Chapter Summaries

Antonia rescued Shangqi from the Masked Warriors, then questioned him about the presidential assassination attempt and Xu Xialing. The pair were driven through a living bamboo maze into a strange clearing, while Dane and Natasha discovered that Antonia had vanished into another dimension.

• Shangqi fled the Masked Warriors until Antonia attacked them and helped him escape by jumping from a cliff with a glider.
• Antonia questioned Shangqi about the assassination attempt, and he denied involvement while blaming Xu Xialing for handling the Ten Rings’ affairs.
• Antonia and Shangqi entered a forbidden bamboo forest where the bamboo formed a shifting maze and forced them toward a clearing.
• Shangqi found a strange six-legged, four-winged creature in the clearing and kicked it away in alarm.
• Dane and Natasha lost Antonia’s tracking signal and concluded she was in an isolated dimension, with Shangqi alongside her at her last known location.

Dane entered the Sacred Land of Tarot and confronted its Guardian, Ying Nan, while searching for Antonia. Antonia and Shangqi found a sealed cave, and Shangqi’s contact with its scales awakened something that began drawing him toward it.

• Dane persuaded the conscious bamboo forest to let him enter Tarot and used his tracker to confirm Antonia was there.
• Ying Nan attacked Dane with Dragon God Power, but he absorbed it and defeated her with a palm strike; he refused to promise he would leave after finding Antonia.
• Antonia and Shangqi reached a sealed cave, where Shangqi heard his dead mother’s voice and touched the scales covering the entrance.
• Antonia realized something was manipulating Shangqi and urged him to leave, but a powerful force pinned him against the sealed cave.
• The scales turned crimson as a voice called Shangqi its child, and he lost himself in memories of Yingli telling him about the Great Protector of Tarot.

Shangqi’s Dragon God Power broke the seal on the Soul Eaters, unleashing an attack on Tarot Village. As Dane and the villagers fought back, the Great Protector failed to appear, leaving the village’s fate uncertain.

• Shangqi’s Dragon God Power was absorbed by the Dragon Scale seal, which shattered and released a tornado of black smoke.
• Ying Nan explained to Dane that the Soul Eaters had escaped and could threaten the real world, and Dane agreed to help.
• Guang Bo mobilized Tarot Village as alarm bells sounded and the villagers armed themselves with Dragon Scale weapons.
• Antonia recovered from her injuries, injected Shangqi with miracle medicine, and led him toward Dane’s location.
• Ying Nan ordered the villagers to fire on the approaching Soul Devouring Beasts, but the creatures overwhelmed them and killed many villagers.
• Dane crushed several Soul Devouring Beasts with an invisible force field, while Ying Nan rushed over and the Great Protector still did not appear.

Dane intervened as the Soul Eater overwhelmed the Great Protector and offered to save the white dragon in exchange for its Reverse Scale. The dragon accepted, leaving Dane poised to rescue it and destroy the Soul Eater.

• Dane gathered the Soul Devouring Beasts and helped Ying Nan destroy them with her Dragon God Power.
• The Great Protector appeared and fought the Soul Eater as Ta Lo’s mythical beasts joined the battle.
• The Soul Eater gained the advantage, reclaimed the Dragon God Power from Ying Nan, and dragged the white dragon underwater.
• Dane parted the river and froze everything around him while the Soul Eater parasitized the white dragon.
• Dane offered to save the white dragon and help kill the Soul Eater in exchange for its Reverse Scale, and the dragon agreed.

Dane used time to restore White Dragon and help it defeat Soul Eater, then The Ancient One sealed the dimensional breach. After stopping her from leaving, Dane negotiated with her about Stephen Strange’s future and demanded the Time Stone as payment for intervening in a possible future crisis.

• Dane rewound White Dragon’s timeline, removing Soul Eater’s tentacles, and White Dragon destroyed Soul Eater with Dragon God Power.
• Soul Eater’s spawned beasts turned to ashes, while White Dragon collapsed from exhaustion and the breach between Ta Lo and Soul Eater remained open.
• The Ancient One sealed the cave entrance with magic, and Dane stopped her from leaving so they could talk.
• Dane questioned The Ancient One’s choice of Stephen Strange as her successor and warned that he would not help contain Stephen’s future disasters for free.
• Dane asked for the Time Stone, rejecting Kamar-Taj’s magical knowledge as payment.

Dane brought Shangqi back from Ta Lo, where Xu Xialing surrendered when he came to capture her. After Natasha uncovered Xu Xialing’s actions, Nakia exposed Talokan’s location by spreading news of a supposed Vibranium mine in the Atlantic, easing pressure on Wakanda.

