Chapter Summaries

Alexander Pierce ordered Agent Sitwell to watch Nick Fury’s investigation of Loki, while Agent Coulson spotted Loki at the shop he was staking out and alerted Fury. Fury rushed to the scene, convinced the shop linked Loki to the supernatural world, and began asking Coulson what he had observed.

• Alexander Pierce recalled Hydra’s failed attempts to approach the World Tree Group and told Agent Sitwell to watch Nick Fury without being detected.
• Agent Coulson traced Adam’s route to a wealthy Washington neighborhood, then resumed staking out the shop because surveillance stopped there.
• Coulson spotted Loki entering the shop and called Nick Fury, hoping the connection would help secure his operational budget.
• Nick Fury confirmed that the shop was part of Coulson’s case and ordered him not to alert any targets, warning that all of them could be extremely dangerous.
• Nick Fury drove to Coulson’s car in fifteen minutes and asked about the targets and surveillance, learning that Coulson had installed no listening devices.

Nick Fury and Coulson waited for Loki to leave Adam’s shop, then entered so Fury could assess Adam and ask about gifts. Adam treated Fury’s visit as an ordinary request for help with a promotion, leaving Fury with little sign of anything unusual.

• Nick Fury learned that Coulson had not planted a listening device and decided that had been the right choice.
• Fury ordered Coulson to accompany him into Adam’s shop after Loki left, despite Coulson’s concern that his FBI identity had already been exposed.
• Loki glanced toward the agents’ car as he departed, while Fury dismissed the possibility that Loki had noticed them.
• Adam noticed Fury and the agents waiting outside but did nothing, then received them when they entered the shop.
• Fury introduced himself as Coulson’s superior and asked Adam to recommend a gift to help him pull strings for a promotion.

Adam used the Mind Card’s subtle influence to steer Nick Fury and Agent Coulson into buying an ordinary vase for eighty million dollars, causing them to leave without investigating the shop. The card also made Nick Fury overlook Mimi, the orange cat he had searched for for twenty years.

• Nick Fury chose Bias Tros as the supposed recipient of the covert bribe, and Adam brought out a vase priced at eighty million dollars after tax.
• Nick Fury recognized the vase’s patterns were not genuinely from the Shang or Zhou dynasties but paid for it and accidentally dropped a listening device beneath a display cabinet.
• Adam gave Nick Fury a receipt, and Nick Fury and Agent Coulson left the shop without asking about their investigation.
• Kero questioned Adam for selling the agents an ordinary vase at an outrageous price, and Adam insisted it was genuine as an ordinary vase.
• Adam examined his Mind Card, whose aura could direct attention and make people overlook things, and realized it had made Nick Fury ignore Mimi in the shop.

After the Mind Card spoke and sulked, Adam wondered whether Nick Fury had recovered from its influence. Fury and Coulson regained their senses, but Fury interpreted the incident as a complex trap involving Loki and a dangerous organization, and decided S.H.I.E.L.D. had to investigate.

• The Mind Card asked Adam philosophical questions, then sulked when he suggested The Nothing could answer them.
• Adam released the Mind Card to clear its head, picked up Mimi, and wondered whether Nick Fury had recovered.
• Nick Fury and Agent Coulson pulled over after realizing they had been influenced into buying a vase and leaving the store.
• Nick Fury suspected the supernatural influence was intended to divert their attention and make an investigation politically dangerous, but he decided not to abandon the case.
• Nick Fury concluded that Loki was likely part of the organization behind the trap and had used his abilities to affect perceptions in the store.
• Nick Fury reasoned that the organization had captured Gugu and posed a threat to Earth, so S.H.I.E.L.D. had to investigate it.

Adam left his shop in Winter Soldier’s care and set out to kill Cyttorak, leaving Suppi and the other cats to protect the business. After finding a stable connection to the Below-All, Adam refused to be pulled into the lower realm and said he would find his own way in.

• Adam told Winter Soldier he expected to be away for about a year and left him and Toby to run the shop, with Hela and Loki available for help.
• Adam left Suppi and the other cats at the shop, gave them the Adam Card, and hid a spider-patterned talisman beneath Suppi in case he failed to return.
• Adam departed to hunt Cyttorak, wary that Dimension Lords might hide themselves if he waited too long.
• Adam found the green doorway’s signal had strengthened and warned the Below-All not to corrupt him or pull him through the door.
• The Below-All appeared through a Hulk from a universe where it had succeeded in entering reality, but Adam said he would enter the lower realm on his own.

