Chapter Summaries

Nick Fury showed Coulson footage of armored humanoid mutants who had fought the US Army, and the agents linked them to the creatures Coulson had found in Afghanistan. Maria Hill reported that General Ross had blocked her attempt to retrieve most of the corpses.

• Nick Fury told Coulson that twenty-five unidentified attackers had infiltrated a special warehouse and that twenty of them had fought four companies of soldiers for fifty-six minutes.
• Coulson watched footage showing the armored attackers withstand heavy fire and become more frenzied after depleted uranium rounds wounded them.
• Coulson recognized the creatures as similar to the mutants he had sent to a secret research facility from Afghanistan.
• Coulson asked whether someone had developed technology to induce targeted mutations, and Nick Fury said that seemed to be the case.
• Nick Fury asked Maria Hill why she had returned with few corpses, and Hill said General Ross had ordered Talbot to keep them.

Nick Fury tried to recover the Felified Human corpses from General Ross, who wanted to study them for the Super Soldier program. Their call ended with Fury offering to let Ross keep two corpses, leaving their dispute unresolved.

• Nick Fury considered challenging Ross over the corpses but worried the dispute would turn into political mudslinging.
• Nick Fury recalled how Ross's Super Soldier experiments with Dr. Bruce Banner had created Hulk and how S.H.I.E.L.D.'s refusal to help pursue him had worsened their relationship.
• General Ross ordered Talbot to keep the Felified Human corpses after recognizing their mutations as artificial.
• Nick Fury called Ross and demanded that he hand the corpses over to S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Ross rejected Fury's proposed deal, but listened when Fury offered to let him keep two of the corpses.

Nick Fury outmaneuvered General Ross and took the Mutant corpses by using Coulson to forge Ross's orders. Ross then left the base after learning of a possible gamma-ray sighting, while Mr. Wiske arrived at a New York research building to meet Mr. Howitzer.

• Nick Fury threatened to destroy the Mutant corpses if Ross refused to hand them over, but Ross rejected his offer and ordered the base guards to use live ammunition.
• Coulson tracked Ross's phone and forged an order in Ross's voice, while Agent Hill took a Quinjet to collect the corpses.
• Ross reached the base and discovered Talbot had handed the corpses to S.H.I.E.L.D. under the forged order, then sent the adjutant who relayed it to the brig.
• Ross's secretary reported a special gamma-ray signature that might belong to him, so Ross left the base after warning Talbot not to trust S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Mr. Wiske arrived at a New York research building, where the receptionist escorted him to meet Mr. Howitzer.

Evenson met with Howitzer, who gave him a copy of the Siberia Branch mission report as the final payment for the Tyrant serums. The disc contained footage of Tony's parents being killed, which Evenson accepted as enough.

• A female employee escorted Evenson to Howitzer, who greeted him warmly and explained that the failed Obelisk operation had faltered because of rushed preparations, not the serums.
• Evenson guessed that Howitzer had invited him to settle the final payment, and Howitzer handed him a disc containing a copy of the Siberia Branch mission report.
• Evenson produced a laptop using his spatial-folding ability and checked the disc while Howitzer questioned him about the power.
• Howitzer admitted the disc contained only footage of Tony's parents being killed, concealing the other mission materials about the Winter Soldier and the secret Super Soldier program.
• After watching the footage, Evenson said it was enough and privately considered it the most valuable material.

Evenson traded Howitzer a video revealing the true cause of Iron Man’s parents’ deaths, then left Howitzer wondering whether Umbrella Corporation was a surviving Nazi organization. Howitzer called Pierce to arrange cooperation on a solution to the operation’s fallout.

• Evenson regarded the video as more valuable than Hydra’s secrets about the Winter Soldier team because it connected Iron Man’s parents’ deaths, Bucky’s whereabouts, and Hydra’s plans.
• Evenson finished watching the video and completed his deal with Howitzer, who asked about Umbrella Corporation and was told it was secretive and located somewhere special.
• Evenson refused Howitzer’s request to visit Umbrella Corporation and hinted that there was more than rock on the moon.
• Evenson said “Long live victory!” as he left, prompting Howitzer to suspect Umbrella Corporation might be a surviving Nazi organization.
• Howitzer called Pierce and said he had a solution to the operation’s fallout that required Pierce’s cooperation.

