Chapter Summaries

Gabriel arrived during the Project Insight meeting and revealed that she opposed Pierce’s plan but wanted a far greater catastrophe to reshape humanity. She proposed a unified, primitive society where people lived comfortably and died painlessly as they aged, then learned that Umbrella Corporation might provide the technology she needed.

• Gabriel appeared in the conference room carrying Joshua's Horn, alarming the committee and prompting them to distance themselves from Mephisto.
• Gabriel clarified that she opposed Pierce’s targets and goals, though she wanted at least half the world's population wiped out by an impending disaster.
• Gabriel rejected Pierce’s proposal as inadequate and described her plan to unify the world, strip away technology and art, and have people live as farmers under a painless aging-and-death medicine.
• Nick Fury condemned Gabriel’s proposal as mass murder, while Gabriel argued that it would spare humanity the suffering of aging, illness, and conflict.
• Pierce realized Gabriel’s proposed crops and panacea required biotechnology and suggested Umbrella Corporation; Gabriel said she would contact the company.

Gabriel proposed a world governed by an engineered, all-powerful ruler, but said he would delay the plan while Evenson and the others sought another way to avert Apocalypse. As the committee turned back to Project Insight, Farrell revealed that Black Badge had destroyed all five Insight satellites, leaving Pierce to suspect Umbrella had maneuvered to gain power.

• Gabriel described a peaceful but tightly controlled society and explained that its resources could be redirected toward developing civilization under one ruler.
• Pierce volunteered to lead the new world, but balked when Gabriel said his brain and desires would be altered, so Gabriel condemned him for seeking power without responsibility.
• Evenson pulled Gabriel aside, and Gabriel clarified that he would postpone his plan while other options remained, warning that they had little time before Apocalypse.
• The committee prepared to address the helicarriers, but their computer screens went black and Farrell announced that Black Badge had destroyed all five Insight satellites.
• Pierce realized Umbrella had likely used the Insight launch to learn the satellites' orbital paths and had been waiting for S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra to weaken each other.

The Eredar Twins used the Far Sight satellite’s Dawnbreaker weapon to destroy all five Insight satellites, ending Project Insight. Elizabeth agreed to negotiate a second lease for the weapon under the Twins’ strict terms, while Pierce blamed the failure on his enemies and expected Umbrella Corporation to bring disaster upon the world.

• The Eredar Twins revealed that the Far Sight satellite had located five Insight satellites and used Dawnbreaker to destroy them all.
• Elizabeth challenged the Twins for hiding the satellite’s weapons system, and Aurelles explained that the US government would need a separate agreement to lease its attack capabilities.
• The Eredar Twins demanded that only their company operate Dawnbreaker, and Elizabeth agreed to negotiate those terms with the military.
• Pierce recognized that Project Insight had failed and that Umbrella Corporation had benefited, but he stayed silent and hoped its rise would bring suffering to the world.

Pierce tried to escape execution by jumping from the building, but Ghost Rider caught him and returned him to the room. Ghost Rider sent Pierce to Hell instead of destroying his soul, then Mephisto used the terms of his contract to convince Johnny Blaze that reclaiming his soul could get it burned away.

• Pierce unlocked the security protocol, then jumped from the building to avoid being interrogated and killed.
• Ghost Rider fought through Hydra’s soldiers, caught Pierce as he fell, and threw him back into the room.
• Mephisto ordered Ghost Rider to destroy Pierce’s soul, but Ghost Rider sent Pierce to Hell instead.
• Mephisto reminded Johnny Blaze that their contract required him to return Johnny’s soul, then warned that Ghost Rider might burn it away if it entered his body.
• Johnny Blaze transformed into Ghost Rider and left without reclaiming his soul, while Evenson questioned Mephisto’s account of Johnny’s past.

Nick Fury ordered Captain America and the others to eliminate the helicarriers’ command crews after the destruction of the Insight satellites made the original plan impossible. Evenson sent demons aboard a carrier to kill its crew and captured its captain, Golin, whom he turned to ash.

• Nick Fury warned Captain America that the plan had changed and ordered him to leave no survivors in the helicarriers’ command rooms.
• Farrell agreed to fly Evenson to a carrier, but threw him off when he mounted her neck; Gabriel sent him through portals onto the ship.
• Evenson sealed a door, opened a Fel portal, and ordered Demon Guards to kill everyone aboard while Gargan demons planted Fel Energy Crystals.
• Captain Golin assured his crew that the carrier’s defenses would hold, but the Demon Guards broke into the control room and slaughtered them.
• The Demon Guards spared Golin, and Evenson mocked him before using Fel energy to turn him into ash.

