Chapter Summaries

Thor survived the Phoenix flames and was reborn as the Phoenix Apostle, gaining a fraction of the Phoenix Force. Doctor Paradox warned him against arrogance, then revealed that Phoenix was headed to Legerdomain for a vessel it had chosen: Hope, whom the White Queen identified as Charmcaster.

• Phoenix left Thor charred and near death, while Doctor Paradox waited to see whether he would survive.
• Doctor Paradox explained that Thor’s connection to Phoenix, along with his three mothers—Firehair, Gaia, and Frigga—gave him a chance to endure the flames.
• Thor was reborn in Phoenix fire, restored his armor and Mjolnir, and became the Phoenix Apostle.
• Thor believed he could control the power, but Doctor Paradox warned him that arrogance could make him Phoenix’s puppet; Thor remembered his past mistakes and backed down.
• Doctor Paradox said Phoenix was headed to Legerdomain to meet its chosen vessel, and the White Queen told Charmcaster that she would host the Phoenix Force and save the mutants.

Charmcaster defeated Magik, White Queen, and the others in the Manna Dimension, then decided to seize the Alpha Rune by taking down Ben Parker and becoming Lord of Manna. Meanwhile, Ben studied the growing number of mutants awakening across Earth.

• Charmcaster overwhelmed Magik, White Queen, and the others with the Manna Dimension's power, which carried traces of Chaos Magic and other forces.
• Magik and White Queen urged Charmcaster to master the Phoenix Force, but she rejected their advice and resolved to take the Alpha Rune herself.
• Magik told Charmcaster that Ben Parker was the dimension's ruler, and Charmcaster recognized the name and vowed to defeat him.
• Charmcaster secretly prepared to act before the others could guide her, setting her sights on Ben Parker.
• On Earth, Ben researched mutant genes as more adolescents around the world awakened amid emotional turmoil, often causing destruction and casualties.

Norman Osborn and Ben discussed how the Galactic Plumbers should handle the rapidly growing number of mutants, classifying their abilities and proposing different forms of supervision and training. Norman then learned from Eunice that the next Collision Crisis was approaching far sooner than expected.

• Norman told Ben that nearly one hundred thousand Superpower rampage incidents had occurred worldwide in a few days, overwhelming the Plumbers and their prisons.
• Ben proposed classifying mutants by ability and handling weaker classes through nonintervention or registration while training Gamma-class mutants in special Plumber schools.
• Ben designated Beta-class and Alpha-class mutants as potential Plumber recruits, but insisted that those who had harmed others serve their full sentences without sentence reductions.
• Ben explained that Omega-class mutants could defy physical laws and required cautious handling, while Norman compared the classes to familiar super-powered figures.
• Norman told Ben that Eunice had warned him the next Collision Crisis was near because the two universes were approaching faster than expected.

Rampage Ben and Evil Ben discovered that a monster in the Cancerverse could regenerate from destruction, then sought help from Lord Marvel, who claimed his universe had eliminated death. They learned that cracks caused by the coming Collision Crisis could let them enter another universe early, and Evil Ben collected Marvel’s cells to investigate immortality.

• Rampage Ben blasted the tentacled monster, but its pieces continued wriggling and gathering together.
• Evil Ben proposed that the monster’s immortality came from a mutation, then convinced Rampage Ben to learn about the universe’s forces and find allies.
• Rampage Ben and Evil Ben met the Cancerverse Avengers’ leader, Lord Marvel, who explained that his universe had eliminated death and made all life immortal.
• Marvel said fault lines from the Collision Crisis could let them enter the other universe ahead of time, and Evil Ben obtained some of Marvel’s cells.
• Evil Ben called on Rampage Ben to help investigate the cells, but Rampage Ben refused because he feared they would contaminate his Omnitrix.

Ben and Tony devised a plan to divert the cosmic fault into the Null Void, where the New Kryptonians would attack the approaching enemy. In the Cancerverse, Cancerverse Tony and Evil Ben prepared to invade Ben’s universe before the collision began.

• Eunice explained that an artificial cosmic fault had appeared between the universes, and Otto warned that the collision would occur in three weeks.
• Ben summoned Tony, who arrived from a party in Wakanda and proposed opening a Null Void passage at the fault’s exit.
• Ben ordered Eunice to deploy the Giant Null Void Projector and told the New Kryptonians in the Null Void to eliminate the marked intruders.
• In the Cancerverse, Cancerverse Tony announced plans to attack before the collision, while Evil Ben embraced his immortality despite the pain of his spreading cancer cells.

