Chapter Summaries

Wes completed the underworld’s automated soul-guidance system and returned to the Marvel World, where he sensed that the world was rejecting him. After scanning the world, he discovered that S.H.I.E.L.D. remnants were working with Spencer Quentin, who had become Seattle’s leader.

• Wes finished establishing the underworld’s rules and confirmed it could operate without his supervision.
• Wes returned to the Marvel World and felt an unseen force trying to push him out.
• Wes considered Mephisto’s offer but rejected the idea of trusting the Devil.
• Wes used Mental Power to learn that S.H.I.E.L.D. remnants were working with Spencer Quentin.
• Wes discovered that Spencer had transformed Seattle into a thriving city where Awakened and ordinary people lived together.
• Phil Coulson told Spencer that he had convinced Congress to make him a member.

Spencer Quentin negotiated with Phil Coulson for military support and intelligence on Wes Erwin, whom he blamed for the Awakened’s suffering. Coulson agreed that Wes was their common enemy, leaving the two aligned against him.

• Phil Coulson demanded that 3,000 Awakened join the military and that government officials govern Seattle alongside Spencer Quentin.
• Coulson gave Spencer a file identifying Wes Erwin as the person who had turned him into an Awakened through the Mind Stone.
• Spencer denounced Wes as an enemy who had caused the Awakened to lose their loved ones and asked for more intelligence, but Coulson had none.
• Spencer demanded S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most advanced weapons to strengthen Seattle’s defenses.
• Spencer argued that Wes had undermined the United States and brought down S.H.I.E.L.D., persuading Coulson to agree that they shared an enemy.

Wes confronted Coulson to take over S.H.I.E.L.D.'s legacy, then used time manipulation and magic to extract his memories and raid secret bases worldwide. Wes left with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s classified files and began planning how to use them to unleash a storm that could overturn the world order.

• Coulson returned to his apartment after securing cooperation results with Spencer and found Wes waiting for him.
• Wes demanded S.H.I.E.L.D.'s legacy, but Coulson refused and triggered an unusually powerful Extremis dose to kill himself rather than reveal secrets.
• Wes slowed time around Coulson and forcibly extracted his memories, including the locations and access codes of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret bases.
• Wes sent clones across the world to break into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s bases and seize classified files and research.
• Wes reviewed the stolen materials, including records of U.S. covert operations, and considered how to use them to overturn the world order.

Wes gave S.H.I.E.L.D.'s research materials to Vegapunk, then exposed America's secrets, igniting worldwide outrage and protests amid the grief caused by Thanos's snap. From a high-rise, Wes watched the demonstrations with excitement as the White House remained silent.

• Wes teleported to Vegapunk's Laboratory and handed Vegapunk the research materials, prompting him to plunge into studying them.
• Wes arranged for America's scandals to be exposed, and the revelations spread worldwide the next morning.
• The White House tried to suppress the coverage, then called the scandals fake news, but soldiers and agents publicly confirmed them.
• People grieving after Thanos's snap joined protests demanding justice and an explanation from the White House.
• The White House stayed silent, and the demonstrations and online condemnation grew stronger.
• Wes watched the protest crowd from a high-rise and admired the upheaval he had set in motion.

Wes sought to intensify the turmoil facing the American Government as Iran declared war on Israel, drawing the world into a crisis. After Russia and China refused to help mediate, the American President resolved to crush Iran, even if that meant using nuclear weapons.

• Wes decided that the protests over American politicians’ scandals were not enough and planned to make the Government pay a greater price.
• Iran declared war on Israel, and countries split over the conflict and the proposed formation of a global joint government.
• Nations and international organizations remained silent instead of mediating, while Russia and China refused the American President’s request for assistance.
• The American President realized that other countries might want America dragged into the Middle East war and feared losing the country’s remaining power.
• The American President resolved to defeat Iran in one strike, even if he had to use nuclear weapons.

The President of the United States threatened to use nuclear weapons unless Iran halted its advance, then launched an intercontinental ballistic missile after Iran ignored a second warning. The missile raced toward its destination, leaving the world on the brink of catastrophe.

• The President of the United States announced at a press conference that his country would use nuclear weapons to support Israel, shocking reporters and alarming the world.
• Global media and experts debated whether the president was bluffing as the Doomsday Clock moved to ten seconds before midnight.
• Iran rejected expectations of surrender, advanced troops toward Israel, and formed a coalition army with other Islamic nations.
• The president ordered an agent to send Iran another warning, but Iran did not respond.
• The president used the launch case to authorize a nuclear strike, and an intercontinental ballistic missile launched from its silo.

A nuclear missile disappeared as it entered Iranian airspace, leading intelligence agencies to suspect Wes and the U.S. president to abandon further nuclear launches. The United States sent a carrier group and troops toward the region, but Iran struck first.

