Chapter Summaries

At T'Challa’s coronation and military parade, Latveria displayed its formidable arsenal and its Emperor swayed many Wakandans with a speech urging unity against the coming alien threat. Meanwhile, Sunil Bakshi received orders to infiltrate Wakandan aristocrats and seized the assignment as a chance to advance within Hydra.

• T'Challa reviewed Wakanda’s troops as Constantine assessed the gaps in Wakanda’s military forces.
• The Hellfire Knights paraded Latveria’s heavily armed vehicles and tanks, shocking the Wakandans with their battlefield power.
• The Emperor of Latveria captivated the ceremony’s spectators with his presence and a speech calling for Wakanda and Latveria to unite against the coming Alien Fleet.
• Queen Mother Ramonda wondered what had happened to the ceremony’s derailed speech, while many Wakandans changed their views of Latveria.
• An unidentified caller ordered Sunil Bakshi to prioritize infiltrating Wakanda, and Bakshi accepted the mission to prove himself to the Government Affairs Council.

Queen Mother Ramonda urged Shuri to reject Latveria’s industrial authority, while T’Challa and the Emperor of Latveria discussed their alliance and disagreed over the Hellfire Knights. The chapter ended with their opposing views on whether ruthless engineered soldiers were necessary for humanity’s survival.

• Queen Mother Ramonda told Shuri that Latverian soldiers were dangerous and insisted Wakanda reclaim the industrial authority granted to Latveria.
• Ramonda asked Shuri to persuade T’Challa to veto the contract, but Shuri explained she had signed it to save her mother.
• The Emperor of Latveria apologized to T’Challa for dominating the coronation ceremony and explained that the Hellfire Knights had left to pursue other missions.
• T’Challa criticized the Emperor’s use of Gene-modded Warriors, calling for a nobler approach to military power.
• The Emperor defended the Hellfire Knights as an efficient force necessary for humanity’s survival.

The Emperor of Latveria returned to the royal city, where Victor von Doom confronted him over neglected administrative duties and discussed Latveria’s cost-effective naval plans. Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson, unable to return to the United States, considered their new work in Latveria and worried about how the country might use its power.

• Victor von Doom reminded the Emperor of Latveria about Heinrich Zemo and the Avengers, then briefed him on economic problems and plans for a Mediterranean and Black Sea fleet.
• Victor von Doom explained that Latveria planned to build a maritime dockyard and refit old Soviet warships, while the Emperor trusted him to make the decisions.
• The Emperor agreed to handle administrative work for four hours before returning to dinner with Bayonetta.
• Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson discussed taking jobs in Latveria because they could not safely return to the United States.
• Steve Rogers worried that powerful military projects could fall into the wrong hands, while Sam Wilson doubted they could control Latveria’s Super Soldiers.

Steve Rogers confronted the Emperor of Latveria about Super Soldiers and asked for help protecting the families of the heroes who had joined him. The Emperor rejected Steve’s arguments and assigned him reading, while Sam Wilson learned his sister’s family was being targeted and insisted they had to protect their loved ones.

• Steve Rogers asked about the fate of a child forced to sell drugs, and the Emperor of Latveria explained the possible punishments under Latverian law.
• Steve Rogers warned that Super Soldiers could be abused, but the Emperor defended their military necessity and had the Praetorian Guard escort Steve from his office.
• Sam Wilson told Steve that Clint Barton’s family was safe, but the FBI was surveilling Sam’s sister and her sons and harming their prospects.
• The Emperor criticized Steve’s moral reasoning, warned him against provoking a war, and assigned him a reading list.
• Steve asked the Emperor’s Intelligence Department to help protect the families of Sam Wilson, Clint Barton, and Scott Lang.
• Sam said he feared returning to the United States and insisted that he and Steve had a responsibility to save their families.

Sam Wilson’s attempt to return to the United States was blocked as Latverian officials kept the anti-Accords Avengers under strict control. Meanwhile, the Emperor prepared to visit Sarajevo, where Natasha Romanoff’s closeness provoked Tatyana and Hammurabi quietly managed the Sisterhood’s concern.

• Latverian intelligence rejected Sam Wilson’s request and restricted his movements, while Scott Lang was isolated at Hank Pym’s laboratory.
• Nick Fury judged that Sam would be captured and interrogated if he returned to the United States, so classified intelligence remained inaccessible to the anti-Accords Avengers except Natasha Romanoff.
• The Emperor focused on a planned Sarajevo visit and speech as Constantine’s forces prepared to attack a Serbian armed group in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Natasha Romanoff gave the Emperor a revised speech, and Tatyana grew jealous of her familiar manner with him.
• Tatyana urged Hammurabi to keep Natasha away from the Emperor, but Hammurabi redirected her attention by asking her to prepare the Emperor’s ceremonial armor.

