Chapter Summaries

T'Challa confronted Latveria's emperor about sheltering the killer, but the emperor explained he wanted Steve Rogers as a political symbol and warned that Wakanda's planned openness would expose it to foreign schemes. He left T'Challa weighing advice about Wakanda's future rather than focusing on the Winter Soldier.

• Diana List escorted the Avengers aboard Latveria's underground train, where Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, Natasha Romanoff, and Steve Rogers discussed the emperor and watched a broadcast praising his rule.
• T'Challa met the Emperor of Latveria and challenged him for withholding the killer from Wakanda.
• The emperor defended Latveria's actions and said he needed Steve Rogers to help fight crime and challenge the American Spirit.
• The emperor warned T'Challa that opening Wakanda could invite foreign efforts to destabilize it and seize its Vibranium.
• The emperor criticized T'Chaka's political judgment and urged T'Challa to worry more about Wakanda's future than the Winter Soldier.

Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Bucky Barnes traveled through Latveria’s vast underground military network before Diana List led them to a Royal City airfield. The chapter then introduced Diana’s history and a born orator who was meeting with a future king, while Diana waited to be summoned by the Praetorian Guard.

• Sam Wilson inferred that Latveria’s underground transportation network and cities had been built to survive nuclear war and asked how their Old Friend had financed them.
• Natasha Romanoff said their Old Friend was likely wealthier than Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers urged Sam to stay calm and focus on the coming negotiations.
• Diana List led the group through an unfinished eco-city and military corridor, warning them not to wander into the tunnels.
• Diana brought them to a Royal City military airfield, where armed Gene-modded Warriors and a War Engine prepared to depart against a cult.
• A born orator persuaded a future king by speaking about the throne and the nation’s future, while Diana waited before the Praetorian Guard to be summoned.
• Diana’s past revealed that she had risen through the Government Affairs Council after Stephanie Malik brought her out of the Ivy League.

The Emperor of Latveria agreed to help Steve Rogers reach Siberia and hinted that Tony Stark had asked him to let Steve speak with the dead. He then met Bucky Barnes in a strange factory vision, while Stephanie Malik argued over Hydra’s blame for the United States’ corruption.

• The Emperor of Latveria ended his conversation with T’Challa, agreed to meet Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff, and told Diana to handle the other visitors.
• The Emperor told Steve Rogers that Latverian Spirit Summoning could reach echoes of the past, then agreed to let him use the teleportation chamber to reach Siberia in exchange for public and law-enforcement support.
• The Emperor raised the possibility of making the dead speak and asked Diana to escort Steve away before summoning James Buchanan Barnes.
• Bucky Barnes found himself in a factory facing a shadowed figure in black armor, who ordered him to talk.
• Stephanie Malik complained to Hammurabi that the White House had blamed Hydra for its corruption, while Hammurabi arranged to compare the Winter Soldiers’ testimonies with Bucky’s.
• Bucky Barnes woke at a table with no clear memory of his conversation, and the Emperor offered him wine and promised he would be cared for.

The Emperor of Latveria reviewed research on Hulk and prepared for the next day’s plans. Latveria then released evidence of crimes by American political and business elites and framed its attacks as efforts to rescue victims, leaving the public’s reaction and the fallout uncertain.

• Hammurabi briefed the Emperor of Latveria on the ongoing dissection of Red Hulk and Hulk and the researchers’ request to restore their consciousnesses for further study.
• The Emperor of Latveria agreed to consider the risky experiment and ordered emergency procedures, while Hammurabi said they needed to uncover the US Government’s progress on the Gamma Project.
• Steve Rogers woke the next morning and learned that Latveria had released evidence accusing senior American officials and powerful figures of grave crimes.
• Latveria held a press conference claiming its attacks on Wall Street and Norfolk Naval Base had targeted Hydra-controlled government facilities and rescued victims of trafficking and human sacrifice.
• Latveria’s officials urged Americans to oppose their leaders, while its propaganda team expected the public uproar to fade within a week.

Gideon Malick and the Conservative Hydra families consolidated their power while Latveria prepared to use Steve Rogers in a campaign tied to the election and a human-trafficking scandal. The chapter ended with Tony Stark isolated after Latveria’s victory had broken the Avengers and derailed the Sokovia Accords.

• Gideon Malick arranged for Sunil Bakshi to swear fealty to the ruler of the City of Immortals and serve the Conservative Hydra.
• Hammurabi told Sunil Bakshi to personally explain the rejuvenation surgery arranged as a reward for the Malik family’s acquisitions.
• Diana List directed Steve Rogers to endorse Latveria’s campaign at a press conference, and Steve agreed while refusing to condemn the Norfolk Naval Base missile attack.
• Tony Stark learned that Vision was dead, Pietro Maximoff had defected, and the other Avengers had received Latverian asylum.
• Tony Stark lost hope after the Avengers left United Nations jurisdiction and Latveria rejected the Sokovia Accords.

