DeLeone recovered quickly from the bruising he had taken. It took a bit longer for the normally modest scientist to recover from the embarrassment of being seen naked by his sons with his big balls swollen even larger by the Intoxicator's mistreatment. His examination of AlphaMan confirmed what the hero already suspected, that is that his strength had more than doubled thanks to the additional muscle mass, that his super senses remained as acute as ever, but that he was indeed somewhat clumsier, and most importantly, unable to fly. DeLeone was confident that the hero would soon grow more comfortable using his increased strength. Flying seemed more problematic, as the fine muscle control needed might not be achieved, and first tests indicated that the layer of fat would in any case dampen the magnetic feedback loop.

AlphaMan hoped that time or some new treatment from DeLeone could help restore his original physique and most importantly the power of flight. Despite his increased strength, without the ability to fly he found it difficult to imagine how he would manage to carry out his missions.

DeLeone had less confidence in his abilities to help than had AlphaMan. He would continue to try to reverse what the Intoxicator had done to AlphaMan, but the increased bulk seemed to have become part of the hero's permanent physiological make-up. For the moment he dared not try any treatment at all, wanting first to see what effect the passage of time would have on AlphaMan's physique.

In the absence of his regular treatments, AlphaMan was no longer producing the liters of semen required for the boys' sessions. After a few weeks they began to lose muscle mass and DeLeone had to request that AlphaMan resume his donations. Unfortunately the original problem of AlphaMan's inability to easily ejaculate once again became an issue. As during the first treatments, it took special efforts from the boys to make the hero cum. All wanted to remain as discreet as possible, and AlphaMan took to meeting each of the boys separately in his room to stimulate his ejaculation.

Although the BetaBoys were doing a most creditable job during this new enforced break for AlphaMan, the hero, as was to be expected, was itching to return to work. To prove his ability, he again pulled the "try on the suit" stunt. This time he was not too small for his suit, but far too large. He barely managed to stretch the spandex over his bulk but was dismayed when as he stood in front of DeLeone and the boys the spandex snapped and he burst out of his costume, leaving only the the hood and the the zone around his groin, an area which had been designed for a heavy load.

Dan: You know what they say, AlphaMan: If the suit don't fit, you must quit.

Ethan: Dan! You know that in this case it's not the clothes that make the man, but the muscles, and AlphaMan has plenty of those!

Dan: Jeeze, Ethan, I was just kidding...

Following this embarrassing scene, AlphaMan sent Ethan in his guise as Bronze BetaBoy to DuMont Chemicals to rig up a new costume for him. Ethan had a tough time of it for the DuMont engineers doubted the ability of even superpandex to stand up to the sheer bulk of AlphaMan's new physique. They could use the high-resistance fabric normally reserved for the groin area for the entire suit, but feared that it would impede the hero's movements.

Ethan returned with the completed outfit and AlphaMan presented it to the DeLeone family. In fact, there was not much to the costume Ethan had managed to get DuMont to make: a hood mask, boots, and tight support briefs, straining in the front under the weight of the hero's package and in the back to hold in his ass. The costume was in light blue superspandex, his powerlifter belly hanging over the waistband, his smooth bulging bulky arms, shoulders, pecs and thighs all exposed. He had adopted the solution used by the boys for their gear, with a titanium collar for the communicator and a titanium garter above the knee for the Interpol authorization.

AlphaMan: Gentlemen, there are many details to be worked out, like getting me around this big beautiful world. But I want you to know that I am not willing to wait to return to action, and I will be out there fighting crime and defending humanity within a matter of days. If I can't act as AlphaMan, if I can't fit into my old costume, so be it. It is in this suit and un der a new name that I will return to the superhero scene. •