Chapter Summaries

Geer explained that Gaius had sent him to Earth to establish a church, gather faith, and banish demons, then revealed the Gaius Family’s history and the universe’s power rankings. The Avengers learned that Gaius was Sub-Heaven Level and Lucifer was a powerful Heavenly Father whose strength on Earth was limited by the Super Magic Array.

• Geer refused to reveal how many servants Gaius had and said a Compass of Repentance had tested him before he became Gaius’s servant.
• Aaron joked that Geer was another version of him from a parallel universe, while Geer explained that Gaius had sent him to Earth because the planet was special to his master.
• Geer told Ross that Gaius’s church would banish demons and receive faith in return, since Heaven’s absence had left Earth vulnerable to powerful demons.
• Geer described the Tree of Omniscience and revealed that Horn Gaius had driven the gods from Earth, sealed Apocalypse, and crippled the Inhumans.
• Geer explained that the Avengers were a high-rank Surface Level team, Gaius was within Sub-Heaven Level, and Lucifer was a powerful Heaven Level being.
• Geer said Lucifer’s power was suppressed on Earth by the Super Magic Array, allowing Gaius to face him at roughly equal strength there.

Geer warned the Avengers Alliance and world leaders that Odin could die within ten years and the Ancient One might retire, leaving Earth vulnerable to invasion. As the meeting turned toward Gaius’s plans, Banner asked what the alchemist intended to do about Earth’s coming crisis.

• Geer explained that the Ancient One’s Super Magic Array and Odin’s protection had kept Earth safe, but said both guardians might soon be gone.
• Geer said Odin had no more than ten years left and described how he might pass into Valhalla when his lifespan ended.
• Geer reported that Gaius suspected the Ancient One was preparing to retire, and warned that her successor would likely be much weaker.
• Geer invited Aaron and Wanda to become Gaius’s believers, and Aaron urged Wanda to study the order’s code.
• Banner asked Geer what plans Gaius had for Earth as it approached its weakest period.

Geer negotiated approval for the Shadow Holy Court, offering Gaius’s help in exchange for privileges and protections for its believers. After the meeting, Wanda sought Aaron’s advice about joining the church and kissed him.

• Geer offered Earth one further intervention from Gaius and requested legal protections for the Shadow Holy Court, including sanctuary for innocent superpowered believers.
• Geer explained that believers would have to sign binding contracts, welcomed government supervision, and said devout followers could eventually enter Gaius’s Divine Kingdom.
• The Avengers and officials concluded that the negotiations could proceed, while Aaron learned that Ross would oppose the church only behind the scenes.
• Aaron reassured Wanda about her decision to be a superhero and advised her to wait for others, including Carter Slade, to test the church first.
• Wanda kissed Aaron after he suggested they could discuss her concerns another time.

Aaron reflected on his new Ghost Rider dependent, began advancing the Book of Demons, and oversaw the rise of the Shadow Holy Court. His quiet day ended when Scott Lang arrived for a divination about a dangerous assignment from Hank Pym.

• Aaron told Hela that he had made Carter Slade his dependent and described his plans to brew potions and build a better motorcycle.
• Aaron poured a Sequence Nine Criminal potion onto the Book of Demons, which responded with joy and excitement.
• Geer founded the Shadow Holy Court in New York, where Carter Slade became Archbishop and Bucky Barnes became a deacon as the church gained official support and donations.
• Aaron and his household relaxed while waiting to earn enough Delicious Points to buy a Salamander Sphinx, until Abei caught Scott Lang in Ant-Man form.
• Hank called Aaron and asked him to perform a divination about Scott’s risky assignment, while Scott paid the $100,000 minimum fee.

Scott asked Aaron to divine whether he could stop Darren Cross, who planned to sell weapons based on Pym Particles. Aaron agreed to support Hank Pym’s plan, and the chapter ended with Scott and his friends preparing to infiltrate Cross’s company.

• Scott asked Aaron to train him as a Seer, but Aaron and Hank told him he lacked the talent for divination.
• Hope told Hank and Scott that Darren Cross had successfully replicated Pym Particles and intended to sell weapons, so Hank asked Aaron to help stop him.
• Aaron accepted a system mission to destroy Cross’s Wasp Suit and its data, then agreed to provide support without disrupting Scott’s life trajectory.
• Aaron divined that the operation would involve gunfire, blood, and explosions, and Hank gathered Scott, Hope, Luis, Kurt, and Dave to plan the infiltration.
• Scott revealed his Ant-Man suit and demonstrated his shrinking ability to his startled friends.
• Hank assigned roles for the break-in, with Scott set to enter through the water valve while Luis and the others handled support tasks.

