Chapter Summaries

Chthon coordinated plans to gather allies against the Mechanical Demon King while Homelander insisted that he needed public fame to grow stronger. The group settled on having Homelander impersonate Leonardo, build a film career, and stage a heroic debut before Iron Man appeared.

• Set agreed to contact Dormammu, while the Tree of Time reported that she was subduing the Inhumans and would study their awakening crystals as weapons.
• Chthon directed the Tree of Time to contact Jiaying and told Homelander to reach Thanos for help contacting Death, but Homelander refused and said he wanted to become a superhero.
• Homelander explained that fame and worship strengthened him, and the Tree of Time proposed that he kill Leonardo, take his appearance, and gain Reputation through acting before staging a rescue.
• Chthon ordered Hydra to support Homelander's new identity as Leonardo, and Homelander proposed creating a super incident and planning his image, speeches, and enemies before Iron Man appeared.

Chthon and his allies planned to strengthen themselves against the Mechanical Demon King by contacting Death, awakening the Celestials, and searching for Wade and The Intermediary. Chthon then ordered Kingpin to gather living sacrifices, and Kingpin suggested targeting tribes in Africa.

• Homelander agreed to his mission to contact Death, while the Tree of Time proposed using the Inhumans to find Thanos.
• The Tree of Time suggested awakening the Celestials at Earth's core, but Chthon argued they should first build their strength against the Mechanical Demon King.
• Set pointed out that the Mechanical Demon King would hold the advantage even later, and Chthon reassured the group that villains, Death, and the Celestials could help them win.
• Chthon and the Tree of Time agreed that Wade and The Intermediary, and the world's unexplained normality, might be crucial to the war.
• Chthon contacted Kingpin and ordered him to obtain living sacrifices for a ritual to evil after his attempts to reach a Great Demon God failed.
• Kingpin told Chthon that sacrificing people in Africa would be faster and easier than transporting them to New York.

Kingpin agreed to secretly arrange a sacrifice in Africa for Chthon and held back from attacking Daredevil. Meanwhile, Daisy learned about her future from a mysterious hacker and accepted a mission from Andrew, the Mechanical Demon King, to earn a place among his five disciples.

• Chthon told Kingpin to arrange a secret sacrifice in Africa and warned him not to attack Daredevil while superheroes could intervene.
• A hacker told Daisy that her real name was Daisy, revealed that her parents were alive, and sent her information about her future.
• Daisy learned that she was an Inhuman, that her mother Jiaying would be killed by her father, and that Agent Coulson would repeatedly die and return.
• Andrew offered Daisy a chance to become his disciple if she destroyed a flour factory in Hell’s Kitchen and found a way to settle its blind workers within three days.
• Daisy accepted the mission, and four other women received similar tests as Andrew watched them work on the Light Screen.

Andrew explained that he had made the discipleship trial seem more exclusive so his students would value and obey him, then accepted five women as disciples after they completed Alice’s difficult trial. He revealed that he was a projection from another world seeking to train them against an apocalypse more dangerous than Thanos, and demonstrated his power by carrying them into space.

• Andrew told Alice that the five women needed to believe becoming his disciples was a rare opportunity, and Alice promised to make their trial difficult.
• Daisy, Jessica Jones, Karen Page, Elektra, and Colleen Wing each struggled through Alice’s obstacles, driven by their own hopes of changing the future and protecting others.
• The five women reached Andrew’s warehouse, where he shut the doors and said they were the first contestants to arrive; Elektra, Colleen, Daisy, and Karen knelt, and Jessica joined them after Andrew offered her the chance to leave.
• Andrew told his new disciples that he was a projection from another world and had come to train them to save their world from an apocalypse worse than Thanos.
• When Jessica asked what he would teach them, Andrew lifted the five women through the warehouse ceiling and carried them into outer space.

Andrew demonstrated his powerful qi to the five women and brought them into separate dreams to teach them martial arts. He began Daisy’s training with the Infinite Wave Technique, but she reminded him that she had not yet awakened her Inhuman abilities.

• Andrew showed the women how qi could protect them during a trip into space and a controlled fall back to Earth.
• Andrew used a Light Screen to show Madame Gao demonstrating ordinary qi and explained that his refined qi, amplified by Pym Particles, was far more powerful.
• Andrew promised to transfer qi to the women and use Dream Entry to teach them specialized martial arts before dawn.
• Andrew split himself across five separate dreams and began teaching Daisy the Infinite Wave Technique.
• Daisy told Andrew she still needed the Inhumans' Crystal to awaken her Inhuman abilities.