Adam dissected Hulk's body while The Below-All watched, then used what he learned to create a door into the lower realm. After trading knowledge of hatred with The Below-All, Adam prepared to leave for Cyttorak, but The Below-All revealed himself as The Above-All and proposed another trade.

• Adam studied The Below-All's manifested body through Hulk, and The Below-All healed his wounds by reversing time.
• Adam created the Door Card and opened a doorway into the lower realm, then entered it and met The Below-All.
• Adam asked to trade knowledge of hatred, and The Below-All exchanged his own concepts and rules for Adam's.
• Adam and The Below-All spent five months sharing and learning their respective knowledge of hatred.
• As Adam prepared to leave for Cyttorak, The Below-All stopped him and revealed that he was The Above-All.

Adam met The Above-All through The Below-All and learned that The Above-All’s path of self-improvement had reached a dead end. After Adam explained other paths and requested love’s rules and concepts along with a lifeless universe, The Above-All agreed to consider the advice and offered other emotional concepts as compensation.

• The Above-All used The Below-All as a vessel to meet Adam and gave him coordinates to the Crimson Dimension as compensation.
• The Above-All asked Adam for information about the road ahead, and Adam explained the all-to-one and one-to-all paths while warning that The Above-All’s path depended on his world and might be a dead end.
• The Above-All said he would consider Adam’s advice and asked what Adam wanted in return.
• Adam requested the rules and concepts of love and a universe where all life was completely Dead Silence, but The Above-All said no such universe currently existed.
• The Above-All offered rules and concepts of other emotions as additional compensation, and Adam considered the offer.

The Above-All traded his understanding of emotion for Adam’s promise to receive universes after life went extinct, then Adam claimed the Crimson Dimension and returned to his shop. He found Toby and the Winter Soldier had wrecked the shop, restored the damage, and refused to let Toby off the hook.

• The Above-All gave Adam his understanding of emotion and promised him universes after their life had gone extinct, completing their deal.
• The Below-All learned that The Above-All had used him to negotiate with Adam and angrily protested.
• Adam found the ownerless Crimson Dimension, marked it with Door Card, and spread his control throughout it.
• Adam returned to the shop and caught Toby and the Winter Soldier amid falling merchandise and a damaged counter.
• Adam restored the shop, heard Toby and the Winter Soldier blame each other for the mess, and told Toby he would not let him off.

Toby learned that Adam was a wizard and discovered that Kero and Suppi were magical creatures, after mistaking Adam’s magic for superpowers. The chapter ended with Kero challenging Toby to an arm-wrestling match.

• Adam made Toby clean the shop’s ceilings with his webbing, and Toby threw a dirty towel at the Winter Soldier.
• Adam used the Transfiguration Charm to make objects attack Toby, then used a spell to make him dance uncontrollably.
• Adam explained that he was a wizard, while the Winter Soldier’s memories of serving Hydra and working for world peace were revealed.
• Adam lifted the illusion hiding Kero and Suppi, and Toby and the Winter Soldier discovered the cats could talk and reveal their true forms.
• Kero challenged Toby to a first-to-five-wins arm-wrestling match and immediately slammed Toby’s hand onto the table.

Toby lost an arm-wrestling match to Kero, while Winter Soldier realized the shop's cats were far stronger and stranger than he was. Meanwhile, Nick Fury dealt with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s failure to find Tony Stark and told Agent Coulson to monitor him, only to learn Coulson was already handling another task Fury had assigned.

• Toby lost to Kero in an arm-wrestling match and complained that he was the weakest in the shop.
• Toby and Winter Soldier realized Mimi might be even less normal than Kero and Suppi, and concluded that Adam and the cats outranked them.
• A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent spotted Adam back in the shop, but his operator told him to handle the situation himself while Nick Fury was busy.
• Nick Fury recalled that S.H.I.E.L.D. had failed to find Tony Stark, who had escaped the terrorists in a homemade armored suit and been recovered by the military.
• Nick Fury ordered Agent Coulson to keep monitoring Tony, and Coulson replied that he was already working on another task Fury had assigned.

