Chapter Summaries

Robbie Reyes lost control of Ghost Rider when he found Michael in Eli Morrow’s cell, and Ghost Rider attacked him with overwhelming fury. Michael identified Mephisto as the source of the hostility, armored himself in Asgardian Armor, and prepared to face Ghost Rider alone.

• Robbie reached South Ridge Prison after hearing of the demonic chaos and found Eli missing from his cell.
• Seeing Michael, Robbie lost control as Ghost Rider erupted in rage and attacked him.
• Michael deflected Ghost Rider’s punch, causing it to blast through the cell wall.
• Michael recognized that Ghost Rider’s hatred came from Mephisto, whom Michael had humiliated in Hell years earlier.
• Michael summoned Asgardian Armor and told Wanda not to intervene as he stepped toward Ghost Rider.

Michael fought Ghost Rider through the prison yard and streets, countering his Hellfire attacks with the Asgardian Armor and a magical greatsword. After Michael defeated Ghost Rider and the transformation ended, he addressed Mr. Reyes and proposed a talk.

• Ghost Rider punched Michael through the prison wall, but Michael calmly approached him as his flames reignited.
• Michael blocked Ghost Rider's blows, struck him with the Pulse Cannon, and kicked him through the outer wall.
• Ghost Rider attacked Michael with a blazing battle car, but Michael dodged the charge and overturned the vehicle with a greatsword.
• Ghost Rider emerged from the wreckage wielding a Hellfire-covered steel pipe, and Michael's greatsword clash sent him flying and severed the weapon.
• Michael found Ghost Rider's skull flames gone and invited Mr. Reyes to talk.

Joseph’s team created a carbon fragment in a Power Laboratory experiment using a mysterious book, while Eli Morrow questioned the results and suspected something was wrong. Years later, Michael explained the experiment’s connection to Eli to Robbie, then revealed that Eli had been located at Roxxon Power Plant.

• Joseph’s experiment produced a small piece of carbon, and he claimed it could be stored and converted back into matter.
• Eli Morrow noticed the experiment ended with more energy than it began with and challenged the result as a violation of the First Law of Thermodynamics.
• Lucy said a book had taught them how, and Joseph refused to let Eli see it.
• Michael told Robbie Reyes that Eli had coveted an evil book and betrayed his colleagues, but Robbie insisted his uncle had claimed innocence.
• Robbie described how a demon’s power had become both his means of revenge and his curse, and asked why it had been desperate to kill Michael.
• Wanda told Michael that Eli had been located at Roxxon Power Plant with several ghosts, and Robbie said he could control the spirit inside him.

At the Roxxon Power Plant, Eli Morrow persuaded Dr. Lucy and the other ghosts to recreate a dangerous experiment to release a creature from an unknown space and delay their pursuers. Michael, Wanda, and Robbie encountered a wave of featureless shadows in the tunnels as Sherry detected a massive energy surge.

• Eli Morrow finished preparing the laboratory while the ghosts waited for him to complete the work that might restore them.
• A ghost reported that Michael, Wanda, and a third person had followed them to the power plant and apparently killed Charlie.
• Eli proposed recreating an earlier experiment that had opened an interface to an unknown space, and Dr. Lucy agreed to release whatever was within it.
• Sherry warned Michael that unknown energy had erupted below him, while Wanda sensed something approaching.
• Robbie caught and burned an indistinct shadow, and Michael detected roughly thirty or forty more nearby.

Eli Morrow activated the Matter Generator, sacrificing Lucy and the other ghosts so he could gain godlike powers. Michael, Wanda, and Robbie confronted the transformed Eli at the power plant, where Ghost Rider prepared to face his uncle as Michael held Wanda back.

