Chapter Summaries

The two Spider-Men remained imprisoned while Doctor Strange promised to help Peter Parker, and Azu prepared for the final battle by considering how to keep Captain Marvel away. Spider-Man announced that he would appear at the Statue of Liberty that night, prompting the multiversal visitors to act and leaving Norman Osborn facing Captain Marvel.

• Doctor Strange kept the original Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man in a magical prison, explaining that he needed to gather the visitors and protect his universe.
• Black-suited Spider-Man asked J. Jonah Jameson to announce his plan to bring the Soul Catcher to the Statue of Liberty after sunset and send the monsters home.
• Azu watched J. Jonah Jameson twist Spider-Man's announcement into a warning and decided he needed to deal with Captain Marvel before the night's final battle.
• The broadcast prompted Professor Lizard to vow that Peter Parker must die, while signs of Sandman and a power drain appeared elsewhere.
• Norman Osborn made bombs in a university lab and attacked an instructor, but Captain Marvel stopped his escape and confronted him as a multiversal visitor.

Carol pursued Osborn after he attacked a school, but Azu intervened and kept her from capturing him. Their fight escalated from the city into space, where Carol entered Binary State and punched Azu as his Heat Ray destroyed a satellite.

• Carol chased Osborn through the school grounds, where he fired on the campus and took a teacher hostage before fleeing with him.
• Osborn threw the teacher from his glider, and Carol caught him, then tracked Osborn through New York and blasted him away from a sewer entrance.
• Azu appeared beside Carol, distracted her with his advances, and let Osborn escape before fighting her through a building.
• Carol carried Azu into space as he fired his Heat Ray, then entered Binary State and punched him through the beam, which destroyed a nearby satellite.
• Azu embraced Carol and drove them toward a nearby space station.

Azu lured Carol into Westview Town, where she lost her powers and became trapped in an unsettling black-and-white reality. Meanwhile, Doctor Strange released the two Spider-Men to prepare for Peter Parker’s planned confrontation, and Carol ended the chapter face-to-face with Wanda at the town’s blocked exit.

• Carol and Azu fought near Moon Gazer 3, then Azu used Teleportation to draw her toward a small town and escaped into a network as she chased his illusion into Westview Town.
• At the Sanctum Sanctorum, Doctor Strange discovered that Carol had vanished, released the original Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man, and sent them toward the Statue of Liberty for Peter Parker’s planned challenge.
• Carol realized that Westview Town had given her false memories and taken away her powers, then went home and concluded that leaving town might restore them.
• Carol drove toward Westview Town’s exit, noticed residents acting strangely, and saw a man repeat the same exchange with her at an intersection.
• Carol’s car struck an invisible barrier at the town exit, where Wanda appeared on the hood and asked why Carol was there.

Carol discovered that Wanda had trapped herself in Westview with a resurrected Vision, then was forced into the role of Officer Calorie. At the Statue of Liberty, Peter Parker joined forces with two Spider-Men against the villains while Azu watched, and MJ appeared in a car approaching the fight.

• Carol found Wanda in Westview and realized the town’s false reality was keeping Wanda with the Vision she believed was alive.
• Wanda rejected Carol’s warning, used her magic to erase Carol’s awareness, and made her return as Officer Calorie for a community event.
• The original Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man met Peter Parker at the Statue of Liberty and offered to help him stop Osborn and the others, but Peter refused to spare Osborn.
• Max attacked Peter, while The Amazing Spider-Man fought Max and the original Spider-Man confronted Marco; Doctor Octopus then stopped Professor Lizard from ambushing Peter.
• Azu watched Peter’s desire for revenge waver after Otto helped him, then spotted MJ alive in a car heading toward the Statue of Liberty.

MJ returned to New York to support Peter Parker, but Azu tried to keep her from reaching him while Starro used Vibranium armors to hold Azu back. After Osborn killed MJ with grenades, Peter Parker gave in to his rage and attacked him, while the original Spider-Man tried to stop the fight.

• MJ secretly returned to New York and headed toward the Statue of Liberty, but Azu sent Cursed Warriors to block her taxi.
• The Destroyer rescued MJ from the Cursed Warriors and drove her toward the Statue of Liberty, but Azu attacked her before Starro arrived with an army of Vibranium armors.
• Starro held Azu back, but Azu used Mind Invasion to control MJ as she fled; Osborn then threw grenades at her, and Peter Parker saw her die in the blast.
• Peter Parker abandoned Connors's antidote and attacked Osborn, while the original Spider-Man cured Connors and joined the fight.
• The original Spider-Man urged Peter Parker not to seek revenge, but Peter charged at Osborn, who called himself Peter's final shackle.

Peter Parker fought Norman Osborn while the original Spider-Man tried to keep him from killing the Green Goblin, but the battle around the Statue of Liberty escalated into a clash between the Spider-Men and the villains. As the Statue collapsed and both sides regrouped for another fight, MJ survived the earlier bombing and struggled toward Peter.