Nick Fury investigated Adam’s antique shop after Adam returned, while Agent Coulson’s visit nearly exposed S.H.I.E.L.D.’s cover. Fury assigned Coulson to Tony Stark’s case and tasked Agent Hill with secretly gathering intelligence on the shop, leaving Hill concerned about Fury’s judgment but willing to proceed.

• Coulson reported that Adam had returned to the shop, and Nick Fury ordered him to explain the encounter in detail.
• Adam told Coulson that he had gone looking for new merchandise and showed him a Blue and White Vase, while Coulson improvised an excuse for his visit.
• Fury warned Coulson not to approach the shop again, then assigned him to Tony Stark’s case and promised leave after a busy period; Coulson eagerly accepted after hearing he could submit his expenses.
• Hill questioned Fury’s mental state after reviewing his investigation into the orange cat, and Fury explained that Adam’s shop was connected to a mysterious organization and that S.H.I.E.L.D. had to investigate secretly.
• Fury asked Hill to gather intelligence through the shop assistants, and Hill agreed while wondering why Natasha had not been assigned.

S.H.I.E.L.D. struggled to investigate Adam’s shop and recover the missing Mark II wreckage while Natasha and Coulson failed to reach Tony Stark. Agent Hill’s attempt to seduce Toby ended in rejection, leaving Nick Fury to conclude that Toby simply was not interested in her.

• Nick Fury learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. had failed to find the Mark II wreckage and ordered Coulson and Natasha to accelerate their work.
• Natasha and Coulson exchanged a weary glance at Stark Industries because Tony had shut himself away in his laboratory.
• Agent Hill found that Adam, Bucky, and Toby kept unusually restricted routines, then tried to approach Toby with a staged damsel-in-distress scenario.
• Toby thanked Agent Hill for her apparent need for help, rejected further attention, and went to the library.
• Agent Hill wondered whether Toby was gay, but Nick Fury suggested that Toby simply was not interested in her.

Agent Hill reconsidered her approach to Toby after confirming he had gone to the library to study biology. Obadiah Stane agreed to trade his Stark Industries shares for one percent of World Tree Group, but a second document left him uneasy.

• Agent Hill checked surveillance and library records, confirmed Toby had borrowed and returned biology books, and decided to pursue him rather than wait for him to make a move.
• Obadiah Stane watched footage showing Pepper Potts investigating him and realized Tony Stark suspected his betrayal.
• A handsome man mocked Obadiah for his failed plot against Tony Stark and offered him one percent of World Tree Group in exchange for his Stark Industries shares.
• Obadiah accepted the deal and signed the document, then asked what the secretary’s next document was.

A World Tree Group executive sympathized with Obadiah Stane’s frustrations over Tony Stark and offered him a wager involving the recovered robot wreckage. Obadiah weighed the chance to regain influence at Stark Industries against the risk of losing everything and picked up a pen as the chapter ended.

• A World Tree Group executive compared his difficult boss to Tony Stark and persuaded Obadiah Stane that he understood his resentment.
• Obadiah learned that the executive had personally taken the wreckage of Tony Stark’s mechanical suit from the terrorist base.
• The executive offered Obadiah temporary proxy rights to his traded Stark Industries shares and access to the wreckage during a wager.
• The agreement promised Obadiah a chance to secure his position at Stark Industries by proving his worth to the board, but risked all his assets if he failed.
• The executive urged Obadiah to modify the wreckage and convince the board that Tony was not irreplaceable, and Obadiah picked up his fountain pen.

Loki used a magical contract to secure Obadiah Stane’s assets and Mark I wreckage, then pushed World Tree Group’s campaign to gain control of Stark Industries. As the share-buying drew attention, Nick Fury suspected Loki’s organization might be targeting Tony Stark, who remained shut away in his laboratory.

• Obadiah Stane signed a magical contract with Loki and left with a waiter to collect the Mark I wreckage.
• Loki ordered Kyle to continue acquiring Stark Industries shares and confirmed Obadiah’s assets would be bound by the contract.
• Loki aimed to buy enough shares for veto power and possibly reach 51% control while Stark Industries’ stock price collapsed.
• World Tree Group’s buying spree sparked speculation that it planned to acquire Stark Industries, though other companies lacked the cash to compete.
• Nick Fury wondered whether Loki and the people behind him intended to move against Tony Stark, who still had not left his laboratory.

