Chapter Summaries

Lin Hai moved into his Brooklyn Heights townhouse with Gwen, Peter, and Harry, then invited Chen Bing to celebrate with a housewarming meal. By dusk, the friends had chosen their rooms and settled their belongings into the new home.

• Lin Hai used Portals to move his belongings from the clinic and Los Angeles Cottage into his Brooklyn Heights townhouse, with Gwen, Peter, and Harry helping.
• Lin Hai invited Chen Bing to the new house, and the five shared a housewarming meal after Chen Bing praised the place.
• Lin Hai offered rooms to Chen Bing and his friends, but Chen Bing declined; Peter and Harry chose the third-floor rooms, while Gwen took the other second-floor bedroom.
• Lin Hai recalled how he and Gwen had agreed to postpone having a child and let their relationship develop at its own pace.
• Lin Hai took Chen Bing back to the clinic, then opened a Portal so Gwen, Peter, and Harry could move their belongings into the townhouse.
• Lin Hai and his friends finished setting up their bedrooms by dusk, and Lin Hai watched the lights come on across Brooklyn Heights from his new home.

Gwen, Harry, and Peter settled how they would use Lin Hai’s Brooklyn Heights house, and the group began planning renovations for their shared home and workspaces. Lin Hai agreed to ask Master Hamil whether he could protect the villa with a magic array.

• Gwen told George and Helen she would stay most of the time at Lin Hai’s house, and Helen privately reminded her to take precautions and plan carefully for marriage and children.
• Harry moved into his bedroom at the house after Norman readily approved, while Peter chose to keep living mainly with Uncle Ben and Aunt May but use the house as another base.
• Lin Hai planned to turn the spacious fourth floor into a cultivation area for special plants and medicinal plants for Chen Bing.
• Harry and Peter arranged for an Osborn Group crew to renovate the basement into a private laboratory with reinforced walls and specialized systems.
• Gwen organized books and documents in the third-floor study and suggested asking Master Hamil to protect the villa with a magic array; Lin Hai agreed to ask him.

Lin Hai sold Pepper a replacement Sandalwood Bracelet for Tony and began watching for signs of Iron Man’s public debut. At Stark Tower, Pepper replaced Tony’s Arc Reactor and gave him the bracelet, while wondering whether Lin Hai could heal his chest injury.

• Pepper called Lin Hai to buy Tony another Sandalwood Bracelet, and Lin Hai agreed to deliver it to Stark Tower.
• Lin Hai recalled that Obadiah Stane’s rise as Iron Monger and Iron Man’s public debut were approaching, so he decided to watch the news for military accidents.
• Pepper entered Tony’s laboratory and, after hesitating, removed a wire from his chest and installed a new Arc Reactor.
• Tony told Pepper that besides her, he had no one else, and Pepper realized how much he trusted her.
• Pepper gave Tony the new Sandalwood Bracelet, which he put on immediately, and she silently considered asking Lin Hai whether he could heal Tony’s chest.

Tony secured the Mark II project on his private server, built a sleek new armor, and took it on its first flight. After nearly freezing and falling from the sky, he survived the test flight but crashed through his villa’s roof and landed in a sports car.

• Pepper took Tony’s first-generation reactor from the lab after Tony told her to destroy it.
• Tony told JARVIS to keep all Mark II research and data on his private server, then spent several days designing and building the armor.
• Tony flew the Mark II over the Malibu coast despite JARVIS’s warning that its flight calculations were incomplete.
• Tony climbed to about eighty thousand feet, where ice disabled the armor and sent him plummeting toward Earth.
• Tony deployed the armor’s auxiliary wings, restored its systems, and returned to his villa.
• Tony’s Mark II smashed through the villa’s roof after he cut its power and crashed into the hood of a sports car.

Tony found Pepper’s display case for his first Arc Reactor and began developing the Mark III, while Lin Hai watched Tony’s appearance at a charity gala with Gwen. At the gala, Tony confronted Obadiah and received an evasive response that deepened his suspicions.

• Tony discovered Pepper’s display case containing the first-generation Arc Reactor and smiled at her message engraved on it.
• Tony worked to improve the Mark II’s armor and chose a gold-and-red color scheme for the Mark III.
• Lin Hai watched the charity gala broadcast with Gwen, waiting to see Stan Lee’s brief appearance as Hef.
• Tony arrived at the gala, greeted Obadiah, and asked why he needed an invitation to his own party.
• Obadiah evaded Tony’s question, and Tony entered the venue with his suspicions reinforced.

