Chapter Summaries

Thanos saw Kassadin’s display but chose not to risk confronting him, planning instead to wait for Odin and the Ancient One to die before pursuing the Infinity Stones. On Void Island, the group discussed Kassadin’s recovery and the Void Cult’s future campaign, which they hoped would be delayed while they prepared and traveled.

• Thanos considered taking the Power Stone but decided to wait and seek the other Infinity Stones after Odin and the Ancient One died.
• Tony reunited with Renoli and the others on Void Island and said his work developing Blue Star had progressed after studying Xandar’s history.
• The group concluded that Kassadin was recovering his strength, while Renoli argued that the Void Cult needed more capable members before conquering worlds.
• Odin said he hoped the campaign would wait so he and Frigga could travel for a few years.
• The group avoided discussing Hela or Thor’s violation of the precepts to keep other Void Cult members from trying to imitate him.

After sleeping for seventy-two days while absorbing the Dark Star, Harvey awakened with power that let him face multiversal threats without fear. He lifted the Void Cult’s alert, promised to return for the New Year pilgrimage, and went to Earth, where he confronted Ancient One as her soul was fading away.

• Harvey awakened after seventy-two days, and powerful beings across the multiverse sensed his presence through Void Threat.
• Sonia told Harvey how the Void Cult, Lex, Tony, and Odin had guarded him, then announced his awakening and lifted the alert.
• Harvey told Sonia that the Void Cult would fear no threat and agreed to manifest his divinity again for the New Year pilgrimage.
• After eating and bathing, Harvey returned from Xandar to Earth and watched Ancient One give Stephen her final lesson before her soul disappeared.
• As Ancient One was about to enter the Soul Realm, Harvey appeared and told her that Stephen would soon be his.

Harvey watched Stephen Strange take up the Sorcerer Supreme’s responsibility, then confronted Dormammu in the Dark Dimension and forced him to agree to leave. The chapter ended when Stephen arrived and Dormammu considered killing him, while Harvey invited him to try.

• Ancient One’s soul departed for the world of souls, and Stephen Strange reversed time with the Time Stone to restore the destroyed sanctuary and the dead.
• Harvey confronted Dormammu in the Dark Dimension and warned him to leave the universe he intended to protect.
• Dormammu challenged Harvey, so Harvey revealed his colossal Dark Star Voidreaver Kha'Zix form and overwhelmed him with his power.
• Dormammu backed down and agreed to leave the universe rather than risk Harvey hunting down his followers across the multiverse.
• Stephen flew into the Dark Dimension after preparing a time loop, and Harvey told Dormammu to try dealing with him.

Stephen Strange forced Dormammu to withdraw by using a time loop, then learned that the being called God of the Void Kassadin was beyond the Time Stone’s reach. Following Kassadin’s advice, Stephen visited Tony Stark, who began explaining his own unusual powers.

• Stephen repeatedly confronted Dormammu with the Time Stone until Dormammu agreed to withdraw the Dark Dimension’s invasion.
• Harvey revealed his humanoid form as God of the Void Kassadin, told Stephen to seek out Tony Stark, and vanished beyond the Time Stone’s influence.
• Stephen returned to Kamar-Taj, where Mordo left and Wong said he had never heard of Kassadin; Wong decided to investigate the name.
• Stephen traveled to Stark Mansion, where Jarvis briefed Tony on Stephen’s past and his role in stopping Dormammu.
• Tony welcomed Stephen, demonstrated precise control over physical force, and conjured a ball of flame.

Tony demonstrated Void magic to Stephen and explained the cosmic powers and the Void Cult, revealing how much Ancient One had left out of Stephen’s education. Their spar ended with Tony effortlessly overpowering Stephen, and they returned inside to continue talking.

• Tony showed Stephen how he used Void Power to transform elements without hand seals, then asked why Stephen had come.
• Stephen asked who Kassadin was and what he wanted on Earth, so Tony used a star map to explain the Void Cult, Xandar, and the universe’s powerful figures.
• Tony told Stephen that Ancient One and Odin were peak-level universal powerhouses, and Stephen admitted Ancient One had not personally taught him much.
• Stephen challenged Tony to spar, but Tony caught his magical rope without harm and learned that Kamar-Taj magic could not directly transmute elements.
• Tony instantly subdued Stephen with a casual strike, told him he was too weak, and flew back into the villa to continue their discussion.

