Chapter Summaries

Apocalypse used the Tesseract’s energy to unleash the Infinite Divine Fist, destroying the Chitauri fleet and stopping a planet-destroying projectile from reaching Earth. After the wormhole closed, Apocalypse reflected on his new attack while Loki was captured by Ebony Maw.

• Apocalypse repeatedly punched through the wormhole, destroying Chitauri warships and making the surviving ships retreat.
• Apocalypse guided a fist imprint into a nearby warship, then sealed the wormhole when a Chitauri craft dropped a planet-destroying projectile toward Earth.
• The projectile exploded against Apocalypse’s fist imprints, covering New York in dark clouds, while Apocalypse sensed Loki hiding beyond the wormhole.
• Loki escaped the blast with the Mind Stone but was captured by Ebony Maw, who blamed him for the Chitauri defeat.
• Apocalypse returned the Space Stone’s energy to the Tesseract, shattered its metal device, and watched the wormhole close as the Chitauri soldiers on Earth fell still.

After stopping Apocalypse, the chapter followed his return to New York, where he considered the altered timeline and settled into a brief quiet life with Black Widow. It ended with Snakehead confronting him at a coffee shop, unaware that Apocalypse was preparing to kill him and his two lackeys.

• A portion of Apocalypse's energy revealed a cloaked Skrull ship in space, which quickly turned invisible again after its crew regained control.
• The TVA faced a disrupted timeline after Apocalypse left with the Tesseract, while he received potions and Luck Sharing rewards for saving people.
• Apocalypse returned to his New York residence, saw how the battle had made the superheroes famous, and remained an unknown figure to the public.
• Black Widow returned home, and Apocalypse offered her a Golden Recovery Potion that could restore her ability to have children; she decided not to take it yet.
• After Black Widow left on another mission, Apocalypse went out for coffee and encountered Snakehead and two lackeys, who surrounded him.
• Apocalypse raised three drops of liquid from his coffee, preparing to kill Snakehead and his lackeys.

Apocalypse discovered that Snakehead was trafficking Eastern women and called Nick Fury for help rather than attacking the gang alone. Nick Fury mistook the call for a crisis involving a powerful enemy and mobilized S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers; as Snakehead’s men grew greedy over Apocalypse’s bank balance, a roar sounded during the evacuation of 18th Street.

• Apocalypse learned that Snakehead was selling trafficked women and agreed to go with him, but called Nick Fury when Snakehead demanded a cash deposit.
• Snakehead and his men drew pistols on Apocalypse, took his card, and sent an underling to withdraw money.
• Nick Fury misread Apocalypse’s call as a warning about a dangerous foe and issued a Level Seven alert, deploying S.H.I.E.L.D. and summoning the Avengers.
• The military evacuated civilians from the streets around 18th Street while Apocalypse waited at the coffee shop.
• Snakehead’s underling returned with a bag of cash and reported that Apocalypse’s account held a ten-digit sum, making the men greedily stare at him.
• As the evacuation reached 18th Street, an enormous roar rang out.

Apocalypse’s call for help brought the superheroes to confront Snakehead and two other human traffickers, creating a citywide response to a simple arrest. Fury sent the prisoners to Island Prison, where General Ross refused to accept them after seeing that Apocalypse King had captured them.

• The Hulk and the other superheroes arrived, and Apocalypse stopped the Hulk from attacking Snakehead and the two men so they could be questioned.
• Apocalypse explained the misunderstanding to Fury, who arrested the traffickers with heavy restraints and portrayed them as dangerous supervillains.
• Apocalypse learned that people called him Apocalypse King and joined the superheroes for a meal while Fury faced questions from officials and news agencies.
• Fury sent Snakehead to Island Prison and planned to keep him there before killing him when the opportunity arose.
• General Ross read the prisoner file, refused to sign the acceptance form, and called Fury to complain about receiving someone captured by Apocalypse King.

Apocalypse and Black Widow tracked down House, an Asgardian selling superpowered gear that fueled a wave of crimes. Apocalypse captured him after House fled and wrecked property, and House begged not to be handed over to Black Widow.

• Nick Fury persuaded General Ross to imprison Snakehead in the Super Prison, where Ross placed him in its highest-security cell.
• As superpowered crimes increased, Black Widow received a mission to arrest House, whose protective gear bore an Asgardian mark.
• Apocalypse recognized the mark and joined Black Widow, confirming that House was Asgardian when they found him fleeing a restaurant.
• House smashed through cars and walls with a divine-powered hammer, but Apocalypse stopped him in an alley and took the hammer away.
• House begged Apocalypse to kill him or let him go rather than turn him over to Black Widow, while Apocalypse dispersed the divine power gathering around him.

