Recaps

Nick Fury assessed Steve Rogers as psychologically vulnerable and suspected Hydra was manipulating his investigation into the government, so he activated the Trap Plan and sought Tony Stark's help. Meanwhile, Allen warned Tony that his dangerous magic class could become entangled with Project Insight and human factional conflict before leaving through a portal.

• Natasha told Nick Fury that Steve Rogers had not adapted to modern society and was deeply shaken by the government's history.
• Nick Fury and Natasha discussed the likelihood that Hydra was manipulating Steve, and Nick ordered the Trap Plan activated and Tony Stark recruited.
• At Azerath Sky City, several trainees were injured when their attempts to control magical energy went wrong, and Tony ended the lesson.
• Allen told Tony that magic training was perilous and advised him not to teach so many apprentices at once.
• Allen hinted that divisions among the trainees could connect to Project Insight, then left through a Space Stone portal.

Alexander Pierce and John Garrett advanced Project Centipede, producing unstable super-soldiers, while Hydra prepared to turn Steve Rogers against the government. Allen assured Pierce he would not interfere with Project Insight and traded two vials of serum for Gravitonium, leaving Hydra’s preparations underway.

• Alexander Pierce questioned John Garrett about Lena, then heard that Steve Rogers had been alienated from the government and that Nick Fury had interrupted Garrett’s attempt to approach him.
• Researchers injected a glowing liquid into the soldiers; several died, while the survivors gained great strength but required cold storage to prevent brain damage.
• Pierce ordered Garrett to keep Project Centipede secret, and Garrett said he had placed a spy in Coulson’s team and was interested in Project TAHITI.
• Allen arrived and told Pierce he would not interfere with Hydra’s plan, even if S.H.I.E.L.D. or the International Security Council asked for help.
• Pierce gave Allen Gravitonium in exchange for two vials of the serum that had created Brock Rumlow.

Alexander Pierce tested Brock Rumlow’s telekinetic power and revealed his plans to consolidate Hydra after Project Insight, while Allen secretly set Hydra searching for the Soul Stone. Back at his store, Allen challenged Artoria to reconsider her past with Mordred, then Natasha brought a troubled Steve Rogers to stay with him for protection.

• Alexander Pierce drank one of the bottles and discovered that Brock Rumlow’s power was telekinesis, then explained their uneasy relationship and his plans to unite Hydra under his rule.
• Allen gave Pierce information about the Soul Stone, intending to use it to manipulate Hydra’s executives after Project Insight failed.
• Allen and Artoria argued about her relationship with Mordred, and Allen offered her a Pregnancy Stone that could give her a daughter; Artoria hesitated, so Allen put it away.
• Natasha arrived at Allen’s store with Steve Rogers and asked Allen to shelter him because Nick Fury wanted to protect him from Hydra.
• Steve rejected Natasha’s concern and defended his protests against the government, saying he drank to suppress his anger at the media’s treatment of activists.

Allen brought Steve Rogers to Aelionteu to help him adjust to a world that felt alien, while Natasha learned the Pregnancy Stone might let her become a mother. After Allen revealed that Howard Stark may have been murdered, Tony left to investigate, consumed by anger and a desire for revenge.

• Natasha asked Allen about the Pregnancy Stone and, after learning what it could do, asked to borrow it later so she could have a child.
• Allen explained Natasha’s history to Steve and reminded him to keep her desire for a child private.
• Allen took Steve through a portal to Aelionteu, where Steve was awed by Sky City, the Great Maelstrom, and the Blue Dragons.
• Tony arrived, teased Steve, and brought him to the Central Tower restaurant, where Steve enjoyed the food and wine.
• Tony told Allen that Nick Fury had asked him to join Project Insight, and Allen warned him that the plan was dangerous and might involve the person who killed his parents.
• Allen suggested Howard’s car crash had been no accident, prompting Tony to crush his glass and leave to seek answers.

Allen warned Steve Rogers about the coming conflict over Bucky Barnes and the Avengers, then joined Coulson’s team to deal with the Asgardian fugitive Lorelei. As Nick Fury reported that Lorelei and Loki had taken control of the White House, the Pentagon, and U.S. military forces, Allen’s group faced an escalating crisis.

