Chapter Summaries

Li Chen assigned Zack Snyder to direct “Superman 2” and James Wan to direct “Batman 2,” while discussing Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and new horror films. He revealed that Captain America had awakened and proposed making him play himself, then invited Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane to a Taylor Swift concert.

• Li Chen asked Zack Snyder to direct “Superman 2” and outlined Supergirl’s space adventure in “Woman of Tomorrow.”
• Li Chen assigned James Wan to direct “Batman 2,” introduce Wonder Woman in its post-credits scene, and supervise horror films including “The Substance.”
• Li Chen told the meeting that Captain America, Steve Rogers, had awakened, and proposed having him play himself in the Marvel Universe films.
• Li Chen discussed new animation plans with Katherine and ended the meeting.
• Li Chen invited Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane to a Taylor Swift concert after work.

Li Chen attended Taylor Swift and Dazzler’s concert with Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane, then returned home to his maids and Nami. The chapter ended with Li Chen watching Mission: Impossible 2 and reflecting on Wu Baige’s role in MGM’s decline.

• Taylor Swift welcomed Dazzler onstage, and the two singers performed for an excited audience that included Li Chen, Gwen Stacy, and Mary Jane.
• After the concert, Li Chen took Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane backstage, where Taylor Swift and Dazzler thanked him before the four women began chatting.
• Li Chen considered adapting video games into films and concluded that faithfully casting Chun-Li would be especially difficult.
• Li Chen returned home, where Rem, Ram, 2B, and A2 greeted him, and 2B and A2 asked to accompany him to protect him.
• Li Chen hugged Nami and watched Mission: Impossible 2, thinking that he should thank Wu Baige because the director’s later failure had contributed to MGM’s decline.

Clea hired Bayonetta and Jeanne to rescue her people from the mages of Kamar-Taj, offering them resources from the Dark World. After Clea explained that Kamar-Taj protected Earth, the women confronted a group of its mages at the No Door Bar and attacked them.

• Clea asked Bayonetta and Jeanne to help free her captured people, and they agreed in exchange for Dark World resources.
• Clea warned the witches that Kamar-Taj defended Earth from other dimensions, so they could not simply slaughter its mages.
• When a portal brought Kamar-Taj mages into the No Door Bar, Bayonetta and Jeanne approached them with Clea.
• Bayonetta slammed a mage into a table and demanded that the mages release Clea's people.
• The mages attacked with magic arrays, but Jeanne swept them off their feet, and she mocked their weakness in close combat.

Bayonetta and Jeanne defeated a group of Kamar-Taj mages while searching for the sorcerers who had taken Clea, then announced they were heading to Kamar-Taj. As Li Chen prepared to intervene, he watched the completed film and Natasha began investigating recruits for her team, growing suspicious of S.H.I.E.L.D.

• Bayonetta and Jeanne beat the Kamar-Taj mages at the tavern, but Clea confirmed that they were not the ones she recognized.
• Bayonetta decided to go to Kamar-Taj, and Jeanne called Li Chen to tell him they were going there to fight their way in.
• Li Chen was alarmed by their plan but watched the screening of Lucy, where Natasha’s performance impressed him and the theater representatives.
• Natasha investigated Skye and Crystal, chose them as potential members of her team, and turned down agents trained by S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Natasha suspected that a hidden organization was controlling S.H.I.E.L.D., which reminded her of the Red Room.

Bayonetta, Jeanne, and Clea infiltrated Kamar-Taj to find the people Clea believed Kaecilius had captured. They confronted Kaecilius and his group, only to learn that Clea’s people were already gone and that the sorcerers had taken power from the Dark Dimension.

• Bayonetta used Witch Time to hide the group as they searched Kamar-Taj, while Mordo sensed their presence.
• Clea described the sorcerers she sought, and Kamar-Taj sorcerers identified Kaecilius and led the group to him.
• Clea recognized Kaecilius and accused him of capturing her people; Bayonetta ended Witch Time and confronted the group.
• Kaecilius said Clea’s people were already gone, and Clea sensed that he and his followers had taken power from the Dark Dimension.

