Chapter Summaries

Chen Changsheng was pulled from playing Prototype into Hope Town, where the Original Virus infected him and fused with his consciousness. After realizing the town was doomed to an outbreak and a military strike, he began considering how to escape, though the military controlled the only road out.

• Chen Changsheng activated a strange Prototype mission and awoke in Hope Town after receiving a vaccine.
• After returning home, Chen Changsheng developed an extreme hunger, ate everything in his refrigerator, and bought more food at the supermarket.
• Chen Changsheng drove into the forest, collapsed, and the Original Virus consumed his body and the food in his truck.
• Chen Changsheng awoke the next day and learned that his consciousness had fused with the Original Virus, leaving him in control of its aggregate.
• Chen Changsheng remembered that Hope Town would soon be overrun and nuked, but found that the military tightly controlled the only road out.

Chen Changsheng discovered that his Original Virus gave him limited strength and a new way to see the virus in others, but he had none of the abilities he expected. Realizing the outbreak in Hope Town was near, he began planning how to escape and left himself needing Elizabeth Green’s blood and car keys.

• Chen Changsheng returned to Happiness High School and found that he could run across town without tiring.
• Elizabeth Green entered the classroom, and her presence stirred the virus in Chen Changsheng, awakening his vision of the virus in people’s bodies.
• Chen Changsheng saw that Elizabeth carried far more virus than the other students and that a red child was forming in her abdomen, then realized it was 1968 and the outbreak could be imminent.
• Chen Changsheng left school early and tried unsuccessfully to absorb a neighbor’s rabbit to awaken his abilities.
• Chen Changsheng planned to escape Hope Town in a pickup truck during the outbreak and decided he would need Elizabeth’s blood and the keys to her family’s car.

Chen Changsheng used Elizabeth’s blood to awaken the Original Virus’s tendrils and discovered that it could infect and control a Willow Tree. He left the transformed tree feeding energy back to him and resolved to grow stronger before the approaching nuclear strike and Black Watch forces arrived.

• Chen Changsheng hit Elizabeth with a basketball, used a blood-soaked handkerchief to collect her blood, and the Original Virus’s tendrils fed on it.
• Chen Changsheng led Elizabeth away from the gathered students, and the tendrils retracted after absorbing enough blood, sharpening his senses.
• Chen Changsheng tested his new tendrils on an old Willow Tree and infected it, forming a connection through which he could sense its needs.
• Chen Changsheng directed the Willow Tree to grow an extensive root network and evolve organs and branches that caught and digested animals.
• Chen Changsheng found the Willow Tree transformed by midnight and received energy from it, then decided to strengthen himself to escape the coming nuclear strike and Black Watch soldiers.

Chen Changsheng developed his control over the Willow Tree and used its energy to prepare for the danger around Hope Town. At school, Elizabeth’s blood triggered a sudden outbreak of zombie transformations, and Chen Changsheng fled with her.

• Chen Changsheng bonded a willow branch to his wrist, discovered he could influence the Original Virus in the Willow Tree, and ordered its roots to spread beyond the nuclear blast radius.
• Chen Changsheng went to school and found Black Watch soldiers and researchers collecting blood from students.
• Chen Changsheng comforted Elizabeth, whose pregnancy was nearly complete, and she secretly cut her palm.
• Elizabeth’s blood released hormones that drove the Original Virus in the classroom to evolve, causing a frail student to become a zombie and attack classmates.
• Chen Changsheng grabbed Elizabeth and urged her to run, and Elizabeth decided to go home to seek help from her family.

Chen Changsheng evolved by absorbing the Willow Tree’s Life Essence, then gained the ability to absorb a researcher and take his appearance. As the military prepared to destroy the infected town, Chen Changsheng blended into its forces and ordered the Willow Tree to consume the discarded zombie corpses.

• Chen Changsheng escaped the school with Elizabeth as her hormones caused people across town to mutate into zombies, then went to the Willow Tree to absorb its nutrients.
• The military sealed off the town, while Elizabeth’s unborn child influenced her to release more hormones and she gave birth to the first Virus Will Aggregate with an independent will.
• Chen Changsheng completed his evolution overnight, and the Willow Tree’s roots spread hundreds of miles beneath its enormous crown.
• Chen Changsheng killed and absorbed a researcher, gained the ability to take his appearance, and infiltrated a team searching the town.
• Chen Changsheng learned that animals were rapidly evolving and that the military planned to withdraw before sunset, then ordered the Willow Tree to absorb the zombies left behind.

Chen Changsheng built Umbrella Corporation into a powerful enhancement business while preparing Raccoon City around Willow Tree’s radiation-fed growth. In 2008, after Alex Mercer was captured by Gen-Tech Corporation, Chen arranged to watch his autopsy, hoping to absorb Alex’s abilities.

