Chapter Summaries

Richard reviewed his improved abilities after three months without new missions and continued living in hiding from the Department of Mutant Affairs. While searching online for news about himself, he found an article calling him a potential leader of young mutants.

• Richard reviewed his level-three skills and speculated that passing a 50% template fusion degree might trigger new missions or awaken new abilities.
• Richard noted that Plundering Telepathy had fused his earlier mental powers into a stronger Beta-level ability.
• Richard teleported from the forest to his cabin, where he prepared lunch and watched a show.
• After eating, Richard searched online for reports about himself and found an article titled “New Mutant Leader? Richard Wesley's Influence on the Younger Generation of Mutants!”

Richard left the cabin, bought supplies in a San Francisco supermarket, and considered traveling to Las Vegas. He then noticed police surrounding mutant protesters whose signs defended mutant rights and opposed his wanted status.

• Richard read a report describing him as the leader of a new Liberal mutant faction, then left $1,000 for the cabin owner before departing.
• Richard teleported to downtown San Francisco, froze everyone in a supermarket with Telepathy, and paid for the supplies he bought.
• Richard teleported away after leaving the cashier cash and a receipt, then considered traveling from San Francisco to Las Vegas.
• Richard saw police surround mutant protesters at an intersection, including demonstrators carrying signs demanding that he no longer be wanted.

Richard intervened when the Department of Mutant Affairs captured young mutant protesters in San Francisco, freeing them and warning them to improve their control. He prepared to take the agents’ powers but noticed Black Widow Natasha Romanoff and Green Giant Bruce Banner among the bystanders.

• Richard watched San Francisco Police disperse the young mutant protesters, and the Department of Mutant Affairs arrived with Special Forces Members to capture them.
• Richard struck the four Mutant Agents and the Special Forces Members with Great Lightning, knocking them down.
• Richard teleported to the street, cut apart the protesters’ Superpower Inhibitor Collars with wind blades, and told them to practice their powers.
• Richard pushed the excited mutants away with Repel and said he had intervened because he disliked the Department of Mutant Affairs, not to teach or save them.
• Richard prepared to use Plunder on the Mutant Agents, then spotted Black Widow Natasha Romanoff and Green Giant Bruce Banner among the bystanders.

Richard plundered new abilities from Natasha and Banner, then discovered Banner was about to help capture him. Natasha’s remark sparked Hulk’s competitive spirit, and Banner transformed as Richard prepared to fight him.

• Richard plundered abilities from Natasha and Banner, fused duplicate abilities, and enhanced his Great Fire skill.
• Richard read Banner’s thoughts and memories, learning Banner planned to help the Department of Mutant Affairs capture him after Natasha rejected the idea.
• Natasha’s remark that she did not want Banner to get hurt stirred Hulk’s defiance, and Banner began transforming.
• Richard summoned Masamune and used Mind Power to drive the bystanders and young mutants away from the street.
• After Hulk finished transforming, Richard asked Natasha whether S.H.I.E.L.D. would compensate for the damage if only half of San Francisco remained.

Richard and Hulk began fighting in a San Francisco intersection after Natasha failed to defuse their confrontation. Richard showed he could wound Hulk and use teleportation and Repel to outmaneuver him, and the chapter ended with Hulk flying through the air.

• Richard warned Natasha to leave before he and Hulk fought, and she moved away while contacting S.H.I.E.L.D.'s San Francisco branch to handle the aftermath.
• Richard and Hulk charged at the same time, and their first clash sent a shockwave through nearby storefronts and cars.
• Richard's sword cut Hulk's knuckle, while Hulk's fist revealed that he was still stronger than Richard.
• Richard teleported behind Hulk and slashed his back, drawing green blood.
• Hulk charged Richard, but Richard used Repel to send him flying.

Richard fought Hulk in the street, repeatedly knocking him back and dodging the cars Hulk threw at him. With the bystanders fleeing the dangerous battle, Richard prepared to attack with his Black Magic Crystal ability.

• Hulk, furious after Richard sent him flying in front of Natasha, charged at him, but Richard struck him with Earth Shake and knocked him across the street.
• Hulk charged again, and Richard repeatedly sent him flying while leaving several wounds on his body.
• Hulk lifted nearby cars and hurled them at Richard, who dodged or sliced them apart without using Teleportation.
• Flying glass and wreckage injured bystanders, who fled the street as Hulk exhausted the cars nearby.
• Richard told Hulk that his ranged attacks were over and formed a Black Magic Crystal in his palm, preparing to summon a meteor.

Richard fought Hulk with meteors, then switched to swordplay and turned their battle into a sparring match. The Department of Mutant Affairs attacked them with missiles, but Richard teleported himself and Hulk away and destroyed their Black Jet with lightning.

• Richard struck Hulk twice with summoned meteors, then knocked him down with a third meteor while he was holding up another.
• Richard promised to stop using meteors and his Masamune, summoned azure Summoned Swords, and resumed sparring with Hulk.
• Richard and Hulk exchanged attacks for several minutes, and Hulk began to recognize that he needed to learn fighting techniques.
• Department of Mutant Affairs fighter jets fired missiles at Richard and Hulk, but Richard teleported them away before the missiles hit.
• Richard summoned a bolt of lightning that destroyed the Black Jet in midair.

