Chapter Summaries

Zhang Ye told the Watcher that corruption could breed universes and spread through realities before emerging, and the Watcher revealed that the Ultimate Universe showed troubling parallels. Zhang Ye proposed that a one-way mirror connected their reality to a higher world, leaving the Watcher unsettled by the idea that something beyond it was watching them.

• Zhang Ye explained that he had found a universe within the corruption, where harmful actions could generate corruption and threaten their reality.
• The Watcher consulted the other Watchers and learned that many universes had corruption-breeding counterparts, though they had not yet erupted.
• The Watcher showed Zhang Ye disturbing events from the Ultimate Universe that echoed the corruption he had encountered in The Boys Universe.
• Zhang Ye and the Watcher connected the Multiverse's reflective structure to the possibility of a one-way mirror linking their reality with a higher world.
• Zhang Ye described how beings beyond the mirror might watch and influence their reality, leaving the Watcher chilled.

Zhang Ye revealed to the Watcher that he had once been a higher-dimensional reader who observed the Multiverse, forcing the Watchers to confront the possibility that unknown beings were watching them. He began explaining that his ability to see the Watchers had nothing to do with his crow and hinted that he had tested this claim.

• Zhang Ye asked the Watcher who the Watchers addressed when they recounted major events, and the Watcher admitted he did not know.
• Zhang Ye insisted that unknown higher-dimensional beings observed the Watchers and revealed that he had seen them.
• Zhang Ye confessed that he had originally been one of the higher-dimensional people who listened to the Watchers recount events, leaving the Watchers stunned.
• Zhang Ye explained that he was revealing his origins because he wanted the Watchers to face their enemy honestly and avoid making things worse through secrecy.
• Zhang Ye told the Watcher that he could see him independently of the Harbinger Bird and said he had conducted an experiment to test the matter.

Zhang Ye explained to the Watcher that the contamination might come from a higher-dimensional real world, where their Multiverse existed as a story. The Watcher revealed that his people had acted as narrators to reach those beings, and Zhang Ye told him he had heard their voices.

• Zhang Ye told the Watcher that he had continued observing Watchers after severing his connection with Raven and suspected the IP addresses came from outside their dimension.
• Zhang Ye explained that some IP addresses matched worlds born within the contamination and proposed that their Multiverse might be a story in his real world.
• The Watcher recognized that beings in his Multiverse might be unable to escape their status as characters and agreed that they needed to verify Zhang Ye's theory.
• The Watcher revealed that his people had narrated the Multiverse's stories in hopes of reaching unknown higher-dimensional beings.
• Zhang Ye placed a hand on the Watcher's shoulder and said that he had heard their voices.

Zhang Ye and the Watcher discussed how to trace the contamination back to its source, focusing on universes altered by higher-dimensional influences. Zhang Ye identified the Flashpoint Universe as a key lead and prepared to reveal three possible entry points for their investigation.

• The Watcher thanked Zhang Ye for recognizing the Watchers’ efforts, then asked how they could confront the contamination.
• Zhang Ye concluded that they should investigate universes closely connected to his world instead of trying to save universes already overtaken by contamination.
• Zhang Ye named the Flashpoint Universe, where Kara came from, as a world he knew had been deeply influenced by his world.
• Zhang Ye told the Watcher that the Flashpoint Universe had been destroyed and rebooted after the man who played The Flash in his world became Reverse-Flash, triggering changes that also rebooted Apokolips.
• The Watcher understood that they should investigate universes irreversibly changed by higher-dimensional influence, and Zhang Ye said he had three entry points to propose.

Zhang Ye asked the Watchers to search for several unusual universes that might offer useful intelligence, then reunited with Kara after returning. His quiet moment with her was interrupted by Tony Stark’s deafening drunken snores, and Zhang Ye threatened to smother him.

• Zhang Ye described Spider-Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. universes to the Watchers and suggested an X-Men universe as a potentially freer place to act.
• The Watchers agreed to search for the universes and invited Zhang Ye to rest while they looked.
• Tony Stark stumbled in drunk, bragged about inventing a rapid method for brewing aged wine, and passed out on the sofa.
• Kara returned and reassured Zhang Ye that she understood why he had left without warning.
• Zhang Ye embraced Kara, but Tony Stark’s snores repeatedly disrupted their reunion.
• Zhang Ye turned toward Tony Stark and announced that he was going to smother him, while Kara laughed behind him.

