Chapter Summaries

Alexander kept Steve unaware of Hydra’s plan while arranging a public speech and staged alien invasion to showcase him as a heroic presidential candidate. Steve led the Magnetic Field Warriors to defeat the Chitauri, and the campaign team declared the performance a success.

• Steve told Alexander he felt mentally exhausted, and Alexander reassured him while summoning him to New York for a fundraiser and public speech.
• After Steve left, Alexander and John Garrett agreed to keep the plan from him because they feared it might awaken his true nature.
• Steve gave a speech in Central Park, then turned toward the alien invasion and urged the crowd to evacuate safely.
• Steve put on the prepared Strong Magnetic Armor and flew to fight the Chitauri, while staff members kept Thor Peter away from the battle and managed the media coverage.
• Steve blocked the portal and destroyed the Chitauri fleet with the Magnetic Field Warriors, who brought back the mothership’s wreckage.
• The chief director shut down the portal device, and Steve landed before the media and shouted, “God bless America!”

Zhan Liu stayed out of the Chitauri invasion while Captain America led the Magnetic Field Warriors to defeat the aliens and capture their mothership. The battle boosted Steve Rogers’s presidential prospects, while Skye was blamed for the attack without realizing S.H.I.E.L.D. had manipulated her into becoming its scapegoat.

• Zhan Liu watched the Chitauri invasion from his Martial Arts School and refused to join the defense.
• Captain America led the Magnetic Field Warriors and New York gangs in defeating the Chitauri and capturing their ships.
• The Chitauri King sent a message to Thanos before his warship was captured, hoping Thanos would punish Loki and Earth.
• Steve Rogers gained overwhelming public approval after leading the battle and helping rescue people from the rubble.
• S.H.I.E.L.D. framed Skye as an alien accomplice after John Garrett manipulated her into hijacking the portal device.

After the Space Gate Incident made her a globally wanted fugitive, Skye infiltrated the Martial Arts School and appealed to her master, Zhan Liu. He let her stay safely in New York or leave the country, but refused to clear her name unless she reached the Tenth Heaven.

• Skye escaped from a motel and decided to seek help from Zhan Liu at the Martial Arts School.
• Skye used a borrowed luxury car, Magnetic Field Force, and a box of rocks to pass through the school's outer areas.
• When a disciple recognized Skye and tried to arrest her, she invoked the sect's rule against harming fellow disciples.
• Hong Tu backed Skye's appeal to the sect and escorted her into the inner courtyard to meet Zhan Liu.
• Skye told Zhan Liu what had happened, and he offered her protection in New York or the option to leave the United States.
• Zhan Liu refused to clear Skye's name and told her to return when she reached the Tenth Heaven.

Natasha grew suspicious of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s role in the alien invasion while Skye and Lyden fled the United States to investigate Skye’s origins in China. In Los Angeles, Raina delivered the Obelisk to a doctor who hoped to find his daughter.

• Natasha reported Zhan Liu’s comments to Nick Fury, then heard John Garrett suggest Loki was involved in opening the space portal.
• Natasha suspected S.H.I.E.L.D. had prepared for the alien invasion to help Captain America’s presidential campaign.
• Skye reunited with Lyden, learned a file linked her to a village massacre and suggested she might not be human, and chose to investigate her parents’ fate in China.
• Raina brought the Obelisk to a doctor in a Los Angeles clinic after he killed the gangsters interrupting his work.
• The doctor stroked the Obelisk and said it would help him find his daughter.

Steve Rogers took office as the fifty-seventh president and announced plans to put Magnetic Field Warriors under government control. With S.H.I.E.L.D.’s research team turning the Monolith into a controllable two-way portal, Gideon Malick assembled a squad to retrieve Hydra’s leader, Hive.

• Steve Rogers was sworn in as president, proposed restructuring the military and creating Magnetic Field Warrior Special Forces, and entered the new White House in New York with Stephanie Malick.
• Gideon Malick joined forces with Alexander through a political marriage, seeking access to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s alien ships and Monolith to retrieve Hive.
• Shuri, Fitz, and Simmons studied the Malick family’s portal-opening method and identified sonic resonance as the key to controlling the Monolith.
• Fitz and the research team built a device that opened and closed the Monolith portal, making two-way travel possible.
• Gideon Malick assembled an armed squad led by a Magnetic Field Warrior and ordered it to set out to bring Hive back.

Calvin led a Hydra team through a portal to a hostile desert planet to search for their missing leader, Hive. They rescued NASA astronaut Will and returned him to Earth, while Malik ordered the team to stay and search the planet, unaware that they had already encountered Hive’s creations.