At the gala, Tony discovered Stark Industries weapons in photographs of a massacre in Gulmira and confronted Obadiah, who admitted he had proposed an injunction against him. As Tony reeled from the betrayal, Lin Hai and Gwen watched the confrontation and discussed the growing conflict.

• Tony met Agent Coulson at the bar but focused on Pepper in her evening gown and invited her to dance.
• Tony and Pepper moved to the terrace, nearly kissed, then pulled apart because of their complicated circumstances and feelings.
• Reporter Christine showed Tony photographs of Stark Industries weapons, including a Jericho missile, being used by militants in Gulmira, Yinsen's hometown.
• Tony confronted Obadiah about the photographs, but Obadiah avoided explaining them and admitted he had proposed the injunction against Tony, claiming he was protecting him.
• Lin Hai told Gwen that Tony and Obadiah were at odds and that their conflict was likely to erupt, while Gwen decided they could wait and watch.

Tony used the Mark III to attack the militants in Gulmira, then returned to the United States and survived an encounter with F-22 fighters. Obadiah learned that Tony was behind the events, slaughtered the Ten Rings witnesses, and tried to copy the Mark I, while Lin Hai prepared to get closer to Pepper as Iron Monger’s emergence approached.

• Tony flew the Mark III to Gulmira, stopped the militants, and destroyed most of Stark Industries’ weapons there.
• Tony was detected by U.S. Air Force radar on his way home, and an encounter with two F-22s ended with one fighter destroyed and its pilot rescued.
• Rhodey told reporters that the fighter’s destruction had occurred during a drill and denied U.S. involvement in Gulmira.
• Obadiah connected the events to Tony, traveled to Afghanistan, and killed the Ten Rings leader and the other militants who knew about his deal.
• Obadiah took the Mark I wreckage and blueprints to Stark Industries, but his engineers could not solve the replica’s energy problem.
• Lin Hai cultivated ties with Kingpin, Vanessa, and Pepper, hoping Pepper would call on him when Iron Monger appeared.

Lin Hai answered Pepper’s urgent call and found Tony Stark collapsing in his Malibu villa after Obadiah removed the reactor from his chest. Lin Hai reached Tony in the underground laboratory and offered him the First-Generation Miniature Arc Reactor.

• Pepper asked Lin Hai to check on Tony after Tony answered her call without speaking, and promised him compensation.
• Lin Hai told Gwen, Peter, and Harry to prepare while he went to Tony’s villa through a Portal.
• Lin Hai sensed Tony crawling toward the old reactor and discovered that JARVIS was silent.
• Lin Hai photographed Tony struggling behind the laboratory’s glass door, then opened a Portal into the room.
• Lin Hai picked up the First-Generation Miniature Arc Reactor and offered it to Tony as Tony collapsed.

Lin Hai rescued Tony Stark by helping him restore his first-generation reactor and using his special ability to cure the effects of Obadiah's sonic weapon. Tony recovered his strength and learned that Lin Hai had special abilities and also knew magic.

• Tony smashed the glass case and reinstalled the First-Generation Miniature Arc Reactor in his chest, saving his life.
• Lin Hai introduced himself to Tony and called Pepper to reassure her and warn her to stay alert.
• Lin Hai helped Tony stand, and his touch quickly restored Tony's strength and removed his pain.
• Tony asked whether Lin Hai's healing came from magic, and Lin Hai said it was a special ability.
• Lin Hai added that he also knew a little magic, prompting Tony to cough and glare at him.

Tony suited up in his Mark III armor to confront Obadiah, while Lin Hai gathered Harry, Peter, and Gwen to protect Pepper at Stark Industries. Obadiah’s Iron Monger emerged from underground and was about to attack Harry when Tony arrived and smashed into it.

• Tony put on his Mark III armor and blasted through the laboratory ceiling to go after Obadiah.
• Lin Hai opened a Portal to Brooklyn Heights, where Harry, Peter, and Gwen prepared to join him.
• The group Portaled to Stark Industries, where Pepper came out and met them; Harry revealed his Nova Armor.
• Iron Monger burst through the ground near the facility and mistook Harry for Tony, preparing to fire at him.
• Tony streaked in from the sky and crashed into Iron Monger, driving it into the ground.

Peter joined Tony’s fight against Obadiah, saving a driver and revealing superhuman strength that stunned Tony. After Obadiah badly damaged Tony’s armor, he activated Iron Monger’s thrusters and rose to meet him in the air.

