Chapter Summaries

Inside Vought International’s safe house, Homelander refused to let The Seven join the fight against Zarathos, while Starlight struggled with the team’s cowardice. Zarathos overwhelmed the Avengers and human forces, leaving Captain America shaken as the defenders faced the demon without any way to call Ian for help.

• Homelander persuaded The Seven to stay safe and focus on Vought’s public image, despite Starlight’s pleas to help Spider-Man and the ordinary people in danger.
• Zarathos mocked the struggling Peter Parker and waited for the arriving heroes and the chaos to draw the attention of a greater power.
• S.H.I.E.L.D. and New York police opened fire on Zarathos, but its cold force field neutralized their weapons and froze their missiles.
• Zarathos swept a dark tendril through the front line, destroying vehicles and freezing agents and police officers until they shattered.
• Captain America hurled his vibranium shield at Zarathos, but the demon’s tendril knocked it back coated in dark purple frost, leaving him unsure how to fight.

Zarathos absorbed and turned the Avengers’ strongest attacks against them while keeping Spider-Man trapped, and Dormammu realized the demon was staging the battle to draw the Time Variance Authority’s attention. A portal opened over the battlefield, and Dormammu understood that Zarathos intended to use the TVA to reach the end of time.

• Obadiah and Thor combined a saturation barrage and a lightning strike against Zarathos, but it swallowed both attacks in a dark-purple vortex.
• Zarathos reflected the absorbed energy back at Obadiah and Thor, badly damaging Iron Monger and injuring Thor.
• Zarathos ignored the fallen heroes and continued tormenting Spider-Man while Dormammu studied the demon’s behavior through his mark.
• Dormammu concluded that Zarathos was prolonging the battle to attract the TVA rather than to kill the heroes or destroy the city.
• As Zarathos tightened its tendrils around Spider-Man, a portal opened nearby, and Dormammu realized Zarathos planned to use the TVA to reach the end of time.

The TVA arrived in Manhattan, identified Zarathos as a timeline anomaly, and attacked Thor when he demanded their identities. The TVA began slowing time across the battlefield to reset the local timeline, while Zarathos remained unaffected and watched their devices with eager interest.

• Dormammu realized Zarathos had used the superheroes as bait to draw out the TVA and gain access to the End of Time.
• A TVA squad emerged through a rectangular portal and declared the Manhattan incursion a threat to the Sacred Timeline.
• Steve Rogers questioned the TVA, while Natasha Romanoff and Thor assessed their unfamiliar technology and intentions.
• A TVA agent struck Thor with an electrified baton that neutralized his powers and knocked him unconscious, prompting the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to prepare to fight.
• The TVA leader announced a localized timeline reset and used his Time Controller to slow everything in a five-kilometer radius, except the TVA and Zarathos.
• Zarathos surrendered without resisting and watched the TVA's devices with greedy anticipation.

Zarathos surrendered to the TVA and was pruned to reach the End of Time, while the agents reset the damaged timeline. Watching the reset, Dormammu realized why Zarathos had wanted to go there.

• Zarathos shrank into a core, raised its hands in surrender, and claimed it willingly accepted the TVA’s authority.
• A-77 ordered extensive scans and tests, but Zarathos cooperated and repeatedly urged the agents to prune it.
• After headquarters ordered the team to proceed, A-77 activated the final pruning protocol, and Zarathos vanished toward the End of Time.
• A-77 reset the affected timeline and began restoring Times Square and the surrounding area.
• Dormammu watched the reset and realized Zarathos’s purpose for going to the End of Time.

Dormammu discovered that the End of Time might hold the remains of the Chaos Demon God and resolved to pursue the same opportunity as Zarathos. After the TVA reset New York and erased everyone’s memories, Dormammu began dragging the Dark Dimension toward the real dimension, triggering alarms at all three Sanctums.

• Dormammu searched the Abyssal Memory Corridor and found a record linking the End of Time to the imprisoned remains of the Chaos Demon God.
• Dormammu concluded that Zarathos had deliberately accepted pruning to reach the End of Time and seek the power to rewrite the narrative.
• Dormammu decided to pursue the same opportunity and began searching for a way to enter the End of Time while avoiding TVA surveillance.
• A-77 and his TVA team completed the timeline reset, then left New York believing Zarathos’s plan would end at the End of Time.
• Steve Rogers, Obadiah, Nick Fury, and Doctor Strange sensed faint anomalies after the reset, but the altered timeline left them without memories of the events.
• Baron Mordo warned Doctor Strange that the three Sanctums’ alarms were sounding as Dormammu tried to pull the Dark Dimension into the real dimension.

