Chapter Summaries

Andrew learned that Malebolgia had arranged Al’s suffering to turn him into a powerful Demon Commander and planned to use millions of deaths to attack Heaven. After coercing Joker into accepting his Demon King’s Mark and following Andrew’s orders, Andrew left; Al, whose shelter had been destroyed by a meteor, encountered a mysterious cowboy.

• Joker explained that Malebolgia had chosen Al to wear the Hellspawn Armor and had arranged Al’s death at Jason’s hands to push him toward darkness.
• Joker revealed that Malebolgia’s poison gas plan would kill at least ten million people, open the Gates of Hell and Heaven, and empower the Demon Army to invade Heaven.
• Andrew proposed a cruel scheme for Joker to impersonate Al’s wife, Blair, and make Al believe Joker had been with him all along.
• Andrew sent a Demon King’s Mark into Joker’s soul; Joker merged with it without dying and pledged to obey Andrew.
• Andrew warned Joker not to act beyond his orders, then vanished, leaving Joker to plot against Jason.
• Al discovered that a meteor had destroyed the slum shelter, then heard a voice and turned to face a mysterious cowboy.

Andrew persuaded Al Simmons to pray for his Fate to be transferred to Andrew, claiming it would free Al from the Hellspawn Battle Armor and let Andrew take his place. As Al prayed, Andrew revealed to himself that he intended to use the granted prayer as leverage against God.

• Andrew concealed himself and Al from outside observation, then told Al that Regeneration Men were consumed by their Battle Armor and that Al wore armor made of Malebolgia’s tiny bugs.
• Andrew claimed Angel had freed him from the Battle Armor and frozen his Contract with Malebolgia, but warned Al that the mature armor could not be defeated by ordinary Angels.
• Andrew told Al that returning to his former life would leave him vulnerable to Jason and the Demon King, then urged him to ask God to transfer his Fate to Andrew.
• Al knelt before a Cross and prayed sincerely for his Fate to pass to Andrew, expecting to regain his former life.
• Andrew anticipated that Bruce’s prayer program would grant Al’s request and planned to use the transfer as leverage against God.

Andrew told his subordinates that God was granting prayers in New York, prompting them to make wishes while Bruce struggled with the growing voices in his head. On the moon, Homelander planned a staged alien invasion to restore his popularity, leaving Death and Hunter to help prepare the spectacle.

• Andrew telepathically told his subordinates to pray sincerely in New York, and Van Helsing and Gabriel made opposing wishes while the others prayed for their own desires.
• President Nathan wished for limitless energy, Director Newman prayed for her daughter's successful awakening, The Boys wished for Billy's return, and Himiko prayed for her brother's safety.
• Bruce heard countless voices after his meteorite livestream, celebrated its ratings, and reassured the cameraman that God would protect New York.
• Homelander complained that the meteorite had killed too few people and arranged with Death and Hunter to stage an alien threat on the moon.
• Homelander outlined a story in which he would discover an alien fleet and save Earth, while Death dismissed it as a spectacle with little beyond special effects.

Homelander enlisted Death, Hunter, and Strongest Prop Master to prepare an elaborate alien-fleet movie, while Bruce became God and struggled to process New Yorkers’ prayers. The chapter ended with Bruce creating One-Click Consent, a program that automatically approved every prayer.

• Homelander recruited Strongest Prop Master to build an Alien Fleet for his movie, and Death agreed to help him livestream from the moon.
• Bruce’s wife Grace wondered whether her growing chest meant she had awakened an Ability, and Bruce accidentally summoned God by praying in the bathroom.
• God took Bruce away and revealed that he had to respond to ordinary people’s prayers, so Bruce created a Prayer System to collect them on his computer.
• Bruce approved more than 1.7 million prayers by typing YES to each one, while Van Helsing and Gabriel objected and prayed for wishes of their own.
• When the prayer count rose above two million despite Bruce’s work, he designed One-Click Consent to approve every prayer automatically.