• Peter arrived at the roadside battle and used Silk to blind Iron Monger, interrupting Tony’s charged attack as Obadiah threw a sedan.
• Peter caught the sedan and set it down safely, prompting Tony and JARVIS to discover that Peter had no strength-enhancing armor and far exceeded human limits.
• Obadiah tore away the Silk and hurled a motorcycle at Tony and Peter; Peter dodged, but the exploding motorcycle knocked Tony into the road.
• Obadiah grabbed Tony and slammed him into the ground and nearby cars until Tony escaped with his foot thrusters and hovered above the road.
• Obadiah revealed Iron Monger’s leg thrusters and rose into the air toward Tony.

Tony lured Obadiah into the extreme cold at high altitude, freezing Iron Monger, but both suits ran out of power and the fight continued on the Stark Industries rooftop. Peter arrived to help Tony, and Lin Hai, Gwen, and Pepper joined them as Obadiah prepared to attack again.

• Tony flew upward with Obadiah, hoping the extreme cold would freeze Iron Monger.
• Obadiah caught Tony at high altitude, but ice spread across Iron Monger and shut it down, releasing Tony as both suits began to fall.
• Tony landed on the Stark Industries rooftop, but Obadiah survived and struck him after Tony forgot he had removed his left gauntlet.
• Peter landed between Tony and Iron Monger and distracted Obadiah with a rambling introduction until Lin Hai warned him to stop talking.
• Lin Hai, Gwen, and Pepper arrived behind the Nova Armor, and Pepper sighed with relief when she saw Tony was alive.

Obadiah's attack on Tony and his allies escalated into a rooftop battle, ending when he plunged Iron Monger into Stark Industries' Large Arc Reactor. Lin Hai protected the others with vines, and Tony stood over the wreckage as emergency crews approached.

• Gwen shielded Pepper from Iron Monger's gunfire, while Harry and Peter attacked and hindered Obadiah.
• Obadiah lost control of the fight and charged Iron Monger through the rooftop skylight toward the Large Arc Reactor.
• Lin Hai grew vines around the skylight to shield everyone from the reactor's explosion.
• The explosion destroyed Iron Monger and killed Obadiah, and Tony looked down at the wreckage with Peter's support.
• Sirens and fire engines approached the Stark Industries Base Building as the battle ended.

At a press conference, Coulson gave Tony an alibi to conceal the truth about the fight at Stark Industries. Tony recalled Lin Hai and the others saving him and leaving through a Portal, and resolved to study ways to counter Lin Hai’s abilities.

• Rhodes told reporters that a malfunctioning robot prototype caused the previous night’s destruction and that Tony had nothing to do with it.
• Tony examined a newspaper headlined “Who Is Iron Man?” while Pepper treated the injury on his nose.
• Coulson gave Tony a detailed alibi placing him on his yacht in Avalon and asked who else had been at the scene.
• Tony remembered Lin Hai’s vines catching him after Obadiah’s explosion and Lin Hai making the vines disintegrate with a wave of his hand.
• Tony recalled Lin Hai opening a Portal for Peter, Harry, and Gwen, then learned from Pepper that she had asked Lin Hai to find and help him.
• Tony became frustrated that Lin Hai had not rescued him directly and resolved to find ways to counter Lin Hai’s abilities.

Tony Stark ignored S.H.I.E.L.D.'s prepared explanation and publicly revealed that he was Iron Man, while Lin Hai and his friends watched the press conference. Peter admired Tony's openness but chose to keep his own Spider-Man identity secret to protect his loved ones.

• Coulson told Tony and Pepper that S.H.I.E.L.D. had monitored Lin Hai's group after observing their discreet actions in New York and Los Angeles.
• Tony questioned why Lin Hai's group had avoided the news while his own public actions had drawn headlines, and Coulson explained that Tony's display had been impossible to conceal.
• Lin Hai, Gwen, Peter, and Harry watched the press conference as Tony set aside his prepared statement.
• Tony declared, "I am Iron Man," shocking the reporters and Lin Hai's friends.
• Peter envied Tony's public recognition but decided that he would keep his Spider-Man identity hidden to protect Uncle Ben, Aunt May, and Mary Jane.

Three days after Tony Stark revealed he was Iron Man, Lin Hai and his friends continued their routines while pursuing their separate goals. Lin Hai and Harry advanced their plan to acquire Stark Industries shares as Tony rejected pressure to weaponize his armor, creating new opportunities for them.