• Allen described a hypothetical conflict involving a brainwashed friend who had murdered another friend’s parents, prompting Steve Rogers to struggle with how he would respond.
• Allen told Steve that hatred could only be ended through destruction or the passage of time, then left as tensions between the Avengers’ members continued to grow.
• Coulson recruited Allen to help capture Lorelei, who had escaped from Asgard and controlled Loki after the Convergence disrupted Asgard’s prison.
• Sif objected to Allen joining the mission, warning that Lorelei could charm any man, but Allen agreed to help and admitted that he had destroyed Jotunheim with one punch.
• Nick Fury contacted Coulson and reported that Loki and Lorelei had seized the White House, the Pentagon, and command of the U.S. military.

Allen and the S.H.I.E.L.D. team confronted Loki after Lorelei charmed U.S. leaders and set the military to invade Canada and Mexico. Allen subdued Loki and the White House staff, then went inside to find Lorelei while the others waited outside.

• Coulson reported that Lorelei and Loki had taken over Washington and ordered invasions of Canada and Mexico, so the team prepared a surprise attack using Sif as bait.
• Loki arrived at the airport and threatened Coulson, but Allen incapacitated Loki’s men and frightened Loki into leading the team to the White House.
• Skye showed Sif a video of Allen’s past humiliation of Loki, prompting Sif to pity him and Loki to threaten the team.
• Allen released his Conqueror’s Haki, Reiatsu, and killing intent, knocking out everyone at the White House.
• Allen entered the White House to find Lorelei while the women followed him and the men stayed outside; Loki told Coulson that Lorelei’s charm could ensnare any normal male.

Allen stopped Lorelei from charming him, then had Vilnalasath consume her and transfer her Charm Magic to him. Sif reported the events to Odin, while Allen left to learn how to control his dangerous new ability.

• Sif confronted Lorelei in the White House, but Lorelei tried to charm Allen and he severed her arm before she could touch him.
• Allen summoned Vilnalasath, who ate Lorelei and transferred her innate Charm Magic to Allen.
• Allen's new power affected the women nearby, so he teleported away with Vilnalasath to avoid causing more trouble.
• Sif returned to Asgard and told Odin that Lorelei was dead and Allen had acquired her Charm Magic.

While Allen hid with Vilnalasath to study Lorelei’s Charm ability, Odin arranged to trade the Power Stone for Hela’s life and relied on Allen to keep her under control. Odin returned to Asgard, leaving Heimdall to watch over the universe as Thor remained unaware of the danger approaching.

• Allen learned that Lorelei’s genes were difficult to separate and told Artoria to have Sakura guard the Power Stone lead carefully.
• Ancient One told Odin she had given Allen the Eye of Agamotto and trusted him with the Infinity Stones.
• Odin revealed that he was dying and asked Ancient One to convey his offer of the Power Stone in exchange for Hela’s life.
• Odin returned to Asgard and told Heimdall he had arranged for Allen to acquire Lorelei’s Charm ability to help prevent conflict between Hela and Thor.
• Odin admitted that he had arranged the monster invasion and prison riot to deliver Lorelei to Allen.

As America descended into turmoil, Allen returned and learned that Project Insight was nearing launch, prompting Steve Rogers to condemn its secret surveillance algorithm. Nick Fury summoned Tony Stark’s magical apprentices for a surprise inspection, where they overwhelmed S.H.I.E.L.D.’s security agents and displayed their power.

• Steve Rogers and Tony Stark drank together and discussed America’s upheaval before Allen returned from the sealed space.
• Allen admitted that he had mastered Lorelei’s Charm ability and asked Tony about his apprentices and Project Insight.
• Tony explained that Project Insight’s three orbital ships would use a hidden algorithm to assess and monitor people, enraging Steve, while Allen refused to take a position.
• J.A.R.V.I.S. relayed Nick Fury’s order for Tony to bring the apprentices to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters for a surprise inspection.
• Tony brought more than thirty apprentices through a portal, and they swiftly controlled, hypnotized, or knocked down the armed agents who surrounded them.

Tony Stark’s apprentices defeated S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in a drill, but the International Security Council ordered them back to S.H.I.E.L.D. and pushed ahead with Project Insight despite Nick Fury’s objections. After Alexander Pierce secretly ordered Hydra to kill Fury, Fury was ambushed in Washington and had to defend himself when Allen refused to intervene.

• Tony Stark’s apprentices overwhelmed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents during a training drill, then located Nick Fury and the council representatives.
• Tony Stark rejected the council’s plan to assign the apprentices dangerous work, while Nick Fury learned that Project Insight would be completed in two weeks under Alexander Pierce’s leadership.
• Nick Fury asked Alexander Pierce to delay Project Insight, unaware that Pierce was Hydra’s leader, and Pierce agreed before ordering his agents to kill Fury.
• Hydra agents led by Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes ambushed Nick Fury’s car, and Fury discovered that Coulson could not be reached and Tony Stark had blacklisted him.
• Allen refused to rescue Fury, explaining that he could not interfere in human conflicts, so Fury used a magical bomb to blast apart the attackers surrounding his car.

