Chapter Summaries

Alvin brought Aaron Cross, an assassin from the Reaper Program, to the manor after capturing him by the shore. Aaron endured Albus’s notoriously awful steak while the household waited for Clint and another person who knew him to arrive.

• Alvin told Dr. Banner that Aaron was an assassin and asked him to modify the flying jet ski for Chitauri technology.
• Aaron questioned why Alvin had captured him, and Alvin revealed that he knew about the Reaper Program and Aaron’s connection to Clint Barton.
• At the manor, Aaron resisted the urge to take Little Ginny hostage while Albus served him an elaborate steak.
• Alvin, Stark, and Dr. Banner wagered on whether Aaron would eat Albus’s cooking, while Pepper and Little Ginny encouraged him to try it.
• Aaron swallowed a bite of the steak and described its bitter, unusual taste to Little Ginny.
• Alvin told Aaron that Clint and another person who supposedly knew him would come to the manor that afternoon.

Hawkeye reunited with his twin brother Aaron, whom the CIA had used in the Reaper Program and then discarded, while Alvin and Stark discussed how the betrayed operatives might retaliate. Abandoned by his political allies, Killian turned to the Mandarin, who offered him a chance to attack Stark.

• Hawkeye arrived at the Stark Estate, and Alvin left him alone with Aaron so the brothers could talk.
• Alvin explained to Stark and Dr. Banner how the CIA recruited Aaron for the Reaper Program and abandoned him after the program was shut down.
• Alvin told Stark that Bob Lee Swagger and Raymond Reddington could strike back against those who had betrayed them, and mentioned Ethan Hunt’s offer to use Killian against the Senate’s allies.
• After the vice president of Western Power Grid dismissed him, Killian trashed his safe house and called the Mandarin for help.
• The Mandarin offered Killian a chance to face Stark directly, and Killian vowed to kill him.

Church brought National Security Advisor Erik Bell to meet Principal Alvin as Erik sought to negotiate an end to the energy groups’ conflict, while Church rejected his appeal for stability. At Alvin’s home, Hawkeye asked to confront Erik over Aaron’s involvement in the CIA’s Reaper project, and Alvin offered to help if Hawkeye chose to kill him.

• Church picked up Erik Bell at a New York private airport, and Erik said 246 CIA agents had died in three days as the conflict continued.
• Erik explained that he wanted to speak with Alvin and limit the conflict’s damage to the country, while Church argued that the political system could not be fixed by force and doubted Alvin would listen.
• Alvin watched little Ginny trick a little Pachycephalosaurus into her arms and discussed the dinosaurs’ slow growth with Stark.
• Alvin told Stark that Erik wanted to negotiate and said he planned to avoid further trouble by leaving for Jurassic Park on Java Island after the conflict ended.
• Hawkeye said Erik had sent Aaron into the CIA’s Reaper project and asked to confront him, and Alvin offered Hawkeye a body bag or a place with Stark’s Avengers if he killed Erik.

Alvin rejected Erik Bell’s attempt to make him choose targets and help end the conflict, accusing him of using patriotic rhetoric to shift blame and conceal his own agenda. After Stark angrily challenged Erik’s claim that they had started the fight, Alvin warned that he would not back down from exposing the people behind it.

• Alvin and "Church" discussed Erik Bell’s self-sacrificing reputation while Hawkeye beat Erik, and Alvin lost a hundred-dollar bet when Aaron persuaded Hawkeye to stop.
• Erik asked Alvin to end the conflict and offered to make anyone Alvin named disappear, but Alvin refused to give him a list or take responsibility for the violence.
• Erik argued that the ongoing fight was damaging the United States and urged Alvin to act because time was running out.
• Erik blamed Alvin and Stark for starting the conflict, prompting Stark to punch him and accuse him of wanting Stark dead so others could divide New Energy’s profits.
• Alvin denied having caused the conflict, accused Erik of looking down on him, and threatened to bring down the powerful people Erik was trying to protect.

