Chapter Summaries

After evading military detection by diving deep underwater, Chen Mo sped toward Castle while reporters and online commenters celebrated Iron Man’s rescue of the airliner and speculated about S.H.I.E.L.D. The military continued searching for him, and the chapter ended with people jokingly pledging to join S.H.I.E.L.D.

• Chen Mo dove beyond the reconnaissance satellite’s radar range, and the military command center lost track of him.
• The command center director ordered continued satellite surveillance and sent warships to search the area with sonar.
• Chen Mo used his suit’s ample supplies to travel underwater toward the Los Angeles coast at high speed.
• Rescue workers returned to evacuating the unconscious airliner passengers after Iron Man flew away.
• Reporters and online commenters praised Iron Man for saving the passengers and debated whether the military would try to capture him.
• Online commenters speculated that S.H.I.E.L.D. might exist and jokingly declared they would join it.

After Chen Mo escaped the United States military by flying away, Gao Yuan helped rescue the unconscious passengers and crew from the plane. The rescue effort continued as Gao Yuan stayed aboard to assist the emergency personnel.

• Chen Mo left Gao Yuan in the cockpit, opened the hatch, and flew away before Gao Yuan could confront the soldiers.
• Gao Yuan watched from a cabin window until the soldiers put away their weapons and withdrew, then emerged from the plane.
• Rescue personnel questioned Gao Yuan, who explained that the passengers and crew were unconscious from oxygen deprivation and needed oxygen quickly.
• The Los Angeles Police Department chief ordered responders to deploy the emergency slides and evacuate the unconscious passengers.
• Gao Yuan stayed aboard and helped the rescue personnel carry passengers and crew members to safety.

After Iron Man and Gao Yuan helped land the disabled plane, rescue workers evacuated its passengers while the public learned more about Gao Yuan. Meanwhile, Chen Mo bypassed the military’s naval blockade with his teleportation ability and returned to the Castle.

• Reporters revealed that the flight attendant was Gao Yuan, a former diver and special forces soldier who had helped Iron Man fly the plane back.
• Rescue workers evacuated the unconscious passengers, and people praised Iron Man and Gao Yuan for helping save them.
• Chen Mo found more than a dozen warships and anti-submarine helicopters blocking his route to the Castle.
• Chen Mo used his teleportation ability to cross a narrow gap in the sonar coverage and evade the blockade.
• Chen Mo reached the Castle’s coastal waters and teleported back inside.

After rescuing an airliner and escaping a military pursuit, Chen Mo returned to Castle and reflected on his hopes for another alien encounter. Seeing that old Eddie missed fighting, Chen Mo considered finding him a chance to join a combat assignment; meanwhile, news footage showed the rescue being completed.

• Chen Mo returned to Castle after saving the airliner, rescuing a blue whale, and evading the military, and he reflected on his previous gains from alien worlds.
• Eddie served Chen Mo coffee while remembering his past fights and wishing he could fight alongside Chen Mo again.
• Chen Mo recognized Eddie's longing for combat and considered arranging a future assignment for him.
• News footage showed Gao Yuan and the rescue workers completing their final inspection and leaving the plane, where Gao Yuan was greeted with applause.

After the airliner landed safely, Gao Yuan told reporters how Iron Man had restored cabin pressure and flown the plane, hoping to boost Iron Man’s public support. His account left the rescue and landing’s success firmly credited to Iron Man.

• Gao Yuan refused an oxygen mask, checked on his unconscious colleagues, and rested after helping with the rescue.
• Reporters surrounded Gao Yuan and asked how he and Iron Man had saved the plane.
• Gao Yuan decided to use the cameras to publicize Iron Man’s heroism and make the military more cautious about capturing him.
• Gao Yuan described how oxygen deprivation had left him barely able to reach the cockpit and said everyone would have died without Iron Man.
• Gao Yuan explained that Iron Man had restored cabin pressure and piloted the airliner through its smooth landing.

