Arc 35The Crimson Legions

He-El’s encounter with Dormammu exposes Ancient One’s use of Dark Energy and fractures Kamar-Taj, while He-El recruits and disciplines new superpowered forces. The arc ends with He-El tracking a spacetime anomaly and directing Kaecilius to have Dormammu kill Ancient One.

  • General Ross injected He-El’s Gene Serum, transformed into Red Hulk, and fought Kaecilius until Kaecilius expelled him from the Mirror Dimension.
  • Dormammu possessed Kaecilius and negotiated with He-El, agreeing to kill Ancient One in exchange for the removal of his curse.
  • Ancient One and Stephen Strange entered the Mirror Dimension, where Dormammu accused her of using Dark Energy to extend her life.
  • Ancient One admitted her use of Dark Energy, and Baron Mordo left Kamar-Taj with the sorcerers who had accompanied him.
  • Ancient One and Stephen Strange joined the Avengers as individuals, and Ancient One agreed to help S.H.I.E.L.D. find people with magical talent.
  • He-El formed the five-hundred-member Crimson Giant Corps and inspected its Red Hulk soldiers at Area 51.
  • He-El crushed the 499 Crimson Hulk mercenaries who demanded privileges, killed those who defied him, and secured the survivors’ obedience with higher pay and longer lifespans.
  • Vivian reported a spacetime anomaly, and He-El ordered her to let S.H.I.E.L.D. discover it naturally before directing Kaecilius to have Dormammu kill Ancient One and take her soul to the Dark Dimension.
Chapters 852–876 Vol. 9 Read

Ch. 852Ross: Stand Behind Me!

Black negative energy sealed the Oval Office as Kaecilius appeared to confront He-El. General Ross shielded He-El, then injected the Gene Serum and faced the intruder.

  • He-El analyzed the negative energy surrounding the Oval Office and found that its danger level had risen to moderately weak.
  • General Ross stepped in front of He-El, tried to call for help, and discovered that communications had been cut off.
  • General Ross recalled his long-held ambition to create a super-soldier army and was stunned when He-El had given him the Gene Serum.
  • Kaecilius emerged from the darkness on the presidential emblem and ordered General Ross to get out of his way.
  • General Ross injected the Gene Serum into his thigh and roared that Kaecilius could not run wild there.

Ch. 853Red Hulk General Ross

General Ross transformed into Red Hulk and resisted Kaecilius’s spells inside the Mirror Dimension. After Kaecilius trapped him among shifting White House buildings to speak with He-El, Ross broke free and charged at him again.

  • General Ross transformed into the three-meter-tall Red Hulk and tore apart Kaecilius’s binding spell.
  • General Ross charged Kaecilius, but Kaecilius reshaped the Mirror Dimension and moved the White House buildings around them.
  • He-El’s detection and defense systems activated, deploying two Atomic Armor drones and analyzing the Mirror Dimension.
  • Kaecilius used the shifting buildings to evade Ross’s punch and bury him beneath them, then turned to speak with He-El.
  • General Ross smashed his way out, tore free a huge pillar, and charged at Kaecilius with it.

Ch. 854I'm Not That Hulk Thing

General Ross transformed into the Red Hulk and attacked Kaecilius in the Mirror Dimension while obeying He-El’s command. After Ross overwhelmed Kaecilius in close combat, Kaecilius opened a portal and sent him out of the Mirror Dimension.

  • General Ross burst free from the White House wreckage, warned He-El to stand back, and declared that he was not like the Hulk.
  • Ross charged across the shifting buildings and smashed through Kaecilius’s defenses with a powerful punch, destroying his arm and hurling him through a window.
  • Kaecilius recognized Ross’s speed, strength, and combat skill, then opened a portal in the path of his next charge.
  • The portal engulfed Ross and removed him from the Mirror Dimension.

Ch. 855Bound to One Man

He-El and General Ross vanished from the Oval Office after an enemy sent them into the Mirror Dimension, leaving the White House in a panic. Ross returned alone, reported that He-El was still trapped, and angrily confronted Nick Fury over S.H.I.E.L.D.'s failure to protect the president.

  • White House officials discovered He-El and General Ross were missing and searched for them as alarms sounded.
  • A spark-filled ring appeared in the Oval Office, and Red Hulk General Ross burst through it, smashing the president's desk before returning to human form.
  • Ross told the cabinet members that an enemy had sent him and He-El into another space, then expelled him after their fight.
  • The cabinet members urged Ross to seek help from S.H.I.E.L.D., while Ross found no way to return to the Mirror Dimension.
  • Ross called Nick Fury and demanded to know how S.H.I.E.L.D. had allowed He-El to be taken.

