Chapter Summaries

Zhang Ye interrogated the captive Lamplighter at Sage Grove, revealed his knowledge of Lamplighter’s past and Vought’s crimes, and explained his plan to use pollution on him. The chapter ended with Zhang Ye beginning to fill Lamplighter’s mind with information about the world beyond his current understanding.

• Lamplighter woke up shackled in a room and challenged Zhang Ye, refusing to cooperate.
• Zhang Ye told Lamplighter that Vought had erased him from public life and exposed that he knew Lamplighter had killed Colonel Mallory’s grandchildren.
• Zhang Ye revealed that he could read minds, imitate others, and use their superpowers, then confronted Lamplighter over his service to Vought and the deaths at Sage Grove.
• Lamplighter admitted that guilt over killing the children had driven him from The Seven, while Zhang Ye argued that he could still be saved.
• Zhang Ye placed his hand on Lamplighter’s head and began filling his mind with information about the world beyond the bottom of the well.

Zhang Ye showed Lamplighter memories of a different world, where young mutants were raised and taught to use their powers responsibly. Confronted with how Vought Corporation and his father had used him, Lamplighter admitted he wanted his father to give him back his childhood.

• Lamplighter watched visions of Bobby, Rogue, other mutants, and the conflict between Magneto and Professor X, recognizing a flame-wielding boy whose powers resembled his own.
• Lamplighter told Zhang Ye that he had become a hero to make his father proud, after his father encouraged him to burn things and strengthen his powers.
• Zhang Ye urged Lamplighter to choose a path toward becoming a hero and revealed that he was Witch Raven, a Scavenger from another parallel universe.
• Lamplighter reflected on his guilt over Mallory's grandchildren and his years serving Vought Corporation, realizing he had been treated as a disposable tool.
• Lamplighter said he wanted his father to give him back his childhood.

Zhang Ye persuaded Lamplighter to help him oppose Vought Corporation, then used Apocalypse’s energy to dramatically strengthen Lamplighter’s powers. Lamplighter recovered from the painful transformation as Zhang Ye prepared them for their next task.

• Lamplighter reflected on his life and warned Zhang Ye that Vought Corporation, The Seven, and other Supes would make resistance dangerous.
• Zhang Ye promised to take Lamplighter to parallel universes after their fight against Vought was over.
• Zhang Ye chose an Apocalypse card and began transferring energy into Lamplighter despite his protests.
• Lamplighter endured intense pain as his body changed, gaining enhanced strength and far greater control over fire.
• Lamplighter extinguished his flames, gave Zhang Ye the middle finger, and Zhang Ye told him to get dressed for their next task.

Zhang Ye strengthened Lamplighter and planned to have him kill Stormfront while stealing Vought’s files and Compound V. Meanwhile, Starlight discovered that a supposed criminal operation with The Deep had been staged for the cameras, leaving her disillusioned with Vought.

• Lamplighter tested his enhanced fire powers as Zhang Ye warned him that his clothes could burn and asked him to copy the files and obtain Compound V.
• Lamplighter warned Zhang Ye that Stormfront controlled Vought and was preparing to join The Seven, and Zhang Ye decided she had to die by Lamplighter’s hand.
• Lamplighter agreed to kill Stormfront with Zhang Ye’s help and hide afterward.
• Starlight confronted The Deep about his assault and demanded Vought end their pairing as they prepared for a harbor operation.
• Starlight and The Deep knocked out the apparent criminals, but Ashley and Vought’s camera crew arrived to stage the scene for the news.
• Starlight realized the criminals were actors and felt her dream of becoming a superhero slipping away.

Zhang Ye told Butcher that Sage Grove Asylum was a Vought Corporation facility conducting human experiments with Compound V, and explained how it created superpowered people. The two planned to expose Vought using the asylum’s files, while Zhang Ye set events in motion inside the facility.

• Zhang Ye told Butcher that Sage Grove Asylum held Compound V, test subjects, and evidence of Vought Corporation’s experiments.
• Zhang Ye explained that Compound V could safely give superpowers to infants, while injecting it into adults usually caused death.
• Butcher realized Vought had secretly created superpowered people through hospitals and medical facilities, and Zhang Ye promised to send him the evidence.
• Lamplighter told Zhang Ye he had opened the cells, setting loose out-of-control superpowered people to draw Stormfront into action.
• Butcher told Frenchie and MM to retreat and said Witch Raven’s discovery could help them bring down Vought Corporation.

