- Pencils
- ?
- Inks
- ?
- Colors
- ?
- Letters
- Ed Dukeshire ? (design); typeset
The inside front cover presents logo, credits, and indicia with The Plutonian's insignia.
- Script
- Mark Waid (credited)
- Pencils
- Paul Azaceta (credited)
- Inks
- Paul Azaceta (credited)
- Colors
- Matthew Wilson (credited)
- Letters
- Ed Dukeshire (credited)
- Genre
- superhero
- Characters
- The Hornet [Jim; full name unknown (see Notes)]; Samsara (gravestone only); Gazer (gravestone only); Metalman (gravestone only; see Notes); Citadel (gravestone only; see Notes); The Hornet's wife [Donna; full name unknown]; Kaidan (cameo); Qubit (cameo); Bette Noir (cameo); Scylla (cameo); Charybdis (cameo); The Hornet's infant son [name unknown] (cameo); The Hornet's daughter [Sarah; full name unknown] (cameo)
- Synopsis
- Five years ago: While The Hornet suits up for his debut as the world's first superhero, his wife turns on the television to discover "reports of a flying man ... stopping tsunamis, averting rail disasters, and more" — The Plutonian.
Four years ago: After the pair rescues a kidnapped boy, The Hornet reluctantly accepts Plutonian's hand in camaraderie.
Four weeks ago: The Hornet, pursued by The Plutonian, launches Vesper One.
- Reprints
Story title from inside front cover. // Events of "four years ago" immediately precede and overlap with the opening of Irredeemable #1. // The Hornet's first name is revealed in this story, while his wife and daughter were named in Irredeemable #1; his family name is unknown. Gazer and Citadel are first seen in person, via flashback, in Irredeemable #13.
- Script
- Mark Waid (credited)
- Pencils
- Emma Ríos
- Inks
- Emma Ríos (credited)
- Colors
- Alfred Rockefeller (credited)
- Letters
- Ed Dukeshire (credited)
- Genre
- superhero
- Characters
- Keiko [full name unknown; Kaidan] (origin of powers); Hikki [full name unknown] (introduction); Kumi [full name unknown] (introduction); Sukuri [full name unknown; Keiko's mother] (introduction); the Bake-Neko (introduction)
- Synopsis
- Five years ago: A young woman undergoes the ceremony that will imbue her with the powers of Kaidan.
- Reprints
Story title from inside front cover.
- Script
- Mark Waid (credited)
- Pencils
- Howard Chaykin (credited)
- Inks
- Howard Chaykin (credited)
- Colors
- Andrew Dalhouse (credited)
- Letters
- Ed Dukeshire (credited)
- Genre
- superhero
- Characters
- Max Damage; Madame Mercy (introduction); Threeway (introduction; cameo); Safeword (introduction; cameo); Loleetah (introduction; cameo); Kortex (introduction); Jailbait (origin as sidekick)
- Synopsis
- One year ago: When Max Damage tracks down his partner in crime to Madame Mercy's Super-Brothel, he winds up bringing home Jailbait.
- Reprints
Story title from inside front cover.