• The original Spider-Man restrained Peter Parker and fought Osborn, but Peter freed himself, joined the battle, and battered Osborn while refusing to let the original Spider-Man intervene.
• Peter Parker nearly killed Osborn, breaking his arm and grinding his face against the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal, while the original Spider-Man tried to stop him.
• Starro’s attempt to transform Azu failed when Azu and the Vibranium mechs disappeared; Azu escaped the suits with help from a clone, whose Heat Ray severely damaged the Statue of Liberty.
• The Statue of Liberty collapsed amid the fighting, and Black Max, Doctor Octopus, Marco, Osborn, and the three Spider-Men gathered for another confrontation.
• Max incapacitated Doctor Octopus while Marco trapped the original Spider-Man in a sandstorm, and MJ emerged alive from the wreckage of the bombed highway and set out toward Peter.

Azu defeated Starro’s forces and manipulated Peter Parker into killing Osborn, pushing Peter toward a new vow to punish every criminal. Doctor Strange erased the world’s memories of Peter Parker and sent the multiverse visitors away, leaving MJ injured and unable to remember why she felt heartbroken.

• Azu and his duplicate destroyed the Vibranium Armor suits, and Starro decided to surrender after calculating that victory was unlikely.
• Azu stopped the original Spider-Man from interfering while Peter Parker hesitated over killing Osborn, but MJ’s plea initially made him lower the glider.
• Azu detonated the Seed of Desire, rekindling Peter Parker’s vengeance, and Peter stabbed Osborn in the neck with the glider.
• Peter Parker left, convinced that he would punish every criminal, while MJ collapsed and the other Spider-Men mourned the outcome.
• Doctor Strange cast a Memory Wipe Spell that erased Peter Parker from everyone’s memories as the multiverse visitors and Osborn’s corpse disappeared.
• MJ asked Doctor Strange to heal her injured thigh, confused about why she felt so miserable.

After weeks in hiding, Peter visited May’s grave and admitted that he remained consumed by anger. That night, a masked Spider-Man rescued MJ from criminals, and news reports later accused Spider-Man of killing them and called him a demon.

• Peter visited May’s grave and told her he still felt angry despite killing Osborn, while claiming Steve’s magic had made people forget him.
• MJ stumbled into an alley where criminals seized her, knocked her unconscious, and prepared to carry her away.
• A masked Spider-Man attacked the men, killed them, and disappeared with MJ, who later woke up safely at home.
• MJ saw a report about four murdered men and recognized them as the criminals from the alley.
• The Daily Horn accused Spider-Man of becoming a judge and called him a spider demon, while MJ felt an unexplained ache and began to cry.

After returning from the Spider-Man Universe, Azu received the spoils of his invasion victory and learned that online critics were blaming him for a fraud committed in his name. Meanwhile, Frenchie and Mammal found Soldier Boy in a Russian military base, where Soldier Boy killed Mammal and escaped, leaving Frenchie to flee.

• Azu received Token of Glory, Laughing Gas Toxin, Starro’s plundered items, Destroyer, and the Mutation Ray, and concluded that offensive invasions offered greater rewards at greater risk.
• Frenchie injected Temporary Compound 5, discovered that he could generate electricity, and used his new power to break into the Russian military base with Mammal.
• Frenchie and Mammal searched the laboratory for a weapon, but their fight with the soldiers activated a sealed container and released Soldier Boy.
• Mammal recognized Soldier Boy as the man who had killed his father and charged him, but Soldier Boy’s chest beam killed Mammal and blasted a passage through the base.
• Frenchie fled as Soldier Boy left the laboratory, and Azu later learned that victims of the National Protection Association were demanding compensation from him.
• After reading hostile online comments blaming him for the fraud, Azu told Maeve and Ashley that he planned to confront the critics face-to-face.

Azu agreed to attend a televised White House ceremony honoring his appointment as a general and asked Neuman to tighten internet controls after online attacks against the National Protection Association. On the morning of the ceremony, online critic Derrick watched Homelander arrive at the White House and dismissed him as a clown.

• Azu accepted the president's invitation to attend Monday's award ceremony and told Ashley he would write his own speech.
• Azu visited Neuman, and she agreed to address his request for stricter internet control over criticism of the National Protection Association.
• President Archibald and his officials planned to use the ceremony's tiered platform to suggest that Homelander cooperated with the government.
• Derrick fled after witnessing a robbery and was bullied by his neighbor Bart, then returned to his apartment and posted insults about Homelander online as Dark Lemon.
• Derrick watched the live broadcast as Homelander arrived at the White House, then called him a clown.

