Recaps

Xia Yu stalled the Mandarin while secretly healing and strengthening himself, then tricked him into approaching by throwing a jade pendant. The Mandarin picked it up just as Xia Yu produced weapons and attacked.

• The Mandarin kept his distance and questioned the wounded Xia Yu, who gave false names and fabricated stories about where he kept his weapons.
• Xia Yu asked for another hundred million, provoking the Mandarin to strike him with the poison beam from his ring.
• Xia Yu used the apparent pain to conceal his use of the Nine Yang Divine Skill and his loading of the fourth, fifth, and sixth levels of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill.
• Xia Yu pretended to reveal a treasure and threw a jade pendant toward the Mandarin, drawing him close enough to retrieve it.
• As the Mandarin bent to pick up the pendant, Xia Yu produced a case, a riot shield, and an AK, then opened fire.

After surviving the missile blast that wounded him and The Mandarin, Xia Yu spent three days recovering in a cellar with Natasha at his side. He contacted Tony Stark, who arranged for James Rhodes to bring him back while keeping Xia Yu’s injuries secret from doctors.

• Xia Yu hid in a village cellar with catastrophic injuries, while The Mandarin survived and returned to his lair to heal.
• Natasha found Xia Yu after eight hours and stayed with him in the cellar for three days as he slowly recovered.
• Xia Yu and Natasha decided to keep their relationship private and arranged for him to return by calling Tony Stark.
• Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, who had feared Xia Yu was dead, received his call and learned he was alive.
• Xia Yu told Tony to have James Rhodes carry him out on a stretcher and avoid bringing a military doctor to examine him.

After recovering at Tony Stark’s home, Xia Yu watched Tony announce the end of Stark Industries’ weapons sales and develop the Mark II armor. Tony’s first flight tests wrecked his lab and Xia Yu’s chosen car, and the two headed to a firefighter charity gala together.

• Xia Yu recovered at Tony Stark’s home, shared his adventures while keeping Natasha and the system secret, and let Tony study the Space Ring and Heart of Xia.
• Tony Stark held a press conference announcing that Stark Industries would stop selling weapons, then devoted himself to building the Mark II while Xia Yu supported him and joked about his failed tests.
• Tony successfully flew in the Mark II on the day Xia Yu no longer needed his wheelchair, but crashed through the garage ceiling and crushed the Shelby Cobra Xia Yu had chosen.
• Tony decided to replace the armor’s shell with Gold-Titanium Alloy and chose a red-and-gold color scheme after discussing it with Xia Yu and JARVIS.
• Tony invited Xia Yu to a firefighter charity gala, and reporters photographed the two arriving together.

At Tony Stark’s party, Stan Lee’s mysterious words pushed Xia Yu to stop hiding his abilities and cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D. The chapter ended with Xia Yu demonstrating his power to Coulson and accidentally soaking him.

• Tony and Xia Yu met Stan Lee at the party, where Stan stared at Xia Yu, told him to follow his heart, and then denied having been there when Xia Yu asked Tony about him.
• Coulson approached Tony and Xia Yu to ask about Afghanistan, and Tony left Xia Yu to speak with him.
• Xia Yu invited Coulson to his home and agreed to discuss the desert fight, while Coulson asked about the black-robed man and Xia Yu’s identity.
• Coulson explained that S.H.I.E.L.D. had found satellite images and energy traces from Xia Yu’s fight with The Mandarin.
• Xia Yu showed Coulson his power by blasting water high into the air with a palm strike, accidentally drenching Coulson and apologizing.

Xia Yu agreed to help Tony Stark investigate Obadiah Stane’s suspected betrayal and accompanied Pepper Potts to search Stark Industries for evidence. Pepper uncovered illegal weapons records and plans for the Iron Monger armor, along with a video linking Obadiah to Tony’s kidnapping.

• Xia Yu decided to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and left Natasha a message, but Tony Stark came to visit him instead.
• Tony told Xia Yu he had killed Ten Rings terrorists and suspected Obadiah Stane of selling weapons to terrorists and arranging his kidnapping.
• Xia Yu urged Tony to accept that he and Obadiah had chosen different paths, and Tony asked Xia to accompany Pepper Potts while she searched Stark Industries.
• Tony told Xia that Pepper would meet him at Stark Industries the next afternoon, then flew away from Xia’s rooftop.
• Xia accompanied Pepper through Stark Industries, where Pepper used Tony’s USB drive to access a secret server folder containing weapons files, Iron Monger blueprints, and a video made for Obadiah after Tony’s kidnapping.

