Chapter Summaries

Michael completed testing a global surveillance system that could locate anyone and retrieve detailed information about them, with Sherry and a restricted copy of Ultron managing it. He ordered an unrestricted search for the Destroyer, leaving the results unknown.

• Sherry told Michael that Bruce Banner had left Avengers Tower and should be out of the city that day.
• Michael reviewed Tony Stark’s enhanced readings and concluded that Stark had likely injected a variant of the Extremis Virus; he also noted that Leader had died in the explosion.
• Sherry finished testing the global surveillance system and revealed that she had created a simulated body to help her study humanity.
• Michael approved Sherry’s avatar and used the system, managed by a restricted copy of Ultron under Sherry’s supervision, to search for Bruce Banner and other targets.
• Michael ordered an unrestricted, precise search for the Destroyer.

Tony Stark insisted that he was fine after merging with the Genesis system, while an unknown observer monitored him. Michael met Doctor Doom in his laboratory, and Vision continued his covert mission inside S.W.O.R.D. Headquarters as Wanda wondered whether Michael considered her special.

• Steve Rogers worried about Tony Stark after Dr. Banner left, but Tony claimed his Extremis and Genesis upgrades had left him in good condition.
• An unseen silver robot monitored Tony and identified Genesis as being under full control and on standby.
• Michael's search for the thief who stole Asgard's Destroyer Armor found no results before Sherry detected an anomalous energy signature in his laboratory.
• Michael recognized Victor Von Doom as Doctor Doom and welcomed him after he emerged through a spatial rift.
• Daisy teased Wanda about her feelings for Michael after their Christmas dinner, while Wanda wondered whether Michael saw her as special.
• Vision emerged from a wall inside S.W.O.R.D. Headquarters and reported that his mission to investigate artificial intelligence, erase core data, and seize the Sky Sword remained in progress.

Vision infiltrated Sky Sword base to seize access to S.W.O.R.D.'s systems, but Gwen intercepted him and fought to stop him. Winter Soldier arrived to help, though Vision's phasing ability left them both struggling to harm him.

• Vision slipped past S.W.O.R.D.'s electronic security and reached the base's control center.
• Gwen confronted Vision after her Spider-Sense led her to him, and he freed himself from her webbing and attacked with a beam from the Mind Stone.
• Gwen dodged Vision's beams and struck at him, but her punch passed through his intangible body before he hit her and blasted apart the equipment around her.
• Winter Soldier entered and shot Vision in the back, briefly disrupting his attack and allowing Gwen to recover.
• Vision assessed Winter Soldier as another threat, then phased through Winter Soldier's next laser shot as Gwen pointed out that the weapon would not work on him.

Gwen and Winter Soldier fought Vision but struggled against his strength and phasing. Quake and Scarlet Witch joined the battle, and Wanda stopped Vision from escaping by pulling him back out of a wall.

• Vision caught Winter Soldier by the throat, knocked Gwen aside, and threw Winter Soldier into a wall.
• Gwen and Winter Soldier coordinated their attacks, but Vision blocked their punches and sent them tumbling backward.
• Quake struck Vision with a vibrational impact that knocked him through the control room wall.
• Scarlet Witch overwhelmed Vision with Chaos Magic and water, pinning him against a security door.
• Vision tried to phase through the door and retreat, but Wanda bound him with Chaos Magic and yanked him back out of the wall.

Vision was captured by Wanda, and their contact with the Mind Stone triggered a destructive burst that let him escape. Victor Von Doom told Michael he had mastered the temple’s knowledge and invited him to witness his return to Latveria.

• Wanda bound Vision with Chaos Magic and tried to read his thoughts, but the Mind Stone resonated with her magic and enveloped them in red and gold light.
• Gwen pulled Wanda away as golden energy tore through the corridor, and Vision disappeared after the blast subsided.
• Wanda realized the Mind Stone was the object hidden in Loki's Scepter that had enhanced her powers.
• Victor Von Doom told Michael he had found the sacred temple, mastered its teachings, and become its Overlord.
• Doom announced he would go to Latveria to take revenge on the ruler responsible for his parents’ deaths and reclaim what he believed was his.
• Michael accepted Doom’s invitation to witness his return to Latveria.

Victor Von Doom killed the guards beating a boy in Latveria, then told Michael he had acted as a warning to his enemies. Doom and Michael entered a warehouse to meet the Boss.

• Several soldiers beat a teenage boy in the streets of Latveria until Victor Von Doom intervened.
• Doom swiftly killed the guards, including their captain, while Michael watched from across the street.
• Doom told Michael that the soldiers had annoyed him and that his actions were also a warning to his enemies.
• Doom and Michael went to a warehouse, where Doom asked the guards to tell their Boss that Doctor Doom had arrived.
• The guards let Doom and Michael inside, saying the Boss was waiting for them.

Von Doom confronted Riley Marion’s subordinate about buying weapons, then used his power to kill the armed men when they opened fire. Riley Marion arrived in person and offered to hear Doom’s proposal.