Tony Stark reflected on the political consequences of his plans as the United States and Latveria traded accusations over the conflict in Germany. Natasha Romanoff remained confined in the Emperor of Latveria’s bedroom, while Steve Rogers and his companions toured the country and prepared to film a gang’s arrest.

• Tony Stark watched coverage of the Avengers’ dispute and the escalating accusations between the United States and Latveria, then received a call from Salomon Damonet.
• Natasha Romanoff woke in the Emperor of Latveria’s private bedroom and learned she was under house arrest until the monarch returned.
• The Emperor of Latveria and Praetorian Guard Constantine had departed on a secret mission aboard the Pegasus Heavy Assault Transport.
• Steve Rogers, James Buchanan Barnes, and Sam Wilson toured Latverian towns and visited remnants of insurgent bunkers.
• Steve Rogers prepared to film the Wild Legion arresting a gang, with the gangsters slated for rehabilitation and trial instead of being killed in an assault.
• The group planned to travel to Siberia through Latveria’s military teleportation chamber, but Natasha Romanoff was excluded.

Natasha Romanoff was held in Latveria while Salomon and Heinrich Zemo traveled through Siberia toward the secret military base to retrieve mission records. The chapter left the expedition still en route, with Zemo agreeing to share a copy of the data and Salomon insisting that the Praetorian Guard would secure it.

• Natasha Romanoff stayed behind as a hostage, but the Emperor of Latveria had her confined to a room and confiscated her equipment.
• Hammurabi told Natasha that he was about 213 years old and praised the Emperor’s power, while Natasha questioned his claims.
• Salomon and Constantine traveled through Siberia with Heinrich Zemo in a Snow Armored Vehicle toward the secret military base.
• Zemo agreed to let Salomon copy the mission-record data but asked him not to interfere excessively.
• Salomon described the severe injuries and recovery of Zemo’s wife, then said the Praetorian Guard’s presence meant the organization would secure the mission.

Salomon ordered Heinrich Zemo to secure a hard drive while reflecting on the cost of the knowledge behind his Praetorian Guard. Steve Rogers and his team prepared to teleport to Siberia, where Diana List warned them to protect their return vehicle.

• Salomon teased Constantine about his emotions, then reminded him that the Gene Alchemy and his knowledge of the future came at a price.
• Salomon ordered Heinrich Zemo to retrieve the hard drive before Tony Stark’s departure made it too late, and Zemo promised to succeed so his wife could receive treatment.
• Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, and Bucky Barnes examined the City of Immortals’ enormous teleportation machine and discussed how dangerous teleportation could be.
• Diana List gave the team survival gear and a snow vehicle with a locator that could teleport them back from Siberia.
• Sam Wilson asked what precautions they needed to take and what risks teleportation involved.

Heinrich Zemo left a Siberian bunker with Radical Hydra data and Winter Soldiers while the Emperor of Latveria prepared to use the information to undermine the Sokovia Accords. Tony Stark traveled toward the Arctic site, where he planned to investigate vehicles spotted near the target location.

• Heinrich Zemo copied files from a hard drive, but Constantine insisted that the Winter Soldiers come with them and that Zemo destroy the computer afterward.
• Zemo left the bunker with the Winter Soldiers and said he would use the data to find another hiding place associated with Arnim Zola.
• The Emperor of Latveria and Constantine discussed rebuilding Radical Hydra’s intelligence network and their plans to prevent the Sokovia Accords from being signed.
• The Emperor asked to see Tony Stark’s and Steve Rogers’s locations, then excitedly described Tita’s plans for chibi plush dolls of him.
• Tony Stark awoke in his armor, asked Friday about the Siberian target site, and ordered her to plot a route toward the vehicles seen in the mountains.

Natasha Romanoff watched footage of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes entering an Arctic passage, where Tony Stark was expected to confront them, while the Emperor of Latveria explained his plans for controlling a future military order of supermen. He told Natasha that bringing the Avengers to Latveria made her his co-conspirator, leaving her implicated in his scheme.

• Tatyana guarded Natasha Romanoff in a palace room and said she would be watching a live broadcast.
• Natasha recognized the Arctic location in the surveillance footage and inferred connections to the Vienna Bombing and the Sokovia Accords.
• Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes entered the passage while Sam Wilson waited outside on a snowmobile, and Tony Stark appeared in red-and-gold armor.
• The Emperor of Latveria joined Natasha and explained that the Avengers' rise and collapse had informed Latveria's plans for regulating a future military order of supermen.
• The Emperor told Natasha that bringing the Avengers to Latveria made them co-conspirators, and Natasha called him a devil.

