Chapter Summaries

After his first fight with Peter Parker, Tanner mistook his retreat for a successful reconnaissance and prepared a more ruthless second attack. Unaware of Peter’s powerful friends and support network, Tanner headed toward a confrontation that could destroy him.

• Tanner convinced himself that he had learned Peter’s limits and that Peter’s attacks posed little danger.
• Over the following days, Tanner repaired and improved his sonic device and sharpened his specialized nails for another hunt.
• Tanner imagined killing Peter and winning recognition and status within the Inheritor Family.
• Tanner remained unaware that Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, and Lin Hai could intervene with technology, magic, and overwhelming power.
• Tanner’s plan to hunt Peter became a path toward his own destruction.

Peter sought Lin Hai’s help after a mysterious attacker wounded him and disrupted his Spider-Sense, and Lin healed him while identifying the attacker as a member of the Inheritor Family. The next day, Lin gathered Peter, Gwen, and Harry in Harry’s private laboratory to explain the threat using information from the Kamar-Taj Library.

• Peter called Lin Hai after a clawed attacker wounded his back and interfered with his Spider-Sense.
• Lin Hai brought Peter to Harry’s private laboratory, healed his wounds with Life Energy, and heard his account of the fight.
• Lin Hai told Peter and Gwen that the attacker might belong to the Inheritor Family, which hunted Spider-Men across the multiverse for their Spider-Totem power.
• Lin Hai arranged to tell Harry about the threat the following day, and sent Peter home through a Portal.
• At Midtown High School, Peter excitedly described the attack to Harry, who doubted his explanation.
• After school, Lin Hai brought Peter, Gwen, and Harry to Harry’s laboratory and began explaining what he had learned from the Kamar-Taj Library.

Lin Hai explained the multiverse, Spider-Totems, and the Inheritor Family to Peter, Harry, and Gwen, then reassured them that other universes were unlikely to threaten them. After they considered the danger to their loved ones, the group devised a plan to lure Tanner into a trap and eliminate him.

• Lin Hai told Peter, Harry, and Gwen that countless universes contained different Spider-Men and that the Inheritor Family hunted them for their Totem Power.
• Peter and Harry were stunned by the revelation, while Gwen recovered first and eased the tension with a joke about countless Peters.
• Lin Hai explained that universes rarely intersected and reassured the group that they could focus on their own lives unless something unusual happened.
• Lin Hai warned that Tanner might target Peter's family and friends, prompting Peter, Harry, and Gwen to agree they had to act first.
• The group formed the Snake-Catching Plan: Peter would lure Tanner to a warehouse district, Harry would provide surveillance and Nova Armor support, Gwen would use magic to restrain him, and Lin Hai would serve as backup.

Peter, Harry, Gwen, and Lin Hai lured Tanner into a warehouse ambush and nearly subdued him through coordinated attacks. Tanner broke free at the last moment and lunged at Peter, leaving Gwen and Harry unable to stop his claws from reaching him.

• Harry chose a secluded warehouse district and arranged surveillance, while Peter acted distracted to bait Tanner into the planned trap.
• Tanner attacked Peter, who fled into the warehouse core while Harry and Lin Hai coordinated the ambush.
• Harry’s capture nets and floodlights, Gwen’s spells, and Peter’s webs disoriented Tanner as the three fought together to overpower him.
• Peter cocooned Tanner in webs, and Harry and Gwen believed the fight was over.
• Tanner broke free and lunged at Peter’s heart, while Gwen and Harry were too far away to intercept him.

Lin Hai intervened when Tanner launched a desperate attack on Peter, killing him with a single devastating Cannon Punch. He left the warehouse with Gwen, Harry, and Peter, who were safe but newly shocked by the extent of his power.

• Tanner tore free enough to launch a final attack at Peter, and Lin Hai stepped in to protect him.
• Lin Hai struck Tanner in the abdomen with a Cannon Punch that overwhelmed his Totem Power and sent him crashing through a warehouse wall.
• Emerald Life Force spread through Tanner and purified him until he vanished into glowing particles.
• Gwen, Harry, and Peter recovered from their shock and asked Lin Hai about the power behind his punch.
• Lin Hai explained that he had learned new energy techniques and led the others out of the warehouse.