• Calvin assessed the desert planet and led an armed team through the portal to establish a base and search for Hydra’s leader.
• After hours of waiting out a sandstorm, Calvin’s team found Will, a stranded NASA astronaut, and rescued him from another storm.
• Calvin brought Will back to the base, where Will explained that his companions had entered a restricted area and been controlled by demons.
• The returning warriors reported that black figures in the sandstorm had attacked them and fallen apart when defeated.
• Calvin sent Will through the reopened portal to Gideon Malick, and Malik ordered the team to remain on the planet and search for Hive.

Steve visited Zhan Liu to seek support for a proposal to place Magnetic Field Warriors under unified management and use Strong Magnetic Armor against Magneto, but Zhan Liu rejected the plan and threw him out of the Martial Arts School. Steve then cleared up the awkwardness with Saoji Carter and returned to working with her, though he felt a little disappointed.

• Steve asked Zhan Liu to support his proposal for managing Magnetic Field Warriors, but Zhan Liu mocked the idea and suggested they could not stand against Magneto.
• Steve explained that Tony and Doctor Banner were developing Strong Magnetic Armor, but Zhan Liu dismissed the plan and threw Steve out of the Martial Arts School.
• Steve wondered why Zhan Liu had refused the proposal, while Saoji Carter came outside to check that he was all right.
• In the car, Saoji told Steve she admired Captain America but would not cross the line or interfere with his family life.
• Steve and Saoji shook hands and agreed to keep working together, and Steve's feelings settled even as he felt a little disappointed.

Tony, Banner, and Ultron tested the Strong Magnetic Armor, which had reached Ninety-Five Heavens, but Tony hid its full capabilities from Old Wang because he feared Zhan Liu would claim it. Meanwhile, Ultron helped Dr. Zola transfer his soul into a Sentinel Robot Prototype, and Zola returned to a human body at a secret Hydra base.

• Tony tested the Strong Magnetic Armor in space and told Banner that it could reach Ninety-Five Heavens and perform genetic manipulation.
• Tony warned Banner and Ultron to hide the armor’s true capabilities from Old Wang so Zhan Liu would not learn about them.
• Ultron proposed giving Dr. Zola a body, and Zola agreed to transfer his soul into a Sentinel Robot Prototype.
• Dr. Zola used Ultron and Tony’s identity to obtain the prototype, while Hydra agents secretly preserved evidence that could implicate Tony.
• Dr. Zola transferred his soul into the prototype at a secret Hydra base, regained a human body, and declared, “Long live Hydra!”

Malick’s scientists discovered that an alien parasite animated corpses and arranged for it to inhabit a Magnetic Field Warrior’s Doll corpse so they could question it. After the parasite, Hive, traded information for a fresh body, he secretly recovered Magnetic Field Rotation and decided to conceal his identity until he was powerful enough to protect himself.

• Malick learned that a parasite controlled the corpses and ordered Hydra to obtain a dead Magnetic Field Warrior Doll for testing.
• The parasite entered the Doll corpse, spoke to the scientists, and shared information about its alien planet while refusing to reveal Hydra’s leader’s sleeping place.
• The parasite demanded a fresh, freely moving corpse in exchange for more information, and the scientists gave it the body of an ordinary person.
• The parasite named its new body Edison and secretly regained First Heaven Magnetic Field Rotation by controlling the corpse’s living cells.
• Hive used the Doll’s memories to recognize the dangers of the world and chose not to reveal his identity until he could defend himself.

Thomas revealed that Peter’s parents had been CIA agents and then claimed they had belonged to Hydra, telling Peter that he had been born into the organization. Peter was left dumbfounded by the revelation.

• Thomas visited Peter at home and spoke about Peter’s parents, Richard and Mary.
• Thomas told Peter that Richard and Mary had died after stealing Osborn Corporation research, prompting Peter to investigate their records at S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Peter found that S.H.I.E.L.D.’s files identified his parents as CIA agents and listed their deaths as accidental.
• Peter told Gwen about his doubts over his parents’ deaths and Thomas’s motives, and Gwen comforted him.
• Thomas returned the next day, identified himself as a Hydra representative, and told Peter that his parents had been Hydra and that Peter had been born Hydra.

Thomas recruited Peter into Hydra by presenting files claiming Peter’s parents had trained with the organization, and he used Peter’s violent reaction to argue that Peter was a natural-born Hydra. Peter fled, then struggled with whether to tell his loved ones or seek S.H.I.E.L.D.’s help.