Bruce approved a mass of wishes, transforming people and throwing New York into chaos. The changes also disrupted Chthon’s plans for Billy, while Translucent gained new powers and a path to further strength.

• Bruce approved the wishes, rejuvenating Van Helsing’s former lovers and granting powers to people across New York, while impossible or harmful wishes went unfulfilled.
• Van Helsing fought Gabriel with a clone left behind, and gang members who prayed gained strength and set out to attack rival gangs.
• Wishes caused widespread disruption, including evidence of legislators’ crimes appearing online, a citywide blackout, and President Nathan gaining the energy to work through the night.
• Hughie and the others’ wish began transforming Billy and teleporting him away, but Demon severed the teleportation and Chthon helped stop the escape; holy power restored Billy to human form and strengthened his abilities.
• Alesha could not turn Billy into a monster again, so Chthon continued helping him advance on the condition that he kill Starlight Annie; Billy agreed and remained intent on killing Homelander.
• Translucent gained a light-based body, invisibility, Light Rays, and increased strength, leaving him hopeful that he could keep growing stronger.

Andrew took Al’s place as Regeneration Man, claimed the Hellspawn Armor, and prepared to use it against Malebolgia while New York descended into chaos from God’s wishes. Gabriel confronted God about the destruction, and God admitted that one of the wishes involved a Demon King and fate.

• Translucent vowed to return to the women’s restroom, while Andrew unknowingly became Al, Regeneration Man, and sealed a Thread of Fate inside himself.
• Andrew changed Al’s appearance, gave him a new identity, and sent him into hiding with a check tucked into his driver’s license.
• Andrew took control of the Hellspawn Armor’s Nanoscopic Green Worms without alerting Malebolgia, then flew out to survey the dark, chaotic city.
• Director Newman and Starlight Annie helped restore order and power in New York as criminals and newly empowered people fought the superheroes.
• Gabriel asked God why he was allowing Bruce’s wishes to wreak havoc, and God said one wish seemed connected to a Demon King and fate.

The old Black man explained to Gabriel that humans were free and that Guardians should not treat them as subjects, so Gabriel decided to seal his Divine Power and live as a mortal. Meanwhile, Bruce's wishes left New York in chaos, and demons and monsters joined the unrest as Andrew secretly watched Jason and Jess at A-6 Company.

• The old Black man told Gabriel that humanity's freedom meant God would not interfere with its choices, and advised Gabriel to experience mortal life.
• Gabriel sealed his power inside Archangel's Sword, accepted a driver's license and cash from Van Helsing, and left to live as a mortal.
• Van Helsing sent his clone with Archangel's Sword to help control New York's chaos while Bruce slept, unaware of the trouble his program had caused.
• Chthon and Demon inferred that God had granted New York's prayers, then arranged for the Death Organization and Alesha's Monsters to exploit the chaos and harvest souls.
• Director Newman directed Van Helsing, Samuel, and Soldier Boy to deal with the creatures as New York's death toll rose.
• Andrew used Red Cloak to see through A-6 Company's wall and listen to Jason and Jess talking.

Jason recognized Andrew as Al Simmons and tried to force him to surrender by threatening his family and revealing a transmitter linked to a mass-casualty self-destruction program. Andrew defeated Jason’s guards and pinned him to a wall, but Jason’s threat left Andrew weighing how to stop the transmitter before Blair and his daughter arrived.

• Jason connected Andrew’s familiar fighting style to Al Simmons, and Andrew attacked Jason and Jess in the office.
• Andrew bound Jess with Red Cloak and used her as a shield while Jason called for his guards to attack.
• A Teleportation Ability User kicked Jess back to safety, but Andrew killed him and unleashed a barrage of spikes on the room.
• Andrew killed the guards, bound Jess, and pinned Jason to a wall with four spikes as Jess tried to help Jason escape.
• Jason revealed that his body contained a transmitter that could trigger a self-destruction program and threatened Andrew’s family if Andrew killed him.
• Andrew questioned whether the transmitter’s signal could be blocked, while Jason taunted him and threatened to have his daughter’s face scarred.