Tony Stark tested the Mark III and learned that Stark Industries faced a takeover threat as shareholders lost confidence in his silence and World Tree Group bought up shares. He finally realized the company was in serious danger, but his response remained unknown.

• Tony Stark tested the Mark III at high altitude and confirmed its anti-icing system worked.
• Pepper Potts told Tony Stark that Stark Industries was in critical condition and urged him to address the shareholders.
• Tony Stark dismissed Pepper's concerns and insisted his intelligence would keep the company afloat.
• World Tree Group acquired Stark Industries shares while Obadiah Stane concealed his plans and encouraged shareholders' uncertainty.
• Shareholders sold their stakes or demanded answers from Pepper Potts as Stark Industries' stock fell.
• Tony Stark read the reports and notices, and his expression changed.

Tony Stark learned that Loki’s World Tree Group had acquired a major stake in Stark Industries and prepared to attend the shareholders’ meeting to defend his control. As shareholders arrived beneath a crush of media attention, Tony had yet to appear, leaving everyone waiting to see what he and Loki would do.

• Pepper Potts warned Tony Stark that he had to attend the shareholders’ meeting, and Tony planned to reassure shareholders while promising to protect Stark Industries.
• Tony estimated that Loki might control nearly thirty percent of the company’s shares and decided he needed Obadiah Stane’s support.
• Tony called Obadiah, who promised to back him, while Obadiah stood beside his Iron Monger armor.
• Reporters crowded Stark Tower as shareholders began arriving, and an elderly businessman said the day would bring answers.
• The arrivals drew attention to the absent Tony Stark and to Loki’s expected decision at the meeting.

Loki denied that he intended to acquire Stark Industries as Tony Stark arrived at the shareholders' meeting in his Mark III. Tony tried to stabilize the company while considering evidence that Obadiah Stane had been acting against him, leaving the meeting's outcome unresolved.

• Loki told reporters he had no intention of acquiring Stark Industries and left for the shareholders' meeting.
• A shareholder urged the meeting to begin because Tony had not arrived, but Obadiah Stane asked them to wait.
• Tony entered before the meeting's scheduled start and showed the shareholders a news report of himself landing the Mark III on Stark Tower.
• Tony exchanged remarks with Loki, then considered the evidence Pepper Potts had gathered against Obadiah and the possibility that Obadiah and Loki were working together.
• Tony signaled for the shareholders to quiet down as he prepared to steady the meeting and protect his control of Stark Industries.

At a Stark Industries shareholder meeting, Obadiah Stane revealed his Iron Monger armor and attacked Tony Stark, intending to kill him and secure military protection. Tony fled toward the Mark III while Loki questioned whether he could survive the fight.

• Tony Stark presented the Mark III proposal, while Loki prompted Obadiah Stane to distribute a rival plan featuring Iron Monger and a restarted weapons division.
• Tony recognized Iron Monger's energy core as the one from the Mark I and realized Obadiah had been behind his kidnapping, but Obadiah left the conference room.
• Obadiah burst through the conference room wall in Iron Monger and attacked Tony, declaring he would prove the armor's value by killing him.
• Tony dodged gunfire and fled toward the Mark III as Obadiah pursued him with a missile that destroyed the elevator.
• The shareholders were rushed away in ambulances, while Loki wondered whether Tony could defeat Obadiah before he reached the armor.

Loki profited from the crisis at Stark Tower while S.H.I.E.L.D. scrambled to reach Tony Stark, who was trapped in his damaged, low-powered Mark III fighting Obadiah Stane. An arrow struck the Iron Monger but failed to penetrate it, leaving Obadiah confident and Tony still in danger.

• Loki offered emergency medical supplies to the collapsing shareholders and left with two stock transfer agreements.
• Nick Fury sent Agent Hill and a small S.H.I.E.L.D. team to rescue Tony, but the military withheld support because it wanted Obadiah's Iron Monger.
• Tony struggled to fight in the damaged Mark III, whose energy supply was nearly depleted, and hoped S.H.I.E.L.D. would arrive in time.
• Clint Barton fired an arrow that struck the Iron Monger but did not reach Obadiah.
• Obadiah pulled out the arrow, mocked Tony, and continued the fight.