Zhang Ye reassured Kara that he would keep confronting threats to protect their peaceful world, even as she urged him not to shoulder the danger alone. Their private moment ended when Pietro and the other young heroes caught them holding hands, prompting Zhang Ye to chase them through the library.

• Zhang Ye and Kara went to the rebuilt library to talk while Tony Stark slept off his drinking.
• Kara asked how long Zhang Ye planned to stay, and he explained that he could not stop protecting the wasteland from corrupted parallel universes.
• Kara took Zhang Ye's hand and asked him to trust the Overseers to share the burden, while he said the corruption required him to act personally.
• Zhang Ye and Kara shared a quiet moment until Pietro, Ashley, Venom, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason, and other young heroes appeared at the library entrance and teased them.
• Zhang Ye confronted the spying heroes, who made excuses and then scattered as he chased them.

Zhang Ye returned to the Wasteland and saw how its people had rebuilt civilization under the Overseers. He learned that Earth had united and that Thanos had settled into rural life as a famous grain producer.

• Zhang Ye returned to the Wasteland with Pietro, Ashley, and Kara and saw New Babylon rebuilt with paved roads, high-rises, and Doombots maintaining order.
• Kara explained that Mister Fantastic had rewritten the Doombots’ programming and that Ultron Eight controlled them.
• The group saw a monument honoring the heroes who fought the supervillains, and Kara explained that Agatha had carved a magic array into Zhang Ye’s statue to restore a protective barrier around Earth.
• Kara told Zhang Ye that Lex Luthor had brought many Asians to the Wasteland and that the whole planet had united without national borders.
• Kara and Pietro told Zhang Ye that Thanos had arrived on Earth and settled in a village, where he harvested grain and became a regional grain-producing tycoon.

Lex Luthor oversaw the Midgard Federation’s sprawling wasteland reconstruction while struggling with the workload of governing the planet. He approved industrial expansion and addressed challenges with Atlantis, dinosaurs, and local development, then remained buried in decisions.

• Lex Luthor reviewed reconstruction documents at Alliance Tower while Madame Masque served as his chief secretary-general.
• Madame Masque reported that Mera’s Atlantis salvage operation had recovered little and that Barbara Gordon was redesigning the undersea reconstruction plans with Blood Nest’s help.
• Lex Luthor learned that the Hulk Gang was managing the spread of wild dinosaurs and ordered patrols to prevent further attacks.
• Lex Luthor approved Hammerfall City as the site for Blood Nest’s next heavy-industry expansion.
• Lex Luthor reflected that governing and coordinating the Federation’s reconstruction left him overwhelmed with decisions.

Earth’s leaders began rebuilding civilization and constructed the Watchtower from salvaged ships to host alien envoys and protect the planet. The chapter ended with the mutant population returning after decades, as Logan and Emma took in the first mutant baby, Charles Jean Xavier.

• Lex Luthor overruled opposition and, with Bruce Wayne, began building a spaceborne Watchtower after Star-Lord presented the Space Federation’s request for diplomatic relations.
• Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, the Bat-Family, and Superman’s Justice League assembled the Watchtower from salvaged ships, weapons, and technology, making it self-sufficient.
• Bruce Wayne hosted alien envoys and trained Damian Wayne as his heir, while members of the Bat-Family took on rebuilding and diplomatic roles across Earth and space.
• Jason became the wasteland’s new Captain of the Federation and led a younger generation in reorganizing the Avengers.
• Emma and Logan rebuilt Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters after the first mutant baby in more than forty years was born with telepathic abilities.
• Logan named the baby Charles Jean Xavier and raised her with Emma.

Lex Luthor learned that Logan had turned a mission against White Rabbit and Walrus into a chance to bring supplies back to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and he worried that the school's invitation to become a professor was another way to get resources. Before he decided what to do, Zhang Ye arrived at Alliance Tower, and Lex greeted him as Mr. Witch Raven.

• Lex Luthor read Logan's report and recalled how the old wolf repeatedly pressured Alliance Tower for supplies for Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
• Lex Luthor sent Logan to deal with White Rabbit and Walrus in Siberia, but Logan befriended them, helped their village, and brought the captured convoy supplies back to the school.
• Emma apologized and returned the weapons and equipment Logan had taken, after which the school made her its contact while Logan continued asking for resources.
• Lex Luthor read the school's invitation to become a professor and considered the benefits of building ties with mutant students, until Madame Masque warned that Logan might use the post to ask for even more supplies.
• Lex Luthor received word that an important visitor had arrived, straightened his appearance, and welcomed Zhang Ye, who entered with Kara and Pietro.