• Dane learned Shangqi had broken the Soul Eater’s seal, and Guang Bo confronted Shangqi over the deaths in Ta Lo before Ying Nan stopped him.
• Dane took Shangqi and Antonia to the Ten Rings headquarters, where Xu Xialing surrendered rather than face his attack.
• Dane brought Shangqi and Xu Xialing to Sokovia and handed them to Natasha, who investigated Xu Xialing’s actions.
• T’Chaka asked Nakia to leak Talokan’s location to America so Wakanda would face less pressure from the advancing army.
• Nakia spread professional-looking evidence online claiming a Vibranium mine lay beneath the Atlantic Ocean, drawing intelligence agencies’ attention.

Talokan retaliated against America after American investigators raided its Vibranium sanctuary, while the attack on the Pacific Fleet eased pressure on Wakanda. T'Challa confronted T'Chaka over Nakia’s leak and Wakanda’s ruthless policies, then learned that T'Chaka had killed Erik’s father.

• American investigators raided Talokan’s Vibranium sanctuary, killed its guards, and stole Vibranium and plants, prompting Namor to declare war.
• Talokans attacked and destroyed a Pacific Fleet patrol, weakening America’s pressure on Wakanda and giving T'Chaka time to pursue diplomatic ties with Sokovia.
• Natasha told T'Challa that America had investigated online information about Talokan, leading him to suspect Nakia had leaked it to help Wakanda.
• T'Challa confronted T'Chaka, and their argument widened to Wakanda’s policies and the duty to sacrifice individuals for the nation.
• T'Chaka revealed that he had killed Erik’s father because he feared he would help Americans obtain Vibranium and oppose their government.

Erik used a Vibranium plant from Talokan to enhance himself, gaining immense strength and underwater abilities but rapidly losing water when active on land. T'Challa confronted him about his father's death, and Erik attacked him, leaving T'Challa to suspect Erik had been plotting against T'Chaka.

• T'Chaka stopped Zuli from following T'Challa and questioned whether T'Challa understood what protecting Wakanda required.
• Erik drank a potion made from the Vibranium plant and endured a painful enhancement that gave him tremendous strength.
• A researcher discovered Erik rapidly lost water when exerting himself on land, while immersion in water restored his stamina and let him breathe underwater.
• Erik's subordinate reported that T'Challa wanted to see him, and Erik agreed to meet.
• T'Challa asked Erik whether he knew how his father died, and Erik attacked him, lifting him by the throat.
• T'Challa realized Erik might have concealed his hatred of T'Chaka while pursuing another agenda.

T'Challa offered to support Erik as Wakanda's next king, and Erik began reforming the army as the country prepared for war. The coalition forces attacked Wakanda, where Erik's troops repelled several assaults, while Talokan faced growing pressure from American interests.

• T'Challa offered to support Erik's ascension if he would let his hatred end, and Erik agreed on the condition that Shuri make him a suit of armor.
• T'Challa publicly nominated Erik as the next heir and accused T'Chaka of incompetence, angering the king and shocking the elders and Sokovian delegation.
• Dane explained that America still planned to target Wakanda, while corporations and other interested parties put Namor under pressure over Talokan's Vibranium.
• Erik used T'Challa's support to carry out military reforms, transforming Wakanda's army within a month.
• The coalition forces revealed Wakanda's hidden city and attacked after Erik ordered a gateway opened in the shield; Wakanda's artillery struck their drones.
• Wakanda used area weapons, ballistic correction systems, and reverse-engineered healing drugs to repel several coalition assaults within two hours.

After Talokan devastated Los Angeles, Namor declared war on America, forcing the Allied forces to divert attention from Wakanda. Erik drove them out of Africa, but the alliance remained a threat as Ivan Vanko began developing weapons against Talokan.

• Erik ordered Shuri to deploy drones after Allied forces breached a small section of Wakanda’s shield, and Shuri identified the attackers’ Vibranium weapons.
• Namor activated Talokan’s Underwater Sun to destroy invading drones, then launched a devastating attack on Los Angeles and declared war on America.
• Nakia watched Talokan’s preparations without warning America, while Dane advised Atlas to remain polite and uninvolved when the Department of Defense sought support.
• With America focused on the Los Angeles disaster and Namor attacking its navy, Erik counterattacked and drove the Allied forces out of Africa.
• The Allied forces could neither defeat Wakanda nor contain Talokan, but Ivan Vanko studied damaged drones and began developing weapons to counter the Talokanil.