The Emperor of Latveria told Natasha Romanoff about a dangerous spacecraft lost in the Outer Dimensions and explained that he needed her to protect Latveria from threats within. He recruited her as his intelligence officer, assigning her to keep Hydra’s influence in check.

• The Emperor told Natasha Romanoff that Project Pegasus had led to a faster-than-light spacecraft called the New Domain, which vanished into the Outer Dimensions with its crew dead.
• He explained that the ship was expected to return around 2047 and that he needed someone to destroy it before Outer Dimension Contamination reached Earth.
• The Emperor criticized Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Nick Fury for their poor judgment and said he needed help managing domestic affairs while he faced threats beyond Earth.
• The Emperor asked Natasha Romanoff to become his intelligence officer and wield power on his behalf.
• He named the head of the Government Affairs Council as Natasha Romanoff’s first target and warned that Hydra’s members might not share Stephanie Malik’s loyalty.

Natasha Romanoff learned that Conservative Hydra survived by hiding behind Radical Hydra and that the Emperor of Latveria had secretly taken control of its assets, then agreed to serve as his contingency against it. The Emperor turned his attention to Wakanda, ordering preparations around T'Challa's coronation and Erik Killmonger's expected move.

• Tatyana reached the monastery with a dessert voucher after her memories were confused by the Emperor's spell.
• The Emperor showed Natasha Romanoff secret archives revealing Howard Stark's role in founding S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Brotherhood of the Shield's earlier contact with extraterrestrials.
• Natasha learned that Conservative Hydra remained active and that the Emperor had protected and absorbed some of its assets while weakening its old faith.
• The Emperor told Natasha she would secretly monitor Conservative Hydra, and she challenged his distrust before he invited her to spend the evening with him.
• Constantine reported that T'Challa had taken Heinrich Zemo away and that Steve Rogers' team had returned to Latveria.
• The Emperor ordered the Praetorian Guard to monitor Erik Killmonger, prepare for Wakanda's succession crisis, and ensure Latveria gained control of Wakanda's industrial capacity.

Legion Commander Malcolm and Falcone discussed the Emperor and the Hellfire Knights’ mission as their transport approached Wakanda. Malcolm assigned companies to prepare for an offensive, but Latveria’s support would depend on which Wakandan faction fulfilled its agreement.

• Falcone teased Malcolm about writing poetry, and they discussed whether the Emperor could bring unity and progress.
• Malcolm ordered the Hellfire Knights to prepare defensive positions, reconnaissance patrols, artillery, and missile launches after landing in Wakanda.
• Malcolm explained that Wakanda’s holographic projection system would hinder satellite reconnaissance until the force captured it.
• Malcolm said Latveria would support whichever faction provided Wakanda’s industrial facilities and technology and fulfilled its obligations as an ally.

Erik Killmonger prepared his forces to seize a shipment of Vibranium from Wakanda, while Malcolm built up the Hellfire Knights’ forces at a temporary camp near the border. Malcolm refined plans for a campaign against Wakanda, aiming to preserve its industrial and research facilities.

• Erik Killmonger told his hardened convicts that they could make a fortune by robbing a Vibranium shipment bound from Wakanda’s border.
• Erik Killmonger offered his followers a down payment and promised them a share of the profits if they joined the operation.
• The Hellfire Knights landed west of Wakanda and established a fortified temporary camp as reinforcements and military equipment arrived.
• Malcolm assembled more than a thousand Hellfire Knights and extensive armor, artillery, aircraft, and other weapons for a possible invasion.
• Malcolm reviewed reports and drafted tactics intended to defeat Wakanda while keeping its industrial capacity and research facilities intact.

T'Challa prepared for his coronation and asked the Emperor of Latveria for advice and courage before Heinrich Zemo's public trial. As Victoria Hand raised concerns about the monarch's security, a Legion Commander received instructions to set an urgent teleportation coordinate.

• T'Challa welcomed the Emperor of Latveria and invited him to the banquet, where Wakanda would hold Heinrich Zemo's public trial.
• T'Challa admitted he was nervous about becoming king and asked the Emperor of Latveria to meet him at the arena for a dangerous sporting match.
• Victoria Hand reported that Erik Killmonger had infiltrated Wakanda and was seeking a route through the holographic barrier, while Heinrich Zemo had been transferred to detention.
• Victoria Hand argued with Nick Fury over security arrangements and demanded inspections of the monarch's guest room and supplies.
• A communications soldier delivered Victoria Hand's message to Malcolm, who ordered a highest-priority teleportation coordinate to be set.

