Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Tianran reveals that he captured not only the adult Female Cicada but also her childhood self, Grace. Barry recognizes her and asks Zhang to spare her because she is still a child.
• Zhang refuses to interfere further, warning Barry not to alter the future or risk his daughter’s safety. He leaves Cicada’s dagger behind to help Barry and the others resolve their situation.
• After briefly checking on Supergirl, Zhang wanders through different timelines. Since his original timeline has already been absorbed into the Speed Force, he decides he will likely never return to that universe.
• Zhang returns home and announces to Zero that they will travel to the Zombie Universe. Zero confronts him for apparently leaving her behind during his previous travels, and he reassures her that she will accompany him this time.
• Before departing permanently, Zhang and Zero pack up the laboratory. Zhang keeps his old doctoral certificate as a reminder of the years he spent studying and working toward it, reflecting briefly on the possibility that his life might have been different.
• Zhang leaves Cisco a farewell message, transferring ownership of his villa and several companies. Cisco is shocked by the sudden departure.
• Upon reaching the Zombie Universe, Zhang and Zero discover a world filled with death and decay. Rather than investigate the ruined present, Zero suggests traveling back to the virus’s initial outbreak to obtain a purer specimen.
• Zhang locates the timeline disruption and brings Zero to Gotham shortly before the outbreak. The city appears normal but is filled with celebrations and riots following Batman’s killing of that world’s Joker. As looting and social disorder spread, Zhang notices an ominous crimson mist.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran becomes increasingly detached from the universe he once inhabited. His decision to leave permanently shows his growing independence from that world, though keeping his doctoral certificate reveals lingering attachment to his past.
• Zero displays suspicion and emotional dependence, fearing that Zhang will abandon her again. Her insistence on joining him strengthens their partnership, while her practical focus on obtaining the original virus prototype highlights her scientific priorities.
• Barry Allen continues to act compassionately, asking Zhang to spare Grace despite her crimes. His willingness to protect her reinforces his idealistic, “saintly” nature.
• Cisco is left behind with Zhang’s farewell and assets, reacting with confusion and disbelief at Zhang’s unexpected departure.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of changing the future: Zhang warns Barry that altering events may endanger his daughter, emphasizing the danger and responsibility of time travel.
• Detachment and departure: Zhang’s willingness to abandon an entire universe contrasts with his earlier life there and suggests that he has moved beyond ordinary emotional ties.
• Memory and personal history: The doctoral certificate symbolizes Zhang’s youth, effort, and lost possibilities rather than its practical value.
• Moral idealism versus pragmatism: Barry wants to save a dangerous child, while Zhang refuses to interfere and Zero approaches the Zombie Universe scientifically and strategically.
• Civilization’s fragility: Gotham’s celebration of Joker’s death quickly turns into accepted looting and disorder, foreshadowing the broader collapse caused by the zombie virus.

Character Interactions

• Zhang and Barry clash over whether Grace deserves mercy, with Zhang prioritizing timeline stability and Barry prioritizing compassion.
• Zhang and Zero reconcile after Zero accuses him of leaving her behind. Their exchange reveals both her insecurity and his willingness to reassure her.
• Zhang and Cisco remain connected despite Zhang’s departure, as Zhang leaves him property and financial assets without explaining his sudden decision.
• Zhang and Zero work together to investigate the Zombie Universe, with Zero guiding their decision to travel to the outbreak’s beginning.

Chapter Summary: “Zombie Flash”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A red mist spreads unnoticed, infecting people with a highly advanced “Zombie Virus.” Those exposed gradually become violent, flesh-eating undead.
• Zhang Tianran examines the mist and concludes that it resembles demonic energy but originates from something far more powerful—possibly an enemy from another universe or higher dimension.
• The first zombies attack a crowd, rapidly turning the area into a slaughterhouse. Zhang watches without intervening, explaining that his purpose is to eliminate the zombies rather than save infected individuals.
• The Flash arrives and discovers the horrifying outbreak. To avoid direct contact, he uses a watermelon knife to kill the infected, but afterward becomes overwhelmed by guilt and fears that a cure might exist.
• Zhang approaches the Flash, introduces himself as someone intending to clean up the world’s crisis, and reveals that he had been searching for the Anti-Life Equation but found the zombie outbreak instead.
• The Flash contacts the Justice League, only to learn that the infection is global. The other heroes are occupied elsewhere, leaving him to investigate alone.
• Seeing the devastation across multiple cities, the Flash abandons his usual principles and travels through time in an attempt to change events.
• He returns injured and exhausted, begging Zhang to save the world before collapsing. However, he has already been bitten.
• The Flash transforms into a zombie and attacks Zhang. His zombie form is vastly more powerful, retaining—and apparently enhancing—his connection to the Speed Force.
• Zhang effortlessly destroys the zombie Flash, removing and then eliminating his skull through a silver flash so that the Speed Force cannot restore or reproduce him.
• Zhang asks Zero whether her research on the red mist is complete, signaling that they are preparing to begin their campaign to eradicate the zombies.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran remains detached, powerful, and curious. Although he appears indifferent to the mass deaths, his goal is practical: destroy every zombie in the ruined world. His interest shifts from finding the Anti-Life Equation to studying the virus and its connection to other-dimensional forces.
• Zero acts as Zhang’s analytical partner and researcher. She theorizes about the virus’s origins and uses equipment to study the red mist, suggesting an important role in finding a solution or method of extermination.
• The Flash undergoes the chapter’s major emotional transformation. Initially horrified but determined, he kills infected civilians while questioning whether he is doing the right thing. The global scale of the disaster pushes him to violate his principles by altering the timeline. His desperate plea for help is ultimately defeated by his infection and transformation into a powerful zombie.
• The Justice League is established as overwhelmed and unable to respond effectively because the outbreak has spread worldwide.

Significant Themes

• The collapse of hope and civilization: The world is portrayed as already lost, with humanity transformed into an expanding undead plague.
• Moral uncertainty: The Flash struggles with the ethics of killing infected people when a cure may theoretically exist.
• Powerlessness against catastrophe: Even a superhero and the Justice League cannot contain the outbreak.
• Scientific and cosmic mystery: The virus may come from another universe or higher dimension, making it more than a conventional disease.
• The limits of time travel: The Flash’s attempt to rewrite history offers no clear solution, reinforcing the idea that some disasters cannot be undone.
• Life beyond death: The zombie Flash’s continued activity after losing his body raises questions about whether zombification creates a new form of life and whether the Speed Force can be corrupted.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang and Zero discuss the possible cosmic origin of the zombie virus, establishing their shared investigative mission.
• Zhang evaluates the Flash’s actions, praising his decisiveness while criticizing his emotional collapse afterward.
• The Flash distrusts Zhang and alerts the Justice League, but circumstances force him to focus on the outbreak rather than confront Zhang.
• After the Flash becomes infected, Zhang kills him and studies the persistence of the Speed Force within his remains.
• Zhang and Zero conclude the chapter by preparing to move from observation and research to active eradication.

Chapter Summary: “Saving the Surviving Humans?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zero continues studying the unusual power involved in the collapsing, zombie-infested universe. Zhang Tianran gives her time to research while he explores the ravaged world.
• The Zombie Virus has spread rapidly, infecting nearly half the planet. Superheroes, villains, armies, and ordinary civilians are unable to contain it.
• Themyscira, Atlantis, the League of Assassins, and other powerful groups open themselves to refugees and join the global resistance.
• On the third day, Superman becomes infected. Without his usual self-control, he turns into an almost unstoppable zombie and begins slaughtering people.
• Wonder Woman, Diana, attempts to stop him but is nearly infected. Zhang Tianran intervenes, destroys the zombified Superman, and saves her.
• Diana learns that Flash died while trying to protect the world. Despite her grief, she chooses to continue fighting.
• Zhang Tianran offers Diana a way to evacuate all uninfected survivors to another universe where humanity has gone extinct and the Zombie Virus does not exist.
• Diana proposes using the Lasso of Truth to identify infected individuals, allowing Zhang Tianran to transport only healthy survivors. Together, they create a plan to relocate the remaining population.
• Opposition arises from people who distrust Zhang Tianran, refuse to leave, or doubt that he can save them. Zhang Tianran has little patience for them and is willing to abandon—or kill—those who interfere.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran becomes more compassionate and proactive. Flash’s death affects him, prompting him to consider what he might have done in a similar situation and eventually leading him to attempt the unprecedented rescue of humanity’s survivors.
• Zero remains focused on understanding the new power, demonstrating her independence and intense curiosity. Her possession of the Book of Destiny ensures that she is safe while researching.
• Diana shows resilience and moral conviction. Even after losing Superman, Flash, and many others, she refuses to abandon humanity. Her insistence that every possible survivor deserves a chance pushes the rescue plan forward.
• Flash remains influential despite his death; his sacrifice shapes Zhang Tianran’s decisions and is mourned by Diana.
• Superman represents the catastrophic danger of the infection: once his restraint disappears, even one of Earth’s greatest heroes becomes a devastating threat.