Tony told Stephen Strange that Ancient One had deliberately chosen death after finding him as her successor, then explained Kassadin’s power and the Void Cult’s reach. He revealed the cult’s members in the Nine Realms and described the benefits and costs of receiving a Void blessing.

• Tony told Stephen that Ancient One had voluntarily sought death after a thousand years of guarding Blue Star and had hidden many things from Kamar-Taj.
• Stephen asked about Kassadin, and Tony said Kassadin was vastly more powerful than Ancient One but had no intention of destroying the universe.
• Tony warned Stephen to keep the Void Cult’s existence secret, then named its members on Blue Star and in the Nine Realms.
• Tony explained that Odin, Frigga, Thor, and Loki had joined the Void Cult, while Odin still needed Kassadin and Sonia’s permission to obtain greater blessings for Asgard’s soldiers.
• Stephen asked about Void blessings, and Tony said they extended life and opened the path to strength, but required members to control their desires or risk becoming monsters hunted by the cult.

Tony explained the Void blessing’s costs and his own reasons for embracing immortality to Stephen, who asked about the cult before deciding whether to join. Stephen remained uncertain, and Tony made clear he would eventually leave Earth to pursue his own ideals.

• Tony told Stephen that immortality could become torture without a purpose, as it had for the Ancient One, and described his own hopes of researching technology and leaving a legacy.
• Tony said Pepper could remain an anchor for him through the long years, then encouraged Stephen to consider joining the Void Cult while warning that admission required passing a test.
• Stephen asked whether the Void blessing resembled Dormammu’s dark power and whether members ate living creatures, and Tony explained that it granted gradual evolution through ordinary food and disciplined cultivation.
• Stephen asked how long Tony had belonged to the cult and how strong he was, and Tony said he had been a member for more than eight years and ranked among its top-tier members.
• Stephen asked whether Tony planned to stay on Earth, and Tony said he would help Earth reach the interstellar age but would not guard it forever because he wanted to live for himself.

After Stephen left Tony, he investigated the wider universe and the Void Cult to understand the power he would need to protect Earth. In Ancient One’s hidden book, he discovered that Kassadin had defeated and enslaved Grandmaster and was an overwhelming multiversal threat.

• Stephen chose to return home and consider Tony’s offer, while Tony told Jarvis that Stephen was not essential to the Void Cult.
• Harvey watched the exchange and expected Stephen to return for a Void blessing, while considering the progress of Star-Lord’s test.
• Stephen searched the London Sanctum’s library and compared its records of the galaxy with the information Tony had shown him.
• Stephen entered the library’s restricted section and found Ancient One’s book, Void Chapters, addressed to the future Sorcerer Supreme.
• Stephen read Ancient One’s account of Kassadin’s arrival, his defeat and enslavement of Grandmaster, and her warning to negotiate rather than fight him.

Stephen studied Ancient One’s records about the Void Cult and decided to seek its blessing so he could become strong enough to face the dangers around Earth. He visited Tony Stark’s mansion to ask about joining, but Jarvis warned him that Tony could not simply recommend him.

• Stephen read Ancient One’s profiles of the Void Cult’s powerful members, including Tony Stark, Lex, Thor, and Grandmaster, and realized how dangerous the group was.
• Stephen concluded that Earth was unlikely to be targeted for now, but he needed to grow stronger to handle threats in the magical world.
• Stephen decided to seek membership in the Void Cult and left the library to visit Tony Stark’s mansion.
• Stephen asked Jarvis whether Tony could recommend him, and Jarvis explained that the Void Cult had no recommendation system.

Stephen met Harvey Anberaka, who revealed himself as the God of the Void Kassadin, and declared his ambition to surpass Ancient One. Harvey granted Stephen a Void blessing, leaving Tony to guide him as he began his path toward greater strength.

• Stephen arrived at Tony's villa and asked what he needed to do to join the Void Cult.
• Harvey questioned whether Stephen's desire for power rested on an ideal of his own rather than duties imposed by others.
• Stephen admitted that he wanted to become the strongest and surpass Ancient One, not merely replace her.
• Harvey approved Stephen's ambition and granted him a Void blessing.
• Tony questioned whether Stephen's unchecked ambition could lead him astray, and Harvey told Tony to teach him while remaining ready to intervene if necessary.

Stephen joined the Void Cult, experienced his first evolution, and regained sensation in his crippled hands as Tony explained the cult’s rules and the path to greater strength. The chapter ended with Tony transferring $200 million to help Stephen afford food while he adapted to Void life.

