Chapter Summaries

Thor fought the Grandmaster’s forces on Knowhere and encountered Valkyrie, the last survivor of her legion, working for the Grandmaster. Lex forced Thor to prioritize the battle, and Thor sent Valkyrie away while the Undead Legion revived across Knowhere.

• Thor unleashed a massive lightning attack on Knowhere and confronted Valkyrie, who condemned Asgard for the Valkyrie Legion’s destruction.
• Thor urged Valkyrie to leave the Grandmaster’s service and withdraw from the war, but she questioned his motives and kept her weapon ready.
• Lex seized Valkyrie and rebuked Thor for wasting time as the Grandmaster revived the Undead Legion.
• Thor persuaded Lex to release Valkyrie, then escorted her from the battlefield and asked her to leave Knowhere.
• Thor returned to the fight, striking the rapidly reviving enemies with thousands of lightning bolts.

The Grandmaster gave more than a hundred thousand fighters Undying Bodies, forcing the Void Cult to retreat and regroup as its leaders adjusted their battlefield assignments. The chapter left Claudia defending the northwest approach after exhausting much of her strength, while Loki stayed to watch over her.

• Steve and Peggy saw slain enemies revive, then escaped the building as the Undead Legion attacked with gunfire and suicide bombers.
• Thor blasted a large group of enemies with lightning, and the Precognitor ordered most Void Cult members to retreat and regroup while Thor and several others held their assigned areas.
• The Grandmaster spent cosmic energy resurrecting his forces, while Harvey watched the Void Cult's retreat without intervening.
• Loki regrouped with Steve, Peggy, and Pepper, but Claudia froze an approaching hurricane-wrapped monster and raised a massive barrier of ice.
• Steve urged Loki to help Claudia after she nearly collapsed, and Loki sent a duplicate to escort the others while his true body went to her.
• Claudia told Loki she could still defend the northwest approach and sent him to support Void Cult members facing greater pressure.

Sonia turned the battle against Knowhere’s Undead Legion, forcing the Grandmaster to confront Kassadin rather than risk further loss of Cosmic Power. Kassadin descended and evacuated the Void Cult fighters, leaving him and the Grandmaster to face each other at full strength.

• Loki left a duplicate with Claudia and rushed to help the fighters holding off the Undead Legion.
• Sonia used powerful air blades to tear open Knowhere’s terrain, slowing the Undead Legion and reversing the battle’s momentum.
• The Grandmaster decided to confront Kassadin, then emerged from shattered space and tried to kill Sonia with a sneak attack.
• Harvey descended from a vast Void Black Hole, rebuked the Grandmaster, and teleported the Void Cult members back to their battleship.
• The Grandmaster enlarged himself to two hundred meters, while Sonia told Jarvis to move the battleship farther away so Kassadin could fight without holding back.

Harvey tested Grandmaster in space before unleashing the full power of Kassadin, overwhelming him and trapping him as his regeneration slowed. Grandmaster’s attempts to escape failed, and he ended the chapter begging Kassadin to spare him.

• Harvey and Grandmaster left Knowhere and clashed in space, trading sword strikes and devastating attacks while Harvey tested Grandmaster’s regeneration.
• Harvey revealed that he had not been using his full strength and criticized Grandmaster for relying on cosmic energy instead of cultivating greater power.
• Harvey manifested Voidreaver Kha'Zix and merged its shadow into Kassadin, then vanished from Grandmaster’s perception and repeatedly tore him apart.
• Kassadin enveloped Grandmaster in a sphere of Void Power, slowing his regeneration and leaving him unable to use cosmic energy to teleport away.
• Grandmaster looked up at Kassadin and pleaded for mercy for the first time in his life.

Harvey forced the Grandmaster to submit to Kassadin by branding his soul, then ordered him to return to Sakaar. With the Grandmaster no longer a threat, Sonia sent Banner, Lex, and Kyle to Knowhere, while Thor set out with Loki to find Valkyrie.

• Harvey rejected the Grandmaster's offers and demanded eternal submission, threatening to kill him when he resisted.
• The Grandmaster swore an oath to Eternity, but Harvey rejected it and branded the Grandmaster's soul with a slave mark.
• Harvey told the Grandmaster to return to Sakaar, then informed Sonia and the others that the Grandmaster had become his servant.
• Banner, Lex, and Kyle volunteered to go to Knowhere, while Tony, Renoli, and Lacey declined.
• Thor asked Loki to help him find Valkyrie, the last surviving member of Asgard's Valkyrie Legion.
• Sonia ordered Banner, Lex, and Kyle to lead their teams to Knowhere and handle the aftermath.