Scott and his allies infiltrated Pym Technologies to stop Darren Cross from exposing Hank Pym’s shrinking technology, while Aaron stayed in reserve. Darren revealed that he had partnered with Hydra, and Hank was left hoping Scott could stop them as the plan advanced toward the particle chamber.

• Aaron showed the team his alchemical rifle, Demon Hunter, and said he would only intervene as backup if Scott failed.
• Luis, Kurt, Scott, and Hope carried out their infiltration: they lowered the water pressure, disabled the power, installed a signal scrambler, and Scott entered through the ventilation system.
• Dave stole the plainclothes officers’ car, allowing Hank to avoid being taken in for questioning.
• Darren showed Hank the miniature suit and revealed that Carlson had brought Hydra representatives to support his deal.
• Scott used ants to erase the servers’ backup data and rushed toward the particle chamber as Carlson joined Darren.
• Hank punched Darren after learning he planned to reveal the technology, then put his hopes in Scott and the others.

Aaron’s crew tried to steal the Wasp Suit and destroy Darren Cross’s research before he sold it to Hydra, but Darren anticipated Scott’s arrival and trapped him. As Darren turned his gun on Hank and Hope, Scott prepared to intervene with Hank’s discs.

• After Dave accidentally honked the van’s horn, Aaron knocked out one plainclothes officer and revealed his S.H.I.E.L.D. credentials to Paxton, who joined the crew in the cargo compartment.
• Scott and the ants planted timed bombs while Kurt worked to disable the laser grid, but Kurt accidentally let Hank, Hope, and Scott hear that Paxton had learned the truth.
• Scott disabled the laser grid and reached for the Wasp Suit, but a hidden door dropped it away; Darren then trapped Scott and revealed he had sold the suit to Carlson for Hydra while keeping the Pym Particles.
• Aaron offered Hank the chance to let him kill Darren, but Hank chose to follow events as closely as possible, and Aaron agreed to respect his decision.
• Darren aimed a gun at Hank while Hope seized another gun and confronted him; Scott took out the Red and Blue Discs from the safe just as Darren prepared to fire.

Scott escaped Darren’s ambush at Pym Technologies while Aaron and Luis helped the others flee the building and treated Hank’s gunshot wound. Scott pursued Darren by helicopter, and as the Pym Technologies building vanished in the timed-bomb explosions, he revealed he wanted more than to steal the Wasp Suit.

• Hope used ants to jam Darren’s gun, forcing Darren and Carlson to flee with the Wasp Suit and Pym Particles while Luis triggered the building’s evacuation alarm.
• Scott fought through the guards pursuing him, and Luis arrived to help him escape before the bombs went off.
• Aaron treated Hank’s gunshot wound, and Paxton agreed to keep quiet about the group’s actions this time.
• Scott pursued Darren’s helicopter on a swarm of ants, but Darren shot down Scott’s named ant, Ant-Man.
• Scott entered the helicopter, and Darren’s gunfire knocked the briefcase open, exposing the Wasp Suit and Pym Particles.
• Scott told Darren that he wanted more than to steal the suit as the timed bombs destroyed Pym Technologies, compressing the building and flames into a speck.

Scott defeated Darren Cross at a swimming pool but was arrested before he could secure him, and Darren escaped to Paxton’s home and took Cassie hostage. Scott reached the house and fought Darren while Paxton tried to intervene, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Scott knocked Darren unconscious with a ping-pong paddle and a bug zapper, then was arrested by San Francisco police.
• Aaron predicted Darren would escape to Paxton’s home and threaten Cassie, and Paxton hurried there after learning of the hostage situation.
• Scott escaped custody and arrived at 840 Winter Street, where he used a Red Disc and ants to fight Darren while Cassie hid.
• Scott’s Blue Darts enlarged an ant and a toy train, which crashed through the roof and landed on a police car.
• Paxton entered the house and confronted Darren, who knocked the gun from his hand; Scott enlarged himself and tackled Darren away from Cassie.

Scott destroyed Darren's Wasp Suit, escaped the Quantum Realm, and reunited with Cassie. Aaron claimed his mission reward, brought a motorcycle to life with an Allspark Fragment, and gave Hank notes on rescuing Janet from the Quantum Realm.

• Scott shrank into Darren's Wasp Suit, destroyed its Pym Particles, and watched Darren disintegrate with the ruined suit.
• Scott used his last blue disc to escape the Quantum Realm and reunited with Cassie before leaving to avoid the police.
• Aaron claimed 500 Magic Points for completing his mission and checked his status panel.
• Aaron transformed his upgraded motorcycle into a robot with an Allspark Fragment and named it Supersonic.
• Hank, Hope, and Scott visited Aaron, and Hank asked how to retrieve Janet from the Quantum Realm.
• Aaron gave Hank the notebook section explaining how to bring Janet back and reminded him to report a future encounter with a ghost-like girl.

