Chapter Summaries

Taneleer Tivan showed Star-Lord and the others the Power Stone’s destructive power, but Karina seized it in a desperate attempt to escape him, triggering an explosion that devastated the exhibition hall. Carl survived unharmed, recovered the Power Stone, and returned it to Gamora, who decided the group should take the Orb to the Nova Corps.

• Taneleer Tivan showed footage of the Celestial destroying a planet and an organization perishing after trying to control an Infinity Stone.
• Taneleer Tivan opened the Orb and prepared to pay Star-Lord and the others while Karina approached the Power Stone.
• Karina grabbed the Power Stone, and its energy struck Taneleer Tivan and engulfed the exhibition hall as she disintegrated.
• Groot rescued Rocket Raccoon, Star-Lord and Gamora took cover, and Drax was thrown by the blast.
• Carl remained unharmed, recovered the Power Stone, sealed it inside the Orb, and sent it to Gamora.
• Gamora and Star-Lord left with the Orb, and Gamora proposed handing it to the Nova Corps.

Gamora and the others fled Ronan, while Carl rescued Gamora from space and claimed Taneleer Tivan’s collection and the [Embers of Genesis] after winning their bet. Tivan then revealed he had tricked Carl and shot him, taking the rare treasure for himself.

• Gamora urged the others to take the [Orb] to [Xandar], but Ronan and Nebula arrived before they could escape.
• Nebula pursued Gamora and the others while Ronan defeated Drax and knocked him unconscious.
• Nebula destroyed Gamora’s craft, leaving Gamora stranded in space, but Carl opened a blue portal and rescued her.
• Carl showed Taneleer Tivan the [Embers of Genesis] and claimed both the treasure and [Knowhere] as the winner of their bet.
• Tivan secretly activated hidden weapons, shot the apparent Carl, and took the [Embers of Genesis], insisting the rare treasure was too valuable to surrender.

Carl exposed Taneleer Tivan’s failed ambush, restored the exhibition hall, and claimed Tivan’s collection, while Gamora rejoined Star-Lord and the others. On the Dark Aster, Ronan claimed the Power Stone and vowed to destroy Xandar before confronting Thanos, prompting Nebula to ask whether he would really kill her father.

• Carl revealed that he had used the Reality Stone to undo the exhibition hall’s destruction, imprisoned Taneleer Tivan in a display case, and offered Karina her freedom or a job managing the collection; she chose to work for him.
• Carl let Gamora leave to rejoin her companions, and she met Star-Lord outside, learned Nebula had taken the Orb, and worried that Ronan might target Xandar or Earth.
• Kraglin and a group of Reavers arrived and welcomed Peter and Gamora back.
• Ronan told Thanos he would keep the Power Stone instead of honoring their agreement, then removed it from the Orb and set it into the Universal Weapon.
• Ronan ended his call with Thanos after threatening to destroy Xandar and later confront him, and Nebula asked whether he would kill her father.

Ronan chose to attack Earth to seize the [Cosmic Cube] and settle an old grudge with Carol Danvers, while Nebula secretly hoped to use the [Power Stone] against Thanos. On [Knowhere], Star-Lord and Gamora persuaded Yondu to help them oppose Ronan, but Gamora noticed the [Collector]'s building had vanished.

• Nebula agreed to serve Ronan after he promised to kill Thanos, and Ronan decided to take the [Dark Aster] to Earth before attacking [Xandar].
• Ronan recalled his past humiliation at the hands of Carol Danvers and resolved to begin his revenge with her.
• Yondu Udonta beat and threatened Star-Lord for betraying him, but Star-Lord and Gamora convinced him that Gamora's knowledge could help them defeat Ronan.
• Gamora urged the group to stop Ronan from killing civilians, and Rocket Raccoon agreed to join the fight alongside their friends.
• Gamora began to suggest that Earth's guardians might handle Ronan, then realized the [Collector]'s hundred-meter-tall building had disappeared and wondered whether Carl had taken it.

