Chapter Summaries

Pietro and Wanda learned the truth about Tony and agreed to let go of their hatred, so Tony returned to Private Island and released them. Pietro then asked whether he and Wanda could protect Blue Star in exchange for a reward, and Tony told them to clean up before discussing it.

• Steve showed Pietro his bank balance to persuade him that a prosperous future was possible, and Pietro said he no longer blamed Tony after learning the truth.
• Wanda asked to be untied, and Banner contacted Tony, who watched a recording of their conversation and agreed to return.
• Tony arrived on Private Island, mocked Pietro, and heard him apologize and plead for Wanda to be spared.
• Tony dissolved the ropes around Pietro and Wanda after Pietro and Wanda promised not to threaten Blue Star.
• Pietro asked Tony about Steve's offer of a reward for protecting Blue Star, and Peggy took the siblings to bathe and find clean clothes.

Tony refused Pietro and Wanda’s request to protect Earth immediately, insisting that they first learn to control their newly awakened powers. He offered them paid training under Steve, with the possibility of much higher salaries if they earned Steve’s approval and passed Tony’s review.

• Tony told Steve and Banner that Pietro and Wanda would need to prove themselves before he trusted them, and Steve agreed to stay on Earth and supervise them for a yearly payment.
• Peggy brought Wanda and Pietro to the villa’s seaside terrace after they had bathed.
• Pietro asked Tony to let them protect Earth, but Tony rejected the request because they had only possessed their powers for a little over a month.
• Pietro suspected Tony might use Wanda as a bargaining chip, but Tony clarified that he was discussing hiring them and asked whether they wanted to earn money.
• Tony offered Pietro and Wanda five million dollars each per year while Steve trained them, rising to fifty million each if they earned Steve’s approval and passed Tony’s review.

Tony set conditions for approving Pietro and Wanda, then left them under Steve’s supervision while they trained to control their powers and prove they could protect Earth. Pietro learned that Tony’s technology and the Void Island were far beyond anything he had known.

• Tony told Pietro he would approve of them when they mastered their powers, earned Steve’s approval, and could be trusted with Earth’s safety.
• Tony urged Pietro to use his powers responsibly and explained that strength alone would not make him capable against stronger opponents.
• Tony left Pietro and Wanda in Steve’s hands, and Steve agreed to train them.
• Tony departed aboard the Cosmic Battleship, and Banner left for New York before returning to Void Island.
• Pietro asked Steve about Void Island and learned it was millions of light-years away and part of a technologically advanced empire.

Pietro tested his speed against Steve and learned that Steve was vastly more powerful and skilled. Steve warned Pietro and Wanda to behave while he was away, then began teaching Pietro how to train and when to protect Earth.

• Pietro challenged Steve to a spar after realizing Steve could track his movements, but Steve crossed two hundred meters before Pietro could see him move.
• Steve led Pietro to a training area and explained that Banner had trained there and that the damage in the forest came from Tony and Banner sparring.
• Steve easily countered Pietro's attacks, pointed out the flaws in his fighting technique, and offered to train him after returning from Void Island.
• Steve warned Pietro and Wanda not to cause trouble while he and Peggy were away, and Pietro promised they would behave.
• Pietro asked what protecting Earth meant, and Steve explained that they should handle extraordinary threats such as alien invasions and dangerous groups like Hydra, while avoiding interference in conflicts between nations.

Steve advised Pietro on using his powers responsibly and continued guiding him and Wanda on Private Island. On December 17, Steve, Peggy, Tony, Pepper, and Banner left for Void Island with the Mind Scepter, while Pietro and Wanda stayed behind.

• Steve explained to Pietro why powerful outsiders should not interfere too much in humanity’s affairs, and Pietro said he would protect Blue Star without misusing his powers.
• Steve occasionally guided Pietro and Wanda as they practiced their abilities, though Wanda made little progress with magic.
• Tony, Pepper, and Banner arrived at Private Island aboard the Cosmic Battleship, and Steve and Peggy prepared to leave for Void Island.
• Steve brought the Mind Scepter, and he and Tony discussed when Wanda and Pietro should learn about the Infinity Stones.
• Peggy defended Wanda and Pietro’s character, while Tony warned that Wanda could be ruthless; Banner then offered to explain Void Island’s rules and notable people during the journey.

Tony Stark returned to Xandar with Banner, Steve, Peggy, and Pepper, where the Void Cult’s influence and the beginnings of its internal roles became clear. After landing on Void Island, Tony reunited with his secretary Lalatina, who met Pepper and learned she was Tony’s wife.