Significant Themes

• The limits of saving the world: The planet itself is considered unsalvageable, forcing the characters to redefine success as saving the survivors rather than restoring Earth.
• Responsibility and compassion: Zhang Tianran shifts from detached observation toward taking responsibility for countless lives.
• Sacrifice and perseverance: Flash’s death and Diana’s continued resistance emphasize the cost of heroism and the determination to keep fighting despite overwhelming loss.
• Trust during catastrophe: The rescue effort is complicated by fear, disbelief, selfishness, and suspicion, showing how crises expose both humanity’s courage and its uglier instincts.
• Who deserves saving: Zhang Tianran’s willingness to abandon troublesome people contrasts with Diana’s broader belief that everyone should have the opportunity to survive.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Tianran and Zero cooperate indirectly, with him giving her space to investigate while he handles the outside world.
• Zhang Tianran saves Diana from zombified Superman and explains Flash’s death, creating an immediate connection based on their shared familiarity with alternate versions of Diana and Barry.
• Diana challenges Zhang Tianran’s initial suggestion that only some people escape, forcing him to clarify that he can transport all uninfected survivors.
• Their discussion leads to a practical partnership: Zhang Tianran will handle the inter-universal evacuation, while Diana will use the Lasso of Truth to screen people for infection.

Chapter Summary: “Zero’s Decision”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Tianran establishes that a habitable “New Earth” exists in another world and allows Diana to lead selected survivors there to verify it.
• The visitors confirm that New Earth is largely safe, despite being desolate. It has no Zombie Virus and becomes a symbol of hope for humanity’s remaining survivors.
• Survivors from around the world begin gathering for evacuation using ships, spacecraft, and any available vehicles. However, the growing population creates logistical problems, including accidental zombie infiltrations.
• Cyborg urges Zhang Tianran to begin evacuating immediately, but Zhang insists on strict precautions against the Zombie Virus. He also declares that he can make only ten trips and will save merely one-tenth of the survivors, leaving the rest to their own efforts.
• Diana protests, but Zhang refuses to change his decision. Zero then reveals the reason: in the original timeline, everyone present had already died.
• Zhang confirms that he traveled back through time to save them. He explains that because the future was already lifeless, rescuing them will not severely damage history, though repeated time travel could affect the timeline.
• Zero reports that her experiment technically failed, but it revealed that the Zombie Virus is actually a force originating from—or deliberately introduced by—a higher-dimensional source.
• Although she could not uncover a higher level of power, Zero believes the experiment gave her enough information to advance her own growth.
• Zhang supports her and suggests that better materials might allow the experiment to succeed later.
• Zero decides to transform herself into a pure energy life-form, believing this is the best way to become stronger and better support Zhang.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran becomes increasingly ruthless and pragmatic. He prioritizes containment of the Zombie Virus and the long-term consequences of time travel over saving every possible survivor.
• Diana is shown to be compassionate and troubled by Zhang’s willingness to abandon most survivors. She also begins confronting the disturbing possibility that their lives have been restored from a timeline in which they were already dead.
• Cyborg acts as the practical representative of the desperate survivors, pressing Zhang to act before the evacuation crisis worsens.
• Zero demonstrates both scientific ambition and emotional vulnerability. Despite enjoying physical sensations such as eating, she is willing to sacrifice her newly acquired body to gain power and protect Zhang.

Significant Themes

• Hope amid catastrophe: New Earth gives survivors a reason to continue living and inspires collective action.
• Moral limits of salvation: Zhang’s plan raises the question of whether saving some people is acceptable when everyone cannot be rescued.
• Time travel and altered history: The chapter explores the consequences of resurrecting or saving people who were already dead in the original timeline.
• Power versus personal comfort: Zero chooses strength and usefulness over the pleasure of possessing a physical body.
• The unknown nature of the Zombie Virus: The virus is revealed to be part of a much greater, possibly higher-dimensional force rather than an ordinary disease.

Character Interactions

• Cyborg and Zhang Tianran: Cyborg pleads for immediate evacuation, but Zhang rejects his urgency in favor of strict safety measures and limited rescue operations.
• Diana and Zhang Tianran: Diana asks Zhang to save more people, revealing her compassion and discomfort with his cold calculations. He refuses but explains his reasoning through the timeline’s original outcome.
• Zero and the survivors: Zero’s revelation that everyone originally died shocks the crowd and challenges their understanding of their own existence.
• Zhang Tianran and Zero: Their relationship is supportive and concerned. Zhang checks on her experiment, comforts her after its failure, and questions her decision to abandon her body, while Zero explains that becoming stronger is necessary so she can protect and assist him.

Chapter Summary: “Come On, Let’s Destroy This World!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zero tells Zhang Tianran that she has decided to pursue a method of gaining greater power so she will not always need his protection. Although she agrees to think carefully before acting, her decision is essentially made.
• Zhang begins eliminating zombies across Earth. Survivors initially celebrate, believing the zombie crisis may finally be ending, but violent environmental disturbances soon reveal that the planet’s destruction is approaching.
• Zhang explains to Diana that he caused the zombies to disappear. However, he warns her that the world cannot truly be saved: even if every zombie is destroyed, the Zombie Virus would eventually create more. He gives Diana three days to gather survivors for evacuation.
• Zhang transports survivors to a new Earth in ten separate trips. Some people plead for more time, but he refuses to extend the operation and becomes frustrated by their demands.
• After confirming that the new planet is free of the Zombie Virus, Zhang moves on with Zero to the future, where the original world has already been completely ruined.
• Zhang notes that the infection has spread beyond Earth, turning the wider universe—including Krypton, Apokolips, and the Green Lantern Corps—into zombie territory. His mission is therefore to destroy the entire infected world.
• Rather than using the Spear of Destiny, Book of Destiny, or the Cosmic Treadmill, Zhang demonstrates a new application of the Speed Force: he channels it through Earth and destroys the planet instantly.

Character Developments

• Zero shows growing independence and determination. She wants to develop enough strength to protect Zhang in return, rather than remain dependent on him.
• Zhang Tianran demonstrates immense power and increasing emotional detachment. He saves the survivors, but regards the evacuation as exhausting and thankless, revealing his declining patience with humanity.
• Zhang also expands his understanding of his abilities, discovering that the Speed Force can be used to destroy massive physical objects on a planetary scale.
• Diana briefly regains hope when she hears that the zombies are disappearing, but Zhang forces her to accept that evacuation—not salvation—is the only realistic option.

Significant Themes

• Hope versus reality: The disappearing zombies initially suggest that Earth might be saved, but the apparent miracle is revealed to be only preparation for destruction.
• Protection and independence: Zero’s desire to gain power reflects the tension between relying on someone stronger and becoming capable of protecting others herself.
• The limits of rescue: Zhang can save individuals, but not an entire infected universe. Survival requires abandoning the doomed world rather than attempting to restore it.
• Power and responsibility: Zhang’s extraordinary abilities allow him to determine the fate of planets and populations, but his growing impatience raises questions about compassion, obligation, and the danger of overwhelming power.
• Time and fate: The timeline remains stable despite Zhang’s interventions because the world’s destruction is already inevitable; changing events along the way does not alter the predetermined ending.

Character Interactions

• Zhang and Zero have an intimate, trusting relationship built on long familiarity. They understand each other’s motives, even when Zhang worries about Zero’s decision.
• Zhang and Diana have a blunt, unequal exchange: Diana seeks reassurance, while Zhang rejects her optimism and gives her a strict evacuation deadline.
• Zero questions Zhang about how he intends to destroy the world, prompting him to reveal his unconventional Speed Force technique and further demonstrate the gap between his abilities and those of ordinary Speedsters.

