Chapter Summaries

Jude exposed Leonaldo’s attempt to stall the undead until Mephisto returned, then ordered the undead army to attack Hell’s Capital. The demons’ forces collapsed almost immediately, and the capital was reduced to ruins.

• Hundreds of millions of undead surrounded Hell’s Capital, while Leonaldo tried to rally the remaining demons and negotiate with them.
• Jude appeared before Leonaldo and demanded that Mephisto come out to negotiate.
• Jude saw through Leonaldo’s lies and concluded that Mephisto was not in Hell.
• Jude struck Leonaldo with Hellfire and ordered the undead to destroy the city and kill the demons.
• The undead overwhelmed the demon army in less than a minute and reduced Hell’s Capital to ruins ten minutes later.

The Hell Lords studied the knowledge taken from Little Spider Peter Parker’s brain while Mephisto left to investigate trouble in his dimension. He returned to find his Hell devastated by undead and faced Jude Herbert, who revealed that Mephisto’s weakened power had made him vulnerable.

• Mephisto told the Hell Lords that the brain belonged to Jude Herbert’s lackey and urged them to study it for useful portal knowledge.
• The Hell Lords reverse-engineered the brain’s information while Mephisto ignored a message from his dimension.
• Mephisto returned to find his Hell ruined, killed the last Demon King in anger, and fought the advancing undead.
• The undead overwhelmed Mephisto despite his Hellfire, leaving him injured and confused about their strength.
• Jude Herbert appeared and explained that Mephisto’s power had weakened, then challenged him with Hellfire of his own.

Jude used Hellfire to injure Mephisto, who unleashed disasters across Hell and destroyed its population. Jude protected Little Spider and Teresa while letting Mephisto weaken himself, then approached him to discuss his conditions.

• Jude struck Mephisto in the eye with Hellfire and revealed that he had absorbed the demons in Orhardo City.
• Mephisto healed his eye and unleashed earthquakes, lava, acid rain, and fiery meteors across Hell, killing millions of undead and destroying Hell's Capital.
• Jude protected Little Spider and Teresa but ignored the deaths around them, explaining that Mephisto was weakening himself by killing Hell's inhabitants.
• After nearly everyone had died, the surviving undead knelt and blamed Jude to beg Mephisto for mercy.
• Jude approached Mephisto and offered to leave if Mephisto agreed to his conditions, but Mephisto reached out to grab him.

Jude defeated Mephisto in Hell and negotiated the return of Peter Parker’s intelligence, Teresa’s freedom, and a Spirit of Vengeance. After Mephisto fulfilled the deal, Jude and his companions returned to Earth through a portal.

• Mephisto attacked Jude, but Jude overpowered him and beat him until Mephisto called for a stop.
• Jude demanded Peter Parker’s intelligence, Doctor Doom’s mother, and a Spirit of Vengeance in exchange for ending the fight.
• Mephisto agreed to Jude’s terms and tore up his contracts with Teresa and Little Spider.
• Mephisto restored Little Spider’s intelligence and gave Jude a Spirit of Vengeance.
• Jude called Ancient One, and he, Little Spider, and Teresa returned to Earth through a portal.

Jude, Little Spider, and Ancient One returned to Earth after destroying much of Mephisto’s Hell, then considered the risk that Mephisto might use Peter’s knowledge to develop a way through the barrier between worlds. They left the future threat unresolved and turned their attention to investigating the Collector’s Fan Sector and Thanos of the New Gods before addressing the Zerg.

• Jude, Little Spider, and Ancient One returned to the Sanctum Sanctorum, where Ancient One praised Jude for devastating Mephisto’s Hell.
• Little Spider worried that Mephisto would seek revenge, while Jude explained that Hell’s factions often fought among themselves.
• Little Spider realized Mephisto may have traded for his intelligence to learn how to create a Portal Gun and invade Earth.
• Jude and Ancient One agreed that Peter’s knowledge could potentially let a gifted demon reproduce the Portal Gun or develop another form of teleportation.
• Ancient One rejected Little Spider’s plan to attack Mephisto because other Hell Lords might intervene and Earth’s forces would be at a disadvantage.
• Jude dismissed relying on the Time Stone to predict distant events and asked Ancient One to investigate the Collector’s Fan Sector or Thanos of the New Gods as they prepared to deal with the Zerg.