• Chen Changsheng and the newborn Tank were transported on a plane as a nuclear bomb struck Hope Town, while Elizabeth received the Original Virus’s evolutionary memories on another plane.
• After Black Watch went underground, Chen Changsheng founded Umbrella Corporation, absorbed Tank, and focused the company on human enhancement while Gen-Tech Corporation pursued weaponizing the Original Virus.
• Chen Changsheng secretly revived Willow Tree near Hope Town, where it grew into a radiation-absorbing grove, and established Raccoon City nearby to conceal it.
• In 2008, Chen Changsheng watched as Gen-Tech security personnel shot Alex Mercer and took his body after Mercer broke a Blacklight Virus test tube in Manhattan.
• Chen Changsheng contacted Raymond McMullen and obtained permission to watch Alex Mercer’s autopsy online the next day.

Chen Changsheng exploited the Blacklight Virus outbreak in Manhattan to collect infected samples and strengthen his forces while Umbrella helped contain the crisis. He captured Mercer and Elizabeth, absorbed them without killing them, and learned their conflicting motives.

• Mercer revived during his autopsy, escaped Gen-Tech, and grew stronger while Black Watch failed to capture him and the virus spread across Manhattan.
• Chen Changsheng arrived in New York, planted Willow Trees in Central Park, and used Mercer's genetic samples to enhance his super soldiers.
• Mercer rescued Elizabeth from Gen-Tech, and the infected zones rapidly expanded until Umbrella joined the military response and evacuated survivors.
• Mercer commandeered a Thermobaric Tank to attack Elizabeth's Mother Nest, where Chen Changsheng's forces bombarded the area and overwhelmed Mercer and Elizabeth.
• Chen Changsheng captured Mercer and Elizabeth, absorbed them until they were no longer threats, then released them and learned their reasons for opposing one another.

Chen Changsheng reunited with Elizabeth, absorbed much of her Blacklight Virus, and made her his subordinate while leaving Mercer alive to continue evolving. With Manhattan spared from a nuclear strike, Chen Changsheng began planning experiments and a future empire built around human evolution.

• Chen Changsheng greeted Elizabeth as Jack, and the two recognized each other after recalling their past meeting.
• Arthur woke and prepared to attack, while Chen Changsheng drained Mercer with the Willow Tree and left him barely able to maintain a human shape.
• Chen Changsheng absorbed more than half of Elizabeth's virus, gained authority over her, and allowed Mercer to remain on Manhattan so he could keep evolving.
• Zombies overran most of Manhattan, but the White House rejected the military's request for a nuclear strike after Chen Changsheng revealed that the virus could yield life-extending treatments.
• Chen Changsheng considered using an island nation for human-evolution experiments and designed brain-like creatures to absorb memories and support his enhanced warriors.
• Elizabeth rebuilt her Mother Nest and replenished her Biomass as Chen Changsheng returned to his base to study her memories and plan his growing kingdom.

After decades studying Elizabeth’s memories, Chen Changsheng found the Doorway, a portal that could lead to his original world or an unknown one. He opened it with power from nuclear ships and chose to explore the unknown world first, leaving his return home possible but postponed.

• Chen Changsheng learned from Elizabeth’s ancient memories that the Doorway lay somewhere in the Pacific Ocean and believed it could take him home.
• The Umbrella Corporation expanded its global surveillance, enhancement program, and biological experiments while Alex remained trapped on Manhattan Island and Elizabeth and Willow Tree waged controlled wars across Japan.
• Chen Changsheng contacted Elizabeth, who searched the waters near Japan with her insectoid army and found the Doorway deep beneath the ocean.
• Chen Changsheng brought Umbrella Corporation specialists to study the Doorway, and they found that electricity, Bio-energy, and Biomass could make it react.
• Chen Changsheng built two nuclear-powered generating ships to supply the Doorway with electricity, and after more than half a year it opened a large crack.
• Chen Changsheng sensed that the Doorway led either to his original world or an unfamiliar world and chose to enter the unknown destination first.

After preparing the portal and establishing a Mother Nest in a new world, Chen Changsheng discovered he had entered the Marvel universe. He absorbed a gifted youth aboard Tony Stark’s cruise ship and began planning how to operate cautiously in this unfamiliar world.

• Chen Changsheng spent a year strengthening himself and securing the portal base before stepping through it.
• In the new underwater world, Chen Changsheng built a Mother Nest around the portal, powered it with heat from the planet’s core, and left a Hive Brain Worm to oversee it.
• Chen Changsheng surfaced, spotted a cruise ship carrying Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, and ran across the water to board it.
• Chen Changsheng absorbed a Chinese-American youth enrolled in Stark Industries’ gifted-youth program and learned from his memories that the world was Marvel.
• Happy blocked Chen Changsheng from approaching Tony Stark, so Chen Changsheng kept his distance and decided to stay low-profile while learning about the world.

