Chapter Summaries

Frigga explained that Odin had sealed Hela’s powers to free her from the destructive influence of death, then offered her own Divine Power Core so Hela could challenge Alvin. Hela refused it and drew strength from death in the Mirror Dimension, preparing to fight Alvin as he summoned Venom.

• Frigga told Hela that Odin had changed course after realizing conquest and slaughter could not bring happiness, and revealed that one of Hela’s brothers had died fighting for power and love.
• Hela rejected Frigga’s pleas and vowed to return to Asgard and lead it to rule the universe.
• Frigga offered Hela her Divine Power Core and asked Alvin to help Hela understand her power.
• Hela refused Frigga’s core, revealed that she had been waiting for Odin to die, and drew power from death in the Mirror Dimension.
• Alvin summoned Venom and asked Frigga to look after little Ginny as Hela prepared to attack.

Alvin fought Hela after she threatened him, using Venom and his vines to overpower her in a brutal brawl. He defeated her, but as Frigga and Ginny warned him, Hela rose behind him and prepared another attack.

• Alvin prepared the Venom runeword on the Flying Sword East Wind and faced Hela while Frigga and Ginny watched.
• Alvin used the Golden Vine to restrain Hela, then charged and traded blows with her using Venom.
• Alvin tackled Hela and repeatedly punched her, while the Corpse-Eater Vine restored Venom’s life force.
• Hela pierced Alvin with swords formed from her hair, but Thorn Spirit’s reflected damage weakened her, and Alvin knocked her unconscious.
• Alvin got up and celebrated with Ginny as Frigga criticized his lack of restraint.
• Hela rose behind Alvin and gathered her hair into swords, prompting Frigga and Ginny to warn him as he shielded Ginny and blew a whistle.

Alvin, Frigga, and the Corpse-Eater Vine saved Hela after Alvin’s enchanted sword wounded her and she tried to destroy herself. As Hela lost her deathly power and reconciled with Frigga, she chose to stay behind, leaving Alvin uneasy about what would happen next.

• Alvin’s East Wind wounded Hela, and he used the Corpse-Eater Vine to keep her alive as Frigga pleaded with her to accept help.
• Hela rejected Frigga’s healing and tried to die, but Alvin’s vine revived her and began counteracting the deathly power inside her.
• Hela’s divine power core erupted, so Alvin summoned the Oak Sage while Frigga lent her power to help the Corpse-Eater Vine resist the blast.
• After more than four hours, the deathly power dissipated, and Hela confronted Frigga about the losses and betrayals that had defined their relationship.
• Frigga offered to return Hela’s army and take her home to Asgard, but Hela forgave her and chose to stay, giving Alvin an ominous feeling.

Frigga asked Alvin to shelter Hela, whose new life-energy core needed a steady supply of life energy, and Alvin reluctantly considered finding her work in Hell’s Kitchen. As Hela bonded with Ginny over cake and began to embrace her new identity as the Goddess of Life, Loki abandoned his search for iridium and considered seeking parts of the Destroyer instead.

• Frigga explained that Hela’s life-energy core needed abundant life energy and asked Alvin to keep her safe, but Alvin refused to house her.
• Ginny shared her cake with Hela, who released Maximus and reflected on happiness, family, and protecting others.
• Alvin offered to help Hela settle in Hell’s Kitchen, while telling Frigga to ask Hela what she wanted instead of deciding for her.
• Frigga zapped Alvin when he joked about Odin and Thor, then complained that Thor was behaving like an immature fool.
• Loki learned from Baron Strucker that iridium was difficult to obtain and refused to target Alvin, so he considered finding the Destroyer’s helmet and stolen leg.

Alvin and Hela prepared to leave the barren realm for Hell’s Kitchen, but Hela paused to revive a twig from the dead tree that had kept her company. With help from Alvin’s Corpse-Eater Vine, the twig became Sapling and opened its eyes.

• Frigga left after giving the children three magic pearls, and Hela asked Alvin when they would go to Hell’s Kitchen.
• Alvin tried calling Heimdall to summon the Bifrost, but Hela explained that Heimdall would not help without Odin’s orders.
• Hela said she wanted to try living freely, then used her Life Divine Power to revive a twig from the dead tree that had kept her company.
• Hela struggled to awaken Sapling, and Alvin used the Corpse-Eater Vine to transfer Life Energy into her.
• Sapling opened its eyes and spoke to little Ginny, saying, “I am Groot!”

