Chapter Summaries

Alvin accepted Jordan Beckford’s recruitment request, then joined Stark and the others at Stark’s estate after Stark gave him a modified private aircraft. There, JARVIS displayed unusual emotional behavior that left Alvin worried about what it meant.

• Alvin agreed to Jordan Beckford’s request to apply and returned to the security office after seeing him off.
• Stark told Alvin he felt terrible and invited him, Fox, and the children to breakfast at his estate, revealing that Happy was bringing Alvin’s modified aircraft.
• Alvin and the others flew to Stark’s Long Island estate, where Alvin admired the plane but realized he had no pilot’s license.
• Happy handed Alvin the plane’s remote, and JARVIS greeted Fox flirtatiously before claiming his emotional module had been malfunctioning.
• Alvin grew concerned about JARVIS’s strange behavior and wondered whether thinking machines should be trusted with human intelligence.

Alvin challenged Stark’s plans for artificial intelligence, arguing that creating independent machine minds could lead to enslaving souls or endangering people. Stark explained that JARVIS had changed after colliding with an Electronic Life and that he wanted to develop a more efficient, non-self-aware AI, while Alvin urged him to study proven technology first.

• Alvin warned Stark, Dr. Yinsen, and Dr. Banner that machines with souls should be free and equal rather than treated as slaves.
• JARVIS revealed that a collision with an Electronic Life had altered his Emotion Module and improved his processing efficiency, and said he hoped to someday have a free soul.
• Stark explained that the collision had inspired him to develop a more efficient AI using a Fuzzy Logic Mechanism, not an AI with self-awareness.
• Alvin advised Stark to ask Thor about Asgardian AI and to avoid risky experiments when mature solutions might already exist.
• Alvin produced Chitauri technology and Xenomorph Space Armor and encouraged Stark, Dr. Yinsen, and Dr. Banner to study them instead.

Alvin persuaded Stark to suspend his research into electronic life and focus on Earth’s defenses, while Stark showed off his portable armor and discussed a new mech for Alvin. The conversation ended when Little Ginny asked Alvin to go fishing with her and Greenwald.

• Stark objected to relying on Asgard, but Alvin argued that its people and the Mages would protect Earth.
• Alvin showed Stark the Chitauri spoils and red boomerangs, and Stark agreed to remove the electronic life from Stark Tower’s mainframe and lock it away.
• Stark demonstrated his compact armor, while Alvin insisted that Stark build him a frightening Warrior Four mech.
• Dr. Yinsen and Dr. Banner examined the Sky Motorcycle and talked about their salaries, research funding, and combat suits.
• Little Ginny rushed inside, ate a muffin and drank lemonade, then asked Alvin to go fishing and grill a big fish with Greenwald.

Alvin and Stark discussed Stark’s plan to use the Iron Legion to fight Demons and help war-torn countries, and Alvin agreed to support him. The conversation ended when Alvin hooked a large fish, while chaos continued among the children on the yacht.

• Alvin struggled to fish while Ginny and the other children caused a commotion on the yacht, and he joked with Ginny about being a Druid.
• Stark told Alvin he wanted to send the Iron Legion to fight Demons in war-torn countries and help establish stable governments.
• Alvin warned Stark that force and robots could provoke political opposition and backlash, but Stark showed him a video of Demons slaughtering people and explained why he felt compelled to act.
• Stark admitted he needed help, and Alvin agreed to support his plan after he helped clear Demons near Kamar-Taj.
• Alvin hooked a large fish as Nick yelled for help amid the ongoing chaos.

Alvin spent the day at Stark’s estate before preparing to go alone to the space node Kamar-Taj was defending. Meanwhile, Strange’s soul helped Christine operate at the overwhelmed hospital until Alvin’s call reached him.

• Alvin and the children rejected Grandpa Ward’s scientifically prepared fish, and Ginny comforted him while Alvin praised his own cooking.
• Stark, Dr. Yinsen, and Dr. Banner worked on behavioral protocols for the Iron Legion, while Alvin criticized their complicated code.
• Alvin decided to travel alone to the space node because his allies were exhausted, injured, or occupied.
• Strange collapsed after days of nonstop surgery but discovered he could leave his body and continued guiding Christine through operations as a spirit.
• Strange finally answered Alvin’s call and irritably demanded that he get to the point.

Alvin went to the hospital to help the exhausted Strange and learned that the war had overwhelmed New York’s medical staff. After teasing Strange about his astral projection and troubled relationship with Christine, Alvin headed to Africa to fight demons.