Alvin and Stark rejected Erik Bell’s offer to use Alvin as a supposed killer to force the energy industry’s reorganization, despite its immense financial and political benefits. Erik’s plan failed, and Stark began proposing a deal as Hawkeye remained furious over Erik’s exploitation of Aaron.

• Aaron admitted that Erik had used him, but left the room after Hawkeye reminded him that Erik was lying and that they needed to retain their sense of honor.
• Hawkeye beat Erik and demanded the Mental Pills, while Erik argued that Aaron had been treated as a tool and was now free.
• Alvin accused Erik of trying to frame him as an executioner, and Erik explained that he wanted Alvin’s deterrent power to force the energy groups to cooperate.
• Erik offered Stark Industries a major share of the reorganized energy industry if Alvin accepted the killer label, but Alvin left the decision to Stark.
• Stark refused Erik’s offer, affirming his trust in Alvin, and Alvin agreed that they stood with their own.
• Stark relaxed after Erik’s plan failed, flipped him off, and said they should make a deal.

Hawkeye and Alvin learned that Aaron’s failing mind stemmed from an incomplete CIA enhancement program, while Erik Bell revealed where the remaining virus was stored. Hawkeye chose to take Aaron to Manila to seek treatment, and Erik suggested Jason Bourne might hold the key to a cure.

• Erik Bell refused Stark’s offer and explained that Aaron’s Mental Pills were losing their effect, leaving his mind destined to deteriorate.
• Church explained that the Reaper Program’s later Ras Program used a virus to complete agents’ enhancements, but Aaron had not undergone the intelligence modification.
• Erik told Hawkeye that Aaron had failed the tests and revealed that Dr. Mata’s pharmaceutical factory in Manila held some of the virus.
• Stark pressured Erik to disclose the information, and Alvin arranged for Hawkeye and Aaron to travel to Manila.
• Hawkeye stopped himself from beating Erik when Aaron asked him to let it go, then promised to stay by his brother and take him for help.
• Erik suggested that Jason Bourne, host of the Original Virus and holder of the Key, might be able to help Aaron.

Church chose to protect Alvin and warned Erik Bell against trying to control him, while Erik left for Washington. Mandarin grew wary of his Cobra ally McCullen’s plan to use Zeus, sent Killian after a hostage, and then secretly called 911 to report a crime.

• Church told Alvin he had chosen to protect people and asked him to keep the situation under control, while Alvin said he would let agents pursue revenge rather than kill their targets himself.
• Church warned Erik Bell not to pursue Alvin or try to make him a leader, and Erik agreed to return to Washington and leave the cleanup to President Ellis.
• Mandarin discussed the plan with McCullen, who claimed Zeus could destroy New York and demanded that Mandarin’s ally obtain the Authority Key.
• Mandarin ordered Killian to take a hostage Tony Stark would care about and put him in charge while Mandarin was away.
• After questioning the wisdom of working with reckless allies, Mandarin called 911 and reported a crime.

Alvin cooked breakfast at Stark Manor and learned that Albus suspected foul play in Howard Stark’s death and distrusted S.H.I.E.L.D. The chapter ended with Albus showing the group Chief George’s press conference, prompting Alvin to remark that they had to rely on bad guys to uphold justice.

• Alvin questioned Albus about his doubts surrounding Howard Stark’s car accident, and Albus admitted he wanted to keep Tony away from S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Alvin told Albus that Tony planned to sue S.H.I.E.L.D. and remove it from Stark Industries, then joked with Albus about hiring a butler.
• Ginny charged into the kitchen in a dinosaur onesie, and Alvin encouraged her to wake Fox by pretending to be an evil dinosaur.
• At breakfast, Ginny tried to bite everyone’s head, while Fox scolded Alvin for encouraging her antics.
• Albus showed Alvin, Stark, Fox, and the others a press conference where Chief George spoke to reporters, and Alvin praised Raymond’s efficiency.