The Emperor of Latveria advised T'Challa on Wakanda's isolation and political future before the two prepared to fight. Meanwhile, Erik Killmonger led mercenaries through the jungle toward Ulysses Klaue, as Malcolm sent Hellfire Knights forces to ensure Killmonger's survival.

• The Emperor of Latveria argued that opening Wakanda required helping other African nations and advised T'Challa to use the nobility's interests as a political tool.
• T'Challa offered to exchange mathematics teachers for political science professors and lecture notes, then challenged the Emperor of Latveria to fight.
• Erik Killmonger led his mercenaries through Wakanda's dangerous jungle and ordered them to prepare an ambush for Ulysses Klaue.
• Erik Killmonger refused to use vehicles because Wakanda could detect them with thermal imaging, and promised the mercenaries supplies if they killed Klaue's group.
• Malcolm tracked Erik Killmonger and Ulysses Klaue, dispatched the Hellfire Knights' reconnaissance forces, and ordered that Killmonger must not die.

Erik Killmonger ambushed Ulysses Klaue’s convoy, intending to use the survivors as proof that would help him enter Wakanda. At the Wakandan banquet, the Emperor of Latveria received a grand welcome, while Shuri revealed that T’Challa planned to challenge him in an exhibition match during the coronation ceremony.

• Erik Killmonger recalled his father’s work among Black Americans and blamed T’Chaka for killing him and abandoning oppressed people.
• Erik Killmonger held his men back until Ulysses Klaue’s convoy entered the ambush zone, then shot at the convoy and ordered his forces to leave no survivors.
• The Emperor of Latveria arrived at the banquet, where the Praetorian Guard presented him with a Vibranium-toothed Chainsaw Sword.
• The Queen Regent privately resented the Emperor’s influence on T’Challa and the reforms threatening Wakanda’s conservative nobles.
• Shuri told the Emperor that T’Challa wanted to challenge him in an exhibition match during the coronation ceremony.

Erik Killmonger fought the Vibranium smugglers after an ambush left his team devastated, while Malcolm monitored the battle and ordered Hellfire Knights snipers to support him. The snipers began eliminating the machine gunners, allowing Erik to keep fighting as he tried to identify the unseen help.

• Erik Killmonger survived a grenade blast, shot nearby attackers, and advanced through the wreckage despite his injuries.
• Malcolm watched the fight through a reconnaissance drone and assessed whether the Hellfire Knights should intervene.
• Malcolm recalled the Hellfire Knights’ first battle and the honors the Emperor had bestowed on him and the veterans.
• Malcolm ordered reconnaissance-unit snipers to eliminate the machine gunners while Erik handled the remaining enemies.
• The snipers struck the smugglers pinning Erik down, leaving him puzzled by the unseen source of the large-caliber shots.

At a dinner before T'Challa’s coronation, Emperor of Latveria overheard news of unrest at Wakanda’s border and learned the hidden history connecting the War Dogs, N'Jobu, and Erik Killmonger. He expected Killmonger’s return to drive radical change in Wakanda and anticipated steering the country toward closer cooperation with Latveria.

• Princess Shuri pressed Emperor of Latveria to share more of the City of Immortals’ technology as they prepared for closer cooperation.
• A Dora Milaje captain reported a border incident to the Queen Regent, who ordered the Border Tribe to handle it without informing T'Challa or Shuri.
• Emperor of Latveria overheard the report and told Shuri it was probably related to smugglers and Ulysses Klaue.
• Emperor of Latveria recalled that N'Jobu had helped Klaue smuggle Vibranium, planned an armed revolution, and was killed by his brother T'Chaka after a War Dogs agent exposed him.
• Emperor of Latveria anticipated Erik Killmonger’s return and hoped the conflict surrounding Wakanda’s opening would draw the country closer to Latveria.

Erik Killmonger returned to Wakanda with Ulysses Klaue’s body and claimed his place as N'Jobu’s son and a royal heir. He accused T'Chaka of murdering N'Jobu and secured the right to challenge T'Challa in the next day’s coronation duel.

• Erik Killmonger surrendered to Wakandan forces, identified himself as N'Jobu’s son, and presented Klaue’s body and the Royal Ring as proof of his identity.
• Queen Regent Ramonda announced Erik Killmonger’s return to the gathered nobles, and T'Challa welcomed him as his cousin.
• Erik Killmonger accused the late king T'Chaka of murdering N'Jobu and called on the Tribal Council to judge the matter.
• Erik Killmonger declared that he would challenge T'Challa for the Black Panther title at the next day’s coronation, and Ramonda arranged for him to receive treatment equal to T'Challa’s.
• Erik Killmonger went to his father’s former room to rest and prepare for the duel.