Evenson’s demons captured an Insight Carrier, which he sent through a spell to Wasteland Planet for Gernos to convert into a spaceship. Meanwhile, Gabriel agreed to help Mephisto free Lancelot from Purgatory, joining his effort to seize it.

• Evenson ordered the Demon Guards to stop killing the remaining Hydra agents and prepared to erase the captured carrier from Earth.
• A Gargan demon reported that the Fel Energy Crystals were installed, and Evenson fled through a Demon Portal before the carrier vanished in a spell.
• Evenson delivered the carrier to Gernos, who promised to modify it into a spaceship, and told him to deal with any survivors aboard.
• Evenson met Peggy Carter and armored Melinda aboard the middle carrier after they had cleared it of enemies.
• Mephisto told Gabriel that Lancelot was trapped in Purgatory, and Gabriel agreed to help free him.

Evenson and Melinda joined Peggy Carter aboard a helicarrier as Hydra began to collapse, while the Winter Soldier attacked Captain America on another ship. With magic unavailable, Evenson launched Melinda toward the fight using a rocket that turned out to carry a thermobaric bomb, leaving her and Captain America shaken but alive.

• Evenson broke Melinda's helmet, allowing her to breathe and reveal herself to Peggy Carter.
• Strike Team Commander Rumlow gathered Hydra stragglers and led them away to hide, while the Winter Soldier stole a plane and headed for Captain America's helicarrier.
• The Winter Soldier attacked Falcon, broke his wings, and threw him from the helicarrier, though Falcon's parachute saved him.
• The Winter Soldier fought Captain America, and Peggy Carter asked Evenson to transport them over, but Evenson said his magic was on cooldown.
• Evenson fired a rocket with Melinda clinging to it toward Captain America's helicarrier; Melinda redirected it into the sky before the thermobaric bomb exploded.
• Melinda landed on the helicarrier and struggled to recover from the blast, while Captain America praised her courage.

Melinda fought the Winter Soldier on a helicarrier while Captain America tried to reach its command room. A silver sphere stopped Hydra from firing the helicarrier’s weapons, leaving the Winter Soldier badly wounded and the Hydra crew dead.

• The Winter Soldier recovered from the thermobaric blast, and Peggy Carter confronted Evenson about firing the rocket without checking its ammunition.
• Melinda attacked the Winter Soldier, battered him with a railing, and overcame his guns and explosives with her enchanted armor.
• Melinda impaled and kicked the Winter Soldier, but Captain America struck her with his returning shield to stop her from finishing him.
• Captain America entered the helicarrier command room but found the door locked, while Hydra agents prepared to fire the ship’s weapons.
• A silver sphere cut through the command room wall, immobilized the Hydra crew with Universal Pull, and killed them on its spikes.

Stephanie, Gideon Malick’s daughter and a devotee of Hela, attacked Captain America, Melinda, and the Winter Soldier after deciding to sever her family’s ties with Hydra. The three discovered that Stephanie controlled gravity rather than mercury, and the battle continued with them battered and struggling to resist her.

• Captain America found Stephanie among the Hydra agents she had killed, and she destroyed the command room’s fire-control console to show she was not his enemy at that moment.
• Captain America returned to the deck and shielded the Winter Soldier from Melinda, prompting Stephanie to attack them both and declare her intention to wash away Hydra’s disgrace.
• Melinda blocked Stephanie’s attacks, and Stephanie targeted her after realizing Melinda could transform objects she grabbed into weapons.
• Stephanie unleashed a massive mercury cube and then used gravity to pull Captain America and Melinda toward her; the awakened Winter Soldier anchored himself and caught Captain America.
• Melinda struck a piece of her staff toward Stephanie, but Stephanie reversed the gravitational force and flung the group away, causing the staff fragment to pierce Melinda’s shoulder.
• Captain America realized Stephanie controlled gravity, while Stephanie mocked how long it had taken them to understand her power.

Stephanie used her gravity powers against Captain America, Melinda, and the Winter Soldier, then stopped when her wrist alarm sounded. She had limited her use of the ability because she was carefully studying its potential, including the possibility of creating a black hole.

• Stephanie formed thousands of mercury needles and attacked Captain America, Melinda, and the Winter Soldier from every direction.
• Melinda folded the reinforced aircraft-carrier deck into a protective cube, and the needles embedded in its surface.
• The Winter Soldier used a rolling bomb to blast an opening in the cube, allowing the three to escape before Stephanie sealed it with mercury.
• Stephanie's wrist alarm sounded, so she stopped using her gravity power and gathered the mercury into a sphere.
• The chapter explained that Stephanie had studied mechanics with Jane Foster and was cautious about developing her power because she believed it could eventually create a black hole.