Ancient One used the Time Stone to take Jude and Little Spider into the future, where they witnessed the Insect race destroying the Fan Sector. Thanos arrived with his army to find Qatar Star in ruins and was surrounded by the Insect race as the chapter ended.

• Ancient One sent Jude and Little Spider through a Time Tunnel to the future, where they saw the Insect race devastate the Fan Sector.
• Jude explained that the Insect race had killed the Collector and Grandmaster, and that Thanos would arrive to face them.
• Thanos emerged from a portal near Qatar Star with the Black Order and found the planet destroyed.
• Thanos ordered Ebony Maw to contact Gamora, but Ebony Maw could not reach her because she was under house arrest.
• The Insect race surrounded Thanos’s fleet, and Thanos ordered his forces to destroy them.

Half a month earlier on Qatar Star, Thanos and the Xebel Corps attacked an insectoid reserve fleet despite being outnumbered. Thanos’s forces broke the enemy formation and gained the advantage, while the Black Order generals tore through the insectoid warships.

• Thanos ordered the Xebel Corps to attack the insectoid fleet surrounding them on Qatar Star.
• Corvus Glaive judged the insectoids to be weak and proposed capturing their commander so Supergiant could extract his thoughts; Thanos ordered the battle finished within an hour.
• Corvus Glaive directed the Xebel Corps to bombard the enemy, split its formation with assault ships, disrupt its controls, and deploy skiffs against its firing points.
• Proxima Midnight destroyed enemy attacks and a warship with her spear, while Cull Obsidian charged through explosions and split another ship apart.
• Ebony Maw used telekinesis to stop missiles and crush a warship, while Supergiant sent seven powerful controlled beings into battle.
• The Xandar Corps and the Black Order generals scattered the insectoid forces into disarray, leaving Thanos’s side with the advantage.

Thanos’s forces destroyed an insect reserve fleet, but Fire Ant’s interrogation revealed that the insects came from another dimension and were far more powerful than the force they had defeated. As Thanos prepared to leave, Annihilus arrived with the insect elites, stopped the spatial jump, and drew Thanos into battle.

• Little Spider and Ancient One watched the battle and learned from Jude that the Black Order and Xandar Corps were fighting an insect reserve force.
• The Black Order captured Fire Ant after the insect army was defeated, and Supergiant used her powers to learn about the insect race and its leader, Annihilus.
• Ebony Maw advised Thanos to avoid a pointless war and search for the Infinity Stones, and Thanos agreed to leave.
• Annihilus returned with the insect elites and used the Cosmic Control Rod to disrupt the fleet’s spatial jump.
• A giant Leviathan destroyed more than a thousand Xandarian warships with an energy beam, while Thanos stabilized his mothership.
• Thanos put on the Infinity Gauntlet, fixed his gaze on Annihilus, and ordered his forces to eliminate the insects.

Thanos used the Infinity Gauntlet to destroy a giant Leviathan and then fought Annihilus, who wielded the Cosmic Control Rod. The chapter ended with Thanos breaking through Annihilus’s spatial barrier and preparing to continue the fight.

• Jude explained to the Ancient One that the Infinity Gauntlet could help its wielder use all six Infinity Stones and withstand their power.
• Thanos emerged from his mothership and punched the Leviathan to death, displaying strength amplified by the Infinity Gauntlet.
• Annihilus charged Thanos after improving his speed with the Cosmic Control Rod.
• Annihilus made Thanos unbearably heavy, but Thanos used the Mind Stone to cloud Annihilus’s mind and rush him.
• Annihilus raised a spatial barrier and compressed space around Thanos, but Thanos shattered the barrier with a powerful punch.

Thanos fought Annihilus and used his knowledge of the Cosmic Control Rod's limits to wound him and seize it. The Rod returned to Annihilus, and Thanos prepared to kill him to claim it.

• Thanos shattered Annihilus's spatial barrier with a punch, then pursued him as Annihilus used Spatial Shift to evade and heal.
• Thanos observed Annihilus's movements and determined that the Cosmic Control Rod's Spatial Shift had a range of no more than one hundred and fifty kilometers.
• Thanos unleashed a two-hundred-kilometer shockwave that struck Annihilus, then grabbed him and tore the Cosmic Control Rod from his neck.
• Thanos considered using the Rod to strengthen his future fight against Darkseid, but it broke free and returned to Annihilus.
• Annihilus declared that only he could use the Rod, and Thanos answered that killing him would make it his.

