?

- No.
- But it sounds so cool.

- Want me to call you Jor?
- Totally cool.

- I'm not calling you Jor.
- It's totally cool.

- Do me a favor and stop saying that.
- You got it, Val.

So what's your theory anyway?

On the first note,
the killer wrote "secret origins."

Just so you know, that's what
the genesis of superheroes is called,

or how they go to be what they are today.

I studied philosophy, not criminology,

but from his whole modus operandi,
it seems pretty obvious, to me anyway,

that the killer recreates
superhero origin stories.

Who knows why.
Ah, what are you doing?

Your glasses are disgusting.

I don't know how you see out these things.

Here. Give them a wipe every now and then.

Eh, thanks a lot, Val.

Oh, one more thing.

- When do I get my badge?
- You got a special pass.

- It doesn't look as cool as a real badge.
- It's just as good, all right?

Yeah, it's just not as cool.

Don't touch that.

- What are these, child locks?
- Don't touch.

I don't know what you want me to do.

You're supposed to be the expert.
See if something doesn't look right.

Maybe there's something they missed.

Work your magic.

Yeah, okay, no pressure.

Antxon Azkar, the Suspense #39 victim.
I don't know if you know all this.

Born in Bilbao.
He had a weapons factory in Toledo.

But not the same kind
of weapons as Tony Stark.

This guy made replicas
of movie weapons, right?

- Weapons for collectors?
- Yeah.

See, that over there
is a replica of Conan's sword.

There's the katanas from Kill Bill.
Hattori Hanzō.

There's the ax from Sleepy Hollow.

And then, of course, there's Ice,

Ned Stark's sword from Game of Thrones.

Mmm, but it was only called Ice
in the books. The books are always better.

I sell a lot
of these beauties in my store.

Like that Leonidas thing. Quality stuff.

Hold on a minute.

Something's not right.

What is it?

That ax.

Everything is
from Lord of the Rings except the ax.

Are you sure?

Yes. Unless Peter Jackson has
some never-before-seen footage

he's saving for a director's cut.
Then yes, I'm sure.

- Can I hold it?
- Don't touch it.

This is
the fourth clear print I've found.

It's almost like
it was put there on purpose.

It's really crazy. Killers
don't usually sign their handiwork.

They're evil, but they're not stupid.

This whole concept of evil…
These guys are just sick.

That's a good one.
Why don't you go get some fresh air?

What about the results?

You think this is CSI?
You just put in the prints and presto?

The program takes a while to come up
with the right match. Be patient.

Isn't there somewhere else you wanna be?

That I want? Not really.

It's true.
Dumbledore and Grindelwald fucked.

I swear on the grave of Lily Potter.

- This one too?
- Hey, how's it going?

- Val.
- Fuck!

Sorry about that. Here, this is for you.

I spent the whole evening
going through books

and choosing
the origin stories that might help you.

You serious? Do you have any comics left?

What? I narrowed it way down.
I eliminated anything to do with magic.

Both Doctor Strange, Doctor Fate.

Or anything to do with gods,
like Wonder Woman or Thor.

Green Lantern?
You think this is a possibility?

With a green ring and imagination…

Oh, please,
just shut up and listen.

I know that voice.

It's a multipurpose room.

Monday night is Magic.
Friday is Warhammer.

- Today is cosplay.
- What?

Cosplay. You dress up as anime characters.

Ah.

- Is that her?
- Yes.

So she's a geek too?

And with that,
my magical mane and I conclude this class.

- You're shitting me.
- Uh, uh.

Our anniversary party is Friday.

If you want any last-minute tips,
let me know.

Most of these students are all thumbs.
They can't even thread a needle properly.

So they always get her
to finish their costumes for them.

She's raking it in.

And don't be like Felipe
who calls me at the last minute and says,

"I just saw The Avengers.
Make me a Scarlet Witch outfit."

- Hold this.
- Because I can't do it, honey.

-That's it for tonight,
-Doing a bit of moonlighting?

Okay, guys, get out of here.

So I don't get why you
force me to work with Jorge,

when you're as much of an expert.

That's where you're wrong.
I've never read a comic book in my life.

I only watch movies,
anime series, and do cosplay.

Ah, I see. So for you,
this is all totally normal.

Hang on a minute, I wanna see this.

To what do I owe the pleasure?

Why would you lower yourself
to be among us geeks?

Let me guess,
your hairdresser's around the corner?

Actually, my boss told me
I was tragically ignorant,

so I came to learn about the geek world.

Your boss must be very happy.

You, on the other hand,
appear not to be able to read.

You appear to be
a little too old to be playing dress up.

Funny, I didn't make you out
to be that much of an asshole.

Would you guys mind getting out of here?

And what's this getup?

What is it you're supposed to be?
Is this the inner you screaming out,

"I wanna be in some '90s cop show,
putting on some preppy-ass cop character?"

This is your costume, Inspector.

You're just as decked-out
as the rest of us,

but with one small difference.

Your disguise is woeful.

Valar morghulis to you all,
except the guy in the suit.

For him, it's dracarys.

Hey, shut your mouths!
I'm here investigating a murder,

not a loser with no life
and no job like all of you.

Uh, not so fast there, dude.

You see, Felipe here's a dentist,
and Tony's a pharmacist.

Pepe has a bunch of properties.
Isabel's a judge.

I don't know about this guy.
He never buys anything.

I download it all off the Internet.
I'm Galván.

I'm the owner and CEO of the largest
aeronautical company in Madrid.

What I earn in one month
would take you a year.

