Chapter Summaries

Carmine recognized the bank robbery as a deliberate performance by a confident newcomer and warned that Gotham had a new challenger. When Commissioner Gordon reported two murdered officers marked with Joker cards, Bruce identified the culprit and prepared to wake Downton.

• Carmine told Victor he expected the mastermind behind the bank robbery to strike again and went with him to the manor to inform Downton of the challenge.
• Tony, Bruce, and Lex continued calibrating the newly manufactured intelligent armor, while Carmine admired the suits and hoped the Wraith Party might receive support later.
• Carmine told Bruce that someone had begun challenging Gotham’s new king, but he did not know the culprit’s identity.
• Commissioner Gordon called Bruce to report that two young officers investigating the bank robbers had been murdered and marked with Joker cards.
• Bruce told Gordon to suspend the investigation, identified the culprit as the Joker, and said he would send someone to wake Downton.

Bruce warned that the Joker could be an endlessly recurring identity or a world-spanning force of chaos, while Lex argued that the group should focus first on the crisis in Tony’s world and expand production of intelligent armor. Downton took Selina and the others, along with more than seventy armors, to the Marvel world, where they landed in the middle of an alien battlefield led by a purple figure.

• Bruce argued that any person, including Arthur or Jerome, might become the Joker, and warned that a future Joker could be a powerful version such as Emperor Joker.
• Lex urged the group to prioritize the deaths in Tony’s homeland and expand intelligent-armor production to help protect society and eventually handle the Joker.
• Carmine asked Victor to explain the manor’s talk of comics and other worlds, but Victor told him to focus on recovering and left for Metropolis to attack gangs.
• Victor carried out several gang-on-gang operations in Metropolis and earned more than twenty million by 9:40 in the morning.
• Selina asked Downton to take her to the new world, and he agreed before bringing her, Bruce, Tony, and the others along with more than seventy intelligent armors to the Marvel world.
• Tony realized they had landed in a grassy battlefield surrounded by aliens, whose leader was purple.

Downton and his companions arrived in a parallel universe during the Battle of Wakanda, where Thanos wielded five Infinity Stones. As Thanos noticed Downton’s Tesseract and grew interested in reaching other universes, Tony recognized a familiar look in his eyes, and Downton approached a bewildered Natasha.

• Downton explained that he had teleported the group to Captain America during a battle, and Selina and Bruce joined the fight against the alien beasts.
• Bruce named his AI Robin and ordered a saturation strike, sending armored suits to rain missiles on the battlefield.
• Tony, Bruce, Lex, and Clark confronted Thanos, who restrained them and explained his plan to kill half the universe at random.
• Thanos tried to take the Mind Stone from Vision, but Clark broke free long enough to blast him and call for Downton’s help.
• Thanos noticed the Tesseract in Downton’s hand and wondered whether he could extend his mission to other universes, while Tony recognized a familiar idealistic light in Thanos’s eyes.
• Downton freed Natasha from the stone pillars and greeted her as though they had met before, leaving her confused.

Downton rejected Natasha’s plea and defended Thanos’s plan, discussing the Titan’s ideals before provoking him over Gamora. Thanos attacked, and as his earth wave swept toward the Avengers and Wakandans, Thor arrived and stopped it with a storm of lightning.

• Natasha asked Downton to stop Thanos, but Downton dismissed her and said Thanos’s plan could bring peace and prevent a Celestial from awakening on Earth.
• Downton and Thanos introduced themselves and discussed Thanos’s ideals while the Avengers argued over Downton’s position.
• Steve ordered Wanda to escape with Vision and keep him from Thanos, while Downton angered Thanos by mocking him about Gamora.
• Thanos unleashed waves of earth at Downton, whose phasing caused the attacks to sweep toward Steve, the Avengers, and the Wakandans.
• Thor raised his axe and called down lightning that halted Thanos’s earth wave.

Downton challenged Thanos and was blasted into space, where he rescued Thor before returning to Wakanda with him. Downton then revealed that he had gathered all six Infinity Stones, but their power began tearing his unprotected body apart.

• Thanos struck Thor with the Power Stone and sent him flying beyond the horizon.
• Downton challenged Thanos, whose Infinity-powered punch shattered parts of Downton's armor and hurled him into space.
• Downton caught the unconscious Thor, slapped him awake, and listened as Thor lamented his losses before using the Bifrost to return them to Earth.
• As another earth wave threatened the battlefield, Selina and Clark fled into the sky while Lex and Bruce discussed ways to gain power.
• Thor charged at Thanos, but Downton swept him aside with a golden staff and announced that his own game had begun.
• Vision lost the Mind Stone, and Downton revealed a sixth gem among the five in his hand as its power reduced his right hand to bloody bones.

