Chapter Summaries

Odin took Thor to his golden domain and urged him to abandon the fight against the Serpent, but Thor insisted on standing with Midgard. After Odin revealed the Serpent was his missing brother and gave Thor Stormbreaker, Michael struck a bargain with Odin for something Asgard possessed if he defeated the Serpent.

• Odin brought Thor into a golden domain and warned him that fighting the Serpent could cost him his life.
• Thor refused to leave Midgard, and Michael appeared, defending Thor’s right to choose his own fight.
• Thor asked whether the Serpent was truly the Allfather, and Odin admitted the Serpent was his missing brother.
• Odin gave Thor Stormbreaker, and Thor vowed to defeat the Serpent with his allies.
• Michael told Odin he would defeat the Serpent and asked for something Asgard possessed; Odin agreed if the request did not cross Asgard’s bottom line.

The Serpent, Hela, and Surtur met to discuss their war against Odin after The Serpent’s plan to make Midgard fall quickly went awry. They agreed to march on the World Tree together, postponing their rival plans for Asgard until Odin was dead.

• The Serpent told Hela and Surtur that mortals in Midgard had exceeded his expectations and that his original plan had failed.
• Hela and Surtur challenged The Serpent for failing to bring down Midgard as promised, but he claimed victory remained certain.
• Hela and Surtur resisted joining forces to attack mortals, while Hela also opposed Surtur’s plan to destroy Asgard.
• The Serpent secured a temporary truce between them until Odin and his son had fallen.
• Hela and Surtur secretly planned to claim Asgard for themselves after Odin’s death, while Surtur intended to seize the Eternal Flame.
• The Serpent, Hela, and Surtur agreed to march on the World Tree.

Michael and the heroes gathered at the World Tree to wait for the Serpent, but Doctor Strange warned that Hela and Surtur had allied with him to attack Odin and bring the war to Earth. Before Michael could warn Thor, all three enemies arrived with their armies, beginning the final battle of Ragnarok.

• Thor explained that the Serpent would return to attack the World Tree, and the heroes gathered there to wait for him.
• Michael admitted to Wanda that he feared the coming conflict would be more complicated than they expected.
• Doctor Strange arrived and revealed that Hela and Surtur planned to join the Serpent and kill Odin, potentially destroying Earth in the battle.
• Before Michael could pass the warning to Thor, the Serpent appeared with an army of undead, while Hela and Surtur arrived with their forces.

The Avengers and their allies battled Hela’s and Surtur’s forces as Thor fought the Serpent above the World Tree. Doctor Doom rescued Doctor Strange from Surtur, who transformed into a giant, while the Serpent shifted into a dragon-like form.

• Thor charged the Serpent, and their clash in the sky ignited the battle between the armies below.
• Human Torch, Wanda, and Doctor Strange fought the invading gods; Wanda challenged Hela, while Surtur overpowered Doctor Strange.
• Doctor Doom struck Surtur with a green beam and helped Doctor Strange rise, but Surtur grew into a giant and roared at the mortals.
• Thor and the Serpent traded blows, and Thor wounded him with Stormbreaker.
• The Serpent erupted in green light and smoke, then transformed into a giant serpent and opened its jaws.

Michael helped Wanda and Amora banish Hela, then joined Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom against Surtur. He struck at the demon while the two sorcerers restrained him, leaving their clash unresolved.

• Hela overwhelmed Wanda and knocked Amora aside, but Amora distracted her long enough for Michael to attack and wound her.
• Wanda and Amora bound Hela, and Michael opened a portal that sent her back where she belonged before flying toward Surtur.
• Michael struck Surtur with Odinforce-infused missiles, then met the demon’s Twilight Sword with the Sword of Vishanti.
• Michael used Ekron Shape to feint behind Surtur, while Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom restrained the demon with the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak.
• Michael brought his heavy sword down on Surtur as golden light poured over the battlefield.