Carl Mala ordered Knowhere’s residents to evacuate before he moved it to another dimension, while warnings spread that Ronan and the Kree Empire were preparing to attack Xandar and Earth. Carol Danvers learned of a dangerous dimensional rift near the Solar System, then received a distress signal from Earth.

• Carl Mala announced that Knowhere’s residents had five hours to leave, and Gamora hurried to take Star-Lord and the others away.
• Rhomann Dey warned Nova Prime that Ronan had an Infinity Stone and might attack Xandar, so she assigned him to prepare defenses.
• Talos told Nick Fury that Ronan’s Kree fleet would reach the Solar System in about a day, and Fury considered calling Carol Danvers for help.
• Carol Danvers rescued a planet from space pirates, who told her that jump errors and disappearances were linked to the Eye of Terror near the Solar System.
• Carol Danvers received a red distress signal from Earth.

Nick Fury gathered the Avengers to prepare for Ronan and his Necro Legion, who were expected to attack Earth within a day over the Cosmic Cube. He revealed that Carol Danvers had defeated Ronan’s previous invasion years earlier, while Carol rushed back to Earth after receiving Fury’s distress call.

• Carol Danvers abandoned her interrogation of the space pirates and flew toward Earth after Fury contacted her.
• At S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers assembled for Fury’s urgent pre-battle meeting, and Human Torch argued with Thing before Reed Richards calmed Thing down.
• Fury told the assembled heroes that Ronan and his Necro Legion were coming to Earth because Ronan believed the Cosmic Cube was there.
• Fury explained that Thor had taken the Cosmic Cube to Asgard, but S.H.I.E.L.D. could neither convince Ronan it was gone nor contact Thor, and the attack might come within a day.
• Fury recounted how Carol Danvers had recovered her identity and, with his assistance, destroyed Ronan’s missiles and forced his fleet to retreat during an earlier invasion.

Nick Fury gathered the Avengers to prepare for Ronan the Accuser’s approaching fleet, but refused Tony Stark’s demand to seek help from Homelander and Carl Mala. As Fury tried to keep the invasion secret, The Daily Bugle publicly announced that Ronan’s fleet would reach Earth in a day.

• Nick Fury revealed that Carol Danvers was his contingency plan and warned that Ronan’s Infinity Stones might make even her unable to stop the invasion.
• Tony Stark pointed out that the Avengers were poorly equipped to fight a space fleet and urged Fury to ask Homelander and Carl Mala for help.
• Nick Fury rejected Tony’s proposal because of his principles and ordered the Avengers to prepare without recruiting Homelander or Carl Mala.
• Maria Hill asked whether the public should be warned, but Nick Fury refused and dismissed the danger to ordinary people.
• Maria Hill told Nick Fury that The Daily Bugle had announced Ronan’s imminent attack, and Fury watched John Jameson report that the fleet would arrive in one day.

Nick Fury panicked when John Jameson blamed S.H.I.E.L.D. for holding the Cosmic Cube, but he decided to wait for Carol Danvers to return and promised to step in if she did not. In Warp, Tzeentch trapped Knowhere’s refugees, while Carl learned that the Sovereign Birthing Pod on display was obsolete.

• John Jameson claimed Ronan sought the Cosmic Cube and said S.H.I.E.L.D. still had it, prompting Nick Fury to realize the accusation could turn public anger against him and S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Maria Hill asked whether they should issue a clarification, but Nick Fury chose to wait for Carol Danvers and said he would step in if she could not return in time.
• Tzeentch welcomed the Knowhere refugees to Warp, told them they had joined it by ignoring Carl’s warning, and directed them toward its factories.
• Karina told Carl that the Sovereign Birthing Pod in the exhibition hall was an obsolete model that Tivan had bought from Ayesha for one billion credits.