Andrew began teaching Daisy how to strengthen her body with Qi and control her Vibration, while training Jessica and Karen in separate Illusion Realms. Jessica kept attacking despite repeated defeats, and Karen showed quick understanding despite limited combat talent.

• Andrew demonstrated Vibration by collapsing a rocky hill, then explained that Daisy needed to strengthen her body with Qi and learn precise control.
• Andrew told Daisy to shatter the flesh inside watermelons without damaging their rinds, and Daisy agreed to follow his instruction.
• In an Illusion Realm filled with Iron Men, Andrew freed Jessica and challenged her to defeat him at equal strength to escape.
• Jessica repeatedly charged Andrew and was thrown to the ground as he explained her poor fighting technique and planned to teach her Qi cultivation.
• Andrew praised Karen for being obedient and quick to learn, and Karen questioned whether combat talent mattered more than theory.

Andrew began training Karen and Elektra in specialized martial arts, using technology to compensate for Karen’s limits and promising Elektra immense power through injury. He said the disciples would eventually face The Hand, while Colleen continued building a solid foundation.

• Andrew taught Karen the Vine Asura, a martial art that used Qi-powered vines to bind enemies and drain their Life Qi, and offered to install a chip to help her control many vines.
• Andrew told Karen that he had taught Tony Stark and that she and the other disciples would work with the Avengers after completing their training.
• Andrew taught Elektra the Remnant Flame Art, demonstrating its fiery weapons and explaining that its power increased as its user was more severely injured.
• Andrew said Elektra could become Kong if she defeated The Hand, which he had chosen as a training enemy for the disciples and a chance to confront the Evil God behind it.
• Andrew observed that Colleen had built a solid foundation and respected him, unlike the other disciples, whose relationships with him were more transactional.

Andrew taught Colleen and his other disciples martial arts in the Dream Realm while The Hand began hunting them and seeking the Dragon Bone. Tony completed his first Battle Suit and gave Nick Fury the Mark III blueprints so they could produce more armor.

• Andrew taught Colleen the Ice-Sealing Demon Blade, explaining that its demonic technique could freeze a person's consciousness and turn them into a puppet.
• Colleen swore she would use only the technique's ice-sealing part as Andrew continued training his five disciples in the Dream Realm.
• Alexandra and the other Fingers agreed to find and kill the five women, then pursue the man with the Dragon Bone and consider the women as candidates for Kong.
• Tony completed a Mark IX Battle Suit and told Nick Fury that Stark Industries' secret base and Hammer Industries were also producing armor.
• Tony gave Nick Fury the Mark III Battle Suit blueprints so S.H.I.E.L.D. could begin producing suits, leaving Fury suspicious of his generosity.

Tony and Nick Fury investigated Wakanda’s sudden loss of contact while preparing to send agents to check the area. Sarah brought Carter and Old Captain America to Tony, and Andrew restored their youth and promised them a martial art technique.

• Tony and Nick Fury agreed that Tony would supply Arc Reactors while withholding their blueprints, then Wakanda’s call ended with someone urgently asking Tony for help.
• Tony failed to reconnect with Wakanda and ordered Jarvis to investigate as Nick Fury planned to send agents to search the outskirts.
• Nick Fury directed agents to look for Wakanda’s supposed native communities, while Coulson and Tony discussed who could investigate.
• Sarah arrived with Carter and Old Captain America, who asked Tony to make them young again.
• Tony contacted Andrew, who promised to restore their youth and give them the Flirtatious Divine Art, and beams of light transformed Carter and Old Captain America into thirty-year-olds.

Andrew rejuvenated Old Captain America and Carter and taught them a divine skill, while Carter and Steve left to investigate Wakanda. Elsewhere, Homelander prepared to become the first superhero, and Andrew ended the Dream Realm training, waking five women with the skills and strength they had gained.

