Ex Machina #1

In "The Pilot," Mitchell—once a man of science and now the towering Great Machine—grapples with the aftermath of an assassination attempt that echoes the tragedy that first forged him. Through flashbacks, we uncover the accident that transformed him into a mechanical colossus and glimpse the early days of his unlikely rise to political power.

In "State of Emergency Chapter One," newly appointed mayor Mitchell faces his first major challenges: appointing key city officials, navigating a political firestorm over a controversial Lincoln portrait funded by public money, and confronting a chilling serial killer targeting snow plow drivers during a brutal winter. The story unfolds with sharp political tension and creeping dread, setting a tense tone for the city’s uneasy new era.

In "State of Emergency Chapter Two," Jo Mitchell faces mounting pressure as a quiet news cycle turns attention to the Lincoln portrait, while his appointment of Journal as Special Adviser on Youth Affairs signals a shift in his administration. With snow plow drivers still dying and Kremlin pushing him toward a renewed role as the Great Machine, Mitchell must navigate political tension and personal doubt—before the city’s crisis spirals further.

In "State of Emergency Chapter Three" from Ex Machina #1, Mitchell traces a pattern of deadly attacks on snow plow drivers to a shadowy source, leading him to suspect Kremlin's involvement. Meanwhile, Journal confronts Trista Braving, the controversial artist behind a state-funded public artwork, as tensions rise in the city.

In the final chapter of "State of Emergency," Mitchell and Bradbury face off against Kremlin, only to discover he's been secretly monitoring them—and knows the truth about the serial killer terrorizing the city. Meanwhile, Journal uncovers that Trista has destroyed her own painting, leaving behind only silence and unanswered questions.