Chapter Summaries

After Hailmondas’s defeat, Evenson claimed the Fel Scar Rift and secured the demons’ submission, while Sif completed her deal and returned to Asgard with Fel Blood. Evenson closed the portal and ordered Gernos to activate the Soul Engine for a new world.

• Sif and the Valkyries returned from the battle, and Evenson confirmed that Hailmondas had fallen.
• Zirath pledged the demon forces’ loyalty to Evenson, then declined a Doomguard contract and chose to remain in the rift.
• Evenson gave Sif two buckets of Fel Blood as the shipment for Asgard, and she accepted them.
• Evenson escorted Sif and the Valkyries to the portal, where they returned to Asgard.
• Evenson closed the portal and told Gernos to set up the teleportation beacon and run the Soul Engine at full power.

The Hive recounted how strange visitors repeatedly transformed and stripped his ruined planet, leaving him fearful of losing his home. Evenson arrived aboard the Fel Scar Rift, and he and Agatha discussed the crater left by the Voidlings before Evenson ordered Gernos to park the rift there.

• The Hive hid from two demon women after one of them caused a massive eruption, and they later left with his captive.
• The Hive watched energy beings plant devices across the planet, then saw them teleport away a vast region and its contents.
• Fearing the miners might return, The Hive dug a shelter beneath the crater before an apparent asteroid descended toward the planet.
• Evenson arrived above the planet aboard the Fel Scar Rift, and The Hive realized the falling object was not an asteroid.
• Agatha recognized the miners as Voidlings, and Evenson told Gernos to park the rift in their crater.

The Eredar Twins returned to the Fel Scar Rift after its rough landing, reclaimed command, and ordered a Demon Forging Camp built while keeping the demons confined to the planet. Peggy Carter challenged their motives, and Evenson revealed her preserved former heart, leaving her asking how it had been wounded.

• The Fel Scar Rift caught on the mine pit's rim before dropping to the bottom, killing several hundred demons and nearly injuring Evenson.
• The Eredar Twins arrived, rebuked Evenson for burying their teleportation marker, and took their thrones as the demons pledged loyalty.
• The Twins confirmed that the Soul Engine was working and ordered Zirath to build a Demon Forging Camp while keeping the demons' activity limited to the planet.
• Peggy Carter questioned why the Twins wanted to expand their army, and they said the demons needed to be kept occupied and the world needed protection.
• Evenson showed Peggy a box containing her former heart, and she asked about a wound on it; he claimed his hand might have slipped.

Evenson returned Peggy Carter’s heart and urged her to judge him by his actions, after which she went through the portal to go home. Before she could leave, a woman ambushed and abducted her, while Evenson learned that his battle in the Twisting Nether had lasted a week in the real world.

• Peggy Carter questioned Evenson about the safeguard he had kept in her heart, and he returned the heart to her, asking her to judge his trustworthiness by what he did.
• Peggy Carter led the Demon Heart Warriors back through the portal and prepared to visit Captain America, but a spider-like robot sprayed her with purple mist and a woman dragged her away.
• Saloras and Aurelles teased Evenson for making the heart’s return sound profound, and he explained that earning Peggy Carter’s trust was more effective than threatening her.
• Evenson learned from Saloras and Agatha that a week had passed while he was away because time in the Twisted Nether was chaotic.
• Agatha explained that Evenson’s physical presence in the rift caused temporal displacement, unlike his previous visits using a thought-form.

Evenson learned that Michael Peterson had returned in powered armor and was being used by the US government to pressure the company’s military business. The company responded by opening branches in Russia and India, with Natalia Voskya and Agatha assigned to lead them.

• Saloras and Aurelles told Evenson that Michael Peterson had reappeared as an armored cyborg after wiping out a CIA-backed guerrilla force in South America.
• Aurelles explained that Peterson’s armor was more costly and no better than the company’s products, but his presence gave the military leverage to demand cheaper deals.
• Evenson learned that Ian Quinn owned the shell company behind Peterson, but Saloras warned that attacking him would provoke the US government and military.
• Saloras revealed that the company would open a European branch in Russia, where Natalia Voskya would negotiate a new Holy Mountain Mech project.
• Aurelles said the company would also open an Asian branch in India, with Agatha chosen to take charge.

Evenson planned to expand Umbrella Corporation into India by exploiting its caste system, cheap labor, and religious authorities, with Agatha impersonating a divine messenger to win their support. Sargas proposed using the Rift’s demon army to crush any resistance, but the Eredar Twins reminded her that the demons had to stay hidden.