After defeating the Inheritor Tanner, Lin Hai and his companions rested in Harry’s laboratory and reviewed the battle. They recognized the dangers of underestimating superpowered enemies, then agreed to meet at the clinic for Master Chen’s medicinal hot pot.

• Gwen asked Lin Hai about his explosive final punch, and he explained how he combined compressed Life Energy with Xingyi Cannon Punch.
• Lin Hai praised the team’s plan and coordination, advised Peter to improve his acting, commended Harry’s support, and praised Gwen’s calm magical assistance.
• Lin Hai warned Peter, Harry, and Gwen that superpowered enemies required greater vigilance than ordinary criminals, citing mistakes that could have left them vulnerable.
• Lin Hai told Gwen and himself to skip Kamar-Taj the next day and invited everyone to meet at the clinic at noon for medicinal hot pot.
• Peter perked up at the promise of food, and the group laughed as the debrief ended.

Lin Hai, Gwen, Peter, and Harry spent Saturday preparing and sharing a medicinal hot pot at the Chen-Style Chinese Medicine Clinic. After a warm afternoon together, they parted with plans to meet at Kamar-Taj the next day and at school on Monday.

• Gwen, Peter, and Harry arrived early to help Lin Hai prepare the hot pot ingredients and set up the courtyard.
• Chen Bing made the medicinal broth while the friends finished preparing the meal together.
• Peter burned his mouth by eating beef straight from the boiling pot, and Harry nicknamed him “Monkey-Man.”
• The friends shared the hot pot, joked, and chatted about school, the previous night’s battle, and their plans.
• Lin Hai, Gwen, Peter, and Harry cleaned up and said goodbye, agreeing to meet at Kamar-Taj the next day and at school on Monday.

Lin Hai abandoned his attempt to learn the Mirror Dimension after The Ancient One explained that it required borrowing power from the Vishanti, while Gwen chose to focus on practical support spells. Peter struggled to improve his acting until his friends pointed out that Mary Jane could teach him, leaving him eager to ask her for help.

• Lin Hai asked The Ancient One why he could not cast the Mirror Dimension, and she explained that it required authorization and energy borrowed from the Vishanti.
• Lin Hai decided to set the Mirror Dimension aside rather than rely on borrowed power, and Gwen resolved to master practical spells that could support their team.
• Harry continued balancing schoolwork and his father's business assignments with upgrades to his Nova Armor, while Peter finished his experiments and thesis.
• Peter complained that he could not apply acting theory, and Harry, Gwen, and Lin Hai helped him realize Mary Jane could teach him because she liked acting.
• Peter eagerly decided to ask Mary Jane for acting advice, then chased Harry out of the classroom after Harry mocked him.

Peter joined Mary Jane’s drama club to improve his acting, then used his new skills to hide his identity while rescuing the club from gang members. He later tried and failed to collect embarrassing footage of Harry, who caught him complaining, leaving Peter to accept his friends’ teasing with a smile.

• Peter asked Mary Jane to teach him acting and joined the drama club, where his overzealous methods caused several comic mishaps.
• During a late rehearsal, Peter slipped away and returned as Spider-Man to defeat gang members hiding stolen goods in the theater.
• Mary Jane praised Peter’s improved acting and hinted that she suspected his convenient absence and Spider-Man’s arrival were connected.
• Peter secretly followed Harry for days but failed to catch him behaving embarrassingly, then confessed his frustration to Lin Hai.
• Harry overheard Peter’s complaint and teased him, while Peter insisted he was merciful before laughing along with his friends.

As summer approached, Harry said he had to stay behind to manage Osborn Group projects, so Lin Hai, Gwen, and Harry urged Peter to invite Mary Jane to Huaxia instead. Peter got Mary Jane’s agreement and began preparing for their trip together.

• Harry told Peter, Gwen, and Lin Hai that he could not join their summer trip because he had to finish projects assigned by his father.
• Lin Hai reminded the group that Mary Jane had wanted to visit Huaxia, and Harry and Gwen encouraged Peter to invite her.
• Peter called Mary Jane and invited her to travel to Huaxia with him, and she agreed.
• Peter worried that he had no experience traveling overseas with a girl, so Lin Hai, Gwen, and Harry gave him planning and travel advice.
• Peter wrote down his friends’ suggestions and thanked them as they planned to leave after final exams.

