Chapter Summaries

Kaecilius led Dormammu’s forces against the New York Sanctum and claimed that Ancient One had secretly used Dormammu’s black magic. As the Sanctum’s defenses nearly collapsed and Arthur struck Kaecilius with powerful White Magic, Thor arrived in a bolt of lightning.

• Kaecilius and his disciples attacked the New York Sanctum while Xu Fan and the Kamar-Taj sorcerers remained trapped in the Mirror Dimension.
• Kaecilius accused Ancient One of using Dormammu’s black magic to stay young and said he had killed Xu Fan and the Kamar-Taj sorcerers.
• Kaecilius’s disciples exploited the Sanctum sorcerers’ hesitation, injured many of them, and battered the White Magic barrier with dark magic.
• Arthur unleashed his borrowed White Magic and pierced Kaecilius’s black-magic shield, engulfing him in a beam of light.
• Thor descended in a bolt of lightning, annihilating nearby demons and drawing cheers from Coulson.

Thor, Sif, and the Three Warriors joined the battle while Arthur’s White Magic severely injured Kaecilius, though its backlash left Arthur helpless. Captain America tried to stop Kaecilius, who then turned his attack toward the New York Sanctum, but Kaguya arrived and struck him after hearing him mention Xu Fan.

• Thor arrived on Earth and used a powerful storm to sweep away demons while Sif and the Three Warriors fought Kaecilius's disciples on the ground.
• Arthur pierced Kaecilius's defenses with White Magic, but the backlash left Arthur unable to see, hear, or move, and Kaecilius healed himself by consuming two disciples' life essence.
• Captain America blocked Kaecilius's attack on Arthur and refused his offer to join Dormammu, but Kaecilius caught his shield and slammed him into a crater.
• Kaecilius fired dark magic at the New York Sanctum, but a black hole opened and swallowed the attack.
• Kaguya appeared beside Kaecilius, asked who he had said he killed, and struck him with her palm.

Kaguya saved Arthur and helped turn the battle against Kaecilius, while Ross's army and S.H.I.E.L.D. joined Hulk and the other defenders. As Kaguya closed in, Dormammu possessed Kaecilius and unleashed enough power to drive back the heroes and leave the White Magic barrier undefended.

• Kaguya deflected the disciples' dark magic, wounded Kaecilius, and destroyed several disciples with Truth-Seeking Orbs.
• Kaguya used Chakra to heal Arthur enough for him to move, while Ross's army and S.H.I.E.L.D. joined the fight.
• Kaecilius saw his disciples pushed back and despaired as Kaguya approached him.
• Dormammu forced his will into Kaecilius and used his body to create an avatar.
• Possessed Kaecilius stopped the soldiers' bullets and turned their weapons against them, killing many human soldiers.
• Kaecilius sent Kaguya away and blasted Thor, Stark, Sif, Hulk, and the others, leaving the White Magic barrier without defenders.

Kaecilius, empowered by Dormammu, overwhelmed the defenders and devastated the New York Sanctum until Xu Fan arrived with Kamar-Taj sorcerers. Xu Fan stopped the demons’ advance and faced Kaecilius as the battle resumed.

• Arthur realized Dormammu had entered the world through Kaecilius and ordered the Sanctum sorcerers to attack, but Kaecilius dispersed their magic and shattered their barrier.
• Demons swarmed the ruined New York Sanctum while Arthur collapsed, and Stark, Thor, Rogers, and Hulk fought to hold them back.
• Kaecilius caught Thor’s hammer, mocked him, and smashed him into a deep crater as Thor called for Xu.
• Xu Fan arrived through a pillar of light with Kamar-Taj sorcerers and used Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands to crush the demons approaching the Sanctum.
• Xu told the Kamar-Taj sorcerers to join the fight, reunited with Arthur, and confronted Kaecilius.

Xu Fan fought Dormammu’s avatar, Kaecilius, as Dormammu sacrificed Kaecilius’s disciples to increase his power and attack the New York Sanctum. Xu Fan anticipated Dormammu’s real target and redirected his combined-power arrow into the black sphere aimed at the Sanctum, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Xu Fan arrived and left the dimensional creatures to the Senju Great Buddha and Kamar-Taj sorcerers while facing Kaecilius.
• Dormammu used Kaecilius to absorb his disciples’ life essences, enlarging his avatar and provoking Kaecilius’s helpless rage.
• Kaecilius grew to the Senju Great Buddha’s height and pierced its chest, so Xu Fan reinforced the Sanctum with sand and soil.
• Xu Fan summoned Perfect Susanoo and combined White Magic, dark magic, Chaos Magic, and Thor’s power into an arrow.
• Dormammu aimed his black sphere at the Sanctum, but Xu Fan anticipated the move and sent his arrow after it, striking the sphere.