• Eli activated the Matter Generator despite his concerns, and the energy storm began tearing the ghosts apart.
• Lucy attacked Eli, but the storm’s barrier kept her from reaching him as he watched the ghosts perish.
• Eli entered the chamber after the ghosts were annihilated and emerged with powers he claimed could create and destroy anything.
• Michael, Wanda, and Robbie fought the dark creatures in the power plant until Eli appeared amid a powerful energy surge.
• Eli admitted that he had caused the accident and sacrificed his companions to gain godlike power.
• Robbie transformed into Ghost Rider, and Michael stopped Wanda from attacking so they could wait and watch.

Eli Morrow used his Darkhold-granted power to create matter and control energy, overpowering Ghost Rider before turning on Michael and Wanda. Wanda stopped and redirected Eli’s spikes, leaving him facing the power he could not control.

• Eli stopped Ghost Rider’s punch, then pinned him to the wall with created restraints and spikes.
• Ghost Rider broke free and attacked Eli with flames, but Eli fought back with dark energy and blasted him through the ceiling.
• Michael monitored the fight and noticed that Eli’s energy readings had changed; Wanda also recognized the anomaly.
• Eli launched a barrage of black spikes at Michael and Wanda, but Wanda halted them and turned them toward Eli.

Wanda defeated Eli Morrow by turning his Chaos Magic against him, and she recovered the Darkhold for Michael. The Ghost Rider appeared with a scarlet glow in his eyes, and Michael identified Mephisto as the force behind him.

• Wanda seized control of Eli Morrow's spikes and broke through his defenses.
• Eli unleashed a vast domain of darkness, but Wanda's Chaos Magic collapsed it and destroyed him.
• Wanda sensed the Darkhold's aura, retrieved the book, and handed it to Michael.
• The Ghost Rider crashed through the ceiling, pointed at Michael, and declared him guilty.
• Michael addressed the Ghost Rider as Mephisto, Lord of Hell.

Michael fought Ghost Rider after Mephisto possessed him and used Hell’s power to strengthen him. Michael forced Mephisto out, but Ghost Rider returned with a new flaming sword and vanished after clashing with Michael, leaving him expecting trouble.

• Michael shielded Wanda and fought Ghost Rider, whose strength and Hellfire had greatly increased.
• Michael struck Ghost Rider with a Magic Circle, forcing Mephisto’s phantom out of his body.
• Mephisto threatened Michael before being pulled back into Ghost Rider.
• Ghost Rider formed a sword from Hellfire, and Michael met his attack with an enchanted greatsword.
• After their weapons collided in a burst of fire and lightning, Ghost Rider disappeared, and Michael told Wanda trouble might follow.

Robbie Reyes learned that the old man controlled the Ghost Rider and ordered him to undertake a special mission. Wanda Maximoff studied the Darkhold and wielded Chaos Magic without noticing any corrupting effects, while Michael prepared to discuss something personal with her.

• Robbie Reyes woke in his garage and the old man confronted him about his nighttime job as Ghost Rider.
• The old man used his power to pin Robbie down, explained that Robbie’s contract required him to serve, and said he would summon him for a special mission.
• Wanda Maximoff read the Darkhold and created carbon from thin air using Chaos Magic.
• Wanda told Michael that she had noticed no changes in her thoughts or emotions from reading the book, and Michael put it away.
• Michael told Wanda he wanted to speak with her about something personal.

Victor Von Doom's attempt to summon Mephisto failed again, while Michael Passo told Wanda that his future self had made him question the lonely life he was building. He confessed that Wanda had long been the one and only to him and asked her to stand beside him.

• Victor Von Doom's ritual failed, and he ordered his lama to prepare everything for another attempt.
• An unseen watcher observed Doom from the shadows.
• Michael Passo told Wanda that the armored figure who had destroyed Kang's fleet was a version of himself from the future.
• Michael explained that his future self had achieved great power and helped bring peace, but had still been alone.
• Michael apologized for ignoring Wanda's feelings and asked her to stay by his side, telling her she had long been the one and only to him.

