Chapter Summaries

Wanda recovered and sealed the Darkhold, and Stephen and Wanda used Dreamwalking to reach Universe-813 in search of the Book of Vishanti. They found the Illuminati guarding it, who warned Stephen that his Dreamwalking threatened the Multiverse.

• Wanda gathered the Darkhold from the altar’s spells, sealed it, and asked Ava to deliver it to Tang.
• Ava brought the Darkhold to Apocalypse, who held off Dormammu in the time loop while Stephen used Dreamwalking to search for Universe-813.
• Stephen and Wanda reached Universe-813 and went to an underground passage where the Book of Vishanti was hidden.
• Captain Carter and the other members of the Illuminati confronted them, warning that Doctor Strange’s earlier Dreamwalking had destroyed a parallel universe.
• Professor X called Stephen and his parallel-universe counterparts a greater threat to the Multiverse than Thanos, but Wanda urged Stephen to get the Book of Vishanti for Tang.

Wanda and Stephen defeated the Illuminati of Universe-813 without killing them and obtained the Book of Vishanti at Apocalypse's direction. They returned to Universe-616 with both the Book of Vishanti and the Darkhold, sending righteous and evil energy into the sky.

• Wanda trapped Black Bolt and Professor X in illusions, while Stephen and Wanda knocked out Captain Marvel and Mordo and subdued Reed Richards and Captain Carter.
• Wanda and Stephen left Carter behind after Wanda made an embarrassing remark about her, and Carter threatened Reed not to repeat it.
• The Illuminati survived, unlike their counterparts in the original Doctor Strange 2 plot, and remained unaware that Apocalypse had changed their fates.
• Wanda and Stephen entered the Time Relay Point and obtained the Book of Vishanti.
• Wanda and Stephen ended their dreamwalking and returned to Apocalypse in Universe-616 with the Book of Vishanti and the Darkhold.

Apocalypse repeatedly blocked Dormammu’s attacks while Stephen continued casting a spell, using powerful punches, portals, the Reality Stone, and Pym Particles. After Dormammu returned to his giant form in a new Time Loop, Apocalypse fabricated an elaborate story about the particles, leaving Dormammu wary but doubtful that Apocalypse had much of them.

• Apocalypse used a 100,000-Fold Nuclear Blast Fist to hold off Dormammu until the next Time Loop and recover his body.
• Apocalypse redirected Dormammu’s giant hand through a portal, making Dormammu strike the back of his own head before the portal severed his hand.
• Apocalypse turned Dormammu’s hand into marshmallow with the Triple Infinite Divine Fist, and Dormammu recognized the Reality Stone’s role.
• Apocalypse coated Dormammu in Pym Particles, shrinking him and making his fourth attack miss Stephen.
• Dormammu returned to his original size in the next Time Loop, and Apocalypse claimed the Pym Particles were a universe-spanning substance refined through an absurdly elaborate process.
• Dormammu grew wary of the particles but suspected Apocalypse had only a small amount.

Apocalypse’s deception failed, and Dormammu attacked while Stephen completed a spell to make the Dark Dimension collide with a dead universe. As the universes began to annihilate each other, Wanda and Stephen celebrated, but Apocalypse sensed something was wrong.

• Dormammu realized Apocalypse had lied about Pym Particles and used Dark Devouring to pull Apocalypse and Stephen toward his mouth.
• Stephen completed the spell and triggered a new Time Loop, while Dormammu sensed that another universe was about to collide with his Dark Dimension.
• Apocalypse saw that Wanda and Stephen had used the Darkhold and the Book of Vishanti to draw a dead universe toward the Dark Dimension.
• The universes collided, unleashing destruction that shattered stars and planets and sent devastating light and gravitational waves across both universes.
• Wanda and Stephen rejoiced at their apparent success, but Apocalypse sensed that something was wrong.

Apocalypse realized the collision would destroy the Dead Universe but barely harm the Dark Dimension, so he sent Ava to find a cat that could help with his new plan. Ava confronted Nick Fury at S.H.I.E.L.D., and Fury contacted a Skrull as the chapter ended.

• Apocalypse calculated that the Dark Dimension would survive the collision while the Dead Universe collapsed, and devised a new plan.
• Apocalypse wrote Ava’s name in the sky, and Ava flew to him while Dormammu focused on resisting the collision.
• Apocalypse explained his plan to Ava, who embraced him before leaving to find Nick Fury.
• Ava arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. and demanded the cat that had scratched out Fury’s eye, as Tang had requested.
• Fury reluctantly agreed and placed an encrypted holographic call, revealing a Skrull on the screen.

