The Underdog

In 2060, Axel Miller is a half-blood teen living with his human mother, Jeam Lawrence, inside House Miller. Mutants treat them as trash. His superhuman power has awakened, but his masters keep it sealed and train him under gravity weights.

At Miller manor, Victor Miller, Axel’s cousin, insults Axel's mother. Axel slaps him. Arthur Miller, Axel's uncle, orders, "Cut off both his hands." Cody Miller, Axel's half-brother, intervenes. The Ascendancy trial roster is already submitted, and House Mayne has been stepping on House Miller for years. Arthur lets Axel keep his hands until the trial ends.

During a House Miller meeting, James Miller and the family learn that someone has punched a pit in the trial ovoid outside the Ascendancy gates. The chairman promises five Ascendancy warrior appointments to any house that finds the person. James decides House Miller will go all in to find them.

While the family is in that meeting, Jeam urges Axel to pack and leave before they cut off his hands. Axel refuses. Years of living like rats and being kicked by mutants for sport have left no path back to the humans. The trial is the only way forward. He enters the Ascendancy trial.

The trial opens with strength. David Mayne, House Mayne's heir, takes the lead. Axel's gravity weights are raised to 100 tons. He fails to drag a car and finishes last. In the speed round, he fails again against the bullet train.

Combat is the last chance. David Mayne takes on all challengers and burns them. Axel steps up. David's fire does not burn him. Axel flies, lands a hit, and pulls the punch. David keeps taunting his mother. Axel strikes him down.

Blake Mayne, patriarch of House Mayne, vows to kill Axel for hurting his son. The trial puts Axel on a collision course with the coming war between humans and mutants, where he must expose a DNA conspiracy and unite both worlds.