Chapter Summaries

Pierce and Nick tested Luke’s Reversal Crystal during a clash between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hive’s forces, temporarily shutting down the Inhumans’ powers. Hive then revealed his monstrous form and attacked, leaving Nick and Pierce to call for help as Master Mage Wang and a pillar of light arrived.

• Pierce persuaded Nick to test the Reversal Crystal on Black Bolt’s Attilan Inhumans rather than wait to locate Afterlife.
• Hive arrived at the settlement with Malick Family warriors, and his forces clashed with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
• Pierce activated a Reversal Crystal, disabling the Inhumans’ powers and giving S.H.I.E.L.D. the advantage over both opposing forces.
• Hive revealed his octopus-like form, attacked the gathered fighters, and infected agents with tiny Insectoids.
• Nick sent distress signals to Master Mage Wang and Luke; Master Mage Wang arrived through a portal as a pillar of light struck Hive.

Luke used his Bifrost to transport Hive to his facility, where he began testing the creature’s abilities with a mechanical dragon. Hive survived the tests so far, but Nemegate trapped him in a pool of erupting white flames.

• Luke’s Bifrost transported Hive away from the battlefield, leaving Nick and Pierce to oversee cleanup while Master Mage Wang returned through a portal.
• Hive arrived at Luke’s facility, where his wounds healed and his tentacles regrew under emerald light.
• Luke announced that he wanted to study Hive and sent Nemegate, his mechanical dragon, to fight him.
• Hive’s energy attacks failed against Nemegate, which absorbed them and returned them at double strength.
• Nemegate pierced Hive with its drill-tail, then triggered a lava pool beneath him that engulfed him in pale white flames.

Luke used Nemegate to fight Hive, then revealed thirty-nine more Nemegates and overwhelmed him. Hive survived at the edge of death and was sealed for study, while Luke decided to help Nick deal with the remaining parasitized victims.

• Nemegate trapped Hive in Pale White Flames, and Luke observed as Hive adapted to the hellfire and studied the machine’s weaknesses.
• Hive blocked Nemegate’s vents with Insectoids and dragged it down, but Nemegate’s defenses unleashed more Hellfire Hot Springs and left Hive severely damaged.
• Hive pleaded with Luke to let him leave, but Luke revealed dozens of waiting Nemegates and ordered them to attack.
• Nearly forty Nemegates overwhelmed Hive, who stopped resisting after ten minutes and collapsed into a seemingly lifeless mass.
• Luke ordered Hive sealed for research and decided to visit Nick to deal with the parasitized victims.

Nick learned that Hive parasites had secretly taken control of agents, while Luke connected Hive’s unusual traits to the Brood after hearing Quiet’s story. The chapter left Luke suspecting that Quiet’s past visit to a remote planet had awakened the Brood that transformed Hive.

• Maria Hill told Nick that infected agents retained their memories but were controlled by powerful parasites, and that removal was dangerous and unreliable.
• Nick ordered every agent involved in the operation, including himself, to be tested for infection.
• Quiet told Luke that her former host had eaten Brood, and that the creatures could forcibly control and influence their hosts.
• Luke connected the Brood to Hive’s Kree origins and suspected the Kree had left teleportation technology behind for the Inhumans.
• Quiet recalled seeing a few octopus-like creatures on the remote planet where she encountered the Brood.
• Luke concluded that the Brood might have awakened after Quiet’s visit, parasitized the surviving octopus-like beings, and given Hive his distinctive traits.

Luke developed a Brood-inspired subspecies that grew inside a Vampire and burst out after consuming him, then entered the sealed lab with Quiet to test the creature in a Sandbox Space. Quiet fought the subspecies while Luke promised her extra food and a bath in Prime Liquid.

• Nick asked Luke whether the parasite-infected agents could be restored, and Luke offered a fast-acting drug or surgery to remove the parasites.
• Luke told Nick he could develop the drug in two days, then explained to Quiet that he was creating a Brood-like subspecies rather than the original Brood.
• The subspecies grew inside a bound high-ranking Vampire, drained him of his life, and emerged as an intelligent octopus-like monster that inherited his magic.
• After the subspecies destroyed the camera and attacked its enclosure, Luke and Quiet teleported into the sealed lab, and Quiet blocked its strike.
• Luke deployed the Sandbox Space, and Quiet attacked the subspecies while Luke offered her an extra meal and a bath in Prime Liquid.

