Chapter Summaries

Richard got Tony to streamline Veronica and build a portable mainframe for White Queen, then returned to his villa and tasked her with investigating a network of people and incidents. White Queen found results, but the chapter ended before she revealed them.

• Tony named Veronica, identified redundancy in her programming, and told Jarvis to streamline it.
• Richard asked Tony to build a portable mainframe for White Queen, and Tony set up a book-sized device for her.
• Richard returned to his Secret Vault Villa and learned that Simmons had completed the handover of the Small Medical Laboratory.
• Richard encouraged Simmons to organize a research team and offered him contacts among his college classmates.
• Richard activated White Queen and gave her names and leads connected to a burned girl, a hospital, several companies, and Columbia University Medical School.
• White Queen searched the information and reported that she had found results.

Richard traced Wall Federer’s connections to John Garrett and uncovered evidence that Professor Jennings Phillips had led a project resembling HYDRA’s Deathlok Project. Suspecting Phillips had recruited him into HYDRA’s orbit, Richard headed through a portal to investigate a Washington bar while the White Queen revealed she had been pretending not to show emotion.

• The White Queen linked Selena Gonzales to Wall Federer and an Old Havana barber shop, leading Richard to suspect a connection to John Garrett and the Centipede Project.
• The White Queen found a burned document naming Jennings Phillips as head of the 1999 Death Project, hidden on a server once used by Lanzel Biotech, whose shareholders included Wall Federer’s father.
• Richard concluded that the Death Project might have preceded John Garrett’s Deathlok Project and suspected that Phillips had been a HYDRA agent who recruited him.
• The White Queen reported leads in Sokovia and at Washington’s Starlight Bar, and Richard opened a portal to investigate the bar.
• After Richard left, the White Queen dropped her act and privately celebrated that she had concealed her secret from him.

Richard investigated Starlight Bar and discovered that its occupants were a group of young HYDRA radicals, not the mastermind John Garrett. After reading their memories, he learned they had been operating a stronghold less than five kilometers from S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

• Richard entered Starlight Bar, where Thomas and the other young patrons tried to drive him out and attacked him.
• Richard subdued the crowd, trapped the bar inside the Mirror Dimension, and used Spirit Vision Retrospection to read Kenneth's memories.
• Richard learned that the bar was a gathering place for young HYDRA members, including Kenneth Vila, whose grandfather was Studd Vila.
• Richard read the memories of the other patrons and discovered that the supposed mastermind was a group of underage HYDRA teenagers, not John Garrett.
• Richard learned that the teenagers had secretly started companies, conducted experiments, and dealt in arms, and that Professor Jennings had nearly been killed by them.

Richard woke the young HYDRA agents and revealed that he wanted revenge over Professor Jennings Phillips, not over their experiments or other operations. After Shay Martinez offered himself as the culprit behind the Eagle's Nest casualties, Richard clarified his purpose, leaving the agents unsure what he intended to do about Phillips.

• Richard decided that recruiting the young HYDRA agents could help him build his forces and recalled that his mentor, Professor Jennings Phillips, was a veteran HYDRA agent.
• Richard drenched the unconscious agents with rain to wake them, then told them he was there for revenge.
• Adela von Strucker questioned Richard and inferred that he had searched their memories to find who had offended him.
• Adela identified Shay Martinez as the agent whose business had caused Eagle's Nest casualties, and Shay accepted responsibility and offered himself to Richard.
• Richard revealed that he knew the agents were HYDRA and that HYDRA had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., provoking them to prepare to fight.
• Richard said Wall Federer and Alex Bulwer had nothing to do with him and that he had come only for Professor Jennings Phillips.

Richard exposed Shay’s failed assassination of Jennings Phillips and secured Shay’s tech company and Sally’s contact in exchange for keeping the secret. He then persuaded the little snakes to abandon their narrow ambitions and submit to him as their leader, promising to lead them beyond Earth.

• Richard revealed that Jennings Phillips was both a S.H.I.E.L.D. Science Academy professor and a veteran HYDRA member, shocking Shay and the little snakes.
• Shay offered Richard ownership of his tech company to keep his role in the assassination secret, and agreed to have Sally contact him.
• Richard declared that he would become the little snakes’ boss, then challenged their belief that HYDRA and Hive could conquer Earth.
• Richard mocked Hive’s origins and named powerful dimensional beings who posed threats beyond Earth, prompting the little snakes to consider conquering the stars.
• Richard displayed his crimson mana, claimed he was the future Sorcerer Supreme and Earth’s strongest guardian, and inspired the little snakes to kneel in submission.

