Chapter Summaries

He-El arranged for the weakened Olympian Pantheon, the Divine Legion, and the Magic Academy to leave the New Krypton Universe before the next merger. He tasked Zeus with staying behind to draw Lucifer out, while the others began crossing into the He-El Universe.

• He-El returned to Earth, surveyed the tightly controlled planet, and entered the Divine Realm.
• Athena told He-El that the Olympian Gods had surrendered their divine authority and sealed it in the Divine Realm, weakening themselves.
• He-El ordered Zeus to remain as an anchor during the next Parallel Universe merger and make rival gods fight within the Divine Realm.
• He-El opened a Traversal Vortex to the He-El Universe, designed to divert travelers he considered dangerous, including Lucifer.
• Athena organized the evacuation as Hera, Poseidon, and Demeter led the Divine Legion through the vortex.
• The Spectre, controlling Zeus's corpse, guarded the vortex and realized He-El was cooperating with him to draw out Lucifer.

He-El moved the Divine Realm’s forces, logistics, and Izaya’s group through the Traversal Vortex into his universe while The Spectre waited for Lucifer. Lucifer never appeared, and He-El closed the vortex and assigned Zeus’s corpse to anchor the Divine Realm for future divine wars.

• Athena ordered Apollo, Artemis, Ares, and Dionysus to lead the Magic Corps through the Traversal Vortex while The Spectre watched for Lucifer.
• Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hestia, and Hermes led the logistics teams and their equipment through the vortex, but Lucifer still did not appear.
• Athena sent Izaya and his son through the vortex, and He-El detected no warning of danger as they entered.
• He-El closed the Traversal Vortex after Athena entered and concluded that Lucifer had not appeared.
• He-El told Zeus, controlled by The Spectre, to manage the Divine Realm and anchor the gods of merging Parallel Universes there for divine wars.

The Olympian Gods celebrated after He-El severed their connection to the DC Universe and freed them from being devoured by their original body. Doctor Manhattan explained that they would abandon their existing bodies and choose new paths, leaving them ready to begin their next lives under He-El.

• Hera and the Olympians rejoiced as they entered the He-El Universe free from their connection to the DC Universe.
• Doctor Manhattan and Kaguya appeared and explained that the Olympians would no longer be gods, but Poseidon, Ares, Hera, Athena, and the others affirmed their loyalty to He-El.
• Athena asked Doctor Manhattan what He-El had arranged for them, and he said they first had to abandon the stellar-level bodies created by their original body.
• Doctor Manhattan described the many cultivation systems and body types available in the He-El Universe, including Kryptonian, mechanical, Chakra, dimensional, emotional-energy, and psychic systems.

Doctor Manhattan urged Olympus to study the available body systems before choosing new forms suited to their ambitions. After learning about the He-El Universe’s plans to conquer other universes, several gods chose distinct paths for their future development.

• Poseidon and the others from Olympus agreed to abandon their original bodies and use their Proton ID Cards to choose new ones.
• Doctor Manhattan explained that the updated cards listed New Krypton’s available body systems and urged everyone to choose according to their wills.
• The Divine Legion, Magic Corps, and Logistics Army reviewed the systems and learned that the He-El Universe planned to conquer the myriad worlds.
• Izaya chose the psychic power system, while Ares chose the omnipotent Kryptonian physique.
• Apollo chose a Positive-Entropy Body, and Artemis chose a Negative-Entropy Body.

He-El sealed the Divine Realm after leaving The Spectre in control of Zeus’s corpse, while Guardians of the Universe discussed the gods’ fate and the danger of future Parallel Universe convergences. The chapter ended with He-El appearing at Earth-Core Plaza as the Guardians expressed confidence in New Krypton.

• The Spectre reluctantly accepted He-El’s command to control Zeus’s corpse and oversee the Divine Realm, hoping Lucifer would eventually appear.
• He-El ordered The Spectre to seal the Divine Realm, then left, sealed it, and severed its passage to Earth.
• Guardians of the Universe sensed the Divine Realm’s disappearance and discussed why the gods could not escape their conflict over divine authority.
• The Guardians predicted that the next Parallel Universe convergence could involve hundreds or thousands of universes, but expressed confidence in New Krypton’s ability to endure it.
• He-El appeared at the entrance to Earth-Core Plaza as the Guardians continued their conversation.