And, uh, look.

This is my car.

What car do you drive?

There you go.

You gotta pay for those comic books, Val.

How much?

145 euros. On credit?

You gotta be out of your fucking mind.

Who's gonna pay that much for comic books?

Losers who make a lot more than you do.

You were probably the cool kid at school
who made fun of everyone, huh?

Dated the hottest girl.

Well, not here, dude. Sorry.

In my shop, the freak here is you.

You know something?
You know fuck all about me.

A little respect. He's my partner. If you
want to laugh at him, go buy something.

I download it all from the Internet.

WHITE THRUSH

That bad, huh?

It isn't by Bendis,
I have no idea who he is,

but they love
to bust his balls at the store.

What are you doing here?

Oh, dining alone?

You poor thing.

Why are you here?

Got a hit on the ax.

Just heard from Bruguera.
Looks like we got a suspect.

Move your tush.

The guy's name is Jordi Forúm,
a fireman with two priors for arson.

He started a fire in Galicia.
Six people dead.

Son of a bitch
convinced a jury it was negligence,

so he got away with six months inside.

He's not far from Del Retiro.
Here are all the details.

I'll get over there
when I'm done with the paperwork.

Now, don't forget to pick up Jorge.

This is totally awesome, Val.

The hero and the sidekick
on their way to the villain's lair.

All we need is a soundtrack.

- Don't put that on the floor.
- Why not?

Pick it up.

Ah!

Got it.

I haven't burned a CD in forever,

but since that's
all you've got in your car, listen.

♪ Batman… ♪

- Knock it off!
- Chill out, Val.

You're aware
that we're after a real killer?

- I think so.
- Then grow up!

I've had it with this comic book shit.

There are no superheroes,
just books for overgrown kids.

Not all superheroes are for kids. Some are
for adults. Have you heard of Watchmen?

I don't give a shit about Watchmen!

What would you say
if you met a superhero anyway?

No, I'm serious, tell me.
What would you say?

"Superman, I'm an adult with man boobs,
and I wear T-shirts for eight-year-olds."

Fucking impressive.

- Why do you hate superheroes?
- I don't. And who gives a shit?

There comes a time
when you got to tell kids,

The Three Wise Men aren't real.
Santa Claus, not real.

And the Easter Bunny, not real either.

But nobody ever says to you,
"Heroes don't exist."

Nobody can save the people you love.
I learned that a long time ago.

That positive outlook
made me real popular in school.

Fat kids aren't popular in school either.

I was a regular punching bag,
until my brother came to school with me.

Then after he kicked their asses,
they left me alone.

- You get along well with your brother?
- No.

He beat the shit out of three guys
for looking at me sideways

then called me
a useless lard-ass all the way home.

Isn't that what brothers do?

I don't know.

Never had one.

Excuse me.

Officer, Inspector David Valentín.
What's going on?

See that place? Smoke's
been coming out of it for two days.

Now it's getting into the other units.
We got a call to come check it out.

Looks like the windows...

Ma'am, ma'am, please stay back.
You have to stay back.

Ma'am, please, I need you
to stay back. Stay back. Stay back please.

What'd they say?

We gotta wait here
until they get a warrant.

- Let me talk to them.
- No, Jorge.

- Val.
- What the hell? No, stop!

Special Agent Jorge Elías Galiardo.

- I need to get in there immediately.
- Is that right?

Hey, wait a minute.

Galiardo?

You're the lard-ass.

It's the lard-ass!

- Agent Lard-ass!
- Hey!

- Guys!
- Yeah, what?

Hey!

What's going on here? Anyone?

Norma Celiméndiz, Chief of Homicide.

Someone wanna tell me what's going on
and why my men are still outside?

I explained to the inspector
no one can enter without a warrant.

Yeah, you're right. This poor sap,
he was just transferred here,

has no idea how things work yet.

Oh wow, look! The door's open!

Police!

- Come out with your hands up!
- Move it!

- Move, move, move!
- Clear!

Police!

- Move!
- Why is it so fucking cold?

Move it! Move!

In here!

Clear!

I can't see shit in here.

Fuck, it's cold!

Go, go, go, go!

- Come out with your hands up!
- Let's go!

Shh, shh, shh.

What the hell's that? Do you hear that?

- Yeah.
- Where's it coming from?

- Can you get off me, please?
- Sorry, yeah.

Real nice, Val. Protect the babe
and forget all about the fat guy.

- Shut up!
- Easy.

It was just the temperature change
that made them blow.

It's freezing as hell in here,
and the motor on the fridge is burning up.

Come on.

Move.

I've got something! Got something!

Jordi Fórum! You're under arrest

for the murders
of Balbino Blázquez and Antxon Azkar!

We got a guy on fire here!
Hurry! We have to break the glass!

Don't move! Hold on,
we have to check the pressure inside.

Gotta make sure...

- He didn't make it.
- Yeah, that's pretty obvious.

It's the Fire Man's origin story
from the Fantastic Four.

Human Torch.

Jorge.

Ah, yeah, that's Marvel Comics #1.

Human Torch origin story,
but not as you know it.

This isn't the character
from the Fantastic Four.

The classic Torch is an android who bursts
into flames when contacting the air.

But he doesn't die because he's
a robot and was never alive to begin with.

- Let him go!
- Jorge!

He all right?

He's fine. He just fainted.

What the fuck is all this shit?

I'm done with this bullshit!

Dental records
confirm it's Jordi Fórum.

Thank God for teeth.

Check this out.

