True Believers #3

In "Payback Is a Bitch Part 3: The Max Factor," Payback confronts the truth behind her father Max’s mysterious death, uncovering that his consciousness survived within a symbiote tied to electromagnetic radiation. As she grapples with this revelation, flashbacks reveal how the symbiote chose her, led her to test her powers against Luke Cage, and prompted her to bring Talyn into her cause. The story reaches a tense climax when Payback is caught in an explosion at her apartment. Written by Cary Bates and illustrated with sharp, dynamic precision by Paul Gulacy—whose cover pencils and inks define the issue’s moody, high-stakes atmosphere—this installment deepens Payback’s origin with emotional weight and mystery.