Xia Yu helped Pepper Potts copy evidence proving Obadiah Stane’s involvement with terrorists and illegal weapons sales, then assisted her in bringing the evidence to Agent Coulson. After learning that Obadiah’s arrest would require extensive coordination, Xia Yu accepted a system mission to protect Pepper and help Iron Man defeat Iron Monger.

• Pepper Potts copied files implicating Obadiah Stane while Xia Yu blocked him from approaching her computer.
• Xia Yu accepted a system mission to protect Pepper and help Iron Man defeat Iron Monger, with an extra reward for killing Iron Monger himself.
• Pepper met Agent Coulson and showed him the evidence, while Xia Yu told Tony Stark that Obadiah had arranged his kidnapping and supplied weapons to terrorists.
• Xia Yu told Tony to stay home while Coulson coordinated with government agencies to obtain authorization to arrest Obadiah Stane.

Xia Yu battled Obadiah Stane in the Iron Monger armor while Tony Stark recovered and flew to confront him. After Xia Yu got Pepper Potts to safety, Tony took Iron Monger into the sky, and Xia Yu headed to Stark Industries to wait for them to return.

• Obadiah Stane stole Tony Stark's small Arc Reactor, leaving Tony to use the Heart of Xia and then fly with James Rhodes toward Stark Industries.
• Xia Yu, Agent Coulson, and Pepper Potts reached Obadiah Stane's hidden facility, where Xia Yu kicked down the iron door and found the Iron Monger prototype.
• Obadiah Stane attacked the group in Iron Monger, but Xia Yu caught his punch, dodged his blows, and taunted him as Coulson and the others escaped.
• Obadiah Stane fired a machine gun at Xia Yu, who drew him toward the entrance and found Pepper still there.
• Tony Stark arrived and confronted Iron Monger, while Xia Yu carried Pepper several blocks away before returning toward the battlefield.
• Xia Yu saw Tony Stark take Iron Monger into the sky, then went to Stark Industries to wait for them to come back down.

Tony Stark battled Obadiah Stane’s Iron Monger after both suits lost power at high altitude, but Stane recovered and cornered Tony on the roof of Stark Industries. Tony was slammed onto the skylight above the building’s Arc Reactor, with Pepper too far away to help and Xia Yu unreachable.

• Tony Stark baited Obadiah Stane into flying Iron Monger high enough for it to ice over, then escaped as the suit lost power.
• Tony Stark used Mark 3’s backup thrusters to reach the roof of Stark Industries, where Xia Yu had just entered the elevator.
• Obadiah Stane thawed out during his fall, seized Tony, and crushed the powerless Mark 3 until Tony fired incendiary rounds that damaged Iron Monger’s targeting system.
• Tony Stark asked Pepper for help and asked where Xia Yu was, but Xia Yu’s broken phone prevented her from receiving Pepper’s call.
• Tony Stark climbed onto Iron Monger’s head and damaged its armor and wiring before Obadiah Stane grabbed him and slammed him onto the skylight above the Arc Reactor.

Xia Yu defeated Obadiah Stane by dismantling Iron Monger and killed him despite Tony Stark’s attempt to stop him. The system then rewarded Xia Yu with 8,000 Points and a lottery draw.

• Iron Monger attacked Tony Stark on the roof while Xia Yu arrived and taunted Obadiah Stane.
• Obadiah fired a missile at Xia Yu, who dodged it and used the Heaven Reliant Sword to disable Iron Monger.
• Xia Yu approached the immobilized Obadiah as Tony emerged and begged him to wait.
• Xia Yu ignored Tony and stabbed Obadiah through the armor, completing his mission.
• Tmall awarded Xia Yu 8,000 Points and one system lottery draw.

Xia Yu and Tony Stark defeated Obadiah Stane, then went to Xia Yu’s home with Pepper Potts, where they found Nick Fury waiting. Fury raised the existence of other superheroes and hinted at a larger initiative.

• Xia Yu told Tony that leaving Obadiah Stane alive could endanger him and Pepper, then sat with Tony after the fight.
• Xia Yu mocked Tony for claiming to be the protagonist and dismantled the Iron Monger, while Tony took its Arc Reactor.
• Agent Coulson and government officials arrived to find Obadiah Stane dead and the Iron Monger reduced to scrap, and Xia Yu claimed a meteor had done it.
• Tony handled the government response, and he, Xia Yu, and Pepper went to Xia Yu’s home for hot pot.
• Nick Fury surprised Xia Yu at home and asked whether he thought he and Tony were the only superheroes in the world.
• Xia Yu confronted Fury about concealing the Hulk’s destruction in Harlem and threatened him for trespassing.