After Iron Man landed an airliner, viewers speculated that he was an experienced pilot, while David knew his real identity was the wealthy Chen Mo. The FBI began searching for pilots to capture Iron Man, and David rejected the authorities’ justification for taking control of him.

• Viewers guessed that Iron Man was an airline captain or military pilot and worried that the FBI would uncover his identity.
• David watched the broadcast and recognized that the public’s guesses were wrong because Iron Man was the tycoon Chen Mo.
• Deputy Director Daniel ordered David’s team to investigate Los Angeles pilots after the military lost track of Iron Man.
• Daniel told David to bring Iron Man in and use weapons if necessary, citing national security.
• David disdained the order and felt relieved that his broader outlook and knowledge of Chen Mo kept him from facing a conflict of loyalty.

David used the FBI’s investigation into Iron Man to protect Chen Mo while maintaining the appearance of cooperation. The FBI’s effort ended in confusion after numerous pilots falsely claimed to be Iron Man, leaving the real suit and its owner undiscovered.

• David recognized that Daniel hoped Iron Man would kill him, but he decided to cooperate publicly while relying on S.H.I.E.L.D. and Chen Mo.
• David spotted Zhao Jianmin’s name on Daniel’s suspect list and ordered his team to begin the investigation there.
• The FBI questioned pilots who lacked alibis, and many claimed they were Iron Man.
• FBI investigators heard wildly different stories about the Iron Man suit, including one pilot’s claim that S.H.I.E.L.D. had issued him one for flying.
• The FBI cleared the pilots and realized they had been mocking the investigators by claiming that their nickname was Iron Man.

After the FBI released the captains it had detained, the military and government suspended their public search for Iron Man and secretly formed a team to find him. David, who knew Iron Man’s identity, joined the team and began steering its investigation toward the wrong conclusions.

• Aviation workers celebrated Iron Man’s rescue of the passenger plane and helped ensure that the detained captains were all released.
• The military and government paused their large-scale hunt but secretly formed an Iron Man Capture Team focused on discovering his identity.
• Daniel transferred David to the team, unaware that David knew Iron Man’s true identity and intended to obstruct the investigation.
• At the team’s first meeting, David argued that Iron Man was likely a pilot, then challenged an analyst’s assumption that he had to be an active captain.
• David said skilled first officers could fly and land passenger planes as well as veteran captains.

David redirected the Iron Man investigation toward retired pilots and remote-control theories, deliberately sending the FBI task force down unproductive paths. As the search stalled, he focused on fighting crime to earn merit and advance his S.H.I.E.L.D. rank.

• David argued that retired Captains, Air Force pilots, and even disabled people could operate the Iron Man suit, then proposed it might have remote-control capabilities.
• The capture task force accepted David's theories, and the FBI expanded its investigation to co-pilots, retired pilots, and elderly people in nursing homes.
• The new investigation stalled without clearing many suspects or finding useful evidence, and the task force gradually lost enthusiasm.
• David attended investigations only perfunctorily, misled the task force, and spent most of his time fighting crime to pursue a Level Two S.H.I.E.L.D. rank and Super Soldier Serum enhancement.
• The intelligence analyst gave up hope of capturing Iron Man and wanted a transfer, while Daniel supported David's neglect of the investigation.

After footage of Chen Mo saving a passenger plane made Iron Man famous worldwide, the United States government declared him a terrorist and accused him of stealing military technology and hijacking the aircraft. The chapter ended with the White House press secretary defending the charges at a press conference while reporters condemned her claims.

• Footage of Iron Man rescuing the plane and escaping two F15 fighter jets spread worldwide, making him a real hero to millions of people.
• Pilots, flight attendants, and other aviation workers became especially devoted fans of Iron Man.
• The United States government declared Iron Man a terrorist and issued a worldwide wanted notice, hoping to weaken his growing public support.
• A reporter challenged the White House press secretary over the charges, citing Gao Yuan's account that Iron Man had saved the aircraft.
• The press secretary claimed Gao Yuan had hallucinated, accused Iron Man of hijacking the plane and stealing a military suit, and praised President Chris for ordering the Air Force to intervene.
• Reporters reacted with disgust and called the press secretary shameless.

