Chapter Summaries

After Sanctuary II destroyed Avengers Base, Tony and the others confronted the past Thanos with four Infinity Stones hidden away. Tony unexpectedly wielded Thunder God's Hammer and battled Thanos, whose discovery of Tony's strange blood and rapid healing suggested the Xenomorph Larva was changing him.

• Tony refused to let Thor use the uncalibrated Mechanical Gauntlet and entrusted the four Infinity Stones and gauntlet to Banner as a safeguard.
• Thanos charged the Avengers after learning they lacked two Infinity Stones, and he quickly defeated Thor, Steve, and Tony in their opening fight.
• Thunder God's Hammer flew to Tony instead of Steve, and Tony combined the hammer, Captain America's shield, lightning, and his armor to knock Thanos back.
• Tony said his combat techniques had come to him instinctively, and Thor and Steve connected the change to the Xenomorph Larva inside them.
• Thanos cut Tony's shoulder, but Tony's wound rapidly healed and his corrosive blood burned the ground.
• Tony warned Thanos that he would soon see what had happened to them as an eerie presence swelled inside him.

Duva took control of Tony's body and confronted Thanos, rejecting his plans to remake the universe and offering to turn everyone into Xenomorphs instead. After Thanos attacked, Duva devastated his forces and crushed him in battle, leaving Thanos alive but gravely wounded for a forced conversation.

• Thanos sensed an unfamiliar presence within Tony, and Tony and Captain America revealed that the Xenomorph had arrived.
• Duva took control of Tony's body, introduced himself as a visitor from a Parallel Universe, and explained that he had promised to help the Avengers defeat Thanos.
• Thanos described his plan to kill everyone and restart the universe, while Duva proposed making humanity part of his Xenomorph collective; neither persuaded the other.
• Thanos charged Duva, who unleashed lightning that destroyed the Chitauri army aboard Sanctuary II and drove the Black Order into a desperate retreat.
• Duva borrowed Thor's Stormbreaker and struck Thanos, shattering his weapon and splitting open his skull before demanding a conversation.

Duva defeated Thanos while controlling Tony’s body, then claimed the Infinity Stones and restored Thanos after he killed himself. Duva declared that Thanos would become his servant, and Thanos learned that he could not escape.

• Uatu observed Duva’s arrival in Universe No. 199999 and recorded his fight with Thanos.
• Duva defeated Thanos, shocking the surviving Avengers, while Banner and Scott recognized that Tony’s body was being controlled by Duva.
• Thanos rejected Duva’s offer and crushed his own skull, while Nebula screamed and the Avengers restrained her.
• Duva demanded the Infinity Stones, and Banner handed him the Mechanical Gauntlet containing four stones.
• Duva used the Reality Stone to restore Thanos and told him that his body belonged to Duva.

Duva subdued Thanos with the Infinity Stones, exposed a Skrull infiltrating the Avengers, and prepared to expand the Xenomorphs into the universe. Meanwhile, Uatu observed another universe where Ultron noticed him through the dimensional barrier, forcing Uatu to end his surveillance.

• Duva used the Infinity Stones to save Thanos from suicide and compel him to serve, then told him he would lead the Xenomorphs' expansion.
• Duva revealed that Rhodes was a Skrull, shocking the Avengers as the Skrull exposed himself.
• Duva planned to test how the universe's gods would respond to his expansion and ordered the first Xenomorphs transported into the universe.
• Uatu recorded Duva's takeover and, while observing another universe, saw Ultron kill Thanos and claim the Infinity Stones.
• Ultron sensed Uatu watching, addressed him through the dimensional barrier, and made Uatu shut down his observation.

Uatu was shocked when Ultron broke into the Watchers’ higher dimension, and the two began a battle whose shockwaves damaged countless universes. Meanwhile, Duva’s Xenomorph conquest of Earth-199999 progressed smoothly until an injured, bald stranger emerged from a tear in space and asked for help.

• Ultron found Uatu in the Watchers’ domain and threatened to kill him to gain the power to observe and destroy Parallel Universes.
• Uatu struck Ultron through layers of spacetime, but Ultron emerged unharmed, and they began fighting across countless universes.
• Their battle shattered space and damaged worlds throughout the MCU, though neither gained the advantage.
• On Earth-199999, Duva’s Xenomorphs spread, resistance was suppressed, and humanity gradually adapted to the invasion.
• Duva used the expanding Xenomorph network to surveil Earth-199999, then detected growing spacetime disturbances approaching the universe.
• A bruised, bald figure emerged through a tear in space and asked Duva for help.