Xu Fan defeated Dormammu’s invasion by sending the black sphere into the Dark Dimension, where it destroyed Dormammu’s body before he regenerated. Xu Fan then used the Time Stone to restore the three Sanctum Sanctorums and reinforce Earth’s barrier, leaving Arthur and the others to deal with the stranded dimensional creatures.

• Xu Fan sent the black sphere through a portal, and Dormammu lost his hold on Kaecilius as the mortal’s body crumbled.
• Dormammu mocked Xu Fan, warning that the Sorcerer Supreme would eventually leave and that Dormammu could keep trying to conquer Earth.
• Xu Fan revealed that the black sphere had reached Dormammu’s dimension, where its combined powers tore apart Dormammu’s body before he regenerated.
• Xu Fan left Arthur and the others to fight the dimensional creatures still in the sky and used the Time Stone to restore the New York Sanctum.
• Xu Fan restored the London and Shanghai Sanctums and reinforced the barrier between Earth and the Dark Dimension, trapping the remaining creatures on Earth.

Xu Fan restored the Three Sanctums, defeated the invading Dark Dimension creatures, and returned the sorcerers to their duties. He chose Arthur to take over Mordo’s responsibilities at Kamar-Taj, while Arthur recommended Anna to replace him at the New York Sanctum.

• Xu Fan used the Time Stone to restore the Three Sanctums, then helped Kamar-Taj’s sorcerers wipe out the Dark Dimension creatures and revive the fallen sorcerers.
• Loki secretly infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, controlled Dr. Erik and others with the Mind Scepter, and stole the Cosmic Cube.
• Xu Fan sent the sorcerers and apprentices back to Kamar-Taj, leaving Kaecilius and Mordo dead.
• Xu Fan asked Arthur to take over Mordo’s duties and manage Kamar-Taj, and Arthur agreed to try.
• Arthur recommended Anna to take over his work at the New York Sanctum.

Xu Fan appointed Arthur to manage Kamar-Taj and Anna to manage the New York Sanctum, then began searching for Strange. At S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Hill informed Fury that the Cosmic Cube, Dr. Erik, and Hawkeye had disappeared.

• Xu Fan approved Arthur's recommendation of Anna and entrusted Arthur with Kamar-Taj's daily affairs.
• Xu Fan appointed Anna to manage the New York Sanctum, and the sorcerers celebrated her promotion.
• After the sorcerers left, Xu Fan decided to search for Strange and noted that Thor had gone to New Mexico to find Jane Foster.
• Hill rushed into Fury's office and reported that the Cosmic Cube, Dr. Erik, and Hawkeye were gone.
• Fury jumped up in disbelief at the news.

Fury refused to involve Xu Fan in recovering the Cosmic Cube and assembled a team to pursue Loki. Loki declared himself Earth's god, but Jiraiya and Tsunade stood up to him, leaving Loki bewildered by the appearance of another supposed god.

• Fury decided not to contact Xu Fan and selected Stark, Doctor Banner, Black Widow, and Captain Rogers for the operation.
• Loki sent a mind-controlled agent to deliver the stolen plutonium element to Dr. Erik, then revealed himself and ordered the crowd to kneel.
• When Loki fired at a white-haired old man who stood up to him, the man dodged the blast and summoned a giant toad.
• The old man introduced himself as Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, leaving Loki confused about whether he was a god.
• Jiraiya asked Tsunade to protect the crowd, but she prepared to fight Loki herself.

Jiraiya and Tsunade fought Loki, recognizing his illusions and tracing his real position until he was left sprawled in a cracked road. When Captain Rogers arrived, Loki surrendered rather than keep fighting Xu Fan’s associates.