Downton revealed his overwhelming control of the Infinity Stones, then moved Wakanda and the gathered fighters to a remote battlefield and declared that the war would continue without overpowered equipment. As heroes from another universe arrived, Peter Quill attacked Thanos and Spider-Man Peter caught him, while Lex introduced himself to Rocket.

• Downton endured the damage from holding six Infinity Stones, produced another Tesseract, and summoned thousands of Infinity Stones to shock Thanos.
• Downton returned the stones to their origins, seized control of the battlefield, and sent Wakanda and its fighters outside the solar system.
• Tony and other heroes arrived from Titan, and the older Tony questioned the younger Tony about his multiverse travel and Downton's intentions.
• Peter Quill charged Thanos to demand Gamora back, but Thanos struck him unconscious.
• Spider-Man Peter caught Peter Quill and arranged for his treatment, while Lex introduced himself to Rocket as Alexander Luthor.

Downton continued to torment the defeated Thanos while empowering Bruce with Strange’s magical cloak and turning Strange against Thanos. Strange called the others to join the fight, and Tony, Star-Lord, and Thor charged in as Bruce received a Sling Ring.

• Luthor introduced Clark and Bruce to Rocket and Groot, while the two Tonys discussed Downton and the newcomers.
• Strange urged Downton to stop enduring pain and finish Thanos, but Downton mocked him and used magic to send Strange’s cloak to Bruce.
• The cloak bonded with Bruce’s armor and granted it magical abilities, while Downton told Strange that he would not cripple his powers but sent him toward Thanos.
• Thanos attacked Strange, who discovered that his Sling Ring was gone and relied on costly protective spells that injured ascetics at Kamar-Taj.
• Strange called for help, and older Tony, Star-Lord, and Thor charged toward Thanos as Bruce’s cloak placed a Sling Ring on his hand.

Fatty Wang joined the battlefield and recognized Bruce Wayne, Lex Luthor, and Clark Kent as comic-book characters while Thor and the others attacked Thanos. Wanda redirected her rage at Downton, who survived her chaos magic, tore open a new mouth, and killed her, leaving Captain America furious.

• Fatty Wang stepped through a portal, recognized Bruce as Batman, and met Lex Luthor and Clark Kent.
• Thor attacked Thanos while the two Iron Men bombarded him, and Wanda charged at Thanos over Vision's death.
• Thanos told Wanda that Downton had taken the Mind Stone, and Wanda turned her fury on Downton.
• Wanda's chaos magic seemingly killed Downton, but he returned with his mouth erased and tore open a replacement.
• Downton seized Wanda's heart, then killed her with flames, and Captain America exploded in rage.

Downton killed the older Wanda after she attacked him, then summoned his own young Wanda while the Avengers turned back to fighting Thanos. The heroes killed Thanos, and Middle-aged Tony recognized something familiar in Thanos’s eyes and resolved to find the Thanos in his own universe.

• Captain America charged Downton over Wanda’s death, but Downton knocked him down and later had Clark restrain and knock him unconscious.
• Middle-aged Tony warned Old Tony not to provoke Downton, and the Avengers chose to focus on Thanos rather than retaliate for Wanda.
• Downton summoned his young Wanda from another universe, and she rested beside him while the others joined the battle.
• Clark pinned Thanos in place, allowing Thor to kill him with Stormbreaker.
• Middle-aged Tony recognized in Thanos’s eyes the look from his earlier illusion and resolved to accelerate Earth’s technology and find the Thanos in his universe.

After Downton killed Thanos, Thor claimed the Infinity Stones and tried to use them to restore Asgard and revive his dead family and people. The chapter ended with the Avengers restraining Thor as he struggled to snap his fingers.

• Downton tossed the six Infinity Stones away, and Thor collected five in Thanos’s glove while Strange kept the Time Stone.
• Thor declared that Asgard would safeguard the Stones, but Downton took the Time Stone from Strange and tossed it to Thor so he could watch what happened.
• Thor and Strange fought over the Time Stone while Old Tony woke Steve and warned him that Thor wanted all six Stones.
• Thor explained that he intended to revive his family and people, then used the other Stones to break Strange’s magical chain and seize the Time Stone.
• Old Tony attacked Thor, but Thor struck him down, placed the Time Stone in the glove, and tried to snap his fingers.
• Spider-Man and the other heroes caught Thor’s fingers with webbing and held them apart as Thor angrily questioned their trust in him.