• Old Captain America and Carter celebrated their rejuvenated bodies, while Tony and others asked Andrew for the same treatment and divine skills.
• Nick Fury explained that the counterattack against Pierce awaited Tony’s Battle Armor, Captain America, and Captain Marvel, and mentioned trouble in Wakanda.
• Carter and Old Captain America left to investigate Wakanda, and the newly arrived Captain America was met with everyone’s awkward stares.
• Homelander took Leonardo’s appearance and worked with Chthon on a plan to stop Extremis soldiers and become the first superhero.
• Andrew ended the Dream Realm training, and Colleen Wing and the other women thanked him as Jessica remained unhappy about being beaten in the Secret Realm.

Andrew finished training Jessica, Daisy, Colleen, Karen, and Elektra, then left them to take responsibility for saving the world. The women chose Elektra to lead them against The Hand, while Andrew departed for Las Vegas after leaving them graduation gifts.

• Andrew pretended to be dying after training the five women, then revealed he was free and flew off toward Las Vegas.
• Elektra proposed that the women eliminate The Hand, but she and Jessica argued over who should lead the group.
• Colleen suggested choosing a leader through a martial arts competition, and Elektra won.
• Andrew explained that Elektra won because of her combat experience, then dropped a box of graduation gifts onto Jessica.
• Andrew left for Las Vegas, and the women gathered around the box to see what was inside.

Elektra and the other disciples received transformation tokens from Andrew and planned to lure out The Hand rather than attack its scattered bases. Andrew left for Las Vegas to find the Eternal Kingo and investigate whether Cosmic Energy could enhance his Qi.

• Elektra opened the gift box, and the five disciples learned that shouting “transform” activated their tokens and produced defensive bodysuits.
• Elektra proposed waiting for The Hand to attack, then capturing its Five Fingers to locate and defeat the rest of the organization.
• Andrew told Alice to watch over the disciples and contact him if they faced danger or the Evil God appeared.
• Andrew explained that he was going to Las Vegas to find Kingo and study whether Cosmic Energy could upgrade his Qi.

Andrew met Kingo in Las Vegas and revealed that the Eternals had been sent to protect humanity only because humans were needed to complete Tiamut’s emergence. After overpowering Kingo, Andrew asked him to gather the other Eternals so they could discuss protecting Earth.

• Alice warned Andrew that getting the Eternals to work for him would be difficult, and Andrew said he would turn them into puppets if necessary.
• Andrew explained the Celestials’ plan to Kingo and asked him to keep the truth from the Eternals’ Captain for now.
• Andrew invited Kingo to gather the Eternals in Las Vegas and join the Avengers in protecting Earth.
• Kingo doubted Andrew’s strength, so Andrew overwhelmed him with Qi blasts and forced him to agree to a proper discussion.
• Kingo confirmed he could contact the other Eternals, then questioned whether Andrew could defeat them.

Andrew told Kingo he could face any number of Eternals and offered to help him break into Hollywood in exchange for studying his cosmic energy. As Andrew analyzed Kingo, he discovered that upgrading qi into cosmic energy would require modifying the human body, leaving him to consider whether that change was worthwhile.

• Andrew assured Kingo that the Eternals would not be a threat unless the Celestials descended, and agreed to meet the group at Tina's place after Kingo contacted them.
• Andrew offered Kingo Hollywood resources in exchange for studying his cosmic energy, and Kingo agreed.
• Andrew explained that the Eternals were mass-produced biological robots whose memories could be erased, and Kingo reacted with dismay.
• Andrew began monitoring Kingo's cells and analyzing his abilities while Kingo asked him to increase the investment in his movie.
• Andrew concluded that qi could be upgraded into cosmic energy, but the human body would need modification to withstand it.

Andrew considered adapting the Eternals’ powers into Qigong techniques while Elektra’s disciples lured The Hand to a warehouse for a planned ambush. Meanwhile, Killian prepared to test his Extremis soldiers with Chthon’s help.

• Andrew decided to pursue Cosmic Energy through Qigong and considered turning Kingo’s powers into martial arts techniques.
• Elektra assigned Colleen and Karen to lure The Hand to the warehouse, while Daisy arranged surveillance and Jessica prepared to capture a leader.
• Karen warned Frank Castle that his friend planned to murder his family, and Frank vowed to kill those responsible.
• Colleen and Karen led The Hand to the warehouse, where Alexandra ordered the leaders and more than a hundred Ninjas to raid it that night.
• Killian told Chthon that his people were ready to test the Extremis Virus and planned to produce soldiers in large numbers if the test succeeded.