Apocalypse and Black Widow questioned House, whose fear of Natasha’s reputation led him to reveal his intelligence sources. After Apocalypse exposed his Asgardian Princely Seal, House admitted he had come to Earth over twelve hundred years earlier and sold divine-power equipment, leaving him to explain the harm it had caused.

• House described Black Widow’s brutal reputation and gave her the locations of intelligence sellers before Apocalypse reassured Natasha that he had worried about her safety.
• Black Widow softened her demeanor when Apocalypse asked about her interrogation methods, while House realized she was far gentler with him than with criminals.
• Apocalypse questioned House about the mark on his equipment and revealed his Princely Seal, prompting House to recognize his authority and kneel.
• House admitted he had been on Earth for more than twelve hundred years and had arrived as a blacksmith with an Asgardian mining team.
• Apocalypse accused House of selling dangerous divine-power protective gear, and House began explaining that demand had surged after the Battle of New York.

Apocalypse and Black Widow dealt with the Asgardian blacksmith House, then learned Happy had been injured in an explosion. At the hospital, Apocalypse identified the blasts as the work of human bombs and connected them to the Iron Man 3 plot.

• Apocalypse asked Black Widow to find out whether S.H.I.E.L.D. could use House, and Nick Fury agreed to take him in.
• House realized Apocalypse was the Apocalypse King and followed Black Widow around as her shopping assistant.
• Apocalypse and Black Widow split up after learning Happy had been hurt in an explosion, with Black Widow taking House to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Apocalypse going to the hospital.
• Happy told Apocalypse, Iron Man, and Pepper Potts that he had seen one man explode and another regenerate a blown-off leg.
• Iron Man explained that S.H.I.E.L.D. had asked him to investigate bombings claimed by the Mandarin, and Apocalypse revealed that the attackers' bodies were the bombs.

Apocalypse revealed Killian’s role in the Mandarin conspiracy and warned Iron Man about the people and plans behind it. Iron Man used the information to thwart Killian’s attack, while Apocalypse left for London to investigate the Aether, the Reality Stone.

• Apocalypse told Pepper Potts that Killian had created the Mandarin persona and explained that Killian sought revenge on Iron Man over a humiliation years earlier.
• Apocalypse warned Iron Man that Dr. Maya Hansen and the Vice President were working with Killian, then gave Iron Man a note advising him not to reveal his home address.
• After Apocalypse left, Happy celebrated being called his friend, while Iron Man and Pepper Potts left the hospital and faced reporters.
• Iron Man read Apocalypse’s note but gave reporters a false address, and Killian’s aircraft were destroyed by remote-controlled suits at an empty villa.
• Iron Man’s contacts detained Maya and fed Killian false information, allowing remote-controlled suits and soldiers to surround Killian’s base within half a day.
• Apocalypse flew to London to investigate the Aether, the Reality Stone.

Apocalypse tried to draw the Aether out of Jane with the Tesseract’s energy, but the clash nearly killed her and awakened Malekith and the Dark Elves. Thor decided to take Jane to Asgard, and Apocalypse, Thor, Jane, and Daisy left Earth via the Rainbow Bridge.

• Apocalypse arrived at the abandoned building and found Thor guarding the unconscious Jane while police surrounded them.
• Apocalypse used the Tesseract’s energy to try to extract the Aether, but the backlash shattered Jane’s internal organs, and he saved her with a Recovery Potion.
• Malekith awoke aboard the Dark Elf spacecraft as the Aether’s energy awakened the sleeping Dark Elves.
• Thor decided to take Jane to Asgard, and Daisy asked to go along so she could care for her.
• Daisy clung to Apocalypse as Thor summoned Heimdall, and the four departed on the Rainbow Bridge.

Apocalypse warned Odin and Thor that Malekith and the surviving Dark Elves would seek Jane and the Aether during the Nine Realms’ Convergence. As the invasion approached, Apocalypse stayed to protect Jane and Frigga while Thor prepared Asgard’s defenses, and Heimdall began searching for the enemy.

• Apocalypse told Odin and Thor that the Aether had awakened the Dark Elves, and Odin explained its history and Malekith’s plan to use the Convergence to plunge the Nine Realms into darkness.
• Apocalypse recognized Frigga’s fear of her foreseen death and promised to guard her and Jane instead of joining the battle outside.
• Thor prepared to face the invaders, while Apocalypse, Frigga, Daisy, and Sif remained with Jane; Jane wondered why Thor had barely visited her.
• After meditating outside Jane’s room for several days, Apocalypse sensed the Dark Elves’ arrival and alerted Heimdall, who activated the Rainbow platform and scanned the space around Asgard.