Andrew killed Jason, disabled the signal transmitter, and alerted the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau to the poison gas threat. As Hughie and Himiko protected Al Simmons’s family at A-6 headquarters, Jess attacked them and Henry’s family, setting off a fight.

• Andrew killed Jason, then removed the transmitter and rewrote its program while Joker questioned his actions.
• Andrew called the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau to report A-6’s poison gas plot, but Joker attacked him and threatened his family.
• Andrew escaped and gave the Bureau information about A-6’s main base and warned them to protect Al Simmons’s wife and daughter.
• Director Newman sent Soldier Boy to investigate the base and assigned Hughie and Himiko to guard Al Simmons’s family.
• Hughie and Himiko met Henry, Blair, and their daughter at A-6 headquarters, where Jess arrived with armed guards and ordered them killed.
• Hughie used Super Speed to take down the guards while Himiko fought Jess, whose body had turned metallic.

Andrew battled Joker while trapped in Hell, refusing to sacrifice millions of people to save Al’s family. Aboveground, Starlight Annie fought Joker after he attacked Blair and the others, but the chapter ended with Hell’s misleading Light Screen showing Annie losing.

• Jess disabled Henry’s car, forcing him, Blair, and their daughter to hide while Al secretly watched over them.
• Joker lured Andrew away from headquarters, trapped him, and sent him to Hell after Andrew’s disguised grenade and green spikes briefly distracted him.
• Malebolgia threatened Andrew with a Light Screen showing Joker attacking Blair’s group, but Andrew told Al not to reveal himself and promised they would be safe.
• Starlight Annie arrived, rescued Blair’s group from Joker’s flames, and fought him in his Greater Demon form while Al left the scene.
• Chthon noticed Joker and suspected the night’s events were connected to the Demon King he served.
• Andrew saw a Light Screen in Hell that showed Joker repeatedly smashing Annie into the ground, despite her apparent control of their fight aboveground.

Andrew appeared to submit to Malebolgia by pressing the transmitter, but Soldier Boy had already blocked the Main Base’s signals, foiling the plan to activate the poison gas. With Joker losing and the Gate of Hell plan in trouble, Malebolgia agreed to cooperate with Chthon’s faction while secretly keeping his backup plan.

• Malebolgia threatened Andrew’s wife and daughter until Andrew pressed the transmitter, but Soldier Boy’s nuclear radiation blocked all signals at the Main Base.
• Malebolgia learned that the transmitter was useless and that the poison gas device could only be activated from the Main Base, then killed Jason in frustration.
• After discovering that Joker was losing, Malebolgia was approached by Chthon, who offered cooperation in exchange for a share of the souls and freedom to exploit Earth.
• Malebolgia agreed to let Chthon’s faction target Starlight Annie and the poison gas factories while he focused on attacking Heaven.
• Chthon told Demon and the others about the deal, sent Billy to challenge Starlight Annie, and ordered Alesha to have her Monsters attack the poison gas factories.

Chthon’s alliance prepared to send Demons into Earth while Billy challenged Annie to a duel, drawing her away from Henry and the others. Malebolgia’s scheme to use Joker and poison gas was obstructed, and the chapter ended with Soldier Boy’s team securing the missing gas canisters.

• Chthon, Demon, Alesha, and Hera discussed the invasion plan and the possible threat posed by God, while Alesha and Hera secretly alerted Andrew.
• Billy returned to normal and challenged Annie to a fight; after he threatened Henry and the others with Puppet guards, Annie destroyed them and chased Billy away from the headquarters.
• The Night-walking Divine Dragon arrived and fought Joker, while Malebolgia showed Andrew a false image of Joker attacking Henry and the others to pressure him.
• Alesha’s Monsters reached factories near New York, but Puppet Man discovered that the poison gas canisters had already been taken.
• DL used his fused abilities, with Nicky lending him strength, to retrieve the canisters, and Soldier Boy praised the two for stopping the plan.

