The Plague

Brief synopsis: The Team is alerted via breaking news reports that there is a disturbance at a subway station! They get there as fast as they can and discover a small horde of human/snake hybrids running amok, attacking people and causing general chaos. The reptilians are dealt with (and Shillelagh rescues the mother of a boy named Timmy, who alerted the big lug that she was in trouble), and later investigation reveals that the hybrids were just regular people who fell victim to some kind of chemical attack.

A new supervillain (who the team dubs "Cobra Commander") hijacks the local TV broadcasts, as villains are wont to do, and makes his debut. He claims that he will shortly evolve all of humanity to a higher state of being and rule the world, et cetera, et cetera. The team decides that they will have none of that, and this bozo has jumped to the #1 spot on their "Punch twixt the lookers" list.

As it turns out, this managed to be the public debut for the team as well, since it was their first time jumping into a fracas to save people in danger, and plenty of them caught the incident on cell phone cameras. So, in addition to the villain making a splash, his heroic opposition made theirs, too. The media focuses their attention on Hot Rod, since he is the group's resident glory hound. Somehow, the reporters dub him the leader of the group, much to the rest of the team's chagrin, and because they never thought to hire a reputable publicist or media consultant, are branded "The Rod Squad."

Due to the threat of the mutagenic chemical attacks, Seattle is placed under quarantine, and the Rod Squad begins planning on how to stop the Ophidian Plague...