Foggy Nelson publicly presented evidence supporting Bob Lee Swagger’s innocence, while Ethan Hunt’s broadcast exposed a Senator and a Montana Congressman plotting against him and the Vice President. As New Energy Group directors were killed and political schemes unraveled, Alvin and Stark discussed the chaos, the Ten Rings, and Ethan’s skills.

• Foggy Nelson showed reporters a video demonstrating that the sniper rifle found at the crime scene could not fire, then explained that Bob Lee Swagger had been framed after his gun was stolen.
• Ethan Hunt hijacked ABC’s broadcast and aired footage of a Senator ordering Bob Lee Swagger’s death and discussing a plan to discredit the Vice President.
• Eight New Energy Group directors were killed, and the lone survivor blamed the Vice President’s revenge as Alvin identified Church as responsible for the attacks.
• Alvin and Stark discussed Raymond’s response to the political crisis and Stark’s plans to return to his laboratory while the Ten Rings hunted Demons.
• Alvin told Stark that Ethan Hunt had exposed the conspirators and suggested using Killian to draw out the Mandarin, while Stark proposed recruiting Ethan into the Avengers.

Cobra’s enormous Super Battery began heating the Arctic from beneath the ice, alarming scientists and governments who feared it could explode and destroy the region. As S.H.I.E.L.D. and the CIA searched for a way to stop it, Reed Richards received an urgent message from Earth and prepared to return, while his team spotted a strange aircraft pursued by sailboats in space.

• Arctic researchers detected extreme heat beneath the ice, and one scientist warned that the rising temperature could melt the glaciers.
• At Cobra Base, Otto Gunther Octavius questioned the Super Battery’s dangerous temperature while Cobra celebrated its success and a masked man informed McCullen.
• Nick Fury ordered S.H.I.E.L.D. to investigate the Super Battery and prepare Helicarriers with tactical nuclear bombs in case it had to be detonated.
• Erika Sloane and Alan Julienne learned the unstable battery could devastate the Arctic, and Alan decided to seek help beyond the laboratories already working on it.
• Reed Richards told Sue Storm that his research into the Cosmic Energy Tide and Nine-Star Alignment was nearing a breakthrough, then received an urgent call from NASA about the Arctic crisis.
• Reed said the team might have to return to Earth, and Ben Grimm spotted sailboats pursuing a black, cross-shaped aircraft in space.

Alvin watched the political conflict intensify before Nick Fury arrived at Stark Estate seeking help with a crisis in the Arctic. He learned that Cobra had been given Simon Fek and a Super Battery, and that the resulting heat was rapidly melting the glaciers and raising sea levels.

• Alvin watched the Senator and Vice President trade accusations as leaks and assassinations escalated their political conflict.
• Nick Fury contacted Alvin from a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet and warned that someone had ignited a powerful heat source beneath the Arctic Ocean.
• Alvin and Stark examined satellite images showing a fiery patch beneath the ice and learned that the Super Battery was involved.
• Nick Fury revealed that the CIA had handed Simon Fek, the battery's inventor, to Cobra, prompting Alvin to punch Alan Julienne and demand that the agents leave.
• Dr. Banner reported that the Arctic glaciers were melting, and Stark explained that global sea levels were rising by one millimeter every two hours.

Alvin and Nick Fury prepared to stop Cobra’s Arctic superweapon as a delayed explosion threatened to flood coastlines, but the president’s kidnapping and a possible Ten Rings plot added a political crisis. Alvin and Stark headed for the Arctic, while Duke decided to go to Washington after recognizing a woman who might have been Anna.

