Chapter Summaries

After Killian’s defeat, Xi Nian returned home and was reunited with Wanda, who had learned several spells from the Ancient One. Wanda demonstrated the Eye of Agamotto and then used another spell that separated her spirit from her body.

• Iron Man freed Pepper Potts and learned that Killian had been immobilized by two unseen beings before flying into the sky.
• Xi Nian returned home and found the house empty, while Little Huang brought Can Luo inside in his mouth.
• Wanda opened a portal into the living room, hugged Xi Nian, and explained that she had learned the Spell of Teleportation.
• Wanda showed Xi Nian the defensive Eye of Agamotto spell.
• Wanda closed her eyes and collapsed into Xi Nian’s arms as a phantom resembling her floated out of her body.

Xi Nian learned more about Wanda’s Soul Form before helping her return to her body. Remembering Lorna’s claim that S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken Peter, he began considering how to investigate the organization.

• Xi Nian held Wanda’s sleeping body while Wanda’s soul explained the abilities and dangers of leaving her body.
• Xi Nian removed Wanda’s boots and touched her stocking-covered feet, embarrassing her soul before she returned to her body and ran off.
• Xi Nian recalled Lorna’s report that S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken Peter during the Battle of New York and his promise to investigate.
• Xi Nian considered how to approach S.H.I.E.L.D. and reflected that he knew Avengers members but was closer to the Justice League’s heroes.

Xi Nian sent Can Luo’s miniature jellyfish to secretly search New York for S.H.I.E.L.D. forces, while Nick Fury discovered a photograph of Xi Nian and his kitten. On Monday, Xi Nian agreed to visit Gwen’s home Saturday and Kara’s cousin’s home Sunday, anticipating a difficult weekend.

• Xi Nian asked Can Luo how many clones it could make, then ordered it to investigate S.H.I.E.L.D.’s presence in New York, prioritizing the Battle of New York area and Stark Industries.
• Can Luo deployed over a hundred miniature jellyfish to search the city while camouflaging themselves on people, animals, and vehicles.
• Nick Fury reviewed a file about the Extremis Virus, found a photograph of Xi Nian holding a kitten, and cursed when he recognized the kitten as no ordinary cat.
• On the way to school, Gwen and Kara pressured Xi Nian to visit their families, and he agreed to visit Gwen on Saturday and Kara’s cousin on Sunday.

Instructor Rott announced that the class would visit the Marine Research Museum with parents, and Xi Nian set out with Gwen and her mother before Diana arrived to join him. Diana discovered the trip through Instructor Rott’s Twitter and took Xi Nian’s hand as they prepared to board the bus.

• Instructor Rott told the class they would visit the Marine Research Museum the next day and could bring a parent, easing the students’ worries about school outings.
• Xi Nian decided to go without Aunt Diana, who had been busy, and secretly brought Little Huang in his backpack.
• Gwen and Mary Jane invited Xi Nian to join them, and Gwen offered to keep him company.
• Diana arrived after spotting the trip announcement on Instructor Rott’s Twitter and gently scolded Xi Nian for not telling her.
• Diana took Xi Nian’s hand and remarked that he had grown up as they headed toward the buses.

Xi Nian and Diana traveled with their school group to a seaside town in New Jersey, where they toured the Marine Biology Research Museum. After Diana spotted Aquaman, a student saw a shark with hands and feet, leaving Xi Nian alarmed by the possibility of another supernatural incident.

• On the bus, Xi Nian refused to let go of Diana’s hand, and she avoided saying whether she liked it.
• The school buses arrived in the seaside town, where Diana spotted Aquaman, Arthur Curry, driving past in a pickup truck.
• At the Marine Biology Research Museum, Xi Nian and Diana walked hand in hand through the underwater tunnel while Felicia wondered if they looked like a couple.
• A student screamed that he had seen a shark with hands and feet, and Xi Nian recognized the description as a possible sign of danger.

Xi Nian and Diana met Mary Jane and Gwen after touring the underwater tunnel, and Mary Jane reminded Gwen that her seventeenth birthday and coming-of-age ceremony were that Sunday. Gwen and Xi Nian discussed changing his conflicting plans with Kara, and Gwen asked him to bring her a proper gift.