Michael discussed Mephisto’s use of Ghost Rider with Doctor Strange, who confirmed that the Sanctums had detected Hell’s magic but could not track it. When Mephisto’s magical signature appeared again, Doctor Strange identified its location as Latveria.

• Michael left Wanda to consider his confession and went to the Kamar-Taj Sanctum.
• Michael told Doctor Strange that Mephisto had fought him through Ghost Rider and that the Rider had grown stronger during their battle.
• Doctor Strange said the Sanctums had detected Hell’s magic but that Mephisto had evaded their scans.
• Michael explained that his agents had failed to find Ghost Rider’s host after the battle.
• Doctor Strange asked about the Darkhold, and Michael assured him that Wanda could handle it.
• The Sanctums detected Mephisto’s magical signature in Latveria, and Doctor Strange informed Michael.

Victor Von Doom confronted a woman claiming to be his mother, Cynthia Von Doom, and could not accept that she was truly free of Mephisto’s prison. Outside the palace, Michael and Doctor Strange arrived and were attacked by Ghost Rider, whom Michael fought off before demanding to know what Mephisto wanted.

• Cynthia appeared before Victor in Latveria’s palace and asked to see his face.
• Victor attacked Cynthia with magic, but she effortlessly deflected his spells and insisted she was his mother.
• Victor rejected Cynthia’s claim and gathered power as the palace began to tremble.
• Mars opened a portal, bringing Michael and Doctor Strange to the palace, where Michael detected a fierce magical fight inside.
• Ghost Rider ambushed Michael and Doctor Strange, but Michael used Ghost Rider’s chain to bind him and blasted him backward with a Pulse Cannon.
• Michael tossed aside the chain and asked Mephisto what he wanted.

Michael and Doctor Strange fought Mephisto-controlled Ghost Rider while Doom confronted a woman claiming to be his mother, Cynthia. Michael arrived at the royal palace and confirmed that Cynthia really was Doom’s mother.

• Ghost Rider attacked Michael and Doctor Strange, but they fought him back and Doctor Strange trapped him in an ice-blue crystal.
• Doctor Strange held Ghost Rider in place so Michael could continue toward the royal palace.
• Doom battled Cynthia, who claimed Mephisto had stopped tormenting her and that she had escaped Hell to find her son.
• Doom remained suspicious of Cynthia and refused to remove his mask or accept her claim.
• Michael arrived and told Doom that Cynthia really was his mother.

Doom confronted the woman he believed might be his mother, but Michael exposed Mephisto’s deception and drew the demon out. Doom attacked Mephisto in rage, but the Hell Lord emerged unharmed and challenged them to fight.

• Michael told Doom that the woman was Cynthia Von Doom, then attacked her and used magic to immobilize her.
• Michael called out Mephisto, who opened a rift and revealed that he had released Cynthia’s soul and tampered with her memories.
• Mephisto explained that he had taken interest in Doom’s growing magical power and had staged the encounter as a drama.
• Doom unleashed a powerful magical cyclone at Mephisto, destroying the hall and killing the guards outside.
• Mephisto remained unharmed and declared that defeating him in the mortal dimension was a fool’s dream.

Michael and Doom fought Mephisto outside the royal palace, combining their attacks until they forced him to unleash a rift in space. Mephisto then summoned Ghost Rider, ordered him to kill them, and vanished.

• Michael pursued Mephisto with missiles, but Mephisto blocked the attacks and struck back with a blood-red blast.
• Doom joined the fight, but Mephisto broke through his defenses and sent him reeling.
• Michael and Doom attacked Mephisto together with magic, weapons, and energy blasts, gradually putting pressure on him.
• Mephisto opened a rift in space and unleashed a torrent of energy that forced Michael and Doom to defend themselves and slide backward.
• Mephisto summoned Ghost Rider through a scarlet vortex, ordered him to kill Michael and Doom, and disappeared.