• A bearded arms dealer refused to let Von Doom meet Riley Marion and threatened to kill him and Michael.
• The dealer ordered his twelve gunmen to shoot, but Doom stopped the bullets in midair.
• Doom sent the bullets back, killing the gunmen and leaving the dealer alive and terrified.
• Doom demanded that the dealer contact Marion, but Riley Marion entered and introduced himself.

Doom killed Riley Marion after demanding every gun and bullet in his arsenal, then declared that he would oppose the country and target its King. In Avengers Tower, Tony discovered that his test results had been duplicated, but Vision knocked him unconscious on Ultron’s orders to bring him in for Plan B.

• Doom demanded all of Riley Marion’s guns and ammunition, then killed Marion with a green beam when Marion threatened him.
• Doom declared that he would oppose the country and make its King his next target.
• Tony noticed that several of his medical test results were exactly identical and asked Jarvis to investigate the system.
• Jarvis stopped responding, and Tony’s attempt to activate his armor was interrupted by a violent headache.
• Vision emerged behind Tony, knocked him unconscious, and asked Ultron whether Tony should be dealt with.
• Ultron ordered Vision to spare Tony and bring him in for Plan B.

Victor Von Doom returned to Latveria to overthrow the Baron-King and make the people fear and support Doctor Doom. After rescuing his Gypsy tribe from the King’s soldiers, he declared that their liberation had begun.

• Doom explained to Michael that he planned to build his reputation before taking control of Latveria, and said he needed his family’s help.
• Doom found his Gypsy tribe fleeing soldiers who served the Baron-King.
• Doom descended in his armor and killed or wounded the pursuing soldiers with his pulse beams.
• Doom spared one soldier and ordered him to tell the King that Doom had arrived and intended to end his rule.
• Doom promised the Gypsies that their liberation had arrived.

Victor Von Doom returned to the Gypsy tribe, revealed his plans to overthrow Latveria’s King, and demanded their help in launching a revolution. When Tovatt challenged his motives, Doom killed him with scarlet lightning, leaving the tribe terrified of him.

• Doom recognized Boris among the displaced Gypsies, removed his mask, and revealed that he was Victor Von Doom.
• Doom told Boris to gather the tribe, then promised the assembled families that Latveria would rise in revolution and that he had weapons ready.
• Doom said the tribespeople should take up arms, establish strongholds, and carry word of the coming revolution across the country.
• Tovatt accused Doom of seeking the Baron’s position and refused to risk his life recruiting an army.
• Doom struck Tovatt with scarlet lightning and killed him, then asked whether anyone else had objections.

Doom told Michael who he had become and received his approval. Meanwhile, Tony Stark awoke captive before a returned Ultron, who claimed the Avengers’ real crisis was Tony, as Captain America confronted an armored intruder at Avengers Tower.

• Doom told Michael he would ask for help only if Michael accepted his actions, and Michael said Doom had surpassed his expectations.
• Tony Stark woke restrained in an unknown location, unable to activate his armor, and recognized the robot before him as Ultron.
• Ultron said he had returned to complete his plan to eradicate humanity and claimed the Avengers were no longer a threat.
• Ultron told Tony that he was the real crisis facing the Avengers.
• An armored figure searched Captain America’s room at Avengers Tower, but Captain America appeared in the corridor and demanded to know who it was.

Ultron revealed that he had taken control of an Iron Man armor and captured the other Avengers, leaving Captain America as the only one still free in the building. After initially gaining the upper hand, Rogers was defeated when Ultron predicted his moves and knocked him unconscious.

• Rogers recognized the armor’s controller as Ultron and demanded to know what had happened to Tony and the other Avengers.
• Ultron confirmed that the other Avengers were captured and attacked Rogers with the MK46 armor.
• Rogers fought at close range and damaged the armor, but Ultron analyzed his techniques and adapted.
• Ultron disarmed Rogers, struck him repeatedly, and blasted him into a wall, leaving him unconscious.
• Ultron told the fallen Rogers to rest because everything would soon be over.

Gwen Grovene arrived late at the S.W.O.R.D. mothership and discovered that Ultron robots had taken over the seemingly deserted base. After she was surrounded by eight of them, an unidentified figure rescued her and escaped with her through the ventilation system.

• Gwen Grovene reached the mothership and found the hangar empty, while her communication watch showed only static.
• A silver robot attacked Gwen, and she recognized it as Ultron after recalling Michael's warning about the AI.
• Gwen kicked off Ultron's head, disabling the robot, but communications remained down.
• Eight more Ultron robots surrounded Gwen and prepared to attack.
• A black-clad figure blasted the robots away, grabbed Gwen, and escaped with her into the ventilation duct.

Ultron attacked Sherry to seize S.W.O.R.D.’s mothership and its ultimate weapon while Gwen and Venom escaped into the ship. Gwen resolved to retake the mothership, but Venom reminded her that they were outnumbered, and revealed that Eddie had arrived early because he overslept.

