Chapter Summaries

Thor and Loki fought a life-or-death battle in the arena, with Loki using deception and speed to exploit Thor’s weaknesses. Thor eventually gained the advantage, but when he urged Loki to stop, Loki attacked again.

• Loki disguised himself with an illusion, stabbed Thor in the kidney, and followed up with a fast assault using magic and multiple copies.
• Russell explained that Thor needed Mjolnir to draw out the Power of Thor, while Tony, Dr. Banner, and Pietro placed bets on the fight.
• Thor removed the dagger, changed weapons, and fought back as both brothers suffered wounds, though Thor’s physical advantages became increasingly clear.
• Thor kicked the slowing Loki out of the battle and urged him to stop, but Loki answered by thrusting his longsword at Thor.

Loki and Thor finished their first round, then began a second fight in Russell’s ice maze while Loki used an illusion and went into space to seek reinforcements. The chapter left Thor in the maze facing Loki’s duplicates as the others realized Loki was above the battlefield.

• Loki used Time Magic to restore himself and Thor to full strength after Thor caught his second sneak attack and pinned him down.
• Loki chose a vast ice maze surrounded by fast-moving meteors as the battlefield for the second round, and Russell created it around the brothers.
• Loki created a duplicate to fill the maze with illusions, then opened a portal and traveled into space to reach the meteors.
• Gwen said she could distinguish real figures from reflections, while Tony used thermal imaging and found only Thor in the maze.
• Russell pointed out that Loki was in the sky, and Gwen wondered whether leaving the battlefield violated the rules.

Russell explained the rules of Loki and Thor’s unrestricted duel as Loki concealed a meteor strike inside the Ice Maze. Thor found Loki’s duplicate and attacked him, but seven meteorites then rained down on Thor, leaving the duel’s outcome uncertain.

• Russell explained that each fighter chose the battlefield once and said Loki might be challenging Thor for the throne.
• Loki concealed the sky with an illusion while Thor searched the Ice Maze and demanded that he fight openly.
• Thor struck Loki’s solid duplicate and sent him crashing into an Ice Wall, but Loki stalled for time.
• Loki told Thor to look at the sky, and a meteorite tore through the illusion and struck Thor’s shield.
• Seven meteorites passed through the Portal and bombarded Thor and his shield.

Loki defeated Thor by using illusions and meteors, and the group returned to Earth-404. Thor asked Russell to repair Mjolnir, but Russell challenged him to become a true God of Thunder without relying on a hammer.

• Loki used illusions, Images of Ikonn, and Portals to strike Thor with seven meteors and win their battle.
• Thor told the others that Loki had won, and Loki explained how he had lured Thor into the meteor attack.
• Russell opened a portal to Earth-404, and Tony, Wanda, Pietro, and the others returned to Earth.
• Thor stayed behind and asked Russell whether he could repair Mjolnir with Time Magic.
• Russell said Mjolnir could be repaired without Time Magic and asked Thor whether he wanted to become a true God of Thunder.

Russell used lightning to help Thor awaken the Power of Thor, leaving Thor bald but able to control lightning again. Thor thanked Russell, who reminded him that his help came with conditions.

• Russell brought Thor to a reef and demonstrated how he absorbed lightning, claiming repeated exposure would help Thor control his power.
• Russell repeatedly struck Thor with lightning while sensing and secretly stirring the Divine Power inside him.
• Thor’s golden hair burned away as the lightning continued, but he eventually drew lightning into his hand and blasted apart the reef.
• Russell congratulated Thor on awakening the Power of Thor, and Thor thanked him before Russell mentioned that his help came with conditions.

After the Manhattan attack, Tony Stark blamed the Avengers’ lack of intelligence and proposed a worldwide monitoring AI backed by the Stark Iron Legion. The other non-members left the meeting, leaving Tony to explain his plan to the Avengers.