Evil Ben and Marvel’s forces entered a cosmic rift seeking Death and greater power, but emerged in the Null Void Realm and became trapped when the passage closed. In Wakanda, Ben Parker decided to destroy the enemy’s Earth while the remaining rift still allowed time to return.

• Evil Ben and First Generation Captain Marvel agreed to cooperate while pursuing different targets: a crucial person and the Coroner, whom Marvel needed to summon Death.
• Lord Marvel led the fleet through the stabilized cosmic rift, but the force emerged in a barren, crimson world instead of its intended universe.
• Evil Ben recognized the Null Void Realm and ordered the fleet to turn back, but the passage had already closed, trapping them.
• Ben Parker watched the passage seal from Wakanda, and T’Challa asked whether they should destroy the enemy’s Earth immediately or wait three weeks.
• Ben Parker chose to destroy the Earth at once and reassured Tony that the rift would remain open long enough for them to return.

Tony Stark joined Ben’s mission to destroy Earth, while Marvel’s force became trapped in the Null Void and faced an attack from New Kryptonians and natural predators. Fiona led the Kryptonians in battle, and Marvel was killed by a blast of Heat Vision.

• Tony Stark joined Ben and Steve’s mission alongside Beta Ray Bill, Carol Danvers, Wanda, Eunice, and Nova Corps centurions.
• Marvel’s group discovered that ordinary Null Void Projectors could not escape the Null Void, whose barriers were reinforced by many powers.
• Cancerverse Tony warned that monsters had surrounded the fleet, and Evil Ben identified several as natural predators that countered their abilities.
• Marvel ordered the warship to fire on the predators, but the ship came under attack and a figure tore open its ceiling.
• Fiona revealed herself as queen of New Krypton and ordered hundreds of Kryptonians to crush the intruders.
• Marvel rallied the Cancerverse Avengers but was killed instantly by a Kryptonian’s Heat Vision.

The Kryptonians overwhelmed the Cancerverse forces while Rampage Ben escaped, and Death recruited Thanos to protect Ben Parker from the invaders. Thanos agreed, believing the task would earn him a place beside Death, though she secretly planned to use him as a smokescreen and leave his fate to the Cancerverse.

• The Kryptonians devastated the Cancerverse fleet, and Rampage Ben transformed into Nanomech and vanished while Evil Ben stayed behind.
• Death watched Thanos regenerate in the Null Void and summoned him, renewing his hope that she had accepted him.
• Death told Thanos to keep Ben Parker alive because Ben was her favored agent and lover.
• Thanos accepted the mission, believing that serving Death would let him return to her side.
• Death concealed that the Cancerverse would offer Thanos to its twisted Elder Gods.

Fiona and the New Kryptonians seemingly annihilated the Cancerverse Avengers with overwhelming Heat Vision, while Rampage Ben and Evil Ben escaped the battlefield. Marvel and the other Avengers regenerated, and Marvel rejected Evil Ben’s plan to attack the Kryptonians again, fearing they would guard the Avengers’ resurrection point.

• Fiona smashed Cancerverse Thor into the ground, but his body regenerated as Val-Tome identified the invaders as rapidly multiplying cancer cells.
• Apollo Atlas III argued that the Cancerverse Avengers could be killed by erasing every cell and used Heat Vision to vaporize several of them and their equipment.
• The Kryptonians searched the battlefield and burned away every remnant before Fiona reported to Galactic Plumbers Headquarters that the intruders had been eliminated.
• Rampage Ben escaped as a ghost and went looking for a way out of the Null Void Realm, while Evil Ben hid in the Negative Zone and emerged after the Kryptonians left.
• Marvel and the other Cancerverse Avengers regenerated, and Evil Ben proposed a counterattack, but Marvel refused because the Kryptonians could camp their resurrection point.

Evil Ben and the Cancerverse Avengers searched the Null Void for The Coroner, while Charmcaster went to Legerdomain seeking the Lord of Manna and the Alpha Rune. Ancient One defeated Charmcaster and offered to train her as the Sorcerer Supreme, leaving Charmcaster doubtful she could refuse.

• Lord Marvel led Evil Ben and the Cancerverse Avengers deeper into the Null Void to find The Coroner.
• Charmcaster secretly left her group and teleported toward two powerful Energy of the Universe signatures in Legerdomain.
• Charmcaster mistook Odin and Ancient One for the Lord of Manna and demanded the Alpha Rune.
• Ancient One knocked Charmcaster's soul out of her body with a single strike, then explained that the Lord of Manna was not there.
• Ancient One said Ben was busy giving birth and offered to make Charmcaster the Sorcerer Supreme; Charmcaster asked if she could refuse.