• Tsunade’s punch passed through Loki’s illusion and smashed a long trench into the road, while Jiraiya helped evacuate civilians and confirmed that the Lokis were illusions.
• Loki asked Jiraiya and Tsunade about Xu Fan, then attacked again when he realized they knew him.
• Jiraiya sensed Loki’s real position and struck him with Fire Release, while Tsunade split the ground beneath him and made him fall into a crack.
• Loki dispelled Jiraiya’s flames with icy air, but a fighter jet arrived and forced Jiraiya and Tsunade to retreat.
• Captain Rogers landed, found Loki sprawled on the ground, and watched him surrender; Rogers then considered inviting Jiraiya and Tsunade along.

Rogers brought Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the captured Loki to the Helicarrier, where Fury imprisoned Loki and sought Thor’s help. Thor learned that Loki was alive and flew with Foster to the Helicarrier, while Jiraiya and Tsunade rejected Fury’s invitation to join the Avengers Initiative.

• Rogers brought Loki, Jiraiya, and Tsunade aboard the Helicarrier, where Coulson greeted them and Fury placed Loki in a specially prepared glass cell.
• Fury asked Coulson about Thor, and Coulson eventually reached Foster and told her that Loki had returned and S.H.I.E.L.D. needed Thor.
• Thor learned Loki was alive, summoned his armor and hammer, and flew with Foster toward the Helicarrier.
• Fury invited Jiraiya and Tsunade to join the Avengers Initiative, but both declined because they wanted to travel.

Thor arrived at the Helicarrier and tried to persuade Loki to abandon his plans, while S.H.I.E.L.D. debated what to do with him. Thor learned from Heimdall that Loki planned to use the Cosmic Cube to bring a Chitauri army to Earth, and told Coulson the invasion threat was real.

• Fury proposed leaving Loki to Thor and sending him back to Asgard, but Stark and Captain Rogers argued that Loki should face Earth's judgment.
• Thor arrived at the Helicarrier and spoke with Loki, who dismissed Thor's attempt to reconcile and asked about his girlfriend.
• Coulson told Thor that Loki had stolen the Cosmic Cube and plutonium, and that he had brainwashed Dr. Erik and Hawkeye.
• Thor asked Coulson about Xu Fan, but Coulson claimed Xu was too busy rebuilding the Sanctum Sanctorum to get involved.
• Thor contacted Heimdall, who revealed that Loki had a Chitauri army and planned to use the Cosmic Cube to open a portal to Earth.
• Thor told Coulson that Loki intended to bring an army to Earth and rule it.

Thor revealed that Loki planned to use the Cosmic Cube to bring the Chitauri army to Earth, prompting Fury to seek the Cube and reconsider contacting Xu Fan. A sign-in mission sent Xu Fan to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Helicarrier, where he unexpectedly found Loki imprisoned and confronted him.

• Thor told the conference room that Loki commanded a Chitauri army and intended to unleash it on Earth through the Cosmic Cube.
• Banner and Fury worried about the invasion, and Fury left the others to find the Cosmic Cube while he tried to contact Xu again.
• Xu Fan received a sign-in mission for the Helicarrier and suspected that the New York battle was near.
• Xu Fan opened a portal to the Helicarrier and found Loki imprisoned in a glass cell.
• Loki recognized Xu Fan, blamed him for losing the throne of Asgard, and asked whether he had come to stop his plan.

Loki sabotaged the Helicarrier and stalled Xu Fan while the Mind Scepter transformed Doctor Banner into a rampaging Hulk. As the Helicarrier sank, Thor stayed behind to fight Hulk while Stark and Rogers went to help the others.

• Loki escaped his cage and confronted Xu Fan, trying to stall him while the Helicarrier began sinking after its engine was struck by an arrow.
• Stark left Doctor Banner to track the Cosmic Cube and rushed off to put on his Iron Suit when the Helicarrier shook.
• The Mind Scepter struck Banner with a beam, transforming him into a furious five-meter Hulk who wrecked the Helicarrier and attacked its agents.
• Stark, Rogers, and Thor confronted Hulk, but his shockwave sent Thor flying while Rogers and Stark avoided the attack.
• Thor stood to face Hulk alone as Stark and Rogers went to help the others and repair the Helicarrier.

Thor fought the enraged Hulk aboard the Helicarrier and forced him outside by breaking open a wall. Worried that Hulk would hurt civilians below, Thor chased after him as he fell.

