diff --git a/protected/bifrost.js b/protected/bifrost.js
index 75a36e5..c7ab935 100644
--- a/protected/bifrost.js
+++ b/protected/bifrost.js
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@
         el.style.opacity = '1';
         el.style.transform = 'none';
       });
+      // The hero-wrap is hidden by CSS (`.js .hero-wrap { opacity: 0 }`)
+      // to prevent a flash during page activation — unhide it here since
+      // we're skipping the fade-in tween.
+      const heroWrap = document.querySelector('.hero-wrap');
+      if (heroWrap) heroWrap.style.opacity = '1';
       // Still fade the Europe map fully in — it's the scene background.
       const mapEl = document.getElementById('overview-globe');
       if (mapEl) mapEl.style.opacity = '1';
@@ -360,50 +365,17 @@
 
     // Script 1 body — HERO + SCENE 2 (architecture stack) + SCENE 3 (words) + SCENE 4 (bifrost arc)
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------
-     HERO — staggered intro on load
+     HERO — single overall fade-in. The wrap is hidden via CSS
+     (`.js .hero-wrap { opacity: 0 }`) so the hero stays invisible
+     during the page-activation transition, then fades in once
+     Bifrost has booted.
      ------------------------------------------------------------- */
-  const heroTl = gsap.timeline({ defaults: { ease: 'power3.out' } });
-
-  // Split the hero title into lines-ish spans for a nicer reveal
-  const heroTitle = document.querySelector('.hero-title');
-  if (heroTitle) {
-    // preserve <br>, wrap visible text chunks in spans
-    const walk = (node) => {
-      const kids = [...node.childNodes];
-      kids.forEach(k => {
-        if (k.nodeType === Node.TEXT_NODE && k.textContent.trim()) {
-          const frag = document.createDocumentFragment();
-          k.textContent.split(/(\s+)/).forEach(tok => {
-            if (tok.trim()) {
-              const w = document.createElement('span');
-              w.className = 'htw';
-              w.style.display = 'inline-block';
-              w.style.overflow = 'hidden';
-              const inner = document.createElement('span');
-              inner.style.display = 'inline-block';
-              inner.style.transform = 'translateY(110%)';
-              inner.style.willChange = 'transform';
-              inner.textContent = tok;
-              w.appendChild(inner);
-              frag.appendChild(w);
-            } else {
-              frag.appendChild(document.createTextNode(tok));
-            }
-          });
-          node.replaceChild(frag, k);
-        } else if (k.nodeType === Node.ELEMENT_NODE && k.tagName !== 'BR') {
-          walk(k);
-        }
-      });
-    };
-    walk(heroTitle);
-  }
-
-  heroTl
-    .from('.eyebrow',  { opacity: 0, y: 14, duration: 0.7 }, 0.15)
-    .to('.hero-title .htw > span', { y: '0%', duration: 1.05, stagger: 0.045, ease: 'power4.out' }, 0.2)
-    .from('.hero-lede', { opacity: 0, y: 20, duration: 0.9 }, 0.7)
-    .from('.hero-foot', { opacity: 0, y: 14, duration: 0.8 }, 0.9);
+  gsap.to('.hero-wrap', {
+    opacity: 1,
+    duration: 1.0,
+    ease: 'power2.out',
+    delay: 0.1,
+  });
 
   /* -------------------------------------------------------------
      ARCHITECTURE — two-phase scrubbed sequence
diff --git a/protected/index.html b/protected/index.html
index 91a5948..63836c4 100644
--- a/protected/index.html
+++ b/protected/index.html
@@ -790,6 +790,10 @@ html {
     margin-inline: auto;
     padding-top: clamp(2rem, 6vh, 4rem);
   }
+  /* Hide the hero on first paint while JS is booting so it doesn't
+     flash in raw form during the page-activation transition. The
+     Bifrost init fades it in once ScrollTriggers are wired up. */
+  .js .hero-wrap { opacity: 0; }
 
   .eyebrow {
     font-size: var(--step-sm);