After witnessing Thanos’s inconclusive war with Annihilus, Jude brought Teresa to Doctor Doom and reunited her with her son. Jude and Little Spider then returned to New York, where they arrived through a portal in front of Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, Ivy, and Pepper Potts.

• The war between Thanos and Annihilus ended without a victor, and Thanos withdrew after failing to obtain the Cosmic Control Rod.
• Ancient One returned Jude, Little Spider, and Teresa from the river of time, and Little Spider reflected on the brutality of cosmic war.
• Jude took Teresa and Little Spider through a portal to Doctor Doom, who recognized that Jude’s news concerned his mother.
• Teresa and Doctor Doom reunited, and Jude left them alone together with Little Spider.
• Jude and Little Spider arrived at Aunt May’s home, where Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, Ivy, and Pepper Potts had been chatting.

Jude and Peter returned from Hell and explained how they had saved Aunt May from Mephisto, while Dr. Doom confirmed that they had rescued his mother. Jude brought out the Spirit of Vengeance to make May its host, and after it tried to choose Peter, Jude threatened it into merging with May.

• Jude told Pepper that Tony had hidden his Palladium Poisoning from her, then advised her to ask about Tony's will and defended his reasons for keeping the secret.
• Peter recounted his trip to Hell with Jude, including their battle against Mephisto, and Gwen and Pepper realized that their actions had killed tens of millions of demons.
• Dr. Doom called to thank Jude and Peter for saving his mother from Mephisto, confirming that humans lived in Hell.
• Jude introduced the Spirit of Vengeance to Aunt May and explained that it could make her an instrument for punishing the wicked.
• The Spirit of Vengeance tried to possess Peter, but Jude threatened to send it back to Mephisto, and it merged with Aunt May instead.

After the Spirit of Vengeance possessed Aunt May, she transformed into a Ghost Rider and wreaked havoc before attacking Jude. Jude subdued her and forced the Spirit of Vengeance to yield control, leaving Aunt May back in charge of her body.

• Aunt May transformed into a Ghost Rider, and Jude explained the Spirit of Vengeance’s powers to the others.
• Aunt May blasted holes through the house with Hellfire, then sent Jude crashing through a wall.
• The Ghost Rider used its Penance Stare on Jude, showing him scenes of countless deaths caused by him and Rick.
• Jude resisted the Penance Stare, pinned the Ghost Rider to the ground, and held it down until it stopped struggling.
• Aunt May regained control of her body and asked Jude to let her go, and he released her after she said she had suppressed the Spirit of Vengeance.

Jude helped Aunt May accept the Spirit of Vengeance and discover her new Ghost Rider powers. She chose a Hellfire bicycle and kitchen utensils as her mount and weapons, then demonstrated their strength by knocking Little Spider into a tree.

• Aunt May discovered that the Spirit of Vengeance had healed her and given her superhuman strength.
• Jude explained how to use Hellfire, and Aunt May asked why the Penance Stare had no effect on him.
• Jude explained that he felt no guilt and that the souls within him were protected by their fused strength.
• The Spirit of Vengeance accepted Aunt May as its host, and she transformed into a controlled Ghost Rider.
• Aunt May turned a roadside bicycle into her Hellfire mount and conjured a frying pan and cooking spoon as weapons.
• Aunt May struck Little Spider with the frying pan, sent him flying into a tree, and warned him not to disobey Jude.

Aunt May scolded Peter for turning against Jude, then used her Ghost Rider powers to frighten the police after the testing accident. With Ivy’s help, the damage was repaired, and everyone celebrated at Aunt May’s home.

• Aunt May knocked Peter flying with a frying pan and scolded him for refusing to listen to Jude and failing to appreciate all Jude had done for him.
• Ivy urged Peter to admit he was wrong, and Peter apologized sincerely to Jude.
• Jude kicked Peter into a tree after the apology, then let him off lightly for Aunt May and Gwen’s sake.
• Police arrived and drew their guns on Aunt May, but Pepper Potts calmed them, and Aunt May dismissed the Ghost Rider flames.
• Ivy restored the crater and damaged house with her powers, and Pepper arranged for furniture to be delivered.
• Aunt May cooked a feast for everyone, and Jude joked that she could find herself another companion.