• Thor struck Hulk with Mjolnir, but Hulk got back up and attacked him with a torn-off pipe.
• Thor taunted Hulk and smashed a weak point in the Helicarrier's wall, sending Hulk outside in the blast of air.
• When Hulk began pulling at the damaged wall, Thor struck him with lightning and knocked him away from the Helicarrier.
• Thor watched Hulk plummet, then chased after him to protect civilians below.
• Someone inside the Helicarrier remarked that the Helicarrier had run into trouble.

Xu Fan confronted Loki while Hulk rampaged beyond the Helicarrier, leaving Thor badly injured and hurled into a New York high-rise. Loki’s forces opened the portal above Stark Tower, and the Chitauri invasion of New York began.

• Xu Fan told Loki that his schemes had pushed him farther from Odin’s throne, then repeatedly slammed him into the ground.
• Hulk crashed into an abandoned factory, grew to eight meters tall, and remained in control instead of letting Banner take over.
• Hulk struck Thor, sent him flying through a high-rise in New York, and pursued him toward the city.
• Doctor Erik and Hawkeye activated the device on Stark Tower while Xu Fan’s attention was diverted, opening a portal in the sky.
• The Chitauri army descended through the portal, and the New York Battle began.

Anna and Thor tried to stop the enraged Hulk during the Chitauri invasion, but Hulk’s growing strength overwhelmed them. Thor was knocked into a crater as Anna prepared a risky Mirror Dimension trap.

• Anna led the Sanctum sorcerers into the city and left Kaguya to guard the Sanctum Sanctorum.
• Hulk rampaged through New York, destroying vehicles and attacking Chitauri aircraft, whose weapons only increased his rage.
• Anna tried to stop Hulk, but he shattered her barrier with an exploding truck and knocked her down.
• Thor rescued Anna with lightning, and they agreed to lure Hulk into the Mirror Dimension using Anna’s limited magic.
• Thor tried to draw Hulk toward Anna’s portal, but the Chitauri fired on him and Hulk struck him into a crater.

General Ross went to New York to help defend against the Chitauri invasion and found Hulk rampaging through the city. After surviving a helicopter crash, Ross transformed using the Hulk factor and revealed himself as Red Hulk.

• The Security Council ordered General Ross to defend New York and halt his plans to attack Wakanda.
• Ross saw Hulk attacking civilians and battling Thor and Sorcerer Anna, then tried to contact Xu Fan for help but could not reach him.
• Ross's helicopter was hit by Chitauri fire and crashed, killing his subordinates while Ross survived and healed from his injuries.
• Hulk hurled Thor into a car, and Thor prepared to face him despite Xu Fan's absence.
• Ross transformed into a red-skinned giant and announced that he was Red Hulk.

General Ross’s Red Hulk joined Thor and Anna’s Sanctum sorcerers in trying to stop Hulk while Thor prepared a lightning storm to strengthen Red Hulk. The sorcerers’ magic failed, leaving Hulk charging toward them as Thor called out to Red Hulk.

• Red Hulk charged Hulk, but Hulk struck him aside with a police car and Red Hulk struggled to rise.
• Red Hulk told Thor he was General Ross and could absorb other energy to increase his strength, so Thor began summoning a massive thunderstorm.
• Red Hulk tried to hold Hulk back while the Chitauri attacked Thor, but Anna and the Sanctum sorcerers drove the attackers away.
• Anna and the sorcerers combined their magic to blast Hulk, briefly forcing him back before their borrowed power exhausted them.
• Hulk charged toward the fallen sorcerers and Anna, and Thor shouted for Red Hulk.

Thor empowered Red Hulk with his lightning, but Red Hulk’s effort to awaken Banner failed and only made Hulk grow stronger. As the Security Council voted to launch a nuclear bomb at New York, Hulk seized the weakened Red Hulk.

• Thor poured his power into Red Hulk, who absorbed the lightning and charged Hulk.
• Red Hulk grabbed Hulk by the throat, provoked him, and slammed him into Broadway, reducing the district to ruins.
• Thor carried Anna and the others away from the impact as the Chitauri watched in shock.
• The Security Council voted to launch a nuclear bomb at New York, hoping to destroy Hulk and threaten Thor and the sorcerers.
• Red Hulk found that Banner had not awakened and that Hulk had grown much larger and angrier.
• Hulk seized the weakened Red Hulk by the head and lifted him into the air.