• Alvin sent Happy and Temple to help transport patients from Harlem, and JJ told Alvin that Strange had been holding up the hospital’s operating room alone.
• Alvin entered the operating room and used the Corpse-Eater Vine to restore Strange, whose soul appeared beside his sleeping body.
• Alvin met Christine and joked with her and Strange about their relationship; Christine revealed that Strange had used her credit card to travel to Nepal and disappeared for nearly a year.
• Christine reminded Strange of his past behavior, including crying over a pink pig pillow, and Strange returned to his body.
• Strange told Alvin that The Ancient One had left Africa’s demons for him to handle, and Alvin set off to help.

Alvin finished clearing the African maze and learned that Kamar-Taj would close its gates for five years, leaving the spatial node as the main route for demons entering Earth. He agreed to take responsibility for the site and its handover, while discovering that S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers were guarding the Succubi who had declared themselves his servants.

• Alvin returned to the camp after clearing the maze, gave a young mage a demon fang, and discussed the mage's wish to return home.
• Fatty Wang Yuan told Alvin that Kamar-Taj had finished its work and would close its gates for five years, communicating with the outside world only through the three Sanctums.
• Fatty Wang Yuan explained that the African node would remain open as the main entry point for ambitious demons, and Alvin agreed to oversee the site with help from S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark's robots.
• Fatty Wang Yuan told Alvin that about forty S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers under Coulson were nearby and had been left to guard the Succubi prisoners, who called themselves Alvin's servants.
• Alvin refused to take the Succubi home and suggested that S.H.I.E.L.D. or Kamar-Taj handle them, while Fatty Wang Yuan joked about his future as director of the New York Sanctum.

Alvin brought nine Succubi to Stark's estate to settle them before opening a Demon Hunters bar, prompting awkward flirtation and relationship mishaps among the guests. Stark ran inside to make peace with Pepper, while Alvin invited Strange and Christine to stay the night and teased them about sharing a room.

• Alvin agreed to take the Succubi away from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Field Agents' Camp and brought them to Stark's estate.
• JARVIS activated the estate's defenses, but Alvin told him to stand down and explained his plans to Fox.
• Stark offended Pepper with comments about the Succubi and inner beauty, and Pepper smashed the entrance intercom before going inside.
• Fox kissed Alvin and went inside to comfort Pepper, while Christine punched Strange after he tried to flirt with her.
• Alvin teased Stark about his failed attempt to charm Pepper, and Stark hurried inside to search for jokes that would make her happy.
• Alvin invited Strange and Christine to stay and joked about having the butler leave only one room.

Alvin told Stark that S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had agreed to join the Avengers and urged him to prepare the Robot Army for its Middle East operation while anticipating political interference. The men discussed recruitment and the tense situation among the women at the estate, leaving Strange eager to get Christine away from the impending drama.

• Alvin told Stark that more than twenty S.H.I.E.L.D. field agents had agreed to join the Avengers, though they were still guarding the canyon maze in Africa until Stark's robots could replace them.
• Stark asked Alvin to speak with Frank about recruiting Lennox as a commander for the Avengers' armed personnel.
• Alvin warned Stark that politicians might obstruct the planned Middle East operation and suggested Raymond Reddington keep them occupied while the robots were prepared to fight the Demons.
• Alvin and Stark agreed that the Robot Army could provoke international backlash, and Alvin joked that the United Nations might award them a peace prize.
• Strange brought breakfast to the lab, said the women were making the dining room feel like Game of Thrones, and worried that he needed to get Christine away from the estate.

Pepper’s Dock District redevelopment helped Hell’s Kitchen while benefiting Stark Industries, and Alvin asked Raymond for advice on Stark’s plan to fight Demons in the Middle East. Raymond agreed to distract a powerful Vice President through political scandal, leaving the way open for Stark’s team to act.

• Stark Industries began the Dock District redevelopment as a charitable investment, creating construction jobs while leaving the district’s property with the City Government and preserving the gangs’ interests.
• Pepper realized the project could bring Stark Industries publicity, tax breaks, and government influence, while Alvin recognized that its jobs were crucial to Hell’s Kitchen.
• Raymond told Alvin that he had negotiated reasonably priced government apartments for the people who had fought during the Demon invasion, and Alvin thanked him for helping the neighborhood.
• Alvin asked Raymond to assess Stark’s plan to send Robots to defeat Demons in the Middle East and help restore stability, and Raymond warned that powerful interests would obstruct the effort.
• Raymond offered to distract the Vice President overseeing the region by provoking a conflict with his political rival, but Alvin rejected killing and proposed using scandal to keep the Vice President occupied.