A containment breach at Sagebrush Asylum unleashed its superpowered prisoners, and Zhang Ye and Lamplighter used the chaos to draw Stormfront into a confrontation. Stormfront saw through Lamplighter’s cover story, and Lamplighter attacked her with fire dragons.

• Cindy and the other escaped superpowered individuals killed staff and scholars throughout Sagebrush Asylum while every exit remained remotely locked.
• Lamplighter told Zhang Ye that Stormfront would come to protect the asylum, and they discussed whether erasing the prisoners’ painful memories might give them a chance to change.
• Stormfront entered the asylum, destroyed a prisoner who attacked her, and searched for Lamplighter.
• Lamplighter approached Stormfront and blamed Dr. Carlton for the breach, but Stormfront doubted his explanation.
• When Stormfront sparked electricity at her finger, Lamplighter raised his hands and sent two fire dragons at her.

Lamplighter fought Stormfront in Vought Corporation’s corridor, revealing powers strong enough to drive her into retreat. As Stormfront fled into the sky, a white-eyed man appeared and struck her down with a massive bolt of lightning.

• Lamplighter attacked Stormfront with teal-green flames, and Stormfront split the fire with purple lightning before charging him.
• Stormfront overpowered Lamplighter in close combat, but he survived her attacks and transformed his body into flame.
• Stormfront unleashed a devastating lightning attack, then fled through a wall and flew toward the horizon.
• A white-eyed man appeared in the sky ahead of Stormfront and summoned dark clouds.
• A huge lightning bolt struck Stormfront, sending her smoking toward the ground.

Stormfront was defeated and executed by Lamplighter after Zhang Ye helped turn the battle against her. Zhang Ye introduced himself to the escaped Supes and asked them to replace The Seven as Vought Corporation’s new superheroes.

• Stormfront survived her fall but broke her right leg, and Lamplighter and the escaped Supes surrounded her.
• Cindy used her telekinesis to blow up Stormfront’s legs, and Lamplighter burned her to death.
• Lamplighter explained that Zhang Ye’s intervention had helped him stop Stormfront, then introduced the escaped Supes to Zhang Ye.
• Zhang Ye told Cindy, Kash, Lancher, Alex, and Sue that Vought Corporation would keep pursuing them unless it was destroyed.
• Zhang Ye said he would deal with Homelander and The Seven himself, and asked the Supes to become the new superheroes.

News that Vought International created superhumans with Compound V threw the corporation and The Seven into turmoil. As Homelander accused Hughie of killing Translucent, Stan Edgar ordered The Seven to secure the breached Sage Grove facility before its evidence was exposed.

• Major news outlets reported that Vought had secretly injected Compound V into newborns, prompting protests and a steep drop in the company’s stock.
• Starlight tried to leave The Seven’s meeting to confront her mother, but Homelander ordered her back to her seat.
• The Deep reported that his ocean friends had found Translucent’s body in a trench, and Homelander identified Hughie as the suspected killer.
• Homelander questioned Starlight about her connection to Hughie, and she denied knowing about his crimes or helping him.
• Stan Edgar announced that enemies had breached Sage Grove and ordered The Seven to deploy and contain the evidence.

As Vought faced the Compound V scandal, Stan Edgar ordered Homelander to help manage the press response and protect The Seven. At Sagebrush Asylum, Zhang Ye spoke with Emma about the revelation that her powers came from Compound V before the heroes arrived to confront him.

• Stan Edgar stopped Homelander and asked him to join a press conference about Compound V, warning that The Seven would become a public disgrace if he refused.
• Homelander argued over Madeline being made to bear responsibility, then accepted that he had to help Vought survive the crisis.
• Zhang Ye waited among the ruins of Sagebrush Asylum and received a call from Emma, who said her mother had denied knowing about Compound V.
• Emma told Zhang Ye that she felt her mother had treated her as a tool for money, and he urged her to stay home and eat despite her distress.
• Zhang Ye sensed a group of heroes landing on the distant lawn and ended the call with Emma.