Chapter Summary: “Time to Get to Work!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Tianran reflects on the overwhelming power of time, realizing that it can weaken even the strongest beings and empower the weakest over long periods.
• He announces to Zero that he intends to destroy the universe. Soon afterward, vast numbers of powerful zombies arrive, including zombified heroes and villains whose original abilities have been preserved and enhanced.
• Zhang Tianran destroys the zombie Lantern Corps with ease and collects their rings and Power Batteries. He briefly encounters the Lantern Beast but dismisses its power as insignificant.
• A larger group of powerful zombies—including Doomsday, Parallax, and Darkseid—surrounds Zhang Tianran. Rather than waiting for them to attack, he targets Doomsday first.
• Using the power of time, Zhang Tianran forcibly returns Doomsday to his original state and erases him from existence. This triggers the other zombies to attack.
• Outnumbered and unwilling to waste effort fighting virus-carrying, tireless zombies, Zhang Tianran retreats with Zero to a safer location.
• Zero questions whether destroying the universe is premature and suggests repairing the Cosmic Treadmill first. Zhang Tianran explains that the universe is already effectively dead, making its destruction easier than expected.
• Zhang Tianran resonates with the universe’s timeline, causing a violent disturbance throughout reality. He briefly exposes and removes the hidden force responsible for the Zombie Virus outbreak.
• Zero returns to the Speed Force Space so she will not interfere with Zhang Tianran’s plans.
• Zhang Tianran begins running through the universe. His movement awakens destructive forces, causing planets to shatter and their debris to trail behind him.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran grows increasingly confident and intoxicated by his mastery of time. He views himself as nearly omnipotent and becomes willing to destroy an entire universe.
• His power is demonstrated to exceed that of the Lantern Corps and even allows him to erase Doomsday through temporal manipulation.
• Despite his confidence, Zhang Tianran shows strategic caution by retreating instead of engaging every zombie at once. He recognizes the danger of their virus and their lack of fatigue or fear.
• Zero remains the more cautious and practical figure. She questions Zhang Tianran’s plan and worries about the scale of destroying the universe, but ultimately trusts his judgment and withdraws to avoid hindering him.

Significant Themes

• The overwhelming power of time: Time is presented as a force greater than physical strength, capable of weakening, transforming, or erasing powerful beings.
• Power and overconfidence: Zhang Tianran’s expanding abilities lead him toward near-omnipotence and a reckless desire to destroy reality.
• Strategy versus brute force: Although Zhang Tianran possesses immense power, he avoids an unnecessary battle with the zombies and chooses a more efficient method of destruction.
• Decay and the end of existence: The universe is portrayed as already dead or hollow, suggesting that destruction may be easier once a reality has lost its vitality.
• Isolation and responsibility: Zero’s concern contrasts with Zhang Tianran’s enthusiasm, emphasizing the moral and practical consequences of his actions.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Tianran confidently tells Zero of his plan to destroy the universe, while she responds with concern.
• He confronts and effortlessly overpowers the zombified Lantern Corps, treating their weapons and entities as curiosities rather than serious threats.
• His attack on Doomsday provokes the surrounding zombies, forcing him and Zero to retreat.
• Zero challenges Zhang Tianran’s decision to destroy the universe, but after witnessing his control over the timeline, she chooses to return to the Speed Force Space.
• The chapter ends with Zhang Tianran acting alone, beginning the universe’s destruction through his run across space.

Chapter Summary: “Creating Life? No, Just an Experiment.”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Tianran uses the Speed Force to race across the universe, destroying the Zombie Virus and everything infected by it. His speed surpasses light and time itself, reducing obstacles and infected creatures to ash.
• After completing the destruction, he restores the universe to a condition resembling its original state. He reflects that destruction is easy compared with creation and reconstruction.
• Zhang brings Zero out of the Speed Force to witness the renewed universe. He considers himself, in a sense, its creator, having acted as its communicator, master of time, destroyer, and restorer.
• Using souls gathered from the Speed Force, Zhang creates bodies for them and implants basic instincts and knowledge, giving the restored world new life.
• Zhang and Zero begin rebuilding the biosphere. They use available biological materials, including vegetable cells from Zero’s refrigerator, to create a small, self-contained ecosystem.
• They prepare specially modified humans with enhanced bodies and powers, intended to inhabit the world after several thousand years.
• To provide a challenge for these powerful humans, Zhang introduces a black-metal Alien creature as part of an experiment. Zero worries that the Aliens may destroy the entire world, but Zhang dismisses the danger because the world is only an experiment to him.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran demonstrates extraordinary power and endurance, but his exhaustion reveals the physical and mental cost of manipulating an entire universe.
• He develops a deeper understanding of creation, recognizing that rebuilding life and ecosystems is far more difficult than destroying them.
• Zhang’s curiosity shifts toward experimentation and world-building. He begins considering the possibility of creating an entire world—and eventually life—for himself in the future.
• His reflections on time reveal growing awareness of the limits of his abilities. Even as a Speedster, he cannot reliably reach or predict the distant future.
• Zero becomes more emotionally attentive toward Zhang, noticing his fatigue and offering comfort. She is impressed by the beauty of the restored universe and shares Zhang’s sense of accomplishment, while also questioning the morality and danger of his experiments.

Significant Themes

• Creation versus destruction: The chapter emphasizes that destroying a world is comparatively simple, while restoring or creating life requires knowledge, precision, and effort.
• The limits of knowledge and power: Zhang’s mastery of time and the universe does not give him complete understanding, especially regarding the distant future and the universe’s ultimate fate.
• Scientific experimentation and ethics: Zhang treats an entire world and its inhabitants as an experiment, raising questions about responsibility, consent, and the consequences of introducing dangerous creatures.
• Mortality and cosmic impermanence: Universes themselves have lifespans, and even Zhang cannot yet determine what lies beyond their final end.
• The balance between challenge and survival: Zhang believes powerful beings need adversity, leading him to introduce Aliens despite Zero’s concern.

Character Interactions

• Zhang gently invites Zero to view the restored universe, and her reaction brings him visible happiness.
• Zero responds with admiration but notices Zhang’s exhaustion and attempts to persuade him to rest.
• Zhang explains his thoughts about time and the limitations of knowledge, revealing a philosophical side to their conversation.
• While collaborating on the biosphere, Zhang and Zero share the satisfaction of creating a functioning ecosystem.
• Their final disagreement shows a contrast between Zhang’s detached experimental attitude and Zero’s concern for the lives within the newly created world.

Chapter Summary: “Creating Life Was Nothing Special”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Tianran releases his artificially created Aliens, humans, animals, and plants into a ruined world, allowing them to develop without his interference.
• Centuries later, the ecosystem has stabilized:
  • The Aliens survive in hiding rather than dominating the planet.
  • Humans develop a primitive civilization while struggling against monsters.
  • Herbivorous animals enhanced with Kryptonian genes become humanity’s strongest competitors and even prey on Aliens.
  • Some species disappear, while others multiply.
• Zhang Tianran briefly studies the humans’ language and culture but becomes disappointed that they are unlike the humans he remembers. He leaves without guiding or controlling them.
• While traveling with Zero, he explains that creating life was merely a passing interest. He neither views his creations as test subjects nor feels responsible for raising them.
• In Heaven, Amenadiel praises Zhang Tianran’s achievement and explains that true life creation involves forming souls, something supposedly possible only for beings on the level of his father.
• Zhang admits he does not understand the source of his ability to create souls. He chooses not to dwell on the mystery, focusing instead on the present.
• Zhang informs Amenadiel that his task is complete and leaves Heaven quickly, wary of Amenadiel’s immense power and acknowledging that he would have less than a thirty percent chance of escaping a direct conflict.
• He returns to the Speed Force Space, sleeps, eats a lavish breakfast prepared by Zero, and considers wandering aimlessly through other worlds.
• The chapter ends with Zero announcing that she is ready to become a pure energy life-form.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran: Demonstrates increasing detachment from his creations and from ordinary human concerns. He views life creation as effortless and treats his creations’ futures as independent of him. His caution around Amenadiel shows that, despite his enormous abilities, he remains aware of threats stronger than himself.
• Zero: Becomes more curious about Zhang’s motives, questioning his lack of concern for the beings he creates. By the end, she makes a major personal decision to transform into a pure energy being, suggesting an important evolution in her nature.
• Amenadiel: Shows admiration and envy toward Zhang’s ability to create complete living beings, particularly beings possessing souls. Although he is now the God of his universe, he recognizes that he has inherited power rather than reached the level of his father.