Fury brought Goose, a Flerken, to help Apocalypse and Stephen fight Dormammu inside the Time Loop. After the loop repeatedly erased her potion treats, Goose attacked Dormammu and swallowed his foot, leaving the battle ongoing.

• Fury summoned a Skrull to bring Goose from the space laboratory, and the Skrull delivered her to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
• Black Widow and the other women fed Goose a Green Recovery Potion and petted her before Ava carried her to Apocalypse.
• Apocalypse explained to Stephen that Goose could devour almost anything because her stomach connected to another universe.
• The Time Loop reset the effects of Goose’s Golden and Purple Recovery Potions, making her furious.
• Apocalypse blamed Dormammu for the resets, and Goose lunged at him and swallowed everything below his left ankle.

Apocalypse and the Flerken attacked Dormammu as the Cosmic Collision threatened to destroy the Dark Dimension, while Stephen closed the portal to prevent the catastrophe from spreading. Ava joined Apocalypse in the Dark Dimension, leaving him and the Flerken to weaken Dormammu as the world-ending light grew brighter.

• The Flerken realized Dormammu had recovered while its Recovery Potion was gone and furiously resumed biting him.
• Apocalypse told Ava to stay in her Quantum Body and ordered Stephen to be ready to remove the Time Loop when the moment came.
• As the Cosmic Collision’s light spread into the Dark Dimension, Apocalypse plunged into Dormammu’s skull and attacked his soul with a Psychic Storm.
• Stephen closed the opening to New York, but Ava slipped into the Dark Dimension before it shut, choosing to stay with Apocalypse.
• The Flerken and Apocalypse attacked Dormammu’s body and soul, weakening him and accelerating the Dark Dimension’s collapse.

After the black hole vanished, Stephen accepted his responsibility as a sorcerer and chose to guard the New York Sanctum as Doctor Strange. Meanwhile, powerful beings from across the Multiverse began watching Earth, the Sacred Timeline splintered into countless branches, and Nick Fury gathered the heroes in New York.

• The time loop ended, revealing that more than ten days had passed outside it, while Apocalypse vanished with the dark opening above New York.
• The Ancient One named Stephen a Master, but Stephen insisted on being called Doctor Strange and committed himself to protecting Earth.
• Stephen chose to guard the New York Sanctum, and projections of powerful beings from other universes appeared around Earth to investigate the collision.
• The Time Variance Authority recalled its timeline agents as the events involving Wanda and Stephen caused the Sacred Timeline to split into countless branches.
• Nick Fury gathered the superheroes S.H.I.E.L.D. could contact in New York.

Phantom figures of powerful beings appeared across the universe, and Stephen concluded they were observing from beyond its barrier. As the group learned the figures were visible across the galaxy and feared the beings were coming for Tang after the cosmic collision, they turned to Stephen for a solution, but the chapter ended with the threat unresolved.

• Stephen said the phantom figures were at the edge of the universe's barrier, and Nick Fury asked NASA to verify their presence.
• Rocket Raccoon contacted the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Gamora confirmed they could see the figures too.
• Rocket Raccoon and Nebula explained that Tang had disappeared after entering the Dark Dimension to drive out Dormammu, leaving his fate unknown.
• Wanda said she believed Tang would return and vowed to protect Earth if he did not.
• The group looked to Stephen for a solution, but he recognized that the threat was worse than the cosmic rift he had faced before and could not be resolved by erasing memories.

As powerful beings gathered beyond the universe, Earth prepared for an impending invasion. Uatu regretted dismissing a mysterious bartender’s offer, while a giant warrior emerged through a passage and attacked New York.

• Stephen explained that universe-breaking powerhouses could appear anywhere in a universe, and Nick Fury realized his hidden Captain Marvel trump card might not save ordinary people.
• Uatu dismissed a bartender’s key after the bartender offered him transcendence, then realized the bartender knew he was a Watcher and had vanished with the key.
• Uatu searched Earth and the Solar System but found no trace of the bartender, and he decided that forcing the opportunity could bring disaster.
• The threat beyond the universe intensified across Earth, the Nova Empire, the Kree Empire, and Asgard as Nick Fury mobilized humanity’s defenses.
• A passage opened above Earth, and a rider on a red warhorse emerged as a mountain-sized figure and hurled his golden spear toward New York City.