Chen Changsheng settled in New York, established Umbrella Corporation, and grew an orchard of exotic fruits to launch a food business. After selling his first cart of fruit at Midtown High and befriending Peter Parker, he visited Pepper at Stark Tower to seek a path into wealthy customers’ circles, where he unexpectedly encountered Tony Stark.

• Chen Changsheng arrived in New York, began studying at Midtown High, and used his Stark Industries reward to establish Umbrella Corporation while keeping Gen-Tech separate.
• Chen Changsheng rented remote land and used Willow Tree’s roots to create an orchard of exotic fruit, then prepared to sell its harvest.
• Chen Changsheng sold fruit for one hundred dollars each at Midtown High and gave Peter Parker a pear while introducing himself as Jack.
• Chen Changsheng brought Pepper a fruit basket at Stark Tower to discuss selling fruit to wealthy customers, where he found Tony Stark in her office.

Chen Changsheng used Stark Industries’ connections to launch a premium fruit business and build Umbrella Corporation, then returned to Midtown High and reconnected with Peter Parker. He left the company established and resumed his new school life.

• Chen Changsheng offered Tony Stark and Pepper fruit in exchange for help finding buyers, and Stark agreed to provide global distribution in return for daily fruit baskets.
• Stark Industries and Umbrella Corporation formed the Magic Forest fruit-trading company, which became famous among wealthy customers after its baskets spread worldwide.
• Chen Changsheng mortgaged Magic Forest, borrowed ten billion dollars, and used the money to hire experts and establish Umbrella Corporation’s research operations.
• Chen Changsheng rented a New York skyscraper for Umbrella Corporation, displayed its logo, and returned to Midtown High.
• Chen Changsheng greeted Peter Parker, and the two continued building a friendly relationship.

Chen Changsheng watched Peter Parker get bitten by a Mutated Spider during Midtown High’s visit to Osborn Industries, then secretly absorbed the spider and examined its genes. He took Gwen Stacy and Helen Zhao to dinner together, while the Mother Nest expanded underwater and received orders to incubate guarded, discreet Zerg units.

• Harry Osborn used Peter Parker’s spider trivia to strike up a conversation with Mary Jane, and Peter later approached her to take pictures.
• A Mutated Spider bit Peter’s hand, then Chen Changsheng seized and absorbed it before it could escape.
• Helen Zhao and Gwen Stacy asked Chen Changsheng which of them he meant to invite to dinner, and he took both girls to a couples’ restaurant.
• Chen Changsheng accompanied Gwen and Helen home after dinner, then checked on the protected orchard and contacted the Mother Nest.
• Chen Changsheng ordered the Mother Nest to incubate powerful guard units, restricting their range, requiring them to mimic marine life, and making captured units dissolve into genetic fluid.

Chen Changsheng developed Umbrella Corporation’s biological weapons and enhanced cloning technology while arranging to present the Tyrants to the military. He prepared to seek a lucrative weapons contract to ease the company’s financial pressure.

• Chen Changsheng discussed human enhancement and Stark Industries equipment with Tony Stark, who agreed to help him.
• Chen Changsheng created a Bio-Tyrant, altered its appearance, and implanted memories that let it operate light and heavy weapons.
• Chen Changsheng improved cloning technology and imposed genetic restrictions on Umbrella’s clones.
• Chen Changsheng armed the Tyrants with weapons from Hammer Industries and Stark Industries and decided to keep the first batch as Umbrella’s representatives.
• Chen Changsheng planned to sell improved immune-strengthening drugs and asked Tony Stark to secure him a booth at an upcoming military weapons bidding event.
• Chen Changsheng chose to showcase the Tyrant and his cloning technology while keeping memory-transfer technology secret.

Chen Changsheng showcased Umbrella Corporation’s biological weapons to the US military, and the Tyrant’s firepower and regeneration secured a contract. Afterward, he gave Tony Stark a life-saving injector before General Ross approached him about a secret deal.

• Chen Changsheng demonstrated Zombie Enhanced Dogs and a Tyrant at a military weapons showcase, impressing the military with the Tyrant’s combat abilities and rapid healing.
• The military questioned Chen Changsheng about the Tyrant, and he signed a contract with them.
• Tony Stark expressed interest in the Tyrant, invited Chen Changsheng to a weapons demonstration in Afghanistan, and received a life-saving injector from him.
• General Ross approached Chen Changsheng for a private conversation, while Norman Osborn watched angrily from across the venue.

Chen Changsheng secured a military order for Umbrella’s Bio-Tyrants and returned to school, where Peter Parker planned to earn money for Mary Jane’s birthday gift. Peter ignored a robber fleeing the underground boxing venue, and the chapter ended with him finding Uncle Ben shot and dying.