Ronan arrived near Earth intending to seize the Cosmic Cube, but the Eye of Terror disrupted his fleet and he destroyed the Reavers with the Power Stone. Star-Lord grieved for Yondu and refused to flee, while Gamora proposed seeking Carl’s help against Ronan.

• Nebula explained that the Eye of Terror could send ships into the Warp after Ronan learned that his two heavy cruisers had vanished.
• Ronan ordered a probing bombardment of Earth and then used the Power Stone to annihilate the attacking Reavers fleet, killing Yondu.
• Star-Lord mourned Yondu and vowed to kill Ronan, but Rocket warned that they could not reach the Dark Aster safely.
• Gamora suggested that the group go to Earth and ask Carl to stop Ronan, though Star-Lord doubted Carl was truly its guardian.

Gamora and the Guardians of the Galaxy raced to Earth to help resist Ronan, while Nick Fury learned that Loki's Scepter had disappeared and suspected a mole inside S.H.I.E.L.D. The Guardians boarded the Helicarrier and introduced themselves, leaving Nick Fury to hear their offer of help.

• Gamora convinced Star-Lord, Drax, and Groot to return to Earth and help stop Ronan, while Rocket reluctantly went along.
• After seeing Ronan destroy a fleet with the Power Stone, Tony Stark and Reed Richards suggested that Loki's Scepter and the Cosmic Cube might also contain Infinity Stones.
• Nick Fury ordered Maria Hill to retrieve Loki's Scepter, but Logistics reported it had vanished two years earlier alongside missing scientist Mark Smith after researcher Nicholas Cooper died in a laboratory explosion.
• Nick Fury suspected a mole and privately grew wary of Maria Hill, though she denied knowing about the scepter's disappearance.
• The Human Torch spotted the Milano approaching Earth, and Nick Fury ordered him to bring it aboard the Helicarrier unless its passengers resisted.
• Star-Lord, Gamora, and Drax met Nick Fury on the Helicarrier, where Gamora identified the Guardians of the Galaxy and offered to help fight Ronan.

Nick Fury welcomed Gamora and her companions to Earth as Ronan launched missiles at the planet, and Carol Danvers returned to destroy them. Carol confronted Ronan but was overwhelmed by his Power Stone, while his Necrocraft headed toward Earth and she fell toward the surface.

• Nick Fury introduced himself and the Avengers to Gamora, Star-Lord, and Drax, but Gamora identified Carl Mala as the guardian she meant.
• Rocket warned that the Dark Aster had launched missiles at Earth, and Carol Danvers destroyed them before they reached the ground.
• Nick Fury urged Carol to stop Ronan, while Gamora chose to stay with Star-Lord and Drax to watch the battle.
• Carol confronted Ronan, who struck her with the Power Stone and disrupted her Binary Form.
• Carol tried to evade Ronan and attack the Dark Aster, but Ronan launched Necrocraft toward Earth and blasted her into a fall toward the planet.

Ronan defeated Captain Marvel and launched a full-scale invasion of Earth, while Nick Fury’s hostility toward Carl drove Gamora, Star-Lord, and Drax away from the Helicarrier. Ronan demanded the Cosmic Cube within an hour as Earth’s forces struggled to stop his Necrocraft.

• Carl observed Captain Marvel’s defeat and remarked that Ronan’s use of the Power Stone showed the need to strengthen both oneself and the Infinity Stones.
• Ronan ordered the Necrocraft to attack Earth, while Nick Fury argued with Star-Lord and nearly provoked a fight between the Guardians and the Helicarrier crew.
• Captain America apologized to Gamora and acknowledged that asking Carl for help might be their best chance, but he stayed silent because of Fury’s hostility toward Carl.
• Gamora led Star-Lord and Drax away from the Helicarrier after deciding S.H.I.E.L.D. would not ask Carl for help.
• Maria Hill reported that Necrocraft were descending toward Earth, and Nick Fury ordered Tony Stark and Human Torch to intercept them.
• Ronan hijacked screens across the area, demanded the Cosmic Cube within one hour, and threatened to destroy Earth as its aircraft proved unable to match the Necrocraft.