• Xi Nian wondered what had happened to the surviving members of Task Force X as Diana reassured him and held his hand.
• Mary Jane and Gwen greeted Diana and Xi Nian at the underwater tunnel exit, and Diana sent the teenagers to walk together.
• Mary Jane reminded Gwen that her seventeenth birthday and coming-of-age ceremony were on Sunday, and Gwen hurried away with Xi Nian after realizing she had forgotten.
• Gwen worried that Xi Nian had already planned to visit Kara's cousin on Sunday, and she offered to ask Kara to move the visit to Saturday.
• Gwen told Xi Nian to prepare a proper gift for her coming-of-age ceremony and said she would collect it along with earlier compensation.

A colossal tsunami struck the museum while Xi Nian, Gwen, and Little Huang triggered a new fusion of their abilities. Xi Nian took control of Gwen’s body in a powerful Spider-Woman form and began rescuing people as the flood submerged the museum.

• Gwen sensed a giant tsunami approaching the museum, and she kissed Xi Nian as Little Huang bit the back of his neck.
• The tsunami smashed into the museum, and Xi Nian transformed into black liquid that merged with Gwen.
• Wonder Woman used the Lasso of Truth to pull Mary Jane, Felicia, students, and parents through the floodwaters.
• Xi Nian emerged from the waves in control of Gwen’s body, wielding fused spider, symbiote, and Essence Devourer abilities.
• Xi Nian shot black webbing toward taller buildings to save people from the tsunami.

Two-in-One Xi Nian and Wonder Woman rescued people from the flooded marine life research museum while gigantic waves devastated the town. After King Shark saved Instructor Rott, Xi Nian spotted a mysterious woman moving through the distant waves and sent a spider thread toward her.

• Two-in-One Xi Nian spun a vast web above the coast and formed a barrier to protect the remaining floor of the marine life research museum.
• Wonder Woman rescued Mary Jane, Felicia, and others with her Lasso of Truth, then dived back underwater to search for more survivors.
• Using Gwen's Spider-Sense, Xi Nian pulled students and parents from the water with web nets while Wonder Woman rescued people trapped in rubble.
• King Shark carried Instructor Rott to safety on a mountainside, then plunged back into the waves.
• Xi Nian noticed a graceful woman moving through the distant ocean and sent a black spider thread toward her despite Gwen's warning.

Xi Nian parasitized Mera and discovered that Orm had caused the tsunami to provoke a war between the sea and land. Rather than leave the crisis to Aquaman, Xi Nian took control of Mera’s body and raced toward The Deep to confront Orm’s forces.

• Mera raced past a devastated coastal town, intending to find Arthur and stop the coming war.
• Xi Nian spoke from inside Mera and learned that Orm was behind the tsunami and that Mera opposed his plans.
• Xi Nian discovered that Mera and Vico supported Arthur’s claim to the throne, though Arthur had refused to return to Atlantis.
• Xi Nian combined his symbiosis and devouring abilities with Mera’s Water Control, taking control of her body.
• Xi Nian drove Mera’s transformed body toward The Deep at greatly increased speed, intending to tear through the sea’s forces.

After the coastal town was devastated by a tsunami, Xi Nian entered Atlantis while symbiotically controlling Mera and confronted Orm, who had caused the disaster. The chapter ended as Xi Nian impaled Orm with a dark scythe in the royal palace.

• Gwen met Wonder Woman Diana on a mountain, learned her identity, and accepted Diana’s offer to call her Aunt while they waited for Xi Nian.
• Aquaman mourned his father’s death as Vico urged him to stop Orm, then revealed that Arthur had another important family secret.
• Xi Nian learned about the underwater kingdoms through Mera and entered Atlantis using her diplomatic credentials.
• Superwoman Kara searched the evacuation area for Xi Nian, then approached King Shark after spotting him near a sea vortex.
• Xi Nian and Mera entered the royal palace, where Xi Nian attacked Orm and drove a dark scythe through his chest.

Controlled by Xi Nian, Mera attacked Atlantis's ruler Orm in the royal palace, then fought off the guards and escaped the kingdom. Orm was carried away by a mysterious figure, while the assassination plunged Atlantis and the other undersea kingdoms into chaos.