He-El told the Guardians of the Universe that he planned to relocate New Krypton's citizens to safety and offered them the same choice. He revealed that the next Parallel Universe merger would be more dangerous, but the greater threat was the later integration into the Source Universe.

• He-El entered the underground central plaza, and the Guardians of the Universe knelt to greet him.
• He-El explained that he had moved the gods of Olympus to safety and would seal the Divine Realm so future gods could fight over divine authorities there.
• He-El offered the Guardians of the Universe the chance to relocate with the Olympian Pantheon and avoid disappearing in future Parallel Universe mergers.
• The Guardians of the Universe worried that He-El was abandoning their universe, and Ganthet asked whether they could win the next merger.
• He-El said the next Parallel Universe merger would be more dangerous than the current one, then warned that the New Krypton Universe would later be integrated into the Source Universe.

The Guardians of the Universe learned that the New Krypton Universe would eventually return to the Source Universe, leaving many to question whether their lives and duties were real. He-El restored their resolve, and the Guardians chose either to accept merging with their original selves or to follow him after one final mission to protect Earth.

• The Guardians of the Universe learned that the New Krypton Universe would merge into the Source Universe and that Parallel Universes eventually returned to their origins.
• Some Guardians despaired at believing themselves to be copies, so He-El declared that their experiences, wills, and identities were real and unique.
• Several Guardians accepted merging with their selves in the Source Universe and resolved to protect Earth there.
• Other Guardians rejected the idea that their Source Universe selves were more real and asked He-El to let them protect Earth in New Krypton before following him.
• He-El approved their request, and the Guardians thanked him.

He-El gathered New Krypton’s military, Lantern Corps, and Earth’s Peace Enforcement Department to address the empire’s affairs. He left the defiant Lantern Corps commanders unconscious and ordered Scarface to handle their replacement, while the remaining commanders were left frightened by his power.

• Ciri’s group, Zero’s Mechanical Clan, and the Olympians and Izaya entered the He-El Universe, where Ciri had conquered the Pacific Rim universe and Zero had begun a difficult campaign in the Transformers universe.
• He-El summoned the Kryptonian Army, the Seven Lantern Corps, and the Peace Enforcement Department’s senior officials to the palace for a meeting.
• He-El unleashed his aura on the assembled commanders, overwhelming the defiant Lantern Corps commanders and causing them to spit blood.
• Scarface offered to replace the Lantern Corps commanders, and He-El told her to handle it herself.
• Scarface removed the unconscious commanders from the palace, leaving the remaining Lantern Corps commanders frightened and unable to understand why their rings had not resisted He-El.

He-El confronted New Krypton’s leaders with the danger of future Parallel Universe mergers, prompting several Kryptonian generals to pledge their lives to defend the empire. He left them with a grim question: what would they do if New Krypton ultimately lost?

• He-El’s overwhelming aura stunned the gathered leaders, while Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman Diana Prince, and Superman Clark Kent reacted with alarm.
• He-El asked whether they believed they could survive another Parallel Universe merger, and the assembled leaders remained silent as they considered the empire’s losses and divisions.
• General Zod stepped forward and vowed to protect New Krypton, recalling how he had lost Krypton in his own universe and chosen to defend He-El’s empire.
• Other Kryptonian generals declared that they would defend the New Krypton Universe and its honor, even against Kryptonians from other universes.
• He-El asked what they would do if he told them that the New Krypton Empire would ultimately lose.

He-El told New Krypton’s leaders that their universe would eventually merge into a source universe and disappear, regardless of their resolve. He urged them to prepare for the next merger and promised to lead them to a safe universe where New Krypton could endure.

• Clark Kent and Kal-El questioned He-El after he said the New Krypton Empire would ultimately lose.
• Clark Kent, Kal-El, and Scarface declared that their forces would face the coming challenges and protect New Krypton.
• He-El explained that parallel universes would eventually merge back into their source universes, making New Krypton’s disappearance inevitable.
• Kryptonian generals pleaded with He-El to save their home, and many knelt before him.
• He-El said New Krypton would disappear in the merger after the next one, then promised to lead its people to a safe universe where New Krypton would still exist.