Alvin helped Hela revive the Sapling that had once been her loyal companion, and the two discussed how she could seek happiness while respecting life and the law. After JARVIS located them on a remote Norwegian coast, Alvin summoned Dire Wolves to carry them home, and Hela said she was beginning to like him.

• Ginny planted the Sapling in a lunchbox, and Hela explained that the Tree Person had once been her Guard and had sacrificed himself to help her connect with her Death Divine Power Core.
• Hela told Alvin she regretted many things and wanted to spend the rest of her life happily, while the land began to grow green around her tears.
• Alvin urged Hela to respect life and follow the law on Earth, though he said special methods could be used against people who broke the rules first.
• Alvin called Stark, and JARVIS located them on a coast three hundred kilometers west of Møvik and said Stark's plane would arrive at a military base six hours later.
• Alvin summoned two enormous Dire Wolves for himself, Hela, and Ginny to ride, and Hela said she was starting to like him.

Alvin cared for the Sapling and teased him with bitter coffee while little Ginny tried to comfort him. He explained Hela’s identity and her arrival to Fox, who apologized for her drunken behavior the previous night, and Hela accepted her apology.

• Alvin watered and cleaned the Sapling, who repaid his care by spitting foul saliva in his face.
• Alvin accidentally spilled coffee into the Sapling’s lunchbox, and little Ginny rushed over when the Sapling pretended to be sick.
• Alvin convinced little Ginny that coffee would help the Sapling, and the Sapling quickly acted healthy to avoid another cup.
• Alvin introduced Hela to Fox as Frigga’s daughter and Thor’s older sister, explaining that he had promised to look after her.
• Fox apologized to Hela for swearing at her and nearly shooting her the previous night, and Hela said they were even and praised Fox’s personality.

After Hela and Fox reconciled, Alvin learned that Jessica had been hurt by Johnny Storm, who had dated her to boast about it and then abandoned her for a trip to space. Jessica found comfort with Alvin and Nick, and the family let Johnny off with a warning rather than seeking revenge.

• Hela and Fox made up and went together to Old Cheng's place for breakfast.
• Jessica dragged Nick downstairs after he impersonated Alvin to frighten Johnny Storm, and Alvin learned Nick had done it because Jessica was dating Johnny.
• Alvin asked Jessica what was wrong, and she cried as she explained that Johnny had only dated her to brag and was leaving for space with his sister.
• Alvin and Nick offered to punish Johnny, but Jessica said he was not worth going to jail over.
• Nick hugged Jessica and promised to kill Johnny if he hurt her again, making Jessica laugh and hug him back.

Alvin comforted Jessica after she saw her ex-boyfriend Johnny Storm preparing for a space mission, while Hela reflected on Alvin’s ordinary family life and happiness. Stark arrived at the restaurant with Wang Yuan, where Little Ginny introduced him to Sapling.

• Alvin sent Nick, Richard, and Mindy to school, then teased Sapling while Little Ginny sunbathed with him and Caesar.
• Alvin talked with Hela about his everyday life and said love and being loved were the foundation of his happiness, even without his powers.
• Jessica saw Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and their team on television preparing for space training, and told Alvin that she and Johnny had broken up.
• Alvin reassured Jessica about the breakup, and she joked with him and Fox about finding a new boyfriend.
• Stark arrived at the restaurant carrying Wang Yuan and complained about the energy cost of flying with him before Little Ginny introduced Sapling.

Stark took Ginny on an African trip and joined Ivan in hunting demons, while Alvin prepared to help Kamar-Taj handle the final gathering spot. Alvin realized Ivan had sought out Stark and the mages to acquire a matching pair of Tongue Whips, leaving the story with Stark insisting that he had won their demon-killing contest.

• Stark gave Ginny a holographic communicator and invited her to Africa for Christmas.
• Wang Yuan told Alvin that they planned to deal with the last demon gathering spot in Africa and create a stable Mirror Dimension afterward.
• Stark flirted with Hela, who nearly formed a Long Sword before Alvin introduced them and calmed her down.
• Stark said he had beaten Ivan in a contest to kill demons at a gathering spot.
• Wang Yuan warned Alvin that Ivan's Red Leather Whip was a sacred weapon of the Moloch clan and praised Ivan for volunteering to clear other sites.
• Alvin guessed that Ivan had used Stark to get close to the mages and was trying to obtain a matching pair of Tongue Whips.