As Ronan’s Necrocraft overwhelmed Earth’s defenses, President Matthew Ellis hired Carl Mala and Warp Group to intervene. Carl deployed the Titan Security Team and Warp Group’s ships, while a blue portal swallowed the Dark Aster, leaving Gamora to wonder whether Carl could also stop Thanos.

• Carol Danvers returned to the Helicarrier after Ronan’s Power Stone destabilized her cosmic energy, and Nick Fury learned she could not stop him.
• President Matthew Ellis announced that he had requested help from Carl Mala through Didi Stand-In Service, prompting citizens around the world to seek Warp Group’s aid.
• Zemo told Carl that more than a hundred countries had applied for the service, and Carl opened a portal to join the battle.
• Godzilla, Kong, Queen MUTO, Mothra, and Warp Group’s Blade Warships attacked the Necrocraft as they moved toward Earth’s cities.
• Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Drax, and Groot watched a blue portal swallow the Dark Aster, and Gamora suspected Carl might even be able to stop Thanos.

Carl used the Warp to capture Ronan and the Dark Aster, killed Ronan, and devoured the Power Stone. As the battle on Earth ended, Nick Fury learned that the ship had vanished and that the Guardians of the Galaxy were heading toward Sokovia.

• A sapphire portal pulled Ronan into the Warp, where Khorne killed him with a single blow and ordered the Bloodletters to seize the Dark Aster.
• Korath tried to flee aboard the Dark Aster, but Tzeentch's magic immobilized the ship and the Bloodletters began slaughtering its crew.
• Carl examined Ronan's Universal Weapon, devoured the Power Stone, and gained enough power to believe he had reached the peak of the Skyfather level.
• The Titan Security Team and Thunder Warriors Air Squadron drove the remaining Necrocraft from the skies as civilians cheered for Carl and the Warp Group.
• Maria Hill showed Nick Fury satellite footage of the Dark Aster being swallowed by a blue portal, and Carol Danvers said it resembled sorcerer magic.
• Maria Hill reported that the Guardians of the Galaxy's ship appeared to be heading toward Sokovia.

Nick Fury sent Carol Danvers to Sokovia to investigate whether Carl Mala had the Power Stone, while Carl confirmed to Gamora and the Guardians that he had killed Ronan and captured Nebula. He handed Nebula and Ronan’s corpse over to Gamora, leaving the Guardians with the chance to claim Xandar’s bounty.

• Nick Fury blamed Carl Mala for the Dark Aster’s disappearance and asked Carol Danvers to investigate him in Sokovia and bring back the Power Stone if possible.
• Carl welcomed Gamora and the Guardians to his Sokovia office, where Rocket eyed his Golden Throne and Gamora asked about Ronan and the Dark Aster.
• Carl confirmed that he had sent the Dark Aster into another dimension and killed Ronan, then showed the Guardians Ronan’s Universal Weapon without revealing the Power Stone’s location.
• Carl brought out the captured Nebula, and Gamora asked to take her with them.
• Carl gave Gamora Ronan’s headless corpse so the Guardians could claim Xandar’s bounty.

After Ronan’s death, Carl gave his body to the Guardians and revealed that Star-Lord’s father was an ancient being, then warned Carol Danvers about Thanos’s plan to erase half of all life. The chapter ended with Carol confronting the possibility that someone could use the Infinity Stones to carry out that plan.

• Carl left Ronan’s corpse for the Guardians to claim as a bounty, and he urged Drax to continue fighting Thanos to save others.
• Carl told Star-Lord that his father was not an Earthling and gave him a pager to use if he faced danger when they met.
• The Guardians left aboard the Milano, and Carol Danvers arrived at Carl’s office to ask how he had defeated Ronan and what had happened to the Power Stone.
• Carl told Carol that Thanos intended to erase half of all life in the universe and explained that someone with all the Infinity Stones could do it with a snap.