Nick Fury fought off the Winter Soldier until Tony Stark and Steve Rogers arrived, while Allen watched and explained that Hydra’s attack would pressure humanity to develop space travel. The battle continued in Washington, D.C., with Bucky Barnes attacking Steve and a Hydra super soldier using Nen to disable Tony’s suit.

• Nick Fury escaped his overturned car, fought the Winter Soldier with advanced weapons and magic equipment, and stalled until reinforcements arrived.
• Allen told Artoria that he intended to let Hydra’s attack spur humanity into space and planned to use the remaining Heads of the Serpent to retrieve the Soul Stone.
• Tony Stark and Steve Rogers joined Nick Fury against Bucky Barnes and a Hydra super soldier, while Tony recognized Bucky as his parents’ murderer.
• The Hydra super soldier interfered with Tony’s flight controls and attacks, while Bucky forced Steve back with his tactical knife and wounded him.

Allen watched Hydra move toward activating Project Insight while Nick Fury’s death triggered a battle in Washington, D.C. Fury died when a downed Quinjet’s wreckage pierced his heart, and Crossbones destroyed and scattered his remains to prevent magical resurrection.

• Alexander Pierce ordered Sitwell to have Brock Rumlow kill Nick Fury and push the International Security Council to activate Project Insight early.
• Allen and Pierce discussed Hydra’s plans, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s failures, the Avengers, and Pierce’s hope that Captain America might join Hydra.
• Allen teleported to Washington, where Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Tony Stark, and Crossbones were fighting amid widespread destruction.
• Crossbones used psychic force to bring down a Quinjet sent to evacuate Fury, and wreckage pierced Fury’s heart, killing him.
• Natasha tried to revive Fury with a healing potion, but Crossbones stole it and crushed Fury’s body before scattering the remains into the sewers.

Hydra killed Nick Fury, framed the Avengers, and forced Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Natasha to flee with Maria Hill as Project Insight moved closer to proceeding. Ancient One then told Allen that Odin offered the Power Stone in exchange for Hela’s life, and Allen considered accepting the deal while preparing to watch the coming battle in Earth’s orbit.

• Brock Rumlow killed Nick Fury, threatened the Avengers through their loved ones, and revealed that the Winter Soldier was Bucky Barnes, who had killed Howard and his wife.
• Maria Hill arrived in a Quinjet and rescued Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Natasha from the Hydra attack.
• Hydra withdrew, put the Avengers and Maria Hill on the wanted list, and used controlled media and politicians to blame them for the Washington battle.
• Ancient One told Allen that Odin would trade the Power Stone for Hela’s life, and Allen said he might accept if Odin obtained the stone first.
• Ancient One returned to Kamar-Taj to study the Source of Magic Power, while Allen decided to watch the coming space battle between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra.

Maria Hill, Tony Stark, and the Avengers prepared a Kree light cruiser to stop Hydra’s Project Insight after Allen refused to intervene. As the three Hydra warships launched, the hidden cruiser reached orbit first and waited to strike.

• Maria Hill told the Avengers that Hydra had nearly taken over S.H.I.E.L.D., captured Hawk Eyes, and planned to use Project Insight to control the world.
• Maria Hill revealed a shrunken Kree light cruiser, and Tony Stark agreed to cloak it while Coulson gathered loyal agents and Natasha and Steve Rogers investigated Nick Fury’s USB drive.
• Alexander Pierce secured the International Security Council’s approval to activate Project Insight and ordered Brock to hunt Captain America and Nick Fury’s remaining allies.
• The Avengers restored the cruiser, trained agents and pilots, and prepared to attack while Alexander Pierce’s warships underwent final inspections.
• Allen refused to help, so Tony Stark led the cruiser into orbit, where it arrived ahead of the three Hydra warships and waited for a chance to launch a surprise attack.

A battle erupted in Earth orbit when Allen’s cloaked cruiser destroyed one Project Insight warship and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s forces attacked the others. As the fighting continued, Allen warned Sakura about Odin and the Infinity Stones, while Captain America, Iron Man, and Coulson fought their way through a ship to reach its bridge.