Quiet defeated the Brood Subspecies in a fierce battle and secured Luke’s promise of a tank of stock solution. Thor then arrived to ask Luke and Midgard for help against the Dark Elf Alliance, which had crippled Asgard and thrown the Nine Realms into turmoil.

• Quiet awakened her dormant personalities and unleashed a coordinated assault on the Brood Subspecies, fighting with weapons manifested through Luke’s modifications.
• After an hour of combat, Quiet burned the subspecies’ remains until it could no longer regenerate, while Luke collected the battle data and considered how to improve it.
• Quiet demanded stock solution as her reward, and Luke agreed to let her submerge her head in a tank rather than enter a core pool.
• Thor arrived aboard Nick’s Quinjet and told Nick that the Dark Elf Alliance had attacked Asgard, destroyed the Bifrost, and caused rebellions across the Nine Realms.
• Thor said Odin had sent him to seek Luke’s help, offering resources and access to other regions of the Nine Realms, or asking to borrow Luke’s Bifrost.

Thor told Nick about Asgard’s worsening war with the Dark Elf Alliance and warned that Malekith planned to claim the Aether during the approaching Convergence of Nine Realms. In Hebron, Luke agreed to support Asgard with a Mechanical Army in exchange for resources, technology payments, and other compensation, then began discussing the cooperation terms with Thor.

• Thor explained to Nick that Asgard’s destroyed Bifrost and lack of allied forces had left it struggling to defend its territories from the Dark Elf Alliance.
• Thor revealed that Malekith was seeking the Aether and that the approaching Convergence of Nine Realms could weaken its seal and bring creatures and enemy forces to Midgard.
• Nick brought Thor to Hebron Industrial Park, where Luke heard the request for aid and learned that Odin would pay for a Mechanical Army and grant Resource Mining Rights.
• Luke accepted the arrangement but required payment for both resources and technology, and Thor promised that Luke could choose items from Odin’s Vault after the war.
• Luke suggested involving Mephisto in a wartime loan, but Thor rejected the idea because he distrusted him.
• Luke asked Thor to produce Odin’s Cooperation List so they could discuss and formalize the deal.

Thor presented Odin’s generous offer in exchange for Luke’s help restoring Asgard’s Bifrost and preparing for war against Malekith. Luke agreed to provide a replacement core device and temporary Bifrost access, while Nick offered S.H.I.E.L.D.’s support; Thor also requested equipment and technical aid.

• Luke and Nick reviewed Odin’s order, which offered Uru Metal, Nine Realms resources, Asgardian knowledge, and dwarven manufacturing techniques.
• Thor asked Luke for a High-Dimensional Space Core Device to restore the Bifrost, and Luke agreed to modify and sell him a backup device.
• Thor requested temporary use of Luke’s Bifrost, and Luke granted Asgard access until its own Bifrost was restored.
• Thor asked for technical support and manpower, and Nick offered S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and worldwide resources to supply Hebron with war machines.
• Luke revealed Brood Subspecies developed from genes taken from Hive, and Thor considered testing them on prisoners while warning against weapons that could harm Yggdrasil.
• Thor requested powerful equipment or help repairing Asgard’s gear, explaining that Malekith had occupied the dwarves’ realm and enslaved its dwarves.

Malekith sent Loki and the Dark Warrior to Midgard to learn why Odin had sent Thor there and to keep Thor occupied. After landing in a desert, Loki proposed finding helpers at the prison where he had once been held.

• Malekith ordered Loki to investigate Midgard and cause trouble for Thor, then assigned the Dark Warrior to accompany him.
• Malekith told the Queen of the Heavenly Dimension he would retrieve the Divine Artifact sealed by Odin, while she maintained the illusion that Malekith remained behind.
• Loki and the Dark Warrior landed in a barren desert and prepared to find Thor.
• Loki suggested they first leave the desert and recruit helpers from the prison where he had once been held.

After Loki broke several super criminals out of Raft Prison, Nick Fury and Thor tried to determine his motives and locate him. Aboard Loki’s airship, he promised the escapees a target that would fulfill their demands: Hebron.

• Nick Fury told Thor that Loki had invaded Raft Prison with a powerful enforcer and escaped with dangerous super criminals.
• Thor insisted Loki might have come to see him, while Nick warned that the escape would bring trouble and urged Thor to find his brother.
• Nick reported that Abomination, Dario Agger, Vulture, and at least a dozen other criminals had escaped, and that he had notified Luke and Captain.
• Loki told the escapees that their enemies would be searching for them and heard their demands for revenge, fighting, and opposition to Hebron and S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Loki proposed that the group capture Hebron.