Bayonetta and Jeanne attacked Kaecilius and his fellow mages after Clea exposed Kaecilius as a traitor serving Dormammu. Kaecilius escaped behind Mordo and Kamar-Taj’s defenders, leaving Bayonetta ready to fight the other mages.

• Clea urged Bayonetta to stop the Dormammu-influenced mages, and Kaecilius called Clea a traitor and ordered his allies to kill them.
• Bayonetta protected Clea, shattered Kaecilius’s energy whip, and opened fire while Jeanne attacked the other mages.
• Bayonetta overwhelmed Kaecilius in close combat as Jeanne knocked down his accomplices, and the gunfire brought Kamar-Taj’s mages running.
• Kaecilius used the Winds of Watoomb to escape Bayonetta and hid behind Mordo as Bayonetta’s summoned demon lunged after him.
• Mordo and the Kamar-Taj mages formed a shield that blocked the demon, allowing Kaecilius to flee; Bayonetta recalled the demon and prepared to fight the remaining mages with Jeanne.

Bayonetta and Jeanne fought the Kamar-Taj sorcerers, while Wong used their defeat to teach them the value of close combat. After Bayonetta defeated Mordo, Jeanne received a call and asked Wong to open a portal so they could return for a meal.

• Nie Jin recognized Bayonetta and told the sorcerers that she was a powerful witch from a game, while Bayonetta said she would teach them a lesson.
• Mordo ordered the sorcerers to attack Bayonetta, Jeanne, and Clea, and Bayonetta and Jeanne quickly overwhelmed them in close combat.
• Clea tried to imitate Bayonetta and Jeanne but was nearly subdued by the sorcerers.
• Mordo fought Bayonetta, who transformed into a black panther before defeating him with a high kick and a side kick.
• Wong told the battered sorcerers that the Sorcerer Supreme had taught them to fight at close range, and they acknowledged the lesson.
• Jeanne answered a phone call, then asked Wong to open a portal so the group could return for a meal.

After watching Lucy, Li Chen met the Ancient One, who warned him that he had disrupted the timeline but said it was acceptable if he did not alter the final outcome. She revealed that Li Chen had no talent for Kamar-Taj magic and suggested Bayonetta could become Sorcerer Supreme, leaving Li Chen relieved that Bayonetta was safe and would return soon.

• Li Chen secured assurances from theater representatives that Lucy would receive a good number of screenings, then learned someone was waiting in his office.
• Li Chen found the Ancient One in his office, and she told him he had disrupted the timeline but would be allowed to continue if he did not change the final outcome, especially at Kamar-Taj.
• Li Chen realized the Ancient One wanted to retire, then asked whether he had a talent for magic; she told him his talent was negative and that Kamar-Taj's borrowed magic did not suit him.
• The Ancient One said Bayonetta was especially talented and could become Sorcerer Supreme, but Li Chen expected Bayonetta to refuse the role.
• The Ancient One said Bayonetta and the others would return soon, and Li Chen concluded that Bayonetta was strong enough to handle Kamar-Taj's mages.

Li Chen welcomed Clea after Bayonetta and Jeanne returned from the Dark World, then visited the White Queen at the Hellfire Club. She warned him that powerful vampires and the Inhumans had returned to Earth, and told him that Selene was an ancient Mutant rather than a vampire.

• Bayonetta introduced Clea to Li Chen, who learned that she wanted to free the Dark World from Dormammu but could not defeat him.
• Clea enjoyed a meal with Li Chen's household, then opened a portal and returned to the Dark Dimension.
• Li Chen went to the Hellfire Club and the White Queen warned him that powerful members of the Blood Clan had become active again.
• The White Queen explained that Selene was one of the oldest Mutants, not a vampire, and Li Chen promised not to mistake her for one.
• The White Queen told Li Chen that the Inhumans had returned to Earth and were mortal enemies of Mutants.
• Li Chen and the White Queen turned their attention to intimacy when she insisted on finishing the latest episode of Game of Thrones.

At the premiere of “Lucy,” Li Chen and Tony Stark watched Natasha’s action-heavy performance and discussed the film’s appeal. The movie ended to ten minutes of professionally arranged applause, while Li Chen reflected on Natasha and the expectations surrounding fame.