Aaron stopped Rogue from spending more time on the Patronus Charm and planned to teach her All Spells End instead, then held a meeting where his followers reported their Sequence advancements. Slytherin revealed the Power Stone’s destructive power and reported that it was likely being kept on Xandar after Star-Lord and his team used it against Ronan.

• Rogue failed to summon a Patronus, so Aaron told her to set the charm aside and promised to teach her All Spells End.
• Ake, Ramon, Naga, Frank, Banner, Jane, Bucky, Geer, Carter Slade, and Lorelei reported their Sequence advancements and progress at the meeting.
• Slytherin showed the group the Power Stone destroying a planet and explained that it was one of the six Infinity Stones.
• Slytherin identified Peter Quill as Star-Lord, a Ravager who had taken the Power Stone from an abandoned planet.
• Slytherin explained that Star-Lord and his allies had used the Power Stone to defeat Ronan and his army, and said the stone was likely on Xandar under Nova Prime’s protection.

During a meeting, Aaron learned about growing threats and the situations of his allies, including Polaris’s imprisonment and Jean’s departure from the X-Men. The next morning, he prepared Jane’s Sequence Five advancement and traded teasing remarks with Hela about his romantic interest in a superhero.

• Aaron discussed the missing Soul Stone and the danger of losing Ancient One and Odin, then heard reports from Frank, Banner, Natasha Romanoff, and Bucky.
• Bucky reported that Sentinel Services had imprisoned pregnant Mutant Lorna Dane, also known as Polaris, and developed collars that suppressed Mutant abilities.
• Rogue reported that Jean had left the X-Men, remained a teacher at the Mutant Academy, and received a church certificate and badge; Aaron said he would take her away later.
• Geer and Carter Slade reported that their church work and other affairs were proceeding normally, and Aaron ended the meeting.
• The next morning, Aaron gave Jane the materials and his blood for her Sequence Five advancement ritual, then Hela teased him about his interest in a superhero.

Aaron considered how to keep Ancient One and Odin alive longer, since their deaths would leave him vulnerable to powerful threats. After ruling out dangerous or unreliable plans, he tentatively asked Hela whether he could move to Asgard once she became queen.

• Aaron explained the Book of Demons' brutal Apostle of Desire advancement ritual and offered it a less violent alternative, then stored it while it considered.
• Aaron planned to delay Ancient One's retirement by keeping Strange away from Kamar-Taj and to protect Odin by limiting his use of divine power and keeping Hela on Earth.
• Aaron considered Jean Grey and Wanda Maximoff as potential Heaven Level protectors, but rejected the idea because their powers might overwhelm them or attract hostile forces.
• Aaron realized Hela could become a Heaven Level protector after returning to Asgard and asked whether he could move there once she became queen.

Aaron refused Hela’s demands for protection and then went to the Avengers Compound as the Sokovia Accords were presented. The chapter ended with Aaron asserting his credentials to join the meeting as an observer.

• Aaron refused Hela’s conditions of killing Odin, surrendering Abei or Jane Volturi, and kneeling, then left without accepting her protection.
• After watching reports of the Lagos deaths, Aaron told Pietro that Wanda should leave the Avengers and warned that the public outcry would be used to put the team under political control.
• Aaron rode Supersonic to the Avengers Compound after Pietro asked him to help Wanda.
• Secretary of State Ross showed the Avengers footage of past disasters and presented the Sokovia Accords, which would put the team under United Nations supervision.
• Aaron arrived during the meeting and claimed he had earned the right to observe by serving S.H.I.E.L.D. and helping protect world peace.

Aaron urged Wanda to retire and promised to resolve the political fallout from the Sokovia Accords, while the Avengers debated signing, splitting up, or joining S.H.I.E.L.D. The chapter left them waiting on Nick Fury to negotiate shelter for those who refused to sign, possibly with Peggy’s help.

• Ross warned Aaron that Wanda needed to sign the Sokovia Accords and reminded him that Wakanda held her responsible for eleven deaths.
• Aaron asked Wanda to retire and live with him; she agreed, but worried that leaving the Avengers would bring public backlash and possible imprisonment.
• The Avengers argued over signing the Accords, and Aaron proposed that they split into groups or have the dissenters take refuge with S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Natasha called Nick Fury, who recognized Aaron’s influence and said he would negotiate with the council, possibly needing Peggy to intervene.