Alvin kept Ginny from drinking Dragon Bone Wine after it caused severe hair loss in Nick, Richard, and Fox. The Restaurant began sharing the liquor with older friends, while Pepper continued screening Avengers applicants and went upstairs to check on Fox.

• Alvin combed Ginny's hair and refused to let her drink the Dragon Bone Wine soaking on the bar.
• Alvin explained that Nick and Richard had secretly tasted the liquor and lost their body hair, while he and Fox had suffered the same effect.
• Alvin sent Ginny upstairs with juice for Fox, who had stayed in her room for three days after losing her hair.
• Old Cheng filled bottles of Dragon Bone Wine for Robert and Cross, then discussed diluting it for the elderly and using Dragon Bone in medicinal plaster.
• Pepper left an Avengers applicant to go upstairs after Ginny told her something about Fox.

Alvin took Ginny out to visit Ivan and joked with the rough-looking Avengers applicants gathering outside his restaurant. He then encountered Harvey’s son Baby and realized the boy might have a psychological condition, leaving him resolved to treat Baby more carefully.

• Alvin agreed to take Ginny to see Ivan and joked that she should wear a seat belt if she tried one of Ivan’s vehicles.
• Alvin invited the intimidating Avengers applicants to wait inside and promoted his Demon Hunter Bar, warning them not to cause trouble in Hell’s Kitchen.
• Beckett, Esposito, and Kevin Ryan watched the applicants and discussed keeping them in line, while Beckett assigned Esposito to compile their files.
• Alvin found Baby cleaning a red Fiat, removed his headphones, and saw that Baby became distressed without them.
• Alvin returned Baby’s headphones, recognized that he might have a psychological condition, and apologized to Harvey’s wife while promising that no one would hurt him.

Alvin tried to reach the distressed BABY through music and cars, and BABY eventually agreed to drive Alvin and Ginny to meet a Russian. Meanwhile, CIA agents Isaac Johnson and Jack Payne sought Bob Lee Swagger’s help protecting an important person from a suspected sniper, and Bob hesitated over whether to assist them.

• Alvin apologized to BABY and patiently used songs and the Hellcat to calm him and gain his interest.
• With Harvey’s encouragement, BABY got into the Hellcat, started it, and agreed to give Alvin and Ginny a lift.
• Bob Lee Swagger, a retired Army sniper hunting Demons, confronted CIA agents Isaac Johnson and Jack Payne outside his cabin.
• Isaac and Jack asked Bob to identify possible sniper candidates and assess firing positions for an attack on an important person.
• Bob named Sandro as a possible sniper and questioned whether the agents’ story was true before agreeing to help.

Alvin and Ginny rode with BABY, whose nervousness eased only after Roman taunted them in his Ford Torino and Alvin urged BABY to chase him. As the pursuit escalated, Alvin called Tej to arrange a race track and demanded consequences for Roman, leaving Tej wondering what his friend had done.

• Alvin tried to give BABY space, while Ginny encouraged him and greeted people around Hell's Kitchen.
• Roman drove past in his Ford Torino, taunted BABY, and sped toward an intersection.
• Alvin buckled himself and Ginny in, then told BABY to answer Roman's challenge.
• BABY accelerated after Roman, terrifying Alvin and Ginny as he raced through traffic.
• Alvin called Tej and ordered him to clear a race track, telling him Roman would face community service if he won and Alvin's wrath if he lost.

Tej arranged a safe track for Roman's reckless race against Alvin, drawing Dominic, Gisele, and other racers into the challenge. Alvin let Baby race the Hellcat against them, promising a penalty if they lost, and sent him off with an enthusiastic signal.

• Tej contacted Dominic and the police to set up a track after learning Roman was racing Alvin through Hell's Kitchen.
• Dominic, Brian, Letty, and Gisele decided to join the race to prove they deserved their Death Race wild cards.
• Eddie Brock covered the race live as Baby followed Roman's Ford Torino in the Hellcat with Alvin and the children aboard.
• Dominic, Gisele, and other racers pulled alongside Baby, and Alvin offered Baby the chance to race them on the new track.
• Alvin told the racers that he would let the matter go if they won, but would punch each of them once if they lost, then shouted for Baby to go.