Dormammu forced the Dark Dimension toward reality, causing worldwide distortions while his followers performed rituals to weaken the barriers. Doctor Strange and the Avengers prepared to destroy the ritual sites, and Strange left to seek help from other versions of himself across the multiverse.

• Doctor Strange saw the Dark Dimension pressing against reality and ordered Kamar-Taj to reinforce the three Sanctums.
• Dark Dimension energy spread worldwide, causing living shadows, nightmare-like hallucinations, and dangerous physical anomalies.
• Dormammu's cultists began bloody rituals at sites around the world to create anchor points and weaken reality's defenses.
• Maria Hill, Obadiah, and the Avengers assessed the escalating crisis at Avengers headquarters before Doctor Strange arrived to explain Dormammu's plan.
• Doctor Strange assigned the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. to destroy the sacrificial nodes, then announced he would seek reinforcements from other versions of himself across the multiverse.

Doctor Strange attempted to contact his counterparts across the multiverse for help against Dormammu while the Avengers and other heroes fought attacks on Earth’s sanctums and leyline nodes. As the defenses faltered, a lively voice answered Strange’s call, introducing itself as the Multiverse Great Sage.

• Doctor Strange proposed summoning other versions of himself to create a counterspell, and Steve Rogers sent the Avengers to defend key nodes around the world.
• Dormammu’s followers attacked sanctums and leyline nodes globally, while Steve, Captain Carter, Captain Britain, Natasha Romanoff, Danny Rand, and other heroes led the defenses.
• The Seven arrived near the New York Sanctum Sanctorum and staged a camera-friendly battle as Vought promoted them as the leading heroes.
• Steve redirected the defenders as pressure mounted on the sanctum’s eastern line and Dormammu’s influence threatened reality.
• Doctor Strange used the Eye of Agamotto to broadcast a plea for help across the multiverse, and a counterpart answered, calling himself the Multiverse Great Sage.

Doctor Strange contacted a teenage Sorcerer Supreme from the Vitality Universe, who promised to arrive in ten minutes as Dormammu's invasion overwhelmed Earth. As global society collapsed and The Seven's brutality escalated under the Dark Dimension's influence, Homelander used Getsuga Tensho during a public rampage.

• Doctor Strange questioned Strange Kid's identity and abilities, then learned he was a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Sorcerer Supreme from the Vitality Universe who planned to cross universes in ten minutes.
• Doctor Strange warned Wong about the incoming guest and ordered him to prepare defenses and isolation arrays in case Strange Kid proved hostile.
• Dormammu's spreading darkness destabilized people around the world, triggering riots, looting, extremist activity, and the collapse of public order.
• Steve Rogers, Falcon, Maria Hill, Captain Carter, and other heroes struggled to defend cities and Sanctum sites while resources ran short.
• Homelander and The Seven livestreamed a violent cleanup in Times Square, killing rioters and dark creatures while Starlight objected to Homelander's brutality.
• Homelander snapped an evil creature's neck, declared that he could do whatever he wanted, and used Getsuga Tensho as the Dark Dimension's influence intensified.

Homelander’s dark-energy corruption drove him to attack civilians during Vought’s livestream, and he badly injured Starlight when she tried to stop him. Doctor Strange arrived to shield the crowd and confront Homelander, but Homelander attacked him, leaving their fight about to begin.

• Homelander declared civilians part of the chaos and fired a destructive blast that sent the crowd fleeing.
• Starlight charged Homelander to protect the civilians, but he pierced her attack with Heat Vision and hurled her into the street, badly burning her arms.
• Homelander prepared to fire on the fleeing crowd while the other members of The Seven and Vought staff stood by in fear.
• Doctor Strange appeared behind a golden magical shield and blocked Homelander’s attack on the civilians.
• Doctor Strange condemned Homelander’s slaughter and accused him of empowering Dormammu, then criticized The Seven and Vought for staging the crisis as a livestream spectacle.
• Homelander rejected Doctor Strange’s words and lunged at him with a raised fist.

Doctor Strange’s magical projection overwhelmed Homelander and banished him to a disorienting dimension where his powers were useless. After ordering Vought’s staff to help the injured, the projection vanished, while Doctor Strange’s true body remained occupied elsewhere.

• Homelander attacked Doctor Strange, but Strange’s illusion and magical chains trapped him.
• Doctor Strange multiplied the chains, blocked Homelander’s Heat Vision, and distorted the space around him.
• Strange sent Homelander into a strange dimension where he could find nothing to attack and could not escape.
• Strange’s projection landed near Times Square and ordered Vought’s staff to help those in need.
• Strange’s projection vanished as his true body continued preparing sacrifices for the mysterious Kid Brother.

After Doctor Strange healed the wounded and banished Homelander, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent condemned the Seven for standing by during the attack. Starlight, Queen Maeve, and Black Noir headed for the front line while the others fled, and Vought executives focused on suing over Homelander’s exile as the world faced the Dark Dimension.