• Evenson judged India the best Asian market for Umbrella Corporation and considered how the company could profit from its divisions and resources.
• Evenson devised plans to privatize prisons and use Agatha’s demonic appearance to persuade high-caste religious leaders to cooperate.
• Agatha said she had often played goddesses and divine messengers for the Eredar Twins, while Sargas complained that the plan was too complicated.
• Sargas offered to lead the Rift’s army against anyone who obstructed the company.
• The Eredar Twins told Sargas to keep the demons low-profile and preserve them as a hidden trump card.

The Eredar Twins kept the Fel Scar Rift as a secret force, then brought Agatha and Sargas to the Final Doctrine and assigned them new roles, including protecting their adopted daughter at school. After learning that Klayya had taken S.H.I.E.L.D.’s mission to pursue Clairvoyant, Evenson went to check on the situation and stumbled upon Peggy Carter electrocuting Dottie.

• The Eredar Twins agreed with Evenson to build up the Fel Scar Rift quietly and ordered Dest to improve its barren environment while managing the rift.
• The Twins brought Agatha and Sargas back to the Final Doctrine, where Agatha was told to prepare for work and Sargas was assigned to teach at their adopted daughter’s school as her protector.
• The Twins told Evenson that S.H.I.E.L.D. had asked him to help hunt Clairvoyant and that Klayya had accepted the mission in his place.
• Evenson realized the Twins feared Hydra’s imminent move and decided to check on Klayya’s mission without confronting her directly.
• Evenson went to Peggy Carter’s room and found her using an electric switch to shock Dottie through a net, then hurried to leave.

Peggy Carter told Evenson about a vivid dream in which Captain America entered an elevator with Hydra agents, including Sitwell. The dream ended with Steve whispering “Hail Hydra!” to Sitwell, leaving Peggy worried that the vision might reveal a real threat.

• Evenson walked in on Peggy Carter punishing Dottie, who had drugged and tried to assault her, and Peggy asked him for help understanding a strange dream.
• Peggy described a dream that seemed to show Hydra agents preparing an ambush against Captain America inside an elevator.
• Evenson said the tactical team was heavily infiltrated by Hydra and dismissed the apparent ambush as no match for Captain America.
• Peggy clarified that no fight occurred and said Captain America spoke privately to Senior Agent Sitwell as the elevator stopped.
• Peggy revealed that Steve had whispered “Hail Hydra!” to Sitwell, making her fear that the dream was more than a dream.

Peggy Carter and Evenson considered whether Captain America had been brainwashed by Hydra and used as a Winter Soldier, though Evenson rejected the theory as speculation. Klayya then reported that the real Clairvoyant might be Phil Coulson.

• Peggy Carter argued that Hydra could have coerced or brainwashed Steve by exploiting his attachment to Bucky.
• Peggy Carter suggested Hydra may have secretly recovered Steve from the ice, brainwashed him, and used him alongside Bucky as a Winter Soldier.
• Evenson dismissed Peggy Carter's theory as an implausible conclusion drawn from a dream.
• Klayya called Evenson and said her mission had captured Clairvoyant, but the team suspected someone else was behind the identity.
• Klayya told Evenson that the real Clairvoyant might be Phil Coulson.

Coulson gathered senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agents aboard the Air Bus to plan the capture of Clairvoyant, with Klayya filling in for Evenson. After Klayya explained the limits of magical mind-reading, Coulson focused the search on people S.H.I.E.L.D. had previously tried to recruit, while Klayya secretly floated back into the meeting room.

• Coulson convened Level 8 agents aboard the Air Bus to discuss capturing Clairvoyant, while Sitwell quietly assessed John Garrett for Alexander Pierce.
• Coulson explained that his experiences with Enchantress Lorelei made him suspect Clairvoyant had supernatural abilities, and the agents waited for Evenson Richter to arrive.
• Klayya appeared through a golden portal in Evenson's place and introduced herself as a Kamar-Taj sorceress, startling Hand and Blake.
• Klayya told Coulson that magical mind-reading was rare, required contact with a target, and could not be used for broad, untargeted readings.
• Coulson sent Klayya to rest and told the agents to focus on people S.H.I.E.L.D. had previously tried to recruit.
• Klayya secretly floated through the wall and returned to the meeting room, signaling Melinda to keep her presence quiet.