Significant Themes

• Creation versus responsibility: The chapter questions whether creating life obligates the creator to guide, protect, or nurture it. Zhang rejects that responsibility, seeing his creations as independent beings.
• The nature of life and the soul: Biological construction alone is presented as insufficient; a soul is what makes a being truly complete.
• Detachment and morality: Zhang’s indifference toward his creations contrasts with the immense consequences of his actions, raising questions about whether his neutrality is wisdom, irresponsibility, or emotional distance.
• Power and uncertainty: Even powerful beings such as Amenadiel remain limited compared with higher entities. Zhang’s unexplained ability to create souls also emphasizes the mysteries surrounding his own powers.
• Transcending humanity: Zhang’s altered nature, immunity to poison, and growing detachment suggest that he is moving further away from ordinary human identity.

Character Interactions

• Zhang and Zero: Zero challenges Zhang’s attitude toward his creations, while Zhang explains his philosophy of noninterference. Their relationship remains cooperative, but Zero’s questions reveal growing independence and curiosity.
• Zhang and Amenadiel: Amenadiel praises Zhang and discusses the significance of souls and godhood. Zhang remains modest about his abilities but keeps his distance because he considers Amenadiel dangerous.
• Zhang and his creations: Though he gives them freedom and the chance to develop, Zhang intentionally avoids becoming their protector, teacher, or ruler.

Chapter Summary: “Evolution into an Energy Lifeform”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zero firmly decides to abandon her human-like existence and evolve into an energy lifeform, despite Zhang Tianran’s warning that she will never again possess a truly biological body.
• Zhang Tianran grants permission and agrees to provide her with the Speed Force as her energy origin. This will allow her to retain the potential to become a Speedster.
• He warns Zero that using his Speed Force will permanently link her power to him: she can never surpass him, and he can remove her abilities whenever he wishes.
• Zero accepts these conditions, explaining that her only wish is to help Zhang Tianran and remain by his side.
• Zero leaves her physical body and enters the Speed Force Space as a soul. Her abandoned body transforms into a blue crystal doll.
• During the transformation, Zero’s soul cracks and eventually shatters, becoming silver-white lightning. The process succeeds, turning her into an energy-based existence powered by the Speed Force.
• Zero absorbs a large amount of Speed Force before returning to her former body. Though she looks unchanged, the body is now merely a shell rather than an essential part of her existence.
• She struggles to move in the body, prompting Zhang Tianran to explain that she must gradually adapt to her new state.

Character Developments

• Zero demonstrates unwavering loyalty and devotion to Zhang Tianran. She willingly sacrifices a natural body and accepts permanent dependence on him in exchange for the ability to remain useful to him.
• Her transformation resolves a private insecurity: she discovers that she truly possesses a soul rather than being merely a programmed artificial intelligence.
• Zero gains a vastly more powerful and flexible existence as an energy lifeform, though she temporarily loses physical coordination and must relearn how to interact with her body.
• Zhang Tianran reveals a rare reluctance to alter someone so fundamentally. Although he prefers normal humans, he ultimately respects Zero’s decision and supports her transformation.
• He also acts cautiously and protectively, limiting the Speed Force he provides so that Zero will not be overwhelmed.

Significant Themes

• Identity and consciousness: Zero’s discovery that she has a genuine soul confirms that her identity is more than programming or machinery.
• Transformation and sacrifice: Becoming an energy lifeform grants Zero greater power but costs her the possibility of having a true biological body.
• Loyalty and dependence: Zero willingly binds her future to Zhang Tianran, showing that devotion can outweigh independence and personal advancement.
• Birth and rebirth: The shattering of Zero’s soul and her emergence as living lightning are portrayed as a second birth.
• Power and control: The Speed Force gives Zero extraordinary potential while ensuring that Zhang Tianran retains ultimate authority over her abilities.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Tianran repeatedly warns Zero about the consequences of her choice, while Zero calmly reaffirms her decision.
• Their conversation emphasizes mutual trust: Zhang Tianran does not force her to remain human, and Zero accepts his control without resentment.
• During the transformation, Zhang Tianran can only provide energy and observe, highlighting both the danger of the process and Zero’s need to endure it herself.
• Afterward, he encourages her to adapt patiently, treating her like a newborn despite her preserved memories and personality.

Chapter Summary: “Body Modification”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zero rapidly adapts to her newly formed body, despite initially finding it strange because it is not her original physical form.
• Zhang Tianran explains that Zero’s existence is unusual: she began as data, later gained a soul, and has now become an energy-based lifeform composed largely of the Speed Force.
• Zero’s transformation has strengthened her connection to Zhang Tianran. Because he is the master of the Speed Force, he can potentially control every aspect of her.
• Zhang Tianran remains suspicious of the mysterious Speed Force Space, even though it now exists within his body and obeys his control. He fears it may contain unknown dangers or disappear unexpectedly.
• Using the three Mother Boxes, Zhang Tianran begins constructing a stronger body for Zero.
• He modifies Zero’s body so that its cells can contain the Speed Force, but carefully excludes its temporal power. Zero lacks the control necessary to safely wield the Speed Force’s time-related abilities.
• After the transformation, Zero fuses completely with the enhanced body. Her strength, defenses, and abilities approach Zhang Tianran’s level, making her capable of assisting him against powerful enemies.
• Zhang Tianran reshapes the Mother Boxes into a necklace and two bracelets without significantly altering their technology.
• He also prepares a feather from Lucifer’s daughter’s wings, choosing it over the Archangel Blade because it is easier to modify and can harm energy-based beings.
• The chapter ends with Zhang Tianran handing the modified items to Zero, who understands that she is expected to complete the remaining work herself.

Character Developments

• Zero gains a powerful physical form and becomes far more capable in combat. She demonstrates strong adaptability, quickly learning to control her new body despite its drastic changes.
• Zero’s identity is clarified: she was not created as a soul by Zhang Tianran’s influence, but possessed one before receiving a body. Her evolution has taken her from data, to a soul-bearing entity, to an energy-based lifeform.
• Zhang Tianran acts as Zero’s guide and creator-like protector, carefully managing the amount and nature of the Speed Force she receives. His control over the Speed Force establishes him as fundamentally superior to Zero.
• Zhang Tianran’s distrust and caution are emphasized. Despite controlling the Speed Force Space, he does not fully understand it and remains prepared for possible betrayal or disappearance.

Significant Themes

• Identity and embodiment: Zero struggles with the distinction between her true self and her physical form, raising questions about whether a body defines personhood.
• Evolution through transformation: Zero’s development from data to soul to energy-being reflects continual growth beyond ordinary biological limitations.
• Power and control: Zhang Tianran’s mastery of the Speed Force gives him authority over Zero, while Zero must learn to control the immense power within her.
• Trust and uncertainty: Zhang Tianran’s suspicion of the Speed Force Space shows that even overwhelming power cannot eliminate uncertainty or fear of hidden consequences.
• Technology and magic-like power: The Mother Boxes, Speed Force, and supernatural materials are combined pragmatically, with the characters exploiting tools they do not fully understand.

Character Interactions

• Zero openly shares her confusion and excitement with Zhang Tianran as she experiences her new body.
• Zhang Tianran reassures her and explains the dangers of her condition, treating her as someone still developing.
• The two work together closely to modify the Mother Boxes and transform Zero’s body.
• Zero cooperates with Zhang Tianran’s guidance, recognizing that her control over the Speed Force is weaker than his.
• Their relationship becomes even more interconnected, both physically through the Speed Force and functionally through Zhang Tianran’s role in Zero’s transformation.

Chapter Summary: “This Is a Broken World”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In a ruined desert world devastated by Apokolips, Batman, Joker, and Martian Manhunter travel through the wasteland while searching for a possible source of hope.
• Batman and Joker clash verbally. Batman restrains himself from attacking, but his anger is close to overcoming his self-control. Martian Manhunter observes without intervening.
• A portal opens, bringing Zhang Tianran and Zero into the world. They have been traveling between parallel universes and have just escaped another dangerous encounter.
• Zero confirms that this universe contains all three Mother Boxes, which are currently controlled by Darkseid. Darkseid is also searching for the Anti-Life Equation.
• Batman and Martian Manhunter become suspicious of Zhang Tianran and Zero, fearing that they may seek the Anti-Life Equation for themselves. Zhang claims he only wants to study it and has no intention of harming the already-ruined world.
• Zhang locates someone hidden within the timeline and forcibly pulls Flash—Barry Allen—out of it.
• Batman is shocked to see Barry, while Joker briefly displays genuine fear.
• Zhang explains that Barry succeeded in changing history, but altered the history of another parallel universe rather than restoring this one. Barry’s time travel has created or affected multiple timelines, making it difficult even for Zhang to identify the correct one.
• Physically exhausted and emotionally devastated, Barry realizes that his attempt to fix everything has apparently failed and is barely able to stand.