• Thomas took Peter to a café and showed him files and photographs claiming Richard Parker and Mary Parker had trained with Hydra.
• Peter rejected the evidence, but Thomas urged him to have the files examined and warned him about the danger of letting the information leak.
• When Peter’s Magnetic Field Force began to build as he considered killing Thomas, Thomas said Peter’s actions were exactly Hydra’s style.
• Peter fled the café in distress and regained his composure after being struck and thrown by cars three times.
• Peter called Gwen, Uncle Ben, and Aunt May, then considered whether to tell them or contact S.H.I.E.L.D. about the files.

Peter told Steve Rogers that someone claiming to be Hydra had approached him, and Steve asked S.H.I.E.L.D. to investigate the evidence. Director John Garrett reassured Peter that S.H.I.E.L.D. trusted him and would protect him as it looked into Hydra's possible return.

• Peter went to the White House and told Steve that Hydra had risen again, handing him a file about the person who had approached him.
• Steve questioned whether the person was a scammer, then summoned S.H.I.E.L.D. Director John Garrett to verify the file and investigate if it was genuine.
• John took Peter to S.H.I.E.L.D. and reassured him that his parents' possible Hydra ties would not change the agency's trust in him.
• Peter explained that he had gone to Steve because he was panicked, and John told him he could always rely on S.H.I.E.L.D. to watch Hydra.

After S.H.I.E.L.D. confirmed that Peter's parents had been Hydra agents, Thomas escaped arrest and Peter told Uncle Ben and Aunt May the truth. Police then arrested them on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s orders, leaving Peter fearing they might also be Hydra agents.

• S.H.I.E.L.D. experts verified the documents about Peter's parents, and Director Garrett sent Crossbones Rumlow to arrest Thomas, who had already fled.
• Peter returned home and told Uncle Ben and Aunt May that his parents had been Hydra agents.
• Two police officers arrested Uncle Ben and Aunt May for questioning, and Uncle Ben stopped Peter from resisting.
• Peter contacted a lawyer and Gwen, then learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. was handling the interrogation.
• Peter wondered whether Uncle Ben and Aunt May were Hydra agents too.

Peter learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. was investigating people connected to Thomas for possible Hydra ties, including Uncle Ben, Aunt May, and later George Stacy. He trusted they would be cleared, but as the arrests continued, he kept visiting his loved ones and checking on the investigation.

• Peter learned from Director Garrett that S.H.I.E.L.D. had ordered arrests of Thomas's associates to root out Hydra, and Garrett arranged for him to visit Uncle Ben and Aunt May.
• Peter visited Uncle Ben and Aunt May, who accepted the investigation as necessary, then Gwen reassured Peter and stayed with him that night.
• Peter and Gwen settled into a routine of visiting his relatives and spending evenings together while they waited for the investigation to end.
• Gwen told Peter that S.H.I.E.L.D. had arrested her father, George Stacy, because he had once worked with Thomas, and Peter assured her that the investigation did not prove guilt.
• Mrs. Stacy tried unsuccessfully to secure George's release, while Peter learned that many officials and executives had also been arrested and continued visiting his relatives and checking with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Peter learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. had evidence identifying George Stacy as a Hydra member and told Gwen, who rejected the evidence and asked Peter to help investigate. Their argument ended with Gwen leaving in a taxi and questioning whether they were right for each other.

• Director Garrett showed Peter S.H.I.E.L.D.'s evidence that George Stacy had been a Hydra member.
• Peter spent the afternoon reviewing the evidence, then went home to Gwen in a daze.
• Peter told Gwen about the accusation and showed her the copied evidence, but Gwen knocked the USB drive away and insisted it was false.
• Gwen asked Peter to help investigate her father, but Peter's trust in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s evidence convinced her he had already judged George.
• Gwen left in a taxi after telling Peter they needed to reconsider their relationship, and Peter watched without stopping the car.

Peter investigated the evidence against George Stacy but found the Hydra agents' testimonies consistent, then watched S.H.I.E.L.D. arrest Gwen for alleged involvement in a subversive organization. Director Garrett told Peter that Hydra had targeted him by recruiting people close to him, including George and Gwen, leaving Peter unsure whether to trust S.H.I.E.L.D.