• The cloaked cruiser destroyed one Project Insight warship, and S.H.I.E.L.D. forces launched fighters and attacked the remaining vessels.
• Sakura and Allen watched the battle from the moon, where Allen told her Odin planned to exchange the Power Stone for Hela’s life and warned her about Charm Magic and the Infinity Stones.
• Allen used the Time Stone to shrink Sakura to her childlike form, then urged her to retreat if Odin or Thanos gained the Power Stone, and she promised she would.
• S.H.I.E.L.D.’s fighters destroyed another warship, while Captain America, Iron Man, and Coulson fought through robots and Hydra agents aboard the last vessel.
• Iron Man’s energy grenade damaged a robot’s fusion reactor, and Coulson used his Zanpakuto to destroy the remaining robots’ core controllers.

Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and their allies stopped Project Insight and exposed Hydra, forcing Alexander Pierce to abandon the plan and flee. As Hydra splintered into rival factions, Allen headed into space to join the struggle for the Power Stone.

• Coulson explained S.H.I.E.L.D.'s trade with Allen for souls, and Steve challenged the risks of collecting them.
• Skye opened the way to the bridge, where Steve and Tony defeated the Hydra crew and Quake exposed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets online.
• Pierce admitted his Hydra identity, killed the International Security Council representatives, and ordered his people to flee and destroy evidence.
• Maria Hill tracked Hydra forces, and the Avengers rescued Barton and his family before splitting up to pursue Pierce, Sitwell, and Brock.
• Daniel Whitehall broke away from Pierce to pursue his own faction and investigate people with superpowers.
• Allen left for the cosmos to enter the fight over the Power Stone.

Allen disguised himself as an alien mercenary on Xandar and joined a highly paid prison break, killing a bounty hunter who challenged his fee. He and more than a hundred other mercenaries departed for an unknown prison, with the rescue target’s identity still secret.

• Allen considered becoming a bounty hunter on Xandar so he could find Rocket and Groot and later pursue Star-Lord and the Power Stone.
• A fish-headed alien recruited Allen for a prison break, and Allen agreed to join for four hundred thousand after crushing a bounty hunter who objected to his pay.
• The fish-headed alien explained that the crew would enter the prison disguised as a supply delivery and had to secure it before its self-destruct system activated.
• The fish-headed alien paid Allen a deposit and kept the rescue target’s identity confidential.
• Allen and the other mercenaries boarded a transport ship and set off for the unknown prison.

Allen led the assault on Tusael Prison, suppressing the mercenaries who tried to flee and earning the fish-headed employer’s promise of extra payment. While Allen attacked the command tower and the Kree searched for Alesha, Rocket and Groot tried to escape and were attacked by prison aircraft until a spinning sword destroyed them.

• Allen killed the mercenaries who tried to force the pilot to turn back, then secured a promise of an additional two hundred thousand from the fish-headed alien.
• The transport ship entered Tusael Prison, where the bounty hunters and mercenaries killed the guards and prisoners in the unloading area.
• Allen smashed through the protective door and disabled the warning system before the fish-headed alien assigned the Kree to rescue Alesha from Area No. 42 and led the others toward the command tower.
• Rocket made a bomb and blasted open his cell wall, but prison aircraft attacked him and Groot in the corridor.
• Groot shielded Rocket from the aircraft’s fire until a black-glowing giant sword flew in and destroyed the attackers.

Allen, Rocket, and Groot fought their way through Tusael Prison toward its control tower, where they confronted warden Morak and his guards. Allen defeated Morak’s hammer-wielding bodyguard, while the battle with the remaining guards was still underway.

• Allen rescued Rocket and Groot, then persuaded Rocket to join him by promising a chance to seize Morak’s wealth.
• Rocket accepted an energy cannon from Allen and used it to obliterate prison guards and clear their path.
• When Morak ordered the floating turrets to attack, Groot grew vines up the control tower’s shaft and carried Allen and Rocket to the top.
• Rocket destroyed the energy source protecting the control tower, and Allen and his companions came face-to-face with Morak and four bodyguards.
• Allen charged a bodyguard wielding a massive technological hammer, caught his strike, took the weapon, and crushed him with its energy impact.

Allen and Rocket defeated Warden Morak’s bodyguards, seized Morak’s cryptocurrency, and negotiated how to divide his eighty million in assets. The chapter ended with the bounty hunters and mercenaries cheering over their share as Allen promised Rocket and Groot more opportunities to earn money.

• Allen killed Morak’s four bodyguards, with Rocket shooting the armed man and Allen cutting down the acid-spitting woman.
• Rocket confronted Morak at gunpoint, and Allen pressured the warden to reveal the passwords to his cryptocurrency wallets.
• Rocket unlocked the wallets and discovered that Morak had eighty million in assets.
• Allen allocated forty million to himself, thirty million to Rocket and Groot, and ten million to the bounty hunters and mercenaries.
• Rocket reluctantly distributed the funds, and the bounty hunters and mercenaries cheered over their share.