The Emperor of Latveria traveled to Sarajevo to deliver a speech condemning ethnic and religious divisions and promoting Latveria’s secular, industrializing policies. As a gunshot startled the crowd during the broadcast, Victor von Doom took a call and ordered someone to wait in the reception room.

• Hammurabi warned the Emperor about assassination risks, but the Emperor told his security detail not to intervene if someone attacked him with a pistol or rifle.
• The Emperor traveled to Sarajevo City Hall under heavy military escort and arrived without an attack.
• The Emperor told the crowd that space travel revealed no gods, then blamed religious and ethnic divisions for Sarajevo’s suffering and called for secular education and unity.
• Victor von Doom watched the broadcast and considered the Emperor’s argument that ending religious divisions was necessary for industrial development.
• A gunshot rang out during the broadcast, and Victor von Doom answered a phone call and told the caller to wait in the reception room.

After an assassination attempt in Sarajevo, the Emperor stopped the bullet and used his powers to uncover the gunman’s history and calm the crowd. He forgave the gunman conditionally and left Victor von Doom wondering whether the attack had been staged, while the Emperor considered his work in the city finished.

• Hammurabi and the armed forces moved to protect the Emperor and locate the sniper, but the Emperor halted them and caught the bullet in midair.
• The Emperor read the gunman’s memories and learned that he was a war orphan and a sniper working for an extremist religious organization.
• The Emperor reassured the crowd, ordered the gunman brought to him unharmed, and let him recount the trauma that shaped his life.
• The Emperor offered to forgive the gunman if he accepted legal punishment, drug rehabilitation, and a pledge to leave the militia and renounce his faith.
• Victor von Doom questioned Hammurabi about whether the Sacred Guard had arranged the attempt, while the Emperor said his work in Sarajevo might be finished.

The Emperor of Latveria discussed his speech and the assassination attempt with Natasha Romanoff, explaining his views on advancing society and his magical abilities. Victor von Doom arrived aboard the aircraft, and the Emperor ordered him and Nick Fury to oversee the shooter's interrogation while using the incident to target the CIA's influence in Greece and Turkey.

• Natasha Romanoff criticized the Emperor's speech as a threat, and he argued that humanity could not overthrow him unless it united against him.
• The Emperor reflected on the suffering revealed by the shooter's memories and the tragedies caused by his efforts to force history forward.
• The Emperor and Natasha discussed his powers, after which Natasha proposed documenting his abilities and weaknesses.
• Victor von Doom appeared aboard the Pegasus Assault Transport and warned Natasha that information about the Emperor was classified.
• The Emperor asked Victor von Doom to work with Nick Fury to interrogate the shooter and proposed using the alleged CIA role to strike back in Greece and Turkey.

Victor von Doom showed the Emperor of Latveria, Hammurabi, and Natasha Romanoff the first mortal auxiliary soldiers training for void combat aboard the Sky Sword Space Station. Their tour led into a discussion of Latveria’s Secret Division and military organization, which remained under development.

• Victor von Doom explained that Latveria had selected and equipped elite mortal soldiers for void combat training.
• Victor showed the Emperor of Latveria and Natasha Romanoff the sealed-suit soldiers and described their equipment and role supporting Gene-modded Warriors.
• The Emperor of Latveria explained that mortal soldiers and heavy weapons could help counter stronger enemies, while Natasha questioned whether Thor feared plasma weapons.
• Natasha asked about the Secret Division, and the Regent explained its role in internal oversight and special operations rather than regular battlefield formations.
• Victor described how Latveria raised orphans for the Secret Division, the Sisterhood, and other roles, then he and the Regent discussed military organization and training needs.

The Emperor brought Natasha Romanoff to reunite with Clint Barton, Laura Barton, and their children aboard the Sky Sword Space Station. After offering to support the Barton family, he hinted that Natasha was ready for her next mission.

• The Emperor ended his conversation with Regent Victor von Doom and led Natasha through the station to a secured family suite.
• Natasha entered the suite and happily reunited with Clint, Laura, Cooper, and Lila, while Nathaniel slept.
• The Emperor welcomed Laura and offered to cover the Barton children’s college tuition as compensation for Clint opposing the Accords.
• Nick Fury emerged from a corner, approved the offer, and teased Clint about gaining weight.
• The Emperor whispered to Natasha that he liked happy family endings and said she was ready for her next mission.

