Hot Rod was pleased with helping a fellow team member, and he hoped that would serve as inspiration for the newbies to try and work together. He was able to knock four more criminals into unconsciousness before the villain known Vacuum came on him with his ability to suck away the air around and Hot Rod attempted to run away but unfortunately slipped on a puddle of blood. He couldn't get away in time and the villain's generated vacuum sucked the oxygen out of the air which extinguished his flaming aura. Hot Rod began to cough as he was trying desperately to breath and was forced onto his knees.

Unless another hero came in to help, he would slip into unconsciousness and then possibly die from a lack of air. [i]Shit! I could really use some help right now[/i] he thought to himself as he tried to move away from the villain to get out of the vacuum that was robing him of air to breath. He was running out of time and wondered if this was really going to be the way he go out of the hero business. Hot Rod guessed it was just bad luck, life was funny in that sort of way.