Aunt May became Ghost Rider and rode to Gotham, where Scarecrow led an Arkham Asylum breakout and the villains prepared a trap for Batman. Ghost Rider arrived at the asylum as the villains awaited Batman.

• Aunt May transformed into Ghost Rider, summoned a Hellfire-powered bicycle, and headed for Gotham City to punish evil.
• Scarecrow faked a stomachache, sprayed Fear Toxin into a rookie guard’s eyes, stole his ID card, and escaped his cell.
• Scarecrow and the other villains freed Arkham’s inmates, overpowered the guards, and planned to lure Batman there and kill him.
• Electro jammed communications, while Ventriloquist impersonated the captain and reported a limited escape to the Gotham Police Department to draw Batman into their trap.
• Ghost Rider sensed the evil at Arkham Asylum and hurtled toward it, roaring, “Judgment!”

At Arkham Asylum, Gotham’s villains reminisced about their failed battles with Batman before Ghost Rider broke in and began judging them. Aunt May’s rampage engulfed the asylum in hellfire, and her cries of “Guilty” stirred remorse among criminals across Gotham.

• Riddler, Two-Face, Bane, and Scarecrow boasted about their past encounters with Batman while the villains took over the guards’ duties at Arkham Asylum.
• Dizzying Jazz sensed someone approaching, but Ghost Rider melted through a wall instead of Batman entering through the main door.
• Aunt May seized Riddler and used the Penance Stare, leaving him dead as the other villains watched.
• Mr. Freeze froze Aunt May with a laser, but she broke free, destroyed his suit, and killed him.
• Man-Bat, Killer Croc, Clayface, and Dizzying Jazz attacked Aunt May together, but she overwhelmed them with flames that engulfed Arkham Asylum.
• A hundred-meter firestorm surrounded the asylum, and its cries of “Guilty” woke petty criminals across Gotham and filled them with remorse.

After the Arkham Asylum explosion killed its inmates, Bruce Wayne investigated a mysterious flaming skeleton and traced it to New York. He arrived at Peter Parker’s home to question Jude Herbert, leaving Peter surprised at the door.

• Commissioner Gordon and Bruce Wayne found Arkham Asylum burning and confirmed that the Mad Hatter and the other inmates had died in the explosion.
• Bruce, Damian, and Alfred identified a flaming skeleton on satellite footage and began tracking its trail of fire.
• Alfred found a lead through the New York police, while Dick Grayson followed the trail to New York.
• Bruce told Gordon he would handle the investigation and flew to New York.
• Bruce arrived at Peter Parker’s home, and Peter answered the door.

Bruce visited Jude to ask about the slaughter at Arkham Asylum, where a flaming skeleton had killed everyone inside. Jude and Little Spider discovered that Aunt May had given the Spirit of Vengeance control of her body, and Jude defended the killings while Bruce objected that they violated the law.

• Bruce visited Peter and Jude, asked about Kryptonite and the Time Stone, and learned that the Time Stone was in Ancient One's hands.
• Bruce told Jude that someone had broken into Arkham Asylum, killed its staff and inmates, and burned the building down.
• Bruce showed Jude and Little Spider photographs of the flaming skeleton, and they recognized it as Aunt May.
• Jude called Aunt May from the kitchen, and she said she had let the Spirit of Vengeance control her body to judge sinners.
• Bruce asked Aunt May whether she had killed everyone at Arkham, and Jude admitted that they had while defending the victims as wicked criminals.
• Bruce accused Jude of trampling on the dignity of the law, and Jude replied that he did not believe in law.

Jude and Bruce argued over whether Arkham Asylum's criminals should be executed, clashing over justice, law, and their own selfishness. Jude ended the confrontation by opening a portal with his Portal Gun.

• Jude insisted that Arkham's criminals deserved death, while Bruce argued that executing them would undermine the law and endanger the rights of mentally ill people.
• Bruce explained that he had resisted killing his own enemies because no one should casually decide whether another person lived or died.
• Jude accused Bruce of preserving criminals to keep his superhero role, and Bruce retorted that Jude was selfish for withholding his power and technology from others.
• Jude pulled out the Portal Gun and opened a blue-green portal in front of Bruce, Peter, and Aunt May.