Reading time: 1–2 minutes · 19 comic panels
A delivery rider stops for an accident he was told to ride past—and something beneath Hyderabad notices.
Hyderabad, 11 PM. Vihaan Rathore has been riding for ten hours. His phone keeps counting delays, penalties and ratings as if they matter more than the people between one order and the next. Four deliveries are already late when a motorcycle loses balance at the flyover merge.
Traffic slows. Heads turn. No one stops.
Episode 01 — UNLIT
For three seconds, Vihaan does what everyone else does: he calculates. One more warning could reduce his rating. A lower rating means fewer orders tomorrow. Fewer orders mean less money at home. The fallen rider lifts one hand, then lets it drop.
The app keeps counting. Vihaan stops.
He leaves the bike, the food and the timer behind. The stranger is conscious, but frightened. Vihaan asks the passing riders for help. One looks back. Another points toward the traffic. Everyone has somewhere else to be.
When the stranger says that his daughter is waiting, Vihaan does not promise that everything will be fine. He only stays. He calls for help, sits on the wet road and gives the man something solid to hold.
Above them, the first streetlight goes out.
Then the next. And the next—darkness travelling down the flyover in a straight line.
Nothing else happens. Vihaan does not fly. No voice chooses him. The delivery app marks the order late.
Hours later, he finds a branching mark across his shoulder. In a grey room outside the city, an old ledger receives a new name.
Vihaan sleeps without a cape. His shadow does not.
Episode File
Character: Vihaan Rathore
Location: Hyderabad — The Surface
Aether status: Unlit
Season: 1
Episode: 01
Everyone has a hero within them.
← Previous: Season 1 index · Shop SCU apparel →
Next: Episode 02 — The Tailor’s Door →
UNLIT: Frequently Asked Questions
Who is VoltCape?
VoltCape is Vihaan Rathore, a nineteen-year-old delivery rider from Hyderabad and the first hero of the SuperCape Universe. UNLIT is his origin story.
What happens in SCU Episode 1: UNLIT?
Four orders behind at 11 PM, Vihaan stops for a motorcycle accident on a Hyderabad flyover that every other rider passes by. He stays with the injured man until help arrives. As he does, the flyover lights go out one by one, a branching mark appears on his shoulder, and his shadow forms a cape.
Where is the SuperCape Universe set?
The SuperCape Universe (SCU) is an original Indian superhero comic set in Hyderabad. Its story follows how ordinary choices begin to move the Aether beneath the city.
When is SCU Episode 2 releasing?
Episode 02, The Tailor’s Door, is available now. New episodes are added to the SCU Season 1 page and announced on @supercapeclothing.
Where can I buy SuperCape Universe merchandise?
Official SCU apparel inspired by the comic, including oversized tees, sweatpants and caps, is available in The SuperCape Universe collection.
FROM THE SUPERCAPE UNIVERSE
Continue the Story. Wear the Universe.
Discover official SCU apparel inspired by the heroes, villains and worlds in every episode.