Zhang Ye returned to the wasteland and heard Lex Luthor describe the strain of rebuilding amid shortages, refugees, and threats from alien scouts. Lex asked Zhang Ye to help deal with Logan, whose increasingly outrageous antics had become harder for him to endure than Darkseid.

• Zhang Ye praised Lex Luthor for keeping the wasteland organized, and Lex explained that he had devoted himself to reconstruction.
• Lex told Zhang Ye that overcrowded cities, backward rural areas, dwindling supplies, and damaged farms had made it difficult to feed the population before winter.
• Pietro suggested hunting dinosaurs for food, but Lex said they were already destroying farms and that hunting them was only a temporary fix.
• Kara asked whether Earth could seek aid from other planets, and Zhang Ye and Lex warned that Earth had to conceal its weakness while alien scouts and attackers threatened it.
• Lex pleaded with Zhang Ye to deal with Logan and revealed that Logan had secretly climbed into his bed while demanding supplies.

Zhang Ye and his companions visited Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, where they learned about its reconstruction and met Wolverine and Raven. After Pietro suggested bringing food from other universes to relieve the Wasteland Universe's shortage, Zhang Ye agreed to consider a solution and left the idea secret for now.

• Zhang Ye, Kara, Pietro, and Ashley drove toward Xavier's School and discussed the Wasteland Universe's ruined infrastructure and urgent food shortage.
• Pietro suggested that Zhang Ye bring supplies from another universe, and Zhang Ye said he would find a way but asked everyone to keep it quiet.
• Ashley drove the group into the rebuilt school, where Zhang Ye recalled his earlier visit and gave Pietro the telepathy-blocking Black King's helmet, which became goggles.
• Wolverine came out to greet the group, and Kara was surprised to find Raven at the school, where Raven said she was teaching until the New York Sanctum could be rebuilt.

Zhang Ye and his companions visited Xavier's School, where Logan used the students' meager meals to prompt them to share their food with the children. Zhang Ye realized Logan had staged the scene to manipulate their generosity, but Logan kept the truth between them.

• Lex Luthor's government recruited dark creatures it could use, while Clark killed those it could not, and the Alliance prepared to rebuild the Midnight Sons and the three Sanctums.
• Logan persuaded Raven to become a professor at Xavier's School, where she reunited with Zhang Ye and met Kara and the others.
• At dinner, Logan said the school could only afford to feed its students flour paste and beans because food and supplies were scarce.
• Kara, Pietro, Ashley, and Zhang Ye gave their fish and meat to the hungry students instead of eating it themselves.
• Zhang Ye suspected Logan had hidden the school's supplies beneath lead and staged the meal to make them share, while Logan denied it and let the others believe the act.

Zhang Ye learned that Wolverine Logan had staged a plea for supplies because Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was running short on food. After promising to address the shortage, Zhang Ye went with Logan to see Emma and discovered how frail she had become before asking why she had never intervened in the wasteland's conflicts.

• Zhang Ye confronted Logan about manipulating him for supplies, and Logan admitted the school was running low on food.
• Logan explained that the Alliance had steadily reduced the school's monthly rations, while patrols had driven away the animals he once hunted.
• Zhang Ye believed Logan and promised to find a way to address the shortage, then asked to see Emma.
• Logan led Zhang Ye to Emma's room, where Emma recognized him from the battle against Red Skull.
• Zhang Ye saw Emma's frail true appearance beneath her telepathic illusion, asked Logan to leave, and questioned Emma about why she had never acted.

Emma told Zhang Ye how Hydra’s food contamination had suppressed mutant births and weakened mutant powers, and thanked him for giving mutants hope. Zhang Ye offered to restore her youth and invited her to join the Overseers, and Emma accepted.

• Emma explained that she had allied with Doctor Doom to protect mutants while Red Skull restricted their chances of survival.
• Emma revealed that Hydra’s files exposed chemicals in food that suppressed mutant genes and harmed mutants’ abilities.
• Emma thanked Zhang Ye for helping mutants find hope and said she was ready to leave the school’s future in his hands.
• Zhang Ye promised he could restore Emma’s youth and explained that members of the Overseers were untouched by time.
• Emma accepted Zhang Ye’s invitation and joined the Overseers.

Zhang Ye brought the gravely ill White Queen to the House of Mystery, where time could no longer worsen her condition, and arranged for Tony Stark to help her once he sobered up. Needing food and supplies for the Wasteland, Zhang Ye chose to return to the Flashpoint-1 Universe and opened a portal to a time after the World Engine.