Stephanie and Captain America paused their fight and tried to negotiate, but Captain America’s remark about her weakening power offended her and reignited the battle. Stephanie revealed a Lightsaber and declared herself a Sith Warrior serving the Lord of Darkness and Death, leaving Captain America wondering whether she was truly an alien invader.

• Captain America realized he and Stephanie shared the goal of defeating Hydra and suggested they stop fighting so Hydra’s remnants could not escape.
• Stephanie softened toward Captain America’s proposal until he said she could no longer use her earlier ability, which she took as an insult and challenged him again.
• Stephanie drew a green Lightsaber, recited the Sith Code, and announced that she considered herself a Sith Warrior.
• Stephanie demanded that Captain America kneel before a servant of the Lord, then declared that the Lord of Darkness and Death would conquer all and that the Infinite Empire was about to descend.
• Captain America wondered whether Stephanie was an alien vanguard and decided to ask Nick Fury how Hollywood movies were made.

Stephanie fought Captain America, Melinda, and the Winter Soldier with swordsmanship granted by Hela, while Captain America mistook her for an alien vanguard of the Infinite Empire. When Stephanie and Melinda's weapons clashed, they sensed the same Fel energy and realized they were allies, leaving both wondering how to end the fight without exposing their connection.

• Stephanie accepted Hela's blessing and used Hela's Shield Breaking Stance to battle Captain America.
• Melinda and the Winter Soldier joined Captain America, but Stephanie's swordsmanship and gravity-based awareness kept her from being defeated.
• Captain America concluded that Stephanie was a nonhuman vanguard officer of the Infinite Empire and feared Earth would face another invasion.
• Stephanie blocked Melinda's staff with her Lightsaber, and the two sensed the same Fel energy in each other.
• Stephanie leaped away and wondered how to explain the fight, while Melinda sought a way to stop it without revealing her connection to Stephanie.

Melinda and Stephanie realized they had both been caught up in Evenson’s secret plans and staged a convincing fight to stop Captain America and the Winter Soldier from interfering. Their ruse sent the two men over the aircraft carrier’s edge, but Peggy Carter rescued Captain America while the Winter Soldier plunged into the lake.

• Melinda recognized Stephanie’s connection to Evenson and saw that Stephanie was overwhelmed with worry about disrupting his plans.
• As Captain America and the Winter Soldier prepared to attack, Melinda and Stephanie pretended to fight and used their staged battle to repeatedly hit the two men.
• Melinda and Stephanie maneuvered Captain America and the Winter Soldier to the aircraft carrier’s edge, then pretended Stephanie’s gravity technique had thrown them overboard.
• Peggy Carter caught Captain America as he fell and used the Winter Soldier’s head to push herself and Captain America to safety, leaving the Winter Soldier to splash into the lake.

Peggy Carter, Stephanie, and Melinda brought the fight aboard the helicarriers to an end, while Peggy exposed Evenson’s deception by blowing up his ship with him aboard. The crisis ended with the Winter Soldier escaping and Nick Fury agreeing to remain officially dead, though the Council warned Black Widow that the aftermath would be difficult.

• Peggy Carter recognized Stephanie and watched the fight, while Evenson pretended he had arranged it to help her deal with the Winter Soldier.
• Stephanie and Melinda realized they had been fighting their own side and let Captain America and the Winter Soldier leave the battle; Peggy caught Captain America and kicked Bucky in the head.
• Peggy detonated explosives in her helicarrier, and Evenson escaped the exploding ship on the Magic Bat after arguing with it.
• Melinda blew up her own helicarrier and escaped with Stephanie, while the Winter Soldier reached shore just before the wreck crashed into the lake and then fled.
• The crisis engineered by Pierce came to an end, and the Council told Nick Fury to remain dead for now before Teresa warned Black Widow to take care of herself.

Natasha represented S.H.I.E.L.D. at a public accountability hearing, then left after telling officials they would not imprison the agents because the world needed them. Behind closed doors, General Gordon, Gideon Malick, Ross, and the Eredar Twins discussed replacing the Avengers as the government’s security solution, and the Twins offered their services for a price.

• Three days after the incident, Natasha attended a public hearing at the United States Capitol as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s representative.
• Natasha told the officials they would not imprison her or the others because the world needed capable defenders, then walked out of the hearing.
• General Gordon complained about Natasha’s attitude in a private meeting with Gideon Malick, Ross, and the Eredar Twins.
• Malick reminded Gordon that the US government shared responsibility for Hydra’s rise and that Tony Stark had hired former Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as a private security team.
• Gordon admitted that the government still needed the Avengers during the crisis caused by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s collapse, while Ross argued that Stark should not control them.
• The Eredar Twins offered the government a replacement security service and handed over a stack of contracts.

