Chapter Summaries

Strange accepted that saving the world was his calling, while Ancient One trapped Kaecilius in the Mirror Dimension and confronted him. Ancient One let Kaecilius fatally wound her, leaving Evenson to wonder whether she had wanted to die.

• Strange resolved to protect the world, and Ancient One revealed that she had trapped Kaecilius in the Mirror Dimension.
• Mordo and Strange pursued Kaecilius but were overwhelmed by his control of the Mirror Dimension until Ancient One gathered them into a stable arena.
• Kaecilius accused Ancient One of betrayal and charged her with his remaining disciple, while Mordo realized she had used power from the Dark Dimension.
• Evenson tried to reach the elevated battlefield with a Cataclysm spell, but Ancient One fell from the sky before he could cast it.
• Strange and Mordo carried the wounded Ancient One away after Kaecilius stabbed her by driving his blade into himself while she restrained him.
• Evenson wondered whether Ancient One had left behind his Healing Stone because she no longer wanted to live.

Ancient One chose to die after entrusting Strange with the duty of protecting Earth and warning him about the dangers surrounding Evenson and Kamar-Taj. Evenson arranged to recover her body and preserve her soul in a Soul Crystal, intending to bring her back to work later.

• Strange pursued Ancient One's departing soul and listened as she explained her exhaustion, her past mistakes, and her decision to embrace death.
• Ancient One urged Strange to defeat Dormammu, explained Evenson's ties to the Burning Legion, and advised Strange to rely on Klayya while remaining wary of Evenson.
• Ancient One watched the lightning with Strange, released his hand, and died, leaving him to take up her responsibility as Sorcerer Supreme.
• Evenson ordered Moira to recover Ancient One's body under the Black Badge Division's authority and take it to Dr. Helen Zhao for the Bio-Cradle.
• Evenson spoke to Ancient One's Soul Crystal, saying he intended to give her a long rest before rehiring her.

At a restaurant overlooking the battle, Klayya confronted Evenson about collecting the Sorcerer Supreme’s soul and made him promise to let her live freely if revived. Outside, Li Lin’s gangsters defeated a powerful female mage, but the fight took a darker turn when Kaecilius announced Dormammu’s arrival.

• Klayya told Evenson she understood the Sorcerer Supreme’s desire for peace and accused him of condemning her to more sacrifice by collecting her soul.
• Evenson promised Klayya that he would not burden the Sorcerer Supreme with responsibilities again and would let her enjoy a peaceful life.
• Li Lin’s gangsters surrounded the blinded and wounded female mage, who fought back with spells and throwing darts.
• Miao Ziqiang covered the female mage with poisonous creatures from his sack, and she fell dead as the gangsters prepared to attack.
• A nearby ancient building collapsed, purple spheres appeared in the sky, and injured Kaecilius declared that the Great Lord had descended.

Li Lin fought Kaecilius with martial arts and Internal Energy, but he survived her apparent victory and trapped her with spatial Magic. Kaecilius then destroyed the Hong Kong Sanctum, and the sky began to change.

• Li Lin attacked Kaecilius with her spear, then switched to twin blades after he broke the spear and revealed that she had mastered Internal Energy.
• Li Lin interrupted Kaecilius's attempt to use spatial Magic and accused him of killing the Sorcerer Supreme through a despicable method.
• Li Lin broke Kaecilius's Sling Rings with a barber's razor and battered him with close-range martial arts as gang members watched and discussed her fighting style.
• Li Lin used her Fel Internal Energy to drain Kaecilius, then struck him down after he punched her in the abdomen.
• Kaecilius survived by faking his defeat, trapped Li Lin inside a wall with spatial Magic, and brought down the Hong Kong Sanctum.
• The magicians fled the collapsing Sanctum as the sky began to change.

As Dormammu’s Dark Dimension consumed Hong Kong, Strange used the Time Stone to reverse time, while Li Lin and the others fought Kaecilius. Klayya entered the Dark Dimension to negotiate with Dormammu, leaving the outcome uncertain.

• Kaecilius drew strength from the approaching Dark Dimension and confronted Wong and the sorcerers after the Hong Kong Sanctum fell.
• Strange tried to reverse the destruction with the Eye of Agamotto, and Li Lin broke free from the wall and attacked Kaecilius.
• Strange’s spell rewound events, restoring a dead sorceress, whom Li Lin drained; Kaecilius then broke free of the reversal and stopped time from moving forward.
• Evenson and Klayya arrived, and Klayya struck Kaecilius with her spear as Evenson confronted him about Milia and his hopes of reunion.
• Klayya flew into the Dark Dimension and told Dormammu she had come to negotiate.