Richard set up White Queen in Stark Industries’ server room, then visited his laboratory and met the supposed legal candidate, Natalia. He recognized her as Agent Natasha Romanoff and asked why Nick Fury had sent her to him.

• Richard took Shay to Stark Industries and arranged for White Queen to use a new server.
• Richard left White Queen to transfer her data and praised Shay before heading to the laboratory.
• Richard met Simmons at the laboratory and told him that he had sent the research project to Simmons’s email.
• Simmons introduced Natalia as a legal interview candidate, and Richard told him to sign her contract.
• After Simmons left, Richard identified Natalia as Agent Natasha Romanoff and asked her purpose for coming on Nick Fury’s orders.

Richard confronted Natasha Romanoff about being planted as a spy and revealed that Dreykov might still lead the Red Room. Natasha left to investigate, while Richard directed White Queen to locate Yelena Belova and Melina Vostokoff.

• Richard recognized Natasha Romanoff, called out her cover, and said her arrival had ended his S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant contract.
• Richard ordered White Queen to investigate Dreykov and the Red Room, alarming Natasha when he named her presumed-dead abuser.
• White Queen reported Dreykov was alive and leading the Red Room, and Richard told her to find the location of its Sky Fortress headquarters.
• Richard suggested Nick Fury had deceived Hawkeye about Dreykov's death, but Natasha left to verify the truth herself.
• Richard ordered White Queen to locate Yelena Belova and Melina Vostokoff, intending to recruit them.

Richard confronted Sally after he cursed Shay and summoned a fragment of Blackheart’s soul, then captured the demon and searched Sally’s memories. He discovered an evocation sorcerer’s manual hidden in Sally’s underwear.

• Richard learned that White Queen had located Yelena Belova and Melina Vostokoff, then left for Shay Martinez’s office after Shay reported Sally’s arrival.
• Sally attacked Richard through a Kamar-Taj portal and began casting the Heartblack Soul-Eating Curse on Shay.
• Richard expelled the hell energy from Shay, leaving him unconscious, and trapped Blackheart’s summoned split soul in a small orb.
• Richard sealed Sally’s mana, extracted his soul, and searched his memories.
• Richard found an old magic manual hidden in Sally’s underwear and realized it contained elemental magic from an evocation sorcerer.

Natasha Romanoff learned that Dreykov might still be alive but accepted Nick Fury’s assignment to investigate Tony Stark before calling Richard for leads. At Richard’s office, Shay recovered from his ordeal, and Richard revealed that Sally’s soul had been taken by Blackheart before Sally crumbled to dust.

• A disguised agent impersonated Phil Coulson, confirmed Natasha Romanoff had left S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, and evacuated before the real Phil returned.
• Natasha told Nick Fury that Richard had discovered her identity and that she suspected someone had leaked her information.
• Natasha asked for leave to investigate Dreykov, but Nick Fury ordered her to infiltrate Stark Industries and promised to investigate Dreykov himself.
• Natasha accepted the mission, then called Richard, who gave her two addresses where she could look for evidence that Dreykov was alive.
• Shay woke in pain, and Richard told him Sally was already dead because Blackheart had taken his soul.
• Richard snapped his fingers, and Sally’s body stopped breathing and crumbled into grains of sand.

Richard explained Hive’s parasitic nature to Shay, then discovered that Shay could sense magic because he had absorbed Richard’s mana and would likely rely on Richard’s power. Meanwhile, Natasha Romanoff checked in under the alias Yulia for a flight to Saint Petersburg and received a call from Nick Fury.

• Richard warned Shay that Hive devoured or parasitized those sent to meet him, and Shay condemned HYDRA’s conservative faction for worshiping the monster.
• Richard discovered that Shay had crossed the threshold for sensing magic after absorbing his mana, and Shay eagerly accepted that he would believe in Richard and borrow his power.
• Richard promised to send Shay to Kamar-Taj to study magic, but Shay accidentally twisted his neck while bowing and asked Richard for help.
• Natasha Romanoff checked in at JFK under the name Yulia for a flight to Saint Petersburg, while the ticket agents Tony and Shirley Mendez bickered behind the counter.
• Nick Fury called Natasha and asked where she was.