The Dark Elves attacked Asgard, disabling the temple’s golden shield while Thor fought to hold them back. As warships converged on Jane’s room, Apocalypse destroyed one with a single punch, leaving the remaining attackers stunned.

• Heimdall detected the Dark Elves’ invisible mothership, and Asgard’s turrets exposed it and shot down many of its warships.
• The Hexagonal Minotaur broke out of his cell, destroyed the temple’s energy core, and caused the golden shield to vanish.
• Thor attacked the Dark Elf warships while Apocalypse and Sif stayed behind to protect Jane and the queen.
• Dark Elf warships converged on Jane’s attic and fired at Apocalypse, but his divine-energy shield stopped their attacks.
• One warship rammed the attic, and Apocalypse punched it apart with twenty times the Hulk’s strength, stunning the remaining Dark Elves.

Apocalypse protected Queen Frigga and Jane from the Hexagonal Minotaur and the Dark Elves’ gravitational bombs as the battle for Asgard intensified. When the Dark Elf mothership charged toward the tower, Apocalypse destroyed it with the Infinite Divine Fist, leaving Thor and the others stunned by his power.

• The Hexagonal Minotaur burst into the tower and threatened Jane and Queen Frigga, but Apocalypse seized it and hurled it outside, where an energy shell blasted it apart.
• Dark Elves threw Gravitational Collapse Bombs into the room, and Apocalypse sent them back, killing the two attackers caught in their miniature black holes.
• Queen Frigga recognized that the Minotaur’s attack had been averted, while Sif returned her attention to defending the room.
• The Dark Elf mothership strengthened its shield and charged toward the tower, so Thor forcibly dragged Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg away from its path.
• Apocalypse unleashed the Infinite Divine Fist from the tower, pierced the mothership, and left its hull in a doughnut-shaped shell.

After Apocalypse saved Asgard from the Dark Elves and changed Frigga’s fate, he learned that Malekith held the means to remove the Aether from Jane. Apocalypse, Thor, and Jane traveled to Vanaheim to confront him, but they arrived in the vast, gloomy realm without knowing where to find him.

• Apocalypse destroyed the Dark Elf mothership with one punch, then helped Thor and the Asgardians eliminate the remaining enemy soldiers.
• Odin and Frigga thanked Apocalypse for protecting Asgard and changing the queen’s fate; Apocalypse asked whether Frigga had seen a future version of Thor, and she said she had not.
• Apocalypse learned that Malekith had not joined the attack and explained that the Dark Elf king knew how to control the Aether, which could save Jane.
• Apocalypse agreed with Thor’s plan to seize the method by force, and he, Thor, and Jane left for Vanaheim while Daisy and Sif remained behind.
• Apocalypse, Thor, and Jane arrived in Vanaheim, where Thor realized the immense, dark realm would make finding Malekith difficult.

Apocalypse forced Malekith to provide the incantation for extracting Aether by threatening the Dark Elves and destroying their forces. He extracted the Aether from Jane, though its living-looking form searched for another host.

• Apocalypse illuminated Vanaheim with dozens of hovering fist imprints, and Thor called for Malekith to come out.
• Apocalypse struck Vanaheim, killing many Dark Elves, before Malekith appeared and demanded the return of Aether and the removal of the fist imprints.
• Apocalypse rejected Malekith’s terms and destroyed the Dark Elf warships when they approached.
• Malekith agreed to provide the incantation after Apocalypse threatened the Dark Elves with further destruction.
• Apocalypse used the incantation to extract the Aether from Jane, who saw a vision of the universe falling into darkness.

Apocalypse failed to stop Malekith from merging with the Aether, and the Dark Elf king unleashed a growing tornado at Greenwich as the Nine Realms converged. With Thor away protecting Jane and the portals nearing alignment, Apocalypse searched for a way to prevent the destruction.

• Eight portals opened over Vanaheim as the Convergence began, and the Aether flew toward Malekith before Thor's lightning caused it to explode into crystals.
• Thor carried Jane through a portal to Earth, while Apocalypse destroyed the Dark Elves with Infinite Divine Fists.
• Malekith fused himself with the Aether, forming a blood-red tornado that Apocalypse's punches could not harm.
• Malekith entered an Earth portal and reached Greenwich, where his tornado grew to thousands of meters and devastated the surrounding region.
• As the portals converged into an infinity symbol and storms battered the Atlantic, Apocalypse wondered what Thor would do to stop Malekith.