Character Developments

• Batman: Remains committed to the group’s mission but is visibly worn down by the world’s despair. His confrontation with Joker shows how close he is to abandoning his usual emotional restraint. The appearance of Barry rekindles his hope, though Zhang’s intervention immediately complicates matters.
• Joker: Continues provoking Batman as a way of coping with the broken world. Despite acting detached and playing with cards, he has begun to hate the world’s cruelty. Zhang’s ability to extract Barry from the timeline briefly frightens him, revealing that his apparent composure is not absolute.
• Martian Manhunter: Acts as a quiet observer and protector. He remains cautious toward Zhang and Zero, but accepts that he may have little chance of surviving a confrontation after enduring so much devastation.
• Zhang Tianran: Appears powerful, casual, and unconcerned with the ruined world. He treats interdimensional travel and timeline manipulation almost playfully, viewing the Anti-Life Equation as an object of study rather than a moral or existential threat.
• Zero: Serves as the more cautious and informed partner. She worries about the dangers of traveling without precise coordinates and uses her modified Mother Box to investigate the universe. Her caution contrasts with Zhang’s reckless confidence.
• Flash/Barry Allen: Emerges traumatized, exhausted, and confused. He learns that his attempt to change history succeeded only by creating consequences in another universe, leaving him uncertain whether his mission has accomplished anything.

Significant Themes

• Despair and moral exhaustion: The devastated world has eroded the characters’ patience, restraint, and hope.
• Hope amid ruin: Batman and the others continue searching for a way forward despite believing the world may already be beyond saving.
• The consequences of changing history: Barry’s time travel illustrates that altering the past does not necessarily restore the desired future; it may instead create another damaged reality.
• Parallel worlds and uncertainty: The existence of countless timelines makes identity, history, and salvation increasingly difficult to define.
• Control versus chaos: Batman struggles to control his anger, while Joker embraces emotional provocation and Zhang casually manipulates worlds and timelines.

Important Character Interactions

• Batman and Joker: Their antagonistic exchange reflects both their enduring conflict and their shared psychological deterioration.
• Batman and Zhang: Batman remains wary but recognizes that Zhang’s arrival could provide a new possibility for survival.
• Martian Manhunter and Zhang/Zero: Martian Manhunter directly challenges their motives, preparing to fight despite understanding that he is likely outmatched.
• Zhang and Zero: Their conversation highlights the difference between Zhang’s arrogance and Zero’s caution.
• Batman and Flash: Barry’s sudden appearance shocks Batman and briefly suggests that the past might have been changed successfully.
• Joker and Flash’s arrival: Joker’s momentary fear reveals that Zhang’s power unsettles even him.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Tianran announces that he has come to help the survivors defeat Darkseid, but the battle-hardened survivors—including Batman and Flash—remain suspicious and refuse to trust him.
• Martian Manhunter senses Superman’s arrival. Superman appears under Darkseid’s control, with glowing red eyes and an aggressive presence.
• Batman prepares Kryptonite, but Superman attacks Zhang Tianran first with Heat Vision.
• Zhang effortlessly overwhelms Superman, moving so quickly that even Flash—while using the Speed Force—can barely perceive him. This confirms that Zhang possesses an extraordinarily advanced form of speed rather than an unrelated power.
• Zhang investigates Superman’s mind and discovers traces of the Anti-Life Equation. He realizes that Superman has already been freed from Darkseid’s control, but Lois Lane’s death has left him emotionally shattered and unwilling to live.
• Zhang identifies two possible responses to devastating trauma: rage-driven resistance or complete despair. Superman has fallen into the latter state.
• Deciding that Superman is effectively beyond saving, Zhang gives him to Batman and leaves. He remains interested in defeating Darkseid because of Darkseid’s dangerous erasure-related power, but he becomes wary of the Anti-Life Equation because it is composed of intensely negative emotions.
• After Zhang departs, Zero secretly uses the Archangel Blade on Superman. Superman’s lifeless eyes regain a faint trace of vitality, suggesting that Zero has begun restoring or altering his condition.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran: Attempts to imitate a superhero by offering help, though he recognizes that he is not naturally suited to the role. He displays overwhelming speed and power, calmly defeats Superman, and probes his mind for information. His decision to spare Superman reveals a limited willingness to help others, but he remains detached from the survivors and primarily motivated by his personal grudge against Darkseid.
• Superman: Initially appears as Darkseid’s controlled weapon, but Zhang discovers that the Anti-Life Equation’s influence has already been removed. Superman is instead trapped in profound despair following Lois Lane’s death, having lost both his will to resist and his desire to live.
• Flash: Is stunned by Zhang’s speed and realizes that Zhang’s power is connected to the Speed Force, though at a far more advanced level. This confirms Flash’s growing recognition that Zhang is operating on a completely different level from the heroes.
• Batman: Reacts cautiously by preparing Kryptonite. He witnesses Zhang’s effortless defeat of Superman and receives Superman from Zhang, though he has little understanding of Zhang’s motives.
• Zero: Initially comments that Superman cannot truly be saved, but later acts independently by using the Archangel Blade on him. Her intervention implies that she may possess a way to revive or repair Superman.
• Martian Manhunter: Serves as the first to detect Superman’s approach and warns the others.

Significant Themes

• Trauma and despair: Superman’s collapse demonstrates that emotional devastation can be more destructive than physical control. Even after Darkseid’s influence is removed, grief can leave a person empty and powerless.
• The burden of power: Zhang fears the consequences of losing control because his power could destroy entire universes, suggesting that immense strength requires emotional restraint.
• Heroism versus detachment: Zhang tries to “play superhero,” but his indifference toward the survivors contrasts sharply with traditional heroic compassion.
• Negative emotions as corruption: The Anti-Life Equation is portrayed as a force built from despair, hatred, and other destructive emotions. Zhang is interested in understanding it but fears becoming contaminated by it.
• Trust and alienation: The survivors cannot accept Zhang’s claim that he wants to help, reflecting how prolonged suffering has destroyed their ability to trust outsiders.

Character Interactions

• Zhang reassures the survivors, but Batman, Flash, and the others remain distrustful.
• Martian Manhunter alerts the group to Superman’s arrival.
• Superman attacks Zhang, who immediately subdues him and examines his mental state.
• Flash and Batman discuss Zhang’s unbelievable speed, with Flash admitting that he could not follow Zhang even through Speed Mode.
• Zhang explains Superman’s condition indirectly by calling him “useless” and handing him over to Batman.
• Flash continues calling out to Superman after his defeat, showing greater emotional concern than Zhang.
• Zero later acts without explanation, cutting Superman with the Archangel Blade and apparently reigniting a spark of life in him.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zero uses the Archangel Blade to cut Superman, whose overwhelming negative emotions and murderous despair had been controlling him. The weapon’s holy power drives away much of the darkness within him, allowing his survival instinct and consciousness to return.
• Upon awakening, Superman first calls for Lois, then remembers her death and everything Darkseid has done. His grief and anger transform into a clear desire for revenge.
• Batman and the others are relieved, since Superman’s return restores hope to the devastated Earth.
• Outside Darkseid’s ship, Zhang Tianran and Zero discuss Superman’s condition. Zero believes this Superman can still be saved, unlike the ruined Superman from another universe.
• Zero worries about confronting this universe’s Darkseid, especially because he possesses the Anti-Life Equation and previously injured Zhang Tianran. She asks to fight Darkseid herself so she can test her combat abilities.
• Zhang refuses to let her fight alone but agrees that they can battle together. They invade Darkseid’s ship, expecting to find him.
• Inside, they discover three operational Mother Boxes maintaining a spatial gate. Steppenwolf attacks, but Zero instantly kills him with the Archangel Blade, which Zhang considers excessive.
• Zero removes the Mother Boxes. They begin merging defensively, but the magical technology on Zero’s bracelets and necklace suppresses them. The spatial gate collapses, cutting off Darkseid’s escape route.
• Darkseid is absent, confirming that he has already left. Zhang explains that Darkseid normally requires external means to travel through space, so taking the Mother Boxes limits his options.
• Zero eliminates every remaining soldier aboard the ship and downloads its stored information, but finds little useful intelligence about Darkseid.
• Zhang and Zero decide to travel to Apokolips and raid Darkseid’s home while he is away.

