Chapter Summaries

Leo used his expanded vision to discover that a mysterious man had sent an invisible wisp into his heart, then traced his own past and learned that he and his body had appeared in New York from another world. He returned to Kamar-Taj after only three seconds had passed.

• A mysterious man sent a nearly invisible white mist into Leo, where it settled inside his heart, then disappeared.
• Leo reversed time and watched Jenny and George find his unconscious younger self in the snow.
• Leo discovered that his younger self had appeared out of nowhere, with his clothes rapidly changing into rags.
• Leo returned to Kamar-Taj, released the Mu Jins, and sent the Time Stone back to The Ancient One.
• The Ancient One told Leo that only three seconds had passed.

Jason considered injuring himself to alert Leo, but Quill persuaded the group to wait. The conversation turned to Ronan, and Gamora explained how difficult it would be to attack the Dark Star, leaving Jason and the others weighing the danger of seeking revenge.

• Jason said a serious injury might activate a way to contact Leo and offered to let Quill shoot him, but Quill took the gun and refused.
• Rocket, Lorelei, Groot, and Gamora agreed to wait two days rather than injure Jason to summon Leo.
• Rocket asked about Jason's boss, and Quill described Leo as an Earthling he had met before.
• Jason asked Gamora about Ronan and the Dark Star, and she explained the steps needed to board the ship and reach Ronan.
• Rocket claimed his Quantum Rocket Launcher could kill Ronan, but Gamora warned they first had to stop the Dark Star and overcome its defenses.
• Jason and the others grew solemn as they considered Ronan's strength and the Nova Corps' inability to stop him.

Gamora learned that Lorelei was an Asgardian Warrior and hoped Asgard could help defeat Thanos, but Lorelei said only Leo could take her back. Jason weighed the chance to use the Orb of Power and Gamora’s knowledge against Ronan, deciding to wait five more days for her.

• Gamora recognized Lorelei as an Asgardian Warrior and asked whether Asgard had survived by migrating elsewhere.
• Lorelei said she could not return to Asgard without Leo and told Gamora to seek help from him instead.
• Gamora’s hope of getting aid from Asgard faded, though she considered Leo a possible link to the hidden realm.
• Quill questioned how the job had turned into a mission against Ronan and Thanos, while Rocket raised his gun and Groot took it away.
• Jason considered Gamora a valuable ally against Ronan and recognized that the Orb of Power could give him a chance to strike.
• Jason decided to wait five days for Gamora before Ronan sent someone else to seize the Orb.

Leo returned to New York with Jenny and George, then brought them to Black Prison Group headquarters so Maya could examine them and help them gain the power to protect themselves. He left the five men enhanced with the Extremis Serum in Zost’s care.

• Leo thanked Zhang Huan and the others, then used his powers to take Jenny and George back to New York.
• Zhang Huan told his team to keep searching for the man Leo had asked them to find and said Leo would return to China; he also discussed Old Li’s new saber and his duty to protect Jenny and George.
• Leo brought Jenny and George to Black Prison Group headquarters and explained that they needed protection while he was busy.
• Leo asked Maya to examine Jenny and George, explaining that the laboratory could make them younger and extend their lifespans.
• Chen Haoran reported that five fighters had successfully received the Extremis Serum, and Zost arrived as Leo sent the men away to report any problems.

Leo arrived at the Red Whale Shop, met Quill, Rocket, and Groot, and assured Rocket that he would pay for their stay. After Lorelei tried to hand him the Orb, Gamora intercepted it, and Leo confronted her about betraying Thanos, leaving her questioning who he was.

• Leo entered the shop and used a gesture to drag Yondu's four men out of the doorway.
• Leo greeted Quill, then met Rocket and Groot and promised to pay them for staying at the shop.
• Lorelei tossed the Orb to Leo, but Gamora leaped up and caught it.
• Leo warned Gamora that betraying Thanos was her only chance and that failure could leave her like Nebula.
• Gamora held the Orb and asked Leo what kind of person he was.