Homelander interrupted his White House award ceremony to expose and kill internet trolls who had insulted him, then warned the Federation that he would not be restrained by laws or public opinion. Days later, a homeless man’s memories awakened his powers in New York, while Mallory learned that Frenchie had returned without the weapon and that Soldier Boy had killed Mammal.

• Derrick watched Homelander’s award ceremony and posted mocking comments online under the name Dark Lemon.
• Homelander displayed online insults at the White House, tracked down Derrick, and killed him and other trolls, then left before the decoration ceremony ended.
• President Rick Archibald and General Mike concluded that Homelander had declared himself beyond the Federation’s control, while the president urged Mallory to retrieve the weapon that could kill him.
• A homeless man in New York heard Russian music, regained memories of torture, and unleashed a devastating beam from his chest before fleeing.
• The homeless man found an old acquaintance and asked for his suit, while Mallory confronted Frenchie about the missing weapon.
• Frenchie told Mallory that Mammal had died in front of him and that Soldier Boy had been there instead of the weapon.

Mallory and Frenchie identified Soldier Boy as the Super who had escaped from Russia and returned to New York, while Azu anticipated that the crisis could expose the president’s plot against him. The chapter ended with Azu preparing to use Soldier Boy to draw his political opponents into the open.

• Mallory told Frenchie that Soldier Boy and Payback had caused the deaths of her soldiers during a wartime mission, before Soldier Boy was captured by the Soviet Union.
• Mallory and Frenchie watched news footage of Soldier Boy’s chest blast, confirmed his escape at the devastated New York scene, and decided he would seek out Countess Crimson.
• Azu refused to deploy The Seven without a request from the Federation, but approved Starlight’s plan to track Soldier Boy and pointed her toward Countess Crimson.
• Starlight surprised Azu by saying she was free for a date Friday night, then hurried away.
• Azu reasoned that Vought had conspired with the Soviet Union to capture Soldier Boy and decided to use the current crisis to expose the president’s alleged plot against him.

Starlight witnessed Mallory and Frenchie capture Countess Crimson, then watched Soldier Boy kill her and agree to hear Mallory’s offer. Mallory proposed helping Soldier Boy find his former teammates if he helped kill Homelander, whom she described as his replacement.

• Starlight went to the amusement park to find Countess Crimson and hid when Mallory and Frenchie arrived.
• Frenchie used his powers to incapacitate Countess Crimson, and Mallory tied her up as bait for Soldier Boy.
• Starlight overheard Mallory and Frenchie discuss Soldier Boy and Homelander while Countess Crimson recognized Mallory.
• Soldier Boy arrived, confronted Countess Crimson over her alleged betrayal, and killed her with a blast from his chest.
• Starlight reported what she had seen to Azu, while Mallory took Soldier Boy to a hotel and offered to help him find his old teammates in exchange for killing Homelander.
• Mallory told Soldier Boy that Vought had used Homelander to replace him, and Soldier Boy insisted that nobody could replace him.

Mallory negotiated with Soldier Boy to help bring down Homelander, and Soldier Boy demanded a face-to-face meeting with President Rick Archibald and a night with Mallory. Azu secretly learned of the planned meeting through his mechanical animal spies and arranged a press conference and helicopters for Friday morning, leaving his purpose unclear.

• Soldier Boy agreed to consider Mallory’s deal if he could meet President Rick Archibald in person and Mallory spent a night with him.
• Mallory disabled the White House surveillance and communications systems before telling Rick that Soldier Boy required a face-to-face meeting.
• Rick agreed to meet Soldier Boy despite General Mike and the other officials warning him of the danger.
• Azu watched the White House meeting through mechanical animal spies and learned that Soldier Boy’s meeting was planned for Friday morning.
• Azu told Ashley to arrange a Friday morning press conference about future cooperation with the Federation and to prepare several helicopters.
• Azu went to Eden Base, where Ryan and Cindy trained and researchers studied the captured Black Skeleton.

Azu stored Vibranium at Eden Base and gave Dr. Alfred Kryptonian technology to study. Meanwhile, Soldier Boy attacked the Dynamite Twins, but a grenade triggered his trauma and unleashed a devastating blast that killed them and destroyed their villa.

• Azu had the Vibranium cube stored in Eden Base and decided to leave it to the scientists for research.
• Azu gave Dr. Alfred a sphere containing Kryptonian technology, and Alfred vowed to devote himself to realizing the knowledge.
• Mallory warned Soldier Boy not to cause a destructive incident as he went with Frenchie to confront the Dynamite Twins.
• Soldier Boy found the Dynamite Twins at their party, but their powers produced only a tiny spark when they tried to attack him.
• Someone threw a grenade at Soldier Boy, triggering his trauma and causing him to unleash a beam that reduced the Dynamite Twins to skeletons and flattened the villa.