Homelander prepared a staged Extremis attack to boost his popularity, while Elektra and her allies confronted Madame Gao’s ninjas at a warehouse. The ambush failed, and Madame Gao was shocked to find that Elektra’s qi had become stronger than hers.

• Chthon dismissed the Extremis soldiers as disposable tools and considered the Iron Suits more promising.
• Homelander reviewed Hydra’s plan to stage an attack in Times Square, rescue New Yorkers, and control the public response through media and paid trolls.
• Madame Gao and her companions surrounded a warehouse with over a hundred ninjas, while Daisy, Elektra, Jessica, and Colleen prepared to fight inside.
• Madame Gao sensed five people inside and ordered the ninjas to throw weapons into the warehouse before charging in.
• The ninjas found Elektra unharmed and alone, and she told Madame Gao that stronger qi could deceive her senses.
• Madame Gao protested that Elektra had never been her equal before.

Elektra and Andrew’s disciples captured the Hand’s Five Fingers, but Alexandra summoned the Hand’s Evil God as a last resort. Andrew planned to livestream the ensuing fight across the internet, leaving Jessica, Colleen, Daisy, Karen, and Elektra facing a dangerous battle.

• Elektra used her Flame Whip to kill Hand ninjas while Jessica, Colleen, Daisy, and Karen captured the four Fingers.
• Elektra revealed she knew the Hand’s hideout and proposed freezing the captured Fingers and sinking them to the sea floor.
• Alexandra sacrificed the Hand’s remaining Dragon Bone at the altar to summon its Evil God.
• Alice reported Alexandra’s actions to Andrew, who ordered her to broadcast the coming fight across the internet and told Elektra’s group to cover their faces.
• Andrew’s disciples prepared to fight the Evil God, whose strength left Alice concerned they might not survive.

Andrew discussed the Evil God’s threat with Alice and The Ancient One, then arranged for his three thousand subordinates to receive accelerated magical training. The conversation ended with Andrew questioning The Ancient One’s refusal to interfere with fate and her plans for Kaecilius.

• Andrew told Alice that the Evil God could only possess Madame Gao and the other Five Fingers, and said he planned to handle the threat himself.
• Andrew called The Ancient One to warn her about the Evil God and asked whether his three thousand subordinates had begun training.
• The Ancient One explained that Andrew’s subordinates were still building their foundations, then agreed to use Dream Magic to speed their training for double the original price, with a fifty-percent discount.
• Andrew asked The Ancient One about Kaecilius and Dormammu, and she said she still needed Kaecilius and would not punish him for future actions.
• Andrew challenged The Ancient One’s reasoning about fate, and she said the Time Stone let her see possible futures but not freely change them.

Andrew learned that Extremis soldiers were preparing to cause trouble in Times Square and arranged for Tony to confront them through a Kamar-Taj portal. As Tony and the others prepared to respond, he challenged Nick Fury over S.H.I.E.L.D.’s record and its resemblance to Hydra.

• Alice alerted Andrew to Extremis soldiers hiding in an office near Times Square, and Andrew suspected Chthon was behind their operation.
• Andrew told Alice to contact Tony and let him gain combat experience by fighting the Extremis soldiers.
• Tony agreed to go to Times Square, and Andrew arranged for Kamar-Taj to open a portal because Tony was in Los Angeles.
• Nick Fury argued that Tony’s public debut as Iron Man could help S.H.I.E.L.D. counter Hydra’s accusations, but Tony said he would stay out of their mess.
• Tony told Nick Fury that S.H.I.E.L.D.’s own methods resembled Hydra’s, leaving Nick and the others unable to answer his criticism.

Tony Stark prepared to confront the allied enemies and traveled to Times Square through a portal opened by Wong, accompanied by Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye. Nick Fury was left at S.H.I.E.L.D. resolving to rebuild it, while Homelander, disguised as Leonardo, chatted with investors in Times Square.

• Nick Fury sent Tony Stark to Times Square with Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye for safety.
• Tony Stark tested his Iron Suit in flight, then asked Andrew to arrange transportation to Times Square.
• Wong opened a portal to Times Square, and Tony Stark flew through it.
• Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye followed Tony through the portal, while Wong closed it before Nick Fury could question him.
• Nick Fury blamed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s failures on its rotten foundations and vowed to set things right.
• Homelander, disguised as Leonardo, chatted with film investors in Times Square.