Thor battled the Serpent and, after nearly being defeated, found the strength to rise and launch a final attack with Stormbreaker. Captain America interrupted the Serpent’s ultimate attack with Mjolnir, leaving Thor’s devastating strike poised to hit its forehead.

• The Serpent overpowered Thor, swallowed Mjolnir’s lightning, and battered him across the battlefield.
• Thor broke free of the Serpent’s coils with Stormbreaker, wounded it, and was knocked unconscious by its tail.
• The Serpent declared that Thor’s death would break its curse, but Mjolnir struck it and returned to Captain America.
• Captain America urged Thor to get up, and Thor remembered Odin’s words before standing again to face the Serpent.
• Thor charged through the Serpent’s green tornado as Captain America hurled Mjolnir to interrupt its ultimate attack.
• Thor brought Stormbreaker down toward the Serpent’s forehead with overwhelming lightning.

Thor defeated The Serpent in a devastating clash but collapsed, leaving the serpent alive and ready to kill him. Michael transported Thor to safety in the Mirror Dimension and confronted The Serpent, revealing his Reality Armor as their fight began.

• Thor unleashed his full power and struck The Serpent with Stormbreaker, but The Serpent survived the clash.
• The Serpent prepared to kill the unconscious Thor, then realized the battlefield had become a strange, empty space.
• Michael sent Thor through a hidden doorway and sealed him away in the Mirror Dimension.
• Michael confronted The Serpent, who attacked him with a blast of green energy, but Michael blocked it with a shield and Magic Circle.
• Michael activated his Reality Armor and told The Serpent he had not been serious during their previous encounter.

Odin and Asgard's army arrived after the battle, where Michael revealed that he had killed The Serpent and rescued Thor. In return for fulfilling their agreement, Michael received the Tesseract from Odin, and Earth and Asgard agreed to be allies.

• Odin led Asgard's army to Earth after the battle had ended and asked the heroes where Thor was.
• Michael appeared carrying the unconscious Thor and The Serpent, then laid Thor at Odin's feet and declared that The Serpent was dead.
• Odin confirmed Thor was safe, and Michael explained that Thor had fought to his last strength while criticizing Odin for arriving too late.
• Michael and Odin agreed that Earth and Asgard would be allies, with Michael promising to support Thor if he later took the throne.
• Odin gave Michael the Tesseract as agreed and warned him about carrying two Infinity Stones.

After the Serpent’s battle left reality dangerously unstable, Doctor Strange warned Michael that the Infinity Stones and other reality-altering magic must be used only as a last resort. Meanwhile, Tony Stark concluded that S.H.I.E.L.D. needed greater fighting power after its inability to affect the recent battles.

• Doctor Strange explained to Michael that the clash of powerful beings had badly damaged reality and that it needed time to recover.
• Michael revealed that Odin had given him the Space Stone and planned to study it, but he and Doctor Strange agreed the Stones should remain a last resort.
• Michael wondered why their world seemed so fragile, while Doctor Strange insisted that the laws of nature had to be protected.
• Maria Hill reported that most Heavenly Hammer wielders had been captured, but Venom, S.W.O.R.D., and the Hammers had disappeared.
• Tony Stark questioned what S.H.I.E.L.D. could do even if it found Wanda Maximoff’s team and said the organization needed stronger fighting power.

Wanda and the Extraordinary Squad discussed responsibility for revealing S.W.O.R.D. during the battle against The Serpent, and Michael approved Wanda’s decision while assuring them their identities were protected. He then assigned Daisy to inspect Red Skull’s Antarctic fortress for any remaining dangers.

• Wanda said she had chosen to reveal the team to prevent the Avengers from being controlled by the Heavenly Hammers, and Pietro and Gwen tried to share the blame.
• Jessica argued that the whole team should accept responsibility, then blamed Venom, sparking an argument that Wanda stopped.
• Michael told the team Wanda had made the right call and that he would not punish them.
• Michael assured Wanda that S.W.O.R.D. had hidden the team’s identities from surveillance and that S.H.I.E.L.D. would struggle to find them.
• Michael returned after the meeting and told the team that Red Skull had hidden the first Heavenly Hammer in an Antarctic fortress.
• Michael ordered Daisy to inspect the fortress for other hidden dangers.