• After Kassadin left, Tony welcomed Stephen into the Void Cult and guided him through his first meal and evolution.
• Stephen’s first evolution restored sensation to his damaged hands, and Tony explained how repeated evolutions improved the body.
• Stephen learned that Tony had evolved 504 times and that he could accelerate his progress by enduring severe hardship after the New Year Pilgrimage.
• Tony warned Stephen that the Void Cult’s commandments applied equally to everyone and reassured him that the Nine Realms and the cult would support him.
• Tony had Jarvis transfer $200 million to Stephen so he could afford food during his adaptation to the Void.

After recruiting Stephen Strange into the Void Cult, Harvey returned to Void Island and discussed Stephen’s role as its future magic instructor with Sonia. Sonia planned for a Magic Temple, which would organize Kamar-Taj spells and the magic developed by Void Cult members.

• Stephen questioned Tony about evolution and learned how Void blessing differed from black magic before leaving with a Universal Communicator.
• Harvey returned to Xandar Void Island and told Sonia that Stephen Strange would become the Void Cult’s magic instructor after adapting to his blessing.
• Harvey explained that Stephen’s value lay in bringing Kamar-Taj’s convenient spells to the Void Cult, while Sonia discussed her interest in Space Teleportation.
• Sonia decided to plan a Magic Temple and organize the Void Cult’s magic and evolutionary paths; Harvey agreed it could be established in about two years.

Harvey observed Star-Lord as he continued seeking a Void blessing after nearly two years on Void Island, despite outsiders mocking him as the Pilgrim. Harvey left the test unchanged and would decide whether to grant Star-Lord a blessing when his reunion with his companions drew near.

• Sonia woke Harvey, helped him get ready, and shared dinner with him before he used his Overlook to observe the island.
• Several outsiders mocked Star-Lord for seeking a blessing for nearly two years, but he ignored them and continued toward the cafeteria.
• Star-Lord reflected on how training and life on Void Island had strengthened him, and resolved to return to seek a blessing even if he had to leave without one.
• Sarah, Kyle, Renoli, Lacey, and the Precognitor praised Star-Lord's perseverance and discussed his potential as a future member of the Void Cult.
• Harvey admired Star-Lord's conviction but decided to keep the test in place until the time of Star-Lord's reunion with his companions approached.

Sonia announced that Kassadin would reveal himself during the New Year Pilgrimage, and Harvey approved Dam notifying the Nova Corps in advance. As Stephen joined Tony and Pepper on their journey to the gathering, Tony warned him about the emotional risks of immortality and the lifelong mental struggle required by the Void blessing.

• Sonia announced that Kassadin would reveal himself at the New Year Pilgrimage, prompting Void Cult members to plan to attend.
• Dam asked permission to inform the Nova Corps ahead of the revelation, and Harvey approved notifying them three days before the pilgrimage.
• On December 17, Stephen arrived at Stark Mansion with his recovered hands and improved physical condition, and Tony, Pepper, and he departed aboard a Cosmic Battleship.
• Tony advised Stephen that an immortal Void Cult member should choose a long-lived partner or avoid emotional attachment, and Pepper explained that Tony had secured her a chance to receive the Void blessing.
• Stephen asked about opportunities for Christine, and Tony explained that trust had allowed Pepper to seize hers; he then cautioned Stephen that regret could become fatal and that the blessing demanded lifelong struggle.

Stephen accepted Tony and Pepper’s warning not to seek a Void blessing for Christine, then arrived at Tony’s private island and met the other Void Cult members. His arrival left Pietro envious of the members’ youth and wondering how he could meet Kassadin and seek a blessing.

• Tony and Pepper warned Stephen that asking Kassadin for a blessing for Christine could lead to resentment and ruin, and Stephen thanked them for helping him see the danger.
• Tony brought Stephen to his private island, where Steve, Peggy, Banner, Wanda, and Pietro had gathered.
• Stephen made a showy descent from the battleship, and Tony introduced him as the new Sorcerer Supreme and a Void Cult member.
• Steve, Peggy, and Banner welcomed Stephen as a compatriot, while Wanda and Pietro reacted to the news that he was the Sorcerer Supreme.
• Pietro envied the Void Cult members’ youth and wondered how he could meet Kassadin and pursue a Void blessing.

Stephen tried to demonstrate Kamar-Taj magic to Steve and Banner, but their instinctive Void Power broke his hands; Banner healed him, and Stephen later showed the group his spells. The chapter ended with Tony and Pietro questioning the magical world's restrictions on using magic.