Ben Kingsley's accusations that Iron Man was a terrorist fueled a fierce online fight over his actions and the United States government's claims. Kobe publicly supported Iron Man, but Ben dismissed his account as a hallucination, leaving the controversy unresolved.

• Ben Kingsley called Iron Man an evil terrorist and urged people to report anyone they suspected of being him.
• Online supporters and haters clashed as the United States government's claims led some people to doubt Iron Man.
• Gao Yuan said he had been conscious during the plane incident, but the haters continued to believe the government's version.
• Kobe publicly supported Iron Man, saying Iron Man had saved them after their helicopter crashed.
• Ben Kingsley claimed Iron Man had sabotaged Kobe's helicopter and said Kobe's oxygen deprivation and stress had made his account unreliable.

As protests over the U.S. government’s accusations against Iron Man escalated, footage from inside the rescued passenger plane appeared online. The video showed Iron Man forcing his way aboard and sealing the hole he had made in the cabin door.

• The U.S. government’s support emboldened Iron Man’s critics, while David dismissed the smear campaign as harmless as long as Iron Man remained uncaught.
• Iron Man’s supporters protested outside the White House and across the country, and his critics soon staged counter-protests demanding punishment for him.
• Surveillance footage from the passenger plane was uploaded online and rapidly drew views from supporters, bystanders, and critics.
• The footage showed Iron Man punch through a cabin door, enter the plane, and close the door despite the dangerous airflow.
• Iron Man fired a white flare from his palm and melted the damaged area, sealing the hole in the door.

Iron Man repaired the cabin door and restored the plane’s pressurization after discovering the system had been left in manual mode. The footage undermined the government’s claim that he had hijacked the plane, and it ended with Gao Yuan entering the cockpit and ignoring Iron Man to help the fallen Captain.

• Iron Man welded the damaged cabin door shut, then entered the cockpit and switched the automatic pressurization system back on.
• Viewers and Captains realized the system’s manual setting had caused the passengers and pilots to lose consciousness, while the FBI became more convinced Iron Man was an experienced pilot.
• Viewers concluded the footage contradicted the government’s claim that Iron Man had caused the emergency and instead showed him saving the plane.
• Gao Yuan struggled into the cockpit, glanced at Iron Man, then turned away and tried to help the Captain on the floor.

The cabin surveillance video surfaced online and proved that Iron Man had saved the passenger plane, exposing the government’s claims as lies. Public anger forced President Chris to compromise, and he made Ben Kingsley the scapegoat as his own impeachment became likely.

• Viewers saved and spread the cabin footage, which showed Gao Yuan waking up beside Iron Man and confirmed that Chen Mo had helped land the plane.
• The United States government failed to suppress the video as it spread across websites, making its attempt to frame Iron Man impossible to sustain.
• Protests intensified after the footage revealed the government’s deception, and passengers and their families demanded that Iron Man be cleared.
• President Chris faced overwhelming public anger and the prospect of impeachment, so he pushed Ben Kingsley forward as a scapegoat.

President Chris tried to contain public anger by firing Ben Kingsley and withdrawing the charge that Iron Man had hijacked a plane, while continuing to claim the suit belonged to the military. The protests weakened, but Chen Mo chose not to reveal himself yet and considered either ignoring the government or silencing it with force.

• Chris fired Ben Kingsley and withdrew the hijacking accusation against Iron Man while maintaining the other charges.
• At a press conference, Chris claimed the Iron Man suit was stolen from a secret military laboratory and said the military could not quickly build another prototype.
• Chris ended the press conference when reporters kept challenging his explanation.
• The protests subsided after the announcement, though Iron Man's supporters continued demanding that the remaining charges be dropped.
• Many people accepted that the military had created the suit, while Chen Mo refused to expose himself and weighed ignoring the government against defeating it with strength.