Erik broke with Namor after Wakanda opened trade with the outside world, and the two fought in the royal city. Meanwhile, Erik secretly arranged with America to direct its forces against Talokan, leaving Namor occupied and his people exposed to an assault.

• Ivan Vanko considered ways to counter the Talokan weapon and restrain Namor, while Wakanda’s offer to trade Vibranium shifted international support toward Erik.
• Natasha told Dane about Wakanda’s enhancement method, and Dane identified it as the Heart-Shaped Herb’s power and considered investigating gods such as Bast.
• Erik rejected Namor’s accusation of betrayal and explained that he had used their alliance to advance Wakanda’s interests.
• Namor attacked Erik, who donned the Black Panther Suit, and the two fought through the royal city.
• Erik secretly agreed to help America locate Talokan and keep Namor away while the coalition prepared an annihilation battle against Talokan.

After Ivan Vanko’s forces attacked Talokan and seized the Sun, Namor returned to find his people devastated and accepted power from the God of Fear. Transformed into the Serpent’s emissary, he demanded that the Talokans abandon Chak and follow his new god, killing the first warrior who objected.

• Ivan Vanko’s drones slaughtered Talokans and captured the Sun after a warrior sacrificed himself to destroy the pursuing robots.
• Namor returned from Wakanda, found fewer than one in ten of his people gathered, and regretted failing to seize Wakanda before Talokan was weakened.
• The God of Fear magnified Namor’s terror, drew him into a dark void, and compelled him to submit and claim the power hidden in the deep sea.
• Namor found a glowing warhammer, returned to his followers covered in luminous markings, and declared that they must worship The Serpent.
• When a Talokan warrior objected to abandoning Chak, Namor struck him with the hammer and exploded him into blood.

Namor used Skadi to force Talokan into worshiping the Great Serpent, while the imprisoned god drew power from their fear. After Frigga warned Thor that Kull was stirring, Thor asked Dane to help find the Great Serpent’s agents, and Namor launched an assault on Wakanda.

• Namor made Talokan’s people worship the Great Serpent through threats and executions, feeding the imprisoned god’s power with their fear.
• Frigga told Thor that Kull, the God of Fear and Odin’s elder brother, was stirring and explained that he grew stronger through fear.
• Thor left the nightclub and went to Dane for help locating Kull’s believers and tracing them to the Great Serpent.
• Dane agreed to search for Kull’s agents, suspecting they would wield Sky Hammers granted by the Great Serpent.
• Namor returned to Wakanda with Talokan warriors and used Skadi to encircle the royal city with a wall of water that froze into ice.
• Erik, T’Challa, and the others hurried out of the palace in their suits after the attack began.

Namor used Skadi Sky Hammer and the fear it inspired to destroy Wakanda and empower The Serpent, while Queen Ramonda and Shuri escaped to Sokovia. Dane learned of the hammer and asked for its appearance, and Shuri produced a picture of it.

• Namor overwhelmed Wakanda’s defenses, killed T'Chaka, and left T'Challa buried in an ice wall after their clash.
• Erik ordered an attack on Namor’s landing point, but Namor survived the collapsing palace and unleashed a gale that crushed soldiers and aircraft.
• As fear spread, Namor and the Talokan people slaughtered Wakandans, feeding The Serpent’s power through Namor’s faith.
• Queen Ramonda took Shuri and the survivors to Sokovia, where they told Dane what had happened.
• Dane asked Ramonda to describe Namor’s hammer, and Shuri displayed a holographic picture of it.

Dane sent Thor to Wakanda to confront Namor, who had become a Sky Hammer Venerable under the Great Serpent’s control. Thor fought Namor until the Great Serpent took over and overwhelmed him, leaving Thor calling for Dane as the Serpent prepared to strike.

• Dane let Shuri join Atlas’s research department and sent Thor to Wakanda through the Bifrost to confront Namor.
• Thor fought off Talokan warriors before Namor arrived wielding Winter’s Hammer and challenged him.
• Thor and Namor traded blows with their divine hammers, then Thor used a tornado and lightning to attack Namor’s weaknesses.
• The Great Serpent absorbed the fear of the fighting Wakandans and took control of Namor, greatly increasing his strength.
• The Great Serpent knocked Thor down, pinned him beneath a stomp, and raised the Hammer of Heaven for a final strike as Thor called for Dane.