After the Grandmaster submitted to Kassadin, Thor and Loki searched Knowhere for Valkyrie while Lex, Banner, and Kyle attacked the Collector. The Collector was killed, and Thor persuaded the injured Valkyrie to accept treatment and hear Odin’s explanation, leaving her bound for Void Island.

• Sonia forgave Thor for his mistake and sent him and Loki to find the person they were looking for.
• The Grandmaster returned to Knowhere, blamed the Collector for his predicament, and ended their brotherhood.
• Lex, Banner, and Kyle defeated the Collector’s forces, captured him, and Lex crushed his head.
• Thor and Loki found the badly injured Valkyrie, and Thor told her that her fallen sisters had entered Valhalla.
• Valkyrie softened when Thor offered to let her speak with Odin, and Thor carried her toward a waiting Cosmic Battleship bound for Void Island.

After the Collector’s death and the Grandmaster’s submission to Kassadin, Banner healed Valkyrie and explained how he had learned to use life energy. Thor planned to bring Valkyrie to Void Island and speak with Odin, while Banner joined them aboard the arriving battleship.

• The Precognitor sent a battleship to Knowhere and asked whether anyone in the Void Cult could heal Thor’s injured companion.
• Loki and Thor explained to Valkyrie that the Grandmaster had become Kassadin’s slave, while Asgard had joined the Void Cult as an autonomous member.
• Banner arrived and healed Valkyrie’s broken bones and old injuries by channeling life energy.
• Banner explained his healing ability to Loki, then revealed his human form and introduced himself to Valkyrie.
• Thor said he would take Valkyrie to Void Island and contact Odin to clear up misunderstandings, and Banner agreed to go with them.

Thor brought Valkyrie to meet Tony and the others, where they discussed her return to Asgard and the difficulty of killing Hela. The group then went to the Collector’s estate to inspect his collection, leaving Valkyrie time to consider Thor’s offer.

• Thor introduced Valkyrie to Sonia, Tony, Pepper, Steve, and Peggy, then took her and Loki to a meeting room.
• Tony asked Thor what he intended to do with Valkyrie, and Thor said he wanted her to learn the truth and choose whether to return to Asgard.
• Tony, Thor, and Loki explained that Hela could only die if Asgard were destroyed, and Thor assured Valkyrie she would not be forced to fight if she returned.
• Valkyrie asked to be alone, and Jarvis took her to choose a room while Banner went to join the others.
• Banner told Tony that Sonia had invited them to inspect the Collector’s collection, and Thor said he would apologize to Lex for their conflict.
• Tony, Banner, Thor, Loki, and Steve traveled to the Collector’s estate and entered to find biological specimens preserved in jars.

After the Void Cult finished cataloging the Collector’s immense collection, Tony and Banner found instruments and special metals for their research, and the group returned to Xandar laden with spoils. Sonia reported the expedition’s wealth to Harvey and proposed rewards for the Void Cult members, while planning further expansion.

• Lacey and seven Void Cult members appraised the Collector’s collections while Lex, Kyle, Renoli, and others moved them.
• Thor thanked Lex for warning him and accepted his advice, then helped with the work.
• Tony and Banner selected ancient instruments for sublight engine research and discovered the Collector’s large stockpile of special metals.
• After half a month of inventorying and hiring guards in Knowhere, the Void Cult members returned to Void Island with their spoils.
• Sonia reported that the Collector held over two hundred billion Universe Coins and proposed giving each Void Cult member one hundred million as a reward.
• Harvey approved the rewards, and Sonia planned to distribute them and consider linking islands or buying planets.

After the battle, the Void Cult celebrated while Lex advised Thor on protecting allies and explained how Asgard could earn approval to join the cult. The chapter ended with Lex describing how Kassadin saved Mogri and telling Thor that his deeds met the standard of a god.

• The Void Cult members celebrated their victory and recognized the strongest fighters, while Thor spoke with Lex about his mistakes during the battle.
• Lex told Thor that protecting Valkyrie had required decisive action, even if it seemed unreasonable, and Thor agreed to judge by battlefield circumstances in the future.
• Lex explained that Asgard would need Sonia’s approval and Kassadin’s examination before its people could join the Void Cult.
• Loki and Thor realized that Asgard’s leaders had to demonstrate loyalty and prove they could manage their followers to earn Sonia’s trust.
• Lex recounted how Kassadin had saved Mogri from repeated disasters and granted its people new life, then told Thor that his deeds met the standard of a god.