• As the nuclear missile entered Iranian airspace, its tracking signal vanished, and intelligence agencies concluded it had disappeared without exploding.
• Intelligence agencies identified Wes as a leading suspect because of his spatial abilities and hostility toward the U.S. Government.
• The American president demanded the launch of every U.S. nuclear bomb, but an adviser persuaded him to rely on the military instead.
• The United States sent a carrier strike group into the Red Sea and transport ships toward Israel, easing Israeli fears.
• Iran struck first after the U.S. Navy intervened.

The Islamic Allied Forces launched a massive rocket barrage on Israel's capital, while Israeli counterattacks mysteriously failed and the city suffered widespread destruction. After Israel requested United States aid, a giant whirlpool trapped the United States fleet in the Arabian Sea and began tearing its warships apart.

• The Islamic Allied Forces fired a large barrage of rockets at Israel's capital, overwhelming its defenses and devastating the city.
• The Israeli army launched missiles and shells in retaliation, but every projectile lost control and crashed inside Israel.
• The Israeli commander ordered the army to stop firing and requested help from the United States military.
• The United States fleet in the Arabian Sea mobilized and set out to assist Israel.
• A huge whirlpool formed in the fleet's midst, overpowering the ships despite the crew's efforts to escape.
• The whirlpool destroyed smaller warships and violently rocked the United States aircraft carriers.

The U.S. government decided to ask Tony Stark and the other superheroes to help Israel after America could no longer intervene with its military. Tony refused while grieving Spider-Man’s death, but Pepper told him she was pregnant, giving him renewed hope and motivation.

• At a White House meeting, the Secretary of State and other officials agreed that Israel must not be allowed to fall, but struggled to find a way to help after America’s navy was destroyed.
• A think tank member proposed sending Tony Stark and the other superheroes, and the President approved the plan as America’s only remaining option.
• The Secretary of State visited Tony’s estate, but Tony refused to help, still consumed by grief and guilt over Spider-Man’s death.
• Pepper comforted Tony and told him she was pregnant, and he embraced her as he realized he was going to be a father.

After Wes absorbed over a hundred thousand souls into the Netherworld, Mephisto proposed cooperating to remove Strange and offered Wes a trove of treasures. Wes demanded the Black Death Sword, and Mephisto agreed to help summon it by finding people who hated gods and guiding them through the required ritual.

• Wes absorbed over a hundred thousand souls, giving the Netherworld a surge of life force and setting it in motion.
• Mephisto envied Wes’s ability to absorb souls and first offered him a deal, which Wes refused.
• Mephisto proposed cooperating against Strange, and Wes said Strange had caused him trouble as well.
• Mephisto displayed his treasures, but Wes asked for the Black Death Sword instead.
• Mephisto explained the sword’s summoning requirements and agreed to search hell for people with intense hatred of gods.

While Wes and Mephisto plotted to obtain the Black Death Sword, Tony Stark helped negotiate an agreement between Iran and the United States, and war-ravaged Israeli refugees suffered under forced labor and dwindling faith. Mephisto arrived at their camp and savored their despair, hatred, and anger.

• Wes and Mephisto carefully considered how to obtain the Black Death Sword as Tony Stark agreed to step in and help resolve the crisis.
• Tony took part in negotiations between Iran and the United States, and the two sides eventually signed an agreement.
• Governments around the world increased their research into supernatural power as the war ended and the global order began to change.
• David, an Israeli refugee who had lost his entire family, endured forced labor and hunger while questioning his faith.
• Mephisto savored the refugees' despair and grew excited after learning they were God's children.

Mephisto watched David endure brutal labor, illness, and exploitation in the refugee camp, waiting for his hatred to awaken the Black Death Sword. After a merchant denied David affordable medicine and shoved him to the ground, David’s faith faltered as other refugees gathered around.

• Mephisto judged David an ideal candidate and hid nearby, waiting for his hatred to grow without interference.
• The refugees endured exhausting labor, hunger, cold, and a widespread influenza-like outbreak that left more than half the camp ill.
• David fell gravely sick and, while feverish, murmured the names of his dead family.
• A merchant hoarded medicine and priced it beyond the refugees’ reach, then shoved David to the ground when he pleaded for help.
• David confronted the merchant over the medicine’s price and questioned the injustice of the world as his faith weakened.
• Other refugees gathered to condemn the merchant or mourn their helplessness, and the merchant responded by cursing them.

After leaving the refugee district, David heard a speaker condemn God and the faith at the Wailing Wall, and began to believe in building a homeland of his own. The crowd stoned the speaker until he fell, while David watched his new resolve take root.

• David wandered from the refugee district to the rich district, where a soldier ordered him to leave.
• David reached the Wailing Wall and prayed for the refugees and for peace.
• A speaker denounced God for allowing the war and the suffering of their people.
• David recognized his own hidden doubts in the speaker’s words and resolved to follow him and build a homeland that belonged to them.
• The enraged crowd threw stones at the speaker until he collapsed beneath a mound of stones.