Evenson met Melinda when she returned Hubbs and learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been monitoring his shop with eight agents. He warned her that he would not tolerate surveillance inside his home, and Melinda agreed to pass his message to Director Fury.

• Tyler and Dumen summoned Evenson, and Tyler told him that Sarah was receiving someone.
• Melinda arrived with Hubbs and said Coulson was occupied with other matters.
• Hubbs discovered that Evenson had taken his hidden dog food and returned to the shop looking devastated.
• Evenson revealed that he knew eight S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were monitoring him and had frightened agents who tried to install cameras inside his home.
• Evenson told Melinda he would tolerate distant surveillance but not intrusions into his home, and Melinda agreed to inform Director Fury.

Evenson persuaded Melinda that gaining power could help her protect others and offered her a dangerous alternative to Magic once her mindset stabilized. Melinda agreed to keep the offer secret, but Evenson bound her with a contract that would erase her memories if she tried to reveal it.

• Melinda told Evenson she had transferred to desk duty because she wanted to avoid witnessing more deaths, and he accused her of running away.
• Evenson argued that Melinda truly desired power and offered to teach her a way to gain it without learning spells once she was mentally ready.
• Melinda accepted his offer and agreed to keep it between them, despite her intention to tell Nick Fury someday.
• Evenson marked Melinda with a contract that would erase her memory if she tried to reveal their secret.
• Melinda left after promising to stabilize her mindset, while Evenson wondered whom she would serve after gaining his power.

Evenson manipulated Melinda, spotted Tony Stark falling after his Iron Man suit froze, and triggered a magical surveillance scan while using his Mental Power. Elsewhere, Hydra agents inside S.H.I.E.L.D. staged a deadly arms-smuggling operation and planted an Umbrella Corporation briefcase for Nick Fury.

• Evenson reflected that he had planted a seed of corruption in Melinda and went to rest.
• Sarah called Evenson outside, where he saw Tony Stark streak across the sky and fall after his suit froze; Evenson warned him not to forget the icing problem.
• Evenson realized his Mental Power had triggered a reactive scan from a magical observation post and reassured Sarah that they had not been found.
• Sitwell and Rumlow led a Hydra team posing as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in an arms-smuggling raid, then killed the two captives.
• Sitwell staged the scene with an Umbrella Corporation briefcase and left to deliver it to Nick Fury.

Nick Fury agreed to limit S.H.I.E.L.D.’s surveillance of Evenson to remote monitoring after hearing his demands through Melinda. Melinda nearly revealed their contract but held back when its magic activated, and Evenson noticed the contract mark fading.

• Melinda told Nick Fury that Evenson had discovered S.H.I.E.L.D.’s surveillance and warned against installing monitoring equipment inside his home.
• Nick Fury judged Evenson’s limits reasonable and ordered Melinda to replace the shaken agents and continue only normal remote surveillance.
• Melinda began to tell Nick Fury about her contract with Evenson, but the contract’s magic stopped her from revealing it.
• Melinda told Nick Fury that she wanted to beat Evenson up, and Nick Fury jokingly encouraged her to kick him once on his behalf.
• Evenson sneezed in his shop, watched the contract mark fade, and guessed that Melinda had wisely kept quiet.

Nick Fury and Coulson investigated the identical mutations among the Felified Humans and concluded that their powers had been artificially induced and protected by an advanced technical lockdown. The report left Fury with new questions as Agent Sitwell requested an audience with important information.

• Coulson reported that examinations of twenty-five special Mutants showed identical structures and abilities, though those in Afghanistan were more severely mutated and poorly equipped.
• Nick Fury weighed the possibility that Hydra had created the Mutants but remained troubled by the groups’ different strength and equipment.
• Coulson explained that a rapidly decaying energy in the Mutants’ blood prevented the institute from analyzing the cause of their mutations.
• Nick Fury and Coulson recognized the decay as a technical lockdown and concluded that the Mutants had been artificially created using highly advanced technology.
• Agent Sitwell requested an audience with Nick Fury, saying he had important information.