Richard brought Shay Martinez to Kamar-Taj to register him as an apprentice, where Mordo agreed to take him on. After asking Mordo about Kaecilius, Richard heard The Ancient One summon him.

• Natasha answered Nick Fury's test call, and Nick suspected Richard was an alien disguised as an Earthling.
• Richard brought Shay through a portal to Kamar-Taj and told him to register as an apprentice.
• Richard greeted Jonathan Pangborn and the other apprentices, encouraging Jonathan as he recovered through training.
• Richard introduced Shay to Mordo, who agreed to register and teach him despite grumbling at Richard's request.
• Richard asked Mordo about Kaecilius, and The Ancient One summoned Richard.

Richard discovered that Dormammu had manipulated a spatial rift to lure the Sorcerer Supreme, and The Ancient One assigned Richard to turn the situation into a trap connected to Kaecilius. Richard went to Kaecilius’s dormitory, where Kaecilius reacted sharply to hearing his name.

• Richard left Shay with Mordo and joined The Ancient One at a spatial rift on Mount Everest.
• Richard identified Dormammu as the one behind the rift and learned that Dormammu was using a secret technique to suppress his presence.
• The Ancient One proposed using Dormammu’s scheme as an opportunity to address Kaecilius, then left the matter to Richard.
• Richard realized The Ancient One had assigned him the task and went to Kaecilius’s dormitory.
• Kaecilius opened the door, and his pupils constricted when Richard introduced himself.

Richard visited Kaecilius and confirmed that the Ancient One drew power from the Dark Dimension, arguing that she used it to protect Earth and defeat Dormammu. He demonstrated his immense mana and asked Kaecilius whether he could now hold the position of Sorcerer Supreme.

• Kaecilius asked Richard whether Dormammu had told the truth about the Ancient One drawing power from the Dark Dimension, and Richard confirmed it.
• Richard argued that the Ancient One borrowed Dark Dimension power to protect Earth and had not found a successor strong enough to replace her.
• Richard claimed the Ancient One repeatedly defeated Dormammu and said borrowed power did not need to be repaid.
• Richard released his crimson mana, drawing the attention of Kamar-Taj's sorcerers, while the Ancient One told them not to worry.
• Kaecilius struggled under Richard's aura as Richard asked whether he could hold the position of Sorcerer Supreme.

Richard eased Kaecilius’s doubts about Dormammu’s power and planned to use him as bait, while Natasha searched for Melina at a secluded farm. The chapter left Natasha unconscious aboard a Red Room aircraft with Melina, as Richard ordered White Queen to track it and locate the Sky Fortress.

• Richard reassured Kaecilius that power itself was not right or wrong, and Kaecilius’s inner conflict eased.
• Richard and Kaecilius agreed to leave Dormammu’s power inside Kaecilius untouched while preparing a scheme to lure Dormammu.
• Kaecilius fell asleep from exhaustion after Richard left, and Natasha traveled to a secluded farm outside Saint Petersburg.
• Natasha found Melina inside the farmhouse, but Melina raised her rifle and a gunshot rang out.
• White Queen reported that Red Room agents had taken the unconscious Natasha aboard an aircraft and Melina had gone with them.
• Richard ordered White Queen to track the aircraft and find the Sky Fortress.

Melina brought the unconscious Natasha Romanoff to the Red Room’s Sky Fortress, where Dreykov exposed her disguise and confronted her about her past. When White Queen offered help, Natasha called out, and an unknown person appeared behind Dreykov and severed his ring-wearing hand.

• Melina brought Natasha Romanoff to the Sky Fortress and ordered soldiers to lock her in Cell 5.
• Dreykov questioned Melina about how Natasha had found her and used his ring to control her.
• Dreykov tore away Natasha’s Widow Veil and revealed her identity, then taunted her about Antonia and S.H.I.E.L.D.
• White Queen contacted Natasha and told her to shout, “Help me,” if she needed assistance.
• Natasha shouted for help, and an unfamiliar person appeared behind Dreykov and cut off his ring-wearing hand.

Richard and Natasha killed Dreykov and took control of the Sky Fortress, while Melina and Natasha reunited. Richard planned to free the Red Room Widows and recruited Melina to help develop a pheromone neutralizer, then located Yelena Belova in Morocco.