He-El prepared the New Krypton Empire for its final parallel universe merger and promised its citizens refuge if they survived. When Superman Clark Kent confronted him about abandoning Earth, He-El acknowledged his grief but urged Clark to put it aside and face the future.

• He-El ordered the New Krypton Empire to prepare for the final merger and promised to take its people somewhere safe if they survived.
• After his subordinates departed, Superman Clark Kent asked He-El whether he was going to abandon Earth, while Batman Bruce Wayne and Wonder Woman Diana Prince listened.
• He-El explained that the New Krypton Universe would disappear when it merged into the Source Universe, just as Bruce Wayne's and Diana Prince's universes had vanished.
• Clark grieved over losing the Earth He-El had built, and He-El admitted that he felt sorrow over losing what he had conquered.
• He-El declared himself indestructible and told Clark to put away his sorrow because it insulted Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince.

Superman Clark Kent, Batman Bruce Wayne, and Wonder Woman Diana Prince learned that Earth in the Source Universe remained in the Justice League era, while He-El could not prevent their Earth from disappearing. The chapter ended with Superman deciding to make the Source Universe’s Superman transform Earth into a peaceful, orderly world like New Krypton’s.

• Superman Clark Kent grieved over Earth’s impending disappearance, and He-El said he was too weak to destroy the Source Universe.
• Batman Bruce Wayne asked He-El about the Source Universe, and He-El inferred that its Earth still had the Justice League and many superheroes.
• Superman Clark Kent, Batman Bruce Wayne, and Wonder Woman Diana Prince lamented the return to an era of crime and disorder, which they now viewed as worse than New Krypton’s rule.
• Batman Bruce Wayne suggested that He-El rule the Source Universe’s Earth, but He-El said he could not yet contend with the Monitors.
• Superman Clark Kent decided to make the Source Universe’s Superman turn Earth into a peaceful, orderly planet governed by strict laws.

He-El prepared the New Krypton Empire for an imminent, potentially catastrophic Parallel Universe merger, promising the citizens safety afterward. He-El returned to his universe after assigning the Miracle Wish Machine and Omega Effect energy to help New Kryptonians survive.

• He-El inspected the recovering New Krypton Empire, told its citizens they would be moved to safety after one more merger, and ordered Scarface to use the Miracle Wish Machine.
• He-El recognized that the next merger could bring countless universes and leave the New Krypton Empire's defenses overwhelmed.
• He-El sent Omega Effect energy to Kal-El and ordered him to select soldiers to fuse with it for a temporary boost in strength.
• He-El watched the empire prepare for the merger before a Traversal Vortex swallowed him and brought him back to the He-El Universe.

He-El welcomed a vast new continent in the He-El Universe, integrated the inspected operational logic of the Chronicle Universe and Jumper Universe, and resolved to accelerate the creation of the World Tree. He left to find Doctor Manhattan and begin that work before the next parallel universe fusion.

• He-El returned to the He-El Universe and saw its new continent thriving with creatures, cultivation groups, and settlements built by the Divine Legion and Magic Corps.
• Pacific Rim became the first foreign universe fully conquered and connected to the He-El Universe, with Ciri using it as her base for biological research.
• Lucy told He-El that inspections of the Chronicle Universe and Jumper Universe were complete, and He-El integrated both universes' operational logic into his own universe.
• He-El decided that the World Tree needed to be completed before the next parallel universe fusion and instructed Lucy before leaving to find Doctor Manhattan.

Doctor Manhattan struggled to create World Tree seeds that could adapt to every kind of universe, while He-El pressed him to find a universal solution. He-El’s visit also reassured Otsutsuki Kaguya that she could continue enjoying her peaceful life, and the chapter ended with him asking whether the seeds could be based on the thoughts shared by living beings.

• Doctor Manhattan studied the He-El Universe’s underlying logic and created many varieties of World Tree seeds.
• Otsutsuki Kaguya worried that she was useless, but He-El told her he was not blaming her and admired her relaxed temperament.
• He-El asked Doctor Manhattan to complete a World Tree that could be planted throughout the various universes.
• Doctor Manhattan explained that his attempts to find a World Tree seed compatible with every universe had failed.
• He-El examined the seeds and asked whether they could be developed from the thoughts of living beings, which existed in every universe.