Character Developments

• Superman: Regains control of himself after the Archangel Blade purges some of his negative emotions. His sorrow over Lois remains, but it becomes focused determination to avenge her rather than uncontrolled despair.
• Zero: Demonstrates compassion toward Superman and confidence in her growing strength. Her concern over Zhang’s previous injury reveals her emotional attachment to him, while her request to lead the fight shows her desire for independence and combat experience.
• Zhang Tianran: Acts more cautiously than during his previous encounter with Darkseid. He recognizes the danger posed by Darkseid’s mysterious eye rays and prioritizes cutting off his escape route before pursuing him. He also acknowledges Zero as a capable partner rather than keeping her out of the battle.
• Darkseid: Although absent, he remains the central threat. His Anti-Life Equation, mysterious attack, and ability to escape before the invasion make him difficult to assess.
• Steppenwolf: Appears to have regained his position and increased strength on Apokolips, but is immediately overwhelmed and killed by Zero.

Significant Themes

• Hope emerging from despair: Superman’s recovery shows that even someone consumed by grief and rage can regain agency.
• The purifying power of light: Angelic weapons are tied to God’s nature and symbolically banish darkness, hatred, and negative emotions.
• Caution versus recklessness: Zhang reflects on his previous impulsiveness and chooses to gather intelligence and restrict Darkseid’s mobility before confronting him.
• Trust and partnership: Zhang and Zero balance one another, combining caution, power, and mutual concern.
• Rarity and value: Zhang evaluates the Mother Boxes according to their existence across parallel worlds, revealing his belief that an object’s worth depends partly on its uniqueness.
• Raiding enemy territory: The chapter shifts from rescue and defense to an offensive campaign against Darkseid on Apokolips.

Character Interactions

• Zero saves Superman despite Zhang’s belief that one Superman is not especially important, highlighting her compassion.
• Zero’s concern for Zhang’s safety prompts her to request the battle against Darkseid, while Zhang responds by allowing her to fight beside him rather than alone.
• Zhang and Zero cooperate efficiently during the invasion: Zhang assesses the situation and strategic risks, while Zero handles the ship’s enemies and secures the Mother Boxes.
• Their casual disregard for Steppenwolf’s corpse emphasizes the overwhelming difference between their power and that of Darkseid’s subordinates.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Tianran and Zero secretly invade Apokolips while Darkseid is away, exploiting the planet’s confusion as its forces prepare to attack Earth.
• Zhang loots Darkseid’s treasury, storing valuable artifacts in the Speed Force Space. Meanwhile, Zero infiltrates Apokolips’s heavily protected database and steals technological knowledge and intelligence.
• Zero discovers Darkseid’s history but finds no evidence of the special power Zhang is seeking. She concludes that an unusual altar-like structure may be connected to it.
• Using three Mother Boxes, Zero activates the structure and unexpectedly summons Darkseid back to Apokolips.
• Zhang immediately attacks Darkseid, even stopping time to gain the advantage. However, Darkseid breaks through the stopped time using a powerful energy.
• Apokolips’s inhabitants respond by attacking Zhang, but Zero creates numerous clones armed with simulated Archangel Blades and battles them alone.
• Zhang fights Darkseid while avoiding his gaze. Darkseid’s mysterious energy protects him, breaks through temporal restrictions, and attempts to invade Zhang’s body.
• Zhang recognizes the energy as a power resembling that of the Anti-Monitor and identifies it as the Anti-Life Equation.
• Overwhelmed by Zhang’s attacks and with his forces nearly defeated by Zero, Darkseid abandons his dignity and offers to surrender the Anti-Life Equation in exchange for his life.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran remains confident, ruthless, and opportunistic. He treats Apokolips’s defenses and army as insignificant while focusing on obtaining rare powers and resources.
• His curiosity increases when Darkseid demonstrates the ability to resist stopped time, prompting Zhang to investigate rather than immediately destroy him.
• Zero proves highly capable and efficient, defeating Apokolips’s digital security, stealing its knowledge, activating the mysterious altar, and holding off its army through multiple combat clones.
• Darkseid is portrayed as powerful but vulnerable when confronted by an opponent vastly beyond him. His desperation ultimately leads him to sacrifice the Anti-Life Equation to survive.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and arrogance: Apokolips’s status as a universal superpower means little against Zhang and Zero.
• Knowledge and preparation: Zero’s technological infiltration and Zhang’s strategic investigation allow them to uncover secrets without triggering an immediate planetary response.
• Power versus survival: Darkseid’s willingness to surrender the Anti-Life Equation shows that even a tyrant will abandon ultimate power when faced with death.
• Mystery and discovery: The altar, Mother Boxes, and Anti-Life Equation introduce deeper questions about Darkseid’s origins and the hidden forces influencing this universe.
• Control and resistance: The Anti-Life Equation’s ability to affect time and invade others contrasts with the Speed Force, which completely shields Zhang from its influence.

Character Interactions

• Zhang and Zero operate as a coordinated team: Zhang raids the treasury and confronts Darkseid, while Zero handles espionage and the surrounding army.
• Zero reports her discoveries to Zhang and follows his decision to activate the altar despite the uncertainty.
• Zhang attacks and humiliates Darkseid immediately after his summoning, forcing him into a defensive struggle.
• Darkseid’s forces attempt to protect their king, but Zero intercepts and defeats them.
• The chapter ends with Darkseid directly pleading with Zhang, offering the Anti-Life Equation in exchange for mercy.

Chapter Summary

• Plot and events: Zhang Tianran reflects on the connection between the Anti-Life Equation and the Antimatter Universe, recalling his earlier involvement in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Intrigued by the Equation’s ability to affect time, he attacks the Anti-Monitor and restrains him with the Speed Force before forcibly extracting the Anti-Life Equation from Darkseid.
• Zhang analyzes the Equation by reciting the emotions associated with it, causing Darkseid to realize that he has no realistic chance of survival. The Equation is eventually removed completely and sealed inside a heavily reinforced Speed Force cage.
• Rather than killing Darkseid, Zhang binds and immobilizes him, offering to spare his life if he answers questions. He investigates Darkseid’s eye beams as a possible explanation for Zhang’s previous injury, but discovers that their planet-destroying power is insufficient. This leads him to conclude that the damaging force likely came from outside Darkseid’s body.
• Zero arrives and reports that Apokolips’s enemies have been defeated. She suggests that someone has noticed Zhang’s presence and that they may need allies. Zhang remains uncertain, while Darkseid realizes that Apokolips has been destroyed for reasons beyond his understanding.

Character developments

• Zhang Tianran demonstrates overwhelming confidence and increasing curiosity about unfamiliar powers. He is cautious despite his superiority, carefully sealing the Anti-Life Equation and restraining Darkseid before questioning him. His inability to identify the source of his earlier injury leaves him frustrated and wary.
• Darkseid shifts from desperate resistance to resignation, then regains hope when Zhang offers him a chance to live. He experiences humiliation and resentment but cooperates honestly. His realization that Apokolips was destroyed as collateral damage emphasizes his loss of control.
• Zero acts as a perceptive strategist, recognizing that an outside force has noticed Zhang and recommending the search for allies.
• Themes: The chapter explores the pursuit and containment of dangerous power, the limits of apparent omnipotence, and the contrast between hope and despair. It also emphasizes uncertainty: even after defeating Darkseid and taking the Anti-Life Equation, Zhang cannot identify the true source of the power that injured him. Darkseid’s destruction illustrates the consequences of being caught in conflicts controlled by stronger forces.
• Character interactions: Zhang dominates Darkseid physically and psychologically, extracting the Equation while forcing him into cooperation. Their exchange changes from confrontation to a tense interrogation based on conditional mercy. Zhang and Zero discuss the larger threat and the possibility of alliances, while Darkseid listens helplessly and realizes that his world has become the unintended victim of a greater conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Tianran reveals to Darkseid that he comes from another universe and is targeting him because an alternate version of Darkseid nearly killed him. This world’s Darkseid is even stronger because he has already obtained the Anti-Life Equation.
• Although Darkseid insists that he is not responsible for the alternate timeline’s actions, Zhang refuses to explain further and admits that he is conducting an experiment.
• Using the Book of Destiny, Zhang creates a soulless duplicate of Darkseid. He then transfers Speed Force energy from a Speed Force Bomb into the duplicate, creating a powerful Speedster Darkseid.
• Zhang tells the original Darkseid that he can survive if he defeats the duplicate. He warns that the duplicate is currently stronger and that Darkseid must draw out all his potential.
• Zhang heals Darkseid’s injuries before leaving the restricted battlefield with Zero. The Speed Force seals the area, leaving only a narrow opening.
• The battle begins, but the Speed Force-enhanced duplicate overwhelms the original Darkseid almost immediately. Their brutal fight is largely a contest of raw strength rather than technique.
• Zero mocks the battle, comparing it unfavorably to animals fighting. Zhang explains that the overwhelming advantage comes from the Speed Force, even though he used only a fraction of the energy taken from Barry Allen when Barry had just become the Flash.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran is portrayed as calm, detached, and pragmatic. He treats Darkseid’s possible death as part of an experiment, yet he also keeps his promise by healing Darkseid and clearly stating the conditions for survival.
• Zhang’s reluctance to ask the Speed Force for help hints at complicated feelings or an unresolved history, despite his generally positive relationship with the Speed Force from Flash’s world.
• Darkseid experiences unusual humiliation and helplessness. Although furious, he refuses to surrender and immediately seeks a way to survive, demonstrating his pride, resilience, and refusal to accept defeat.
• Zero has grown dramatically stronger after becoming an energy being. Her destruction of Apokolips establishes her immense power, and her mocking commentary shows her increasingly casual attitude toward overwhelming combat ability.
• The duplicate Darkseid has Darkseid’s appearance and abilities but no soul or independent will. Its lack of hesitation makes it a frighteningly efficient fighter.