Natasha Romanoff received a lavish private room on the Space Station as Salomon tried to recruit her for an assignment. He then chose to bring Ruby Hale into enhanced training as another candidate for a mission against the Kree, while directing preparations for a campaign on Planet Hala and seeking information about the All-Father.

• Natasha Romanoff suspected Salomon had an ulterior motive and agreed to hear his assignment after he showed her his luxurious private room on the Space Station.
• Salomon described his plans for humanity’s expansion into space and offered the room to Natasha Romanoff, but she remained focused on the assignment and her dinner with Barton's family.
• After Natasha Romanoff left, Hammurabi warned Salomon that she was not the only possible candidate and suggested bringing Ruby Hale back from the Hydra training camp.
• Salomon ordered Ruby Hale to receive enhanced training in the City of Immortals and demanded increased production of Gene-modded Warriors and war equipment.
• Salomon resolved to lead an assault on Planet Hala to thwart the Kree and instructed Hammurabi to contact Cassilius for new information about the All-Father.

Salomon and Cassilius drove to a cabin after Frigga warned that Odin was gravely ill, while Salomon prepared Latveria and Kamar-Taj for a possible operation to seize Asgardian transport technology. They reached the cabin with extensive forces on standby, and Salomon told Cassilius to be ready in case Odin attacked.

• Cassilius teased Salomon about his girlfriends as they drove through the mountains toward the cabin.
• Cassilius explained that The Venerable One had ordered him to bring Salomon to assess Odin’s condition and decide whether to activate the contingency plan.
• Salomon ordered Latveria’s military departments to recall the Hellfire Knights, deploy cryogenically stored assassins, and prepare for a mission to extract Asgardian technology.
• Salomon’s preparations included an orbital missile, combat robots, a Praetorian Guard, and a Pegasus Assault Transport positioned to support them.
• Salomon told Cassilius to command the combat robots if Odin turned hostile and said they would need to hold out until The Venerable One arrived.

Salomon and Cassilius visited Frigga and Odin’s cabin, where Salomon entered alone to speak with Odin. He emerged bearing Draupnir and a fierce new aura as Frigga asked whether he was ready to take an oath.

• Cassilius asked Salomon for the special War Engine summoning scroll, and Salomon handed it to him as a last resort.
• Frigga welcomed Salomon and Cassilius, offered Salomon a personal gift, and sent him inside to speak with Odin.
• Frigga kept Cassilius outside while he waited anxiously amid the cabin’s powerful magical barrier.
• Salomon emerged from the cabin transformed, wearing Draupnir and marked by signs of a bloody ordeal.
• Frigga asked Salomon whether he was certain he was prepared to bear the oath.

Salomon crossed into Odin’s illusion of Valhalla, where he faced the All-Father and asked for hospitality. The King granted him a place by the hearth only if he proved himself in a trial, but Salomon refused the meal of roasted human flesh.

• Cassilius and Salomon left the cabin’s Rune-covered area, and Salomon struggled to explain what he had experienced inside.
• Salomon followed a wolf across an endless, freezing snowfield to a longhouse filled with warriors and specters.
• Salomon reached the throne of the white-haired All-Father, identified himself as a king, and asked for the warmth of the hearth under ancient custom.
• The All-Father welcomed Salomon but declared that he had to prove himself worthy in a trial, with a reward for whoever defeated him.
• The priest presented Salomon with roasted human flesh as a warrior’s meal, and Salomon refused it.

Salomon faced The King's challenges in Valhalla after refusing the hall's meat and drinking its mead. He failed to move the giant wolf enough to pass the second challenge, and The King presented an old woman for the final test.

• Salomon refused the meat but drank from the enormous goblet of black mead, then knocked down Freyki when the warrior attacked him.
• The King stopped Freyki and offered Salomon three challenges, promising to answer his question if he passed one and to claim his life if he failed all three.
• Salomon accepted the strength challenge and lifted the giant wolf's paw, but The King declared that he had failed.
• The King gave Salomon a cup of mead to recover, then introduced his old maidservant as his opponent in the final wrestling challenge.

Salomon faced Odin’s final challenge in Valhalla, defeated the embodiment of Aging, and exposed Odin’s deceit before fighting through the hall’s transformed warriors. Odin revealed that he had summoned Salomon to offer a deal: he believed Salomon could defeat the Great Enemy as the old era approached its destruction.