Nick Fury pitched the Avengers Initiative to Tony Stark and Xia Yu over dinner, but Tony showed little interest and Xia Yu agreed only to join the Avengers, not S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury then pressured Xia by threatening to send Natasha Romanoff on more dangerous missions, revealing that he knew about their relationship.

• Xia Yu recognized Nick Fury as a former client and explained that his abilities came from martial arts.
• Nick Fury introduced himself as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and joined Xia Yu, Tony Stark, and Pepper Potts for dinner.
• Xia Yu questioned Nick Fury about waiting in the dark for them, embarrassing him before the group returned to discussing the Avengers.
• Tony Stark showed little interest in the initiative, while Xia Yu agreed to join the Avengers but refused to participate in S.H.I.E.L.D. operations.
• Nick Fury said he would send Natasha Romanoff on more dangerous field missions, using Xia Yu's feelings for her to pressure him.

Xia Yu agreed to join the Avengers Initiative after Nick Fury revealed he had tracked Natasha Romanoff’s movements, while Tony Stark refused to join. After discussing Xia Yu’s relationship with Natasha, Tony explained why he intended to become someone who protected people in Iron Man Armor.

• Xia Yu accused Nick Fury of spying on Natasha, and Fury explained that Natasha’s movements had revealed her connection to Xia Yu.
• Xia Yu agreed to join the Avengers Initiative on the condition that he could avoid day-to-day work and only be called for missions.
• Xia Yu admitted that he had invested nearly all his money in Stark stock, and Tony Stark mocked him for it.
• After Nick Fury left, Xia Yu told Tony Stark and Pepper Potts how he had met Natasha Romanoff.
• Tony Stark explained that he had once believed his weapons protected people, but now thought the world needed someone in Iron Man Armor to step forward and protect them.

Tony Stark committed to protecting people as Iron Man, while Xia Yu discovered Tony was suffering from palladium poisoning. At a press conference, Tony abandoned his prepared statement and publicly declared himself Iron Man.

• Tony told Xia Yu he planned to devote his life to protecting people in the Iron Man Armor.
• Xia Yu used the Nine Yang Divine Skill to make Tony expel a mercury-like substance, which Tony identified as palladium poisoning.
• Coulson gave Xia Yu a phone and a Level 1 S.H.I.E.L.D. ID, explaining that Xia Yu would remain at that rank unless he accepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s authority to assign him.
• At Stark Industries, a reporter pressed Tony about the previous night's events, and Tony publicly said, "I am Iron Man."

After gaining the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, Xia Yu settled into life with Natasha and helped Tony Stark improve his fighting skills and develop new armor. He brought Tony into S.H.I.E.L.D. as a consultant and prepared for the Stark Expo, where Tony forced Xia Yu to sing as the opening act.

• Xia Yu used his system lottery to obtain the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, a ranged attack technique that unleashed streams of dragon-shaped force or combined eighteen dragons into one strike.
• Nick Fury assigned Natasha to stay in Los Angeles, where she assessed Tony Stark and helped him train alongside Xia Yu.
• Tony worked on armor for Xia Yu and combat gadgets for Natasha while Xia Yu guided Tony's physical training.
• Natasha revealed that Howard Stark had been a S.H.I.E.L.D. founder, and Nick Fury had Coulson deliver Howard's belongings to Tony, who developed the New Element and became a S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant.
• Xia Yu's Stark Industries investments grew substantially as he anticipated the Stark Expo and the start of Iron Man 2.
• Tony threatened to pull Stark Industries' support from Xia Yu's Herbal medicine Group unless Xia Yu agreed to sing at the expo, and Xia Yu gave in.

At the Stark Industries Expo, Xia Yu prepared to perform while the crowd clamored for Tony Stark. He took the stage to boos and introduced “Rolling in the Deep,” joking that Tony needed time to adjust his shoe lifts.

• Natasha helped Xia Yu get ready to perform and teased him about the crowd calling Tony Stark’s name.
• Tony called Xia Yu to check whether he was ready and told him to warm up the audience.
• Xia Yu chose to sing “Rolling in the Deep” rather than reveal more unfamiliar songs in public.
• The crowd booed Xia Yu and demanded to see Tony Stark and Iron Man.
• Xia Yu joked about Tony’s shoe lifts and announced his song.