Chen Mo decided to expose the United States government's lies again and built a new Iron Man suit from Alpha Alloy in his secret laboratory. After J.A.R.V.I.S. confirmed that all systems worked, the suit passed its first flight test.

• Chen Mo decided to strike back at the United States government for continuing to accuse him.
• Chen Mo ordered J.A.R.V.I.S. to refine Alpha Alloy and assembled suit components with telekinesis.
• Chen Mo shaped the molten alloy into armor and frame pieces, then assembled a new silver-white Iron Man suit.
• J.A.R.V.I.S. ran a full system diagnostic and reported that all systems were normal.
• Chen Mo ordered the suit to fly around the laboratory, and J.A.R.V.I.S. confirmed that its thrusters worked normally.

Chen Mo returned to Castle and refused Eddie’s offer to assassinate the United States president, saying he wanted to have some fun with the politicians who had framed him. He invited Eddie to join him and gave him a newly painted Iron Man suit, leaving Eddie excited to act alongside Chen Mo again.

• Eddie offered to have HYDRA deal with the United States politicians who still sought the Iron Man suit.
• Chen Mo declined to kill them outright and said he wanted to have some fun with them.
• Chen Mo invited Eddie to show the United States what they were made of, and Eddie eagerly agreed.
• Chen Mo revealed a newly painted Iron Man suit made for Eddie, who was thrilled by the gift.

Chen Mo’s old butler tested his new Iron Man suit while Chen Mo considered how to strike back at the U.S. government. After Agent David warned him that the FBI had set a trap to lure Iron Man, Chen Mo saw a burning factory on television and prepared to act.

• Chen Mo told the old butler to test-fly the Iron Man suit, and J.A.R.V.I.S. helped him learn to control it.
• The old butler activated stealth mode and flew out through the window while Chen Mo tracked him with telekinesis.
• Chen Mo considered targets for his retaliation against the U.S. government but had not chosen a plan.
• Agent David sent Chen Mo a warning that the FBI had arranged an operation to lure and ambush Iron Man.
• The FBI’s plan had been approved by President Chris, who hoped capturing Iron Man would restore his reputation and improve his reelection chances.
• Chen Mo read David’s message, turned on the television, and saw a factory engulfed in flames.

President Chris approved a plan to use a staged factory fire to lure Iron Man into a trap, while Chen Mo recognized the scheme and prepared to respond. When Eddie flew toward the burning warehouse in an Iron Man suit, Chen Mo let him go, and U.S. officials watching the operation celebrated Iron Man's appearance.

• Chris approved a plan to capture Iron Man and use his suit to build a powerful force under presidential control.
• The United States secretly mobilized bases near Los Angeles and sent a carrier strike group to seal off the waters west of the city.
• The government staged a chemical factory fire and used news coverage to draw Iron Man toward workers trapped in the warehouse.
• Chen Mo recognized the trap as he watched the fire coverage and prepared to act.
• Eddie rushed toward the burning warehouse in an Iron Man suit, and Chen Mo told J.A.R.V.I.S. to let him continue.
• People cheered Iron Man's appearance, while the U.S. officials monitoring the operation were pleased that their plan was underway.

The old butler flew into a burning warehouse as Iron Man to rescue trapped workers, but J.A.R.V.I.S. warned him that the apparent refuge was a trap designed to capture him. He stopped outside the storage room while President Chris and the other officials waited for him to enter.

• The old butler put on the Iron Man suit and entered the burning warehouse to search for trapped workers.
• He reached the inner warehouse and spotted an unlocked storage room where the workers seemed to be hiding.
• The old butler sensed something was wrong and hovered outside instead of entering.
• J.A.R.V.I.S. relayed Chen Mo's warning, revealing that the storage room was a trap set to capture Iron Man.
• President Chris and the other officials grew nervous as the old butler paused before their trap, which contained barriers, electric shocks, weapons, and explosives.