As the Avengers debated the Sokovia Accords, Aaron learned that a prophecy foretold the King of Wakanda’s death at a terrorist attack during the Vienna conference. He took Wanda to the Shadow Holy Court to make a retirement contract, planning to use the coming attack to help her.

• Nick Fury told the Avengers that S.H.I.E.L.D. could take in some members but not Wanda, and the group debated whether to sign the Sokovia Accords.
• Aaron argued that ordinary people could avoid the scrutiny and risks faced by superheroes, while Steve, Natasha, and the others discussed how to regain public trust.
• Aaron discovered a prophecy that the King of Wakanda would die in a terrorist attack at the United Nations conference in Vienna, and he asked Tony to get him an entry pass and information on Wakanda.
• Aaron took Wanda out and told her he wanted her to become Mrs. Gaius, then flew with her on Supersonic to the Shadow Holy Court.
• Wanda prayed before the statue of the God of Contracts while Aaron put several hundred-dollar bills into the offering box.

Aaron arranged a contract with the God of Contracts to seal Wanda’s powers except in specific circumstances, and Wanda moved in with him after retiring from superhero work. The chapter ended with Aaron caring for Wanda the next afternoon while Hela prepared to return to Asgard in two or three years.

• Geer offered Wanda a contract authorized by the God of Contracts in exchange for Aaron’s Demon Masks, and Wanda signed it to restrict her powers and secure her safety.
• Aaron brought Wanda home, where Pietro learned she had retired and Wanda announced she would live in Aaron’s room.
• Jane and Hela discussed Jane’s chances with Aaron, while Hela warned she planned to return to Asgard after Odin’s death and expected to leave in two or three years.
• Wanda woke the next afternoon, recalled her night with Aaron, and let him feed her nourishing wheat porridge before they went back to sleep.

Aaron asked King T'Chaka to help secure Wanda's peaceful retirement in exchange for protecting Wakanda's stability, then revealed a prophecy that T'Chaka would die in a terrorist attack. After the bombing injured the king, Aaron saved him and gave T'Challa a contract to present once his father recovered.

• Natasha introduced Aaron to T'Chaka and T'Challa before the United Nations conference, and Aaron offered a deal to help Wanda retire peacefully in exchange for Wakanda's stability.
• T'Chaka accepted Aaron's proposal, and Aaron showed T'Challa a prophecy that the king would die in a terrorist attack at the conference.
• T'Challa tried to protect T'Chaka when a bomb shattered the conference hall, but the king was badly injured and lost consciousness.
• Aaron treated T'Chaka, helped him cough up debris from his internal injuries, and gave him a recovery potion that stabilized him.
• Aaron told T'Challa to give T'Chaka a God of Contracts-backed agreement once he woke, so Wakanda could help prevent politicians from persecuting Wanda.

After the Vienna bombing, T'Challa vowed to find and kill James Barnes, while Aaron refused Steve Rogers's request for Gaius's Compass and urged Natasha to seek outside help. Meanwhile, Helmut Zemo drugged and restrained Barnes to extract information about Howard's murder, then stopped him from praying for help and knocked him unconscious.

• T'Challa arranged protection for his injured father and vowed to kill Barnes, while Aaron refused to divine Barnes's location.
• Steve asked Aaron for Gaius's Compass so he could find Barnes, but Aaron refused because the task force might seize it.
• Aaron advised Natasha to uncover the truth behind the bombing before the task force found Barnes, and suggested seeking outside help.
• Barnes awoke chained in an abandoned factory, where Zemo questioned him about Howard's murder and used the Winter Soldier trigger words to control him.
• Under Zemo's questioning, Barnes revealed that records of Howard's murder were stored at the Siberian Base.
• After Zemo left, Barnes tried to pray to his master for help, but Zemo returned and knocked him unconscious.

Tony Stark recruited Peter Parker to help find James Barnes and uncover the truth behind the United Nations bombing, since the Avengers could not act under the Sokovia Accords. Peter learned why Tony needed him but worried he was not suited to search for Barnes.

• Ross put special forces in charge of finding James Barnes, while Tony and Natasha sought outside help to clear Barnes's name.
• Tony visited Peter Parker at home and pretended Peter had applied to the September Foundation to speak with him privately.
• Tony showed Peter videos of Spider-Man and found Peter's handmade suit, confirming his secret identity.
• Peter explained that he used his powers because refusing to help when he could would make him responsible for the harm that followed.
• Tony told Peter that Barnes had been framed and that the Avengers could not investigate independently under the Sokovia Accords.
• Peter understood that Tony wanted him to find Barnes and uncover the truth, but doubted he could track anyone across the world.