Max Ride: Final Flight #5 is the fifth and final issue of Marvel Comics' third arc.
Blurb[]
THIS IS IT — THE FLOCK MAKE THEIR FINAL STAND IN THE CONCLUSION TO JAMES PATTERSON'S ADVENTURE! It's all been leading to this: the ultimate showdown between the FLOCK and their creators! But it's ITEX's home turf and they've unleashed their ultimate engineered human: OMEGA! Is MAX strong enough to save the world? Or are they truly "expired"?
Plot[]
Max prepares to battle Omega, but the Director tells her that they will be competing in a series of contests. She unlocks Max's wings, but tells her that if she tries to escape, her friends will die. Omega wins the test of strength and is about to win the race in their test of speed when Max bursts into flight. The Director claims Max cheated, ignoring Max's protest that she never said flying was against the rules, and moves on to the test on intelligence.
Meanwhile Fang, Iggy and Gazzy are outside the building. A crowd of Fang's fans show up with signs to protest.
The Director announces that the final test will be a battle to the death. Max tries to reason with Omega, but he says he doesn't know how to disobey. Max thinks about trying to break his programming and help him, but he lunges at her. He has her by the throat when Ari jumps into the arena and knocks him away. Suddenly, Ari slumps to the ground, dead. Max and a weeping Jeb kneel next to him. Jeb tells Max to finish the fight, using the Voice to secretly tell her the weaknesses of Omega and the Flyboys. Max tells Angel to telepathically start a riot and begin taking out the Flyboys. Using her turbo speed, Max knocks out Omega.
Outside, Iggy and Gazzy blast a hole in the wall, and the protestors charge in. Max lifts the Director into the air, and gets her to admit the truth that Max's real mother is Dr. Martinez.
Later, government officials are seen taking the scientists and the Director away. Jeb and the reunited Flock take a plane back home, and Max is reunited with Dr. Martinez and Ella. They all eat a meal together; Max makes a toast to Ari's memory, and Ella tells her to save room for dessert: chocolate chip cookies.