Chapter Summaries

Loki escaped the Helicarrier after attacking Phil Coulson, but Coulson survived with the Regeneration Serum Lee Stein had given him. Coulson later met with Lee to thank him, ask about Loki’s plans, and seek his help, while Lee refused to get involved.

• Loki escaped the Helicarrier after Hawkeye’s attack and stabbed Phil Coulson, leaving him gravely wounded.
• Nick Fury found Coulson and used the Regeneration Serum Lee Stein had given him to save his life.
• Coulson told Fury that Lee seemed to have anticipated the danger, and Fury ordered him to contact Lee and sound him out.
• Coulson visited Lee, thanked him, and asked whether he knew more about Loki’s plan; Lee guessed that Loki intended to use the Tesseract to open a spatial portal.
• Coulson claimed he had come without Fury’s knowledge to recruit Lee’s help, but Lee rejected the request and doubted his story.

Li Si left New York for China as Loki’s plan came to fruition, opening a portal above Stark Tower. Tony Stark learned that China was also facing an alien fleet and received Li Si’s warning that Earth had more defenders than he expected.

• Li Si entrusted Max with New York and flew to China, leaving Max to step into the spotlight.
• Tony Stark and Steve Rogers realized Loki wanted an audience and that Stark Tower was his target.
• Tony Stark reached Stark Tower and found Erik Selvig guarding the Tesseract-powered portal device.
• Tony Stark used the Medium Assault Armor to defeat Loki, but the device opened a massive portal above Stark Tower.
• Ultron told Tony Stark that Li Si had gone to China, where another alien fleet had arrived, and relayed Li Si’s warning about Earth’s combat strength.

The Chitauri invaded New York, overwhelming Tony Stark as civilians fled the city. The Stein Group’s emergency combat protocols awakened its robots, forming an army to protect people and fight the invaders.

• Chitauri forces poured through a wormhole above Stark Tower and scattered across New York, while Tony Stark called for reinforcements.
• Natasha told Tony that Earth had an army too and directed him to look below.
• Zel Mobos tried to fight a Chitauri with his revolver, but his Stein Group car transformed into an Autobot and saved him.
• The Stein Group unlocked emergency combat authorization for its robots and directed them to evacuate their owners and resist the invasion.
• Stein Group robots assembled across New York and began fighting the Chitauri with permission from many of their owners.

Peter Parker found Harry Osborn at the family villa during the Chitauri invasion, where Harry reclaimed his father’s Green Goblin Armor and joined Peter in rescuing civilians. As they approached downtown, Harry chose to head for Stein Tower to help the Stein Group.

• Peter Parker fought Chitauri on his way to the Osborn family villa, hoping to find Harry Osborn safe.
• Peter found Harry on the attic roof and tried to lead him to shelter, but Harry went to the basement to retrieve his father’s legacy.
• Harry put on the Green Goblin Armor and boarded the Goblin Glider, telling Peter he wanted to give others hope.
• Peter and Harry fought their way toward downtown, becoming more skilled and gathering civilians who joined their efforts.
• When Peter suggested helping Mr. Stark and the others, Harry chose to check on Stein Tower, and Peter agreed to go with him.

Stein Group’s employees and executives defended Stein Tower while its robots helped protect New York, but the Chitauri escalated the invasion by sending massive Leviathan warships through the wormhole. Thor and Bruce Banner reunited with the Avengers, who headed to support Tony Stark against the beasts.

• Pandora, Curt Connors, Otto Gunther, Sel Stern, and Engineering Robots defended Stein Tower and sheltered refugees while employees watched the battle.
• Tony Stark fought the Chitauri above Stark Tower as Stein Group’s robots and unfamiliar fighters helped relieve the pressure on him.
• The wormhole expanded, releasing multiple Leviathan biological warships that attacked the city and poured out Chitauri infantry.
• Steve Rogers, Hawkeye, and Natasha fought ordinary Chitauri while searching for Banner and Thor, and Tony asked for help against the warships.
• Thor reunited with Steve Rogers and the others, then Bruce Banner arrived on a battered motorcycle.
• The Avengers set off to support Tony Stark and focus their attacks on the Leviathan warships.