Most of his skin
is actually stuck to the suit

and peels away
when you try to take it off.

Eh?

It's like peeling a grape.

- Look.
- Oh, yeah.

Pretty gory like Gantz or Berserk.

Bruguera, can you tell me
something I might understand?

In the extreme heat,

all of his bodily fluids
actually started to boil.

His eyes look like they
boiled right out of the sockets,

and he excreted gray matter
from his nose and ears.

And the suit?

Oh, right. The suit managed
to keep his body refrigerated,

and he appears to have been fed
and hydrated through tubes.

It's almost like he
was conducting an experiment

to see how long he could stay alive
under such extreme conditions.

How long did he last?

From what I can see
from the burns and the lack of necrosis,

my best guess
would be that he boiled alive

for about three days.

Simmering slowly.

Well…

All right then.

- So what now, inspector?
- Well…

Hmm, I think I could try
to track down the refrigeration equipment

or whatever the fuck that was.
But I'm guessing Jordi Fórum

probably owned all this shit,
leaving me fuck all to go on.

So I think I'm gonna head home,
take a long shower

and put on something
that doesn't smell like a sweaty fat guy.

This is the first time
you've worn something I've actually liked.

If it actually fit you, it'd be perfect.

Is everything a big fucking joke to you?

Our only suspect just turned up dead.

You force the only cop
who can help me to retire.

- Don't start.
- Yes!

The guy's got a ton of experience
that could help me out.

I said no!

- It's impossible. Today was his last day.
- Norma!

That's bullshit. You got no problem
breaking the rules when it suits you. Why?

Because Cosme has cancer, all right?

What kind of cancer?

The incurable kind.

You don't know him that well,

but he can be stubborn as hell.

He doesn't want chemo.
He doesn't want anything.

Does Jorge know?

No, he hasn't told him yet.

Someone has to tell him.

Hey, hey, hey. Don't even think about it.

He can't handle it. He's a big kid. He
could barely deal with losing his brother.

You think he'll be able
to handle losing his father any better?

- That's not for you to decide.
- And why not?

The only reason I know is
because it came up on his last physical.

I saw it when I got his report.

Otherwise, I wouldn't know either.

That's why I forced him to retire,

so he could relax
and enjoy what little time he has left.

You see now?

You think he'll be happy
sitting at home instead of helping us?

- Yeah.
- Cops like him don't ever retire.

He'll only retire
when he's dead, trust me.

What movie did you pull that from?

You been rehearsing it long?

I wanted to get it just right.

Well, it was a good delivery, convincing.

Maybe you should've been an actor.

Val.

Uh…

Can you give me a ride?
The subway's closed.

Coming.

Well, good to see you.

- Am I in time for lunch?
- Your timing's perfect.

You might wanna go wake up Jorge.
His room's at the end of the hall.

- Here.
- Thanks. Lunch is just about ready.

Jorge.

Jorge.

Fuck me.

Kid spends a fortune on this shit.

Little dolls.

YOU SHALL NOT PASS

Ah! What the fuck, dude?
Don't you knock?

I did knock. I shouted.
I threw a pencil at you.

Lunch is ready!

Don't you ever open that door again.

Jorge…

That's a good bottle.

I'm good here.

Cosme,

is that a picture of your eldest son?

You must be extremely proud.

- He died...
- Like a hero.

Makes me laugh how people
always spew the same bullshit.

Oh Christ.

You should feel very lucky
for a brother like that.

Or for one that didn't kick the shit
out of me for reading my comic books.

All he wanted was for you
to get your nose out of a book

and go out and get a life
and make a few friends.

And a father who defended me
would have been nice too.

You sound like
a real ingrate talking like that.

Your problem is you don't have a father.
What happened to him?

Where is he? What's the big secret?

- That's enough, goddamn it!
- No, it's all right.

Forget it.

But if you wanna know…

I was eight years old.

And my mother
dressed me in my best clothes.

We were attacked
on our way back from the movies.

He only wanted money.

He threatened my mother with a syringe.

And that's when my father stepped in.

He didn't even know the guy had a gun.

Found out later
he stole it from a police officer.

He took it out…

And shot him.

My mother started screaming…

So then he shot her to keep her quiet.

They never found him.

And I can remember feeling really dirty.

My mother told me…

Made me promise
not to get my clothes dirty. Well…

Sometimes I still feel that blood on me.

Anyway, that's pretty much it.

That's the whole story. Happy?

You serious right now?

- I don't believe you.
- The fuck you mean?

Out of curiosity, you seriously
never went over your parents' case?

Uh, no. Uh, we're
not allowed to see personal files.

That's a crock of shit.

Dad, lunch was delicious,
but we gotta get going.

Jorge. Jorge!

Call Norma.

What for?

Call her. Trust me.

So it was 1989, is that right?

- This could take a hell of a lot of work.
- Not like you had anything better to do.

You were at home, sewing
a Naruto costume. You love this, admit it.

Yeah, right.

Anyone finds out about this,

that I was searching through
personal files, dressed like a bunny,

I'll be out on my ass.

You're Head of Homicide, aren't you?

All you have to do
is fill out a form to do this.

Oops, I find filling out forms is boring.

It takes the fun out of it.

YOUNG COUPLE KILLED IN FRONT OF THEIR SON

Here it is.

Let's see.

Right here.

- Let's see.
- Son of a bitch.

What is it?

It's a list of all the items found at
the crime scene, and this is one of them.

It's a clipping
with a word and a number.

Detective #33. Isn't this a comic?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Detective #33 is a comic where…
Well, it's the origin story for Batman.