Ch. 856Severity

After He-El was captured by Kaecilius, General Ross told Nick Fury how the attack unfolded and urged S.H.I.E.L.D. to find the president. Nick Fury identified Kaecilius as a mage who had turned to demons and ordered Hill to gather the mages from Kamar-Taj.

  • Nick Fury reacted with shock to the news that He-El had been captured and suspected his communications had been cut off.
  • General Ross warned Nick Fury that He-El’s disappearance threatened S.H.I.E.L.D. and described Kaecilius’s attack on the White House.
  • Ross’s staff searched national databases, found Kaecilius’s basic profile, and showed it to Ross.
  • Nick Fury recognized Kaecilius as a mage who had abandoned the righteous path and turned to demons.
  • Nick Fury left his office and ordered Hill to gather the mages from Kamar-Taj.

Ch. 857Open

Nick Fury brought Baron Mordo and the Kamar-Taj sorcerers to investigate Kaecilius’s attack and rescue the president from the Mirror Dimension. As Mordo admitted they could not enter Kaecilius’s domain, the Ancient One arrived and offered to handle it.

  • Nick Fury told Baron Mordo that Kaecilius had taken the president into a space of inverted buildings and ordered the sorcerers to open a portal to the Oval Office.
  • Baron Mordo sent one sorcerer to notify the Ancient One and led the others through a portal to investigate the Oval Office.
  • General Ross began transforming into the Red Hulk when the portal opened, then stopped when he saw Nick Fury and the sorcerers.
  • The Kamar-Taj sorcerers identified Kaecilius’s dark aura, while Baron Mordo explained that they could not invade his Mirror Dimension.
  • The Ancient One opened a portal and offered to enter the Mirror Dimension herself.

Ch. 858Dark Lord Dormammu

Kaecilius summoned Dormammu, who possessed him and confronted He-El, blaming him for the Omega Effect Sanction. He-El’s drones overwhelmed Dormammu’s limited attack, leaving the Dark Lord wary of facing another opponent like Ancient One.

  • Kaecilius sent General Ross, the Red Hulk, out of the Mirror Dimension, but Ross had already destroyed Kaecilius’s right arm.
  • Dark mist poured from Kaecilius and formed a massive head as Dormammu temporarily possessed him and drew on the Dark Dimension.
  • He-El recognized the Omega Effect Sanction in Dormammu’s possession and wondered how Odin had passed it to Dormammu.
  • Dormammu fired dark rays at He-El, but two Atomic Armor No. 1 drones countered them with Nir-Matter Destruction Cannons and blasted apart part of Dormammu’s head.
  • Dormammu demanded to know who He-El was, then realized He-El’s defenses erased his corrosive attacks and that his limited possession left him unable to overpower He-El.

Ch. 859Deal Reached

Dormammu confronted He-El and revealed that Ancient One had infected him with the Omega Effect curse. He-El and Dormammu agreed to target Ancient One in exchange for He-El withdrawing the curse, and Dormammu promised to return for him afterward.

  • Dormammu explained that the Omega Effect curse was eroding his power and authority over the Dark Dimension.
  • Dormammu told He-El that Ancient One had given him the cursed divine consciousness.
  • He-El realized Ancient One knew about his curse and decided she could not be allowed to remain.
  • Dormammu threatened He-El and demanded that he withdraw the curse.
  • He-El implied that Dormammu should deal with Ancient One, and they reached a deal: Dormammu would kill her in exchange for He-El removing the curse.

Ch. 860The Sorcerer Supreme

Ancient One and Stephen Strange joined the search for the missing president and confirmed that Kaecilius had taken him into the Mirror Dimension. Stephen’s skill and Ancient One’s trust in him deepened Baron Mordo’s fear that he would not become Sorcerer Supreme.

  • Ancient One entered the Oval Office through a portal, followed by Stephen Strange, while General Ross and the Cabinet waited for news of the president.
  • Baron Mordo reported that Dark Energy and Kaecilius’s aura showed the president had been taken into the Mirror Dimension.
  • Ancient One asked Stephen Strange to examine the wall, and he confirmed the location where Kaecilius had opened the passage.
  • Ancient One asked Stephen to open a passage into the Mirror Dimension, and he confidently began drawing sparks as Mordo realized he could not perform the same feat.

Ch. 861Thief Who Stole Dark Power

Stephen Strange led Ancient One and the others through a portal to the Mirror Dimension, where they found Dormammu possessing Kaecilius. He-El used Dormammu as a pretext to cast doubt on Kamar-Taj and delay cooperation, while Ancient One faced an accusation over her own use of Dark Energy.