• Alan Julienne warned Alvin that the Arctic superweapon could explode within a week or ten days, and Nick Fury said S.H.I.E.L.D. was assembling scientists and preparing to attack Cobra’s base.
• Alvin urged Nick Fury to involve more nations and offered to buy the Arctic time, but the old butler interrupted them with news that two stolen Stark robots had kidnapped President Ellis aboard Air Force One.
• Stark identified the robots as modified machines stolen after his capture in Afghanistan, while Nick Fury insisted the Cobra operation would proceed within four hours despite the kidnapping.
• Raymond told Alvin that Vice President Andrew Van Buren was traveling to Washington, and Alvin suspected a connection between the Ten Rings, the robots, and the vice president’s son.
• Raymond warned Alvin that Stark Industries could face consequences because the kidnappers used its logo and military identification codes, and Stark said they needed to go to the Arctic.
• Duke thought he recognized the vice president’s aide as Anna and decided to go to Washington to check.

Frank prepared to leave with Alvin, Steve, and JJ for a battle at the North Pole while Fox urged Alvin to return home. In space, Reed Richards and his crew witnessed a deadly attack on golden ships, then were exposed to cosmic rays as a golden-armored man appeared.

• Frank punished two boys for damaging the school bathroom, then sent them to class and detention.
• Frank and Steve prepared to leave with Alvin's armor, while the turtles agreed to protect the school in their absence.
• Alvin arrived with Fox and Pepper, reassured Fox he would return, and flirted with her before JJ arrived on his motorcycle.
• Reed Richards and his crew watched a black spacecraft escape a force field as black spheres destroyed the pursuing golden sailing ships.
• The ships' explosions sent Cosmic Energy through Reed's spacecraft, exposing the crew to cosmic rays as they saw a golden-armored man on an eight-legged steed.

Alvin’s team prepared to attack the underwater base, bringing Ivan and planning how to eliminate its occupants without damaging the structure or killing researcher Simon Fek. Thor was summoned away from the school as Hela learned the Dark Elves had returned and were heading for Earth.

• Ivan joined Alvin’s plane in his Mech Armor and gave Frank, Steve, JJ, and Dr. Banner Chitauri force-field generators.
• Alvin’s team discussed their lack of intelligence, the need to locate the base entrance, and the danger of triggering its self-destruct or damaging its outer shell.
• Stark identified activity on Military satellite images as the likely base entrance and warned the team to spare the researchers, especially Simon Fek, also known as Dr. Otto.
• Thor was carried away from the school by a rainbow-colored beam, prompting Professor Cage to seal the gates and gather the Kindergarten children.
• Frigga told Hela that the Dark Elves had attacked Asgard, been defeated by her father, and were now heading for Earth.

Alvin and his allies fought through Cobra Base’s automated defenses while a terrorist assault began outside the White House. Duke, Ripcord, and Roadblock prepared to attack the gunmen and investigate the threatened building.

• Happy dropped Alvin and the others ten kilometers from Cobra Base, and the team rode toward the marked site as Stark and Ivan raced ahead.
• Stark’s missiles disabled communications around the site, and the team came under fire from Pulse Cannon Turrets hidden in the ice.
• Alvin crashed, then used Venom, his Dire Wolves, and War God No. 3 to join his allies in destroying the turrets; Natasha’s Quinjet covered the group, and Alvin warned her not to call his pets monsters.
• Suicide explosions killed hundreds near the White House, and armed terrorists used modified trucks to pin down the Secret Service with machine-gun fire.
• Secret Service agents told Vice President Andrew Van Buren that reinforcements would take fifteen minutes and urged him to reach the underground shelter.
• Duke, Ripcord, and Roadblock survived the blast; Duke ordered them to attack the gunmen before he went inside the White House to investigate.

Coulson and Melinda May investigated strange spatial fluctuations in an abandoned London building while Alvin’s team broke into an Arctic underwater base. Alvin’s group reached the elevator under fire, leaving the way out guarded by War God No. 3 and two Dire Wolves.

• Coulson and Melinda May arrived at an abandoned building in London, where Dr. Selvig reported strong spatial fluctuations and a young agent urged them to investigate.
• Stark hacked the Arctic base’s control system but found its iron door physically locked, and Natasha told Alvin that the Gun Club’s submarine force was coordinating with Nick Fury.
• Stark upgraded War God No. 3 with an intelligent program, and Alvin left it and two Dire Wolves to guard the exit while the others entered the base.
• Frank identified the core control room on level forty underground as their priority, and Alvin planned to draw enemy attention while Frank’s group headed for it.
• At the elevator, four machine guns emerged from the walls, and Frank, JJ, and Ivan destroyed them while Alvin shielded Natasha.
• JJ teased Alvin after noticing his hand on Natasha, and Alvin joked with her about thanking him and seeing a doctor for her strained voice.