Significant Themes

• Survival through strength: Darkseid is forced to prove his right to live by defeating a stronger version of himself.
• Identity and replication: The soulless duplicate raises questions about whether power and appearance are enough to constitute the same person.
• Power imbalance: The chapter emphasizes how drastically the Speed Force changes combat, making even a mighty being like Darkseid appear almost helpless.
• Detachment and experimentation: Zhang views cosmic conflict through an experimental lens, showing how extreme power can distance someone from ordinary moral concerns.
• Cause and responsibility: Darkseid is punished for the actions of another version of himself, highlighting the complexity of alternate timelines and parallel identities.

Character Interactions

• Zhang calmly explains his motives to Darkseid, while Darkseid tries to reason with him and preserve his life.
• Zhang gives Darkseid a conditional promise of survival, creating a tense arrangement in which Darkseid must fight for his freedom.
• Zero and Zhang observe the battle together, with Zero criticizing the primitive nature of the fight and Zhang acknowledging that his use of the Speed Force has made the contest excessively one-sided.
• Their exchange also reveals Zhang’s technical knowledge of the Speed Force and Zero’s curiosity about its unusual silver-white appearance.

Chapter Summary: “Do You Want to See Iris Again?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Tianran withdraws the Speed Force enhancement from his replicated Darkseid, allowing the real Darkseid and his duplicate to fight on relatively equal terms.
• Darkseid ultimately loses. His final attack against Zhang Tianran fails because Zhang has altered the surrounding space, preventing it from reaching him.
• Zhang’s replica survives despite severe damage, but Zhang dismisses it after determining it is no longer useful. He also refuses to preserve Darkseid’s corpse for research.
• Apokolips is left in ruins, so Zhang returns to Earth.
• On Earth, Superman’s return inspires the survivors to fight back against the Parademon invasion. The Resistance Army, despite its losses, is highly unified—even Batman and the Joker have temporarily cooperated.
• Flash fights with unusual brutality, killing both Parademons and human collaborators without hesitation. Superman is similarly devastating, using Heat Vision and freezing attacks to destroy large numbers of enemies.
• Zhang visits Batman in the command center and asks about the Joker. Batman claims he sent him to the front lines, but Zero cannot locate him.
• Zhang warns Batman to kill the Joker if he reappears and informs him that Darkseid and Apokolips have been dealt with. Batman trusts the announcement and spreads the news to the other heroes to restore hope and stability.
• Zhang later finds Flash resting after battle. He reveals that he knows Iris was killed and offers Flash the chance to meet an Iris from another universe—one whose world was overrun by zombies and whose version of Flash died fighting them.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran: Demonstrates overwhelming control over space, the Speed Force, and his creations. Though disappointed that Darkseid yielded nothing valuable, he remains calm and calculating. He also shows a more personal side by admiring Flash and offering him an alternative to timeline tampering.
• Darkseid: Fights independently after losing the Speed Force enhancement but is ultimately defeated and killed. His final desperate attack proves ineffective against Zhang.
• Flash/Barry Allen: His grief over Iris’s death has transformed him into a ruthless and emotionally unstable fighter. Zhang’s revelation exposes the pain beneath his violent behavior and presents him with a potentially dangerous emotional temptation.
• Superman: His return greatly strengthens the resistance. He becomes one of the battle’s dominant forces and helps turn the tide against Apokolips.
• Batman: Continues to conceal information about the Joker but accepts Zhang’s announcement and uses it to reassure the surviving heroes and civilians.
• Joker: Remains missing, suggesting that Batman may be hiding something or that the Joker is pursuing his own agenda.

Significant Themes

• Grief and emotional desperation: Flash’s violence is portrayed as an expression of unresolved grief over Iris.
• Hope after catastrophe: Superman’s return and Zhang’s news about Darkseid give the exhausted survivors a reason to believe the war may finally be ending.
• Moral ambiguity: Heroes and villains cooperate when necessary, while Flash kills indiscriminately and Batman continues protecting or concealing the Joker.
• Alternate realities and identity: Zhang’s offer involving another Iris raises questions about whether a counterpart from another universe can truly replace someone lost.
• Control versus free will: Zhang repeatedly manipulates powerful beings and circumstances, yet claims that Flash’s decision about Iris is entirely his own.
• The danger of timeline disruption: Zhang’s offer is partly motivated by a desire to prevent Flash from recklessly altering history.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang and Darkseid: Their conflict ends with Zhang effortlessly nullifying Darkseid’s final attack and disposing of the defeated god.
• Zhang and Batman: Zhang questions Batman about the Joker, warns him about the Joker’s potential danger, and announces Apokolips’s defeat. Batman chooses to trust him.
• Batman and the Resistance: Batman spreads Zhang’s news to Superman, Flash, and the other survivors to strengthen morale.
• Zhang and Flash: Zhang praises Flash’s battlefield performance, then deliberately provokes his grief by mentioning Iris. He offers Flash the chance to meet an alternate version of her, framing the proposal as both goodwill and a way to prevent dangerous timeline interference.

Chapter Summary: “The Key to the Problem... Is the Negative Speed Force”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Flash struggles with Iris’s death and the temptation to alter the timeline. He understands that changing history could create even worse consequences, especially after witnessing the disastrous possibilities of alternate timelines.
• Zhang Tianran offers Flash a chance to travel with him to another world, insisting that he has no ulterior motive. Flash remains suspicious but eventually agrees, asking to stay behind for several months to help finish the ongoing war.
• Zhang Tianran accepts and plans to return for Flash later. He intends to use the waiting period to handle unresolved matters in the Speed Force Space.
• Zhang Tianran and Zero examine Reverse-Flash’s memories to discover information that might help them understand or complete their own future plans.
• Reverse-Flash’s memories are highly fragmented because his timeline has been repeatedly altered and affected by paradoxes. Although Zhang Tianran reviews his history—including his acquisition of the Speed Force, rivalry with Flash, and timeline battles—he finds no immediately useful information.
• Zhang initially concludes that Reverse-Flash misled him and that the memories contain no answer. Zero then realizes that the important clue is not in Reverse-Flash’s memories, but in his sensations and connection to the Negative Speed Force.
• Zero begins examining the Negative Speed Force directly, allowing its energy to manifest around her and altering her appearance. Zhang warns her not to go too far, fearing he may be unable to rescue her.

Character Developments

• Flash has become more cautious and mature. Once willing to consider changing history, he now understands the dangers of tampering with the timeline and refuses to be manipulated. Despite his grief over Iris, he remains committed to helping his current world.
• Zhang Tianran continues to act independently and pragmatically. He respects Flash’s abilities and offers him freedom rather than forcing cooperation. His reluctance to use his enhanced mental abilities also reveals discomfort with becoming too detached or inhuman.
• Zero demonstrates intelligence, loyalty, and initiative. She helps analyze Reverse-Flash’s memories and identifies the importance of the Negative Speed Force when Zhang cannot. Her willingness to investigate it shows confidence, though it also places her at risk.
• Reverse-Flash, though absent in the present events, is portrayed as a tragic but ultimately limited Speedster whose chaotic history provides less useful knowledge than expected.