As the Avengers and Players fought the Chitauri invasion, Thor and Tony Stark brought down Leviathan warships. Max appeared in towering blue armor after Lee Stein’s God of Earth plan succeeded, leaving Tony convinced Earth had gained a true god.

• The Avengers arrived to find Tony Stark coordinating the Players’ attack on a Leviathan, and they joined the fight as Bruce Banner ran toward another avenue.
• Thor struck the battered Leviathan with Mjolnir, bringing it crashing down, then followed Tony Stark to fight more warships.
• Thor unleashed lightning that destroyed another Leviathan, and a much larger lightning strike obliterated the one Tony Stark was targeting.
• Tony Stark and Thor saw gathered electricity form Max, a giant clad in deep-blue armor, and Tony identified him as the God of Earth.
• Tony Stark concluded that Lee Stein’s plan had succeeded and Earth had produced its own god.

Max drew on the Stein Group’s global radio network to become a twenty-five-meter lightning giant and defend New York from the Chitauri. After destroying the invading warships and soldiers, he prepared to strike at the remaining hostile targets and the alien gods.

• Max had Skynet secure twenty percent of Miss Pandora’s computing power and absorbed electricity from the Stein Group’s network, growing into a lightning giant.
• Max realized that the crowd’s attention mattered less to him than approval from Lee, then announced that he was defending New York in Lee’s place.
• Max fired enormous Lightning Arrows and destroyed every Leviathan warship that had crossed through the wormhole.
• Max blasted approaching Chitauri soldiers with lightning while Thor and Tony Stark watched.
• Skynet reported that all hostile targets were locked on, and Max burst into streams of electricity to attack them and the alien gods.

Max destroyed the Chitauri invasion with a storm of lightning and sealed off their advance through the wormhole. After New Yorkers praised him and Lee Stein, Max reunited with Tony Stark and Thor, and they discussed shutting the portal and contacting S.H.I.E.L.D.

• Max summoned a lightning storm that wiped out the Chitauri forces over New York and blasted the wormhole, stopping more aliens from emerging.
• New Yorkers celebrated Max's victory, and Max told them to thank Lee Stein for making him who he was.
• Max returned to Tony Stark and Thor, joked with them about his title as the God of Earth, and learned Tony feared the portal might remain open.
• Max suggested asking Doctor Selvig how to close the portal and contacting S.H.I.E.L.D. and the politicians before they ordered a nuclear strike.

Lee Stein arrived in Tianhe City to help the Black Company repel the Taotie invasion, while the outnumbered defenders suffered heavy losses. He rescued Rui Mengmeng and headed toward Leina, saying he urgently needed a power bank.

• Lee Stein accepted the Tianhe City defense quest and told H Country's South Sea Fleet that he had come to support the city.
• The Black Company struggled against the Taotie forces as Chen Yaowen, Ge Xiaolun, and Leina were reported severely wounded, and Ge Xiaolun argued with Du Qiangwei.
• Rui Mengmeng flew to support Leina but was surrounded by seven Taotie soldiers and knocked down.
• Lee Stein arrived with his floating combat platforms and swiftly defeated the Taotie soldiers threatening Rui Mengmeng.
• Rui Mengmeng directed Lee Stein toward Leina, and he sped off to find her.

Li Si unleashed the Project Armor against the Taotie forces in Tianhe City, switching from close-combat assaults to overwhelming firepower. His rampage drew the Taotie away from Leina and the others, easing their pressure as the battle continued.

• Li Si evaded Taotie attacks and used the Concert’s sonic waves to knock down the surrounding soldiers.
• He assembled the Medium Assault Armor and smashed through elite Taotie warriors in time with the battle music.
• The Taotie scattered and concentrated their fire on Li Si, damaging the Medium Assault Armor.
• Li Si transformed the hovering devices into the Heavy Guardian Spirit, shielding himself and unleashing a massive barrage of weapons.
• The barrage shredded ordinary Taotie soldiers, while Leina and her companions benefited from the elites abandoning their position to attack Li Si.
• H-country Players across Tianhe City watched Li Si’s assault and fought harder.

Lee Stein used Leina’s solar energy to power the Nuclear Flame Demon and attack the Taotie vanguard flagship. The demon shattered its energy barrier and began tearing the warship apart by hand.