• Chen Changsheng convinced General Ross that Umbrella was making progress on the Super Soldier Serum and arranged a laboratory visit.
• The military ordered Bio-Tyrants for testing, and Chen Changsheng met with Umbrella’s new department heads before returning to Midtown High.
• At Mary Jane’s birthday preparation meeting, Peter learned that Chen Changsheng, Gwen, and Helen Zhao planned costly gifts, then decided to earn money in an underground boxing match.
• Peter easily won his fight, but the venue manager withheld most of his prize money; Peter then watched a masked robber escape without stopping him.
• As Peter walked home, he heard a gunshot, followed his sense of alarm into a crowd, and found Uncle Ben lying in a pool of blood.

After Uncle Ben’s death, Peter became Spider-Man while Chen Changsheng focused on his company and settled into life in New York. Gwen invited Chen to a family dinner, where he charmed her mother and brothers, but her father George returned and regarded him with suspicion.

• Peter grieved Uncle Ben’s death and, after accidentally knocking the suspected killer from a building, began appearing in New York as Spider-Man.
• Spider-Man saved people around New York, winning citizens’ approval while drawing complaints from the NYPD and the Daily Bugle.
• Chen bought a home near New York University as Umbrella Corporation expanded, then accepted Gwen’s invitation to dinner with her family.
• Chen brought Gwen’s mother, Helen, an expensive fruit basket and delighted her with promises of more fruit; Gwen’s younger brothers also warmed to him.
• George returned home, found Chen sitting beside Gwen, and sat between them to size him up, leaving the family in tense silence.

During dinner with Gwen’s family, Chen Changsheng won George’s approval by agreeing that the NYPD should handle crime. After George left to answer a call for help, Chen Changsheng found Spider-Man fighting Dr. Lizard and stopped the fleeing villain, leaving him badly beaten and terrified.

• Helen served lemon sea bass, and George questioned Chen Changsheng while the children praised Spider-Man.
• George asked Chen Changsheng what he thought of Spider-Man, and Chen Changsheng flattered him by backing the NYPD’s role in fighting crime.
• A nearby patrol unit called for assistance, so George left dinner to respond to the emergency.
• Chen Changsheng changed his appearance and rushed to a bridge, where Spider-Man was fighting Dr. Lizard.
• When Spider-Man jumped after a car carrying a child, Dr. Lizard fled toward a sewer, but Chen Changsheng landed on him and broke several bones.
• Dr. Lizard attacked with his tail, but Chen Changsheng caught it, swung him around, and left him too frightened and injured to move.

Chen Changsheng absorbed Dr. Lizard’s genes and left him behind, while Dr. Connors resumed his plan to spread a Lizard Gene Enhancement Serum across New York. Peter Parker discovered Connors’s secret, but Connors escaped, leaving Peter to race against an imminent attack on the city.

• Chen Changsheng absorbed a chunk of Dr. Lizard’s genetic flesh, then left him to flee into the sewers.
• Dr. Connors consulted with Peter Parker at the university before creating a more stable Gene Enhancement Serum and planning to disperse it from Osborn Tower.
• Peter tracked Dr. Lizard to his sewer lair, but Dr. Lizard knocked him down and exposed his face, discovering that Spider-Man was Peter Parker.
• Peter stunned Dr. Lizard with a camera flash and bound him with specialized webbing, but Dr. Lizard cut free and escaped with the serum.
• Peter found Connors’s research records, learned his mentor planned to turn New Yorkers into Lizard People, and destroyed the records before leaving to stop him.

Dr. Lizard released the Lizard Gene Enhancement Serum from Osborn Tower, transforming people across the surrounding streets and forcing Spider-Man and the authorities into battle. Chen Changsheng deployed Umbrella’s Bio-Tyrants to subdue the Lizard People, captured Dr. Lizard, and left the scene with Gwen, whom he was driving home.

• Dr. Lizard broke into Osborn Tower, activated the atomizer, and released green serum mist over the city block.
• Chen Changsheng rescued Gwen from Osborn Tower, absorbed nearby mist to protect her, and watched from a safe distance as Spider-Man confronted Dr. Lizard.
• Dr. Lizard spread the serum across the area, transformed nearby people into Lizard People, and ordered them to attack Spider-Man.
• Colonel Rhodes called Chen Changsheng for help, and Chen sent hundreds of armored Bio-Tyrants to capture the Lizard People and repeatedly break Dr. Lizard’s limbs.
• Chen Changsheng took Dr. Lizard and the other captives to Umbrella Corporation, while the military and agencies praised the Bio-Tyrants’ effectiveness.
• Chen Changsheng drove Gwen home after they had grown closer during the crisis.