Thomas and Martha Wayne
come out of the movies

and are killed in front of their son.

Hey, you're kidding me, right? You…

He was a junkie.

A... nobody.

We have no idea of knowing for sure
or even if he was working alone.

I was there.

It's impossible.

There's no way.

No fucking way.

What the fuck is going on here?

There's no way!

It's impossible!

David…

So these are
some of the possible future murders.

Do you want me to tell you about them?

- Forget it.
- Yeah.

No. No. We have no idea
how many murders he has planned

or even the order
he plans to commit them in.

And even if we did know,
how would we stop it?

If only it was based on the seven
deadly sins, it would be a lot easier.

It really shouldn't be this hard.

All we have to do is look
for some fat loser who's into superheroes.

May not be that easy.

So far, he's chosen origin stories
from the Silver or Golden Age.

And those are really old comics.

I don't think he's
the loser you think he is.

He's got a machine to perform transplants,
high-priced refrigeration equipment,

locations. Think about it.

The guy's fucking loaded.

Fine, then. So we're
looking for some rich loser freak

who loves old comic books.
Doesn't change a thing.

Wait a minute.

Yeah.

It does change a few things. Come on, Val.

- Where we going?
- You'll see.

Oh, Norma, do me a favor.

Turn the lights off for me when you leave.

What am I? Your fucking housekeeper?

- The Mask?
- Yeah. Hey, Paco. It's Jorge here.

Yeah, so you say it is.

Password or riddle?

- I don't know the password, so riddle.
- Looks like gold.

- The answer is pyrite.
- Whoa!

Who do you have with you?

No one,
just a really stupid friend of mine.

- How do you know he can be trusted?
- Look.

The answer is Mū, Aldebaran, Saga,

Mask of Death,

Aiolia, Shaka, Dohko,

Milo, Aiolos, Shura,

Camus, Aphrodite.

The Knights of the Zodiac
who appear in gold.

Thought the answer was pyrite.

Paco closed his shop
because of the crisis.

Now he sells under the table.

He's ultra-paranoid,
so let me do the talking.

Paco.

Jorge, Jorge, Jorgito Elías.

You must need
something very, very important

to be paying a visit to The Mask.

Who's your boyfriend here?

I just need to know
who has these comics.

Quite an interesting collection.

This information
can only be give out to auction houses

or store owners with a CGC license.

- Do you have that license?
- I used to.

You see, if I use the codes now,
that would be admitting that I'm active.

Paco, we're asking
for help to stop a killer.

People are dying.

Not important.

I don't give a fuck.

People are all overrated.

When they start killing innocent cats,
then call me.

- All right, fine. What if we pay you?
- Jorge.

We're not giving this clown a dime.

Shut up.

How much?

Neal O'Neil?

Five Against Neal O'Neil,

autographed by every one
of the protagonists on the cover.

- You stole it from me.
- I won it at an auction.

- I didn't steal it.
- Yeah, right.

You keep telling yourself that.

But that's the price.

All right?

Fine.

What the fuck is going on here?

It's like you just sold
your soul to the Devil.

Look, there's
a register of comic book owners.

It's called the Siegel-Shuster Almanac.

There are very special comics,

like the first issue of Superman,
that go for over seven figures.

A million?

All the comics the killer has used so far
are close to a million bucks, maybe more.

But didn't I just buy
all these comics at your store?

These are the original comic books
we're talking about,

published, what, 60 to 80 years ago.

Maybe the killer bought them,
and they're in the almanac.

- Thought it might be worth a try.
- Why would he...

So in Spain,

there's only one person…

Who has all four of these issues.

And where do you think he is?

In Madrid.

Thank you.

Go on. It's getting late, and…

I need to eat my dinner and jerk off.

Víctor Vid!

According to Google, it says
he's a developer and philanthropist.

So we need to...

What are you doing?

That was me up there.
I'm just like that guy.

- Like who?
- Like Paco.

All alone and surrounded by cats.

My version of Days of Future Past.

What? You have a father.

- What if something happens to him?
- Your friends at the store.

They don't give a shit about me.
Norma will get a boyfriend...

Why do you think that?
Is there somebody she likes?

She'll just take off.

You have me, no?

We're friends, right?

- Are we?
- Yeah.

Come on. Let me you a ride home
before your dad starts to worry.

- And Víctor Vid?
- First, we gotta run it by Norma.

We'll check it out tomorrow. Come on.

Come on.

Thanks a lot. I mean it.

This is C-45. I need an address.

Go ahead, C-45.

The name is Víctor Vid.

"First, we'll run it by Norma."

How stupid does he think I am?

DISCOVER LIFE IN MADRID!
SURCO DEVELOPMENT

Fuck!

I'd like you
to meet Víctor Vid.

That's who you're looking for, isn't it?

It's a good thing he's dead,
or you'd be in trouble.

A hero should have a much cooler head.

There are no such thing
as heroes! Psychopath!

That's true. You're living proof.

But you did solve the riddle
and find the villain's lair.

There is no villain here,
just one sick fuck!

Yes, someone is sick here,
but it's not me!

I apologize
for the hallucinogenic gas you've inhaled.

But having a more open mind
might help you learn a lesson.

If you're gonna kill me,
at least tell me who you are.

You can call me Professor Nóvaro!

- Professor Nóvaro? What's that about?
- "Nóvaro" is my name.

And "professor" is my occupation.

And I have so much to teach you.

Do you know why you can never defeat me?

Because you're just a man!

You have to learn
how to be more than that,

even if it has to be beaten into you!