• Doctor Strange’s lingering golden motes healed Starlight and injured civilians before S.H.I.E.L.D. agents arrived to secure the ruins.
• A Level 8 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent confronted the Seven over their inaction and urged them to fight at the Sanctum’s front line.
• Starlight, Queen Maeve, and Black Noir set off toward the front, while A-Train, The Deep, and Gunpowder retreated toward Vought’s evacuation.
• The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent ordered civilian evacuation, a temporary medical station, and support for the Sanctum defense line.
• Vought executives watched footage of Homelander’s defeat and agreed to sue Doctor Strange, the Avengers, and S.H.I.E.L.D. for damages and the return of their asset.

As the Dark Dimension increasingly overlapped with reality, heroes struggled to defend the Sanctums while riots and cultists overwhelmed New York. Doctor Strange’s attempt to summon help through Strange Kid remained incomplete, and the chapter ended with Strange Kid asking for offerings to anchor a portal.

• Captain America, Captain Carter, Captain Britain, and other heroes fought cultists as the Dark Dimension’s influence intensified, while rioters and crimes strained the defenders.
• Maria Hill reported that shelters had fallen and violence had surged, and Obadiah Stane questioned why Doctor Strange was absent from the battle.
• Obadiah and the heroes saw the Dark Dimension overlapping with reality as Wong reported that the London and Hong Kong Sanctums were failing and New York was near its limit.
• Doctor Strange told Wong that Homelander was trapped in the Mirror Dimension and discovered that he could no longer contact other versions of himself except Strange Kid.
• Strange Kid said he was nearly finished building a cross-world portal but needed offerings from Doctor Strange’s side to anchor a stable passage.

Doctor Strange agreed to prepare Strange Kid’s bizarre food-and-drink offerings as a possible way to open a cross-universal passage. As Dormammu broke through Earth’s defenses and appeared over the planet, Strange began setting up the ritual while Wong questioned his sanity.

• Strange Kid demanded mild hot pot, nonalcoholic Cuba Libre, pizza, tea, and Skittles as sacrifices to stabilize a passage to Doctor Strange’s universe.
• Doctor Strange reluctantly asked Wong to gather the requested food and drinks, explaining that the ritual might be their only chance for reinforcements.
• Dormammu shattered Earth’s magical defenses and manifested as a vast demonic face across the sky, overwhelming people and heroes with terror.
• Dormammu revealed that he wanted to provoke the Time Variance Authority and pursue a path toward the End of Time and the remnants of the Chaos Demon God.
• Doctor Strange and Wong gathered the offerings, and Strange began arranging the ritual altar as Dormammu’s crisis engulfed Earth.

As Dormammu’s Dark Dimension began consuming Earth, Doctor Strange used a bizarre food-based ritual to open a portal to another universe and summon help. The chapter ended with a figure approaching through the portal as world leaders prepared for disaster and wealthy elites discussed cooperating with the Demons.

• Wong confronted Doctor Strange over the food offerings and feared he had gone mad, but Strange told him to return to the defense line.
• Doctor Strange performed the ritual Strange Kid had given him, and the hot pot, drinks, and pizza transformed into a glowing beacon that opened a portal.
• Dormammu began forcing his way into Earth as the Dark Dimension replaced the sky and spread across the planet.
• Governments around the world activated emergency plans, shelters, and preparations to fight or evacuate.
• In the Ultimate Ark, Stan Edgar demanded Homelander’s return while wealthy guests discussed retaining their status under Demon rule.

As Dormammu threatened Earth, civilians, heroes, and the wealthy faced the coming destruction in shelters, on the battlefield, and inside Ultimate Ark. The Avengers continued fighting as Dormammu prepared a devastating attack, while the girl who could see magic sensed that he was waiting for something beyond Earth.

• In a New York shelter, Domingo defended the heroes against a man blaming them for the catastrophe, and a young mutant said Dormammu seemed to be waiting for something.
• At the Sanctum ruins, Natasha told Steve that Dormammu had called humanity insignificant and said their gods could not hear their prayers.
• In Washington, Jennifer promised Emma that Angels would save them while she read reports that wealthy people had escaped to Ultimate Ark.
• At Ultimate Ark, the gate closed on the assistants and staff who had served its wealthy occupants, while Stan Edgar argued that Homelander remained Vought property.
• Clint and Natasha prepared to face death as their weapons ran out, while Obadiah complained that the sorcerer had failed to create an opportunity.
• Dormammu noticed Hulk's subdued state as the light of destruction gathered in his throat.