Loki led a group of super criminals toward Hebron, hoping to attack it and gain help from Dario. Luke detected their plan through the Data Dimension and chose to let them damage the industrial park, but the Dark Warrior launched an attack before the group could act, drawing Stark and the others’ attention.

• Loki persuaded Vulture, Abomination, the Dark Warrior, and others to target Hebron, promising Dario wealth and influence in exchange for his help.
• Luke watched Loki’s plan through the Data Dimension and decided to let the criminals attack the outdated Hebron Industrial Park, where its important laboratories and researchers had already been moved.
• Loki and the group boarded a cloaked flying craft and headed for Hebron, while Loki dismissed a sudden ominous feeling.
• After the craft reached Hebron, the Dark Warrior seized its weapons system and bombarded Hebron Industrial Park.
• At Stark Tower, Dr. Banner recognized the distant barrage as an attack on Luke’s Hebron.

Loki led a group of escaped super criminals in an attack on Hebron, prompting Thor, Hulk, and others to confront them. Luke’s mechanical colossi and GB-5 overwhelmed the attackers, leaving only a few powerful fighters active on the battlefield.

• Nick, Tony, Banner, and Thor recognized the attack on Hebron and suspected Loki was responsible, so Nick ordered a response.
• Hulk and Thor arrived as Loki emerged from the crashed warship, and Thor attacked his brother.
• Horus and Anubis wounded and battered the Dark Warrior, while Hulk and Abomination began fighting each other.
• Vulture tried to scavenge Hebron’s technology but was killed when GB-5 unleashed a barrage of munitions that wiped out Loki’s Chaos Squad.
• Tony arrived and stopped Dario Agger as the Thor brothers, the Dark Warrior, Hulk, and Abomination remained active on the battlefield.

Tony fought Dario as the battle continued around Hebron, while Thor confronted Loki over the attack and its consequences. Thor tried to bring Loki to apologize to Luke, who appeared at the end of the chapter.

• Tony blocked Dario’s charge with a Crimson Barrier, then attacked him with miniature missiles and a heavy accelerated punch.
• Dario emerged from the dust and struck Tony, but Tony’s armor absorbed most of the impact before he switched to Particle Beam Blades.
• Thor angrily fought Loki, blaming him for destroying Hebron and jeopardizing Asgard’s agreement with Luke.
• Loki explained that he had sought help against Malekith’s powerful enforcer, but Thor struck him with lightning and ordered him to apologize to Luke.
• Thor urged Loki to make amends, and Luke appeared in an Azure Glow; Thor stammered out an apology.

Luke confronted Thor and Loki over the destruction of Hebron and exposed Loki’s role in the attack, forcing the brothers to accept responsibility for compensation. They agreed to negotiate the bill with Luke while the battle against Malekith’s forces continued.

• Luke demanded compensation from Thor and challenged Loki’s claim that he had only been coerced.
• Loki admitted that he had suggested targeting Hebron and Raft Prison, and Luke played a recording of Loki shouting for the criminals to capture Hebron.
• Luke stopped the recording and offered to negotiate compensation with Thor and Loki rather than take the matter to Odin.
• Thor and Loki agreed to handle the negotiations, and Thor said he would present the bill to Odin.
• Luke turned his attention to the ongoing battles, where Tony fought in the sky, Hulk battled Abomination, and the Idols of Light and Darkness contained the Dark Warrior.

The Dark Warrior struggled against the Two Colossi of Light and Darkness, whose unfamiliar powers countered his attacks. The Colossus of Darkness opened a Darkness Hell Gate that swallowed the Dark Warrior, leaving the battle’s outcome to the surviving Colossi.

• The Dark Warrior wondered how Midgard had developed advanced technology and realized his attacks could not break through the Colossus of Light’s Energy Barrier.
• As the Darkness Armor weakened, the Dark Warrior prepared to exploit the Colossus of Light’s recovery, but the Colossus of Darkness struck the ground and summoned a massive gate.
• The Dark Warrior forced the Darkness Armor to activate again and attacked, but the Colossus of Light blocked his punch with its golden spear.
• The Darkness Hell Gate opened and dragged the Dark Warrior and nearby debris toward it.
• The Dark Warrior clung to the gateposts until rubble struck him loose, and the gate swallowed him before the Colossus of Darkness closed it.