Peter and Mary Jane left for Huaxia while Harry, Lin Hai, and Gwen began their summer pursuits. Later, Pepper Potts returned to Lin Hai’s shop for more plants, leaving a business card that could connect him to Tony Stark.

• Harry, Lin Hai, and Gwen saw Peter and Mary Jane off as they began their trip to Huaxia.
• Harry returned to Osborn Tower to work on projects and plan the next-generation Nova Armor.
• Gwen practiced basic magic at Kamar-Taj, while Lin Hai studied magical theory and refined his combat skills through sparring.
• Pepper Potts visited Lin Hai’s herbal plant shop again and bought several plants for Stark Industries.
• Pepper left Lin Hai her business card, laying the groundwork for a future connection with Tony Stark.

Peter and Mary Jane returned from their trip to Sichuan-Shu, where Peter’s friends welcomed them and listened to his stories. Peter was happy their relationship had grown closer, but his displays of superhuman abilities had made Mary Jane increasingly curious about his secret identity.

• Lin Hai, Gwen, and Harry met Peter and Mary Jane at the airport and welcomed them home.
• Peter told Harry and Lin Hai that the trip had been amazing, while Gwen and Mary Jane shared their travel stories.
• Harry drove Mary Jane home, then took Peter, Lin Hai, and Gwen to the Chen-Style Chinese Medicine Clinic to share gifts and hear about the trip.
• Peter recounted their spicy food, panda cubs, and Mount Qingcheng hike, repeatedly displaying extraordinary strength and agility while trying to pass it off as coincidence.
• Peter said the trip had brought him and Mary Jane closer, while her growing curiosity about his abilities made his secret harder to hide.

Lin Hai, Gwen, Peter, and Harry completed their college applications and all received acceptance to Caltech, while Mary Jane was accepted to UCLA after being rejected by NYU. As high school ended, the friends celebrated their future together and prepared to begin college.

• Lin Hai, Gwen, Peter, and Harry strengthened their Caltech applications with research, academic, and extracurricular achievements, while Mary Jane focused on applying to arts programs.
• In April, Lin Hai, Gwen, Peter, and Harry opened their admissions emails together and discovered that all four had been accepted to Caltech.
• The four friends celebrated their acceptances and began planning for college, including courses, dorms, and possible shared housing.
• Mary Jane told Peter that she had been rejected by NYU Tisch but accepted to UCLA, and Peter congratulated her.
• Lin Hai, Gwen, Peter, and Harry raised their cups in the clinic's backyard and toasted Caltech, their friendship, and the future.

Harry, Lin Hai, Gwen, and Peter settled into Los Angeles and reunited with Blade, Karen, and Mr. Whistler. Blade revealed that he planned to hunt vampires in Eastern Europe, but agreed to stay in Los Angeles a little longer to prepare and exchange ideas with his friends.

• Mary Jane separated from the group to head to her dorm, while Harry, Lin Hai, Gwen, and Peter went to the Osborn apartment with their luggage.
• Lin Hai and the others visited Blade's secret base and reunited with Karen and Mr. Whistler.
• Blade told Lin Hai that vampires had nearly disappeared from Los Angeles since the Blood God incident.
• Lin Hai realized Blade intended to leave Los Angeles and asked him about his plans.
• Blade explained that he was considering a vampire hunt in Eastern Europe, and Gwen, Harry, and Peter offered analysis and support.
• After discussing preparations, Blade agreed to stay in Los Angeles for a while to exchange ideas with the group.

After confirming their admissions to the California Institute of Technology, Lin Hai, Gwen, Peter, and Harry prepared for college and discussed their plans for life and study in Los Angeles. They left the summer with their majors settled and their prospective minors in view.

• Lin Hai's Portals meant he could keep up his clinic training, care for the Herbal Plant Shop, and visit Kamar-Taj even while studying in Los Angeles.
• Gwen finished her work at Dr. Connors's laboratory, thanked him for his recommendation, and learned that George Stacy approved of her growing closeness with Lin Hai.
• Peter spent more time at home with Uncle Ben and Aunt May before leaving for college, while Harry weighed whether to work with the Osborn Group's Los Angeles branch or stay involved with New York projects.
• The four settled on biology for Lin Hai and Gwen and mechanical engineering for Peter and Harry as their majors.
• Lin Hai considered a minor in materials science, Gwen in chemical engineering, Peter in computer science, and Harry in social sciences.