• Stephen tried to knock Steve and Banner's souls from their bodies, but their Void Power backlashed and broke both his hands.
• Banner healed Stephen with life energy and explained that learning the ability would require around three hundred evolutions; Stephen declined because he planned to focus on Void Power.
• Stephen explained his soul magic and demonstrated spells including Mirror Dimension manipulation, teleportation, and conjured weapons.
• Stephen said that Space Teleportation required magical talent and Kamar-Taj seniority, while he could not teach Mirror magic because Ancient One taught it personally.
• Stephen described the magical world's rules against disrupting nature or using magic for personal profit, and Tony and Pietro challenged those restrictions.

Tony, Steve, and Banner took Stephen to Void Island to introduce him to the Void Cult and its way of life. After learning about the cult’s powerful members and traveling through space, Stephen arrived at Xandar and asked where Void Island was.

• Pietro explained to Stephen that material security could help prevent people from becoming desperate, and Tony invited Stephen to experience the Void Cult on Void Island.
• Tony, Steve, Banner, and Stephen left Blue Star aboard a Cosmic Battleship, while Pietro and Wanda stayed behind to guard it.
• During the journey, Stephen discussed Ancient One’s records of the Void Cult’s powerful members and learned that Lex was dangerous to outsiders but dependable to fellow members.
• The group reached Xandar after more than ten hours, and Stephen marveled at its fleets, technology, and vast capital city.
• Banner told Stephen that Void Island occupied the islands across the sea beside Xandar City.

Stephen visited Void Island with Tony and the others, learned about the Void Cult’s wealth and life there, and became eager to try an Evolution Meal Set to speed up his evolution. The group headed to the cafeteria, where Stephen hoped some limited portions were still available.

• Tony explained to Stephen that Sonia had bought the sea around Xandar City and that the Void Cult’s business brought in vast wealth.
• Tony said Kassadin spent more time on Xandar than Earth and warned Stephen not to tell Void Island members that Kassadin sometimes visited Earth.
• Tony brought Stephen and the others from the laboratory to the cafeteria, where Banner explained that Evolution Meal Sets boosted evolution and were sold in limited quantities.
• Banner told Stephen that only Sonia could reserve Evolution Meal Sets because she ordered them for Kassadin, while other members had to buy them first come, first served.
• Stephen abandoned the idea of secretly arranging a meal and hurried toward the cafeteria, while Steve reflected that his own evolution had slowed after three hundred and twenty evolutions.

Stephen Strange joined Tony and the others at the lavish Void Cult cafeteria, where he met Kyle, Renoli, and Precognitor. Their conversation about magic, precognition, and the multiverse left Stephen facing the Void Cult’s freer outlook while Precognitor warned that knowing too much could burden the mind.

• Stephen was amazed by the luxurious cafeteria as Tony and the others brought him inside to eat.
• Kyle, Renoli, and Precognitor returned from Monster Planet and joined the group, explaining that Lex had brought them back for Kassadin’s manifestation.
• Tony introduced Stephen as Ancient One’s disciple and the new Sorcerer Supreme, prompting Renoli and Precognitor to welcome him.
• Stephen declined Precognitor’s invitation to discuss precognition, explaining that Kamar-Taj forbade casually foreseeing the future to protect the natural order.
• Precognitor urged Stephen to follow the Void Cult’s rules without living in excessive restraint, while warning Tony that knowledge of the multiverse could bring pressure and worry.

The Precognitor explained how alternate universes, time, and multiversal powerhouses worked, prompting Tony and the others to consider the versions of their loved ones in other realities. The group chose to focus on their present lives, while Stephen continued contemplating his path.

• The Precognitor explained that different turning points created alternate versions of people across the multiverse.
• The Precognitor said that multiverse-level peak powerhouses transcended time and space, and that Lord Kassadin existed in only one universe unless he traveled elsewhere.
• The Precognitor explained that Odin had escaped his destined death by coming into contact with Lord Kassadin, and Steve was glad that other versions of Bucky might have lived peacefully.
• Tony, Peggy, and Banner considered alternate lives for their loved ones, while the Precognitor distinguished multiverse travelers from beings who had transcended time as well as space.
• Stephen reflected on the Precognitor's advice to follow his heart, while Kyle and Renoli urged everyone to focus on the lives and friendships they had in the present.
• Tony accepted that he might want to see a universe where his parents were safe, but he was satisfied with his own life and had no intention of replacing another version of himself.