Batallon filmed the destruction of the Dynamite Twins' mansion and followed Angelina's instructions to hold the story until after Homelander's press conference. Homelander led reporters away from Seven Tower as President Rick Archibald arrived at a secret Yellowstone base to meet Mallory and Soldier Boy.

• An explosion destroyed the Dynamite Twins' mansion, and Batallon filmed Soldier Boy emerging unharmed from the ruins.
• Angelina told Batallon to delay releasing his footage until after the press conference at Seven Tower the next morning.
• Mallory ordered Soldier Boy and Frenchie to leave the wreckage before reporters arrived, and Frenchie survived the blast after taking Temporary Compound 5.
• Homelander held a press conference, selected Batallon to ask about the Supe who destroyed Central City, and then invited the reporters to follow him by helicopter.
• Mechanical sparrows created by Azu monitored a secret military base in Yellowstone National Park as President Rick Archibald arrived to meet Mallory and Soldier Boy.

Azu brought reporters to Yellowstone National Park and exposed President Rick Archibald meeting with Soldier Boy to recruit him to kill Homelander. Soldier Boy attacked Azu at the military base, but Azu dominated the fight and lifted him into the air just as Soldier Boy’s energy blast fired skyward.

• Azu led reporters by helicopter to Yellowstone National Park, where President Rick Archibald was secretly meeting Mallory and Soldier Boy.
• Rick Archibald asked Soldier Boy to kill Homelander and promised him money, status, and the role of the Federation’s Guardian.
• Azu exposed the meeting to the reporters by removing the room’s dome, and the cameras captured Rick Archibald shaking hands with Soldier Boy.
• Soldier Boy attacked Azu on the parade ground after asking whether the President’s promise would still stand if he killed him.
• Azu shattered Soldier Boy’s shield and repeatedly overpowered him while weighing whether to keep him alive for his power-stripping ability.
• Soldier Boy charged up an energy blast, but Azu lifted him just before the blast shot into the sky.

Azu secretly transformed Soldier Boy into a loyal mechanical agent and let reporters publicize the Yellowstone incident, while Rick Archibald struggled to contain the political fallout. Mallory realized the president was setting her up to take the blame and rushed to flee with Frenchie.

• Azu used the Mutation Ray to turn Soldier Boy into a mechanical life form, alter his appearance, and send him undercover in New York.
• Azu encouraged the reporters to publish their Yellowstone footage, promised Batallon an exclusive interview, and invited them to a party at Seven Tower.
• Rick Archibald's officials recognized that Homelander had exposed the president's dealings with Soldier Boy and feared the coming scandal would force him from office.
• Azu's broadcast accused the Federation of letting a dangerous Super criminal go free, and Rick concluded Homelander was building a case against him.
• At a motel, Mallory told Frenchie that she had taken a nasty fall, then realized Rick was apologizing publicly to Homelander so he could blame her.
• Rick named Mallory as the person who had misled him, and Mallory pulled out a handgun and urged Frenchie to leave with her.

Mallory and Frenchie escaped an FBI siege, while Azu used the president’s apology and Batallon’s report to turn the political crisis into public spectacle. The president and General Mike arrived at Seven Tower to meet Azu, who had them welcomed and photographed for the press.

• Mallory and Frenchie used Temporary Compound 5 and explosives to break through the FBI blockade, killing and injuring officers before heading for New York.
• At Seven Tower, Azu told Ashley to publish Batallon’s report and agreed to meet President Rick Archibald the next day, then invited Victoria Neuman to the tower.
• After the president apologized and Batallon reported his meeting with Soldier Boy, the Federation erupted into arguments over whether Rick knew Soldier Boy was a criminal.
• Maeve and Neuman competed for Azu’s attention through the night, and Azu woke the next morning to find the president and General Mike arriving at Seven Tower.
• Ashley welcomed Rick and General Mike, arranged a photo with the president, and told her staff to send it to Batallon for publication.

Azu pressured President Rick Archibald to resign and backed Victoria Neuman as his successor, using Mallory’s recording of the president’s conspiracy as leverage. Rick agreed to step down and recommend Neuman to Congress, while Azu also named Mallory the new director of the Security Bureau.

• Rick Archibald and General Mike waited as Azu read, then Azu confronted Rick over blaming Ms. Mallory and joked about making him fall ill.
• Azu rejected Rick’s public apology and demanded that he resign, proposing Victoria Neuman as the next president.
• Rick argued that he would retain public support, but Mallory entered with a recording of his secret conversation about arranging a meeting with Soldier Boy.
• Mallory explained that she had sought Azu’s protection after Rick sent the FBI and police after her, and she revealed that the recording could expose Rick’s actions.
• Azu declared that Neuman would become president and Mallory would lead the Security Bureau, and Rick agreed to resign and recommend Neuman to Congress.
• Azu told Ashley to arrange lunch for Rick, correcting himself to call him the former president.