Ch. 1Even Satan Has to Get You Tattooed on His Back
Summary: Even Satan Has to Get You Tattooed on His Back (Chapter 1)
1. Key Plot Points & Events
- Lu Xi, bored at night, jokes online: “A hanging painting needs one nail; Jesus needs two.” His comment goes viral with hell-themed replies.
- Satan, enraged by the joke (“Then you can be the Lord of Hell yourself!”), drags Lu Xi through his phone screen into a void.
- Lu Xi wakes up floating in low Earth orbit, drifting past a space station. Astronauts see him and are baffled—he survives vacuum and freezing temperatures.
- He starts falling toward Earth, burns up on re-entry, but feels no pain (only warmth), leaving him confused about whether he’s alive or dead.
- S.H.I.E.L.D. detects an unidentified object plummeting toward Earth; calculations show impact would equal a 140-ton TNT explosion (enough to destroy a city block). Maria Hill orders them to predict the impact point and prevent it from hitting the city center.
2. Character Developments
- Lu Xi: Transitions from a casually snarky internet user to a bewildered survivor. His instincts kick in (screaming for help, fearing death), but his unexplained invulnerability hints he may be more than human—or already changed.
- Satan: Appears only briefly, but his reaction shows he’s petty, vengeful, and has literal power over the internet/screen. His line (“I even have to get you tattooed on my back?”) is the inciting force.
- Maria Hill: Professional, no-nonsense, and quick to demand plain-language status updates. She becomes the authority figure reacting to Lu Xi’s supernatural arrival.
3. Significant Themes
- Internet cynicism vs. literal supernatural punishment: A harmless joke has extreme, cosmic consequences.
- Unexpected survival / body horror: Re-entry without burning alive suggests either death or transformation.
- Ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances: Lu Xi’s mundane life is abruptly shattered by supernatural forces.
- Imminent disaster / unknown threat: S.H.I.E.L.D. sees Lu Xi as a possible city-destroying projectile, not a person.
4. Character Interactions
- Lu Xi ↔ Internet commenters: Lighthearted, funny exchange that escalates when Satan literally responds.
- Lu Xi ↔ Satan: Brief, hostile—Satan pulls him through the screen while yelling.
- Lu Xi ↔ Astronauts: Non-verbal; they are astonished, he is desperate for rescue but can’t communicate in vacuum.
- SHIELD personnel ↔ Maria Hill: Tense, alarmed report; Hill’s leadership is tested as she demands actionable intel.
Note: The chapter ends on a cliffhanger—Lu Xi is still falling toward Earth, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is racing to intercept him.