• Tony’s battleship received priority passage to Xandar because it belonged to the Void Cult, and Banner explained the Cult’s reputation and Tony’s standing as a technology pioneer.
• Tony described the roles of Sonia, Kyle, Lex, the Precognitor, and other Void Cult members, while Pepper resolved to treat them with care.
• Jarvis landed the battleship at Tony’s laboratory on Void Island and connected to its systems as Tony prepared to visit the Records Temple and Sarah.
• Lalatina welcomed Tony back and asked him to notify her before future returns so she could plan her work.
• Pepper introduced herself to Lalatina as Tony’s wife, and Lalatina graciously offered to assist her.

Tony brought Pepper, Steve, and Peggy around Void Island, where they discussed Lalatina and the newcomers’ training. At the Records Temple, they reunited with Thor and met Odin and Frigga, who had been waiting there with Sarah.

• Lalatina welcomed Tony’s group, then returned to her work after Tony told her to follow her own plans.
• Pepper teased Tony about Lalatina, and Tony, Banner, and Steve joked about being attracted to beautiful women.
• Tony arranged for Jarvis to secure the group’s luggage, including the Mind Stone, and advised Pepper and Steve to pursue Void Cult certifications and training.
• Steve asked to spar with Lacey, while Peggy asked what she could learn from her; Tony explained that Lacey had much to teach them.
• Tony’s group reached the Records Temple, where they found Thor, Loki, Odin, and Frigga with Sarah; Thor explained they had waited there because Sarah made them feel welcome.

Tony welcomed Odin and his family to the Void Island and planned how to help them integrate into the Void Cult. He led them to the cafeteria after persuading Odin to let him pay, while Odin asked what tribute Tony would offer at the New Year Pilgrimage.

• Tony apologized to Sarah for arriving without warning and said he, Banner, and their companions would stay on the island for varying lengths of time.
• Sarah told Tony that Kyle and Lacey had gone to Monster Planet for training and would return with Lex the next day.
• Tony planned a grand banquet after the New Year Pilgrimage to help Odin and the others connect with the Void Cult, and Sarah agreed to attend.
• Frigga praised Sarah’s hospitality, while Thor and Loki felt pressured by Frigga’s encouragement to win Sarah over.
• Tony insisted on paying for the group’s cafeteria meal, explaining that exchanging hospitality would help Odin build closer relationships with the Void Cult members.
• Odin asked Tony what tribute he planned to offer at the New Year Pilgrimage, and Tony replied that he would wait to see what Lex planned.

Tony helped Odin and his family begin integrating into the Void Cult, while Harvey advised Sonia to let Odin seek help from Tony rather than intervene herself. After Odin agreed to stay on Void Island, Loki warned Steve that Wanda’s awakened magic could make her dangerous to teach.

• Tony brought Odin and his family to the cafeteria, where his relaxed conversation helped ease the Void Cult members’ wariness.
• Harvey told Sonia that Odin’s pride made Tony the best person to help him integrate, so Sonia watched the cafeteria through surveillance instead of stepping in.
• Tony hosted Odin and his family in the laboratory building and explained that Kassadin observed life on Void Island; Odin worried that his earlier discomfort had embarrassed him, but Steve called returning to Asgard and trying again a wise choice.
• Tony invited Odin and Frigga to stay overnight and said he would speak with Kyle and the others after they returned the next day.
• Steve told Thor and Loki that Wanda and Pietro had admitted their mistakes and would be tested during the group’s month away from Blue Star.
• Loki warned Steve that Wanda’s awakened magical bloodline might let her use powerful spells and cautioned him against her hypnosis.

Loki warned Steve that Wanda was a natural-born witch with dangerous potential, while Harvey considered the risks of her future power and chose not to interfere. The next morning, the Void Cult’s New Year Pilgrimage arrived, and Steve said he wanted to spar with Lacey.

• Loki explained to Steve that Wanda might awaken powerful magic and urged him to guide her conduct, while refusing to teach her himself.
• Tony recalled that Wanda had tried to hypnotize him when her powers first awakened, but his Void Power had resisted her.
• Harvey considered Wanda’s possible growth and decided she should not join the Void Cult, though he would not interfere with her future.
• Odin, Loki, Thor, Steve, Peggy, Pepper, and Banner watched the Void Cult’s fighters and battleships arrive for the New Year Pilgrimage.
• Steve told Loki he wanted to spar with Lacey and revealed he was eight evolutions short of two hundred; Loki wished him good luck.