Harry secured conditional approval for the four friends to live off campus at California Institute of Technology, while Lin Hai absorbed more Life Energy from the Celestial Ego’s flower bud and helped Gwen gain insight into energy. With college preparations complete, the group arrived in Los Angeles to finalize their housing arrangements and visit Blade, Karen, and Whistler.

• Peter, Harry, Gwen, and Lin Hai agreed that they wanted to live together off campus, and Harry persuaded California Institute of Technology to grant their application preliminary approval pending further paperwork.
• Lin Hai took Gwen through a Portal to the Missouri woodland, where he absorbed Life Energy from the flower bud while Gwen sensed its vast power and gained inspiration for her magic studies.
• Harry received further confirmation from the school, and the four friends and Mary Jane flew to Los Angeles about a week before college began.
• The group landed in Los Angeles, where they planned to finalize their housing permission and visit Blade, Karen, and Whistler.

Lin Hai, Peter, Gwen, and Harry completed the procedures to live off campus while attending the California Institute of Technology. After thanking Charlie Swo over lunch, they began inspecting nearby homes and apartments, leaving their search unfinished.

• Lin Hai, Peter, Gwen, and Harry returned to their apartment after meeting Blade, Karen, and Whistler, ate dinner, and called their families.
• The four met Charlie Swo at the California Institute of Technology, where he explained the school’s housing rules and approved their off-campus application in principle.
• Lin Hai, Peter, Gwen, and Harry spent several hours completing forms and signing safety agreements with Charlie, officially finalizing their arrangements.
• Harry invited Charlie to lunch, and Charlie accepted after the four insisted on thanking him.
• The four began touring nearby neighborhoods to inspect potential homes and apartments.

Lin Hai, Harry, Gwen, and Peter chose a spacious old house as their shared home near Caltech and agreed on how to divide the purchase cost. Just as they settled the payment, Lin Hai came up with an idea that could earn them money and help others, but had not yet explained it.

• Lin Hai, Harry, Gwen, and Peter toured a two-story house with several bedrooms and a large balcony, and unanimously decided to buy it.
• Harry offered to pay the full price, but the others insisted on sharing the cost; they agreed Harry would pay one-third and Lin Hai, Gwen, and Peter would split the rest.
• Because Peter could not afford his share immediately, Harry let him defer payment until he had more money.
• After the group settled the house purchase, Lin Hai announced that he had an idea to earn them spending money and help more people.

Lin Hai proposed a plan to commercialize superheroes’ public images and use the profits to support heroes struggling financially. Gwen, Harry, and Peter backed the idea, but they agreed to focus first on settling into college and develop the plan gradually.

• Lin Hai explained how they could adapt Vought Company’s business model to create income for superheroes through endorsements, entertainment, merchandise, and other ventures.
• Gwen supported Lin Hai’s proposal and offered help through her father’s position.
• Harry saw the plan’s business and networking potential and offered initial support from the Osborn Group.
• Peter became emotional over the prospect of easing his family’s financial burdens, hugged Lin Hai, and thanked him.
• Lin Hai and Harry said they would postpone detailed planning until after they had settled into life at the California Institute of Technology.

Lin Hai, Gwen, Peter, and Harry settled into college life at Caltech, building routines around classes, shared meals, decorating their home, and creating a private basement laboratory. With their new life organized, Lin Hai proposed beginning the Superhero Profit Plan.

• Lin Hai and Gwen joined the same biology class, while Peter and Harry entered the same mechanical engineering class.
• The four friends established routines for studying together, eating at home, and spending time around campus.
• Lin Hai brought plants from New York, and Gwen, Peter, and Harry personalized their bedrooms.
• Harry hired a confidential construction crew to turn the basement into a laboratory for engineering, computing, biology, and chemistry.
• After dinner on Friday, Lin Hai brought out a notepad and proposed starting the Superhero Profit Plan.