Act.17 opens with Dr. Coppelius, the head of the super-human research team, discussing the progress of his work. He has completed the coppelion map, which will allow him to create "super humans" . He is worried that the map will lead to the launch of a new generation of super-powered weapons, but he is confident that this will not happen. He tells the assembled scientists that he will give the map to the first nation that wishes to use it.