Shuri discovered that Ben, transformed into Big Chill, was eating Wakanda’s Vibranium, and T’Challa initially dismissed her concerns. When Ben consumed hundreds of tons from the mine, Wakanda sought help and Looma explained that he was gathering nutrients during the Necrofriggian egg-laying period.

• Shuri watched Big Chill sneak into the laboratory and chew through its stored Vibranium, then told T’Challa, who said to let Ben eat it.
• Big Chill ate all the laboratory’s Vibranium and flew toward Wakanda’s mine because his developing child needed more nutrients.
• T’Chaka revealed that Ben had eaten about one percent of the mine’s remaining Vibranium in one night, and T’Challa asked Norman Osborn for help.
• Looma and Felicia initially prepared to defend Ben, but Looma explained that his behavior was normal for a Necrofriggian reproduction cycle.
• Peter learned that his own watch contained Necrofriggian DNA and worried that he might eventually lay eggs too.

Norman assembled a team to stop Big Chill from devouring Wakanda’s Vibranium, and Peter’s devices prevented Ben from escaping into the phase dimension. Big Chill froze Connorson and Sandman, leaving the rest of the team to face him.

• T'Chaka agreed to let Ben keep the Vibranium already eaten as a gift for the child if the team stopped him from taking more.
• Norman organized Peter, Sandman, T'Challa, Connorson, Harry, Winter Soldier, and Agent Venom to confront Big Chill in the mine.
• Harry attacked Big Chill with Sound Rings, but the Vibranium absorbed the vibrations, letting Ben break free and trap Harry inside the mountain.
• T'Challa freed Harry while Peter deployed devices that sealed the phase dimension and prevented Big Chill from phasing away.
• Connorson charged Big Chill in his Dinosaur Man form, but Ben froze him and Sandman with an intense blast of cold breath.

Benny regained control of himself, gave birth to eight Big Chill offspring, and sent them into space. On Legerdomain, Ancient One trained Charmcaster while Magik discovered that Ancient One was alive and had taken Hope.

• Winter Soldier and Agent Venom broke through the ice around the mine, and Peter used Heatblast to attack Benny.
• Benny extinguished Peter’s flames, removed the Copy Watch, and revealed that Super-Kill had preserved his consciousness while Big Chill’s instincts controlled him.
• Benny gave birth to eight juvenile Big Chills, which flew into space to grow up and return in eighty years.
• Benny reassured T’Challa that the offspring could not eat Vibranium and promised that the Galactic Plumbers would compensate Wakanda.
• Ancient One trained Charmcaster on Legerdomain and told Odin that Steve Strange was happier without magic or superpowers.
• Magik overheard Ancient One and realized she was alive and had taken Hope.

Magik told the X-Men that Ancient One had taken Hope to train her as the Sorcerer Supreme, prompting them to plan a rescue before the Phoenix Force arrived. In Legerdomain, Ben Parker met Charmcaster and learned from Ancient One that the Phoenix was coming, while Charmcaster secretly plotted to make him her servant.

• Magik told White Queen, Cable, and Colossus that Ancient One had abducted Hope and intended to train her as the Sorcerer Supreme.
• Cable convinced the others that they had to retrieve Hope before Ancient One and Odin could intercept the Phoenix Force, and they decided Magik would prepare a Teleportation Array.
• Ancient One brought Ben Parker to Legerdomain, where Charmcaster mistook him for Ben Tennyson before he explained that he was from another world.
• Ancient One said Charmcaster would be her successor and explained that a powerful force had caused Mutants to appear on Earth.
• Ancient One revealed that the Phoenix was coming, and Ben Parker wondered whether it was targeting Jean Grey while Charmcaster plotted to make him her servant.

Ancient One warned Ben Parker that the Phoenix Force could threaten the Manna Dimension and sent Charmcaster with him to study the residual energy inside her. Ben took Charmcaster to a Wakandan laboratory, while White Queen and the others learned she had left Legerdomain and planned to take her back.

• Ancient One warned Ben Parker about the Phoenix Force and pushed Charmcaster toward him as a reference for studying its remnants.
• Ben Parker took Charmcaster's Sling Ring and revealed that he was Lord of Manna, then agreed to teach her magic despite her stated plan to defeat him.
• Ben Parker teleported Charmcaster to a Wakandan laboratory, transformed into Grey Matter, and scanned her as she released the Energy of the Universe in her body.
• White Queen, Magik, and Cable learned Charmcaster had left Legerdomain with Ben Parker, and Cable proposed taking her back while avoiding a major confrontation.