The Void Cult celebrated its victory at Knowhere as Sonia distributed a hundred million Universe Coins to each member, while Odin and Frigga planned to use future prosperity to strengthen Thor’s rule in Asgard. Across the galaxy, Iraani Rael learned that Kassadin had enslaved the Grandmaster and decided the Nova Corps should keep the truth quiet while observing how the Void Cult governed Knowhere.

• Loki resolved to study Void magic and find ways for Asgard to contribute to the Void Cult, while Tony, Banner, Steve, Pepper, Peggy, and the others discussed Earth and their future on Void Island.
• Sonia transferred a hundred million Universe Coins to every Void Cult member, prompting many to plan purchases, investments, debt repayment, and personal advancement.
• Odin and Frigga received their share and decided Thor should improve benefits for Asgard’s people after becoming king, helping him gain their support.
• Danna Saal told Iraani Rael that Kassadin had defeated the Grandmaster and marked him as a servant, despite public reports that the Grandmaster had merely retreated to Sakaar.
• Iraani Rael worried that the Void Cult might threaten Xandar’s independence, but decided the Nova Corps should not spread the news and should continue observing how the Cult handled Knowhere.

Thanos struggled with the loss of the Power Stone and the growing impossibility of his plan, while Corvus Glaive considered leaving his service. Ancient One and the gods of Olympus also reacted to Kassadin’s takeover of Knowhere, but neither saw a safe way to confront him.

• Thanos brooded over Kassadin taking the Power Stone and Knowhere, and blamed Ronan for delivering the stone to the Void Cult instead of him.
• Corvus Glaive considered abandoning Thanos as the failed plan and Thanos’s worsening anger made continued service more dangerous.
• Ancient One weighed Kassadin’s power against her responsibility to protect Earth and decided not to act without seeing a future that required her intervention.
• Ancient One resolved to wait for Stephen Strange’s expected path to begin, noting that only one year remained before she could retire.
• The gods at the Pantheon Banquet learned Kassadin had killed the Collector and forced the Grandmaster to retreat, leaving them fearful that Kassadin might target Olympus.

Zeus sought Odin’s help in assessing God of the Void Kassadin’s threat after hearing about the battle at Knowhere, but Odin refused to risk Asgard for Zeus’s benefit. Odin ended the call confident that Zeus would not challenge Asgard, which had joined the Void Cult, as Odin prepared to return to his peak.

• Zeus ordered an investigation into Knowhere and Kassadin’s battle with the Grandmaster, then tried to contact Odin for advice.
• Odin rejected Zeus’s first call, and Frigga recognized that Zeus was calling about Kassadin.
• Odin answered Zeus’s second call and pretended to be occupied with bedroom pleasures before hearing him out.
• Zeus urged Odin to fight Kassadin and offered to protect Asgard, but Odin accused him of trying to use Asgard and dismissed his offer.
• Odin hung up on Zeus and told Frigga that Zeus would not dare retaliate because Asgard had joined the Void Cult and Odin was nearing his return to peak strength.

Odin prepared Asgard to deepen its ties with the Void Cult while civilizations across the universe reacted to the Collector’s death. Back on Earth, Steve brought Vibrating Gold to train with and taught Pietro that he needed to master his speed and stay humble before stronger opponents.

• Odin decided that Asgard should offer the Void Cult its Bifrost and divine-artifact technology as he pushed reforms and prepared Thor and Loki to take over.
• Merchants, bounty hunters, and Ravagers worried that the Collector’s death had removed a major buyer and changed the universe’s trade.
• A week after the celebration, Steve, Pepper, and Peggy left Void Island; Pepper returned to Stark Mansion, while Steve took Vibrating Gold to the Private Island.
• Pietro struck a two-hundred-ton Vibrating Gold block, injured his hand, and learned that the metal was meant to test and develop combat skill.
• Steve explained that a supersonic Void Cult powerhouse used a long blade to cut through a Cosmic Battleship and told Pietro to train his speed and avoid arrogance.

Steve reassured Pietro that Blue Star would reach the stars in his lifetime and promised to help give him and Wanda legitimate identities. A week later, Sonia discussed how to manage Knowhere with Harvey, who advised her to support a local ruler and appoint a trusted coordinator; Sonia chose Lacey as the best fit.