Well, I guess I'm luck then,
because I am more than a man.

I'm a woman.

Let him go.

And if I refuse?

Pretty stupid question.
I'll shoot you in the fucking head.

Ah!

Shit!

So we didn't find anyone?

We got nothing.
That's great. I'll see you later.

Okay, boss.

So apparently,
there were two more tenants,

but they were
at the other end of the development.

And nobody saw anything.

He's been doing whatever he wants,
and we can't do anything to stop him.

Thanks for backing me up.

Thank me by not doing
anything that stupid again.

I didn't have time to tell anyone.

You really think I'm stupid.
You wanted to take him down yourself.

- No, that's not true.
- Yes, it is, and don't do that again.

Don't even think about it,
taking on those fuckers alone.

Tattoo that on your brain.

I feel like I've been hit
in the head with a baseball bat.

That's pretty much what happened in there.

I remember a metal face, like a monster.

Yeah, well, you inhaled a lot of that gas.
It was a guy in a mask.

- Maybe, but to me, that monster was real.
- It was only a guy in a mask.

Nóvaro.

He called himself Nóvaro. He said
something about being just a man.

He used me as a shield.
And you took a shot.

Huh?

That's the gas talking.

- Sure about that?
- You really think I would do that?

I'd have to be crazy. Do you think
I'm crazy? Let me take a look at that.

I'm here.

Why the hell is he dressed like that?

Because today is
the big anniversary party in, uh… Oh!

…14 hours.

Well, that's because I put it on
last night, and I can't get it off.

I can't reach.

Hey, Ibarra.

Make my day better.
Tell me about Víctor Vid.

Well, he owns the building.

Financial records
confirm he was a millionaire.

But in the last few years, he squandered
half his fortune on extravagances,

and the other half
had been slowly withdrawn in cash.

We're looking into his real estate

to see if the killer used another one of
his properties as some kind of safe house.

- He had a bunch, even a mansion in Madrid.
- So why don't you start there?

We sent a team,
and they didn't find anything.

- All right, then.
- Mm-hmm.

- Tell me if you find any prints.
- Sure.

We lift any clear prints on that?

- Come on, come on, let's get a move on.
- So this one is Amazing Fantasy #15.

The origin of Spider-Man.

And here's the origin story for X-Men.

You think there's anything here
to help us predict the next murder?

I don't know, but many of
the origin stories, like Spidey and X-Men,

are linked to radioactivity.

That's why mutants
are called "children of the atom."

But, uh…

I highly doubt
this guy's got an atom bomb, right?

No, no, I already did that part.

It's blank.

Hey, it's Bruguera. He's got something
on Víctor Vid. Let's get over there.

Shouldn't he stink more?

You'd think,
but he's been embalmed. That's why.

I can't really tell
how long he's been dead, but…

Looks like four or five years.

So all this time,
he took Víctor Vid's identity. Christ!

The bastard has more patience
than George R. R. Martin fans.

He was taken out
of formaldehyde quite recently.

Judging by the postmortem bullet holes,

was there
a little target practice going on?

I didn't find any signs of violence,

so I looked for poison,
and here comes the kicker.

Drumroll please. And ba-boom.

I found traces of polonium-210.

- And?
- You're fucking kidding me!

- Yeah, I know.
- "I know" what?

What's going on here?

- Sorry.
- Son of a bitch.

- Norma, what's going on?
- Shit.

It's radioactive material. Radiation
is a fucking national security issue.

Intelligence will step in
and take over the case.

- Any way we can keep this under wraps?
- Are you out of your mind?

A few years ago, we had
a case involving polonium-210.

A few tiny little samples were mislaid.

Internal Affairs
lost their collective heads.

So that's it then?

Well?

- I don't know.
- It's over?

Looks like.

Unless I somehow managed
to delay the report a bit.

It wouldn't look too suspicious if I wait
until tomorrow to take the report over.

- No. No, no.
- Yes. Yes!

There's no way I'm letting him do that.
He's fucked if they find out.

Let them come after me. All I
ever do is cut open the victims of killers

who walk free because someone screwed up.
Well, maybe this time, I can do something.

I'll make the mistake
if it means he gets caught.

Bruguera,

I owe you one. Thank you.

Hey.

- You wanna tell me where you're going?
- I'm gonna get the best cop I know.

Wait a minute.
You're forgetting I'm your boss here?

You think you can do
what the fuck you want?

Oh, yeah. One more thing.

No. No. There's no way that just happened.

Well…

About time you showed up. Come in.

Why would he
take the body out of hiding, hmm?

It doesn't make sense.

The body screws him over.

I mean, he could've continued
using that identity a lot longer.

Yeah. Well, either he made a mistake or…
or maybe he thinks

there's something else out there he
wants us to find. I just don't know what.

Let's think about this.

The name "Víctor Vid" led us to the wall.

And that wall
should lead us somewhere else.

I don't know.

I sent a team over to the pet store
where he bought those spiders.

Yeah?

And Bruguera's tracing the polonium,
but that'll take a few days.

By then, it might be too late.

I, uh, think it might
already be too late. Look.

…these dramatic events. The victim,
he's an unidentified 16-year-old male.

The body was discovered
this morning outside this exhibition site.

He was found
hanging from the roof by the wrists,

with what one police officer described
as the most gruesome bite he's ever seen.

Now what?

We have no leads
on this case, so we're asking the public…

- I'm gonna go pick up a few things.
- What?

Yeah, until Ibarra gets to the station,
I don't have access.