Thor fought the Avengers to use the Infinity Stones to revive the Asgardian civilians killed by Thanos, and Mjolnir returned to support his resolve. As Thor battled Tony and Banner, he insisted that he would bring back their dead too if they stopped opposing him.

• Peter Quill sided with Thor and asked him to bring Gamora back, while Rocket and Groot turned against Tony and Black Panther.
• Black Panther argued that the dead should remain in the afterlife, but Thor declared that Asgard's innocent civilians deserved to be revived and broke free of Spider-Man's webbing.
• Mjolnir's fragments flew back to Thor and reassembled around its handle, giving him renewed confidence as he prepared to fight the Avengers.
• Mantis warned Quill that Gamora had been sacrificed to the Soul Stone and might not be recoverable, while Thor promised to try to bring her back.
• Thor attacked the Avengers with Mjolnir and Stormbreaker, overcame Tony's lasers, and struck back at Banner's Veronica armor.
• Thor told Banner that Hulk would understand his decision and admitted that he liked Banner less than Hulk.

Banner and the Avengers fought Thor over his attempt to claim the Infinity Stones, and Strange separated the Stones before Mephisto escaped Hell. Downton gathered all six Stones and snapped his fingers, restoring the dead and leaving the battlefield in chaos.

• Banner warned Thor that the Avengers could not trust anyone with the Infinity Stones, and the Avengers intensified their attack to stop him.
• Strange used portals to sever Thor's hand and divide the Stones, then returned the Time Stone to the Eye of Agamotto and went to stop Mephisto, who had breached the New York Sanctum.
• Thor demanded the Stones back and charged after the others, while Nebula took the Reality Stone and Tony and Bruce discussed giving the Power Stone to Downton.
• Bruce brought the Power Stone to Downton, who collected the remaining Stones and snapped his fingers, tearing apart the right half of his body.
• Thor's hand was restored, Quill reunited with Gamora, and the Asgardians welcomed their returned family members.

Downton’s revival of the dead restored Thor’s people and Asgard, while the Ancient One returned and drove Mephisto back to Hell. She reclaimed the Sorcerer Supreme position from Strange and urged him to seek help from the Sacred Timeline as Earth prepared to face the Celestials.

• Thor thanked Downton for reviving his people, then learned that Downton had also restored Asgard, his family, and his own hand.
• The Ancient One appeared at the New York Sanctum and used its magical formation to force Mephisto back into Hell, freeing Mjolnir to return to Thor.
• Strange questioned why the Ancient One remained far stronger than him after he had used the Eye of Agamotto to study magic for three thousand years, and she explained that she had studied for over two thousand years.
• The Ancient One took back the Sorcerer Supreme position and told Strange that Earth would have to face the Celestials after Downton disrupted his plan to redirect their threat toward Thanos.
• The Ancient One revealed that she had met Downton in another universe when she was young, then teased Strange for misunderstanding her praise of him as the most showy Sorcerer Supreme.
• Before returning to Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One told Strange to study the Darkhold on his own and call on the Sacred Timeline for help in future crises.

Thor returned to Asgard to confront Hela, who had gained Death’s favor and was overpowering Odin. Mjolnir chose Odin instead of Thor, and Hela’s blades swept Thor onto the Bifrost.

• Thor left the void for Asgard, where Hela was attacking Odin in the palace square.
• Odin tried to reconcile with Hela, but she rejected him and revealed that Death had made her its favored champion.
• Thor arrived and fought Hela, but her endless blades and Death-powered attacks drove him onto the defensive.
• Odin joined Thor against Hela, but their reluctance to kill her let her overwhelm them with doubled waves of blades.
• Mjolnir flew past Thor and returned to Odin, who wielded the restored hammer to clear Hela’s blades.
• Stormbreaker trembled as Thor cried out, and the flood of blades swept him onto the Bifrost.

Odin attacked Hela while Thor used the Bifrost to send resurrected Asgardians to safety, where Frigga reunited with Valkyrie and appointed her Asgard’s marshal. Downton and his companions set out to collect their promised payment, but he arrived amid Asgard’s destruction and confronted Thor about the missing artifact.