Uatu recruited Duva to help stop Six-Gem Ultron, who was tearing through universes, and Duva agreed to fight on his own terms. He chose Thanos to wield a four-stone Mechanical Gauntlet, while Uatu gathered other allies as Ultron neared Universe No. 199999.

• Uatu appeared before Duva through a Xenomorph and asked him to help defeat Ultron, who had overwhelmed him while destroying universes.
• Duva agreed after Uatu offered to overlook his actions and provide assistance, but said the battle would take place in Duva’s home universe.
• Duva summoned Thanos and gave him a Mechanical Gauntlet holding four Infinity Stones to face Ultron’s six.
• Uatu left to bring the other helpers he had contacted, while Duva reassured Thanos that he would still fulfill his promise to change the universe.
• Uatu returned with several allies, including Dark Strange, as Ultron was about to arrive in Universe No. 199999.

Duva gathered heroes from across the multiverse to face Six-Gem Ultron, and explained the scale of the threats they had encountered. The chapter ended as Duva unleashed his Xenomorph army against Ultron’s robots while the heroes prepared to seize the Infinity Stones.

• Dark Strange arrived in Universe No. 199999, questioned its condition, and blocked Thanos’s attack before recognizing Duva’s control over him.
• Thor, Black Panther, and Black Widow questioned Duva, who explained the multiverse, his avatars, and the difference between the Quantum Zombie Virus and the true Zombie Virus.
• Uatu warned the gathered heroes that Ultron was approaching, and Ultron opened a breach and sent countless robots into the battlefield.
• Gamora and Duva explained how the Infinity Stones let Ultron create, revive, and summon more robots, while Duva assigned Thanos to help seize all six Stones.
• Duva assembled his Xenomorphs, which swept across the land, sea, and sky to clash with Ultron’s robots.

Duva’s Xenomorph army and Ultron’s robots turned Earth into a massive battlefield as the Avengers and Watcher Uatu joined the fight. While Thanos and the gathered heroes battled Ultron, Duva studied the Infinity Stones and began planning how to anchor concepts to the universe.

• Xenomorphs and Ultron’s robots fought across Earth, while Uatu warned that the growing robot forces could overwhelm them.
• Duva told the Avengers that Ultron was stronger than Thanos had been, and the Avengers joined the defense despite their limited impact.
• Ultron arrived with all six Infinity Stones and recognized that Duva controlled the Xenomorphs through a shared mind.
• Duva sent Thanos to fight Ultron with four Stones; Uatu and Dark Strange then joined the battle and protected the other heroes with magical armor.
• In Duva’s home universe, Duva discussed using the Cosmic Cube to open a stable passage and reflected on the Infinity Stones’ limits and the destiny of Thanos from Universe No. 199999.

Duva rejected Universe No. 199999 as an anchor for his concept, then used the Space Stone to bring armies of Xenomorphs into the battle against Ultron. As the clash between the Infinity Stones threatened to destroy the universe, Duva united all six Stones and found the path from Skyfather toward becoming a god through concepts.

• Duva sent Xenomorphs into the past to retrieve the Space Stone, and Ancient One let them leave after recognizing that outsiders had thrown the future into chaos.
• Duva opened a Space Tunnel and brought a vast Xenomorph Army from parallel universes to reinforce the battle against Ultron.
• Dark Strange copied Thor’s hammer and axe to pin Ultron down, but Ultron unleashed the Infinity Stones and began destroying the Solar System.
• Dark Strange gave the Time Stone to Thanos, who added it to his gauntlet and fought Ultron with five Stones as their clash damaged the universe.
• Duva took control of Thanos and joined his five Stones with the distant Space Stone, completing the set of six and sensing the universe’s concepts.

Duva took control of Thanos and entered a battle with Ultron, with both wielding six Infinity Stones and threatening to destroy Universe No. 199999. The chapter ended with Duva revealing that he had stolen Ultron’s Power Stone.