Leo used his Piercing Golden Eyes to dissolve most of the white mist surrounding the Power Stone, then deliberately destabilized the stone to investigate its power. The renewed energy brought back even more mist, leaving Leo uncertain whether it could ever be eliminated.

• Leo saw white mist emerge around the Power Stone and used his Golden Light to disperse eighty to ninety percent of it.
• After the Power Stone's energy reaction dimmed and the mist vanished, Leo reclaimed the Orb of Power and wondered if the mist was a program set up long ago.
• Leo made the orb tremble and crack, allowing purple energy to escape as its Asgardian magic struggled to contain the Power Stone.
• Leo judged that the Orb of Power could seal the stone but could not safely channel its full power, which could destroy the orb and devastate a city.
• As the Power Stone's energy surged, Leo saw even more white mist appear, suggesting his earlier efforts might have been futile.

Ronan learned that Gamora had disappeared and was accused of betraying the alliance, so he traveled to Thanos's Sanctuary. After seeing the destruction Thanos had caused, Ronan demanded that Thanos handle the matter, leaving their confrontation unresolved.

• Ronan learned that Gamora and the Orb of Power had vanished from Xandar and that Thanos wanted to summon him immediately.
• Nebula reacted fearfully to Thanos's name, then joined Ronan aboard the Dark Star as he traveled to the coordinates Thanos had sent.
• Ronan arrived at a devastated planet near Sanctuary and saw Thanos sitting silently on his Floating Throne.
• Ronan confronted Thanos about Gamora's disappearance and alleged betrayal, then killed a Chitauri commander who tried to silence him.
• Ronan asked Thanos to handle the matter as the Floating Throne began to turn.

Leo used the Golden Light to restore and optimize Rocket’s body, strengthening the metal and flesh integrated within him. As Kree ships approached Xandar and Ronan’s forces neared the Red Whale Shop, Rocket awakened to his enhanced body and raced toward Groot.

• Leo carefully strengthened the metals and flesh in Rocket’s body with the Golden Light while the others watched.
• Little Jie reported that Xandar had allowed a Kree spaceship to land, and Jason warned that Ronan’s people might find the shop.
• Leo finished treating Rocket, who stood taller and remained still while he adjusted to his restored body.
• Jason warned Leo that they might have to abandon the Red Whale Shop, but Leo insisted no one would move the sign and vowed Ronan would not leave Xandar alive.
• Rocket opened his eyes, tested his claws, grinned, and charged at Groot with speed Quill could barely follow.

Thanos threatened Ronan into honoring their agreement and demanded the Cosmic Orb, while Nebula insisted Ronan take her to Xandar. Leo then began treating and enhancing Rocket, whose body convulsed as his muscles and Neural Metal changed.

• Thanos threatened Ronan and demanded the Cosmic Orb before he would honor their agreement.
• Nebula thanked Thanos, told Ronan he could not win alone, and left with him for Xandar.
• Rocket told Leo he and Groot could join a team, despite having no spaceship.
• Leo used his power to treat and enhance Rocket, causing intense pain as Rocket's body and fur began to change.
• Groot, Quill, Lorelei, and Jason gathered as Rocket screamed through the process.

Leo used spatial energy to destroy the Kree flagship and its crew in a battle that lasted less than four minutes. He returned to the Milan exhausted and said someone would take care of the wreck, as the Red Whale awakened behind the moon.

• Leo struck the flagship with a spatially enhanced punch, crushing its rear and immobilizing it with a Spatial Barrier.
• Leo tore away the flagship's outer armor and turned the fragments into metal cones that drilled through the ship.
• The commander tried to flee in an escape pod, but a metal cone pierced him, and no one aboard survived.
• Quill brought the Milan closer while Gamora and Jason watched in shock, and Leo returned to the cabin after his giant form faded.
• Leo told Rocket that someone would handle the flagship, and the Red Whale opened its eyes behind the moon.