Zhang Ye offered The Seven a chance to turn against Vought Corporation, but Queen Maeve refused under pressure from Homelander and Black Noir. When A-Train attacked, Zhang Ye used a Quicksilver card to overpower him and break his leg, then challenged the rest of the team.

• Zhang Ye confronted Queen Maeve, Starlight, The Deep, A-Train, and Black Noir among the laboratory ruins and urged them to expose Vought Corporation's crimes.
• Queen Maeve refused Zhang Ye's offer and demanded that he surrender the evidence and return to Vought Tower, while Black Noir's threat and Homelander's power weighed on her.
• A-Train attacked Zhang Ye, who transformed into Quicksilver and dodged his blows with overwhelming speed.
• Zhang Ye defeated A-Train in a high-speed chase, knocked him down, and snapped his right leg.
• Zhang Ye turned toward the remaining members of The Seven and asked who would fight next.

Zhang Ye used cards to transform and defeated Queen Maeve and Black Noir, leaving The Deep and Starlight as the only ones standing. The Deep surrendered, but Zhang Ye revealed a card chosen especially for him.

• Zhang Ye transformed into a powerful green-skinned form and crushed Queen Maeve’s sword before knocking her unconscious with one punch.
• Black Noir attacked Zhang Ye, who transformed again, deflected his bullets, and used a blade to pull the pin from Black Noir’s grenade.
• Black Noir was thrown by the point-blank explosion and lay badly wounded on the lawn.
• The Deep refused to fight and surrendered while Starlight stood by.
• Zhang Ye showed The Deep a card depicting a black-haired man with a golden trident.

Zhang Ye defeated The Deep and explained to Starlight why exposing Vought Corporation would not end its corruption. He proposed starting by making people lose faith in heroes, leaving Starlight to consider his plan.

• Zhang Ye transformed into Namor and knocked The Deep unconscious with a strike to his gills.
• Zhang Ye told Starlight he knew she wanted to expose Vought Corporation, then described how Compound V amplified the Seven's worst traits.
• Zhang Ye argued that revealing Vought's crimes would not fix a world shaped by decades of corruption because people would still crave power.
• Zhang Ye explained that Vought sought to develop a temporary superhero drug for military contracts and might eventually target uncontrollable superheroes.
• Zhang Ye proposed making people disappointed in heroes as the first step, and Starlight asked what they could do to stop Vought.

Zhang Ye told Butcher’s team that Soldier Boy had been betrayed by Vought and might still be alive, then proposed that they go abroad to find him. The team prepared to exploit Vought’s scandal, though MM and Frenchie worried about the danger to civilians and the risk of Vought retaliating.

• Zhang Ye returned to the New York Safe House and gave Butcher’s team a file outlining their next target and plan.
• Zhang Ye revealed that Vought had staged Soldier Boy’s supposed death to make way for Homelander, and that Black Noir and Soldier Boy’s teammates had helped betray him.
• Zhang Ye told Butcher that Colonel Mallory had commanded the joint military and Vought operation in which Soldier Boy disappeared.
• Zhang Ye showed Butcher records indicating that the Russians had taken Soldier Boy into custody, leaving his death unconfirmed.
• Zhang Ye asked Butcher’s team to go abroad and bring Soldier Boy back so he could turn against Vought and his former teammates.
• MM warned that Soldier Boy could kill innocent people, while Zhang Ye assured the team that Homelander was under public scrutiny and the other Seven members would be incapacitated for at least a week.

Zhang Ye explained that his plan was to divide public support for superheroes and turn them against Vought, while Butcher agreed to postpone contacting Becca and work with Cindy’s team to rescue Soldier Boy. Zhang Ye stayed behind to find his own Michael’s Sword.

• Butcher challenged Zhang Ye about his motives and revealed that the team distrusted being kept in the dark.
• Zhang Ye told Butcher that Becca was alive, held by Vought, and had a son with Homelander, but warned that contacting her during the operation would put her at risk.
• Butcher agreed to wait until the operation was over before seeing Becca and her son.
• Zhang Ye explained that exposing Vought’s experiments and using Soldier Boy would divide the public, Vought, and the superheroes rather than unite them against a common enemy.
• Zhang Ye gave Butcher a phone number for Cindy, who would bring superpowered allies to help rescue Soldier Boy.
• Butcher accepted the phone, and Zhang Ye said he would use the time to find his own Michael’s Sword.