Nick Fury sent Coulson to investigate whether Tony Stark or Stark Industries had supplied Jellick Missiles to terrorists near Afghanistan, while Sitwell reported Yuri Buto’s death and delivered a briefcase containing an Umbrella Corporation serum presentation. The chapter ended with Nick Fury discovering that the briefcase held a Tyrant-type biochemical combat soldier enhancement serum.

• Nick Fury reassigned Coulson from the stalled research institute to investigate how terrorists near Afghanistan had obtained Jellick Missiles and whether Tony Stark was involved.
• Nick Fury told Coulson to handle Tony discreetly if the investigation proved he supported the terrorists, and Coulson accepted the assignment.
• Sitwell reported that Benhas and Yuri Buto had died during an operation against an arms-smuggling case, with Yuri having taken poison.
• Sitwell gave Nick Fury the briefcase Yuri had carried, and Nick Fury found a miniature computer and six bottles of unknown liquid inside.
• Nick Fury opened the computer and saw an Umbrella Corporation presentation for its Tyrant-type biochemical combat soldier enhancement serum.

Nick Fury examined evidence of a serum that could create Mutants, but the samples had been sabotaged before S.H.I.E.L.D. could study them. Sitwell’s staged evidence had redirected Fury’s attention, and Fury ended the chapter by calling Agent Hill to address Umbrella Corporation.

• Nick Fury watched footage of a man transformed by Tyrant Enhancement Serum and asked Sitwell to verify it.
• Sitwell told Fury that Yuri’s suicide had triggered a mechanism that contaminated the serum samples with enzyme solution.
• Fury ordered the samples sent to a secret research facility and warned everyone involved to keep the matter secret.
• Sitwell left, deciding not to interfere further after his plan had successfully drawn Fury’s attention away from the special base incident.
• The chapter revealed that Howitzer had staged his apparent death to send S.H.I.E.L.D.’s suspicion toward Hydra and had acted against Umbrella Corporation’s interests.
• Nick Fury judged Umbrella Corporation’s matter more urgent and called Agent Hill.

Nick Fury and Hill recognized Umbrella Corporation as a global threat because it was selling Super Soldier serums to anyone who could pay. Fury authorized Hill to form a covert squad to investigate, while the chapter revealed that Umbrella was actually Richter's Curiosities, a tiny operation whose struggling CEO was learning a practical skill.

• Nick Fury told Hill that Umbrella Corporation had created the Super Soldiers found at the special base and in Afghanistan.
• Fury explained that Umbrella was advertising and selling its serums, prompting Hill to warn that countries and terrorists could buy them.
• Hill and Fury concluded that Umbrella's demonstrations and sales could trigger a worldwide arms race.
• Fury authorized Hill to form a secret squad that reported directly to him and investigate Umbrella.
• The chapter revealed that Umbrella was Richter's Curiosities, staffed by four employees and a dog, and that its poor CEO was learning a practical skill.

Evenson trained for his driver’s license after profiting from Stark Industries’ volatile stock, then learned from a news report that Tony Stark’s new Iron Man suit had been intercepted by the military. The chapter left Tony facing two F-22 jets as he flew home from Afghanistan.

• Evenson practiced driving with Instructor Bruce Shit, who told him he had to complete the required training before taking the test.
• Evenson explained that his profits from Stark Industries stock had finally given him enough spare money to learn to drive.
• Evenson returned to his shop, where Sarah reported that their counterfeit talismans had earned thirty dollars that day.
• Evenson watched a report about an F-22 crashing during training and realized Iron Man had officially been born.
• Tony Stark built an Iron Man suit, attacked terrorists in Afghanistan, and destroyed the Jellick Missiles they had acquired.
• The military detected Tony flying home and sent two F-22 fighter jets to intercept him.

Tony escaped the fighter jets and returned home, while Coulson’s investigation led him to suspect Obadiah of selling weapons to terrorists. Obadiah attacked Tony and Pepper, and as Tony fought him, Coulson asked Nick Fury for permission to call in a candidate who could help.