I do.

You might wanna get in touch with
your police consultant. See you later.

…a disturbed individual
has been pulling off a series

of macabre performances
carried out all over Madrid.

The police are at a loss to explain why...

- It's the origin story of...
- I know. I'm not an idiot.

Anything else?

- Nothing else to enlighten me with?
- No.

No? Fine. A kid died today.

In a few hours, Bruguera will hand
in the report, we'll lose the case,

and we still don't know
what this psycho wants.

- Do you not know or don't wanna accept it?
- What are you saying?

Nóvaro thinks he's a supervillain.

And he's attempting to create
his own superhero, and that's you.

He killed your parents 20 years ago,

and the murders started
as soon as you got to Madrid.

It's obvious, isn't it?

Of all the bullshit
that comes out of your mouth,

that's gotta be the stupidest thing yet.

Norma, help me out
and bring a bit of sanity to this.

I know it sounds fucking crazy, but I
actually agree with him. It's obvious.

Seriously?

Yeah.

You guys think this is
some role-playing game?

Real people are dying,
not a bunch of comic book characters!

David, it's not like we're gonna do
anything this asshole says.

- But you need to accept reality.
- Forget it! You're both nuts!

Do you know your father's sick? Real sick.

That's what's happening in real life
while you kids are playing dress up.

Hey, you.

Hey, Dad.

What are you doing here?
And what's with the getup, Jorge?

It's just the anniversary of the store.

- Ah.
- So how you doing? Need any help?

No, I got it.

- Let me help.
- Fine! Let it go!

Hmm.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, Dad.

About what?

For being a bit of an asshole
since the whole thing with Javi.

Well, uh, don't worry about it.

I'd have loved for you two
to get along better, but…

It's just kinda hard
to compete with a ghost.

Or with David now.

Why do you feel like you have
to compete with anyone? You don't.

And I'll have you know I'm very proud

of the person
you've become today. Very proud.

- Really?
- Yeah.

As for your brother, he became
a policeman in order to please me.

But I never told him I was proud of him.
I won't make that mistake again.

Come on,
I want to show you something.

YOU SHALL NOT

Jorge…

Look, you don't have to…

POLICE

But that… that's Javi's gear.

Yeah. It was
really hard to get, but I got it.

And I've had it ever since.

And I don't want
to keep it in here anymore.

I want it at the store
because it's a hero's suit.

- Sorry. I lost him for a minute.
- Don't worry about it.

- I said not to leave your sister alone.
- I'm Thanos!

That's enough about Thanos!

- I'm Thanos!
- I said that's enough! Let's go, let's go.

Get in the car.
We'll talk about Thanos later.

No, no. Just get in the car!

♪ Batman… ♪

TENTH ANNIVERSARY

Sorry, you can't come in.

- Why? What's going on?
- You have to be in costume.

- Is this a costume?
- I need to speak to Jorge.

Jorge told me not to let anyone in
unless they were wearing a costume.

- Look, is he here or not?
- No, he went to get pizzas.

And he left me in charge.

I'm Heimdall,
the guardian of the rainbow bridge.

All right, guardian
of whatever fucking bridge,

- is Norma here?
- No, but she made my costume.

Isn't this
the greatest costume you've ever seen?

Yeah, it's really beautiful. I'm a cop.

Go ahead.

From what movie?

I'm a real cop.

Jorge put a costume aside for you
in case you came.

Are you shitting me?

Hey, how you doing?

What are you doing?
Are you trying to get me fired?

One last favor.

And I brought you some marzipan.

Thanks.

The Nazis pick up
the most expensive-looking goblet,

and it's shiny and gold
and embedded with rubies.

And then he says,

"The cup of the King of Kings,"
and he drinks.

But he guessed wrong and pays the price.

His face starts melting off.
It drips off his skull.

Then Indiana Jones picks up
what looks like the shittiest cup

and says,
"This looks like the cup of a carpenter."

Makes the hair on my arm
stand up every time I think about it.

- Remember that movie?
- No.

- You haven't seen it?
- Pizza!

You really have to. Ooh, pizza!

Mine's the one
with the pineapple. Thank you.

You found the costume?

Amazing! Norma totally outdid Edna Mode.

- You two having a good time?
- You're gonna need a name.

You thought of one?
How about Yellow Hood or Night Guardian?

Can we talk for a minute outside?

Gotta choose a name that commands respect,

that says you're not afraid
to face danger and that you work alone.

- Listen...
- You don't really work alone.

There's three of us, right?
Hence the triangle.

And you are the vertex of the triangle.

Perfect, then I'll be Triangle Man.

No, you're Vertex.

Fine, Vertex. I have a superhero name now.
Can we step outside so I can talk to you?

Whatever it is, you can tell me here.

But make it quick.
We're doing karaoke any minute.

I need you.

Okay?

If anyone can help me
with this case, it's you.

And what else?

I apologize.

Thank you.

I forgive you, and I apologize as well.

Let's have a kiss! Let's have a kiss!

- I told Norma you were impotent.
- What?

Guys, you look like idiots!

All right, according to your theory,
what's gonna happen now?

Normally, if the villain
doesn't get what he wants,

he raises the stakes higher
for his final murder.

And he gets more personal. He does that
by going after the hero's loved ones.

His family, his friends, partners…

Like The Kingpin in
Daredevil: Born Again.

Yeah, or Joker in
Batman: The Killing Joke.

Or Green Goblin when he killed Gwen Stacy.

Stay the hell out of this.
It's a private conversation.

Eat your fucking pizza.