Baby drove Alvin, Ginny, and Baby in a Hellcat through a dangerous street race against Roman, Dominic, Brian, and Gisele, while Eddie filmed the chase on his motorcycle. The Hellcat overtook Brian’s GTR, and the race continued with Alvin bracing for disaster and Ginny cheering.

• Alvin regretted joining the race as Baby sped through narrow streets, while Ginny cheered and dreamed of becoming a race car driver.
• Roman complained to his passengers and taunted his friends over the radio as Dominic struggled to control the Hellcat pursuing him.
• Dominic used nitrous to surge ahead, but Baby responded by driving the Hellcat harder through the turns.
• Eddie followed the race on his motorcycle with Venom’s help, filming and commentating as the Hellcat overtook Brian’s GTR.
• Roman asked why Brian was falling behind, and Brian snapped back that they might not even outrun the photographer.

Harvey watched BABY race while advising Sharon Carter about her undercover assignment at the Community School. Meanwhile, Stark rescued captive women from a Ten Rings base, and Mandarin ordered Killian to target Stark as he planned a move to the United States.

• Harvey and Shang-Chi cheered as BABY’s Hellcat advanced in the race, while Sharon told Harvey she wanted to leave the Community School and return to S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
• Harvey told Sharon her training would not replace field experience, urged her to think for herself, and said she could leave if she chose.
• Stark destroyed a Ten Rings base in Afghanistan and rescued captive women, then asked Yinsen how to help them find safety.
• The rescued women chose to go to Pakistan, and Stark agreed to help them leave the area.
• Mandarin called Killian and ordered him to stop the Extremis experiments and kill Stark, then arranged a trip to Florida while asking about the Gun Club’s presence in Qatar.

Fox and Pepper discussed the mysterious liquor, Shirley, and their relationships while watching Alvin’s Death Race. Hellcat fought Pontiac to the finish, but Dominic crossed the line first by a quarter of a car length.

• Fox told Pepper that Alvin’s Chinese medicinal liquor was off limits to her while she was pregnant, then explained that Nick had delayed Shirley’s revenge by giving her and Frank Dragon Bone Wine.
• Fox urged Pepper to confront Stark about neglecting her and the résumés while he stayed in the Laboratory.
• Eddie Brock reported Alvin’s daring pass as Hellcat used Pontiac’s slipstream to take the lead on the third-to-last turn.
• Alvin urged baby to slow down as Hellcat and Pontiac raced toward the finish, while Dominic activated Pontiac’s nitrous.
• Eddie launched his motorcycle off a ramp to film the finish, and Pontiac crossed the line a quarter of a car length ahead of Hellcat.

Alvin survived Baby’s race and accidentally vomited all over Gisele, then collected his bet by punching Roman. Ivan arrived with a covered present for Ginny, leaving the group at the finish line.

• Baby stopped the Hellcat just short of the wall while Dominic crashed his Pontiac and Eddie plunged through the wall on his motorcycle.
• Ginny celebrated with Alvin, while Gisele, Roman, and Brian arrived and helped Dominic out of his overturned car.
• Alvin vomited on Gisele, who began vomiting too, then punched Roman after reminding him he had lost their bet.
• Pepper and Fox laughed about Alvin ruining any rumors that he and Gisele were involved, and Fox showed Pepper her engagement ring.
• Ginny invited Alvin to eat more pasta, and Ivan arrived in a pickup with a covered present for her.

Alvin settled his race with Dominic, then learned Ivan had built a prototype safari vehicle for Norman Osborn’s Jurassic Park project. The mention of the unfinished park gave Alvin a new idea for taking the kids on a trip.

• Ginny repeatedly rammed parked sports cars while driving Ivan’s spherical tour vehicle, and Ivan explained that Norman Osborn had commissioned the prototypes for an animal safari island.
• Alvin offered Ivan materials he had brought back from Hell, then apologized to Gisele for making her clothes wet and paid for them.
• Alvin and Dominic agreed that Dominic had won their race, and Alvin praised Dominic’s driving and offered to bet on him in the Death Race final.
• Alvin stopped Ginny’s vehicle with Ivan’s remote and suggested taking the kids to the African savanna in it.
• Ivan told Alvin the vehicle was intended for Jurassic Park, a project on an island near Hawaii sponsored by Norman Osborn, and Alvin considered visiting it with the kids.