• Zhang Ye brought White Queen to the House of Mystery and explained that time outside the Wasteland timeline would not pass for Logan while she rested there.
• White Queen chose a bedroom in the House of Mystery, and Zhang Ye asked Miss Minutes to have Tony Stark help her after he sobered up.
• Miss Minutes warned Zhang Ye that Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman could not safely return to the Wasteland's temporal anchor, so he postponed contacting them.
• Zhang Ye asked Miss Minutes to find a universe for trade and learned that the Ruined Universe and Flashpoint-1 Universe met his requirements.
• Zhang Ye rejected the Ruined Universe because of its dangers and told Miss Minutes to open a portal to a future point in the Flashpoint-1 Universe, after the World Engine.

Zhang Ye returned to the Flashpoint-1 Universe and intervened when Ratcatcher tried to kill a wealthy man in Gotham Harbor. He stopped the attack with a shot from his umbrella, but Ratcatcher summoned a swarm of rats, and Zhang Ye began transforming to face them.

• Zhang Ye arrived in Gotham and set out to find Old Batman and Little Barry Allen.
• Zhang Ye followed a cry for help and found Ratcatcher beating a wealthy man he blamed for his wrongful imprisonment and lost family.
• Zhang Ye tried to stop Ratcatcher from killing the man and offered to help him find his family and obtain justice.
• Ratcatcher attacked anyway, but Zhang Ye shot the dagger from his hand with his umbrella weapon.
• Ratcatcher summoned rats from the sewers, and Zhang Ye recognized him as Ratcatcher and began transforming to confront the swarm.

Zhang Ye drove Ratcatcher’s rats away and watched Robin capture him, then met Robin and revealed that he had come to see his old friend Bruce Wayne. The chapter ended with Robin identifying himself as Tim Drake, still uncertain about Zhang Ye’s connection to Bruce.

• Zhang Ye used Vermin’s ability to frighten the rat swarm into fleeing, leaving Ratcatcher stunned and asking who he was.
• Zhang Ye spotted Robin on the shipping containers and called him down, while Ratcatcher recognized the young vigilante and wondered where Batman was.
• Robin approached Zhang Ye cautiously, but Bruce Wayne told him through his earpiece to capture Ratcatcher and treat Zhang Ye as an ally.
• Robin quickly knocked Ratcatcher unconscious without the rats, then stopped the freed hostage from attacking him.
• Zhang Ye frightened the hostage into fleeing and told Robin that he was Bruce’s friend, visiting to see an old friend.
• Robin shook Zhang Ye’s hand and introduced himself as Tim Drake.

Zhang Ye reunited with Old Bruce Wayne in the Batcave after learning that Tim Drake had become Robin and Gotham was facing a new wave of threats. Over dinner, Zhang Ye described how he and Kara and Pietro had helped overthrow supervillains in a devastated universe, and he promised to bring his companions back to visit once the wasteland had stabilized.

• Zhang Ye learned that Tim Drake had been Robin for more than half a year and that Gotham faced super-criminals, gangs, and the Court of Owls.
• Tim led Zhang Ye to the Batcave, where Zhang Ye reunited warmly with Old Bruce Wayne.
• Bruce cooked pasta for Zhang Ye and Tim, and Zhang Ye explained that Kara and Pietro were living in a wasteland universe.
• Zhang Ye told Bruce and Tim that supervillains had ruled the wasteland for forty years before he, Kara, and Pietro helped overthrow them and begin rebuilding.
• Zhang Ye said Pietro had a girlfriend and Kara had found another version of her younger brother, and Bruce raised his glass to their happiness.

Zhang Ye reunited with Bruce Wayne and learned that Bruce had founded the Justice Society of America, with Barry Allen and several other heroes among its members. Bruce began listing the Society’s heroes, leaving Zhang Ye to learn about its core members.

• Zhang Ye shared a meal with Bruce Wayne, and Bruce remarked that Zhang had become more cheerful since finding a family of his own.
• Zhang Ye asked about Barry Allen, and Bruce said Barry had become a hero who could control the Speed Force and serve the Society.
• Bruce explained that he had founded the Justice Society of America after investigating metahumans in the wake of the Kryptonian invasion.
• Bruce named Kent Nelson, Carter Hall, and Alan Scott as members who had emerged over the past two years.
• Bruce identified Rex Tyler, Charles McNider, and Ted Grant as the Society’s main members.