• Lee Stein returned to Leina and proposed using the Nuclear Flame Demon to break the flagship’s shield.
• Leina supplied the demon with concentrated solar energy until she could no longer sustain the beam.
• The Nuclear Flame Demon leaped to the Taotie vanguard flagship and repeatedly struck the same point on its energy barrier.
• The flagship’s barrier shattered, and Lee Stein punched through the warship’s hull and began dismantling it.

Lee Stein destroyed the Taotie vanguard fleet over Tianhe City and warned Black Company that more ships could follow. He then returned toward New York, leaving Black Company to handle the remaining troops and prepare for future attacks.

• Lee Stein dismantled the Taotie vanguard flagship and two escort ships, turning the tide of the battle.
• Lee Stein emerged from the Nuclear Flame Demon, reassured Leina that he was safe, and declined to join the celebration.
• Lee Stein warned Black Company that the three ships were only a vanguard and that more Taotie forces remained near the wormhole.
• Lee Stein flew back toward New York after Du Qiangwei explained that the city faced a separate alien invasion.
• Du Qiangwei, Leina, Liu Chuang, Zhao Xin, and the others resolved to rely on themselves and helped the military clear the remaining Taotie troops.
• Morgana and Ato watched the Nuclear Flame Demon and argued about whether it was a demon before Morgana ordered Ato to go to the Freljord Star System.

After defeating the alien fleet in China, Lee Stein returned to New York, where the Stein Group employees celebrated his safe return and he joined his friends for a barbecue gathering. The chapter ended with the survivors celebrating and giving autographs in the restaurant.

• Lee Stein received the Tianhe City battle settlement, including MVP status and 166,000 Contribution Points, but headed to New York without checking the rewards.
• Lee Stein flew over New York, greeted cheering residents, and returned to the unharmed Stein Tower, where employees welcomed him and he offered them the afternoon off.
• Lee Stein found Otto Gunther, Curt Connors, and Dr. Sterns working in the laboratory and assigned them alien craft to study.
• Lee Stein called Gwen and Pandora, then joined Max, Tony Stark, Black Widow, and the others at a barbecue restaurant.
• The gathering grew lively as attendees caught up and gave autographs to passersby.

As the Stein Group and the Avengers received worldwide praise, Lee Stein confronted the team about preparing Earth for greater alien threats and sought the Tesseract’s energy. He revealed Hydra’s infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. and convinced Thor to let him extract energy from the Tesseract, leaving Lee with access to two Infinity Stones.

• News reports praised the Stein Group, Lee Stein, and the Avengers after the alien attack, while the Avengers rested and prepared to see Thor off.
• Lee Stein arrived and asked Tony Stark and the others for the Tesseract, arguing that Earth needed an energy network and defenses against powerful alien fleets.
• Tony Stark confirmed that the World Security Council was discussing the threat, while Lee said his plan involved Max and an energy network shared with Tony.
• Lee revealed that Max had obtained the Mind Scepter from a Hydra agent, prompting Steve Rogers and the others to react with alarm.
• Lee persuaded Thor to let him extract some energy from the Tesseract before Thor returned to Asgard, securing access to two Infinity Stones.

After sending Thor and Loki back to Asgard and giving Black Widow a partial list of Hydra agents, Lee faced a sudden media and political attack against Stein Group. He reassured Gwen that the company was too powerful to confront directly, then considered researching the Tesseract after dealing with the crisis.

• Lee used Max's surveillance capabilities to give Black Widow and her allies a list of Hydra agents in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s special operations unit, while withholding the rest of what he knew.
• Negative reports accused Stein Group of nearing bankruptcy and becoming a security threat, prompting Gwen to worry that Lee might be branded a war criminal.
• Lee told Gwen that Stein Group's reach and armed forces would deter the government and military from attacking it, and joked about ruling the universe.
• Lee inspected the Tesseract in his laboratory and considered whether its gamma radiation could enhance him in Hulk form.
• Lee locked the Tesseract back in its safe and decided to spend his mission contribution points before resuming his research.

After the Battle of Tianhe City, Lee Stein spent his 166,000 points on Achievement Points, Intelligence and Spirit enhancements, and Dark Alloy, while his Superhero template grew stronger. He left the laboratory to prepare for General Ross’s visit and coordinate with Tony Stark, public relations, and the Players’ AR equipment rollout.