Xia Yu sang at Tony Stark’s expo opening before Tony made a dramatic entrance in the Mark 6 armor. After Tony received a subpoena, the group discussed the next day’s Senate hearing and the government’s demand for Iron Man technology.

• Xia Yu’s song quieted the boos, and Natasha remembered how their relationship had given her a home beyond missions and fighting.
• Tony arrived at the expo in the Mark 6 armor, thanked Xia Yu for his performance, and delivered the opening speech.
• A law enforcement officer served Tony a subpoena and showed interest in Xia Yu, so Natasha called him her boyfriend and pulled him into the car.
• Tony teased Natasha and Xia Yu about jealousy and marriage during their ride in a limousine.
• Tony said he would not hand Iron Man technology to the government, and Natasha assured him that S.H.I.E.L.D. would support him at the hearing.

Xia Yu intervened at Tony Stark’s Senate hearing, using S.H.I.E.L.D. records and sharp arguments to counter claims that Iron Man was a weapon the government could seize. Tony then exposed footage of Hammer and the military’s armor tests, leaving the Senate and military humiliated as he and Xia Yu departed.

• Tony Stark faced senators demanding that he hand over Iron Man technology, while James Rhodes testified that Iron Man posed a national security threat.
• A senator announced that Tony was a S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant and combat operative, and Xia Yu arrived to confirm his status with official records.
• Justin Hammer argued that Iron Man was a weapon, but Xia Yu challenged his reasoning and said the armor itself was not a weapon.
• A Hydra senator brought up footage from Rhodes’s report, and Tony replaced it with footage of Hammer and the military conducting human armor tests.
• The hearing ended in public humiliation for the Senate and military, and Tony left with Xia Yu after boasting about Iron Man’s ability to maintain world peace.
• Xia Yu looked back at the Hydra senator with an intimidating gaze that made him shudder.

Nick Fury explained the origins of the Avengers Initiative and proposed forming a covert emergency response team with Tony Stark, Xia Yu, Captain America, Natasha, Hawkeye, and the Hulk. The group left without committing, while Captain America’s early discovery and a possible future crisis suggested the Avengers could appear ahead of schedule.

• Nick Fury told Tony Stark, Xia Yu, and Natasha how he had encountered Vers in 1995 and learned about the Skrulls, the Kree, Project Pegasus, and the Tesseract.
• Nick Fury explained that Tony Stark becoming Iron Man and Xia Yu rescuing him had renewed his hope for the Avengers Initiative, while the Hulk’s emergence led S.H.I.E.L.D. to monitor Bruce Banner.
• Nick Fury revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D. had found Captain America unconscious in Greenland and listed him, Tony Stark, Xia Yu, Natasha, Hawkeye, and the Hulk as potential team members.
• Nick Fury proposed a mostly covert emergency response team and asked Tony Stark to help provide an undisclosed base and equipment, while Tony pointed out that the politicians would not approve the plan.
• Nick Fury did not ask for a formal decision, leaving the group time to consider the proposal as Captain America’s early discovery brought the Avengers’ possible debut closer.

Xia Yu considered how to form the Avengers early without letting governments control them, concluding they needed greater strength and a wider perspective beyond Earth. He planned to use the coming events of Iron Man 2 and Thor to begin that path, and Tony Stark had received an invitation to a Monaco race.

• Xia Yu reflected that the Avengers’ future conflict with governments would stem from efforts to place them under the Sokovia Accords.
• Xia Yu judged that the Avengers needed powerful military and technological resources to avoid becoming political pawns.
• Xia Yu planned to use Thor’s events to make contact with Asgard after the Avengers earned prestige in the Battle of New York.
• Xia Yu began preparing for the early formation of the Avengers as the events of Iron Man 2 and Thor approached.
• Tony Stark received an invitation from the Monaco racing club to watch a race.

Before leaving for Monaco, Tony Stark completed Xia Yu’s flight-capable armor, and Xia Yu traveled to the race with Tony, Natasha, Pepper Potts, and Happy. At the club, Xia and Tony mocked Justin Hammer, while Tony revealed Xia’s role as the boss of Herbal medicine Group.

• Tony Stark finished Xia Yu’s black armor with back and leg thrusters and a dragon-inspired reactor design.
• Xia Yu boarded Tony’s private jet for Monaco with Natasha, Pepper Potts, and Happy, and Tony secretly said he planned to race.
• Xia Yu and Tony encountered Justin Hammer at the club, where Tony introduced Xia as his business partner and the real boss of Herbal medicine Group.
• Reporter Christine asked to interview Xia, and he agreed to arrange a time before turning his attention back to Justin Hammer.
• Xia told Justin to follow his own path instead of imitating Tony, insulted his appearance, and left with Tony after Tony added another jab.