Coulson brought Skye into the Clairvoyant investigation, and she proposed a double-blind plan before receiving her Level One S.H.I.E.L.D. badge. After Sitwell raised Sherlock Holmes as a suspect, he reported his suspicions about John Garrett and Evenson to Pierce, who ordered him to cut off contact with Garrett’s associates and prioritize the Star of Moria.

• Coulson proposed using Skye’s pattern-recognition skills to rank Clairvoyant’s possible locations, and Skye joined the agents in the meeting.
• Skye suggested splitting location and identity information between paired agents, and Coulson welcomed her to S.H.I.E.L.D. as a Level One agent.
• Sitwell named Sherlock Holmes as a possible suspect, but John Garrett argued against the theory and Sitwell quickly dropped his objection.
• Headquarters summoned Sitwell to the Star of Moria, and he left the plane before contacting Pierce through an encrypted channel.
• Sitwell reported that Garrett, Evenson, Skye, and possibly Holmes were tied to Umbrella Corporation and Magic, prompting Pierce to order him to sever contact with Garrett’s line and focus on the Star of Moria.

Alexander Pierce decided to leave John Garrett unsupported until Project Insight was online, while Mephisto summoned Johnny Blaze and ordered him to kill Hydra agents in Washington. The chapter ended with Johnny facing a new mission to stop a future catastrophe that could kill two billion people.

• Alexander Pierce decided not to eliminate John Garrett yet, fearing Garrett might expose Hydra during the sensitive period before Project Insight launched.
• Mephisto's enchanted skates dragged a drunken Johnny Blaze from his warehouse to a remote wasteland, where Mephisto used their strengthened contract to immobilize him.
• Mephisto blamed Johnny for breaching their old agreement and offered a new contract that would supposedly return Johnny's soul in exchange for his help.
• Mephisto told Johnny that two billion people would die within two hours unless he acted, and ordered him to go to Washington and burn the souls of anyone shouting “Hail Hydra.”

Johnny Blaze agreed to Mephisto’s mission and raced toward America after arming himself with an absurd collection of weapons and gear. Meanwhile, Agent Blake told Elizabeth Hand he suspected Coulson was secretly the Clairvoyant, but he had no evidence and planned to search for clues during the operation.

• Johnny Blaze reluctantly made a deal with Mephisto to join the mission alongside Evenson, then prepared for battle with sharpened weapons and an assortment of equipment.
• Johnny transformed into Ghost Rider and sped across the sea toward America, killing many seals along the way.
• Agent Blake secretly scanned Elizabeth Hand’s plane for listening devices before accusing Coulson of suspicious conduct and describing several failures tied to his missions.
• Hand defended Evenson’s character and questioned Blake’s theory, while Blake argued that a Level 8 clearance could explain the Clairvoyant’s access to secrets.
• Blake asked Hand to serve as his emergency contact as he joined the operation to seek evidence, and Hand wished that his suspicions were wrong.

Agent Blake investigated S.H.I.E.L.D.’s search for the Clairvoyant while the teams split up to pursue suspects. His mission ended in a hospital ambush, where Michael Peterson attacked him and Melinda as Ghost Rider appeared.

• Blake was assigned to work with Melinda and planned to use her connection to Coulson to uncover the Clairvoyant’s identity.
• Skye coordinated the agents from the command center while Klayya monitored the operation and sent intelligence to Moira, who redirected the Black Badge Division toward promising S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits.
• Coulson and John Garrett investigated Sato Noriko, whose identity and background appeared forged, but a construction vehicle blocked their car in an alley without an attack following.
• Melinda and Blake went to a hospital to investigate Thomas Nash, and Blake separated from Melinda to find his room.
• Skye warned Blake that a high-heat object was approaching, but Michael Peterson burst through the ceiling and seized him after Blake’s shots failed to pierce his armor.
• Melinda prepared to fight Michael Peterson, but Johnny Blaze, transformed into Ghost Rider, appeared through the wall.

Ghost Rider appeared at a S.H.I.E.L.D. operation and judged Blake more sinful than Death Warrior Michael Peterson, leaving Blake seemingly burned out. Klayya blasted Ghost Rider away through a portal, while Stephen Strange learned the Chief Mystic had handled the threat and planned to find Ghost Rider himself.

• Skye detected a fast-approaching heat source, and Melinda warned S.H.I.E.L.D. backup teams to stay away after identifying Ghost Rider at the scene.
• Ghost Rider pierced Death Warrior Michael Peterson's armored arm, released Blake, and forced Blake to face his judgment.
• Ghost Rider's Eye of Judgment exposed Blake's past, leaving him motionless with charred eyes as Melinda prepared to attack.
• Klayya opened a portal and blasted Ghost Rider into the sky with Rhongomyniad, then told Skye that he would recover.
• Wong informed Stephen Strange that the Chief Mystic had already dealt with Ghost Rider, and Strange decided to locate and speak with him.