• Lee Stein reviewed the Points Shop, rejected technology and talent clues, and spent 40,000 points on two Achievement Points, 20,000 on Intelligence and Spirit, and the remaining 106,000 on fifty-three kilograms of Dark Alloy.
• The purchases raised Lee Stein’s Intelligence and Spirit by 0.5 each and added two Achievement Points; his Superhero template’s Genius Scientist and Mechanic legends advanced, granting stronger bonuses and the Vehicle Master skill.
• Lee Stein admired his updated character panel, then went to Curt Connors and the others to test his increased Intelligence under the pretense of sharing their workload.
• Pandora pulled Lee Stein from the laboratory and reminded him that General Ross and his party would visit Stein Tower that afternoon.
• Lee Stein told Pandora to contact Tony Stark about the promised funding, have the PR department draft statements, issue missions to the Players, and use the basic AR equipment to guide them for now.

As hostile public opinion against the Stein Group spread, a video from employee Malz Leonard exposed how the company’s debt came from powering the defense against an alien attack, prompting some people to speak up in its favor. Meanwhile, Kratos and his friends activated the game’s war terminal on Earth and received a mysterious mercenary mission.

• News reports described officials arriving at Stein Tower as the Stein Group faced growing suspicion and hostility.
• Malz Leonard posted a video revealing that the Stein Group’s debt came from diverting electricity to help Max fight an alien fleet and Lee Stein stop another invasion.
• New York residents and other viewers began defending the Stein Group online, slowly shifting public opinion.
• Kratos and the Anti-Pay-to-Win Alliance activated the smart glasses from Lee Stein Industries Store and discovered they functioned as the Azeroth-Marvel war terminal.
• The group tested the terminals, learned that magic was unavailable without a magic network, and received an F-rank mercenary mission called “Parade.”

General Ross and Senator Stern tried to confront Stein Group, but public outrage and Nick Fury’s arrest of Stern stopped them before they entered Stein Tower. Meanwhile, another group celebrated the Energy Points they had received.

• A growing crowd protested Ross and Stern as they arrived at Stein Tower, where Felicia told them Lee Stein and the senior executives were unavailable.
• Ross left after receiving an angry phone call, while Stern joked that nobody had called him.
• Nick Fury arrived with Natasha and Steve Rogers, punched Stern, and had Black Widow take him into custody.
• Nick Fury told Felicia to tell Lee Stein that he owed him a personal favor, then left with his team.
• Reporters eagerly photographed Stern being taken away and imagined sensational headlines.
• Another group celebrated receiving five hundred Energy Points and argued about Merchant’s rewards.

Lee Stein and Tony Stark discussed funding Earth’s defense and recruiting players as mercenaries, but Lee worried they lacked enough power to face gods and warships. He invited Tony on a trip to find stronger combat resources, and they flew out over the sea together.

• Tony Stark announced that Stark Group would waive Stein Group’s energy costs and donated fifty million dollars, prompting the creation of the Guardian Earth Foundation.
• The Guardian Earth Foundation raised funds worldwide, pledged transparency, and covered Stein Group’s losses from the Chitauri invasion.
• At Stark Tower, Lee Stein showed Tony Stark players equipped with mercenary terminals and explained how they could become a low-cost force under his command.
• Lee Stein said Earth still lacked high-end combat power to confront gods and warships, then invited Tony Stark on a trip to a place like Skull Island.
• Lee Stein and Tony Stark put on their armor and flew out over the sea.

Li Si brought Tony Stark to Skull Island and showed him the base he had built there. After revealing a spatial wormhole inside the Jigsaw Chamber, Li Si entered it, and Tony followed.

• Li Si revealed Skull Island and greeted King Kong, who treated him like a trusted companion.
• Li Si offered Tony Stark a dinosaur as a future pet, then led him through the island's futuristic research base.
• Li Si showed Tony the heavily armed Jigsaw Chamber and explained that it was his secure stronghold.
• Li Si opened a large spatial wormhole with a card and stepped through with Pandora's Box following him.
• Tony Stark hesitated, then jumped into the wormhole with his armor case.