Chapter Summaries

Tony Stark and Sam Wilson sent Peter Parker and Scott Lang to persuade Aaron Gaius to locate James Barnes, but Aaron refused until Wanda revealed that Clint Barton had pressured her. Aaron agreed to perform a divination and warned the Avengers that he would protect Barton's family, but they must not exploit Wanda again.

• Tony Stark persuaded Peter Parker to visit Aaron Gaius, while Sam Wilson sent Scott Lang to seek Aaron's help finding James Barnes.
• Peter Parker and Scott Lang asked Aaron to help, but he refused because Wanda had not retired peacefully and he wanted Peter to focus on school.
• Wanda returned with Jane and told Aaron that Clint Barton had called her about Barnes, making Aaron realize the Avengers had used her ties to pressure him.
• Aaron agreed to perform a divination and sent Jane to comfort Wanda, then called Barton and angrily confronted him.
• Aaron frightened Barton with a warning about his family, then clarified that he would protect what Barton cherished and warned the Avengers not to exploit Wanda again.

Aaron used divination to locate Bucky in a Soviet base in Siberia, then learned that Bucky’s captor was possessed by a powerful demon and held a recording of Bucky killing Tony Stark’s parents. Aaron joined Scott Lang and Peter Parker’s rescue mission while arranging for Wanda to learn his secrets before he left; the group planned to seek transport from T’Challa.

• Aaron used his Crystal Ball to see Bucky chained in a snowy secret base and used Gaius's Compass to determine his direction.
• Bucky contacted Aaron and revealed that his captor had kept him unconscious, was possessed by a powerful demon, and possessed a recording of Bucky killing the Howard couple.
• Aaron decided to accompany Scott Lang and Peter Parker to Siberia because they might not be able to face the demon alone.
• Aaron gave Wanda his protective Divine Artifact back, asked her to sign a confidentiality agreement, and let Jane show her his Chamber of Secrets.
• Peter Parker told Aaron that Mr. Stark could not provide transport, so the group planned to ask T'Challa for help reaching Siberia.

Aaron, T'Challa, Scott Lang, and Peter Parker traveled to a Siberian base to find Barnes and confronted Helmut Zemo. Zemo admitted to orchestrating the United Nations bombing and explained that he had killed the other Winter Soldiers; Barnes remained alive but unconscious.

• Aaron, Scott Lang, and Peter Parker met T'Challa, who flew them toward Siberia in a cloaked Wakandan aircraft.
• During the flight, Aaron discussed Wakanda's hidden wealth and warned Peter Parker to protect himself during the mission.
• The group entered the Siberian base and found Barnes unconscious in an interrogation chair, surrounded by dead Winter Soldiers in cryogenic chambers.
• Zemo introduced himself and said he had killed the Winter Soldiers because they had been raised as assassins.
• T'Challa asked whether Zemo had planned the United Nations bombing, and Zemo admitted that he had.

Zemo revealed that James Barnes had killed Howard and his wife while brainwashed, hoping the footage would make Iron Man and Captain America turn against each other. The group took Zemo into custody without informing Tony Stark, while Aaron grew wary of Zemo’s surrender and contacted Barnes in the mental world.

• Zemo explained that he had impersonated Barnes to draw the Avengers into his plan, then showed footage of Barnes killing Howard and his wife in 1991.
• Zemo revealed that his family had died in Sokovia and said he wanted to destroy the Avengers by provoking conflict between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers.
• T'Challa decided to take Zemo back, while Aaron and Scott asked to stay out of revealing the footage themselves.
• Zemo surrendered and cooperated as T'Challa, Scott, Peter Parker, and Aaron took him aboard their plane.
• Zemo said Barnes was alive but unconscious, and Aaron entered the mental world and contacted Barnes through their contract.