We're good then. I got nobody.

You think so, but the first ones
to get it are the sidekicks.

Like in Batman,
where they kill Robin every five years.

But don't worry, he gets revived.

You're my sidekick.
Nothing's gonna happen to you.

Mmm. So you finally admit it?
I'm your sidekick, huh?

- Man alive.
- What?

To Nóvaro, I'm not your sidekick.

- Why not?
- I didn't save your ass the other day.

Norma.

Got much longer?

No, I'm just about done.

- Good, because Celiméndiz will kill me.
- Yeah.

PERMANENT DISABILITY
VÍCTOR VID VELASCO

TRANSFER REQUEST
GARZÓN, DAVID VALENTÍN

To make your wait
more pleasant, I'll sing the song

from Dragon Police.

- Fuck, she's a such geek.
- Well?

It's going to voicemail.

Norma!

What's going on?

- It's Cosme.
- What? What happened?

Someone attacked him
on the street, an hour ago.

- Yeah?
- All right, listen.

Hello, hero.
You haven't been a very good student.

- But I'll give you another chance.
- It's Nóvaro!

- Where's Cosme?
- Where's my father?

Don't worry
about Inspector Galiardo. Just listen.

- Huh?
- What's going on?

Shit!

What have you done?

Oh, good. I suspect the polonium
in the lemonade is taking effect.

- Foaming at the mouth.
- It's the lemonade.

All right, nobody drink the lemonade!

- Did you bring it, Jorge?
- Me?

Why are you even asking me that?
This isn't high school prom night?

I brought red wine.

Oh!

The Chamberí reservoir
provides water for all of Madrid.

What I did to the lemonade can
easily be done to the city's water supply.

Come and meet me alone,
or your mentor dies.

And so will the whole city. I'm warning
you right now, I don't want a cop.

I want a superhero.

If you're not convincing,
Cosme dies and so does Madrid.

I gotta get moving.

Right away. He's at the city reservoir.

No, we gotta call for backup.
We'll send in the army.

We know where he is.
We can surround the building.

An X!

If I don't show up alone,
he'll kill Cosme.

- He'll poison the whole city.
- You won't go alone.

Not a fucking chance!

A group of geeks and nerds
who are hated by everyone,

affected by radiation.

Son of a bitch.

- We'll call City Hall.
- Don't you get it?

We'll call the Special Forces,
and we'll nail this guy!

Norma!

In every one
of those scenarios, my father dies.

- I'm going.
- No, not alone. I'm coming with you.

- Me too.
- No. Not you!

All right, fine.
But just come with me for a minute.

We don't have time for this, Jorge!

I brought it in this afternoon
but didn't have time to set it up.

It's...

The outfit
of the greatest hero I've ever known.

My brother.

It's from China. It's prohibited here
because it's fucking nasty.

Punks shouldn't drink
if they can't handle it.

Ah! Fuck!

They all love cosplay,
but then they start puking.

I need your car to help Vertex.

All right, just don't scratch the car!
Who the hell's Vertex?

Don't worry about that. Just move!

He's… he's amazing!

Is there any lemonade left?

- You're the guy who downloads everything.
- Yeah.

Yeah, sure. Go ahead, help yourself.

Inspector Galiardo.

Ironic, isn't it?

The title of my final murder
is "Uncanny," just like X-Men.

And you've ended up
in a wheelchair like Charles Xavier.

What's more ironic is
my son owns a comic book store,

and he's never even heard of you.

Now just take that thing off.

Maybe the most ironic thing…

Is that the only cop on the force

who was able to guess
my identity was forced into retirement.

How did you do it?

The doctor who certified
the disability for Víctor Vid…

Was Jonathan B.

- Jonathan Bruguera.
- Well-done.

But I expected no less coming from you.

Now…

Welcome

to the origin story of the very first
superhero the world has ever known.

What superhero?

That may be the stupidest thing I've
heard, especially in this day and age.

You think?

A corrupt country

and no faith in the justice system.

Sounds like
the ideal breeding ground for superheroes.

Don't be stupid, Bruguera.

The last thing
this country believes in is superheroes.

In England, stories were written
about King Arthur. Here, it's Don Quixote.

We're more preoccupied with madmen.

Then I'll just create a madman like that!

Fuck!

- Shit!
- What's going on?

Stop, stop.

Feels like there's
something under the car.

All right, I'll have a look.

Fucking son of a bitch!

Hey, asshole,
what are you doing? You deserting me?

How many times do I have to save
your ass for you to admit you need me?

I do need you, Norma.

But now it's my turn.
He said to come alone.

I won't risk anyone else's life
and for Cosme's sake.

Fine, on one condition:

I want you back here alive.

I want you back here alive because I love…

I mean… Well, you get
what I'm saying, you stupid fucking idiot.

Because I, um, um, mmm…

I like you.

I know.

Fucking bastard!

Quoting Han Solo,
and he doesn't even know it.

I don't know if you're trying to recapture
your childhood, but thinking someone

is gonna fight crime
with a mask and cape is ridiculous.

It's about innocence.

And only an extremely sick society
would consider innocence a weakness.

Innocent like David
when you killed his parents?

Cosme, please.

I didn't kill them.

From what I hear, some junkie tried
to rob them, and things got a bit messy.

But I'm telling you, I wasn't there.

- What about the clipping?
- There was no clipping.

I put that in the file
a month ago to spice things up a bit.

So you took credit for a murder
you didn't commit?

Ehh… yeah.

That's right.

I suppose any other cop
would have been fine,

but David's whole story
was just too perfect.