  • Stephen Strange created a precise tracking and teleportation spell circle, and Ancient One led the group through it to the Mirror Dimension’s Oval Office.
  • Baron Mordo identified Dormammu’s Dark Energy in Kaecilius as the Kamar-Taj sorcerers began purging it with a magical array.
  • General Ross and Nick Fury found He-El unharmed, and He-El said Dormammu had told him something interesting about Ancient One.
  • He-El’s remark made Nick Fury suspect problems with Kamar-Taj, while Ancient One worried that her use of Dark Energy would damage their cooperation.
  • Ancient One reflected on how she controlled Dark Energy while Kaecilius had been consumed by it, then mourned his choice.
  • Dormammu called Ancient One a thief who stole Dark Power.

Ch. 862Internal Strife

Dormammu accused Ancient One of using Dark Energy and announced that he intended to kill her, while Stephen Strange tried to keep the sorcerers focused on driving Dormammu away. The Dark Energy receded, leaving Baron Mordo shaken by doubts about his teacher.

  • Stephen Strange sent two sorcerers to help He-El's group and urged the others to drive Dormammu back.
  • Ancient One warned that the Mirror Dimension would soon fail and Dormammu would retreat, while Baron Mordo questioned why he had brought the president there.
  • Dormammu accused Ancient One of using Dark Energy to prolong her life and claimed she would soon become part of the Dark Dimension.
  • Baron Mordo asked Ancient One whether Dormammu's accusation was true, stunned that his teacher might have used the power she condemned.
  • Dormammu laughed as his image faded and Kaecilius became visible, while the Dark Energy tide receded.

Ch. 863The Ancient One Was Dark

Stephen Strange tried to protect the Ancient One and preserve Kamar-Taj’s cooperation with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, but Dormammu’s revelation fueled Baron Mordo’s suspicion. The Ancient One admitted she had used Dark Energy to extend her life, leaving the mages wary and Stephen unable to defend her.

  • Stephen Strange rebuked Baron Mordo for trusting Dormammu over the Ancient One and worried that the revelation would disrupt cooperation between Kamar-Taj, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Avengers.
  • He-El watched the conflict unfold and considered that its effects might create an opportunity to obtain the Reality Stone.
  • Baron Mordo demanded that the Ancient One answer whether she had used Dark Energy, while the surrounding mages watched her with suspicion.
  • Kaecilius accused the Ancient One of being sustained by Dark Energy, then opened a portal and left the Mirror Dimension.
  • The Ancient One apologized to Stephen Strange and admitted that she had used Dark Energy to extend her life.

Ch. 864Worthy or Unworthy

Ancient One admitted that she had used Dark Energy to extend her life, and Baron Mordo and the other Kamar-Taj sorcerers rejected her for breaking their strictest prohibition. After all ten sorcerers left for Kamar-Taj, Ancient One opened a portal for He-El and the others as the Mirror Dimension began to fail.

  • Ancient One admitted that she had used Dark Energy to extend her life, shocking Baron Mordo and the Kamar-Taj sorcerers.
  • Baron Mordo condemned Ancient One as unworthy of being Sorcerer Supreme, while Stephen Strange tried to defend her.
  • Ancient One stopped Stephen Strange from speaking and refused to explain or excuse her use of Dark Energy.
  • Baron Mordo opened a portal to Kamar-Taj and left, followed by all ten sorcerers he had brought.
  • Ancient One told Stephen Strange and the others to leave the failing Mirror Dimension and opened a portal for He-El and the group.

Ch. 865No Turning Away

He-El returned to the Oval Office with Ancient One and Stephen Strange after Kamar-Taj rejected Ancient One over her use of Dark Energy. He-El and Nick Fury agreed to keep working with Ancient One and Stephen, leaving their alliance intact despite concerns about dark power.

  • He-El dismissed the cabinet members and soldiers from the Oval Office, where Ancient One and Stephen Strange soon joined him, Nick Fury, and General Ross.
  • Ancient One said she expected to lose her position as Sorcerer Supreme, and He-El regretted that Kamar-Taj had lost such a powerful leader.
  • Ancient One offered to cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers as an individual alongside Stephen Strange, and He-El welcomed them to the Avengers.
  • Nick Fury asked what Dark Energy was, and Ancient One explained that it could corrupt its users and affect people nearby, though she had a way to prevent that harm.
  • He-El declared that the Avengers trusted Ancient One and Stephen and would continue cooperating with them.