Aaron and Bucky discussed how to handle Helmut Zemo, whom Aaron believed was possessed by a demon, and Aaron decided to recruit him by blaming the demon for his crimes. On the flight to the Avengers Alliance base, Bucky suddenly smashed the aircraft’s control console, leaving T’Challa alarmed.

• In the Mind World, Bucky learned that Zemo had shown the others footage of him killing Howard couple, and Aaron offered to bring the couple back temporarily so Bucky and Tony Stark could speak with them.
• Aaron revealed that he wanted to recruit Zemo and planned to make Bucky expose the demon inside him while keeping the confrontation in the wilderness.
• Aaron woke Bucky on the plane with a painful injection, and Bucky pretended not to know that the others had seen the footage of Howard couple’s murder.
• Peter Parker and Scott Lang explained that Bucky’s actions would ignite the conflict between Iron Man and Captain America, while T’Challa warned Bucky against facing Tony Stark in his weakened state.
• After admiring the Wakandan aircraft, Bucky reached the pilot’s seat and punched through the control console with his mechanical arm, shocking T’Challa.

Bucky forced the plane carrying Zemo to crash-land in Siberia because he suspected Zemo had a hidden agenda. Aaron exposed the demon possessing Zemo as Samael, who revealed his plan to claim the Avengers’ souls before attacking the group.

• Bucky destroyed the plane’s control panel, and T’Challa made an emergency landing in the Siberian forest.
• After Aaron helped free Bucky, Bucky accused Zemo of being a demon, and Aaron confirmed it by splashing him with Holy Water.
• Zemo revealed that Samael possessed him through a contract and intended to claim Steve Rogers’ and Tony Stark’s souls, along with Zemo’s.
• Samael explained that his plan had been discovered and threatened the group, while Aaron and Bucky positioned themselves behind the others.
• Samael attacked the group, knocked T’Challa out of the cabin, and dodged T’Challa’s counterattack.

Scott, T'Challa, and Peter Parker battled Samael in the snow until Scott used his Giant-Man form and Pym Particles to bury the demon beneath an enormous boulder. Aaron warned Bucky that Samael had not yet revealed his true demon form, leaving the fight's outcome uncertain.

• Samael dodged T'Challa and Scott, escaped Peter Parker's webbing, and overpowered the three heroes in close combat.
• Scott told Peter Parker to buy him time, then grew dozens of meters tall and swept Samael across the snowfield.
• Peter Parker bound Samael's legs while Scott hurled a boulder and T'Challa struck it with the Blue Disc, enlarging it into a mountain that crashed down on Samael.
• Scott shrank back to normal and collapsed from exhaustion as Peter Parker and T'Challa wondered whether Samael was dead.
• Aaron told Bucky that Samael was one of the Seven Deadly Sins and had never revealed his Demon True Form, so he might still escape or unleash his full power.

Samael broke free from his mountain prison and overwhelmed T'Challa, Scott, and Peter Parker, singling Peter out for a deadly game of cat and mouse. Just as Peter ran out of webbing and faced Samael's final strike, a distant gunshot interrupted the attack and let him land safely.

• Samael emerged from the shattered mountain, explained that his escape had altered his contract with Zemo, and dismissed the heroes' efforts to stop him.
• T'Challa, Scott, and Peter Parker attacked together, but Samael easily countered them, injuring T'Challa and knocking Scott unconscious.
• Samael became intrigued by Peter's Spider-Sense and pursued him through the forest, while Aaron prepared to intervene and sent Bucky to move the others to safety.
• Peter ran out of webbing and was cornered by Samael, but a gunshot rang out and interrupted Samael's attack.

Aaron Gaius confronted Samael, a High-ranking Demon, and fought him with enchanted weapons and astonishing physical strength. The battle left Samael questioning whether Aaron was truly mortal as the others watched from safety.

