Chapter Summaries

Carl rewarded Khorne for capturing Beast and considered a dangerous future plan involving Victor von Doom, while Tzeentch identified Doom as a promising demon-hunting candidate. Meanwhile, John Jameson publicly smeared Eddie Brock, driving Eddie to accept Anti-Venom’s call to strike back.

• Carl gave Khorne Shou-Lao’s Dragon Soul and Beast’s demonic soul as a reward, while keeping the Spirit of Vengeance for himself.
• Tzeentch proposed Victor von Doom as a demon-hunting candidate whose potential exceeded Homelander’s, and Carl agreed Doom was ideal but postponed his plan until he obtained the Reality Stone.
• Eddie Brock found John Jameson’s widely circulated exposé of his past misdeeds and erupted in anger as his reputation collapsed.
• Anti-Venom urged Eddie to prove himself by attacking John Jameson, and Eddie agreed to make Jameson pay.

Homelander gloated over Stan Edgar’s removal as Vought CEO, but Edgar exposed Homelander’s insecurity and warned that he would soon reveal his incompetence. At Greble University, Peter Parker used his new strength to defeat Flash Thompson and force an apology, then faced Dr. Curt Connors’s questions about his sudden transformation.

• Homelander mocked Stan Edgar after Victoria Neuman helped remove him as Vought CEO, but Edgar said he did not blame Victoria and suggested Homelander had sought his approval.
• Stan Edgar told Homelander that he was a defective Vought product and predicted the world would soon see how incompetent he was; Homelander restrained himself from attacking him and called Ashley Barrett to plan Vought’s next moves.
• Peter Parker defeated Flash Thompson in front of Greble University students, taunted him, and lifted him by the neck when he tried to leave.
• Flash Thompson apologized and promised to stop bullying Peter, who released him after warning him not to repeat it.
• Dr. Curt Connors noticed Peter’s changed strength and asked about it; Peter redirected the conversation, and Connors said he had come to thank him.

Dr. Curt Connors got Peter Parker drunk and stole the formula for Peter’s serum, hoping to restore his missing arm without becoming the Lizard. Meanwhile, John Jameson and Selene turned Eddie Brock’s kidnapping attempt into a trap, but Selene struck at Anti-Venom before they could question him.

• Dr. Curt Connors celebrated Peter Parker’s research progress, got him drunk, and prompted him to reveal that he was the Lizard and write down his serum formula.
• Dr. Curt Connors took Peter’s formula to his laboratory and began working to refine it so he could restore his arm without transforming.
• Eddie Brock kidnapped John Jameson and demanded that he use The Daily Bugle to publish false stories attacking Carl Mala and Sokovia.
• John Jameson confronted Eddie about his murders and admitted he would not publish false news, while Eddie confessed that he was using the paper to retaliate against Carl.
• Selene revealed that John’s kidnapping had been a planned trap to draw Eddie out, and John declared his loyalty to Boss.
• Anti-Venom took control of Eddie’s body and threatened John and Selene, but Selene swiftly struck at his neck with her cross-shaped longsword.

Selene destroyed Anti-Venom and handed Eddie Brock over to the police, while Carl approved of his subordinates’ independent decisions and used the case to boost his public standing. The news that Eddie had been caught reached Gwen, who planned to visit her father’s grave with Peter.

• Selene used a Slaanesh-powered sonic scream to strip Anti-Venom from Eddie Brock, then burned the immobilized symbiote with white phosphorus.
• John Jameson stopped Selene from killing Eddie and argued that a public trial would warn others; Selene severed Eddie’s hands before he passed out.
• Carl watched through the Mind Chains, approved of Selene and John’s choices, and valued his subordinates’ safety above preserving the symbiote.
• The Daily Bugle reported Eddie’s arrest and aired edited footage linking him to the killings and his slander of Carl, bringing Carl a surge of prestige points.
• Gwen heard from Peter that her father’s killer had been caught, watched the report, and agreed to go with Peter to visit George’s grave.

Nick Fury recruited Eddie Brock as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent after Eddie revealed that Anti-Venom had been destroyed, while Gwen witnessed the deal and vowed to remember S.H.I.E.L.D.'s betrayal. The chapter then shifted to a Vampire outbreak in Chicago, where the defensive line was close to collapsing as Lord Smoke Eater emerged.

• Peter Parker called Gwen after failing to ask her out, and Gwen said she would tell her father about the news only after confirming Eddie Brock had received justice.
• Nick Fury intercepted the prison van carrying Eddie Brock and offered him freedom in exchange for working as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
• Eddie Brock revealed that Anti-Venom had been destroyed, then agreed to give S.H.I.E.L.D. the Symbiote planet's coordinates if he could travel there with the astronauts and receive two nanotech prosthetic hands.
• Gwen watched S.H.I.E.L.D. take Eddie away and vowed to remember the debt, deciding she needed a plan before confronting the organization.
• Vampires erupted from an underground altar in Chicago and attacked civilians, overwhelming police as the National Guard struggled to hold the perimeter.
• Lord Smoke Eater emerged from the underground altar with a Vampire elder as the city's defenses neared collapse.