Michael and Doom fought Mephisto and his empowered Ghost Rider, forcing Mephisto to flee while Ghost Rider continued to overwhelm them. Doctor Strange joined the battle as Ghost Rider unleashed a scarlet domain that engulfed the battlefield.

• Michael and Doom’s improved magic, armor, and teamwork suppressed Mephisto, who fled and left Ghost Rider behind.
• Ghost Rider struck Doom and dodged Michael’s beam, but Michael caught his fist while Doom restrained his other arm with purple ropes.
• Ghost Rider unleashed enhanced Hellfire, burning through Doom’s barrier and forcing Michael to retreat.
• Doctor Strange arrived and admitted he had lost track of Ghost Rider, while Doom fought the Rider again and was knocked down.
• Michael helped Doom stand, and Ghost Rider released a surge of energy that transformed the battlefield into a scarlet domain of flames.

Michael, Doom, and Doctor Strange confronted Mephisto after defeating Ghost Rider, and the demon offered Doom a chance to fight for his mother’s soul. Michael accepted Mephisto’s terms, leaving the group to prepare for a battle in Hell on the fifteenth of next month.

• Doom and Doctor Strange combined their magic to survive Ghost Rider’s hellfire while Michael vanished from the shield.
• Michael struck Ghost Rider with a spell that expelled Mephisto’s projection and left the Rider unconscious.
• Mephisto recognized Doctor Strange as the new Sorcerer Supreme, while Doom demanded that he release Cynthia’s soul.
• Mephisto offered Doom a fight in his realm on the fifteenth of next month, with Doom’s or Michael’s soul at stake if they lost.
• Michael accepted the terms before Doom could respond, promising to bring back Doom’s mother.

Wanda struggled to process Michael’s apparent confession, only to discover he had come to discuss a mission to Hell. Michael, Doctor Strange, Doom, and Wanda planned to prepare for their duel with Mephisto, with Wanda agreeing to teach Michael Chaos Magic.

• Wanda spent the day distracted by Michael’s words and asked Pietro whether she was pretty after telling him Michael had asked her out.
• Michael arrived at Wanda’s home, and Wanda confessed that she hoped to face whatever came next with him, but he clarified that he had come to discuss something else.
• Michael brought Wanda through a portal to Kamar-Taj, where Doctor Strange questioned whether she should join them and Doom vouched for her power.
• Michael explained that they had made a contract to duel Mephisto in a month and hoped to free Doom’s mother’s soul if they won.
• Michael planned for Doctor Strange to teach Doom spells for Hell and asked Wanda to teach him Chaos Magic.

Doctor Strange trained Doctor Doom in the Seraphim Seal as they prepared for the journey to Hell, while Doom resolved to win his duel with Mephisto to repay Michael. In Hell, Mephisto watched Doom prepare and coveted Michael’s soul.

• Doctor Strange taught Doctor Doom the Seraphim Seal, and Doom quickly mastered its rudiments.
• Doctor Strange asked about Doom’s bond with Passo, and Doom said Michael was the one person worthy of his respect.
• Doom recalled how Michael had guided and helped him, then vowed to win his battle against Mephisto.
• Mephisto watched Doom’s image in the flames and urged him to grow stronger before their confrontation.
• Mephisto changed the flames to show Michael and laughed as he coveted the mage’s soul.

Michael learned how to draw on Chaos Magic from Wanda and began practicing its basic uses. After struggling to lift a mug, he admitted that he was not as capable as people at the base believed and that he was poor at communicating.

• Wanda explained how she controlled Chaos Magic and demonstrated lifting objects with precision and strength.
• Michael used Wanda’s instructions from the Darkhold to summon Chaos Magic for the first time.
• Wanda demonstrated lifting a mug, then stepped aside so Michael could try.
• Michael struggled to control his magic and repeatedly failed to lift the mug.
• Wanda teased Michael for being clumsy, and he told her he was not good at everything.
• Michael said that people at the base misunderstood him because he was not very good at communicating.