Wanda used Chaos Magic and the Darkhold to shield New York from a spear thrown by a powerful figure in space, whom Daisy recognized as a parallel-universe Odin. Odin hurled Gungnir, which pierced Wanda and left her gravely wounded.

• Wanda's energy phoenix blocked Odin's golden spear and kept the fire from reaching New York.
• Wanda used the Darkhold's power to hold Odin's spear at bay while Vision protected nearby defenders with a spatial barrier.
• Daisy recognized the mounted figure as Odin and identified his eight-legged steed and spear as Sleipnir and Gungnir.
• Daisy warned Wanda to avoid Odin's throw, but Gungnir broke through Wanda's defenses and pierced her body.

Apocalypse returned to Earth with Ava and the enormous Goose just as Wanda was dying from Gungnir’s attack. He saved Wanda by extracting the weapon’s golden energy, then confronted “Parallel Odin” and declared that he would kill him.

• Gungnir’s lingering energy overwhelmed the healing potions Quicksilver and Black Widow gave Wanda, while “Parallel Odin” prepared to attack again.
• A dark passage opened above New York, and Goose emerged with Apocalypse and Ava on her back; Goose greeted Stephen, who recognized them.
• Apocalypse gave Wanda a Purple Recovery Potion and extracted the golden energy from her wound, allowing her body to regenerate.
• Wanda conjured clothes with Chaos Magic after Apocalypse stared at her exposed body, and “Parallel Odin” questioned who Apocalypse was.
• Quicksilver quickly explained what had happened, and Apocalypse faced “Parallel Odin” and told him he was about to die.

Apocalypse effortlessly caught Parallel Odin’s enormous Gungnir strike and counterattacked, badly wounding him. After discovering Parallel Odin could transfer his injuries to the dying All-Father Odin in Asgard, Apocalypse learned he had come seeking the source that loosened the Sacred Timeline—and declared that he himself was the source.

• Parallel Odin enlarged Gungnir and hurled it at New York, but Apocalypse caught the spearhead with one hand.
• Apocalypse erased Odin’s mark from Gungnir and sent it flying back, killing Odin’s eight-legged steed and shattering his armor.
• Parallel Odin healed himself by transferring his injuries to the All-Father Odin in Asgard, and Frigga explained to Thor that an Odin from another universe had arrived.
• Thor found Parallel Odin confronting Apocalypse and warned Heimdall that the enemy could pass damage to his father, but the All-Father Odin urged them to let Apocalypse fight.
• Apocalypse confronted Parallel Odin in space, learned he sought the source that had loosened the Sacred Timeline, and said, “I am the source!”

Apocalypse defeated Parallel Odin with his newly comprehended Fist of Laws, stopping him from transferring the damage to Odin in Asgard. With other inter-universal invaders still gathering allies, Apocalypse borrowed the Time Stone from Stephen and launched a planet-sized combined attack through a passage into a Parallel Universe.

• Apocalypse struck Parallel Odin with the Fist of Laws, destroying his defenses and preventing him from transferring his injuries to Odin in Asgard.
• Apocalypse blasted Parallel Odin into dust and sent the remains through a passage back to his original universe, where a three-day rain of blood followed.
• After some phantoms fled and others continued exchanging information, Apocalypse warned the remaining invaders that he would kill anyone who attacked his universe.
• Apocalypse asked Stephen for the Time Stone, removed it from the Eye of Agamotto, and combined its power with the Infinite Divine Fist and Fist of Laws.
• Apocalypse sent a planet-sized green fist through a passage across Universe-616's barrier toward another Parallel Universe.

Apocalypse combined the power of four Infinity Stones with his Fist of Laws to send a devastating attack into Universe-813, where it killed two Thanoses and saved the Illuminati. The multiverse's watching powerhouses withdrew their apparitions, though a few remained.

• Apocalypse sent an Earth-sized green fist projection through the void, using the Infinity Stones to power it and the Fist of Laws to protect it.
• In Universe-813, two Thanoses overwhelmed the Illuminati, leaving its members injured and helpless.
• The fist projection broke through Universe-813's barrier, split in two, and struck both Thanoses.
• The explosions killed both Thanoses and hurled the Illuminati away, but the superheroes survived and returned to the battlefield.
• The multiverse's observers realized Apocalypse could strike across universes, and most of their apparitions faded while a few remained.