Richard ended his fight with Hulk after landing a cross-shaped slash, then teleported to Las Vegas to explore the city and look for powers to Plunder. He left the casino rooftop in disguise, while his growing nationwide fanbase continued to imitate his silver hair.

• Richard used Two-Sword Style: Ghost Slash to wound Hulk and send him crashing through a restaurant wall.
• Richard stopped the fight, told Hulk they could call it a draw, and shook his hand before teleporting away.
• Hulk's wounds began healing, and he headed back toward Natasha after leaving the restaurant kitchen.
• Richard teleported to Las Vegas and went to a casino rooftop, planning to explore the city and search for superpowers to Plunder.
• Richard put on sunglasses and a baseball cap as a disguise, then teleported away from the rooftop.

Richard wandered through Las Vegas and won heavily at Texas Hold’em without using his powers. He met Gambit at the poker table, then received a mission to rescue Wanda and Pietro from the Hellfire Club.

• Richard entered a Las Vegas casino despite being an S-Class Fugitive and began playing Texas Hold’em with several thousand dollars in chips.
• Richard won repeatedly, adopted an increasingly aggressive betting strategy, and built his chips to nearly one hundred thousand dollars.
• Gambit, also known as Remy LeBeau, sat down at Richard’s table, and Richard recalled the mutant’s powerful abilities.
• Richard received a mission to rescue Wanda and Pietro from the Hellfire Club within one week, with Shadow Flare as the reward.

Richard received a mission to rescue Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver from the Hellfire Club, then encountered Gambit at a Las Vegas casino. After Gambit left, Richard checked into Caesars Palace Hotel and began planning the rescue with little information.

• Richard considered why the Hellfire Club had imprisoned Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver after the system issued him a rescue mission.
• Richard played cards with Gambit, who asked whether he had received an invitation and hinted that he recognized him.
• Richard refused to reveal his identity, and Gambit left the casino after deciding not to provoke him.
• Richard exchanged his chips for more than a hundred thousand in cash and checked into Caesars Palace Hotel using Telepathy.
• Richard considered how to rescue Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, knowing only that the Hellfire Club held them and that Gambit's invitation might have come from the club.

Richard used Telepathy to investigate the mutants invited to a Las Vegas gathering and discovered the Hellfire Club was behind it. Learning that Sebastian Shaw led the club, Richard decided to pursue his Energy Absorption, while postponing plans to kill Emma Frost after discovering she was young.

• Richard scanned Las Vegas mutants, narrowed the likely invitees to eight, and read that the Hellfire Club had invited them to the Atomic Nightclub at eight the next evening.
• Richard learned that Sebastian Shaw led the Hellfire Club, alongside Emma, Azazel, and Janos Quested.
• Richard decided to take Sebastian Shaw's Energy Absorption, considering its ability to absorb many forms of energy and strengthen Shaw's body.
• Richard recalled that Shaw's powers had limits and that Telepathy could bypass his defenses if he lacked a protective helmet.
• Richard became interested in taking Emma's Telepathy and learned she was younger than he had expected, so he temporarily removed her from his kill list.

In Miami, the White Queen learned that Richard Wesley was in Las Vegas and was asked to deliver him an invitation to the Hellfire Club dinner. In Las Vegas, Richard commissioned two bespoke suits to improve his appearance before heading to a casino.

• Riptide told the White Queen that Richard Wesley and Remy LeBeau had been seen in a Las Vegas casino, and Shaw wanted her and Azazel to deliver Richard an invitation.
• The White Queen questioned the claim that Richard was a Mind Ability User, then agreed to go with Azazel and accepted the invitation letter.
• Richard had his measurements taken at a private tailor shop and ordered two rush-made suits for $120,000.
• Richard left the tailor shop wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap and headed toward a nearby casino.

Richard encountered the White Queen and Azazel, who delivered him an invitation to a Hellfire Club dinner, but he questioned Azazel about Mystique and threatened his life. The chapter ended with Azazel refusing to answer.

• Richard sensed the White Queen using Telepathy and spotted her and Azazel on a rooftop with Super Vision.
• Azazel prepared to teleport the White Queen to Richard, but Richard teleported to them first.
• The White Queen handed Richard an invitation to a Hellfire Club dinner and urged him to attend.
• Richard questioned the invitation's purpose and considered capturing the pair.
• Richard asked Azazel whether he had raped Mystique and threatened to kill him if he did not answer.
• Azazel frowned and refused to answer Richard.

Richard killed Azazel before he could teleport away, then questioned the White Queen about the Hellfire Club and the captured twins. She revealed that only Shaw knew where Wanda and Pietro were being held and pleaded with Richard to spare her.

• Richard distracted Azazel with a strange question, then trapped him with Dimension Slash and cut him apart before he could teleport.
• Richard used Plunder on Azazel and acquired Teleportation and Immortality, enhancing Teleportation through ability fusion.
• Richard asked the White Queen her age, the purpose of the Hellfire Club's dinner, and whether the club had captured Wanda and Pietro.
• The White Queen said she was twenty-six, the dinner was meant to recruit core members, and Shaw alone knew where the twins were detained.
• The White Queen pleaded with Richard to keep her alive and offered to do whatever he asked.