After Agent Blake died during the operation, Klayya tracked Death Warrior and led S.H.I.E.L.D. to Thomas Nash, suspected Clairvoyant. Thomas predicted Coulson’s future, but Ward shot him before he could say more.

• Melinda blamed Death Warrior for preventing her and Blake from evacuating, and identified Thomas Nash as Clairvoyant.
• Klayya used the Hellfire wound on Death Warrior to locate him and glimpse his position through Mindscape Vision.
• Klayya led S.H.I.E.L.D. to an old building, where the agents chased Death Warrior into a secret room and found Thomas Nash.
• Thomas claimed he had foreseen Coulson’s future and predicted Melinda and Skye would die, so Ward shot him.

After Thomas was killed, Klayya suspected Coulson was the Clairvoyant, but Evenson dismissed her theory. Victoria Hand investigated Ghost Rider’s records and concluded that Evenson was the real Clairvoyant, while Peggy Carter returned home to watch Captain America.

• Ward shot Thomas dead and was taken into custody, leaving the agents unable to investigate him.
• Klayya argued that Coulson had arranged to silence Thomas and Blake, but Evenson told her Coulson was not the Clairvoyant.
• Peggy Carter asked whether Coulson had betrayed them, and Evenson sent her home to keep an eye on Captain America.
• Victoria Hand searched Ghost Rider’s surveillance records and found that his encounters with S.H.I.E.L.D. had repeatedly involved Evenson, Coulson, and Melinda.
• Hand pieced together a conspiracy involving Evenson, Coulson, Melinda, Klayya, and Ghost Rider, then decided Evenson was the true Clairvoyant.

Evenson and Klayya enjoyed a quiet day together, reconnected with Thor, and discussed his life in Australia and his strained relationship with Jane. Meanwhile, Moira arranged for The Hand to approach Sato Noriko as a potential Black Badge Division recruit, and Noriko greeted Murakami as a retainer of the Uesugi clan.

• Evenson woke beside Klayya, shared breakfast with her, and spent the day gaming at home.
• Thor called Evenson, complained about his bad luck opening game boxes, and invited him to Australia, where he described his unusual hobbies and neglected calls with Jane.
• Klayya lent Evenson her luck, and he won a Purple Legend while gaming.
• Moira reviewed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s rejected candidates and decided The Hand should approach Sato Noriko about joining the Black Badge Division.
• Sato Noriko welcomed Murakami at her estate and formally declared her respects to the Uesugi clan.

Murakami informed Ashina Noriko that The Hand had ended her clan’s vassalage so she could join the Black Badge Division, whose leaders he believed could revive Dragon’s Heritage. Noriko accepted the recruitment, intending to serve her new Lord faithfully.

• Murakami and Ashina Noriko performed a tea ceremony using the famed Small Eggplant tea caddy and Hiragumo utensils.
• Murakami told Ashina Noriko that the Five Fingers of The Hand had dissolved her clan’s vassalage because the Black Badge Division wanted her.
• Murakami explained that Noriko’s family descended from Ashina Genichiro’s younger sister and carried the bloodline of Dragon’s Heritage.
• Murakami said the Black Badge Division could accomplish the Dragon’s Heritage Revival that The Hand had long sought.
• Ashina Noriko accepted the recruitment and promised to bring back the company’s secrets, but Murakami warned her to serve her new Lord loyally instead.

Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D. investigated the hijacked Star of Moria, only to find its pirate crew already dead from a silent attack. As Jialiya’s group withdrew, a kneeling woman remained behind to carry out the Great General’s command.

• Steve Rogers met Sam Wilson during a morning run, then left with Natasha after receiving an emergency mission alert.
• Rumlow briefed Steve and Natasha on the Star of Moria hijacking and assigned their team to rescue the hostages and retake the ship.
• Steve plunged into the Indian Ocean and discovered several dead pirates, including George Batroc, whose crew appeared to have been killed by blades without firing a shot.
• Steve found a shuriken among the bodies and asked Natasha whether ninjas existed.
• Jialiya recognized Steve as her master’s husband, led her group off the ship using a Summoning Stone, and left a kneeling woman to fulfill the Great General’s command.