• Richard injured Dreykov and revealed that his voice could not reach the guards, while Natasha broke free of the Control Ring's influence.
• Natasha shot Dreykov dead, and Richard reassured her before Melina arrived and embraced her.
• Richard retrieved the Control Ring and ordered White Queen to take over the Sky Fortress control hub as her new home.
• Natasha introduced Melina to Richard, who revealed he was a Sorcerer of Kamar-Taj and said Nick Fury would not remain in power much longer.
• Richard told Natasha and Melina that he would recall the Red Room Widows and let them choose their futures, then asked Melina to research a pheromone neutralizer.
• White Queen displayed the Widows' locations, and Richard found Yelena Belova in Morocco.

Richard prepared to help Kaecilius pursue a way to reunite with his dead wife and child, while showing him the Book of Cagliostro and explaining that the path led through Hell. The chapter ended with Richard claiming he could capture Blackheart’s true body using a three-step method, which he had yet to reveal.

• Richard told Melina to research a pheromone neutralizer, ordered Yelena Belova recalled, and had Melina and the Widows take control of the Red Room fortress.
• Natasha decided Alexei Shostakov should remain imprisoned in the Gulag Concentration Camp.
• Three days later, Richard visited Kaecilius and brought him the Book of Cagliostro, warning him that it contained dangerous dark magic.
• Richard told Kaecilius that his wife and child were in Hell and that reaching them meant confronting Mephisto.
• Richard revealed that he had captured a wisp of Blackheart’s split soul and said he could capture Blackheart’s true body in three steps.

Richard outlined a plan to lure Dormammu’s split into a sealed trap in an abandoned dimension, while Kaecilius briefly discussed using Blackheart to bargain for his family. Kaecilius agreed to help bait Dormammu, then acknowledged Richard as the sorcerer best suited to succeed The Ancient One.

• Richard proposed trapping Blackheart’s true body and using him as leverage against Mephisto, but he and Kaecilius set the plan aside to deal with Dormammu first.
• Richard explained that The Ancient One had found a fissure on Mount Everest leading to an abandoned dimension Dormammu had prepared as a trap.
• Richard proposed sealing the abandoned dimension with a formation strong enough to withstand Dormammu’s split.
• Richard said Kaecilius should use a ritual from the Book of Cagliostro to draw Dormammu’s attention through the dark energy inside him.
• Kaecilius agreed to help and told Richard that his strength and talent made him fit to take on The Ancient One’s responsibilities.

Richard and Kaecilius asked The Ancient One to help prepare a trap for Dormammu, with Kaecilius serving as bait. The Ancient One agreed to help, but Richard’s elaborate safeguards left her worried about Dormammu’s fate and led her to assign the work meant for Richard to Kaecilius and Mordo instead.

• Richard warned Kaecilius that he would have to face Dormammu alone for three to five seconds before reinforcements arrived, and Kaecilius said he could handle it.
• Richard and Kaecilius visited The Ancient One, and Kaecilius apologized for having doubted her and thanked Richard for helping him.
• Richard asked The Ancient One to protect Kaecilius and help build a Dimensional Confinement Formation to capture Dormammu’s avatar.
• The Ancient One rejected a protective formation on Kaecilius, explaining that Dormammu would detect it, but offered the Cloak of Protection, which could withstand his attacks for about three seconds.
• Richard proposed layers of Mirror Dimensions, soul shackles, and elemental runes for the trap, leaving The Ancient One concerned and Kaecilius stunned.
• The Ancient One decided to have Kaecilius and Mordo handle the task originally intended for Richard.

Richard and Kaecilius visited the New York Sanctum to retrieve the Cloak of Żubr, where Richard tested its defenses and studied other magical artifacts. He failed to persuade the red cloak to leave with him, copied the Crimson Bands’ rune structure, and returned to Kamar-Taj as the red cloak arrived too late.

• Kaecilius retrieved the Cloak of Żubr from Camille, and Richard persuaded him to test its protective abilities.
• Kaecilius transformed the cloak into a black vest, and its energy shield withstood Richard’s improved Sword of Vishanti.
• Richard praised his magical improvements to Camille, who became absorbed in considering how to apply the wave-based attack idea.
• Richard tried to convince the sentient red cloak to come with him, but it turned away and curled into a ball.
• Richard examined the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, copied its complex runes, and returned to Kamar-Taj.
• The red cloak hurried to the portal after Richard had left, then drifted away dejectedly.