• Odin struck Hela with Gungnir and ordered Thor to evacuate the Asgardians before Asgard was destroyed.
• Thor sent the resurrected Asgardians to Norway, where Frigga apologized to Valkyrie and appointed her marshal as the assembled warriors knelt before them.
• Downton chose to collect his payment before leaving, healed his chest, and departed with his companions after refusing to revive Wanda and Vision.
• Downton teleported into the exploding Asgard and grabbed Thor, demanding the promised divine artifact and threatening to take Mjolnir instead.

Downton brutally subdued Hela after Asgard began collapsing, while Thor and Odin accepted his claim that she could replace the divine artifact Asgard owed him. The chapter ended with Hela begging Downton to stop torturing her.

• Thor apologized to Downton for Asgard's destruction and promised to find him a divine artifact after the war.
• Hela attacked Downton, Odin, and Thor with blades, but Downton grabbed her and declared that she would be his compensation.
• Downton repeatedly tore into Hela as her body regenerated, while Odin accepted her punishment and Lex asked Downton to collect her bones for study.
• Downton ripped out Hela's spine, arms, and pelvis and threw bones to Lex, while Selina objected to his treatment of Hela.
• Hela finally begged Downton to spare her and admitted that he was far more terrifying than she was.

Downton brutally tortured Hela until she surrendered, then left Asgard with his companions after Odin agreed to prepare a divine artifact for him. Hela admitted that Downton’s strength had shattered her ambitions and asked Odin who had once humbled him; Odin answered that he had met the Celestials.

• Downton separated a chunk of Asgard from the collapsing planet so he could continue tormenting Hela while Lex assembled her bones and flesh into multiple bodies.
• After Hela lost the will to resist, Downton stopped, ordered her to put on her armor, and returned her to Odin and Thor while reminding Odin of the promised divine artifact.
• Downton and his companions vanished, and Odin and Thor agreed that the dwarves of Nidavellir should forge him a suitable artifact.
• Hela told Odin and Thor that she had not been insane, but had opposed them because she rejected their righteousness; she judged Downton powerful enough to threaten even her lord Death.
• Hela acknowledged that Downton had exposed how limited her power was and asked Odin who had humbled him; Odin replied that he had met the Celestials.

Downton's group assessed the divided state of America and split up to help defend key cities, while Downton refused to assist Tony or Hill and set off to pursue his own interest. The chapter left him approaching a young married woman collecting relief food in Queens.

• Tony reported that Kingpin had fled, Hydra had established a rival government in Washington, and America was splitting between competing factions.
• Bruce assigned Clark to accompany Tony to Washington, went to Los Angeles with twenty suits, and left Lex to reinforce New York with Jarvis and Tony's lab.
• Selina took Wanda to explore bank vaults, teasing and flirting with her as they drove away in a stolen Martha.
• Hill asked Downton to rescue the exhausted Hulk, who was trapped in Japan and surrounded by samurai, but Downton refused and leaped away.
• Downton arrived in Queens and approached a young married woman collecting relief food.

Downton visited Aunt May and followed her home after she agreed to cook for him. He sent Peter out with Jarvis to visit Oscorp’s science museum with Gwen, then teased a nervous May by clarifying that they were about to start cooking.

• Downton found Aunt May at a food distribution point and persuaded her to invite him home for a meal.
• Neighbors gave May vegetables and other ingredients, and she led Downton back to her apartment.
• Peter greeted Downton excitedly and asked to visit Oscorp’s science museum with Gwen.
• Downton summoned Jarvis to take Peter and Gwen around New York, then sent Peter out with money.
• Downton turned back to May and said they should start cooking, making her realize she had misunderstood him.

Peter and Jarvis traveled to Oscorp’s biotechnology expo, where they met Gwen and her family. After Peter and Gwen explored the exhibits, a spider bit Gwen, and she cried out in pain.

• Peter and Jarvis took a taxi to Oscorp’s biotechnology expo, startling the driver when Jarvis revealed that he was an empty suit controlled by an intelligent program.
• The Stacy family waited at the expo, and Chief Stacy rushed to investigate a commotion while Jarvis used his weapons to hold back the crowd surrounding Peter.
• Jarvis introduced himself to Chief Stacy and explained that he had come to escort Peter to meet Gwen.
• Chief Stacy brought Peter to Gwen, then returned to his security duties while Mrs. Stacy took the children through the expo.
• Peter and Gwen reached the spider exhibit, where Gwen admitted she was afraid of being bitten; she suddenly felt a painful bite and cried out.