Ch. 866A Dragon in Shallow Waters

Ancient One and Stephen Strange agreed to live and work with S.H.I.E.L.D. after Kamar-Taj rejected her, while Stephen reconsidered his lost chance to become Sorcerer Supreme. Nick Fury asked Ancient One to teach magic to S.H.I.E.L.D., and He-El then requested a private conversation with her.

  • Nick Fury offered Ancient One and Stephen Strange secluded accommodations through S.H.I.E.L.D., and both accepted.
  • Stephen Strange reflected that Ancient One’s exposure, Baron Mordo’s departure from her side, and the changed events had derailed his expected path to becoming Sorcerer Supreme.
  • Nick Fury asked Ancient One to teach magic to S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, and she agreed to look for people with the talent to become mages.
  • He-El told Nick Fury to stop pressing Ancient One and asked him to leave so they could speak alone.

Ch. 867Ancient One and He-El

He-El confronted Ancient One about why she had considered using Dormammu against him, and she explained that his mysterious curse and unknown ambitions made her unsure whether to protect him. He-El denied wanting the Infinity Stones and ended the conversation, leaving his intentions uncertain.

  • He-El sent General Ross to choose five hundred elite soldiers for a special unit, while Nick Fury suspected He-El could create a Red Hulk force.
  • After Ross, Nick Fury, and Stephen Strange left the Oval Office, He-El asked Ancient One why she had wanted Dormammu to kill him.
  • Ancient One admitted He-El had done nothing to harm her, Kamar-Taj, or the world, but his cursed existence and unknown goals unsettled her.
  • Ancient One said she might protect He-El but needed to know what he wanted, given his apparent curse and extraordinary power.
  • He-El described his experiences in another Earth and said he did not believe Stephen's account of the six Infinity Stones.
  • He-El denied seeking the Infinity Stones and ended the conversation, saying he wanted to see how far humanity could prosper with his support.

Ch. 868Crimson Giant Corps

He-El prepared two Crimson Giant Corps, one for the military under General Ross and one for his private forces in New Century Supertown. He arrived at Area 51 in Nevada to meet General Ross and the gathered military officers.

  • Stephen Strange warned Tony Stark and Bruce Banner about the danger of creating Ultron, while Vivian and S.H.I.E.L.D. continued monitoring space-time for anomalies.
  • He-El produced Crimson Giant Gene Serum and ordered General Ross to form a military unit; Ross reported that the Crimson Giant Corps had reached five hundred members.
  • He-El sent seven modified Red Giant Gene Serums and additional Crimson Giant Serums to Supertown, where seven captains would form a private superpowered corps from the mercenaries.
  • He-El's transport aircraft landed at Area 51, where General Ross, senior officers, and troops waited to greet him.

Ch. 869Area 51

He-El visited Area 51 and learned that 677 soldiers had died in the creation of the Crimson Giant Corps. He honored the fallen and ordered the Corps’ equipment protected from military interference before going to see the future warriors.

  • He-El arrived at Area 51, dismissed the troops assembled to greet him, and spoke with General Dalton Pacheco and General Ross.
  • He-El asked how many soldiers had died, and General Ross reported that 677 elite soldiers had been lost.
  • He-El called the dead heroes and ordered General Dalton Pacheco to ensure their honors and compensation were not withheld.
  • He-El ordered the Crimson Legion’s initial equipment transferred to the Ordnance Department and told Dalton to bring any objections to him.
  • He-El set off with the generals to see the Crimson Giant Corps.

Ch. 870Inspection

He-El inspected Area 51 and learned how the United States used extraterrestrial technology to strengthen its military. At the base’s lowest level, he saw the five hundred soldiers of the Crimson Giant Corps transform into Red Hulks and praised them as future heroes.

  • He-El visited Area 51 with General Ross and Admiral Dalton Pacheco, and saw its advanced military research and manufacturing facilities.
  • Admiral Dalton Pacheco explained the base’s efforts to adapt extraterrestrial aircraft and weapons for human use as the group descended underground.
  • General Ross ordered five hundred soldiers of the Crimson Giant Corps to transform, revealing a disciplined force of Red Hulks.
  • He-El praised the Crimson Giant Corps and told the soldiers they would become heroes in human history.
  • He-El joked to Ross that the transformed warriors needed highly elastic shorts.

Ch. 871Thanos's Plan

Thanos considered how Ebony Maw’s capture and the loss of the Mind Scepter had disrupted his plans to obtain the Infinity Stones. After learning where Ebony Maw was imprisoned, he ordered his forces to wait for a better opportunity to rescue him.