• Aaron arrived with Abei, wounded Samael with a holy bullet, and told Peter Parker to evacuate the injured and warn the Avengers.
• Aaron fired enchanted bullets at Samael, then blocked his attacks and revealed he could unleash powerful slashes through pure physical strength.
• Scott, T'Challa, Zemo, and Barnes arrived on a Magic Carpet and watched Aaron and Samael battle across the snowy forest.
• Samael spread his wings and attacked Aaron, but Aaron wounded him with a blue slash before they resumed their fierce fight.
• Aaron emerged from the ruined forest largely unhurt, leaving Samael exhausted and convinced that a mortal could not possess such strength and endurance.

Aaron Gaius fought Samael, who tried to kill him and claim his Divine Artifact, until Aaron’s enchanted coat protected him from Hellfire. As Samael attacked again, Abei arrived in its enormous sacred dragon form and turned the tide of the battle.

• Samael attacked Aaron with ice blades and a giant hand of Stone Pillars, then trapped him in Hellfire.
• Aaron escaped the burning hand, but Samael blasted him back into the flames and threatened the others on the Magic Carpet.
• Aaron emerged unharmed in his Divine Artifact coat and explained that it had been upgraded from a relic of Lan Caihe.
• Samael launched dark energy blasts and a swarm of blood-colored bats at Aaron.
• Abei answered Aaron’s call, arrived as a giant sacred dragon, and burned away the bats.
• Aaron revealed that he usually held Abei in its small form, while Bucky confirmed it was the cat Aaron often carried.

Aaron and Abei fought Samael and his Hell creatures, but a clash of dragon fire and crimson lightning devastated the battlefield. With the swarm still pursuing him, Aaron mounted Supersonic and prepared to counterattack.

• Samael summoned a horde of Hell creatures and threatened to take Aaron’s life and Divine Artifact, while Aaron ordered Abei to fight them.
• Abei burned, scattered, and struck down the Hell creatures, then clashed with Samael’s lightning spear in an explosion that blasted them apart.
• Peter, Scott, T’Challa, and Bucky watched the destruction as Samael realized Aaron also had a Phoenix.
• Fawkes carried Aaron away from the charging Hell creatures, but Aaron refused to Apparate and called Supersonic from his Spatial Ring.
• Aaron activated Supersonic’s flight and attack modes, then ordered its Jericho Missiles to fire.

Aaron and his allies nearly wiped out Samael’s summoned Hell army, but Samael drew more power from Hell and unleashed a devastating attack. As the clash threatened to overwhelm them, Aaron sent Supersonic into combat mode and prepared a counterattack, ending with him hinting that he still had another way to turn the battle around.

• Aaron used Supersonic’s missiles and holy-water-purified Alchemical Bullets to destroy nearly all of the Hell creatures.
• Samael attacked Aaron with a massive dark beam, then raged at Aaron’s strength, Divine Artifact, Mythical Beasts, and alchemical skills.
• Aaron boasted about his character, talent, luck, and plans for a long life, while Samael drew greater power from Hell.
• Wong questioned Ancient One about easing the Super Magic Array’s suppression of Samael, and Ancient One said she would intervene if necessary while seeking to gain more Origin energy.
• Samael formed a powerful purple-black sphere, and Aaron suspected Ancient One was deliberately watching rather than helping.
• Aaron transformed Supersonic into a combat robot and had it fire Demon Hunter alongside Abei’s elemental beam, but Samael’s attack began to overpower their combined force.

Aaron defeated Samael with the Casket of Ancient Winters and sealed the Hell Origin in Wei Zheng's Jar, while Ancient One regretted missing the chance to claim it. After reuniting with his allies, Aaron learned that his spectacular arsenal might attract powerful people seeking to take his equipment.

• Aaron used the Casket of Ancient Winters to overpower Samael and destroy his Demonic Body.
• The Hell Origin escaped Ancient One's sealing arrays, but Aaron captured it in Wei Zheng's Jar before Samael dissipated.
• Ancient One regretted losing the Hell Origin and went to speak with Beelzebub so he would not flee.
• Aaron reunited with Bucky and the others, and Peter Parker excitedly asked about Abei and Supersonic.
• Scott and T'Challa warned Aaron that people might target his godly loadout, and T'Challa offered Wakanda's guarantee if Aaron surrendered some items.