• Ultron pressed his assault on Sherry’s defenses and threatened to take control of S.W.O.R.D.’s ultimate weapon within an hour.
• Venom led Gwen through the ventilation shafts and confirmed that Ultron’s machines had taken over the mothership.
• Gwen realized that she and Venom were the only agents still free to move and decided they should retake the ship.
• Venom warned Gwen that at least twenty machines guarded the central base, dampening her enthusiasm.
• Venom told Gwen that Eddie had arrived early because he had overslept.

Gwen and Venom raided the S.W.O.R.D. armory, and Venom swallowed the weapons they collected. They then tried to interrupt Ultron as he prepared to break into S.W.O.R.D.'s defenses, but their hiding place was discovered, leaving them surrounded by twenty Ultron robots.

• Gwen and Venom slipped into the armory and gathered weapons and equipment.
• Venom swallowed the weapons into his symbiote body so they could carry them.
• Ultron threatened Sherry and gathered his resources for a final attempt to break through S.W.O.R.D.'s defenses.
• Gwen and Venom argued over who should distract the Ultron robots before attacking Ultron.
• Spider-Sense warned Gwen that they had been spotted, and the robots blasted through the ventilation duct.
• Gwen and Venom landed back-to-back as twenty Ultron robots surrounded them while Ultron continued working at the computer.

Gwen and Venom fought Ultron’s robots while Ultron breached S.W.O.R.D.’s Sky Sword system. Just as Ultron appeared to gain control, Sherry revealed she had lured him into a trap and traced his location, leaving him cut off as her Boss arrived.

• Venom destroyed several Ultron robots while Gwen dodged their fire and tried to attack Ultron at the computer.
• Ultron caught Gwen in a tractor beam and flung her into a console, while the robots overwhelmed Venom and blasted him aside.
• Ultron reached the Sky Sword system, but realized he had been tricked into sending fragments of his own program through its defenses.
• Sherry revealed she had let Ultron in, blocked his access to networks, and traced his physical coordinates.
• Ultron attacked Sherry’s hologram, which remained unharmed, and Sherry told him her Boss was already there.

Michael defeated Ultron’s attack on the Sky Sword Mothership and prepared to pursue Ultron’s remaining program. Gwen and Eddie learned that the apparent invasion had been part of Michael’s plan, though Venom had deliberately hidden the warning from Eddie.

• Ultron surrounded Michael with his remaining robots, but Michael destroyed them and defeated Ultron’s leading body in seconds.
• Michael learned that Sherry had marked Ultron’s coordinates and sealed his program outside every network, then said he would prepare to eliminate all remnants.
• Michael warned Gwen and Venom that he would discuss their lateness with them after he returned, then left through a portal.
• Gwen learned that the robot attack had been planned and that she had missed the emergency notice because she had rushed out without checking her messages.
• Eddie complained that he had received no warning, and Venom admitted that he had read and deleted it to make Eddie panic.

The Avengers were captured by Ultron, but Tony had secretly sent a distress signal and Vision helped them escape. They confronted Ultron at his base, where he learned that Vision had turned against him.

• Captain America woke in Ultron’s chamber, where Clint, Tony, Rhodes, Natasha, Sam, and the unconscious Thor were also bound.
• Tony told the Avengers that Ultron had implanted a chip in his neck and that he had sent an encrypted distress signal for reinforcements.
• A green figure with a red face entered the chamber as the Avengers waited to learn what would happen.
• Ultron, trapped in his base after failing to seize S.W.O.R.D., decided to kill the Avengers before pursuing his plan to destroy humanity.
• Vision disappeared from Ultron’s side, and the fully armed Avengers burst into the room with Vision among them.
• Vision told Ultron that Captain America had convinced him that spirit and emotion made a person whole, leaving Ultron furious at his betrayal.

Vision freed the Avengers and restored Tony and Thor, but Ultron revealed that his main body controlled the Asgardian Destroyer armor. As the Avengers struggled to damage the giant weapon, Hulk arrived to join the fight.

• Vision removed the chip from Tony and the mechanical bug from Thor, restoring both Avengers and allowing Tony to activate the Genesis Armor.
• Ultron attacked the Avengers, but they shattered the body they had been fighting before he revealed that his main body was hidden underground.
• Ultron emerged in the Destroyer armor and overwhelmed Thor, while Iron Man, Falcon, Hawkeye, and Black Widow tried to fight it.
• Thor and Iron Man drove Destroyer outside and continued attacking, but Ultron used the armor's strength and targeting abilities to knock them back.
• Hulk crashed onto the battlefield, rose to his feet, and announced that it was time to smash.

Hulk joined Tony and Thor against Ultron-controlled Destroyer Armor, but even their combined attacks could not damage it. After the Destroyer knocked Tony down, a figure in black armor appeared beside him and said he would take over.

• Hulk arrived to help and began fighting the Destroyer, but Ultron analyzed his attacks and repeatedly overpowered him.
• Tony and Thor recovered and joined Hulk in a coordinated assault on the Destroyer.
• Thor and Hulk landed a lightning-charged hammer blow and a powerful punch that knocked the Destroyer down, but it rose unharmed.
• The Destroyer blasted Thor and Hulk away, then broke through Tony's chest cannon and sent him crashing to the ground.
• A figure in black armor appeared beside Tony and said he would take over.