Alvin fought his way through Cobra’s Arctic base while Nick Fury and Zhang Qiang argued over control of the operation and the threat of an exploding Artificial Sun. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Gun Club restored communications and agreed to cooperate, but the crisis below the sea remained unresolved.

• Alvin summoned his vines and crows to kill Cobra forces and began clearing the base floor by floor.
• Nick Fury ordered the Helicarrier to jam communications, while Victoria Hand warned him that the Gun Club had protested.
• Zhang Qiang interrupted the Helicarrier’s systems and challenged Nick Fury, who explained that Cobra’s Artificial Sun was nearing an explosion.
• Zhang Qiang and Nick Fury argued about the Kree spaceship, Kamar-Taj, and their respective responsibilities before agreeing to work together.
• Zhang Qiang restored the Helicarrier’s communications, and Nick Fury ordered his staff to monitor the underwater situation.

Alvin joined Ivan and JJ on the 39th floor of Cobra Base and helped slaughter a squad of fearless super soldiers. As the group regrouped, Natasha warned that the Artificial Sun was heating up and Stark and Frank needed help at the Research Lab.

• Alvin charged out of the stairwell and killed the fearless soldiers attacking Ivan and JJ, with Venom pulling him clear of a grenade blast.
• Ivan attacked the Corpse-Eater Vine, then learned that it was Alvin’s familiar and that it had grown large enough to frighten him.
• Ivan told Alvin that Steve had taken the Control Room while Stark and Frank continued downward, and that he and JJ had come to support Alvin.
• Natasha reported that the Artificial Sun was still heating up and that Stark and Frank needed help at the Research Lab.

Coulson was pulled into a strange realm, where contact with the Aether knocked him unconscious, while Malekith awakened aboard a Dark Elf ship and set his sights on the Aether. When Coulson’s team found him, Hela and Doctor Strange arrived through a portal, leaving Simmons and Fitz unconscious and Strange holding Simmons.

• Coulson entered a hidden space filled with floating rocks, examined a boulder, and was struck unconscious when a liquid identified as the Aether entered his body.
• Malekith awakened aboard a Dark Elf spaceship, ordered his warriors to follow the Aether’s coordinates, and heard Algrim volunteer to become a Kurse.
• Coulson’s team found him beneath an SUV, while Heavy Load, White Ghost, and Breaker mocked Grant Ward and Melinda May challenged Ward’s refusal to work with the team.
• Simmons was hurled into the air when she touched Coulson, and Hela and Doctor Strange arrived through a magical portal as Simmons fell toward them.
• Strange caught Simmons, but Fitz charged into Strange’s magical shield and was knocked unconscious.

Alvin and his allies tried to contain a crisis at the Undersea Base as rising heat threatened the scientists sheltering behind a sealed door and the Artificial Sun. Zhang Qiang of the Gun Club reported that his team had found the Cooling System damage and ended by revealing they had captured a man calling himself “Commander.”

• Alvin learned that the Cooling System had been damaged, raising the temperature inside the sealed room where Dr. Otto and other researchers were trapped.
• Alvin called Steve away from the Submarine Dock to negotiate with the researchers while Stark and Dr. Banner investigated the damage.
• Alvin warned Steve that the Artificial Sun might explode, and Steve went to plan with Frank while Alvin requested a live feed of the base exterior.
• Natasha reported that the seawater outside the base had reached 15 degrees and was still warming.
• Zhang Qiang contacted Alvin, said the Gun Club had located the damage and could repair it with a submarine, then reported that his team had caught a man calling himself “Commander.”