  • Thanos concluded that losing the Mind Scepter had forced him to start over and delayed his plan to seize the Power Stone from the Nova Corps.
  • Thanos decided that rescuing Ebony Maw was essential because Maw’s agents and preparations were key to breaching the Nova Corps.
  • A communications officer reported that Ebony Maw was imprisoned beneath a deep-sea jail in the Pacific Ocean and described the forces watching Earth.
  • Thanos ordered the reconnaissance troops to remain cloaked behind the far side of the moon and await further orders.
  • Thanos decided to wait until chaos spread before rescuing Ebony Maw and pursuing the Power Stone.

Ch. 872Private Army

In East Africa, the seven captains assembled He-El’s newly enhanced Crimson Giant army for an inspection, and Maria brutally punished a soldier who mocked her. As the injured man lay unconscious, He-El arrived in a Manta Ray spacecraft.

  • Arno ordered the Crimson Giants to assemble and told them He-El was coming to inspect them.
  • The Crimson Giants speculated that their new powers meant He-El was preparing them for an alien battlefield.
  • Maria demanded that the soldiers show respect to He-El, then transformed into a Red Hulk and smashed a mocking soldier until he lost consciousness.
  • A captain warned Maria that He-El had arrived, and the assembled soldiers saw his Manta Ray spacecraft approaching.

Ch. 873Learn Fear

He-El arrived at the training grounds and found the Crimson Hulk mercenaries growing arrogant and testing their discipline. He decided to remind them who was in charge, and crushed all 499 of them under immense pressure.

  • He-El arrived by spacecraft as Maria returned to human size and put on the trench coat he handed her.
  • Maria said some mercenaries had gotten out of line, while He-El observed the unconscious man she had defeated.
  • He-El explained that the mercenaries’ new powers had made them less disciplined, unlike General Ross’s trained soldiers.
  • He-El invited the Crimson Hulks to attack him, but they mocked the idea and demanded better pay and other privileges.
  • He-El pointed downward and subjected all 499 Crimson Hulks to ten thousand times the pressure, crushing them into the ground.

Ch. 874Stand Up

He-El used his gravity powers to crush the Red Hulk mercenaries who tried to resist, then forced them to stand under threat of death. He planned to turn the surviving elite mercenaries into a force that could carry out missions for him across the universe.

  • He-El praised the Red Hulk mercenaries for pushing themselves up, then increased the pressure and crushed the arms of those who resisted.
  • He-El withdrew the gravity field and reminded the mercenaries that he had paid them well and given them their powers before ordering them to stand.
  • Some mercenaries stood immediately, while injured men forced themselves upright despite their broken arms.
  • He-El killed one mercenary who delayed getting up and warned the others that they would die if they disobeyed.
  • The surviving Red Hulk Warriors stood at attention as He-El considered using their combat experience and ruthlessness for future missions.

Ch. 875Loyal Service to the Boss

He-El silenced the Crimson Giant mercenaries’ dissent, offered them a chance to leave, and secured their loyalty with enhanced benefits. After ordering the Crimson Legion to prepare for training, he received Vivian’s warning about an abnormal spacetime distortion coefficient.

  • He-El killed two Crimson Giant mercenaries who had challenged or insulted him, then demanded the others obey his orders.
  • He-El offered the mercenaries a chance to withdraw safely, but explained that leaving meant receiving a gene-reversal injection and losing their memories of the training ground.
  • One mercenary tried to withdraw, but Maria injected him with the gene-reversal agent and carried him away.
  • He-El promised the remaining mercenaries lifespans of at least three hundred years and salaries ten times higher, and they pledged to obey him.
  • He-El told Arno and the others to arrange training and equipment for the Crimson Legion, then heard Vivian report an abnormal spacetime distortion coefficient.

Ch. 876Abnormal Spacetime Distortion Coefficient Detected

He-El learned that the space containing the Reality Stone could not be located or entered for at least thirty days, so he ordered Vivian to wait for S.H.I.E.L.D. to detect the anomaly rather than conceal it. He then contacted Kaecilius and ordered him to have his master kill Ancient One and take her soul to the Dark Dimension.

  • He-El redirected the Manta Ray toward the White House while considering Ancient One's surveillance of him and the Avengers.
  • Vivian reported that the abnormal spacetime distortion would become detectable within three hours to thirty days, but the space could not be located or entered until at least thirty days had passed.
  • Vivian offered to tamper with the Helicarrier's detection results and enter the space alone, but He-El refused to risk attracting Ancient One's suspicion.
  • He-El ordered Vivian to remain on standby and let S.H.I.E.L.D. discover the anomaly naturally.
  • He-El contacted Kaecilius and ordered him to have his master kill Ancient One and take her soul to the Dark Dimension.
Arc 35 of 87