• Newspapers across the country argued over the Avengers’ role in the Manhattan attack, with many New York outlets condemning them and some papers defending them.
• At Avengers Tower, Tony silently studied photos of people he had failed to save while the team reviewed the public backlash.
• Maria Hill and Steve Rogers said the mission had succeeded and the Avengers had done their best, while Gwen, Wanda, and G'iah agreed they should not be blamed for the Apostles’ killings.
• Tony argued that the Avengers had wasted nine days without intelligence and said earlier action might have prevented deaths in New York and elsewhere.
• Tony proposed creating a powerful AI to monitor the globe through satellites and electronic devices, supported by the Stark Iron Legion, so the Avengers could stop threats before they caused damage.
• G'iah, Wanda, and Gwen left the meeting, and Tony continued presenting his plan to the remaining Avengers.

Odin and Frigga discussed Thor and Loki’s fight in a Dimensional Fragment, while Loki later learned that Russell had helped Thor awaken the Power of Thor. Loki asked Russell for guidance on Time Magic, but Russell sent him to Master Ancient One.

• Odin reassured Frigga that Thor was safe after Time Magic restored him, and explained that Loki had moved their fight outside the universe to protect Thor’s prestige.
• Loki waited at Russell’s bookstore, hoping to ask Russell about the Time Magic spell that restored him and Thor to saved states.
• Russell returned with Thor, who revealed that he had awakened the Power of Thor through Russell’s training.
• Loki confronted Russell for helping Thor after Russell had given Loki spells to defeat him, and Thor explained why he had wanted to fight his brother.
• Loki asked Russell to teach him Time Magic, but Russell sent him to seek guidance from Master Ancient One.

Russell searched for Mephisto’s Hell but could not locate it, then used the Darkhold to absorb energy from Chthon, who mistook him for Wanda. Wanda arrived at Russell’s bookstore after sensing danger from the Darkhold.

• Russell traced the Attribute Point energy markers and found concentrations at Kamar-Taj, the Blood Dimension, and the Dream Dimension, but could not sense Mephisto’s Hell.
• Russell spent nearly four billion units of energy to raise his Divine Physique to 5133 and decided to seek out Chthon through the Darkhold.
• Chthon mistook Russell for Wanda and freely sent energy through the Darkhold, allowing Russell to gain three million Attribute Points.
• Wanda entered Russell’s bookstore by Portal and warned that the Darkhold was causing her a powerful sense of unease.

Wanda asked Russell about the Darkhold, and he explained its connection to Chthon before secretly using it to draw in Chthon’s energy and soul fragments. Chthon eventually discovered the deception and attacked Russell in the Mirror Dimension, where his claws vanished on contact.

• Wanda sensed unease and an irresistible urge to read the Darkhold, so she asked Russell what it was.
• Russell told Wanda the Darkhold came from Chthon and said he would use it to reduce the danger Chthon posed to her, urging her to train to become Sorcerer Supreme.
• Russell repeatedly borrowed Chthon’s energy through the Darkhold, secretly storing the soul fragments Chthon sent into Energy Pools inside a Dimensional Space.
• Chthon realized Russell had discovered his trick, gathered his soul fragments into an energy body, and tore open the Dimensional Space to reach the bookstore.
• Russell pulled Chthon into the Mirror Dimension, where Chthon’s attack passed through Russell’s head and his claws vanished, dimming his energy body.

Russell confronted Chthon in the Mirror Dimension and tried to bargain for more energy, but rejected Chthon’s terms. When negotiations failed, Russell trapped Chthon inside a miniature world held in his palm, leaving Chthon fleeing through space as the palm closed around him.

• Chthon searched his memories for information about Russell, found nothing, and asked why Russell had allowed him to descend.
• Russell demanded endless energy in exchange for faith and loyalty, but refused Chthon’s request for a tangible price.
• Russell offered to capture Wanda Maximoff for Chthon, but rejected the energy Chthon promised in return as insufficient.
• Russell closed his hand and fractured the space around Chthon, forcing him to flee from the bookstore.
• Chthon discovered that the bookstore and Earth were enclosed within Russell’s palm, and his escape through the atmosphere into space failed to take him beyond it.

Chthon tried to escape Russell’s closing hand through the Space-Time Turbulence, but remained trapped inside Russell’s fist. Russell negotiated with Chthon over Wanda and the Darkhold’s energy, then crushed Chthon’s energy body when Chthon demanded that he torture her.