Klayya entered the Dark Dimension to negotiate with Dormammu, who initially agreed to withdraw and spare Earth, but Nyarlathotep’s interruption led Dormammu to attack instead. Evenson’s backup plan restored Earth’s defenses, forcing Dormammu to retreat while Strange restored the Hong Kong Sanctum.

• Klayya entered the Dark Dimension and told Dormammu she had come to negotiate, causing him to withdraw his threat when he noticed the mark on her armor.
• Dormammu agreed to leave Earth alone and surrender his followers’ souls, while Kaecilius learned that his connection to the Dark Dimension had been severed.
• Nyarlathotep told Klayya not to use his name to restrain Dormammu, so Dormammu abandoned the negotiation and attacked her.
• Evenson told Klayya to activate Plan B as she defended against Dormammu’s attacks, and the Eredar Twins activated the replicated New York Defense Core.
• Strange restored the Hong Kong Sanctum, and a rainbow-colored beam struck Dormammu, who retreated with the Dark Dimension.

After Dormammu’s defeat, Mordo condemned the late Ancient One and Kamar-Taj’s use of forbidden power, then began acting against mages he considered corrupt. As Kamar-Taj debated choosing between Klayya and Strange as the new Sorcerer Supreme, Olivann said Klayya supported Strange because she needed to negotiate with Asgard over its help against Dormammu.

• Evenson extracted Kaecilius’s soul and left as Mordo’s accusations sparked an argument among the mages.
• Klayya defended Ancient One and Strange, while Mordo left Kamar-Taj, declaring that he would no longer accept its ways.
• Mordo went to New York, stripped Ponborn of his magic, and left him crippled again; Kamar-Taj ignored the incident.
• Wong convened leaders from the Three Great Sanctums to choose a new Sorcerer Supreme, and Malgarn and Yin Sheng argued over whether Strange or Klayya should lead.
• Olivann announced that the New York Sanctum supported Strange and explained that Klayya would go to Asgard as Earth’s envoy to negotiate the consequences of the Bifrost’s attack on Dormammu.

Kamar-Taj’s leaders made Klayya the real governor while Strange became Sorcerer Supreme in name, and Evenson revealed that Ancient One had been resurrected in a living body as a Death Knight. Ancient One learned how her return had happened and accepted that Klayya had been too busy to face her.

• Olivann argued that Klayya should guide inexperienced Strange, and Yin Sheng proposed rules that left Klayya in control of Kamar-Taj’s affairs and the Sorcerer Supreme’s seal.
• Malgarn introduced the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights as models, and the gathering established a Magic Council led by Klayya while Strange presided over rites.
• Yin Sheng asked Li Lin for a larger food budget, while Malgarn reported the outcome to Professor Moriarty and requested help rebuilding the London Sanctum.
• Ancient One awoke beneath Gospel Company, discovered she had hair again, and confronted Evenson about resurrecting her while Klayya remained away.
• Evenson told Ancient One that Klayya had arranged for Bio-cradle technology to restore her body before he placed her soul in it, making her a living Death Knight.

Evenson explained why he had resurrected Ancient One: he wanted her help protecting Earth from dangers drawn by news of her death. But after his soul-crystal process fused her former personalities, she became Gabriel, who questioned whether the world she had defended for over a thousand years deserved her love.

• Evenson explained that Ancient One's new body was a living shell, and Ancient One asked why he had gone to such lengths to revive her.
• Evenson said he needed Ancient One as protection against dangers threatening Earth and planned to lure its enemies into a trap.
• Evenson noticed Ancient One's changed behavior, and she revealed that her personalities had fused during the creation of her Soul Crystal.
• The woman named herself Gabriel and agreed to consider defending Earth again, but asked whether the world was worthy of her love.

Gabriel decided to travel the world and judge for herself whether it deserved her affection, while Evenson pressed her to honor Ancient One’s old investment promise. The Eredar Twins then asked whether their adopted goddaughter Angelica should be taught magic, leaving Evenson uneasy about letting a child become a Sorcerer.

• Gabriel said she would travel the world using her own savings, and Evenson objected that examining humanity would accomplish little.
• Evenson reminded Gabriel that Ancient One had promised to invest in his company, and Gabriel agreed to invest an amount she chose.
• The Eredar Twins explained that Angelica, their adopted goddaughter, wanted to become a magical girl after seeing them rebuild the New York Defense Core.
• Evenson offered to teach Angelica basic Fel Energy exercises, but the Eredar Twins said they already had Shadow sequences and Flame calculus.
• Aurelles asked whether Evenson would let his own daughter become a Sorcerer, and he fell silent.

Evenson and the Eredar Twins agreed that Gabriel would assess Angelica and begin teaching her magic, but a suspected kidnapper kept Angelica from joining them. Nick Fury then told Evenson that Centipede had kidnapped Coulson, and Evenson headed to Fury’s office to discuss the complicated situation.