Homelander slaughtered vampires in Chicago after resisting Smoke Eater’s soul attack, and the experience awakened a pleasurable thrill in killing. His approval and fan count soared after the battle, but Ashley Barrett told him Spider-Woman still outranked him among superheroes.

• Smoke Eater attacked Homelander with gray smoke that conjured Madeleine, but Slaanesh’s power drove it away, forcing Smoke Eater to flee after killing a vampire elder who objected.
• Homelander blamed the vampires for his torment in the illusion and slaughtered them, discovering that each kill brought him intense pleasure.
• After killing every vampire, Homelander returned home and wondered whether the voice in his mind came from his other self, a spirit, or a god.
• Ashley Barrett told Homelander that his fan count had risen by 16 percentage points and that his male fan base in the Northeast had grown by 66 percent.
• Ashley Barrett explained that Spider-Woman remained the most popular female superhero, outranking Starlight, and Homelander learned her approval rating was higher than Starlight’s.

Homelander decided to focus on supernatural cases after learning that the public supported a partnership with Spider-Woman. Meanwhile, vampire prince Sharus allied with Lilith to kill Dracula and pursued Selene, whom they suspected of having ties to the Scarlet Witch.

• Ashley Barrett told Homelander that support for his pairing with Spider-Woman was growing, and he chose to focus on supernatural assignments.
• Sharus lured a girl to his castle with an offer to buy her virginity, then revealed himself as a vampire and drained her blood.
• Lilith told Sharus that the seven Night Demons were ready to open a dimensional gate, and he agreed to provide vampire forces in exchange for help killing Dracula.
• Sharus revealed his plan to overthrow Dracula, wage war on humanity, and reclaim vampire territory, while Lilith privately doubted his ambitions.
• Sharus told Lilith that his people suspected Selene of possessing Scarlet Witch blood and warned Lilith not to interfere because he wanted the Darkhold fragment promised for finding the Scarlet Witch.
• Lilith accepted Sharus's warning and vanished, intending to let his ambitions lead to his destruction.

Selene entered [Impossible City] with two Death Dealers to prepare a hidden teleportation array for Carl, who waited outside to pursue Dracula's [immortality trait]. After the gates closed behind them, she discovered she could still contact Carl through the [Mind Chains], confirming that communication across dimensions remained possible.

• Carl changed the plan so he would wait outside [Impossible City] and prepare a [Large Directional Magic Teleportation Array] between [Sokovia] and [Impossible City], while Selene agreed to draw the array inside.
• Selene and her two Daywalker companions arrived in sunlight, drawing envy and hostility from the gathered vampire leaders; Prince Sharus threatened Selene over her supposed attack on a sect under his command.
• The gates to [Impossible City] appeared, and Alfred admitted the vampire leaders after checking their invitations and taking their weapons; Sharus exchanged a knowing glance with Alfred before entering.
• Alfred assigned Selene and her companions a suite and announced that Lord Dracula's gathering would begin the next day in the [Lord's Hall].
• After finding no phone signal, Selene contacted Carl through the [Mind Chains] and saw his image in her consciousness, confirming that they could communicate across dimensions.

Carl refused to send Kong to rescue Manila because the Philippines had supported sanctions against Sokovia, then warned General Ross about danger in seven American cities. Ross recognized the warning as a chance to act, while the PPDC prepared to handle the Kaiju crisis without Department of Defense aid.

• Selene reported that heavily armored Vampire warriors could threaten their plans, and Carl told her to delay exploring the Impossible City and finish the teleportation array.
• General Ross asked Carl to send Kong to Manila to fight the Category Two Kaiju Chaos, but Carl refused because the Philippines had supported sanctions against Sokovia.
• Carl named Green Bay, Chicago, Cincinnati, Huntington, Winchester, Binghamton, and Kingston as places facing a greater crisis, and Ross linked the warning to recent Vampire unrest there.
• Ross told President Ellis that the United States could not help the Philippines because a greater crisis demanded attention, and he ordered troops deployed around the seven cities.
• Stacker Pentecost learned that the Department of Defense had refused the Philippines' request and vowed that the PPDC would resolve the crisis without its help.

Stacker Pentecost’s attempt to hire Kong to stop Chaos in Manila failed because the Philippines had supported sanctions against Sokovia. After three nuclear strikes killed Chaos and erased Manila, world leaders began seeking Sokovia’s help against future Kaiju attacks.