• Chthon tore open a Spatial Rift and entered the Space-Time Turbulence, gambling that it would keep him within the Real Universe.
• Chthon emerged inside Russell’s palm, punched through it, and found himself trapped in an even larger hand that closed into a fist.
• Russell confronted Chthon in the bookstore lounge, and they argued over whether Chthon should pay energy before or after Russell captured Wanda.
• Chthon agreed to pay in stages and sent ten percent of the energy from the Darkhold as Russell pulled the unconscious Wanda into his hand.
• Chthon demanded that Russell strip and mutilate Wanda in exchange for extra energy, and Russell crushed Chthon’s energy body, declaring, “I refuse!”

Russell traveled to Chthon’s Flicker Realm to collect the energy Chthon had withheld, with Master Ancient One agreeing to summon help if Russell failed to return on schedule. After breaking Chthon’s opening attacks, Russell discovered that his Energy Absorption gave him a major advantage over Chthon’s true body and pressed his assault.

• Russell confirmed that Wanda had awakened safely at Kamar-Taj without realizing he had knocked her unconscious.
• Russell told Master Ancient One he planned to confront Chthon and arranged linked rings to set a ten-day check-in and request rescue if needed.
• Russell entered Chthon’s Flicker Realm and demanded that Chthon repay the energy debt.
• Chthon attacked by crushing Russell between enormous fingers, but Russell’s Luminescent White Energy pillar pierced through the earth beneath him.
• Chthon struck Russell at close range, but Russell’s Energy Absorption began draining his true body and blasted him away.
• Russell recognized his advantage and attacked Chthon while using Energy Absorption at full power.

Russell overwhelmed Chthon in close combat, but Chthon repeatedly escaped through the Flicker Realm. When Russell began converting the realm’s matter into energy, Chthon felt the damage as pain because the Flicker Realm was fused with his own power, and he rushed to stop him.

• Russell used his energy absorption to weaken Chthon in their close-range fight, prompting Chthon to flee underground.
• Russell smashed apart the continent Chthon used to resist him, but Chthon escaped to a frost-covered planet with a burning atmosphere.
• Russell shattered the planet Chthon hurled at him, then began moving its remains and other Flicker Realm matter into the Luminous White Space.
• Russell discovered that the Flicker Realm’s matter was elemental energy in disguise and began mining it instead of pursuing Chthon.
• Chthon felt Russell’s mining tear at his soul because the Flicker Realm was fused with his own power, so he flew toward Russell in alarm.

Russell confronted Chthon in the Flicker Realm while five Watchers secretly observed their battle. Chthon unleashed a force field that Russell somehow absorbed, leaving Chthon shocked by the loss of energy.

• Uatu angered another Watcher by narrating Russell and Chthon’s battle, and Russell discovered the five Watchers and charged them two billion energy each.
• Chthon flooded the Flicker Realm with Crimson Energy and claimed Russell knew nothing of his true power.
• Russell said he had studied the Darkhold and remained unthreatened as Chthon formed a vast magical array around him.
• Chthon intensified the pressure until it pulverized a stellar fragment, but Russell stood firm and protected his naked body with Holy Light.
• Chthon’s force field began consuming far more energy, and Russell revealed that he could absorb it even without touching Chthon’s Magical Energy.

Russell continued fighting Chthon in the Flicker Realm while the Watchers tried to escape and Chthon killed three of them. Russell discovered that Chthon feared being exposed as a cowardly retreating fighter, and prepared to use a recording of the battle against him.

• Russell absorbed energy while charging at Chthon, who struggled to defend himself.
• Chthon attacked the five Watchers after Uatu spoke against him, and two Watchers died while the others tried to open a Portal.
• Uatu opened a Portal, but Chthon stopped him with the formation and killed him as Russell renewed his attack.
• Russell sent the surviving Watchers a recording of Chthon fighting while retreating, prompting Chthon to intercept it.
• Russell mocked Chthon for caring about his reputation and revealed a sphere containing the recording, threatening to show him being chased by a disciple of Vishanti.