Malebolgia used Andrew Simmons and a sacrifice of human souls to open the Gate of Hell over New York, while Van Helsing failed to stop him. Van Helsing took the newly awakened New God Bruce to confront the invasion, leaving the city in darkness and the gate still forming.

• Soldier Boy called Director Newman to secure the Poison Gas Canisters, while Malebolgia berated Chthon and Demon before agreeing to proceed with their plan.
• Malebolgia deceived Andrew with fake souls of his wife and daughter, turning Andrew fully toward darkness and empowering him with the Hellspawn Armor.
• Andrew transformed his red cloak into the Gate of Hell, and Malebolgia sacrificed countless souls to force the gate open as Hell Qi spread through New York.
• Andrew defeated Van Helsing's clone and drove off the Archangel's Sword, while Director Newman sounded a citywide alarm for a Hell invasion.
• Van Helsing awakened Bruce, revealed he was the New God, and flew with him toward the Gate of Hell after Bruce learned his wish had plunged parts of New York into darkness.

Bruce’s wish-granting caused chaos across New York, and Van Helsing directed him to help close the Gate of Hell as demons invaded. Andrew’s forces fought to keep the demons from reaching Earth, but many broke through, so Andrew sent Claire, Peter, and Young Barry to defend the city.

• Van Helsing confronted Bruce about the disorder caused by his indiscriminate wish-granting, and Bruce agreed to stop granting wishes.
• Malebolgia overpowered Bruce’s attempt to close the Gate of Hell, while Chthon and Demon opened Spatial Vortices that drew demons toward Earth.
• Andrew ordered his Demon Kings to defend the Spatial Vortices and attacked the approaching demons with nuclear bombs, but many demons still rushed through to New York.
• Chthon revealed that he had lured Demon Kings from the Power Demon King Alliance with the promise of human souls, and Andrew summoned Samuel, Soldier Boy, Old Sera, and Ghidorah to oppose them in Hell.
• Demons began landing across New York, and Director Newman learned that the city’s strongest superheroes were unavailable.
• Andrew sent Claire, Peter, and Young Barry to kill the demons, and Peter used Super Speed to take Claire toward the landing site.

Young Barry and Peter fought Demons across the city while Bruce battled Andrew near the Gate of Hell. Bruce discovered the reach of his God's Power, but Andrew recovered from his attacks as Malebolgia prepared to unleash the Demon Army.

• Young Barry equipped his Arm Armor and swiftly killed Demons attacking pedestrians.
• Peter drained Demons of their life force while Claire shot down their Fireballs, and Peter used the stolen life force to heal injured humans.
• Bruce failed to close the Gate of Hell after Malebolgia stopped him, then joined Van Helsing and the others at the plaza.
• Van Helsing sent Bruce to confront Andrew while he attempted to destroy the Gate of Hell, and Bruce recognized Andrew as someone he had bullied before.
• Bruce used God's Power to restrain and strike Andrew with vines, lightning, and compressed space, but Andrew healed from the damage as Malebolgia readied his army.

Van Helsing and Bruce confronted Malebolgia as he emerged from the Gate of Hell with a vast Demon Army. Malebolgia revealed that Bruce was God's Avatar, then challenged the God behind him to appear.

• Andrew secretly analyzed Bruce's God's Power while pretending to struggle against his space control.
• Van Helsing summoned a projection of Heaven into the Archangel's Sword and attacked the Gate of Hell, but Malebolgia's giant hand stopped the strike and shattered the surrounding space.
• Bruce evacuated nearby civilians as Malebolgia emerged and summoned hundreds of thousands of Demons, while President Nathan chose to wait before using military force.
• Malebolgia greeted Bruce as God, but Bruce clarified that he was the New God and tried to interview the Demon King.
• Malebolgia said Bruce was God's Avatar and that God could sense everything Bruce experienced; Bruce then killed Joker with a summoned guillotine after Joker teased him.
• Malebolgia ignored Joker and challenged the God behind Bruce to appear, asking whether an avatar could stop him.