Michael sent Daisy to inspect the abandoned Antarctic fortress where the Serpent's Heavenly Hammers had been sealed, while he explained to Wanda that S.W.O.R.D. would stay out of the coming conflict over the Superhuman Registration Act. He left open the possibility of confronting Stark if Stark tried to involve S.W.O.R.D.

• Michael ordered Daisy to leave for Antarctica that night and report on the abandoned fortress within two days.
• Daisy suspected Michael had sent her as payback for joking about Wanda, while her teammates laughed and Wanda advised her to pack warm clothes.
• Wanda asked Michael why Daisy had to inspect the fortress, and he said it might contain secrets related to The Serpent's resurrection.
• Michael told Wanda that the Superhuman Registration Act required superhumans to register and be monitored, and predicted the Avengers would split between Iron Man and Captain America.
• Wanda asked which side S.W.O.R.D. would support, and Michael said it would remain neutral unless Stark tried to drag it into the conflict.

After the Serpent’s defeat, Michael claimed Breaker of Worlds and began developing armor to control the Space Stone. He finished its basic design, then Wanda urged him to rest and asked what he would do with all six Infinity Stones.

• S.W.O.R.D. secured the eight Heavenly Hammers, and Breaker of Worlds acknowledged Michael as its master.
• S.W.O.R.D.'s researchers and Doom studied ways to help people control the seven remaining hammers.
• Michael and Doctor Strange discussed the Space Stone, and Michael designed basic spatial spells and a prototype Space Armor.
• After working in the laboratory for over thirty hours, Michael showed Wanda the Space Armor design, which Sherry would assemble for testing.
• Wanda asked what Michael would do if he collected all six Infinity Stones, and he jokingly claimed he would rule the world before reassuring her.

Michael confirmed the threats from Surtur, Hela, and The Serpent had been contained, while Wanda grew jealous when Amora joined him as an ally. The chapter ended with Wanda abruptly leaving and Michael asking Sherry why she was angry.

• Wanda wondered whether she would stay by Michael's side if he ruled the universe, then sensed someone entering the laboratory.
• Amora appeared in Michael's laboratory, and Michael explained that she had become an ally after The Serpent's defeat.
• Wanda objected to working with Amora, but Michael said Amora's knowledge was useful and that she could not cause trouble under his watch.
• Amora reported that Odin had resealed the weakened Surtur, confined Hela to Hel, and that The Serpent was dead with no magical residue remaining.
• After Amora left, Michael invited Wanda to breakfast, but Wanda refused and vanished in a burst of red light.
• Michael asked Sherry whether he had made Wanda angry, and Sherry told him to guess.

Tony gave Steve Rogers a Hard-Light shield to use while he continued searching for a way to repair the original, then tried to persuade him to support the Superhuman Registration Act. Steve refused, and the two parted without resolving their disagreement as the Act was set to take effect the next day.

• Steve Rogers tested the Hard-Light shield Tony had made and thanked him, though he still preferred his original shield.
• Tony told Steve that the Superhuman Registration Act would take effect tomorrow and urged him to persuade the Avengers who opposed it to compromise.
• Steve refused to sign, arguing that registration would undermine the Avengers’ purpose and their independence.
• Tony defended the Act, saying the Avengers needed a unified command and greater ability to respond to extraordinary threats.
• Tony left Avengers Headquarters in his armor, and Steve watched him go, determined to stand by his principles.

Tony arrived at Avengers Headquarters with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s armored force and learned that Captain America had fled with several Avengers. At a tense meeting in Washington, Tony told the government to proceed with the Hero Act while S.H.I.E.L.D. dealt with Captain America.