Stark proposed turning the mission to Tanzania into a Christmas vacation, and Alvin agreed to make it a group trip and invite the school’s teachers. The group planned to leave in two days, while Fox took Hela and Jessica shopping for clothes for Africa.

• Stark told Alvin that the last demon gathering point was in Tanzania and proposed dealing with it before vacationing with their friends and children.
• Alvin and Stark discussed inviting the community school’s staff, and Stark offered to buy the resort for the trip.
• Wang Yuan warned that the gathering point was in the Great Rift Valley and held many demons, including Mid-Rank Demons.
• Alvin learned that only Frank and Shirley would join, while several others had work or school obligations.
• Stark set the departure for the night after the next day and teased Wang Yuan about his portal magic.
• Hela objected to being left alone, and Fox took her and Jessica shopping for suitable African clothes.

Alvin and Stark watched a terrorist attack unfold in Manhattan as Cobra’s forces stole four Nano Warheads from the Baxter Building. Nick Fury mobilized S.H.I.E.L.D. and assigned Coulson to lead a team with Special Forces support, while suspecting a hidden insider was steering the agency toward Cobra.

• Alvin joked with Stark and Wang Yuan about luxury goods before welcoming Ginny inside and hearing that Maximus had gone with Hela.
• Stark saw armed Humvees attack police on television and flew out to investigate the Manhattan chase.
• Anna confronted Duke in an alley, beat him, took her Briefcase, and escaped after recalling his promise to protect her.
• Nick Fury reviewed the Baxter Building attack and ordered S.H.I.E.L.D. to recover the four Nano Warheads before they could leave New York.
• Fury deployed the Avengers Squad and warned Coulson that Cobra might not be the true target and that an undercover agent could be high in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s ranks.
• Fury put Coulson in charge of a Special Forces team that included Snake Eyes, Red-Haired Girl, Heavy Load, and Breaker.

Alvin agreed to take Ginny to Stark Industrial Park to watch Reed Richards’s rushed spacecraft launch. As Reed prepared to fly with Sue, Johnny, and Ben, Ben questioned Johnny’s readiness for the dangerous mission.

• Alvin arranged for Shang-Chi to join the family’s planned Africa trip and promised him a chance to fight demons.
• Stark invited Alvin and Ginny to see Reed’s spacecraft launch after terrorists destroyed Reed’s particle accelerator and left him facing bankruptcy.
• Reed told Sue Storm that he had to launch immediately to save his project, and Sue promised to support him.
• Johnny insisted on joining the mission, while Ben warned that Johnny was an untrained rookie who could endanger the crew.

Alvin arrived to see Sue Storm, Johnny, and Ben prepare for their rushed space mission, then teased Johnny in a killer costume over his treatment of Jessica. As the team boarded, Alvin revealed he had secretly arranged for Johnny to take a diuretic and laxative into space.

• Sue tried to stop Johnny and Ben from joining the mission, but both insisted on going with her and Reed.
• Alvin arrived with Stark and Ginny dressed as Léon, then startled Johnny by showing off weapons and pretending he had been hired to kill an astronaut.
• Alvin stopped the act and advised Johnny not to brag about dating girls from Hell's Kitchen, while Johnny apologized for hurting Jessica.
• After Sue, Ben, and Johnny boarded the spacecraft, Alvin told Stark that Norman Osborn had given him a potion to test on Johnny in zero gravity.
• Alvin explained that the potion was a diuretic and laxative, while Johnny drank water without knowing what awaited him.

Alvin and Stark learned that four missing warheads could destroy New York, while S.H.I.E.L.D. refused to share details or involve them. Alvin decided they would handle the crisis themselves, and Stark began reasoning through the weapon’s effects.

• Alvin joked with Stark after sending a troublesome young man into space, while Ginny drove a makeshift truck through Stark's office.
• Stark told Alvin that Reed had activated four strange warheads for a terrorist organization and urged him to help protect New York.
• Alvin called Agent Coulson, who confirmed the warheads could wipe New York off the map but refused to disclose their classified details.
• Alvin warned Coulson to identify his agents clearly to avoid friendly fire, then told Stark they would handle the crisis themselves.
• Stark suspected the warheads targeted buildings and proposed destroying bridges and tunnels as a contingency; Alvin said they needed an office.