Apocalypse drove the multiversal phantoms away and returned to Earth, where the heroes celebrated before S.H.I.E.L.D. began planning for future threats. The peace ended when an alert reported a warship at the edge of the Solar System.

• Apocalypse traced the phantoms’ universes, but they vanished before he could lock onto them, leaving the multiversal crisis temporarily suppressed.
• Apocalypse returned to Earth, where people celebrated his victory and the superheroes held a party at S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Apocalypse learned that the Ancient One had regained her vitality and red hair after expelling the dark power, and Nick Fury asked him to find a safe solution for the enormous, sleepy Goose.
• Apocalypse and Black Widow spent the night together after the party.
• S.H.I.E.L.D. discussed plans for future multiversal threats, then received an alert that a space warship had appeared at the edge of the Solar System.

Nick Fury learned that twelve Kree warships had arrived at the Solar System’s edge and suspected they had secretly monitored Earth. The Kree envoys came in peace to visit Earth’s strongest being, and Apocalypse arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. to meet them.

• Hill identified the approaching warships as Kree after comparing them with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s classified records.
• Rocket Raccoon explained that the Kree had stopped beyond the Kuiper Belt, an unusually respectful move for their civilization.
• Nick Fury suspected the Kree had installed monitoring devices in the Solar System after Rocket Raccoon said they could not have observed Tang’s battle from Kree space.
• The Kree sent a message saying their envoys had come at the Supreme Intelligence’s command to visit Earth’s strongest being.
• The twelve warships entered the Solar System, and their envoys descended toward S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters as officials and superheroes gathered to receive them.
• Apocalypse arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. after being notified of the visit.

Apocalypse met with Yon-Rogg, who came to Earth as an envoy for the Kree civilization to apologize and seek an alliance. Apocalypse demanded the Kree withdraw their probes from the Solar System and called for the Supreme Intelligence to speak with him directly.

• Yon-Rogg arrived at the Helicarrier hangar and requested an audience with Earth's strongest being, Tang Tianqi.
• Apocalypse recognized Yon-Rogg from their past conflict and heard the envoy apologize for his earlier hostility toward Earth.
• Yon-Rogg said the Supreme Intelligence wanted to settle the conflict involving Accuser Ronan and form a friendly alliance with Earth.
• Apocalypse demanded that the Kree withdraw their probes from the Solar System, and Yon-Rogg destroyed more than a dozen probes hidden in an asteroid field.
• Apocalypse asked whether the Kree would surrender their territory, and Yon-Rogg said they might if Apocalypse let them leave safely; Apocalypse declined the offer.
• Apocalypse told Yon-Rogg that he was not qualified to speak for the Kree and ordered him to arrange a conversation with the Supreme Intelligence.

Apocalypse confronted the Supreme Intelligence after it offered compensation for past Kree offenses, then discovered it had secretly tested him through a network avatar. He injured the Supreme Intelligence across thousands of light-years, leaving it begging for mercy.

• The Supreme Intelligence appeared before Apocalypse and explained that it wished to settle the Kree's past conflicts with him.
• The Supreme Intelligence offered ten ships of supplies, then admitted it had come now because Apocalypse had the strength to destroy the Kree civilization.
• Apocalypse suspected a test and crushed the smart devices around him, leaving the phone containing the Supreme Intelligence's network avatar intact.
• Apocalypse used Law Force along the avatar's Causal Line to injure the Supreme Intelligence on Hala.
• The Supreme Intelligence begged Apocalypse to show mercy and admitted it was wrong.

Apocalypse secured Earth’s position in the galaxy by forcing the Kree to accept his terms, but new cults corrupted by beings from Parallel Universes threatened humanity. He killed several of the demons behind the cults to frighten the rest into withdrawing, leaving the rescued believers to face an uncertain fate.

• Apocalypse sealed the Supreme Intelligence’s phone away and had Nick Fury keep it as a weapon against the Kree if they threatened Earth in the future.
• Apocalypse required the Kree to let humanity study their technology before using it and to stop pursuing the Skrulls, while interstellar civilizations began avoiding the Solar System.
• S.H.I.E.L.D. discovered that more than two hundred cults had corrupted tens of thousands of people and asked Apocalypse to intervene.
• Apocalypse brought the cult leaders to a platform between Earth and the Moon, released their restraints, and used a Fist of Laws to trace one believer’s connection and kill the demon controlling him.
• Apocalypse killed two more powerhouses from Parallel Universes, prompting the remaining beings to sever their connections and withdraw, while the cult leaders returned to normal.