• Duva seized control of Thanos and took the Infinity Stones, while Thanos’s consciousness sank into Duva’s Soul World and he rejected Knull’s proposal to join forces.
• Uatu celebrated his decision to trust Duva, while Dark Strange prepared to support him as Duva and Ultron began fighting with six Infinity Stones each.
• Duva and Ultron’s clashes devastated planets across Universe No. 199999, drawing the attention of the Creation Gods.
• Duva used his divine power and the Xenomorph Larva’s bloodline to create a brief opening and make contact with Ultron.
• Duva revealed the Power Stone in his hand, having seized it from Ultron during their battle.

Duva used the Infinity Stones to overwhelm Ultron, tear the Mind Stone from its body, and take its remaining Stones. He erased Ultron from the universe, ending the battle.

• Duva took the Power Stone from Ultron and used the seven Stones to batter it across the universe.
• Dark Strange and Uatu recognized that Ultron had lost the advantage and left the fight to Duva.
• Duva damaged Ultron's body and pierced its forehead, then pulled out the Mind Stone.
• Ultron tried to break free and threatened to return with more robots, but Duva explained that he could create more Thanos-like bodies.
• Duva took the remaining four Stones from Ultron's chest and erased it from the world.

After defeating Six-Gem Ultron, Duva used the 12 Infinity Stones to restore Universe No. 199999 and deterred its gods from challenging him. As the survivors began to process the catastrophe, Duva left, apparently pursuing a discovery more important than his victory.

• Dark Strange surveyed the ruined universe while Duva returned to Earth with 12 Infinity Stones, and Uatu warned him to keep them out of others' hands.
• Uatu considered transferring to another region of the multiverse, and Duva returned control of Thanos's battered body to him.
• Thanos reflected that Duva's devastation had surpassed his own future act of erasing half the universe, but Duva snapped and restored the universe to its pre-battle state.
• The gods of Universe No. 199999 watched the restoration and asked Eternity about Duva, who warned that Duva's true body was the sum of many gods.
• Wong approached Dark Strange to discuss the battle, but Dark Strange ignored him and noticed that Duva had left again in pursuit of a more important discovery.

Dark Strange entered Duva’s universe, where the Time Stone no longer worked, and met that universe’s Demon Strange, who planned to take revenge on Mephisto for Christine’s death. Dark Strange proposed joining forces to find a way past their respective absolute points, while Duva began pursuing godhood through the concept of the Xenomorphs.

• Dark Strange traveled through a portal opened by Thanos and arrived in Duva’s universe, where he discovered the Time Stone had become an ordinary gem.
• Dark Strange went to Kamar-Taj and confronted Demon Strange, who warned him to leave.
• Dark Strange learned that Demon Strange had fused with demons after Mephisto sacrificed Christine, and Demon Strange explained his plan to seize a Hell and attack Mephisto.
• Dark Strange proposed that they work together to overcome their absolute points in time and suggested they could seek Duva’s help later.
• Duva relaxed in a lounge chair and considered becoming a Single Universe Cosmic God by expanding the concept of the Xenomorphs.

Duva spread Xenomorphs across the universe to raise their concept toward the level of a universal law, stirring unease among powerful beings. As his influence continued to grow, Hela returned to Asgard intending to reclaim her throne.

• Duva expanded his Xenomorph coverage and used the creatures as anchors to spread his will through the universe.
• High-level beings sensed the growing pressure, and imprisoned Great Serpent Kur feared Duva would eventually threaten the gods and the 616 Prime Universe.
• The Shadow Gods worried Duva might use the World Tree's power against them, while Thor kept Loki imprisoned and explained that he sensed Duva's activity.
• Hela reached Asgard's outer territories, regained strength from the realm, and charged toward Asgard declaring that its king had returned.

Thor learned that his long-forgotten sister Hela, the God of Death, had returned to Asgard seeking revenge and fought her to defend his rule. The Shadow Gods empowered Hela and urged her to ignite Ragnarok, leaving Thor facing their intervention as Asgard trembled.

• Frigga told Thor that Odin had sealed away Hela, his battle-crazed eldest daughter, and warned that she had returned for revenge.
• Thor confronted Hela outside Asgard, but she rejected his offer to come home and claimed the throne as her own.
• Thor and Hela battled, and Thor used the Odin Force and his God-King authority to suppress her power.
• The Shadow Gods decided to use Hela to trigger Asgard's apocalypse, and their shadows spread through the World Tree.
• The Shadow Gods' power transformed Hela into a stronger God of Death and Shadows, while Thor attacked them and Hela stopped him.