At the race, Ivan Vanko attacked the track as Whiplash, and Xia Yu chose to stop him without killing him. Xia Yu made a dramatic public entrance above the circuit as Pepper rushed to find him and Justin Hammer watched Whiplash with delight.

• Tony Stark left the table and appeared on television in a racing suit, alarming Pepper Potts.
• Xia Yu chose the mission to defeat Whiplash rather than kill him, hoping to face Whiplash again later in his complete form.
• Xia Yu slipped away, and Natasha followed him to the spectator stands.
• Xia Yu recognized Ivan Vanko’s Arc Reactor and told Natasha he would stop him.
• Whiplash sliced a race car in two with his energized whip, while Pepper ran to find Xia Yu and Justin Hammer watched approvingly.
• Xia Yu changed into his suit, leaped above the track, and descended in a dramatic entrance that drew the crowd’s attention.

Xia Yu defeated Whiplash at the race and helped Tony confront him, revealing that Tony had already cured his palladium poisoning. After the police took Whiplash away, Xia Yu and Tony fled the reporters, leaving Pepper Potts surrounded.

• Xia Yu challenged Whiplash and struck him with golden dragon-shaped energy, knocking him down.
• Xia Yu stopped Tony's race car and gave him the Mark 5 armor so he could approach Whiplash.
• Whiplash claimed Tony would die of palladium poisoning, but Tony revealed he had synthesized a replacement element and removed Whiplash's chest reactor.
• The police arrested Whiplash, who accused Tony's family of stealing from his father, Anton Vanko.
• Xia Yu flew away, and Tony followed after signaling Pepper Potts; reporters then rushed toward Pepper while Natasha left her behind.

After a week vacationing in Morocco with Natasha, Xia Yu returned to Los Angeles and joined Tony Stark and Nick Fury to discuss the Avengers Initiative and its immediate tasks. Fury sent Xia Yu to New Mexico to meet Coulson and investigate the hammer that had fallen from the sky.

• Natasha told Xia Yu that Tony Stark faced government pressure over his reactor and that a reporter had praised Xia Yu as the Dragon Knight, and Xia Yu joked with her before they continued their vacation.
• After a week traveling around Morocco with Natasha, Xia Yu returned to Los Angeles when Nick Fury called him back to Tony Stark's house.
• Tony said he had agreed to join the Avengers Initiative on the condition that he did not trust the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Xia Yu agreed to hear Fury's plans.
• Fury said Tony would give James Rhodes an armored suit without its technology, while S.H.I.E.L.D. evaluated Steve Rogers before introducing him to the public.
• Fury made Xia Yu a consultant and sent him to New Mexico to find Coulson, investigate the fallen hammer, and meet Hawkeye.

Xia Yu accompanied Coulson to investigate the hammer that no one could lift, then unexpectedly picked it up and found himself inside Mjolnir. There, Odin questioned him after realizing Xia Yu was not bound by the rules governing the hammer.

• Xia Yu arrived at Jane Foster's house and joined Coulson in taking her equipment to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigation site.
• Coulson explained that the hammer had fallen from the sky and could not be moved, even with a heavy truck.
• Xia Yu tried to lift the hammer and was transported into a space filled with chaotic energy and lightning.
• Odin appeared and told Xia Yu that he was inside Mjolnir, Thor's enchanted hammer.
• Odin said Xia Yu should not have been able to lift Mjolnir and asked where he came from, leaving Xia Yu panicked.

Xia Yu spoke with Odin’s spirit inside Mjolnir, learned that Odin considered him Thor’s destined benefactor, and received an invitation to Asgard. He woke after three hours and prepared to report to Nick Fury, while Coulson still wanted an explanation for what had happened.

• Xia Yu panicked when he encountered Odin’s phantom inside Mjolnir, but Odin reassured him and began talking about his children.
• Coulson found Xia Yu frozen and unresponsive, sealed off the site with Hawkeye, and followed Nick Fury’s instruction to wait.
• Odin described his troubled children and told Xia Yu that he had seen him fighting beside Thor during Ragnarok.
• Odin explained that he and Ancient One could glimpse fragments of the future, then invited Xia Yu to visit Asgard.
• Xia Yu woke after speaking with Odin for three hours, told Coulson he had only taken a nap, and asked whether Coulson had slapped him.