• Tony arrived at Avengers Headquarters and found that Captain America had left with Barton, Sam, and Romanoff.
• Peter asked Tony whether they were really going to arrest Captain America, but Tony told him to do his job without answering directly.
• Senators in Washington discussed public protests and the danger of Captain America leading opposition to the Hero Act.
• Tony told the senators to continue the registration process and leave Captain America to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Peter followed a tracker to an abandoned warehouse, hoping to find the gang trafficking high-tech weapons, and was caught off guard by the person who arrived there. He discovered his attacker was Gwen.

• Peter tracked a group selling advanced weapons and identified its masked leader as Vulture.
• Peter followed a tracker on the group's truck to an abandoned warehouse and found the truck and crates of weapons inside.
• Peter nearly got hit by a blue energy blast after handling one of the weapons, then decided to wait or call for help.
• Someone entered the warehouse, dodged Peter's web and countered his attack, pinning him to the ground.
• Peter recognized his attacker as Gwen.

Peter and Gwen teamed up to ambush a gang trafficking high-tech equipment, and their successful takedown brought Peter clarity about working with unregistered superpowered people. As they celebrated, a heavily armed figure with iron wings burst through the ceiling and attacked.

• Peter and Gwen met while independently tracking the same criminal gang and agreed to work together.
• Peter reconsidered whether he should report Gwen under the Superhuman Registration Act and decided to trust her as a fellow hero.
• While they waited for the gang, Peter asked Gwen how she had adjusted to her new life, and she told him she was happy with Boss and her team.
• Peter and Gwen ambushed eight criminals and quickly incapacitated them.
• Peter and Gwen’s Spider-Sense warned them moments before the ceiling exploded and an iron-winged attacker swooped down.

Peter and Gwen teamed up to defeat Vulture and his gang, then prepared to leave the warehouse with their captive. Iron Man arrived at the entrance and ordered Gwen not to move.

• Vulture attacked Peter and Gwen with pulse grenades, but they dodged the blasts and mocked him.
• Gwen and Peter returned Vulture’s bombs and kept distracting him with their banter.
• Vulture broke Gwen’s webbing and attacked Peter with blades launched from his wings.
• Gwen kicked Vulture in the forehead, knocking him unconscious and sending him crashing to the ground.
• Peter and Gwen webbed up Vulture and agreed that working together had been enjoyable.
• Iron Man landed at the warehouse entrance and told Gwen not to move.

Tony Stark confronted Gwen over her refusal to register under the Superhuman Registration Act, and she fought him to avoid arrest. After Tony used a system designed to overwhelm Spider-Man’s danger sense and left Gwen incapacitated, a figure in iron-black armor appeared overhead and challenged him.

• Tony stopped Gwen outside the warehouse and demanded that she come with him to register under the Superhuman Registration Act.
• Peter defended Gwen and offered to be arrested alongside her, but Gwen stepped forward and told him the fight was not his concern.
• Gwen evaded Tony’s Repulsor Cannon, webbed his armor, and sent him crashing through several walls.
• Tony pursued Gwen through a narrow alley and activated a system that overwhelmed her Spider-Sense, making her fall and curl up in pain.
• A figure in iron-black armor appeared above Tony and warned that he would not apologize for what happened next.

Michael arrived to rescue Gwen after Iron Man attacked her over the Superhuman Registration Act, then confronted Tony about dragging S.W.O.R.D. into the conflict. Michael decisively defeated Tony but let him go, warning him not to involve Michael’s people again.

• Michael landed beside the exhausted Gwen, sent her through a magic portal, and ignored Tony’s demand that she stay.
• Michael told Tony that he had forced Michael and his people into the conflict, and Tony apologized but attacked him anyway.
• Michael redirected Tony’s Repulsor Cannon, hurled him into a wall, and explained that Tony could not defeat him with his armor.
• Tony attacked at supersonic speed, but Michael blocked his blows, kicked him into the air, and disabled parts of the Genesis Armor.
• Michael overwhelmed Tony with a magical Pulse Cannon, then warned that reinforcements would not change the outcome.
• Michael spared Tony and the approaching Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, then left through a magic portal after warning Tony not to involve his people again.