Dormammu drained the power from Hulk, leaving him an empty, Dark Dimension creature, then turned his attention toward conquering Earth. Captain Marvel arrived and challenged him, but Dormammu overwhelmed her as she fought to defend her home.

• Dormammu sensed an ancient power within Hulk and restrained him while Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson failed to break through his force field.
• Dormammu drained Hulk’s power, leaving him withered and hollow; Steve approached him and found no response.
• Dormammu surveyed humanity’s despair and waited for the time keepers, intending to use them to seize the Chaos Demon God’s remnants before Zarathos’s lingering will could.
• Captain Marvel arrived in Binary mode and declared war on Dormammu, who stopped her attack and forced her to her knees.
• Carol acknowledged that she was no match for Dormammu, rose, and charged at him again to defend her home.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter begins with the news of a reunion dinner, organized by the family's matriarch, Mrs. Buang.
• The dinner is a gathering of the entire family, including the protagonist, Jey, and his siblings.
• During the dinner, Mrs. Buang announces her decision to move to a retirement home, leaving the family house to her children.
• Jey's brother, Arul, reveals that he has been offered a job in Australia, which he plans to accept.

Character Developments

• Mrs. Buang: She shows signs of aging and a desire for a quieter life, leading to her decision to move to a retirement home.
• Arul: He demonstrates ambition and a willingness to take risks by accepting the job offer in Australia.

Significant Themes

• Change and Transition: The chapter explores the changes in the family dynamics due to Mrs. Buang's decision to move and Arul's impending departure.
• Family and Belonging: The reunion dinner highlights the importance of family and the struggle to maintain connections as family members pursue their individual paths.

Character Interactions

• Mrs. Buang and Jey: Their interaction is brief but tense, with Mrs. Buang expressing her disapproval of Jey's lifestyle and lack of ambition.
• Jey and Arul: The brothers share a moment of understanding and support, with Arul encouraging Jey to make his own path in life.
• The Family: The dinner serves as a catalyst for various conversations and disagreements among the siblings, highlighting their differing views and priorities.

Dormammu defeated Captain Marvel and Thor and prepared to erase Steve Rogers, but a golden pillar of light rose from the Sanctum Sanctorum and brought Ghost Rider, Ultron, and Reverse-Flash onto the battlefield. Their arrival left the heroes staring as Dormammu turned toward the new threat.

• Captain Marvel charged Dormammu but was trapped and badly injured by his force field.
• Thor tried to free Captain Marvel with Mjolnir, but Dormammu knocked the hammer away and struck Thor down.
• Dormammu released Captain Marvel, who crashed into the ruins beside Thor as both heroes lay near death.
• Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Natasha, Sam, and Obadiah watched helplessly as Dormammu targeted Steve.
• A brilliant golden pillar rose from the Sanctum Sanctorum, accompanied by a choir singing of the Most High and the Returned One.
• Ghost Rider on a burning warhorse, Ultron, and Reverse-Flash emerged from the light as Dormammu turned to face them.

Ian emerged from the Sanctum ruins in a pillar of golden light, presenting himself as the Multiverse Great Sage while Ghost Rider, Ultron, and Reverse-Flash knelt beside him. The light pierced Dormammu’s canopy and renewed hope across the world as Stephen Strange realized Ian’s power came from Heaven.

• Ian’s golden light erupted from the Sanctum ruins as Ghost Rider, Ultron, and Reverse-Flash knelt to welcome him.
• People around the world, including leaders in Wyoming, Washington, and Moscow, saw the light and wondered what it was.
• Steve Rogers and the Avengers witnessed Ian’s arrival, while Thor and Carol drew hope from the light.
• The golden beam pierced Dormammu’s canopy and left a wound that his power could not quickly heal.
• Stephen Strange recognized the light as power from Heaven and realized his strange summoning ritual had worked.
• Ian walked through the fully opened portal, wearing a variant Eye of Agamotto and a Cloak of Levitation bearing a handwritten note.

Ian’s golden pillar of light silenced the world and inspired people across the globe to hope, pray, and move toward it. As Ian emerged to confront Dormammu, Strange revealed that the power came from Heaven and Steve wondered what price the summoning had demanded.

• Ian’s golden light healed people in a Hell’s Kitchen shelter, where Maria, Alessandro, and more than two hundred others witnessed it and knelt.
• People in Washington, Wyoming, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Moscow, London, and Vatican City reacted to the light with wonder, prayer, or renewed resolve.
• Steve asked Strange what price he had paid to summon Ian, but Strange stayed silent.
• Thor recognized Ghost Rider and wondered what kind of being could make him serve as a mount.
• Strange told Kayal that Ian’s power came from Heaven and was pure, righteous energy.
• Ian emerged from the portal, faced Dormammu, and declared that Dormammu was guilty.