• Stacker Pentecost offered Sokovia 15% of Manila’s annual GDP for Kong’s help, but Sokovia refused because the Philippines had voted for sanctions.
• Chaos rampaged through Manila as Philippine and allied forces attacked it, but its armored body and crystal-covered eyes resisted their weapons.
• After a day and night of failed attacks, the Philippine leadership requested nuclear authorization, and a first nuclear missile damaged Chaos without killing it.
• Two more nuclear missiles killed Chaos, but the blasts erased Manila and left the region contaminated by radioactive material and toxic Blue Blood.
• World leaders recognized the growing Kaiju threat and began contacting Sokovia to ask about rates and long-term deals for the Didi Hitman Service.

Seven Night Demons shrouded seven cities in unnatural darkness, allowing enormous vampire hordes to launch a daytime slaughter. General Ross’s forces used ultraviolet lights to protect some fleeing civilians, but Ross concluded his outnumbered troops would have to hold the perimeter rather than enter the cities.

• Zemo rejected appeals from countries that had backed sanctions against Sokovia, while Stacker Pentecost struggled to refund countries withdrawing from the PPDC defense system.
• Seven Night Demons, including the transformed Blade, raised pillars of dark energy that covered seven cities and spread through the area between them.
• Black Widow confirmed Blade was releasing the energy, then watched vampires pour into Chicago and attack civilians as Nick Fury ordered her to shelter.
• Panic and traffic crashes trapped people fleeing Chicago, while General Ross’s troops used ultraviolet searchlights to burn back vampires at the city’s edge.
• General Ross learned that at least tens of thousands of vampires had emerged in each city and ordered his forces to defend the outer perimeter instead of entering the dark zone.

As seven cities fell under a Vampire assault, Nick Fury sent the Avengers to investigate Blade while withholding information about the Centennial Conference. Behind the attack, Lilith and Clea began a ritual to open a passage to Hell, while Selene finished secretly drawing a magic array in Impossible City and went to the Lord's Hall.

• General Ross feared the crisis engulfing seven cities and regretted that Ben had lost the chance to lead the defense and claim glory.
• The Avengers gathered aboard the Helicarrier, where Nick Fury briefed them on the Vampire attacks and ordered them to investigate Blade, one of those who released the dark energy.
• Captain America challenged Fury over leaving six cities undefended, but he and the others departed to focus on their assigned mission; Maria Hill then learned Fury had concealed the Centennial Conference from them.
• Lilith and Clea oversaw a ritual that drew energy from the seven cities to open a passage to Hell, and Clea demanded that Lilith locate Red Slayer after Dracula was dead.
• Selene finished copying a magic array beneath her bedroom carpet, concealed it, and followed a Vampire maid to the Lord's Hall.

At the Centennial Conference, Selene discovered that Sharus and several vampire leaders were preparing to overthrow Dracula, while Carl told her to stay out of the fighting and suspected the butler Alfred was helping Sharus. Sharus stabbed Dracula with a wooden spike and beheaded him, leaving the coup underway.

• Selene entered the conference hall alone, noticed Sharus and other leaders acting suspiciously, and alerted Carl to her concerns.
• Carl told Selene not to interfere if trouble began and warned her that Alfred was likely Sharus's inside man.
• Dracula opened the conference with a call for peace with humans, while the Mad Claw Sect leader protested that humans were taking vampire territory and killing their people.
• Sharus challenged Dracula's policies and declared that he would take the Vampire King's seat.
• Sharus stabbed Dracula with a wooden spike that paralyzed him, then cut off his father's head with a sword blade.

Sharus seized power from Dracula at the Centennial Conference and announced plans to unite the vampire cults and wage war on humanity. He demanded that Selene become his queen, but she rejected him with Carl’s words.

• Sharus ambushed and beheaded Dracula, then declared himself the new Vampire Lord as his supporters blocked Dracula’s loyalists.
• Alfred revealed his allegiance to Sharus, took Dracula’s head to the altar, and helped secure Sharus’s control of the hall.
• Sharus claimed the armistice with humanity had weakened vampires and revealed his plans to start wars in seven cities and conquer America.
• Sharus proposed merging every vampire cult into a single Vampire Empire, and a guard killed the Luther Cult leader after he objected.
• Sharus threatened Selene with death unless she became his queen, but Selene replied, “You... think you're worthy?!”

Lilith opened a passage from the Hell Dimension to Belle Isle, then had Varnae extract Dracula’s Immortality Trait, revealing that it came from the Darkhold. Just as Clea moved to claim the ancient parchment, Carl intervened, stole it, and killed Varnae with his hellfire chain.