• The Eredar Twins asked Gabriel to teach Angelica magic, and Gabriel agreed to assess the girl’s talent and choose a suitable branch.
• Alice reported that a hooded man had watched Angelica at school, so Aurelles ordered a driver change and instructed 76 to capture the man if he returned.
• Nick Fury called Evenson and revealed that Centipede had kidnapped Coulson after luring him with a case connected to the organization.
• Evenson and Fury suspected Centipede had learned that Coulson had returned from the dead and wanted to uncover how it happened.
• Fury told Evenson to come to his office instead of joining the investigation team, saying the situation was complicated.

Evenson and Nick Fury investigated how the Centipede Organization learned the secret of Coulson’s resurrection, suspecting that someone had leaked it. Surveillance footage revealed that Nahash had taken over Coulson’s body, killed Edison Poe, and escaped in his own form.

• Evenson arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and discussed with Nick Fury the Centipede Organization’s capture of Coulson and its possible knowledge of his resurrection.
• Nick Fury told Evenson that reports mentioned a supposed Clairvoyant, but they doubted anyone could truly foresee the future in detail.
• Nick Fury showed Evenson evidence that Coulson had arranged for Saint Joan’s battle flag and sword to be smuggled into the United States and sent to Los Angeles.
• In surveillance footage, Edison Poe tortured Coulson in an abandoned military test town to recover his memories, but Coulson appeared to die before waking with a different voice.
• A Viper emerged from Coulson’s mouth and killed Edison, then hundreds of snakes poured out, devoured the others, and merged into a python.
• The python transformed into a man, identified as Nahash, who said he had been eating apples and welcomed a meal of meat; Evenson recognized him as Garden of Eden’s Long Worm.

Evenson and Nick Fury discovered that Nahash had stayed inside Coulson by exploiting a loophole in the Devil Contract, and they suspected Mephisto might be connected to the Centipede organization. Evenson prepared to travel to Los Angeles to confront Mephisto, while ordering the Eredar Twins to investigate Centipede and find Clairvoyant.

• Evenson realized the contract never required Nahash to leave Coulson's body and concluded Mephisto had manipulated him into overlooking the loophole.
• Nick Fury suspected Mephisto had sold Coulson's secret to Centipede, while Evenson questioned what the organization could offer the devil in exchange.
• Nick Fury proposed that Centipede might be connected to Umbrella Corporation and trying to recreate a Third Reich ritual meant to summon Mephisto.
• Evenson vowed to oppose Mephisto if he was helping Centipede, declined to bring Melinda, and chose a mage friend as his companion for the trip to Los Angeles.
• Evenson accepted the Quinjet ride and sent the Eredar Twins orders to help S.H.I.E.L.D. investigate Centipede and locate Clairvoyant, asking Gabriel to meet him in Los Angeles if she could.

Evenson found Mephisto thriving as a powerful Los Angeles fixer and police consultant, then questioned him about Nahash being inside Coulson. Mephisto denied responsibility and said he feared little besides the two female demons, prompting Gabriel to appear and kick him to the floor.

• Evenson visited Demon King Bar and learned how Mephisto had pacified Los Angeles gangs, improved their lives, and become a police consultant.
• Evenson met Farina at the bar and learned Mephisto was investigating a Hollywood murder with detective Lauren Daek.
• Mephisto and Evenson ruled out director Nathaya Tip as the killer, then returned to the bar to discuss Nahash and Coulson.
• Mephisto claimed Nahash had acted independently while seeking something that could address Hell's overcrowding, and said he had little left to fear.
• Gabriel suddenly appeared and kicked Mephisto to the floor for his boast.

Gabriel met Mephisto and Evenson, and Mephisto deduced that Hydra was the likeliest group behind Coulson’s kidnapping. Mephisto then revealed his effort to reform sinners, but Evenson warned that a plan would send at least one billion people to Hell within two hours.

• Gabriel appeared and stomped Mephisto, then introduced herself by her new name and explained that Evenson had brought her back as a walking corpse.
• Mephisto recognized that Gabriel had lost much of her strength and took her Joshua’s Horn as evidence that she had prepared other relics to compensate.
• Evenson questioned Mephisto about Nahash and Coulson’s kidnapping, and Mephisto argued that the kidnappers could have learned Coulson had died without knowing how he was resurrected.
• Evenson realized that Hydra could have uncovered Coulson’s resurrection through people connected to his death, transport, or the Death Warrior Project.
• Mephisto revealed that he was trying to reform sinners in Los Angeles so they could reach Heaven instead of Hell.
• Evenson warned Mephisto that a plan would cause at least one billion people to enter Hell within two hours, leaving Mephisto panicked and demanding to know who was responsible.