The Eredar Twins reported that General Gordon would submit their proposal to Congress, which would restructure and expand the Black Badge Division into a formal security company. As they planned to recruit retired soldiers and unemployed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Evenson expected Coulson to keep S.H.I.E.L.D. operating independently, leaving the new company to contrast with them.

• Saloras said General Gordon had not approved the proposal yet but had agreed to submit it to Congress.
• The Eredar Twins explained that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s collapse and the chaos left by Pierce's death strengthened their case to expand the Black Badge Division.
• The Eredar Twins planned to make S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Triskelion their new headquarters and recruit retired soldiers to staff the company.
• Aurelles said the company needed experienced agents to command operations, and Evenson suggested recruiting S.H.I.E.L.D.'s unemployed agents.
• Saloras noted that the government had classified S.H.I.E.L.D.'s remaining personnel as criminals and sent Brigadier General Talbot to arrest them.
• Evenson declined to recruit Coulson's team, predicting that Coulson would continue S.H.I.E.L.D.'s work and provide a useful contrast to their company.

Coulson’s team uncovered John Garrett as the Clairvoyant during the chaos of Hydra’s uprising, while Melinda returned to help capture him. Victoria Hand was arrested by the Black Badge Division, which offered her a chance to start over instead of punishment.

• Hydra ambushed Coulson’s team because Pierce had branded Garrett a traitor, and Garrett exposed himself while trying to control the situation.
• Coulson’s loyal operatives arrested Garrett, but two undercover Hydra agents killed three agents and shot Garrett before Melinda arrived and subdued them.
• Melinda cauterized Garrett’s wound with Ghost Rider’s flames, and Coulson’s team prepared to escort him to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s prison.
• During the transport, Victoria considered killing Garrett and giving Ward the chance to do it, but the Black Badge Division interrupted and arrested her.
• Victoria handed Ward the pistol and told him to bury Garrett deeper, then went with Bangalore, who said she would receive ideological reform and a chance to start over.

Evenson chose Victoria Hand as the Senior Agent he needed to command his intelligence network, while Ward freed John Garrett and tried to bring him into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s prison cold storage facility. There, Lena appeared, suppressed Garrett's Hellfire wound, and revealed that she knew he was the Clairvoyant.

• Evenson decided Victoria Hand was the best candidate to lead his network and arranged for Bangalore to bring her in.
• Ward shot the escorts on the transport plane and rescued John Garrett, whose loyal followers remained unaware of Hydra's collapse.
• Ward and Garrett tried to trick the cold storage guards into opening the facility, but the guards refused without Victoria Hand's authorization.
• Lena emerged from the elevator as a mass of venomous snakes, killed the guards, and opened the door for Garrett and Ward.
• Lena sealed Garrett's Hellfire wound to ease his pain and told him that the injury still consumed his life and soul.
• Lena identified Garrett as the Clairvoyant and introduced herself as Nahash, the deceiver.

After S.H.I.E.L.D.’s prisoners escaped, Evenson exploited the resulting unrest to pressure Congress while Coulson’s team fled Talbot’s operation to seek Nick Fury’s secret base. Evenson then relaxed with the Avengers and learned that the Eredar Twins had been drawn to his laid-back nature, leaving him storming off in wounded pride.

• Talbot found S.H.I.E.L.D.’s low-level agents at the command center, but Coulson and his team had already escaped because Coulson distrusted Talbot and knew their history.
• Coulson followed Nick Fury’s message and set out to find Fury’s secret base.
• Evenson told the Black Badge Division to conserve resources and delay serious action against the unrest until Congress reviewed the Eredar Twins’ proposal.
• Evenson rested at Tony Stark’s villa with the Avengers after closing his shop to avoid imagined reporters.
• Saloras and Aurelles told Evenson that they had first been attracted to his unusual, idle nature, and Evenson stormed away after they called him a salted fish.

Tony Stark made a dramatic entrance with Hubbs before Peggy Carter pressed him about marrying Pepper, whose relationship with Tony had stalled after he broke his promise to give up being Iron Man. Tony then discussed Hydra’s Project Insight and began considering a smaller, repurposed version of its technology.

• Tony Stark and Hubbs staged a swaggering runway-style entrance at the pool, leaving Evenson and Peggy Carter stunned.
• Peggy Carter questioned Tony about Pepper and urged him to marry and start a family.
• The chapter revealed that Tony and Pepper were living apart after Tony secretly built more Iron Man suits despite promising Pepper he would stop.
• Tony changed the subject to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s collapse and Hydra’s Project Insight, which he had helped equip with improved turbine engines.
• Tony considered creating his own version of Project Insight, using its core concepts for a different purpose and envisioning one large satellite instead of Hydra’s five satellites and three helicarriers.