• Lin Hai continued training and helping Chen Bing while he and Harry bought Stark Industries shares with help from Matt's law firm.
• Gwen studied White Magic at Kamar-Taj, Peter balanced superhero duties with plans to meet Mary Jane's parents, and Harry worked on upgrading his Nova Armor.
• Lin Hai recognized that the Nova Armor's main limitation was its power supply and considered finding a way to obtain a Miniature Arc Reactor from Tony.
• Pepper and Tony dealt with the fallout from Obadiah's death and the company's board pressured Tony to commercialize Iron Man's armor technology.
• Tony refused to use the armor technology for weapons, prompting shareholders to sell their stakes and giving Lin Hai and Harry more chances to buy shares at reasonable prices.

Phil Coulson visited Lin Hai’s clinic to discuss S.H.I.E.L.D.’s relationship with him and investigate his background. Lin Hai revealed his ties to S.P.E.A.R. and expressed willingness to cooperate, leaving Coulson encouraged about future contact.

• Coulson introduced himself to Lin Hai at the clinic, and Lin Hai invited him to talk in the courtyard.
• Lin Hai asked about S.H.I.E.L.D. and brought up Huaxia’s S.P.E.A.R., prompting Coulson to explain that the organizations sometimes cooperated and sometimes competed.
• Coulson asked about Lin Hai’s connection to S.P.E.A.R., and Lin Hai said he knew Director Zheng Xian and had done some business with the organization.
• Lin Hai explained that he had come to the United States to study, then stayed after making friends and building a successful business.
• Lin Hai said he was open to working with S.H.I.E.L.D., and Coulson welcomed the possibility of future cooperation.

Nick Fury visited Lin Hai to assess whether he could be an ally or a threat to S.H.I.E.L.D. Their meeting began with awkward banter at Lin Hai’s townhouse, where Lin Hai left Fury waiting in the living room while he returned to cooking.

• Lin Hai saw Coulson off and resumed sorting medicinal herbs, unconcerned about S.H.I.E.L.D.’s interest in him.
• Nick Fury reviewed Coulson’s report and decided to meet Lin Hai himself, despite Lin Hai’s ties to Zheng Xian and S.P.E.A.R.
• Lin Hai and Gwen prepared dinner together until Nick Fury rang the townhouse doorbell.
• Lin Hai greeted Fury at the gate in a pink apron, briefly throwing Fury off his prepared approach.
• Lin Hai and Fury traded pointed remarks about Zheng Xian and Fury’s habit of appearing unexpectedly in people’s homes.
• Lin Hai led Fury to the living room, apologized that he was still cooking, and left him on the sofa while he returned to the kitchen.

Nick Fury toured Lin Hai’s villa and discovered that magical defenses kept him out of the private rooms, while the special plants in the cultivation room caught his interest. He joined Lin Hai, Gwen, and Harry for dinner, leaving his attempt to inspect the locked rooms unmentioned.

• Nick Fury asked Lin Hai for permission to look around the villa, and Lin Hai allowed him while warning him away from the bedrooms.
• Nick Fury tried and failed to open the bedrooms and study, then inspected the cultivation room and noticed that some plants eased his fatigue.
• Nick Fury decided to seek funding to buy Lin Hai’s special-effect plants for S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
• Lin Hai met Nick Fury on the stairs and asked what he had gained from the tour, but Fury avoided discussing the doors and praised the cooking.
• Lin Hai, Gwen, Harry, and Nick Fury sat down to eat the Huaxia home-style dishes.

Lin Hai hosted Gwen, Harry, and Nick Fury for dinner, where he agreed to sell S.H.I.E.L.D. a batch of special potted plants at an inflated price. After striking the deal, Nick Fury left satisfied, planning to divert part of the funds toward secret facilities.

• Lin Hai introduced Nick Fury to Gwen and Harry by comparing his role to Zheng Xian's position in S.P.E.A.R.
• Nick Fury praised Lin Hai's special plants and arranged to buy a batch of mild, broadly useful varieties for S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Nick Fury offered ten times Lin Hai's usual price and justified it as necessary spending on employee welfare; Lin Hai accepted.
• Lin Hai and Nick Fury privately planned to benefit from the inflated price, with Fury intending to request an even higher amount from his superiors.
• After dinner, Nick Fury thanked Lin Hai, Gwen, and Harry, then left the villa for the night.