On the Milan, Leo challenged Gamora’s plan to keep Thanos from finding the Infinity Stones, warning that Thanos could force the truth from her. Gamora was left questioning her plan, while Quill’s attempt to comfort her ended with her elbowing him as the ship neared its destination.

• Quill noticed the tension between Leo and Gamora and stepped in to ask what was wrong.
• Gamora explained that she had destroyed the map to the Soul Stone’s location and hoped to keep Thanos from learning where the remaining stones were.
• Leo warned Gamora that Thanos understood her weaknesses and could make her reveal what she knew because he had never taught her how to lie.
• Gamora sat in a daze, questioning whether her plan could work, and Quill tried to comfort her.
• Gamora instinctively struck Quill in the abdomen, and Quill returned to the pilot’s seat as the Milan slowed near its destination.

After Leo left to rest, Jason told the others to wait, and a tiny Red Whale appeared in space near the wrecked Kree flagship. The group recognized it as the creature associated with Jason’s Red Whale Shop and wondered whether it was the Red Whale they had heard about.

• The group worried that the Nova Corps would learn about Leo’s power and struggled to decide how to dispose of the wrecked flagship.
• Leo explained that he needed to rest, then went into the Milan’s lounge as the Infinity Stone’s burden left him exhausted.
• Quill asked whether the group was leaving, and Jason said they should wait for someone he had been expecting.
• A pitch-black figure with a red glow appeared in space without using a Warp Point, and Quill magnified it on the Milan’s display.
• Gamora identified the tiny figure as a Red Whale, and Jason said it was not a toy and pointed to the name of his shop.

Leo’s group fought four Hart giants controlled by Sako, who revealed their connection to the Devan Group and warned Leo to leave. Lorelei and the others defeated the giants, leaving Sako facing Leo’s group as armed men in matching uniforms approached.

• Rocket, Groot, Lorelei, Gamora, Quill, and Jason battled the four Hart giants while Leo questioned a burly man about their history and Sako’s connections.
• The man told Leo that Thanos had once tried to recruit the Hart clan and that Sako’s backer was tied to the Devan Group.
• Sako sent a little girl away with instructions and threatened Leo, but Lorelei defeated her Hart giant and returned to Leo’s side.
• Rocket, Gamora, Quill, and Jason defeated their opponents; Gamora killed her opponent, while the others knocked theirs unconscious.
• Armed men in matching uniforms approached as Quill and Jason discussed the costly grenade that had finished their fight.

Difan showed Leo and the others records of the Infinity Stones’ origins and the Power Stone’s ability to annihilate an entire planet. The Orb of Power then opened completely, revealing the purple Power Stone before them.

• Difan explained that the six Infinity Stones came from ancient entities and said his historical records of them had vanished.
• The Orb of Power projected scenes showing all six Infinity Stones forming after the Big Bang.
• Difan showed a recording of a giant wielding the Power Stone to destroy an entire planet and its civilization.
• Quill and Gamora reacted with shock as Difan described how people who tried to channel the Power Stone’s energy had been reduced to nothing.
• The Orb of Power unlocked, split into two halves, and revealed the glowing Power Stone.

Leo examined and absorbed the Uru in the Devan Group’s warehouse, discovering that he could perceive its nature beyond its strange color phenomenon. As the group left the Void Land’s mining zone, they speculated about the Celestials and Quill’s possible connection to them.

• Karina explained that elemental Uru appeared as Tricolor Void Gold when observed, though the color change did not affect its properties.
• Leo sensed Uru’s exceptional quality, absorbed the stock in the warehouse, and decided not to take the other nearby supplies.
• Karina said the Devan Group controlled Uru stocks and mined it from a Celestial’s head using Power Stone to refine it.
• Rocket asked whether the giant in Difan’s Collection Room belonged to the Celestial Clan, and Jason agreed that it probably did.
• Leo wondered whether Quill’s father was connected to the Celestial they had seen or belonged to another race.
• Leo split the Uru in his hand into three pure portions, which stayed separate even after ten seconds.