After witnessing the speaker’s brutal death, David buried his body and renounced his lingering faith in the gods. He discovered that he possessed the Black Death Sword and confronted Mephisto, who offered to help him change the world in exchange for a favor.

• David watched the speaker’s death shake his faith in the gods and awaken his anger at the unjust world.
• David went to the wilderness and gently buried the speaker’s body, resolving to leave his former self behind.
• David summoned the Black Death Sword and recognized it as a weapon capable of burying gods.
• David sensed Mephisto hiding nearby and ordered him to reveal himself.
• Mephisto introduced himself as a devil and proposed a deal: he would help David fulfill his wish if David performed a favor for him later.

David, Mephisto, and Wes were transported to Heaven, where Mephisto vanished and left David alone to face a group of angels. David fought back against their judgment, shattering their arrows and charging at them with the Black Death Sword.

• David stabbed Mephisto, but Mephisto’s body dissolved into bubbles and reappeared behind him.
• Wes introduced himself, and David attacked him with the Black Death Sword over his hatred of Wes.
• Mephisto and Wes acted together, and Mephisto’s spell transported David, Wes, and himself to Heaven.
• Mephisto identified their destination as Heaven, then vanished as angels arrived and accused David of carrying a Devil’s scent.
• The angels fired holy arrows at David, but he shattered them with the Black Death Sword and charged at the angels.

David slaughtered angels with the Black Death Sword and flew to a sky island, where he fought its guardians as the sword's power awakened. As Heaven shook, God appeared with the Four Great Monarchs and a six-winged, four-headed Seraphim.

• David dodged an angel's flaming sword strike, severed its arm with the Black Death Sword, and cut down angels as hatred for Heaven grew within him.
• Black wings formed behind David and propelled him toward a sky island, while Wes collected angel blood and Mephisto devoured the corpses.
• David fought the sky island's angel guardians, becoming familiar with the Black Death Sword as its black energy reduced angels to ashes.
• A sky island shook violently as David's battle raged, and sacred music sounded across Heaven.
• A six-winged, four-headed Seraphim appeared, followed by Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, and God.

David resisted God's attempt to lull him into a daze and unleashed the Black Death Sword's army of enslaved gods against the angels in Heaven. After breaking through their defensive line, he faced Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel, who trapped him in a destructive elemental barrier.

• God's soothing voice distracted David, and the Seraphim tried to kill him, but the Black Death Sword blocked its strike and jolted David awake.
• David drove the Seraphim back and summoned monsters made from gods enslaved by the Black Death Sword.
• The monsters overwhelmed the angels, turning those they killed into more monsters and breaking the angels' defensive line.
• David charged through the angels toward God, cutting down anyone who tried to stop him.
• Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel surrounded David and trapped him in a barrier combining fire, water, wind, and rock.

The Four Great Monarchs apparently annihilated David, but black rain transformed angels into monsters and gathered to resurrect him as a giant. David attacked God, and after the Seraphim was badly wounded protecting him, the Seraphim reappeared inside a blazing fireball before God.

• Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel combined the four elements into a chaotic force that apparently destroyed David.
• Black rain fell over Heaven, transforming the angels it struck into monsters that attacked their companions.
• The black rain gathered into a colossal David, who grew the Black Death Sword and swung it at God.
• The Seraphim shielded God from David’s strike and crashed through a distant floating island, badly wounded.
• David turned into a black torrent and broke through the Four Great Monarchs’ blockade to attack God.
• A blazing fireball appeared before God with the Seraphim standing inside it.

Seraphim sacrificed himself to burn David with divine fire, but David survived by using the black monsters to smother the flames and heal his wounds. As Seraphim faded away and Heaven mourned him, the Saints and an army of devout believers appeared in the sky.

• Seraphim set himself ablaze with golden divine fire, which spread across the black water and engulfed David.
• David released his giant form and endured the flames until he commanded the black monsters to cover him, weakening and extinguishing the fire.
• David absorbed the surviving monsters, using their energy to heal his wounds as Seraphim burned away his strength and dissolved into specks of light.
• The lower-ranking angels mourned Seraphim and began singing a hymn that spread throughout Heaven.
• The Saints appeared in the sky before an orderly army of devout believers.

While David battled Heaven’s army, Mephisto led Wes into Mount Olympus using secrets he had bought from Satan. Their effortless progress turned out to be a trap, and Jesus Christ confronted them, recognizing that Wes was hiding his true form.

• Mephisto watched David’s Black Death Sword grow stronger as it killed Heaven’s angels and lamented that their souls were being absorbed by the sword.
• Mephisto led Wes to Mount Olympus and used a secret method from Satan to breach its barrier and evade the angel patrols.
• Mephisto noticed that Heaven’s core was strangely undefended and realized they had walked into a trap.
• Jesus Christ appeared before Mephisto and Wes, and Mephisto revealed his demonic form while considering how to escape.
• Jesus Christ asked Wes to reveal his true form, and Wes realized that his disguise had been discovered.