Aaron sheltered the exhausted survivors in a portable villa and explained the value of Samael’s Hell Origin, while Bucky and T’Challa debated Zemo’s responsibility for the bombing. Aaron entered Zemo’s Mind World and told him that Samael had been reborn in Hell, leaving Zemo astonished that Aaron had reached him there.

• Aaron refused to trade away Samael’s Hell Origin, explaining that it could make an immortality elixir or a powerful nine-enchantment Alchemical Bullet.
• Aaron deployed a Universal Capsule that unfolded into a warm villa, where the survivors rested and cared for the injured Abei.
• Bucky and T’Challa questioned how much responsibility Zemo bore for the United Nations bombing, and Aaron suggested that Samael may have controlled him.
• Aaron left his body and entered Zemo’s Mind World, where he dispelled the storm and woke Zemo.
• Zemo asked whether he was in Hell, and Aaron explained that he was in Zemo’s mind and that Samael had likely been reborn in Hell.

Aaron Gaius tried to recruit Zemo by offering him a chance to meet his dead family, while warning that truly reviving them could expose Aaron to the Goddess of Death. Zemo agreed to serve Aaron and carefully reviewed the contract and its rewards.

• Zemo learned that Aaron had killed Samael and that Lucifer had placed a bounty on the Gaius name.
• Aaron brought Zemo into his mind world and offered him a position with freedom, long life, and godlike authority in exchange for ability and loyalty.
• Aaron described three ways to reunite Zemo with his family, but explained that reviving them could reveal his identity to the multiverse and endanger them.
• Zemo chose spirit summoning and agreed to work for Aaron so he could see his family again.
• Aaron manifested a contract and ten potions, and Zemo carefully read the terms, including a meeting with his family and a Path to Godhood as rewards.

Aaron explained the Red Priest Pathway and recruited Zemo as a follower, whose duties would chiefly involve gathering intelligence and helping govern Aaron’s future Divine Kingdom. After leaving Siberia, the group headed toward New York and Vienna to address the United Nations bombing and the Avengers’ growing conflict.

• Aaron explained the Hunter-to-Red-Priest Sequences, the requirements for advancing, and why he could only help followers reach Sequence Two without sufficient merit and loyalty.
• Aaron told Zemo that his followers would serve as administrators and Angels in his future Divine Kingdom, and Zemo signed the contract to become his follower.
• Aaron told Zemo to deny knowing anything about the United Nations bombing and promised to show him his family’s graves before helping him advance to Sequence Nine Hunter.
• Wakanda’s aircraft carried Aaron and the others away from Siberia, and T’Challa warned Okoye that Aaron had defeated Samael and saved the Wakandan king and prince.
• Aaron advised T’Challa to send Zemo to Vienna for questioning and Barnes to the Avengers, while the group planned to be dropped near Scott’s van first.
• Zemo denied remembering the bombing and claimed that Samael’s words were unreliable, while admitting he felt grateful to the demon for helping avenge his family.

Aaron, Scott, and Peter Parker returned to New York after the conflict in Siberia, and Aaron gave Peter a million dollars as a private safety net. Back at his divination shop, Aaron asked Hela to protect his friends if his identity was exposed, while Hela assured Wanda that Aaron had likely already planned how to conceal it.