• Ridley Scott promoted “Lucy” at its premiere after Natasha refused to walk the red carpet, drawing more attention to the director than to the unknown leading lady.
• Li Chen and Tony Stark attended the premiere, and Tony worried that the upcoming “Iron Man” premiere would not be impressive enough.
• Hollywood actresses approached Li Chen and Tony, who welcomed their attention for different reasons.
• The audience watched Natasha portray Lucy, whose brain develops to its full potential before she passes her knowledge to future generations on a USB drive.
• Tony asked about Natasha, and Li Chen told him she was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, prompting Tony to abandon the idea of pursuing her.
• The audience applauded for ten minutes after the film, and Li Chen explained that the applause came from hired professionals.

Skye, Crystal, and Natasha went shopping and discovered that Natasha had starred in the movie Lucy, which they watched together. The film impressed Skye and Crystal, while it strengthened Natasha’s wish to retire from dangerous agent work.

• Skye gave Natasha the information she had requested, and Natasha’s Black Widow Team now had three members: Natasha, Skye, and Crystal.
• Skye asked Natasha for time off, and Natasha agreed to join Skye and Crystal on a shopping trip.
• In Times Square, Skye spotted a Lucy movie poster featuring Natasha, who denied being the woman pictured.
• Skye and Crystal pulled Natasha into a cinema, where they watched Lucy and confirmed that Natasha was the lead actress.
• Natasha explained that acting had been part of a mission, while Skye and Crystal watched Lucy gain superhuman powers and wondered whether brain development could truly be so powerful.

After seeing Natasha Romanoff in Lucy, Dreykov summoned Melina and accused Natasha of betraying the Red Room. He ordered mind-controlled Yelena to go to America and kill Li Chen, the man connected to Natasha and Starlight Pictures.

• Dreykov watched Lucy and recognized Natasha Romanoff, whom he hated for betraying the Red Room.
• Dreykov summoned Melina and showed her Natasha in the film, confirming her identity.
• Dreykov revealed that he had made Yelena obedient through mind control and planted miniature bombs in the Black Widows.
• Dreykov ordered Yelena to go to America, destroy Natasha’s life, and begin by killing Li Chen.

Li Chen reviewed Lucy’s successful box-office results and prepared new animation projects for Starlight Pictures. He made Dragon Ball the company’s top priority as it expanded into more genres.

• Gwen Stacy gave Li Chen Lucy’s box-office report, which showed the film had earned $54 million in its North American opening weekend and topped the weekly chart.
• Li Chen was pleased that Lucy was on track to make a profit and considered drawing the film’s brain-enhancing substance, CPH4.
• Li Chen learned that Gwen Stacy had resumed superhero work as Ghost-Spider in Los Angeles, where her activities had drawn attention.
• Li Chen summoned Katherine and gave her a slate of animation projects, including a sequel to Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World and works across new genres.
• Li Chen identified Dragon Ball as Starlight Pictures’ top-priority project and said it could become a worldwide hit like Pirate King.

Li Chen gave Katherine a collection of manga concepts to produce, then went home and intercepted Yelena Belova when she tried to assassinate him. He rescued her from Dreykov’s control and took her home unconscious.

• Li Chen shared concepts for Dragon Ball, Spy × Family, Hokage Ninja, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Attack on Titan, and Slam Dunk, and Katherine began choosing which manga to produce.
• Li Chen gave Gwen Stacy and Lorna Dane the rest of the day off and prepared to go home.
• Yelena approached Li Chen outside Starlight Pictures under Dreykov’s orders, but he caught her and heard Dreykov command her to retreat.
• Li Chen knocked Yelena unconscious, removed the miniature bomb from her neck, and crushed it.
• Li Qianhuan arrived in Bumblebee, and Li Chen brought Yelena home.

Dreykov failed to detonate Yelena’s bomb and ordered his people to relocate after learning who Li Chen was. Yelena woke in Li Chen’s estate, learned he had removed the bomb, and agreed that they both wanted Dreykov to pay.