Tony, Odin, and their companions went to the airfield to welcome returning Void Cult members, where Odin witnessed the power of Kyle, Lacey, and Lex. Kyle greeted Sarah and was introduced to Odin, beginning a friendly meeting between the Asgardians and the returning members.

• Steve stuck to his plan to spar with Lacey despite realizing he might have overestimated his abilities.
• Sarah and Lalatina met Tony’s group near the Records Temple and joined them on their way to the airfield.
• Lalatina explained to Pepper that Void Cult members returned for the New Year Pilgrimage to thank Kassadin for his blessings.
• Odin saw Kyle, Renoli, the Precognitor, and Lacey arrive, then sensed the formidable aura of Lex and heard Thor identify him as Lex the Yama.
• Kyle spotted Sarah, crossed the airfield to greet her, and let her introduce him to Odin and Frigga.
• Kyle introduced Lacey, Renoli, the Precognitor, and Lex to Odin as they gathered with Tony’s group.

Tony introduced Odin and the others to Lex and Lacey, two of the Void Cult’s most powerful members. Lacey demonstrated her overwhelming combat skill by defeating Steve in one strike, then explained how he could grow stronger.

• Lex introduced himself to Odin and credited his strength to the Void God Kassadin, then revealed that he had evolved 416 times.
• Lacey said she had evolved 382 times, while most Void Cult members had evolved around 200 times on average.
• Steve challenged Lacey to spar in combat techniques, and she immediately led him to the training grounds.
• Lacey caught and redirected Steve’s attack, then struck him with a technique that left him shaken and unable to move.
• Kyle explained that Lacey had mastered Transforming Strength, and Thor admitted he was not sure he could defeat her.
• Lacey advised Steve to improve his mentality, pursue far more evolutions, and master combat techniques to overcome his weaker starting point.

Steve accepted that Lacey had decisively outmatched him and asked her to teach him combat skills and guide his evolution. Lacey advised him to build his fundamentals through training before seeking detailed instruction, while the others discussed the strength and character of Void Island’s powerful women.

• Lacey explained that she had held back during the spar and told Steve his combat skills and control needed systematic training.
• Steve thanked Lacey and asked her to teach him; she agreed, recommending he train in the training grounds and become accustomed to forty times gravity first.
• Tony, Peggy, Sarah, Pepper, Loki, and Lex discussed Lacey’s strength and Sonia’s reputation and character.
• Lacey told Kyle that Steve was unhurt but needed to improve his foundation, and Kyle was relieved.
• Steve admitted to Tony that he was convinced, and Tony encouraged him to learn from Lacey as his evolutions increased.

Tony invited Lacey, Odin, and the others to the Laboratory Zone to discuss Odin joining the Void Cult. On the way, Kyle and the others explained Monster Planet’s rapid but grueling evolution process, and Loki agreed to go there with Lex next time.

• Odin praised Lacey’s fighting ability, and Tony invited the group to the Laboratory Zone to talk over a meal.
• Sarah declined the invitation because she had to record the returning Void Cult members, but accepted Tony’s invitation to a feast the following afternoon.
• Kyle and Lacey warned Banner and the others that Monster Planet’s monster meat accelerated evolution but caused intense nausea and days of hunger and poor focus.
• Renoli explained that members with fewer than a hundred evolutions could gain dozens of evolutions a month by eating there, tempting Odin before Kyle’s warning made him decide to recover by eating normally.
• Loki volunteered to visit Monster Planet with Lex, Thor asked Loki to report back, and Frigga expressed concern about her son going.

The group discussed plans to help Odin integrate into the Void Cult and compared their New Year offerings. Tony insisted that developing sub-light-speed engines remained essential, despite Asgard's teleportation technology, because he was determined to keep advancing.

• Steve admitted he was tempted to visit Monster Planet to grow stronger, and Lex praised his ambition while offering to help him.
• The group returned to Tony's laboratory, where Tony laid out a plan for Renoli and the others to publicly welcome Odin and his companions into the Void Cult.
• Lex said he planned to offer three billion Universe Coin, Tony matched his contribution, and Kyle and Banner named smaller amounts they could afford.
• Banner explained that research on sub-light-speed thruster engines had stalled, while Lex and Odin pointed out that Asgard's teleportation technology could make such engines less necessary.
• Tony argued that Bifrost technology could not be freely expanded or sold, so the Void Cult still needed to develop its own engines and keep moving forward.

Tony and Banner discussed advancing the Void Cult’s technology, and Odin’s suggestion led Tony to seek Nova Corps knowledge from Dam. After Dam agreed to share theories about sublight propulsion engines, Lex proposed conquering the Kree for their technology, but Tony chose to research further before asking Kassadin for approval to start a war.