Alvin prepared New York’s school and his allies for the threat of four stolen warheads while Stark searched for the people carrying them. Raymond revealed the warheads’ nature and warned that foreign intelligence agencies could turn the crisis into an international confrontation.

• Alvin ordered the Community School and Kindergarten locked down, arranged for his family to stay at Stark’s Manor, and coordinated security with Frank, Old Cheng, and Robert.
• Stark used JARVIS to search New York surveillance systems as Alvin contacted Norman Osborn, who said the Cesco Group’s virus laboratory was under surveillance.
• Raymond told Alvin that Cobra had stolen four Nanobot Bomb warheads developed by MARS Group.
• Raymond warned that intelligence agencies from around the world were converging on New York and might try to seize or detonate the warheads, raising the danger of a world war.

Alvin and his allies prepared to stop terrorists from using stolen Nano Warheads, while JARVIS identified a connection between one suspect, Anna, and Duke. Meanwhile, Ethan Hunt’s battery auction was disrupted by intelligence agents, and Jason Bourne unexpectedly contacted him and revealed he was watching from a distant skyscraper.

• Alvin asked Stark to help locate the agents and prevent the Nano Warheads from detonating, then Frank, Steve, and the others joined them.
• Frank identified the stolen Abort Devices as a separate target, and Stark revealed that each Nano Warhead had a unique controller.
• JARVIS reconstructed the terrorists’ identities, and Alvin recognized Anna as Duke’s former fiancée whose brother had died in a U.S. military operation Duke commanded.
• Ethan Hunt grew wary when his battery buyers changed the meeting arrangements and foreign agents arrived at the Waldorf Hotel.
• Jason Bourne called Ethan and told him the mask on his neck was not attached properly, prompting Ethan to stare toward a distant skyscraper.

Alvin questioned Duke about his former fiancée Anna and learned she might return to the Waldorf Hotel, while Jason Bourne entered the hotel and contacted Ethan Hunt about the missing Nano Warheads and a deal.

• Pepper organized a styling session in Stark Tower as Frank, Steve, and Alvin prepared weapons for the coming crisis.
• Chief George brought Duke, Ripcord, and Roadblock to Alvin, who asked Duke for information about Baroness Anna.
• Duke revealed that he had seen Anna carrying a silver briefcase that morning and identified the Waldorf Hotel as her likely comfort zone.
• Stark ordered JARVIS to search the Waldorf Hotel's surveillance footage for Anna.
• Jason Bourne secretly entered a Waldorf Hotel suite and called Ethan Hunt, offering to help target two arms dealers in exchange for a future favor.

Alvin used a staged slip in the Waldorf Hotel lobby to stir the spies into action while he and Stark considered ways to flush out Anna and recover the warheads. The ruse disrupted Ethan Hunt’s operation, and Bourne killed arms dealer Ludmila as Ethan moved to pursue his targets.

• Alvin and Shang-Chi checked into the Waldorf Hotel, where Alvin deliberately hinted that Anna and the warheads were there to provoke the spies.
• Alvin explained to Stark that Anna might be hiding in the hotel, watching Duke, or somewhere else, and planned to have Frank monitor likely observation spots.
• Alvin rejected Stark’s idea of forming a justice organization and said powerful people were better off helping one another as friends.
• Ethan Hunt noticed the other agents mobilizing and ordered Benji to keep watch on arms dealer Ludmila.
• Ethan called Bourne to move against their targets, and Bourne killed Ludmila with a concealed steel needle in the hotel lobby.
• A bald man watched Bourne enter the café, then smiled at Ethan Hunt from across the lobby.

Alvin advised Shang-Chi to make friends by being sincere, while explaining how his reputation made people think twice about exploiting his weaknesses. At the hotel restaurant, Ethan Hunt saw Alvin arrive and decided to speak with him, fearing Alvin’s presence would complicate his mission.

• Alvin praised butler Nancy and asked her to arrange an expensive meal for him and Shang-Chi.
• Alvin told Shang-Chi that showing his real personality could help him make genuine friends, while status could discourage people from exploiting his weaknesses.
• Shang-Chi admitted he envied Alvin’s ability to talk to anyone, and Alvin told him not to force himself to act differently.
• Ethan Hunt noticed hostility growing among the hotel guests after Bourne killed Ludmila, the Eastern European arms dealer.
• Ethan Hunt saw Alvin and Shang-Chi enter the restaurant and decided to approach Alvin because he feared crossing paths with him during his mission.