• Steve told Pietro that Tony and Banner were close to building Cosmic Battleships and that Blue Star would connect with the universe within his lifetime.
• Pietro explained that he and Wanda had spent Christmas on the island, visited relatives, and avoided using their powers; Steve offered to have Pepper arrange identities for them through Stark Industries.
• A week later, Sonia worried that the Void Cult lacked a suitable, trustworthy manager for Knowhere, while Lex planned to go to Monster Planet.
• Harvey advised Sonia to preserve Knowhere's existing rules after banning human trafficking, support a local ruler, and assign one trusted person to coordinate with them.
• Sonia selected Lacey because her experience with the Black Market and familiarity with darkness made her more suitable than Sarah or Lalatina.

Harvey warned Sonia that authority and praise could subtly distort her judgment, and asked her to watch for changes in him as well. Sonia contacted Lacey to discuss appointing her as the Void Cult’s liaison to Knowhere, explaining the role and asking whether she would accept.

• Harvey told Sonia to consult Lacey rather than assigning her the Knowhere liaison role without her consent.
• Harvey asked Sonia to remind him if his behavior changed as his power grew, and Sonia promised to do so.
• Sonia contacted Lacey while she was dining with Sarah, Renoli, Kyle, and Precognitor.
• Sonia proposed that Lacey liaise with the puppet managing Knowhere and report to her, making clear that Lacey could refuse.
• Lacey asked why she had been chosen and what the work would involve, and Sonia explained that it would have only a limited effect on her usual activities.

Lacey accepted responsibility for overseeing Knowhere and headed there with her friends to choose a puppet manager. Meanwhile, Star-Lord said goodbye to the Guardians of the Galaxy and set off toward Void Island, backed by their money and encouragement.

• Sonia offered Lacey an official position managing Knowhere, and Lacey agreed after learning she could make handovers monthly, quarterly, or every six months.
• Lacey invited her friends to help choose a suitable puppet manager, while Kyle and Renoli warned Sarah against actively exposing herself to the Dark Dimension’s cruelty.
• Lacey and her companions boarded a Cosmic Battleship and traveled to Knowhere.
• After a week on Xandar, Star-Lord said goodbye to Gamora and the other Guardians of the Galaxy as he prepared to seek recognition on Void Island.
• Rocket, Drax, Groot, Nebula, and Gamora transferred money to support Star-Lord, who promised to repay them if he failed.
• Gamora led the remaining Guardians toward new jobs after Star-Lord departed.

Star-Lord arrived on Void Island to seek the Void Cult’s blessing and learned that its trial remained secret despite the island’s welcoming atmosphere. At the Void Temple, Void Envoy Sonia told the gathered applicants that the requirements were written on the Stone Tablet and urged them to trust what they had seen and show their sincerity.

• Mike ferried Star-Lord to Void Island and explained that the blessing was difficult to obtain, though ordinary visitors could stay and enjoy the island.
• Star-Lord paid Mike for a map, checked into a cheap hotel, and headed for the Void Temple.
• Star-Lord bowed respectfully before the statue of Kassadin and observed the large crowd hoping to join the Void Cult.
• Sonia emerged from the Void Temple and told the applicants to read the Stone Tablet’s requirements, trust their own eyes, and demonstrate their sincerity.

Star-Lord arrived at the Void Cult seeking its blessing, but the trial offered no guidance beyond the Stone Tablet’s doctrine and commandments. As other applicants left in frustration, he resolved to remain because passing the trial was his best chance to awaken his power and kill Ego.

• Sonia refused Mayalos’s demand for a clearer explanation, telling him the trial’s rules were written on the Stone Tablet and that doubters could leave.
• Mayalos stormed off, and most of the more than one thousand applicants gradually left after Sonia again declined to provide further guidance.
• Sonia told the few remaining applicants they could stay or leave, then vanished, leaving Star-Lord and one other person behind.
• The other applicant warned Star-Lord that the trial was a scheme and that attempts to bribe or impress the Void Cult would fail, then left.
• Star-Lord rejected the claim that the Void Cult sought to fleece applicants and decided to stay, determined to pass the trial so he could gain the power to kill Ego.

Star-Lord explored Void Island and questioned a cafeteria chef about the Void Cult’s members and trials, concluding that lasting, sincere faith was essential to earning a blessing. Harvey noticed Star-Lord’s application and chose to observe him over time before deciding whether to accept him.

• Star-Lord visited the cafeteria and learned from a chef that the Void Cult’s recruitment had grown stricter and that successful members shared unwavering faith despite their varied personalities.
• Star-Lord decided he must maintain sincere belief in the Void and Kassadin rather than rely on words or tricks to prove his devotion.
• Harvey received Star-Lord’s application, located him on Void Island, and asked Sonia about his arrival and behavior.
• Sonia reported that Star-Lord had remained after others were shaken, while Harvey decided to watch whether he could withstand the test of time before approving his application.