Zhang Ye realized Mr. Zhang Wei's body was nearing its limit, while Homelander struggled to publicly denounce Madelyn and grieved for the only person who had made him feel loved. At a secret airfield, Butcher met Cindy and the other superpowered escapees Zhang Ye had recommended, preparing to work with them.

• Zhang Ye saw crimson cracks spreading across Mr. Zhang Wei's arm and concluded that he needed to find a more suitable vessel.
• Homelander repeated Edgar's prepared statements, blamed Madelyn for Vought's crimes, and left Edgar to face the reporters' questions.
• Homelander returned to Madelyn's office, sat at her desk, and silently wept over losing her and his standing with the public.
• Butcher met Cindy, who introduced herself as Mindstorm, and the other escaped superpowered people at Mallory's secret airfield.
• Lamplighter's group presented their codenames, and Butcher introduced himself by his own name.

Butcher led the team into a military base to search for Soldier Boy, using Cindy and the other superpowered recruits to overcome the guards and security. They entered a research room filled with experimental equipment and superpowered mice, but Soldier Boy’s whereabouts remained unknown.

• Butcher and his team drove to the military base, where he ordered Hughie and Frenchie to stay behind while the others followed him inside.
• Electromagnetic Woman disabled the base’s power, and Shaker tore open the fence so the team could enter under cover of darkness.
• Cindy destroyed the ammunition depot wall to draw the soldiers away from the secured building where Butcher believed Soldier Boy was being held.
• Jet knocked down a remaining guard while Butcher and MM subdued the others, and Poison Dart Frog melted the building’s lock with corrosive liquid.
• Butcher’s team entered a dark research room and found experimental equipment, glass cages, and mice carrying the same substance as the superpowered people.

Butcher and his team opened Soldier Boy’s containment canister, hoping to use him against Vought Corporation. Soldier Boy woke and unleashed a devastating blast, leaving the team fleeing as the experimental base exploded.

• Electromagnetic Woman sensed Soldier Boy inside a steel canister, and Butcher ordered Tremor to open it despite MM’s warning.
• Electromagnetic Woman disabled the nearby alarms while Tremor tore off the canister door.
• Cindy cleared the gas, revealing the muscular Soldier Boy, who woke and stumbled out of the container.
• Soldier Boy gathered destructive energy in his chest, and Butcher grabbed MM as the team fled toward the exit.
• Soldier Boy fired a beam that exploded the military fortress’s experimental base.

After escaping the experimental base, Soldier Boy remembered his teammates’ betrayal and blamed Vought, while Butcher recruited him to help bring the corporation down. Soldier Boy considered the alliance but first demanded clothes.

• Soldier Boy recalled how his teammates had ambushed him and left him to be tortured for decades.
• Butcher told Soldier Boy that Vought had likely ordered the betrayal, and Soldier Boy identified Stan as the one responsible.
• Butcher urged Soldier Boy to join forces against Vought and warned that the corporation would be watching him.
• Cindy, Jet, Electromagnetic Woman, Shaker, Poison Dart Frog, and MM emerged from the ruins as Butcher’s proposed allies.
• Soldier Boy considered working with the group, then told Butcher to find him some clothes.

After learning that Madelyn had been sentenced to life in prison, Homelander chose to protect his approval rating rather than rescue her and grieved her loss. When he learned The Seven had been badly injured by a powerful shapeshifting enemy and Starlight had returned unharmed, he accused her of spying and attacked her.

• Madelyn received a life sentence for more than one hundred charges, and Homelander learned of it after returning from a press conference and wept.
• Homelander decided he could replace Madelyn but could not lose the public’s love and approval.
• Ashley told Homelander that the operation against the Sage Grove Asylum attacker had failed and listed Maeve’s, Black Noir’s, A-Train’s, and The Deep’s injuries.
• Starlight described the enemy’s ability to transform into people with different, powerful abilities, and Ashley confirmed the report with body-camera footage.
• Homelander questioned why Starlight had returned without a scratch while the others were injured, then accused her of spying and slammed her against a window by the throat.