He-El and Doctor Manhattan concluded that a universal World Tree could not be cultivated from living beings’ thoughts, so they shifted to a gradual approach that would help unknown universes grow while connecting them to the He-El Universe. He-El assigned separate strategies for unknown and familiar universes and summoned Ciri, Zero, and Lucy to help create the World Trees.

• Doctor Manhattan explained that the differing foundations of living beings’ thoughts across universes made them unusable for cultivating a universal World Tree.
• He-El proposed creating auxiliary World Trees that would help universes grow and eventually connect them to the He-El Universe.
• Doctor Manhattan calculated that this gradual method could work, though it would take an immense amount of time.
• He-El decided to send auxiliary World Tree seeds to unknown universes and conquer familiar universes to establish targeted classified World Trees.
• Doctor Manhattan requested Ciri’s universal biological brain, Zero’s AllSpark, and Lucy’s help, and He-El summoned them to the laboratory.
• Ciri, Zero, and Lucy arrived at Doctor Manhattan’s laboratory to assist with World Tree research.

He-El, Ciri, Zero, Lucy, and Doctor Manhattan spent millions of accelerated years creating thirty-three specialized World Trees and a versatile Universe-Growth Auxiliary World Tree. After resting, they prepared to deploy the World Trees into the universe beyond the Traversal Vortex.

• Ciri, Doctor Manhattan, Lucy, Zero, and He-El created the Biological Genetic World Tree, which produced seeds that could grow inside organisms and return after recording a universe's underlying logic.
• Zero led the creation of the Material-Universe World Tree, while Lucy and Doctor Manhattan developed and refined the Energy-Universe World Tree with He-El's verification.
• The group created thirty-three World Trees for different universe types, including mind, dimensional, emotional, two-dimensional, and soul universes.
• He-El directed the group to create a Universe-Growth Auxiliary World Tree for unknown universes, and they overcame conflicts and compatibility problems to complete it.
• After spending more than the time it took for over a dozen universes to perish in the accelerated region, He-El sent everyone to rest and announced that they would deploy the World Trees beyond the Traversal Vortex.

He-El recalled all his thought-clones after judging their progress too slow. As the clones returned, Chen Hai avenged Luo Feng's family, taught Wang Chao, and then destroyed Immortal Mountain before his thought-clone life ended.

• He-El reviewed Lucy's records, judged the thought-clones' progress inadequate, and recalled every clone.
• Chen Hai learned that Akjin, Sago Niro, and Yan Hai were threatening Luo Feng's family, so he killed them and warned others not to harm a hero's family.
• Chen Hai vanished from Earth after telling Wang Chao he had taught him all he could.
• Heavenly Emperor Hai arrived at Immortal Mountain, ready to settle his old feud, but realized he was only a thought-clone.
• Heavenly Emperor Hai charged into Immortal Mountain, detonated himself, and leveled it.

He-El absorbed more than a thousand thought-fragment clones, each voicing its last regrets, anger, and pleas as it merged back into him. The clones left him with memories of countless lives across different worlds, including one who urged him to take the Golden Throne and lead humanity.

• More than a thousand Traversal Vortex openings released He-El's thought-fragment clones, which flew toward him and merged into his body.
• The clones lamented abandoned goals and relationships, including their unfinished quests, lost friends, and loved ones they would never see again.
• One clone recounted uniting Terra, founding the Imperium of Man, and sitting upon the Golden Throne to suppress the Chaos Gods.
• The Golden Throne clone asked He-El to become him, lead humanity, and make it great again.
• Other clones cursed He-El for recalling them before they could finish their battles, investigations, experiments, and romances.

He-El recalled most of his thought avatars and dispatched World Trees into known and unknown universes to help them grow. He appointed Ōtsutsuki Kaguya as a Guardian for a material World Tree, then left for the Pacific Rim universe to strengthen his body.

• He-El recalled the thought avatars that could not become independent life-forms, while preserving the freedom of those who could.
• He-El sent categorized World Trees through Traversal Vortices into known universes and universe-growth-assisting World Trees into undetermined universes.
• He-El brought Ōtsutsuki Kaguya through a Space Bridge and sent her to guard a material World Tree on another Earth.
• He-El saw that Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had adapted by planting tea trees and making wooden teaware, while he postponed assigning Guardians to the other categorized World Trees.
• He-El left information for Lucy and traveled to the Pacific Rim universe to make his body stronger.