Russell and Chthon staged a battle, but Russell absorbed part of Chthon’s energy before Chthon trapped him in a Great Void. Russell escaped by using Space Jumps, then abandoned the chase and returned to Kamar-Taj for breakfast with Master Ancient One.

• After the Watchers fled the Flicker Realm, Russell absorbed Chthon’s Black Energy during their staged clash.
• Chthon refused to pay Russell more and used the Flicker Realm’s formation to trap him inside a Great Void.
• Russell used Space Jumps to exploit a flaw in Chthon’s spell, turning their battle into a chase.
• Russell decided to stop pursuing Chthon and returned to Kamar-Taj through a Portal.
• Master Ancient One offered Russell breakfast, and he ate while watching Mordo guide the Apprentice Mages.

After the Battle of New York, Russell and Gwen discussed the press coverage of the Avengers and the Phantom Spirit Squad, then Russell joined the band’s rehearsal. The team prepared a performance to encourage New Yorkers, while Russell recognized Mysterio as a potential troublemaker and wondered if he was Earth-404’s Spider-Man.

• Russell returned home after morning tea with Master Ancient One, and he and Gwen discussed newspapers criticizing the Avengers while praising the Phantom Spirit Squad.
• Gwen invited Russell to watch her band rehearse for its performance the next day, and he followed her to a secluded park.
• Eileen introduced Russell to Phantom Spirit Band members Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Danny Rand, and Quentin Beck, whose illusions concealed their rehearsal space.
• Russell sensed that Mysterio’s thoughts were unusually chaotic but chose not to interfere, privately wondering why he kept encountering Spider-Man’s enemies.
• Gwen and the Phantom Spirit Squad began rehearsing a show intended to restore the confidence of New Yorkers affected by recent attacks.

At a United Nations press conference, T'Challa proposed the Superhero Registration Act, prompting the Five Great Powers to seek Russell’s opinion before deciding how to respond. Coulson and Skye visited Russell’s bookstore to approach him, where Russell surprised Skye by saying he knew her from another universe.

• T'Challa proposed a law requiring superheroes to register, disclose their identities, and serve under government oversight.
• The Five Great Powers agreed to contact Russell before deciding whether to support the Superhero Registration Act.
• Nick Fury persuaded Coulson to visit Russell as a lobbyist, and Coulson brought Skye along.
• Russell returned to his bookstore after sending Gwen and the Phantom Spirit Band members home through portals.
• Russell greeted Skye by name and told her he knew her from another universe.

Skye asked Russell about her parents, and he revealed that her counterpart in another universe was Daisy Johnson, daughter of Jiaying and Cal Johnson. Coulson brought Russell documents about a Kamar-Taj company and the Superhero Registration Act, but Russell declined to involve himself and left Skye eager to investigate her identity.

• Skye asked Russell who her parents were, and he said her counterpart in another universe was Daisy Johnson, daughter of Jiaying and Cal Johnson.
• Coulson gave Russell documents about the company handling the alien warship wreckage, and Russell directed him to consult Ancient One or Wong about Kamar-Taj's interests.
• Coulson showed Russell the Superhero Registration Act, and Russell said he would neither support nor oppose it and would continue as before.
• Coulson gave Russell a pearly white company settlement card, and Russell accepted it.
• Coulson left with Skye, who was eager to investigate the names Russell had revealed.

At Tony and Pepper's wedding, the Superhero Registration Act troubled the Avengers Initiative and Phantom Spirit Band, while Russell said he did not need to sign it. He advised the heroes to give up their superhero identities and continue helping people as ordinary citizens, then gave Matt Murdock a police contact.

• The Phantom Spirit Band's debut performance spread worldwide and reignited debate about how super-powered people and ordinary people should coexist, prompting the Superhero Registration Act.
• At Tony and Pepper's wedding, Rocket Raccoon complained about the act, and the Guardians of the Galaxy said they would leave Earth in a few days.
• Natasha Romanoff asked Russell whether he would sign the act, and he replied that he did not need to sign it.
• Russell advised the heroes to abandon their superhero identities, explaining that ordinary people could help others without being judged by superhero standards.
• Matt Murdock said he could not ignore cries for help, so Russell gave him NYPD Captain George Stacy's phone number.