• Tony said he and Banner would lead the Void Cult’s technological development, and Lex praised Tony’s determination.
• Odin asked whether the Void Cult had members in the Nova Corps, and Lex explained that Dam and others served there under Sonia’s instructions.
• Lex suggested Dam could share knowledge about sublight propulsion engines, and Tony messaged Dam, who agreed to provide relevant theories and guidance.
• Lex proposed conquering the Kree to obtain their similar technology, but Tony said they would research first and seek Kassadin’s approval only if necessary.

Lacey explained the Kree Empire’s overwhelming arsenal, and Lex argued that the Void Cult could defeat it by infiltrating Hala and killing its leaders. Harvey judged that war with the Kree would come eventually, but decided it was not yet time to act and left the choice to develop among the Void Cult’s members.

• Lacey listed the Kree Empire’s Supreme Intelligence, advanced technologies, cosmic warships, and twenty planet-destroying Stellar Warships, while Kyle and Odin described the threat they posed.
• Lex proposed infiltrating Hala to destroy the Supreme Intelligence and kill the Kree leadership before they could deploy their Stellar Warships, and Tony favored independent research for now.
• Harvey considered why Xandar’s Nova Corps deterred attacks on the Void Cult and concluded that the Kree Empire’s aggression made a future clash inevitable.
• Harvey decided not to launch a war yet, expecting Tony to reconsider after research proved difficult and Lex to keep urging the Void Cult toward action.

Sonia finished the Void Cult’s accounts and discussed its plans, the proposed attack on the Kree Empire, and the role of Tony’s allies from Blue Star with Harvey. Harvey reassured her that the Cult would not expand its territory yet, while privately reflecting on his feelings for Sonia and why he had not acted on them.

• Sonia reported that the Void Cult had 100 billion Universe Coins available and proposed beginning its farming and livestock plan next year, but Harvey told her to rest and postpone planning until after the New Year.
• Harvey told Sonia that Odin and Lex had considered attacking the Kree Empire to acquire technology, but Tony had temporarily held them back and Harvey would wait until they were ready before discussing it.
• Sonia worried that territorial expansion would stretch the Void Cult’s small membership and overburden its administration, and Harvey assured her that he had no intention of expanding for now.
• Sonia asked about Tony’s Blue Star companions, and Harvey said their good character made them trustworthy allies who could protect Blue Star while Tony focused on research.
• Harvey told Sonia that she only needed to look after the Void Cult, and she was relieved by his approval.
• Harvey recognized that Sonia had feelings for him, but he hesitated to change their relationship because he already felt guilty about how hard she worked.

Harvey and Sonia welcomed 2015 together as the Void Cult celebrated the New Year and held its pilgrimage. Odin offered seventy billion Universe Coins, making a grand public declaration of his devotion to the Void and asking the Cult to welcome Asgard.

• Sonia decorated the Summit Villa, then welcomed the New Year with Harvey, who affirmed that the Void Cult would continue needing her leadership.
• The Void Cult members, Tony, Lex, Steve, and others gathered at the Void Temple for the New Year Pilgrimage and presented their tributes.
• Tony and Lex each offered thirty billion Universe Coins, while Steve, Peggy, Banner, Pepper, and the Cult's senior members gave smaller contributions.
• Odin declared his gratitude to Kassadin, pledged Asgard's future support, and offered seventy billion Universe Coins.
• The Void Cult members welcomed Odin as a major figure and resolved to work harder after seeing his immense tribute.

Odin and the Asgardians sought acceptance into the Void Cult as its members welcomed them and learned about the knowledge and support Asgard would offer. After the New Year Pilgrimage, Odin thanked Tony Stark for helping create an opportunity for the two groups to connect.

• Renoli shook Odin’s hand, and Odin affirmed that the Asgardians hoped to join the Void Cult.
• Lacey asked Odin to teach common Asgardian magic, while Kyle and the Precognitor asked about Asgard’s technology and support; Odin promised to share the Bifrost and divine-artifact forging techniques.
• Tony announced a three-day banquet, and Void Cult members welcomed Odin and invited him to talk with them.
• Claudia joined the gathering, drawing Thor’s attention, while Lacey warned Loki that Claudia was as formidable as she was and Loki vowed to surpass her.
• After the New Year Pilgrimage ended without Kassadin manifesting, Odin left with Tony and thanked him for helping Asgard connect with the Void Cult.