Luke dealt with the aftermath of the attack on Hebron Industrial Park and charged Thor and Loki for the destruction. After the battles ended and Dario was exiled, Thor and Loki reluctantly settled on a reduced compensation bill.

• Luke told Loki that the Dark Warrior was alive but would soon regret it, while Thor went to help Tony fight Dario.
• Stephen Strange and Master Mage Wang arrived at the ruined industrial park, and Luke assured them the situation was stable.
• Luke exposed Loki's illusion and warned him that he would face his family and the compensation bill.
• Master Mage Wang and Stephen joined the fight against Dario, while the attack became major news and Tony appeared before the media.
• Master Mage Wang and Stephen exiled Dario through a portal for misusing a Totem Demon God's power.
• Luke negotiated compensation with Thor and Loki through the night, reducing his original bill to one-tenth, including the High-Dimensional Space Core Device.

The Dark Warrior was trapped in a dimension of corrupting negative energy, where whispers and monstrous forms began eroding his mind and body. Luke and the Ancient One watched from outside as Luke named the dimension the Abyss, leaving the Dark Warrior at risk of becoming part of it.

• The Dark Warrior woke in a lightless dimension after the Colossus of Darkness pulled him through a door, and he could not contact his King.
• The Dark Warrior used his Darkvision and saw an indescribable monster, whose appearance and whispers began contaminating his mind and body.
• The Dark Warrior realized the dimension’s energy was polluting other energy and overwhelming him with negative emotions, threatening to turn him into its slave.
• Luke appeared beside the Ancient One Mage as they watched the Dark Warrior being assimilated and discussed the dimension as a storehouse for filtered Emotional Energy residue.
• The Ancient One Mage warned that the dimension could become a universal catastrophe, while Luke described it as a prison and named it the Abyss.

Odin considered the bill Loki brought back after destroying Luke's house and ordered the Bifrost restored, while recognizing Luke's willingness to ally with Asgard against the Dark Elves. Malekith reclaimed the Aether particles and prepared to begin total war.

• Thor explained that Loki had destroyed Luke's house while trying to eliminate the Dark Warriors Malekith sent to watch him.
• Odin dismissed the bill as a manageable cost and ordered the Bifrost restored, valuing Luke's implied alliance against the Dark Elves.
• Malekith found the Aether particles in a Space Shard after searching forty-one shards.
• Malekith awakened the Aether particles, drew them out of their sealed boulder, and let them parasitize his body.
• Malekith regained his power and led his Dark Elves away, ready to wage total war.

Malekith’s Dark Alliance conquered Alfheim and Vanaheim, spreading eternal night and contaminating their sources of power as the War of the Realms began. As Odin prepared for a prolonged conflict, Luke met with Nick at the Avengers Center ahead of a meeting to discuss an alliance.

• Malekith’s forces devastated Alfheim, contaminated its energy creations, and plunged the realm into eternal night.
• Malekith’s army defeated the Vanir, poisoned Vanaheim’s Energy Source, and left the realm under eternal night three months later.
• Odin sought allies and arranged for Midgard to manufacture high-energy weapons and war supplies for Asgard.
• Luke sensed Emotional Energy surging from the spreading war while Nick asked whether he was worried.
• Luke told Nick that Odin had called a meeting to discuss an alliance, with Luke, Nick, Ancient One Mage, Odin, and Mephisto attending.

At the Energy Bank shareholders’ meeting, Stephen, Ancient One, Odin, and Nick curbed Mephisto’s control and assigned departments to their factions. Mephisto then proposed lending money and supplying workers to the fallen Nine Realms, a plan Odin distrusted as the meeting turned toward business.

• Stephen exposed Mephisto’s misuse of travel expenses, and Mephisto accidentally confirmed the allegations when he threatened the source.
• Stephen proposed limiting Mephisto’s authority and adding staff from the other shareholders’ sides, while Ancient One and Odin blocked Mephisto’s attempt to attack him.
• Mephisto accepted the staffing plan after Stephen, Nick, and Odin claimed the Planning and Finance, Accounting and Information Technology, and Security departments respectively.
• Mephisto proposed hiring out workers and lending energy to the fallen Nine Realms, and Odin challenged his motives while Ancient One and Nick supported the proposal.