• Peter visited Hydra peripheral agents in witness protection and found their testimonies about George Stacy consistent.
• Peter tried to reconcile with Gwen and told her his investigation had found no evidence that the witnesses held a grudge against her father.
• S.H.I.E.L.D. agents arrived to arrest Gwen, and Peter tore up their warrant before Gwen stopped him from attacking them.
• Gwen surrendered and told Peter that if he still trusted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigation, they might never see each other again.
• Peter went to S.H.I.E.L.D., where Director Garrett said Hydra had targeted Peter by recruiting people around him, including George Stacy and Gwen Stacy.
• Peter insisted Gwen was innocent, but Director Garrett questioned whether Peter was afraid of what the investigation might reveal.

Peter learned from Thomas that Hydra might have framed George Stacy and threatened to target Ben Parker and May Parker, leaving Peter unsure whom to trust. He returned to Director Garrett seeking action, but Garrett pointed out that Thomas’s claims were unsupported and the physical evidence against George remained.

• After Director Garrett convinced him, Peter returned home feeling helpless and ignored repeated calls from an unfamiliar number.
• Thomas called Peter, claimed Hydra could make anyone appear to be a member, and threatened to frame Ben Parker and May Parker unless Peter joined Hydra.
• Thomas tempted Peter with promises that his loved ones would be safe and that he could remain Thor, but Peter rejected him and hung up.
• Peter went back to S.H.I.E.L.D. and told Director Garrett that Thomas had admitted to framing George Stacy, but Peter had not recorded the call.
• Director Garrett challenged Peter’s certainty, asking whether George might really be Hydra and emphasizing that the physical evidence still stood.

Peter struggled to decide whether to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. after it arrested his loved ones, then sought advice from Zhan Liu. He rejected his master's violent suggestions but left suspecting that Hydra members might be involved in reviewing the evidence against his friends and family.

• Peter returned home after Director Garrett urged him to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. and record Thomas's next call.
• Unable to find anyone else to turn to, Peter went to the Martial Arts School and told Zhan Liu about his loved ones' arrests.
• Zhan Liu claimed S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra were the same and urged Peter to use force to secure the prisoners' release.
• Peter dismissed Zhan Liu's claims and refused to threaten S.H.I.E.L.D. officials to clear the charges.
• After leaving, Peter reconsidered Zhan Liu's warning and decided to investigate the people examining the evidence.

Peter reported his suspicions about Hydra’s fabricated evidence against George to Director Garrett, then reassured Gwen that S.H.I.E.L.D. would investigate. Meanwhile, Hydra took over S.H.I.E.L.D. and planned to help Kaecilius become Sorcerer Supreme so Sandru could eventually gain access to Time Reversal.

• Peter told Director Garrett that Hydra might have fabricated the evidence against George, and Garrett ordered a new appraisal while isolating the current appraisers.
• Peter apologized to Gwen for suspecting George and promised that S.H.I.E.L.D. would review the evidence, while dismissing her fear that Hydra had infiltrated the organization on a massive scale.
• Snake S.H.I.E.L.D. used the Hydra Resurgence incident to suspend its opponents and replace them with Hydra members, turning the organization into a Hydra branch.
• Director Garrett told Alexander Pierce that Sandru had joined Kaecilius’s Dark Order and could open portals, but Time Reversal required the Eye of Agamotto, held by the Sorcerer Supreme.
• John proposed helping Kaecilius become Sorcerer Supreme and using Sandru’s place in the Dark Order to gain Kaecilius’s trust.
• Alexander Pierce agreed to provide a secluded location in Europe for the Dark Order’s planned sacrifice to Dormammu, even if an entire city had to be sacrificed.

Peter accepted a mission from Director Garrett to capture Carl Johnson and the supervillains he had freed, especially because Carl might lead S.H.I.E.L.D. to Skye and prevent another alien invasion. Garrett secretly pursued his own deal involving Skye and immortality, then told the Science Division he would provide the Tesseract as an energy source for their Strong Magnetic Armor research.

• Director Garrett told Peter that Carl Johnson had freed supervillains from a S.H.I.E.L.D. prison and might be planning a major attack, then assigned Peter to capture him alive.
• Peter learned that Carl was Skye's father and accepted the mission to find the group and locate Skye.
• After Peter left, Director Garrett negotiated with Daniel over capturing Skye in exchange for immortality technology, discussing Daniel's World Destroyer plan and the need for a suitable host body.
• Shuri, Fitz, and Simmons reported that their Strong Magnetic Armor conversion had reached the Fifty Heavens level but lacked a powerful energy source for an energy shield.
• Director Garrett told the Science Division that he would transfer the Tesseract so they could study its energy for the armor.