Andrew led the Demon Army’s assault on Heaven while Malebolgia seized Bruce and fought off Van Helsing. As the angelic and demonic armies clashed, God offered Andrew Bruce’s divine power in exchange for dealing with Malebolgia.

• Bruce attacked Malebolgia with holy-enhanced meteors, but Malebolgia swallowed them and nearly killed Bruce and Van Helsing with explosive bugs.
• Malebolgia revealed that he intended to attack Heaven, seized Bruce and Van Helsing, and sealed Van Helsing’s angelic power before Heaven intervened.
• The Gate of Heaven opened, and the Four Archangels led an Angel Army to face Malebolgia and the demons.
• Andrew rallied the Demon Army and led its charge into Heaven while the Disaster Countermeasures Bureau and superheroes moved to stop demons falling into New York.
• Malebolgia held Bruce and tried to devour God’s power, while Van Helsing’s attack failed and Bruce called for God’s help.
• God contacted Andrew and offered him the power inside Bruce if Andrew dealt with Malebolgia.

Andrew learned that God wanted him to inherit Heaven so God could escape the limits of faith and pursue a higher level; Andrew agreed only to take over in ten years and asked for Bruce's God's Power. As Gabriel fled Demons in New York and Bruce faced Malebolgia, a spear of Black Flame struck the Demon King.

• God told Andrew that Bruce's temporary God's Power had tested Andrew's character and that he wanted Andrew to become the God of this world.
• God explained that faith bound him to his role and that passing it to Andrew would let him pursue a higher level; Andrew agreed to take over in ten years and requested Bruce's God's Power in advance.
• God said Bruce would have lost God's Power in three days to avoid being assimilated, and warned Andrew to call on the Angels only in an emergency.
• Gabriel fled pursuing Demons in New York, fell and injured his back, and a woman dragged him into her shop to save him.
• Bruce called out to God without receiving an answer, and a massive spear of Black Flame pierced through time and space and struck Malebolgia as he was about to devour Bruce.

Ghost Rider took Bruce’s New York Godhood and rallied the city to fight the Demons pouring through the Spatial Vortex. The Hell War intensified as Malebolgia and his allies pressed their attack, while Ghost Rider sent Hughie and Himiko to move and protect the troops.

• Ghost Rider arrived as Director of S.W.O.R.D., defeated Malebolgia with the Flame Spear, and returned Bruce home after taking the New York Godhood from him.
• Grace welcomed Bruce back, then confronted him about hiding the crisis and changing her breasts; Bruce pretended he had lost his job to comfort her.
• Chthon and Malebolgia agreed to intensify their assault on Earth, and the Demon and Monster Alliances surged toward the Spatial Vortex while Andrew called in reinforcements.
• Demons broke through the blockade and caused casualties as Young Barry drew on Black Flash’s power, while Kara, Peter, and Claire fought to contain them.
• Ghost Rider used the New York Godhood to rally believers, newly empowered people, gang members, and the city’s military forces to defend New York.
• Ghost Rider ordered Hughie to help move the troops and assigned Himiko to protect him.

Ghost Rider drew Malebolgia away from Earth and fought him on the Far Side of the Moon while Homelander tried to stage a public battle nearby. Meanwhile, Andrew secretly began taking control of Malebolgia’s Demon Army as battles continued across Heaven and Earth.

• Hughie and Himiko vanished after the Director of S.W.O.R.D. ordered them to provide support, and Van Helsing flew to help in the sky.
• Ghost Rider annihilated Malebolgia’s Bugs with Great Prophecy, then dragged Malebolgia to the Far Side of the Moon to protect New York.
• Ghost Rider used God's Power to control the Moon and attack Malebolgia, while Homelander staged a fight against fake Alien Warships for the livestream.
• Andrew released Nanites to seize Malebolgia’s control over the Demon Army while he fought Van Helsing and Archangel Gabriel at Heaven’s entrance.
• The Disaster Countermeasures Bureau and new Ability Users held back Demons in New York, prompting Chthon and the Demons to plan to send a Demon King onto Earth.