• Salomon fought the old woman in two rounds and was overcome by her strength, which caused him to age rapidly in the third.
• Salomon rejected Aging’s power, restored his youth, and threw her to the ground.
• Salomon identified the old woman as Aging and accused the King of the Undead of deceiving him with the cup containing the ocean and the wolf Helheim.
• Salomon revealed the King of the Undead to be Odin, then summoned the Sacred Sword as the wolfskin warriors transformed and attacked him.
• Salomon fought through the half-wolf warriors, killing Sinfjötli, Freyki, and Fenrir as he advanced toward Odin.
• Odin told Salomon that Asgard’s ascension had failed and offered him a deal, believing he could defeat the Great Enemy.

Salomon took possession of an ancient spear and explained that he had made a deal with Odin to protect the Asgardians after Ragnarok, while refusing more generous terms. As Frigga and Odin accepted that the final Ragnarok would break the cycle, Salomon boarded the Pegasus Heavy Assault Transport and began preparing materials for his next task.

• Cassilius questioned why Salomon had received the ancient spear instead of Thor, and Salomon said humanity would surpass Asgardian civilization.
• Frigga tested one of Salomon’s clay hammers, which transformed into Mjolnir and flew away to summon a thunderstorm.
• Odin told Frigga that Salomon had agreed to a contract protecting Asgard’s people after Ragnarok but had rejected his most generous terms.
• Odin and Frigga agreed that Thor or Salomon could break the Ragnarok cycle and free their fates from the ancient deities.
• Hammurabi briefed Salomon on the abnormal thunderstorm delaying the Pegasus Heavy Assault Transport, and Salomon said it posed no threat.
• Salomon ordered Hammurabi to secure the spear and prepare Vibranium ore, Disintegration Field generators, and other materials for his next task.

Salomon worked to awaken Gungnir in an industrial forge while preparing to uncover the Bifrost’s secrets and fulfill his agreement with Odin by preserving Asgard under new names and myths. The Sorcerer Supreme also arranged help for Stephen Strange, then asked Salomon whether he had told the witches and maid about her visit and meal.

• The Sorcerer Supreme watched Gungnir undergo a transformation inside the forge as Salomon carved runes into the hall floor.
• Salomon explained that he intended to awaken Gungnir and preserve Asgard’s spirit by replacing its gods and myths with new ones.
• Salomon said he hoped Gungnir would help him uncover the Bifrost’s secrets, and the Sorcerer Supreme questioned his cold approach to romance.
• The Sorcerer Supreme told Salomon that Stephen Strange had awakened and asked him to help prevent Stephen from falling into despair, suicide, or drug use.
• Salomon arranged for Stephen to sell his luxury goods through Athena’s connections, while Fisk Wilson agreed to keep drugs away from him in exchange for early medical parole.
• The Sorcerer Supreme asked whether Salomon had told the witches she was visiting and informed the maid what she wanted to eat, and Salomon’s movements slowed.

Salomon recounted his trial to the Sorcerer Supreme, who explained how Odin’s plan had weakened Hela’s seal and discussed the family’s unusual tolerance for spicy food. After dinner, Salomon considered the political and supernatural threats ahead and told Milia to ignore her biological mother’s religious beliefs.

• The Sorcerer Supreme told Salomon that his actions in the trial had really shifted a tectonic plate in Helheim and advised him to continue Odin’s plan to damage Hela’s seal.
• The Sorcerer Supreme and the Witch discussed Salomon’s childhood and Milia’s apparent ability to eat spicy food without discomfort.
• Salomon explained that Ragnarok would destabilize the galaxy and that Latveria needed to expand its forces and reshape society to resist religious and supernatural influence.
• Salomon carried Milia through the courtyard and told her there were no gods, warning her to ignore the woman holding a cross.
• Milia asked who the woman was, and Salomon told her that half her genes came from the woman but her thoughts did not have to be influenced by her.

Salomon told Milia the truth about her origins and arranged for her to meet her birth mother, while insisting that she prepare for the responsibilities of her fate. Bayonetta challenged his plans for Milia’s future, and their disagreement was left to be settled in the bedroom.

• Salomon explained Milia’s origins and told her she would always be his family despite their lack of blood ties.
• Salomon planned for Milia to meet Gabriella Rossetti under supervision and coached her before their visits.
• Bayonetta learned of Salomon’s plans and sent Milia to bed with Dinah, the Cheshire Cat plush, and the real Cheshire Cat.
• Salomon argued that Milia should learn to face her past and prepare for her destiny, while Bayonetta insisted she would decide Milia’s future and opposed putting her in Power Armor.
• Jeanne said Milia should simply eat, drink, play, and study, but Bayonetta and Salomon ignored her suggestion.
• Bayonetta proposed five hours to resolve the disagreement, and Salomon said they would continue until dawn.