Apocalypse entered the Aether tornado and wrestled Malekith for control, preventing the Nine Realms from being consumed by darkness and destroying the Dark Elf king. After recovering from his injuries, he returned to New York, where Thor and Jane thanked him, while rescue efforts began across Europe.

• Apocalypse entered the Aether tornado and used his divine sense to push it away from the merging voids as Malekith fought to steer it back.
• The eight voids merged, but dawn returned and they separated, ending Malekith’s chance to engulf the Nine Realms in darkness.
• Malekith abandoned control of the Aether particles and tried to destroy Apocalypse’s soul, but Apocalypse overwhelmed him and killed him.
• Apocalypse took control of the Aether particles, stopped the tornado over the North Atlantic, and used Golden Recovery Potions to restore his body.
• Apocalypse returned to New York, where Thor explained he had been unable to reach the battle in time and Jane sincerely thanked Apocalypse.
• S.H.I.E.L.D. and other departments organized rescue efforts while Apocalypse spent time with Black Widow.

Apocalypse attended Thor’s coronation in Asgard and learned that Star-Lord was imprisoned on Xandar, prompting him to prepare a trip to obtain the Power Stone and gather more Fortune. He left Daisy in Asgard and departed with plans to travel alone, while Thor considered having a child with Jane so he could eventually hand off the throne.

• Thor became King of Asgard at his coronation, with Odin relieved that the throne had passed smoothly.
• Apocalypse reunited with Daisy, who had begun training in Asgardian divine power, and she chose to stay in Asgard while he traveled.
• Heimdall told Apocalypse that Star-Lord was being held in a prison on Xandar, and Apocalypse decided to seek the Power Stone and more Fortune.
• Apocalypse told Thor he was leaving for Xandar, but Thor abandoned his request to join after seeing Odin and Frigga’s disapproval.
• Thor asked Apocalypse about passing him the throne, and Frigga suggested that Thor have a child with Jane so he could eventually hand the throne down.
• Thor proposed that he and Jane try to have a child that night, and Jane blushed and told him not to let his imagination run wild.

Apocalypse arrived at Kyln Prison and approached Star-Lord with rare Earth music, while Gamora faced threats from prisoners seeking revenge for Thanos’s massacres. After hearing a commotion around Gamora, Apocalypse urged Star-Lord to help her, and they ran toward the fight.

• Apocalypse watched Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot enter Kyln Prison, where Groot intimidated the prisoners and Gamora was threatened for being Thanos’s daughter.
• Drax noticed Apocalypse’s hidden presence, while Star-Lord realized the guards had confiscated his cassette player.
• Apocalypse offered Star-Lord a Redbone album and a free cassette player, and Star-Lord listened to the music before asking what Apocalypse wanted in return.
• When Gamora’s cries came from the showers, Apocalypse told Star-Lord to check on her, and Star-Lord said they needed her to find the Orb’s buyer.
• Apocalypse and Star-Lord ran toward the commotion to help Gamora.

Apocalypse and Star-Lord arrived as Drax held Gamora at knifepoint, and Apocalypse convinced Drax that she was another victim of Thanos. After revealing that he knew about the Orb and demonstrating his power to Star-Lord’s group, Apocalypse left them to consider his interest in it.

• Apocalypse stopped Drax from killing Gamora, and Star-Lord argued that she could help them take revenge on Ronan.
• Apocalypse told Drax that Thanos had forced Gamora and Nebula to fight and mutilated the loser, so Drax lowered his dagger.
• Gamora attacked Star-Lord after he insulted her, then stopped when he reminded her they still needed to sell the Orb.
• Apocalypse told Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot that he wanted to buy the Orb, which they planned to sell to the Collector, Taneleer Tivan, for four billion credits.
• Apocalypse immobilized the group with an invisible force and said he could take the Orb from its prison locker without their help.

Apocalypse negotiated for Star-Lord’s share of the Orb by showing him footage of his mother’s grave and revealing that his father, Ego, was alive. He then offered Rocket Raccoon a potion that could transform his body, and Rocket accepted despite suspecting a trap.

• Apocalypse showed Star-Lord a recording of himself laying flowers at Meredith Quill’s grave, earning Star-Lord’s gratitude and trust.
• Apocalypse told Star-Lord that his father, Ego, was alive, and Star-Lord agreed to give him his share of the Orb in exchange for the information.
• Apocalypse offered Rocket Raccoon a potion that could change his species, then admitted he had lied about its existence.
• Rocket Raccoon accepted the deal anyway, threatening to destroy Apocalypse’s home planet if he was deceived.