Y'know, if my wife suddenly showed she could change into bestial forms---that there was a secret cabal of superhumans unknown to the world...I'd freak a little too.

Well...Arthur freaked a LOT.

He's not like the female reporter in the last storyline.  He's attacking what he perceives as a threat to mankind.

No, he didn't have much of a chance.  He's become a little unhinged from the knowledge.  Still...you can empathize with him a little. 

Especially since most of the Next Level ARE a threat to mankind.

I had a little fun with Flicker's transformation this time.  I imagine if asked to become a policeman, he'd pick some actor famous for being a policeman.  Most TV cops are plainclothes, which isn't a good cover. CAR 54, WHERE ARE YOU, ADAM-12, and other shows with uniformed badges are decades old.  But EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND is still going strong in reruns, with his huge policeman brother.  (Although he doesn't weigh as much as the original actor. He made himself less dense.)