Richard made White Queen surrender and forced her to become his subordinate by planting a bomb-like magical mark in her body and altering her subconscious. After she woke, he began questioning her about Sebastian Shaw and the Hellfire Club’s other core members.

• White Queen surrendered to Richard, who teleported her to a suite and rejected her attempt to prove her worth by seducing him.
• Richard demanded that White Queen become his subordinate and placed his First Bomb magic sphere inside her chest as a means of control.
• White Queen agreed to let Richard invade her mind, and he implanted suggestions that she obey him and not betray him while deleting some of her recent memories.
• White Queen woke up and accepted a glass of red wine from Richard.
• Richard asked White Queen where Sebastian Shaw was and which other people belonged to the Hellfire Club’s core membership.

Richard learned about the Hellfire Club's members and the differences between Shaw and the White Queen in this universe, then teleported with her to Miami to confront Shaw. He found the yacht empty and learned Shaw and Janos were meeting an important guest, possibly Magneto.

• The White Queen told Richard about the Hellfire Club's core members and described her own history and Shaw's.
• Richard learned that Shaw had recruited the White Queen before joining the Hellfire Club, and that she joined after Shaw helped her grieve her parents' deaths.
• Richard teleported with the White Queen from Las Vegas to the Casperdina in Miami, intending to confront Shaw and Riptide.
• Richard found no one else aboard the yacht and asked the White Queen to call Shaw.
• Shaw told the White Queen that he and Janos were meeting an important guest and would return that night, prompting Richard to suspect they were meeting Magneto.

Richard waited with the White Queen for Black King Shaw’s return, and the two grew closer while he learned more about precautions against telepaths. When Shaw arrived with Riptide and several guests, Richard recognized a middle-aged clone of Magneto among them.

• Richard stayed on the yacht with the White Queen while they waited for Black King Shaw to return.
• The White Queen changed into a bikini, and Richard carried her by Teleportation to her guest room.
• Richard and the White Queen shared dinner, and Richard wondered how Clarice was doing at the School for Mutants.
• The White Queen sensed Black King Shaw, Riptide, and their companions approaching, while Richard discussed Shaw’s use of a Mind Isolation Helmet and governments’ defenses against telepaths.
• Black King Shaw and Riptide entered the dining room and frowned at Richard and the White Queen, while Richard stared in surprise at a middle-aged Magneto clone among their guests.

Richard discovered that Black King Shaw had brought Magneto’s clone and two other enhanced mutants aboard the yacht. After escaping with the White Queen, he returned to face them, only to learn that the three mutants were the Hellfire Club and Department of Mutant Affairs’ latest genetic-engineering creations.

• Richard revealed that he had killed Azazel, prompting Riptide to attack him with a tornado.
• Richard countered Riptide’s tornado with Great Gust, wrecking the dining hall as everyone defended themselves with their abilities.
• Richard teleported the White Queen to a nearby rooftop and told her to watch while he confronted the others alone.
• Richard returned to the dining hall, summoned the Masamune, and used Telepathy, but discovered that Magneto’s clone and the two other mutants had Mental Isolation.
• Black King Shaw revealed that the three mutants were the Pinnacle Work of Genetic Engineering and introduced one as Hunter.

Richard confronted Black King Shaw and the Hellfire Club’s enhanced mutant clones aboard a yacht, killing Riptide and acquiring Control Whirlwind. He then escaped their attacks and summoned a meteor that smashed the yacht in half, leaving Black King Shaw and the others amid the wreckage.

• Black King Shaw offered Richard the position of White King if he undid what he had done to Emma, but Richard taunted him about Emma and attacked with Masamune.
• Richard’s Crescent Moon Sword Qi killed Riptide, and he used Plunder to acquire Control Whirlwind and enhance Great Gust.
• Black King Shaw ordered Number 7 and Number 8 to attack Richard while Number 3 supplied him with energy through a powerful magnetic field.
• Richard teleported onto the Sun Deck and formed a Black Magic Crystal energy sphere as Black King Shaw realized his plan and ordered everyone to leave the yacht.
• A flaming meteor struck the yacht near the restaurant, split the vessel in half, and sent wreckage flying into the sea.

Richard destroyed the Caspadina with a meteor and fought Black King Shaw’s group at the marina. After killing the water mutant and plundering his abilities, Richard turned toward Black King Shaw and Magneto’s clone for the next fight.

• Richard’s meteor destroyed the Caspadina, sending marina visitors fleeing as they recognized him from the news.
• Richard sensed Black King Shaw, Magneto’s clone, and Number 8, and plundered fire creation and psychic isolation from the fallen Number 7.
• Richard teleported behind Number 8 and beheaded him, but the water mutant regenerated and attacked with waterspouts.
• Richard froze Number 8, the waterspouts, and the surrounding waves, then shattered the water mutant and plundered water manipulation and water elementalization.
• Richard faced Black King Shaw and Magneto’s clone at the marina, preparing to continue the fight.