After escaping the prison, Allen returned to Xandar with Rocket and Groot and gave Rocket forty million to buy and customize a spacecraft. The trio visited Xandar’s black market, where they reached a modified-ship shop run by a Shi'ar.

• Allen and the surviving Bounty Hunters left the prison amid the riot, and the fish-headed alien paid them their promised rewards before departing with the rescued woman.
• At Xandar's spaceport, Allen gave Rocket forty million so he could choose a spacecraft instead of considering stealing one.
• Rocket told Allen that the black market offered powerful ship weapons and parts, and Allen let him handle the ship and its modifications.
• Allen, Rocket, and Groot entered the underground black market and surveyed its weapons, entertainment venues, and gambling spots.
• The trio arrived at a shop specializing in heavily modified spacecraft and discovered its owner was a Shi'ar.

Rocket and Groot bought ship components and antimatter materials on Xandar’s black market, while Allen went to a bar and joined a gambling game. The chapter left Rocket and Groot preparing to rebuild their ship and Allen watching the lizard race.

• A Shi'ar merchant welcomed Allen, Rocket, and Groot to her shop and admitted black-market sellers knew they had plenty of money.
• Rocket chose components from several ships, and Allen proposed that he also assemble the leftover parts in exchange for a discount.
• Rocket paid 54 million for the ship components and bought antimatter materials, then went with Groot to the spaceport to begin the modifications.
• Allen went alone to a bar, frightened a woman who grabbed him from behind with his killing intent, and then accepted an invitation to gamble.
• Allen bought 100,000 chips and watched lizards race from a predator while the bar’s patrons cheered and bet.

Black-market merchants investigated Allen, Groot, and Rocket, and one of them issued a huge anonymous bounty for Star-Lord and the Orb, drawing the attention of Thanos and other cosmic powers to Xandar. As the major players gathered, Allen left the black market to rejoin Rocket and Groot aboard their heavily armed ship.

• A black-market merchant learned that Allen had no obvious interests or weaknesses, then suspected he was connected to the Orb and ordered an anonymous bounty on Star-Lord and the Orb.
• The merchant offered five hundred thousand for Star-Lord’s whereabouts, ten million for his capture, and four billion for the Orb.
• Thanos learned that the Collector had funded a commission related to Star-Lord, then sent Nebula to Xandar to investigate the bounty’s issuer and watch Ronan.
• Thor arrived at Xandar on Odin’s orders, and a fleet under Sakura appeared nearby, prompting Xandar to place the Nova Corps on alert.
• Allen left the black market on the tenth day and met Rocket and Groot at the spaceport, where he saw Rocket’s heavily armed spacecraft.

Allen outfitted Rocket's ship and set off for Knowhere to pursue Star-Lord and the Orb while hiding his real intentions. Nebula began hunting for the bounty's source, while Star-Lord fled Yondu just as Ronan attacked the Ravagers near Knowhere.

• Allen discovered Rocket had spent nearly all their money on weapons and ordered food and water for the ship.
• Allen showed Rocket the four-billion bounty for the Orb and the ten-million bounty for Star-Lord, then bought information and directed the crew to Knowhere.
• After Allen left Xandar, Nebula questioned black-market merchants and learned that a bounty hunter called Blade had recently departed; she mistakenly suspected Allen had posted the bounty.
• Pluto Hisoka secretly watched Nebula while holding a statue emanating Dark Magic.
• Star-Lord saw the bounty on his terminal and fled Yondu in his own ship.
• Ronan attacked Yondu and the Ravagers, and the two sides began fighting near Knowhere.

Allen and Rocket used their heavily armed ship to drive Ronan’s forces away, then learned Star-Lord had fled with the Orb clue and set out to pursue him. After Nebula attacked them, Rocket destroyed her ship’s weapons and captured her escape pod.

• Rocket and Allen arrived during the Kree attack on Yondu’s Ravagers, and Rocket’s main cannon crippled the Dark Aster.
• Rocket wiped out the Kree fighter jets with antimatter bombs, forcing Ronan to flee with Gamora.
• Allen contacted Yondu and learned that Star-Lord had left in his own ship, apparently taking the Orb clue with him.
• Nebula appeared and attacked Allen’s ship while Yondu jumped away to pursue Star-Lord.
• Rocket disabled Nebula’s ship and captured her escape pod after she tried to escape.