Leo and the others prepared to leave the Void Land before Ronan could arrive, while Quill distributed their recovered money and Leo planned to buy supplies and valuable metals. The group headed back to the Milan with Howard the Duck and Jason among its new members.

• Gamora warned Leo that Difan was dishonest and dangerous, and Leo joked with her about Difan’s collection.
• Leo learned that Jason and Karina were chatting, while Rocket confronted Howard the Duck over Lylla and Groot held Howard back.
• Leo stopped Rocket from fighting and warned the group that Ronan could reach the Void Land soon if he received the news through StarNet.
• Quill returned with the fifty million and Leo told him to reserve thirty million for the ship, divide twenty million among the group, and use the remaining money to buy high-quality metals.
• Quill called Gamora, Rocket, and Jason to split the money as Leo headed to the Milan and said they needed to leave within two hours.

Li Yuan and Zhang Guosheng arrived at Dragon Fang headquarters to meet Golden Legend, Leo, and discovered that he had brought back priceless S.H.I.E.L.D. research materials. Zhang Huan introduced Leo to the two regional instructors, who confirmed his identity and greeted him.

• Li Yuan and Zhang Guosheng discussed their training camps and their unease about meeting Golden Legend.
• The instructors entered the hall and learned that Leo's recovered S.H.I.E.L.D. documents contained priceless research materials.
• The instructors asked about Zhang Huan and Ye Wei, learning that Zhang Huan was away and Ye Wei had entered the disciplinary room after disrespecting Zhang Huan's guest.
• Zhang Huan returned with Leo and introduced him to Li Yuan and Zhang Guosheng as the Golden Legend.
• Li Yuan recognized Leo's name and extended his hand in greeting.

Leo browsed an alien stall and learned about Taroro Beasts while inspecting a strange worm called a Space Bloodworm. The stall owner offered to sell the worms, as Difan’s room grew more deserted and a maid was brought in under guard.

• Leo examined a Vitor Beast skull and asked the stall owner about the strange insect corpses on display.
• Leo asked about a jar containing a black worm, and the stall owner claimed he had collected two Space Bloodworms from a Taroro Beast’s corpse.
• The stall owner explained that Taroro Beasts were gentle, whale-like creatures that often collided with spaceships, and offered Leo each worm for two hundred.
• A familiar gaze turned toward Leo from behind him as he considered the Space Bloodworm.
• In Difan’s room, a guarded maid wearing a Destruction Device around her neck was brought in while Difan drank alone.

Leo and Quill reached the market after Rocket and Jason clashed with stall owner Tenno, who had insulted Rocket and provoked the group. The crowd recognized Leo as The Collector’s honored guest, and Tenno realized he had angered someone powerful.

• Quill joked that Leo should have his body checked, and Leo agreed to go see what was troubling Rocket and Jason.
• Rocket tried to attack Tenno after the stall owner humiliated and insulted him, while Jason held Rocket back and demanded an apology.
• Market guards fined both sides five thousand units for causing a disturbance, and Jason dragged Rocket toward the Deathmatch Arena.
• Leo and Quill arrived as bystanders discussed Leo’s defeat of Sako, the Hart giants, and guards, and his personal invitation from The Collector.
• Tenno recognized Leo as Rocket’s companion when Leo warmly patted Rocket on the shoulder, and Tenno grew pale.

Leo bought a Beck Stone containing an intriguing object and learned about the rare stone’s strengthening properties from Quill and Rocket. Rocket revealed that he had met Groot in Lyra Prison, while the group discussed Groot’s species and the costly fertilizer Rocket brought him.

• Leo paid for the Beck Stone and stored it, planning to open it after returning home.
• Quill and Rocket explained Beck Stone’s properties, scarcity, and high value as Leo kept the object inside it secret.
• Quill noticed Rocket was carrying liquor for Howard the Duck and asked what he had brought for Groot; Rocket showed them expensive fertilizer.
• Quill asked Rocket where he had met Groot, and Rocket said it was during his second stay in Lyra Prison and warned Quill not to ask Groot about his past.