Ben trained Charmcaster to cast spells using the Energy of the Universe, but she lacked enough magical energy to succeed. When he told her to rest and reassured her that she did not bear sole responsibility for fighting the Phoenix, Charmcaster was moved and asked him to use her own name.

• Ben demonstrated how to combine Alien Hero abilities through Tetramand Hand and layered spells.
• Charmcaster repeatedly tried to cast Tetramand Hand and Teslos Lightning, but her spells failed because she lacked magical energy.
• Ben caught Charmcaster when she nearly fainted, then let go and accidentally sent her onto the ground when she told him to release her.
• Ben told Charmcaster to rest and said the Phoenix fight was his responsibility, prompting her to reflect on how rarely anyone had cared for her.
• As Ben prepared to leave, Charmcaster asked him to stop calling her Charmcaster, and Ben guessed that she wanted him to call her Hope.

Rampage Ben escaped the Null Void and tracked the Annihilarrgh, while Boy and Octagon stole a box they believed held it. On the other side of the cosmic rift, Steve stopped Tony from destroying Earth, and their argument turned into a dispute over who Benny liked more.

• Rampage Ben escaped the Null Void, destroyed the pistol sustaining its gate, and detected the Annihilarg Lord Maltruant wanted in this universe.
• Boy and Octagon traveled through space with a stolen box, which Boy suspected was not really the Annihilarrgh, though he planned to use it in a big job.
• Steve stopped Tony from pressing the antimatter bomb's button, arguing that people resisting the Cancerverse Avengers were still their friends.
• Wanda reacted with disbelief to this universe's Scarlet Witch being in love with Vision, while Tony argued that Earth had to be destroyed because the infected could not be saved.
• Steve said Benny would support his choice and claimed Benny liked him more, leaving Tony surprised and asking when Benny had said so.

Tony and Steve realized that Ben had told them nearly identical things and confronted the others about his deception. Their argument shifted to plans to destroy Earth, but Marvel arrived with Evil Ben and an army of Cancerverse Celestials, leaving the group facing an overwhelming attack.

• Tony recalled how Ben had supported him during his conflict with Steve over Bucky, then angrily accused Ben of lying after learning Steve had heard nearly the same words.
• Eunice defended Benny, while Wanda pointed out that many people were close to him, and Tony and Steve admitted they had relied on him too much.
• Tony proposed letting Earth's rebels escape before the planet was destroyed, and Steve agreed that their situation had changed.
• Vision asked Tony to help eliminate the source of the cancer, but Marvel interrupted and announced that The Coroner had already been found.
• Marvel revealed that Evil Ben had returned from The Fault with a repaired spacecraft and intended to sacrifice Thanos to kill another universe's Death.
• Marvel summoned ranks of Cancerverse Celestials, and Evil Ben eagerly prepared for battle.

At the Galactic Plumbers’ mothership, Charmcaster learned that Ben had a girlfriend and a fiancée, then found herself unexpectedly drawn into their chaotic relationship. She resolved to compete for Ben before he announced he was leaving for a while.

• Charmcaster wondered if Ben had secretly watched her and fantasized about defeating him before letting him serve her.
• Felicia introduced herself as Ben’s girlfriend and led Charmcaster to the bathing room to find him with Looma, who called herself his fiancée.
• Felicia explained that she was Ben’s girlfriend while Looma was his fiancée, leaving Charmcaster stunned by their arrangement.
• Felicia pulled Charmcaster into the bath, where Ben’s presence overwhelmed her and she remained lost in embarrassed fantasies.
• After Felicia left, Charmcaster blamed her for provoking her and vowed to steal Ben away to prove she could marry him first.
• Ben returned and told Charmcaster he was leaving for a while, saying she could stay or return to find Ancient One.

Ben prepared to rescue the Cancerverse, bringing Charmcaster, Looma, and Hela with him. On Sakaar, the dwarves presented Ben with a powerful divine sword, which he named Eskron.

• After learning that immortal Cancerverse enemies had escaped the Null Void Realm, Ben ordered Caiera to have the Plumbers watch for Rampage Ben and send Fiona if they found him.
• Charmcaster insisted on joining Ben, and he agreed to bring her, Looma, and Hela to the Cancerverse.
• Ben returned to Sakaar, where Charmcaster saw the statues honoring him and teased him for being narcissistic.
• Caiera showed Ben the reforged Destroyer Armor and introduced Eitri, who presented a divine sword forged from powerful materials and energies.
• Ben examined the sword and named it Eskron.