• Darkened Mera impaled Orm with the Dark Scythe and hurled him into the palace hall.
• Nereus and the royal guards reacted to the attack, but Darkened Mera blasted the guards away with a surge of seawater.
• Darkened Mera threw a trident at the wounded Orm, but a mysterious black figure rescued him and escaped the palace.
• Xi Nian used Mera's powers to break through Atlantis's national gate and flee as soldiers tried to stop her.
• Atlantis dispatched armed ships to hunt Mera, while Xebel learned that Mera had attacked Orm and that Nereus had been captured.

After Orm’s death, Xi Nian urged Mera to unite the seven underwater kingdoms and become Empress, and she agreed to pursue that goal. Meanwhile, Arthur learned that his twin brother was Namor, who survived Orm’s death and claimed the crown.

• Mera escaped through the sea and blamed Xi Nian for Orm’s death and the collapse of the alliance between Atlantis and Xebel.
• Xi Nian told Mera he wanted her to unite the seven kingdoms and rule the underwater world, and she agreed to become Empress with his help.
• Mera fully accepted her symbiosis with Xi Nian and stopped resisting his control over her body.
• Vico told Arthur that he had a twin brother named Namor, who had been taken to Atlantis shortly after their birth.
• Namor brought the dying Orm to an underwater palace room, learned that Mera had a tracking device, and took Orm’s crown after he died.
• Namor vowed to unite the underwater kingdoms, cleanse the surface of humans, and kill Mera.

Darkened Mera reached the final clue’s location and fought through a vast horde of predatory sea monsters while Xi Nian shared her thoughts. She passed through a lightning-filled seabed vortex and emerged into the Hollow Earth Ocean, an ocean inside the Earth's core.

• Darkened Mera dived toward the final clue’s location as she accused Xi Nian of wanting to make her Empress, and their shared thoughts spiraled into an embarrassing fantasy.
• A sea monster attacked Darkened Mera, who bound it with tentacles before thousands of monsters swarmed toward her.
• Darkened Mera controlled the surrounding seawater and hurled the sea monster horde high above the ocean’s surface.
• Arthur spotted the disturbance from Sicily, while Namor followed Mera’s positioning device and watched the monsters fall from the sky.
• Darkened Mera reached a lightning-filled seabed vortex, plunged through it, and emerged into the Hollow Earth Ocean.

Darkened Mera found Atlanna alive in the Hollow Earth Ocean and learned where the Trident Artifact was hidden, confessing that she had killed Orm and was not the real Mera. As Arthur and Namor arrived seeking the artifact, Karasen challenged Darkened Mera, who seized the Trident Artifact despite its warning.

• Darkened Mera reunited with Atlanna, who revealed that she had survived the Trench and directed her to the Trident Artifact behind a waterfall.
• Darkened Mera admitted that she had killed Orm and was not the real Mera before entering the cave, leaving Atlanna grieving.
• Darkened Mera found the Trident Artifact in an ancient underwater ruin and sensed that its metal resembled an artifact belonging to Xi Nian's aunt.
• Arthur and Namor arrived on the island, learned that Orm was dead, and headed toward the waterfall cave to seek the artifact.
• Karasen confronted Darkened Mera, declaring that she lacked Atlantis's bloodline and the qualities of a king, but she reached out with a dark claw and grabbed the Trident Artifact.

Dark Mera struggled to claim the Trident Artifact, but it rejected her while Karasen fought to protect it. Arthur and Namor arrived at the ruins, and Namor reached the trident only to find it coated in Dark Mera’s black substance.

• Dark Mera failed to pull the Trident Artifact from the former emperor’s skeletal hand, and Xi Nian concluded that the artifact itself rejected her.
• Karasen struck Dark Mera with a tentacle, but she braced herself beneath its immense weight and lifted it with her fused strength.
• Karasen sensed Arthur and Namor entering the ruins and swatted both of them away before they could orient themselves.
• Namor rushed toward the Trident Artifact, while Arthur intercepted a tentacle that threatened to strike him.
• Namor reached for the trident, but Dark Mera’s black fluid covered it before his hand could touch the artifact itself.