• Dreykov’s attempt to detonate Yelena’s bomb failed, so he ordered Melina taken into custody and prepared to move to another base.
• Dreykov researched Li Chen, discovered the scale of his power, and ordered an immediate relocation.
• Yelena woke under Rem’s watch and tried to attack her, but Rem quickly subdued her and told her Li Chen had saved her.
• Yelena found that Li Chen had removed the bomb from her neck and went downstairs to meet him.
• Li Chen told Yelena he did not blame her for the assassination attempt and would make Dreykov pay, and Yelena agreed.

Li Chen reunited Yelena with Natasha by video call, but the sisters’ strained relationship erupted into a furious argument over Li Chen. The call ended with Yelena kissing Li Chen again, while he stayed out of the sisters’ fight.

• Yelena thanked Li Chen for freeing her from Dreykov’s control, and he teased her about calling him brother-in-law because of his relationship with Natasha.
• Yelena explained that she resented Natasha for leaving the Red Room and abandoning the sisters who remained under Dreykov’s control.
• Li Chen called Natasha and revealed that Yelena was with him, surprising Natasha and drawing Crystal and Skye’s attention.
• Yelena kissed Li Chen to provoke Natasha, and the sisters traded angry insults about their relationship and their past.
• After Natasha and Yelena ended the call, Li Chen comforted Yelena, who kissed him again.

Natasha traveled to Li Chen’s estate after learning that Yelena had arrived, while Yelena prepared to challenge her over Li Chen. The sisters confronted each other, and Yelena’s deliberately public kiss sparked their fight.

• Natasha requested leave from S.H.I.E.L.D. and set off for Los Angeles with Crystal and Skye.
• Li Chen welcomed Yelena into his household, and Yelena put on her white Widow uniform to prepare for Natasha’s arrival.
• Natasha, Crystal, and Skye reached Li Chen’s estate, where Natasha and Yelena faced each other.
• Yelena accused Natasha of betraying their sisterhood and kissed Li Chen in front of her.
• Natasha and Yelena roared and charged at each other.

Natasha and Yelena fought to vent their anger, then joined forces to tackle Li Chen and eased their conflict. Natasha introduced him to her teammates Skye and Crystal Amaquelin, and Li Chen learned that his influence had kept Natasha from receiving dangerous missions.

• Natasha and Yelena fought fiercely but avoided using killing moves, while Li Chen and the others watched.
• Li Chen told the sisters to stop fighting, so they attacked him together and knocked him onto the grass.
• Yelena reminded Natasha of their childhood promise to stay together, and the sisters appeared less angry afterward.
• Natasha introduced Skye and Crystal Amaquelin as her teammates, then sent them to find a hotel.
• Li Chen recognized Skye as the hacker Quake and asked why Natasha led a team; Natasha said his actions had made others stop assigning her dangerous missions.

Natasha reunited with Yelena and learned how Dreykov had tightened his control over the Black Widows after Natasha escaped. Li Chen promised to help them take revenge, and the chapter ended with Natasha going into his room while Yelena tried to ignore them.

• Natasha and Yelena met 2B and A2 at Li Chen’s house and learned that they were androids.
• Yelena told Natasha that Dreykov had mind-controlled the Black Widows and implanted bombs in their necks after Natasha left.
• Natasha vowed to avenge the others, and Li Chen promised to help because they were his people and Dreykov had provoked him.
• Li Chen took Yelena to a guest room and carried Natasha into his own room after they drank.
• Yelena went to the bathroom and heard Natasha singing loudly behind the closed door.

Li Chen drew and tested CPH4, raising his brain development to 25%, while Natasha and Yelena prepared to hunt down Dreykov. The chapter ended with Natasha revealing Skye’s shockwave powers as they assembled a team for the mission.

• Natasha and Yelena came downstairs and found the manor full of Li Chen’s companions.
• Li Chen spent 100,000 reputation points on a ten-pull, receiving five bags of CPH4 and other rewards.
• Li Chen drank three bags of CPH4 and raised his brain development from 21% to 25%.
• Natasha and Yelena told Li Chen they wanted to find Dreykov and take revenge themselves, and he agreed to support them.
• Natasha asked 2B and the others for help; 2B and A2 agreed to join the infiltration team.
• Natasha told Yelena that Skye could create powerful shockwaves capable of causing a small earthquake.