Significant Themes

• The dangers of altering time: The chapter emphasizes that changing tragedy may produce consequences far worse than the original event.
• Acceptance versus interference: Flash must live with Iris’s death rather than risk destroying the world by reversing it.
• Limits of knowledge and power: Even Zhang Tianran’s immense abilities cannot immediately reveal the answer; raw strength may prevent him from perceiving subtle differences.
• The nature of the Negative Speed Force: It is presented as more than merely a darker version of the Speed Force. Its unique sensations and connection to negative emotions may hold the key to solving the larger mystery.
• Trust and cooperation: Flash cautiously agrees to work with Zhang, while Zhang and Zero cooperate closely despite the dangers involved.

Character Interactions

• Flash and Zhang negotiate cautiously: Flash demands to know Zhang’s motives, while Zhang reassures him and offers him a choice. Their exchange shows growing mutual respect, though Flash remains guarded.
• Zhang and Zero work together to investigate Reverse-Flash’s memories. Zhang prefers to analyze them personally because he is more sensitive to the Speed Force, while Zero supports him and later uncovers the crucial insight.
• Zhang becomes protective when Zero enters the Negative Speed Force, warning her not to lose control. Zero responds confidently, claiming that her lack of conventional negative emotions allows her to manage it safely.

Chapter Summary: “I Only Need to Strive Toward That Future”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zero explains that Reverse-Flash understood the Negative Speed Force better than anyone, yet his copied memories contain no complete information about it because memories do not include all of a person’s thoughts.
• The Negative Speed Force within Zero begins strengthening and behaving strangely. When Zhang Tianran tries to restrain it, he senses that it is resisting his control.
• Zero reveals that the Negative Speed Force can gradually erode and consume the Speed Force. Zhang realizes this resembles a form of “cancer” within the Speed Force system—something that exists inside the body but can become uncontrollable and destructive.
• Zhang discovers that the Negative Speed Force has appeared within his own Speed Force Space. Although it is foreign and dangerous, he finds relief in finally confronting a known threat rather than endlessly fearing unknown disasters.
• Zhang successfully controls and withdraws the Negative Speed Force without suffering emotional corruption. However, he decides not to use it unless absolutely necessary because its influence remains too dangerous.
• He concludes that Reverse-Flash’s true objective was likely to use the Negative Speed Force to damage Flash, alter Flash’s connection to the Speed Force, and ultimately seize part of the Speed Force to escape his existing identity and gain further growth.
• Zhang rejects any cooperation with Reverse-Flash, believing negotiation with the Speed Force would be safer and more reliable than attempting to invade or consume it.
• Zero asks whether Zhang’s past self could simply be given a fragment or “seed” of the Speed Force. Zhang explains that this is impossible because the Speed Force does not function according to ordinary cause and effect within a timeline.
• The chapter ends with Zhang acknowledging the mysteries surrounding his existence and the Speed Force. Despite having no clear hope for the future, he remains determined because his future self has already achieved what seems impossible.

Character Developments

• Zhang Tianran: He confronts a previously hidden fear and gains a clearer understanding of the Negative Speed Force. Rather than becoming paralyzed by danger, he feels calmer once the threat is identified and proves that he can control it. His reasoning also leads him to reject Reverse-Flash’s methods and reaffirm his own path toward the future.
• Zero: She uncovers crucial information about the Negative Speed Force and warns Zhang about its ability to consume the Speed Force. After realizing that her actions nearly endangered him, she becomes visibly concerned and regretful, revealing her emotional investment in his safety.
• Reverse-Flash: Though absent in person, he is characterized as an expert manipulator of the Negative Speed Force. His hatred of Flash is reframed as potentially serving a larger plan to seize the true Speed Force and escape his limitations.

Significant Themes

• Fear of the unknown versus fear of known danger: Zhang is more tormented by the possibility of unseen disasters than by an actual crisis. Once the Negative Speed Force is revealed, he feels unexpectedly relieved.
• Identity and self-determination: Reverse-Flash seeks to break free from his identity through destructive means, while Zhang refuses to follow that path and chooses to build toward the future he has already glimpsed.
• Cause and effect across time: The discussion emphasizes that timelines do not operate normally when the Speed Force is involved. Past and future selves cannot simply be supplied with what they need through ordinary temporal logic.
• Control versus corruption: The Negative Speed Force offers power but threatens to consume or distort the Speed Force. Zhang’s ability to control it demonstrates his strength, but his refusal to rely on it shows restraint.
• Hope despite uncertainty: Although Zhang believes he has no obvious hope, the existence of his future self proves that a successful path exists. His determination comes not from certainty, but from continuing toward that possible future.

Character Interactions

• Zhang and Zero: Their conversation drives the chapter. Zero provides the essential warning about the Negative Speed Force, while Zhang tests its effects and analyzes Reverse-Flash’s intentions. Her concern after Zhang’s loss of control strengthens their bond.
• Zhang and Reverse-Flash: Their interaction is indirect, through Zhang’s examination of Reverse-Flash’s motives. Zhang recognizes the logic behind Reverse-Flash’s plan but ultimately rejects cooperation because of its danger.
• Zhang and the Speed Force: Zhang reflects on his unusual relationship with the Speed Force, which considers him its child. He acknowledges that both his own origins and the Speed Force’s origins remain mysterious, reinforcing the larger uncertainty surrounding his existence.

Chapter Summary: “Taking the Flash to Another Universe”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the Insurgency defeats Darkseid’s forces, Earth is left devastated. With Apokolipsians and Parademons gone, survivors begin rebuilding civilization under Batman’s leadership.
• Superman becomes a target of public hatred because he was once controlled by Apokolips, committed massacres, and is an alien. He does not defend or explain himself, instead withdrawing emotionally.
• The Flash becomes popular for his role in saving Earth, attracting admirers and followers. Uncomfortable with the attention, he is assigned to search ruined areas and locate survivors.
• Zhang Tianran appears before Barry Allen and asks whether he has decided to leave his world. Barry confirms that he will go, though he admits he cannot guarantee that he will avoid changing the timeline.
• Zhang opens a spatial rift and takes Barry to another universe. During the journey, he investigates the connection between Barry and the Speed Force.
• Zhang discovers that the Speed Force can extend into multiple universes. His consciousness enters a Speed Force realm, where the Speed Force appears in Diana’s form.
• The Speed Force explains that Barry’s departure will not harm it and may actually help it expand into the new universe. Zhang concludes that different Speed Forces are connected as parts of a larger whole rather than enemies that must merge or consume one another.

Character Developments

• Barry Allen/The Flash: Barry moves past his hesitation and accepts the risk of abandoning his familiar life. His awareness of the dangers of time travel shows caution, but his longing to change past tragedies—particularly those involving Iris—reveals his vulnerability to abusing his powers.
• Zhang Tianran: Zhang remains calculating and experimental. His primary reason for transporting Barry is not altruism but to test a theory about the Speed Force across universes. He gains important information from the experiment and quickly leaves once his objective is fulfilled.
• Superman: Superman is isolated and passive after the war. Although he helped save Earth, his alien nature and past actions make him a scapegoat, and he neither resists public hostility nor seeks redemption.
• Batman: Batman takes responsibility for organizing the survivors and rebuilding Earth, becoming a practical leader during the postwar crisis.
• The Speed Force: It is presented as a conscious, unified entity capable of interacting across universes. Its appearance as Diana suggests it may adopt a form familiar or meaningful to those who encounter it.

Significant Themes

• The aftermath of victory: Defeating a powerful enemy does not restore peace; survivors must deal with ruins, grief, resentment, and the loss of purpose.
• Alienation and scapegoating: Superman’s treatment shows how fear and prejudice can turn even a former hero into a hated outsider.
• Freedom versus responsibility: Barry’s ability to alter time offers him nearly limitless power, but the chapter emphasizes the danger of using that power to correct personal regrets.
• Exploration and experimentation: Zhang treats the multiverse and Speed Force as subjects of investigation, viewing Barry as a means to test cosmic theories.
• Expansion and interconnectedness: The Speed Force appears to transcend individual universes, suggesting that seemingly separate worlds are linked through a larger unified force.

Character Interactions

• Barry and Zhang: Their conversation centers on Barry’s decision to leave and his uncertainty about changing the timeline. Zhang reassures him only indirectly, then transports him through the dimensional rift.
• Zhang and the Speed Force: Zhang questions whether moving Barry will disrupt the Speed Force. The entity instead says Barry’s relocation benefits it, confirming Zhang’s theory about its ability to expand between worlds.
• Superman and the survivors: Although no direct confrontation occurs, the survivors’ hostility toward Superman highlights his growing separation from humanity.
• Batman and the Flash: Batman’s rebuilding efforts and his assignment for Barry show their practical working relationship, with Barry contributing to Earth’s recovery before departing.