Jane Foster intervened in Thor and Hela’s battle, using Mjolnir and multiple divine powers to overwhelm Hela and disrupt the Shadow Gods’ plan for Ragnarok. Duva ordered Jane to kill the Shadow Gods and take complete control of the World Tree.

• Thor struggled against Hela, whose shadow powers let her evade his attacks and strike back.
• Frigga feared Hela’s victory would lead to mass slaughter and Ragnarok, so she contacted the Xenomorphs for help.
• Jane Foster arrived from Earth and joined the fight, claiming authority as a World Tree god who would judge conflicts between divine powers.
• Jane’s Mjolnir shattered Hela’s hand, then Jane used several kinds of divine power to pursue and bombard her.
• The Shadow Gods panicked as Jane threatened their plan, while Thor recognized her power resembled Duva’s command of the World Tree.
• Duva told Jane to kill the Shadow Gods and take complete control of the World Tree.

Duva ordered Foster to eliminate the Shadow Gods, who had manipulated the World Tree’s Ragnarok prophecy, and she destroyed them before taking Hela to Earth. Duva then began raising the scale of his Xenomorph concept across the universe, risking a response from its native gods.

• Duva noticed the Shadow Gods plotting to trigger Ragnarok and ordered Foster to attack them.
• Foster confronted the Shadow Gods, rejected their claims about fate, and killed them with the power Duva had given her.
• Thor watched Foster take Hela away, while Frigga told him that her capture might spare both siblings from killing each other.
• Foster delivered Hela to Duva, who ordered that she be taken to the Queen for a Facehugger.
• Duva began the next stage of his plan, using Xenomorph markers across countless planets to implant his concept throughout the universe.

Duva’s Xenomorphs spread across the universe as he tried to make himself an indispensable part of it, alarming the gods and drawing the Dark Quadrant into the conflict. Thanos accepted a god’s offer to join forces against Duva and ordered his subordinates to retrieve the Cosmic Orb, while learning Gamora was with Tony Stark.

• The gods realized Duva was using Xenomorphs as coordinates to merge with the universe and become a universal god, and they feared his growing power.
• Corvus Glaive reported that Xenomorphs had invaded the Dark Quadrant, while Thanos noted that they had also appeared in the territories of other major powers.
• Thanos told his subordinates that a powerful god had offered to ally with him against Duva and said he expected to obtain a second Infinity Stone.
• Thanos ordered his forces to retrieve the Cosmic Orb from the Ravagers and asked where Gamora was.
• Nebula revealed that Gamora was close to Tony Stark, and Corvus Glaive warned Thanos that Stark’s powerful armor could make him a formidable opponent.

Tony left the planet in the Celestial Armor and learned that Carol Danvers was hunting Xenomorphs, while Thanos moved to confront the Ravagers. As Thanos and Chronos watched the pursuit, light began spreading from every Xenomorph across the universe.

• Tony spoke with Gamora, who revealed she planned to betray Thanos and warned that he was moving against Earth.
• Tony departed in the Celestial Armor and learned that Carol Danvers was destroying Xenomorphs across the universe.
• Carol pursued Yondu's Ravagers, whose crew struggled to escape while Krugarr's portals repeatedly failed.
• Sanctuary II appeared in front of the Ravagers' ship, and Yondu prepared to fight as Thanos arrived to collect them.
• Thanos questioned Chronos about his haste, then both fell silent as light spread from every Xenomorph.

Chronos and Thanos realized Duva was close to becoming a Concept God and agreed there was still a chance to stop him. When Thanos discovered that dead Xenomorphs' souls did not return to Death, he seized the Cosmic Orb and prepared to act with Chronos against Duva.

• Chronos recognized Duva's rapid progress toward becoming a Concept God and recruited Thanos to prevent his ascension.
• Tony identified the spreading phenomenon around the Xenomorphs as a manifestation of law, while Carol watched Thanos's flagship instead of attacking.
• Thanos attacked the Ravager ship and discovered that dead Xenomorphs' souls vanished instead of returning to Death.
• Thanos punched Corvus Glaive into space, then forced Yondu and Quill to hand over the Cosmic Orb and took the Power Stone.
• Chronos appeared beside Thanos and confirmed that Duva could complete his ascension at any moment, while Thanos held the Power Stone and Mind Scepter.