Carl warned Carol Danvers that Thanos planned to erase half of all life in the universe and urged her not to confront him alone. After Carol left to verify the warning, Carl reviewed his gains from the invasion and decided to accelerate his plans.

• Carl told Carol that Thanos sought the Infinity Stones to eliminate half of the universe’s life, and warned that Thanos and the Black Order could overpower her.
• Carol said she would verify Carl’s claims and would consider leaving the Power Stone with him rather than S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Carl revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D. had once held the Space Stone in the Cosmic Cube and the Mind Stone in Loki’s Scepter, and Carol realized the Space Stone had given her powers.
• Carol left Warp Group after recognizing Carl’s teasing motive for telling her about the stones.
• Carl counted his profits, valuable souls, the Dark Aster, and the Power Stone, then decided to accelerate his plan.

Carol Danvers confronted Nick Fury over his demands for the Power Stone, warned him about Carl Mala and Thanos, and revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D. had once possessed two Infinity Stones. She agreed to ask Thor for the Cosmic Cube in Asgard, leaving Fury furious at his loss of authority and calling for Maria Hill.

• Nick Fury berated Carol Danvers for returning without the Power Stone, but she rebuked him and said she trusted Carl Mala's warning about Thanos enough to investigate it herself.
• Carol warned Fury that Carl might be stronger than she was and revealed that the Cosmic Cube and Loki's Scepter had each contained an Infinity Stone.
• Fury, enraged at learning S.H.I.E.L.D. had once possessed both Stones, asked Carol to retrieve the Cosmic Cube from Asgard, and she agreed to ask Thor for it.
• Carol flew away, while Fury fumed over having to plead with her and shouted for Maria Hill.

Nick Fury ordered Jane Foster placed under heavier surveillance so he could use her to pressure Thor into returning the Cosmic Cube if Carol Danvers failed. On Xandar, Nova Prime thanked Star-Lord and his team for killing Ronan, then warned them that the Anulax Batteries had triggered a Warp Rift on Sovereign and that Ayesha had issued a warrant for Star-Lord.

• Nick Fury ordered Maria Hill to increase surveillance on Jane Foster and consider placing her under house arrest to use her as leverage against Thor.
• Nova Prime confirmed that the headless corpse brought by Star-Lord and his team was Ronan's and promised to erase their criminal records and pay their bounty.
• Nova Prime explained that the returned Anulax Batteries had caused an explosion on Sovereign, opened a Warp Rift, and unleashed a demon army that the Nova Corps sealed with help from Carson Salk's copy of the Imperial Truth.
• Nova Prime warned Star-Lord that Ayesha blamed him for the disaster and had issued a warrant for his arrest, so he should avoid Sovereign space.
• Gamora urged the team to collect the bounty and leave, while Star-Lord threatened to summon Carl with his BB pager and Rocket reminded him that backup would cost money.

After the Guardians left Xandar, Carol Danvers arrived in Asgard to negotiate with Odin for the Cosmic Cube. Loki, disguised as Odin, refused to cooperate and threatened Earth, leaving Carol preparing to confront him.

• Gamora led the Guardians away from Xandar after they collected their bounty, and they planned to vacation before deciding what to do next.
• Carol Danvers found Asgard and interrupted a play about Loki, prompting Loki, disguised as Odin, to summon Thor and confront her.
• Carol asked Odin to return the Cosmic Cube to S.H.I.E.L.D., but Loki hid that Thor had already traded it to Warp Group for Blackstone Creations.
• Loki claimed that Odin had placed the Cosmic Cube on Earth and threatened to bring Earth back under Asgard's rule.
• Carol questioned Odin's claim and unleashed her power, preparing to stand her ground.