So today we get the first part of the conversation we knew was coming: where Russ has to explain to his daughter who she is, and how she got to be this way.  It's an uncomfortable discussion for both of them, because Chris is understandably freaked-out, and her father is faced with a situation no super-powered intellect can prepare him for.  I think part of the reason I find the interpersonal stuff between supercharacters so interesting is because comic-book-type origins and backstories present such a rich vein for human drama, and superpowers will not help you deal with feelings, either yours or anyone else's.

That's really the heart of the story there: Max and Russ are these superior beings physically and in his case mentally, but emotionally they are as fragile as any of us.  They might be gods, but they have human emotions and human needs, and being able to dropkick a tractor will not help with your midlife crisis.

Plus in this chapter we really begin to involve Chris, and bring her in from the outside.  She is the one, after all, with the heritage of steel.  If her parents are dealing with the question of what life means now they are no longer young, she is finding out who she is in the first place.  I've always wanted to write a coming-of-age story for a girl that didn't involve all the typical, sexist teenaged girl bullshit.  That wasn't about clothes and boys and maybe being crazy - that was about becoming a person, not a stereotype.  Right now it might not seem like Chris has enough going on to carry that, but she'll have a lot of growing up to do before this is done.