• Lilith sacrificed a vampire follower to open the passage, and demons poured into Belle Isle to attack its crowded bars, hotels, and neighborhoods.
• Lilith awakened Varnae and asked him to remove Dracula’s Immortality Trait; Varnae explained that the power came from the Darkhold and could only be held by someone chosen by it.
• Alfred brought Dracula’s head to the altar, where Varnae used black magic to extract the Immortality Trait as an ancient parchment from Dracula.
• Clea emerged and began drawing the parchment toward herself while Lilith prepared to kill Dracula.
• Carl, waiting offshore in Ghost Form, swept away the parchment with his hellfire chain and killed Varnae.

Carl devoured a fragment of the Darkhold, which nearly pushed the Warp to its energy limit, then found his escape blocked by Lilith and her demons. He summoned the Ancient One for help, and she arrived with the Masters of the Mystic Arts, including Wanda, while Clea vanished.

• Carl seized the parchment from Clea and discovered that it was a multiverse-level Darkhold fragment containing the Immortality Trait.
• Carl devoured the Darkhold fragment into the Warp, bringing its stored energy close to the dimension's limit and noticing a change in the system's message about becoming a Lord of Dimensions.
• Lilith and her demon army cornered Carl after a magic shield stopped the Ghost Yacht, and she mistook him for a servant of Mephisto.
• Carl called for the Ancient One, who emerged through a golden portal with Masters of the Mystic Arts, including Wanda.
• Lilith found Clea had disappeared just before the Ancient One arrived.

The Ancient One trapped Lilith in the Mirror Dimension and sealed the portal so demons could no longer enter Earth, while Carl and the mages fought the invading army. In the Impossible City, Selene refused Sharus’s threat and implied that he might not survive the day.

• Lilith rejected The Ancient One’s demand to leave Earth and ordered her demons to attack, but The Ancient One trapped her in the Mirror Dimension.
• The Ancient One used the Time Stone to turn the portal into a one-way passage into the Hell Dimension as the Masters of the Mystic Arts battled the demons.
• Kaecilius and Wanda unleashed powerful ranged spells that devastated the demon army, while Carl questioned The Ancient One about Wanda’s newly awakened Chaos Magic.
• Carl checked on Selene and ordered Frank and the others in Sokovia to move out.
• Sharus threatened Selene and the Coven after she rejected him, but Selene calmly warned that he would have to survive the day first.

Selene’s confidence proved justified when Kong and a Warp Group squadron invaded Impossible City, while Frank’s Thunder Warriors overwhelmed the King’s Guard. Sharus confronted the attackers on the second floor and ordered his forces to open fire, beginning a direct battle with the Warp Group.

• Selene revealed no trump card herself, but Kong’s roar and a vampire guard’s report announced that the castle had been invaded and its northeastern wing damaged.
• Sharus left guards to watch Selene and her escorts, then went to the second floor to deal with the intruders.
• Frank led the Thunder Warriors in clearing the second floor, while Rebecca Chambers recorded their combat data and then joined the advance with a pistol.
• Sharus descended with his supporters and demanded to know who the intruders were, and Frank declared that the Warp Group would take control of Impossible City and the pocket dimension.
• Sharus ordered his forces to kill the humans, and Frank and the Thunder Warriors took cover and returned fire.

Frank’s Thunder Warriors overwhelmed Sharus’s forces and proved their strength against the Heavy Armored Knights in one-on-one fights. After the warriors killed two knights, Sharus challenged them to face him directly.

• Frank used his Beretta M92F Pistols to decimate Sharus’s entourage while Kong rampaged outside the estate.
• Frank offered the surviving Heavy Armored Knights a chance to survive by fighting his warriors one-on-one, as Carl had instructed.
• A Vampire Thunder Warrior killed a Heavy Armored Knight with a silver-coated knife after intercepting his sword strike.
• A Werewolf Thunder Warrior transformed and battered another Heavy Armored Knight to death through his armor.
• Sharus recognized the Thunder Warriors as human soldiers altered by unknown technology and challenged them to fight him one-on-one.

Frank accepted Sharus’s melee duel and killed him instantly with his Godflash technique, while Pietro helped clear the castle. Selene forced the loyalist leaders to confront her power, and Sharus’s severed head was delivered to the council hall.

• Sharus challenged Frank to a one-on-one duel, betting the castle against the submission of Frank’s soldiers.
• Frank drew his flaming machete and used Godflash to behead Sharus before he could react.
• Pietro moved the remaining armored knights outside for Kong to defeat, then reported the enemy troop positions to Frank.
• Selene demanded that the loyalist leaders swear allegiance to her Boss or face destruction, then used her power to make the guards kill themselves.
• Pietro appeared in the council hall and dropped Sharus’s head onto the table before vanishing.