• Aaron reassured Peter Parker that the Avengers' conflict was not their fault and gave him Calming Draughts.
• Aaron gave Peter Parker a bank card with one million dollars, and Peter reluctantly accepted it as a private reserve for his future as Spider-Man.
• Aaron called Potts to arrange for Peter to deliver something to Tony Stark at Stark Tower.
• Abei recounted the battle against Samael to Wanda and Jane while Hela teased Aaron about his fight and warned that others might come after him.
• Aaron gave Hela Samael's Hell Origin in exchange for her promise to protect Wanda, Jane, Jean, and Daisy if his identity was exposed.
• Wanda blamed herself for Aaron encountering Samael, but Aaron comforted her, and Hela said he had likely planned how to hide his identity as soon as he killed Samael.

Aaron hosted United Nations and Avengers representatives seeking to purchase the devastating power he had displayed in Siberia, but he refused to treat it as a negotiation over weapons. The meeting ended with Tony discovering Pepper was pregnant and asking Aaron to attend their wedding.

• After consulting with T'Challa and reviewing evidence of Samael, the United Nations offered to release Zemo if the Holy Court confirmed he had no lingering demonic effects.
• Aaron served Abei grilled Ladyfish while Wanda received Ross, Everett, Fury, Hill, Tony, and Pepper at the Holy Court.
• Tony said he had stopped pursuing Bucky after seeing his parents through a miracle, and he argued that Howard's shield belonged to him by inheritance.
• Fury and Ross presented footage of Aaron fighting Samael and asked him to sell them his destructive weapons, while Tony refused to get involved under the Sokovia Accords.
• Aaron told Tony to take extra care of Pepper because she was pregnant, and Tony was overcome with excitement and wanted to go to the hospital.
• Everett confirmed the Accords allowed Avengers to retire for an appropriate reason, but Tony returned to his seat and asked Aaron to attend his wedding.

Ross, Nick Fury, and the others tried to buy Aaron’s extraordinary items, but he explained why nearly all of them could not be sold and offered Wei Zheng’s Jar at an absurd price. Hill then showed footage of Carter Slade using a Ghost Mask to summon shadow soldiers, suggesting Aaron’s masks were connected to the Shadow Holy Court.

• Ross offered Aaron one billion dollars for his Divine Artifacts, and Nick Fury raised S.H.I.E.L.D.’s offer to ten billion before Aaron refused to sell most of his possessions.
• Aaron claimed Immortal God's armor came from an intergalactic auction, the Casket of Ancient Winters came from Odin, and Demon Hunter was a family heirloom that only worked for him.
• Aaron said Super Sonic was alive and could escape or self-destruct, then offered Wei Zheng's Jar for ten billion dollars before dropping his asking price to one billion for Ross.
• Abei snarled at the buyers when Aaron raised the possibility of selling it, and Aaron said Fawkes would be similarly unwilling to go.
• Hill showed footage of Carter Slade summoning shadow soldiers with a Ghost Mask, and the soldiers slaughtered the corpses attacking his group.
• Hill said Carter had used the Ghost Mask during an operation with the Archbishop of the Shadow Holy Court and noted that Aaron had produced similar masks before.

Aaron explained that he had traded every Ghost Mask to the God of Contracts for Wanda’s peaceful retirement and a chance to enter the Divine Kingdom, then showed officials his remaining magical collectibles. He refused to sell any of them, leaving Ross threatening pressure and Nick Fury trying to prevent a confrontation.

• Aaron told Ross that the Ghost Masks had been given to the God of Contracts in exchange for a guarantor for Wanda and a chance to enter the Divine Kingdom.
• Nick Fury and the others asked Aaron to register his collection, while Ross pushed for appraisals and possible government purchases; Aaron agreed to register items but refused to sell them.
• Aaron displayed the Book of Prophecy, which predicted that Stephen Strange would soon suffer a car accident that crippled both hands.
• Aaron introduced several other collectibles, including Gaius's Compass, Shiva Temple's Bracelet, Ghilani's Emerald, and Blood Flower, while Ross became eager to obtain the compass.
• Ross invoked the Sokovia Accords and warned Aaron to accept government oversight, but Aaron refused to sell anything, and Nick Fury insisted S.H.I.E.L.D. did not intend to use force.