Evenson and Mephisto made a deal to stop Hydra’s Project Insight, with Evenson promising to save Joan of Arc’s soul from Purgatory. After Evenson left, Nahash revealed himself to Lena and said Coulson’s sealed memories would begin to return.

• Mephisto reacted with alarm when Evenson explained that Hydra and Alexander Pierce planned to use Project Insight to kill a billion people, and he agreed they needed to stop it.
• Mephisto offered to help in exchange for a deal, and Evenson made saving Joan of Arc’s soul the price of his assistance.
• Mephisto revealed that Detective Deke was Joan of Arc’s reincarnation, while Evenson insisted he could prepare a way to rescue Joan’s soul from Purgatory.
• Evenson signed Mephisto’s contract, and Mephisto warned him that Nahash had left Coulson’s body but Coulson’s sealed memories would gradually awaken.
• Evenson departed with Gabriel, and Nahash introduced himself to Lena as Vicente, formerly known as Nahash.

Nahash revealed his identities as the serpent from the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Serpent of Eden, then explained that Coulson’s resurrection required his soul to be recovered from Hell. He left Lena with the possibility that his help could make true resurrection possible.

• Nahash told Lena that he had stolen the Immortality Elixir from the Hero King in the Epic of Gilgamesh and lived for thousands of years.
• Lena connected Nahash to Umbrella Corporation’s supposed research into immortality and Inhumans.
• Nahash recounted the Garden of Eden story and confirmed that he was the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve.
• Nahash warned Lena not to endanger Coulson and explained that Coulson’s soul had gone to Hell after his death.
• Nahash told Lena that Coulson’s friend had retrieved his soul from Mephisto, and said he might help her achieve true resurrection.

Victoria Hand took command of the search for Coulson, while Evenson pushed to pursue an uncertain lead and summoned the Black Badge Division for help. In captivity, Lena manipulated Coulson into using a machine to recover his hidden memories, then revealed that a snake-shaped presence had been testing her.

• Nick Fury put Victoria Hand in charge of Coulson’s team, and Hand captured a broker connected to Centipede.
• Evenson told Hand that he knew where Coulson was being held, but she refused to launch an operation without confirming the intelligence.
• Evenson proposed pursuing both the broker and his lead, then called the Black Badge Hotline to request assistance.
• Lena challenged Coulson’s beliefs by raising his apparent death, his lost memories, and the cellist he had loved.
• Coulson willingly entered the machine, and Lena began recovering his concealed memories under hypnosis.
• A snake-shaped tattoo spread across Lena’s face as a voice praised her deception and claimed the Clairvoyant was a fake prophet.

Lena passed Nahash’s test by using the machine to draw out Coulson’s memories, and Nahash decided to seek intelligence from the Clairvoyant. As S.H.I.E.L.D. split up over conflicting leads to Coulson, Skye reached the fake town and joined Melinda and Ward, where the Black Badge Division agent Bangalore began hunting the Centipede Warriors.

• Nahash explained that he had tested Lena’s ability to deceive Coulson, and Lena successfully made Coulson relive memories through the machine.
• Nahash told Lena he wanted to contact the Clairvoyant for intelligence after his search through Coulson’s S.H.I.E.L.D. access had failed.
• Skye traced Centipede’s finances to the desert property where Coulson was held, while Victoria Hand received a conflicting tip and led a team to a laboratory.
• Evenson warned Melinda that the conflicting reports suggested someone had leaked information from the plane, but Melinda suspected the Black Badge Division instead.
• Skye arrived at the fake town and watched a Centipede Warrior get killed by an unseen ally; Melinda and Ward then joined her.
• Bangalore revealed himself as a Black Badge Division agent and attacked the remaining Centipede Warriors with smoke grenades and thermal imaging.

Bangalore helped Skye and Melinda’s team rescue Coulson, while Evenson discovered that Nahash had been maintaining the magic in Coulson’s mind. Nahash offered Evenson clues about the Clairvoyant and a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. search in the Grand Canyon.

• Bangalore explained that he had joined Skye to deal with the terrorists, and Melinda praised Skye for cooperating with him.
• Bangalore detected three people in a building, then fired a flashbang before Melinda and Ward could storm inside.
• Melinda found Coulson unconscious, Lena restrained, and Evenson temporarily blinded by the flashbang; Evenson then took Lena outside to speak with Nahash.
• Nahash revealed that she had repeatedly repaired the fragile magic Mephisto placed in Coulson’s mind and offered Evenson information about the Clairvoyant.
• Nahash told Evenson that S.H.I.E.L.D. had spent five years searching the Grand Canyon for extraterrestrial life in the late eighties and early nineties.