Dane and Thor fought The Serpent, who possessed Namor, but Thor accidentally sent him fleeing before they could capture him. Dane urged Wakanda to reclaim its capital, while Thor returned to Asgard to seek help and discuss access to magical materials.

• Dane blasted the possessed Namor through a mountain, then used a positron cannon and his strength to help Thor battle The Serpent.
• Thor struck The Serpent and sent him flying away, realizing too late that they had been supposed to capture him.
• Dane contacted allies to tell them Namor had left Wakanda and that the leaderless Talokan people could be driven out.
• Thor returned frustrated after failing to find The Serpent, and promised to remain in Middle-earth until the enemy was captured.
• Dane asked Thor to press Asgard to loosen restrictions on magical materials, and Thor summoned Heimdall to return to Asgard.

Dane learned that Odin could not confront the Serpent directly and asked to help enchant an Uru armor, while seven abnormal objects entered Earth and signaled the arrival of the other Sky Hammers. In Central America, Namor helped the Serpent escape his seal in a makeshift body, leaving the Serpent free to rebuild his strength.

• Namor obeyed the Serpent's orders to seek out a nearby tribal settlement and replenish his strength by targeting gods.
• Dane gave Tony Stark intelligence on the Serpent, then learned from Natasha that Steve was pursuing the Winter Soldier.
• Thor told Dane that Odin would forge him an enchanted Uru weapon, but Dane chose armor and asked to participate in its enchantment.
• Thor revealed that Odin could no longer act without his body collapsing and hoped Dane would deal with the Serpent.
• The Umbrella Astronomical Monitoring Bureau reported that seven objects with abnormal energy signals had entered Earth, and Dane suspected they were the remaining Sky Hammers.
• Namor emerged from a massacre as the Serpent formed a body from hundreds of corpses and announced that he had escaped his seal.

The Serpent’s Sky Hammer Venerables attacked cities, prompting Dane and the others to plan a coordinated trap using the Bifrost. Asgardian reinforcements arrived, and the group prepared to gather enough fighters to restrain all eight emissaries.

• The Serpent sent Namor away and set out to gather more power from Fear as the Sky Hammer Venerables began attacking cities around the world.
• An intelligence officer reported that the eight Venerables could resist conventional attacks and that The Serpent seemed able to travel between them, leading Natasha and the others to conclude they had to be restrained simultaneously.
• Dane proposed using the Bifrost to transport the eight Venerables to one battlefield, and the group discussed fighters and equipment capable of holding them in place during the teleportation.
• Dane asked Jessica to bring the Casket of Ancient Winters, while Thor said Sif and the Warriors Three would join the fight.
• The Bifrost brought Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun to the meeting, and Thor welcomed them by proposing a feast.

Dane and the Asgardians finalized a plan to gather the Sky Hammer Venerables on a remote Pacific island, while Asgardian forces and Sif began engaging The Serpent and Sin. The chapter ended with Sif charging Sin on her Pegasus as the first clash erupted above Tokyo.

• Dane assigned Sif to face one Sky Hammer Venerable and promised flight equipment for the Warriors Three, while Fandral arranged for Asgardian reinforcements and the Destroyer.
• Natasha identified Namor's remote island as a potential battlefield, and Thor ordered Asgardian soldiers to keep Namor from escaping.
• Namor reported to The Serpent, who confronted the arriving Asgardian army and attacked their warships after they opened fire.
• Sin continued her massacre in Tokyo, where she had killed the city's superheroes and forced terrified survivors to pledge loyalty to The Serpent.
• Sif flew out of the Bifrost on her Pegasus and struck at Sin, whose Sky Hammer met Sif's sword in an explosive clash.

Dane defeated the Sky Hammer Venerable Luke Cage and sent him to Namor and The Serpent, then joined the Warriors Three against Grant Ward, a Hive-powered foe who regenerated after Dane destroyed his body. The chapter ended with Grant reviving through an ordinary human who picked up his abandoned Sky Hammer.

• Dane wounded Luke Cage with a laser, froze him in time, and had Natasha transport him by Bifrost to Namor and The Serpent.
• Dane asked Natasha for the most intense battlefield and was transported to the Warriors Three, who were struggling against a Sky Hammer Venerable.
• Grant Ward revealed his Hive-derived powers and attacked Dane, who knocked off his head and then blasted his regenerated body apart.
• Dane used accelerated time to erase Grant and every cell of his body, but the Sky Hammer remained on the battlefield.
• An ordinary human picked up the Sky Hammer, was transformed by its power, and became a new Hive.