Mera used Xi Nian’s power to overcome the Trident Artifact’s resistance and became its recognized owner, surpassing Arthur and Namor. Karasen revealed that she had become the Sea God who commanded the ocean, rather than merely the future king of the sea.

• Namor tried to seize the Trident Artifact, but its dark covering burned his hand as Karasen attacked Mera.
• The artifact broke free from Mera’s grasp and hovered between Arthur and Namor, recognizing that both had the potential to become kings.
• Mera’s anger grew, and with Xi Nian’s encouragement she spread a field of black water that forced Arthur, Namor, and Karasen’s tentacles down to the seabed.
• Mera took hold of the Trident Artifact again and ordered it to stop choosing its own master.
• The artifact accepted Mera, formed golden armor over her suit, and released divine power throughout the ocean.
• Karasen acknowledged Mera as a new Sea God, explaining that the artifact’s recognition through means beyond bloodline granted her command of the ocean.

Mera claimed the Trident Artifact and was recognized as the Sea God, ending the contest with Arthur and Namor and bringing the Seven Kingdoms under her authority. As Mera began ruling the seas with Karasen, Xi Nian told her their symbiosis was almost over.

• Mera used the Trident Artifact’s power to command the sea, and Arthur and Namor submitted to her as the Sea God.
• Vico arrived with Atlantis’s fleet to capture Mera, but Arthur, Namor, and Atlanna emerged from the underwater vortex first.
• Karasen emerged from the vortex with Mera standing atop its head, and she demanded that the gathered Atlanteans bow.
• News that Mera had claimed the Trident and become the Sea God spread through the underwater world, and the King of Xebel learned his daughter had obtained it.
• Mera ruled the Seven Kingdoms with Karasen’s help and thanked Xi Nian, who told her their symbiosis was about to end.

Harley Quinn searched for Black Cat, Cheetah Barbara hunted for a way to grow stronger near Wakanda, and Susan looked into the supposed disappearance of Max Eisenhart and Polaris. In Washington, Felicia Hardy confirmed that Prince Xi Nian had been found safe after the wave disaster.

• Harley Quinn killed a gang leader who touched her and wondered where Black Cat was.
• Cheetah Barbara searched near Wakanda and vowed to return stronger and take Diana’s child.
• Susan learned there was no boy named Max Eisenhart or girl named Polaris in Los Angeles and resolved to keep searching for them.
• Felicia Hardy confirmed that the students and staff were safe and that Prince Xi Nian had been found unharmed.
• Felicia murmured with relief that Xi Nian was all right as her eyelashes began turning silvery white.

Lorna disbanded her gang to return to school, Wanda asked Ancient One to teach her more magic, and Diana took a vacation from the Justice League to spend time with a child. Mera ascended to Atlantis’s throne after Xi Nian returned to the surface, while Xi Nian woke from a dream and prepared to shop with Gwen and Kara.

• Lorna announced that she was disbanding her gang because she wanted to go to school.
• Wanda asked Ancient One to teach her more spells so she could become strong enough to support Xi Nian.
• Diana told Bruce Wayne she was taking a long vacation from the Justice League to spend more time with the child at home.
• Mera ascended the steps to Atlantis’s throne and realized she would continue alone without Xi Nian’s symbiosis.
• Xi Nian woke in class beside Gwen and Kara, then agreed to go clothes shopping with them.

Xi Nian waited in a women’s clothing store while a news report covered the wave disaster and his school’s rescue. When Gwen and Kara emerged from fitting rooms in swimsuits, Felicia mistook Xi Nian’s situation and he tried to explain.

• Xi Nian watched a news special report on the wave disaster, which praised Wonder Woman and Spider-Woman and interviewed Rot Harrington.
• Felicia, working at the store, encountered Xi Nian and learned he had accidentally entered a women’s clothing shop.
• Gwen emerged from a fitting room in a swimsuit, saw Felicia beside Xi Nian, and hurriedly shut the door.
• Felicia assumed Gwen was Xi Nian’s girlfriend and said she understood, while Xi Nian tried to explain.
• Kara emerged in a black bikini and teased Xi Nian, prompting him to shut her fitting-room door as Felicia reached for her phone.