• Tony rescued a fighter pilot after the jets crashed and flew home, while the military covered up the incident as an accident.
• Coulson learned that the Jellick Missiles had been destroyed and narrowed his suspects to Tony, Obadiah, and Pepper, eventually focusing on Obadiah.
• After Pepper copied files from Obadiah’s computer, Obadiah attacked Tony with a sonic weapon, took his energy core, and went after Pepper in his Iron Man suit.
• Coulson’s team went to Obadiah’s secret factory but were driven back until the surviving Tony arrived to help them escape.
• As Tony and Obadiah fought, Coulson told Nick Fury that Tony was at a disadvantage and proposed calling a suitable candidate for help.

Evenson agreed to help Coulson amid Tony and Obadiah’s battle, but negotiated a payment from Nick Fury. He rejected luxury cars and asked for a Hydra Schmidt instead.

• Coulson called Evenson for urgent help while Tony and Obadiah fought nearby, and an explosion jolted Evenson awake.
• Evenson demanded an advance service fee for treating the emergency as an exorcism.
• Nick Fury took over the call and asked Evenson what he wanted in exchange for helping.
• Evenson asked for a car, and Fury offered to have Tony pay for a luxury model.
• Evenson said he wanted a Hydra Schmidt.

Evenson negotiated with Nick Fury for Red Skull’s car and joined Coulson’s team on the way to Tony’s fight. Just as Obadiah was about to kill Tony, a mysterious voice announced justice from the sky and engulfed him in fire.

• Evenson convinced Nick Fury to give him the Hydra Schmidt in exchange for his help, and Fury ordered Coulson to observe Evenson if he joined the battle.
• Coulson sent agents to bring Evenson in, but Evenson revealed he had known about their surveillance and rode with them to meet Coulson.
• The agents learned Evenson had driven a previous surveillance team insane and resolved to avoid provoking him.
• Obadiah’s armored suit overpowered Tony, who was nearly unable to move as Obadiah aimed his machine gun at him.
• A mysterious voice declared “Justice from the Sky,” and a rain of fire swallowed Obadiah.

Evenson rescued Tony by using Rain of Fire against Obadiah, then defeated him with spells and claimed his soul. After Evenson disappeared into the shadows, Coulson tried to leave but was confronted by someone behind him.

• Evenson summoned sixty-six Sulfur Flames in a concentrated rain of fire that damaged Obadiah's armor but did not kill him.
• Evenson appeared and used Pain and Weakness to incapacitate Obadiah, who begged for mercy.
• Evenson claimed Obadiah's soul as a purple crystal and told Tony that Tony owed him a favor.
• Evenson vanished into the shadows, and Coulson packed up his recording equipment to leave.
• Someone spoke behind Coulson, who drew his gun and spun around.

Evenson discussed his disguise, magical abilities, and victory over Obadiah with Coulson, who had recorded the battle for S.H.I.E.L.D. After reminding Coulson of their agreement, Evenson left but came back to ask for a ride home.

• Evenson revealed that his skull staff and Heart of the Void robe were imitations, and explained that the robe helped conceal his Mana fluctuations.
• Coulson admitted that S.H.I.E.L.D. had recorded Evenson's battle and said he was surprised by how easily Evenson had defeated Obadiah.
• Evenson said he had used subtle curse spells against the fragile body inside Obadiah's armor instead of fighting it head-on.
• Evenson reminded Coulson to honor their agreement, then walked away and returned to ask Coulson for a ride home.

Melinda delivered Evenson Richter’s car from S.H.I.E.L.D. and asked if her contract mark could be removed, but Evenson refused and reminded her to keep his secret. Nick Fury later decided to meet Evenson in person, but Coulson encountered a problem when he called the shop.

• Melinda arrived at Richter's Curiosities, thanked Evenson for helping the night before, and told him the car was delayed in traffic.
• Melinda asked Evenson to remove her contract mark, but he refused and reminded her that she had promised to keep his secret.
• A truck delivered the car, and Evenson turned its silver Hydra emblem into a lump of silver before charging people ten dollars for photos and twenty to get in the car.
• Nick Fury watched footage of Evenson’s ability and ordered Coulson to bring him in for a meeting.
• Coulson called Evenson’s number, but Hubbs answered, and Coulson told Nick Fury there might be a problem.