The whole alleyway, the theater.

- I couldn't resist it.
- That's gonna bite you in the ass.

If David comes here
thinking you killed his parents...

And that is precisely what I hope he does.

Nóvaro must die…

So that a hero is born.

Don't call me now.
I'm trying to sneak in.

Put your phone on silent. Listen.

Norma called,
and she's mad as Imperator Furiosa.

I don't know who that is.
I'm at the reservoir, and no one's here.

He'll be waiting up top
for the final showdown, as usual.

- Got a set of stairs here. Do I go up?
- Yeah. Be careful.

It's the paradox of Joe Chill.

He was the one
who murdered Batman's parents.

If Batman knows his identity,

his revenge would be focused on him.

But if he doesn't know,

then his wrath

is directed at a faceless criminal,

or crime as a general concept.

It's infinite.

That's why I…

Must die as a mystery,

with no answer.

I may even beg for my life
to make the whole thing more credible.

"Please help me!
I beg you, let me go!

All right, you win. Just help me up."

Maybe that'd be a bit much.

Anyway, let's see how it goes.

You're out of your mind
if you think David's gonna show up,

much less in some stupid getup.

Mask and all.

Now, that's one hell of a nice costume.

It was probably my son's idea.

- Uh, huh?
- Oh, sorry about that.

I forgot to tell you.

I drugged you up.

I don't want you
to be in pain when I kill you.

Huh.

You were one hell of a cop.

But David needs a bit more incentive.

His parents were killed a long time ago.

Even if I have to sacrifice
my soul for killing you,

it will be worth it
to have someone to protect us.

You think you're a saint? You killed
a young kid, you son of a bitch.

That young kid, as you call him…

Violated, raped
and dismembered a six-year-old girl.

Her parents don't have
her head to bury with her body.

Balbino Blázquez hid
chemical dumps near elementary schools.

Antxon Azkar's weapon factory
was a cover for drug trafficking.

- Jordi Fórum was a pyromaniac.
- That justifies it to you?

All my action are justified

if it means I created a superhero.

Get ready for it, Cosme…

Because the curtain is rising.

Jorge, I'm in the elevator,
going to the top.

Jorge?

Val?

- Val?
- Jorge?

- Is that him on the phone? Is it?
- It was, but I just lost him.

- Norma.
- What?

He has to do this,
and you gotta trust him.

By the way…

The most famous actors in the world
aren't just the ones who played Batman.

They're also the ones
who played the Joker, Jack Nicholson

and poor Heath Ledger.

I heard a story about that.

A reporter informed Nicholson that
Heath Ledger had just been found dead,

and Jack was on the red carpet
at the time.

And he was surrounded
by people and photographers.

And he stopped dead

and said just one thing.

"I warned him!"

He said, "I warned him!"

Freeze!

Drop it.

Welcome.

Drop the gun, or he dies.

All right.

No!

Dad!

Hi, son.

Son…

I'm so proud of you.

But why?

"Why" what?

Why did I kill your parents?
Why did I kill Cosme?

Because I'm evil.

Because I can!

Why does God allow bad things
to happen to good people?

To create men to stop it all.

Are you that kind of man?

That is the question.

Is that the best you can do?

What a disappointment. I was expecting
something more spectacular.

Like this?

Who are you?

No! I am nobody.

I'm the first of many to come.

What's so funny?

You were hoping
that it would be so simple,

like the butler did it,
but you're a moron.

But in this world,
evil doesn't have just one face.

I've created the playing board.

And you're the missing piece. It's you.

Okay, I surrender. I give up.

You win. Just help me.

I'm begging you.

Aren't you a cop?

Arrest me.

Do you see a cop here?

I am Vertex.

Lord our God, you are the source of light.

We commit our brother to the ground,
ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Amen.

So then it was a big vat of green acid?

It was like one of those episodes
of Batman from the '60s.

That's a pretty geeky reference.

I don't think it's
a geeky reference at all.

Everybody loved that show, didn't they?

Don't ruin it.

David Valentín,

you just graduated.

This could be the end
of the story, but that would be too sad.

Everything changed three months later.
Val, Norma and I followed the trail

of the mysterious disappearance
of Bruguera.

He never turned in that report.

Bruguera combed the spectrum
of polonium radiation to find the answer.

The three of us continued the search,

and all indications
pointed to the mansion of Victor Vid,

the millionaire
whose identity Nóvaro had stolen.

The police searched high and low
but found nothing.

But we had more luck.

Call it luck, or maybe the police had
never read comics from the Golden Age

and didn't know what Bruce Wayne
created after his parents died.

Xanadu was full of surprises.

Nóvaro ran everything from here.

A secret place with access to the deep web

and polices files
on criminals from all over the world.

It had everything
a superhero could dream of.

And Val came to the conclusion
that we could only do one thing.

If only the world didn't need Vertex,
but wouldn't life be more interesting

if we could just call him
whenever we needed him?

Val once asked me what I
would say if I ever met a superhero.

Now I have my answer.

I'd say to him,

"Put on your suit,

and go out there
and make this world a better place."

Who are you?

- How did you get in here?
- You used your codes.

- What?
- You're still operating.

You sell comics under the table.
That's illegal, and you're gonna pay.

No way you're gonna convict me for that.

They're only comics.
They're not important.

To me, they're very important.

Can't we possibly
maybe work something out?

I… I have lots
of very valuable things here.

You can take whatever you want.

Anything at all.

I'll take that.

NEAL O'NEIL vs ZINCO