Recaps

Luke, a transmigrator with an idle-game system, met Ancient One after arriving in the Marvel Universe and learned that his system-generated Dark Energy had drawn her attention. After sending him on a disorienting journey through strange spaces, she decided to keep him at Kamar-Taj and observe him for a few days.

• Luke arrived in the Marvel Universe, chose a Dark Realm mining unit in his system, and found himself drinking tea with Ancient One.
• Luke spilled hot tea and startled Ancient One, who revealed that she had seen a future in which he could destroy Dormammu.
• Ancient One opened a portal so Luke could use the bathroom, then struck him with a palm and sent him on a strange journey through space.
• Luke returned to the tea room, realized his system's currency was Dark Energy, and told Ancient One he had not known he possessed it.
• Ancient One said Luke did not appear affected by the Dark Energy and ordered him to remain at Kamar-Taj while she observed him.
• Ancient One revealed they had been in the Mirror Dimension and had Mordo escort Luke to his room.

Luke tried to learn magic at Kamar-Taj, but his dark energy unexpectedly gave him Shadow Form and the ability to summon a Ninja Soldier, prompting the sorcerers to chase him. Ancient One stopped the confrontation by declaring Luke a true Dark Lord whose power could weaken Dormammu, and she took him into the Mirror Dimension.

• Mordo showed Luke his room and taught him to use a Sling Ring, but Luke failed to open a portal before accidentally unleashing dark energy and teleporting through a shadow.
• The sorcerers mistook Luke's power for a threat, so he summoned a Ninja Soldier and fled with Shadow Form while Mordo and the others pursued him.
• The sorcerers cornered Luke, and Ancient One arrived just before he ran out of energy.
• Kaecilius accused Luke of serving Dormammu, but Ancient One explained that Luke controlled dark power and could weaken Dormammu.
• Ancient One persuaded the sorcerers to protect Luke and led him into the Mirror Dimension.

Luke contracted with Ancient One to provide her pure dark energy in exchange for protection and dimensional coordinates, then used the system’s ads to accelerate his growth and summon Ninja Soldiers. After Ancient One modified his Sling Ring and went into seclusion, Luke returned to the plaza and made Mordo fight his five soldiers.

• Ancient One explained that Dormammu had tainted the dark energy she absorbed to locate Earth, and she offered Luke protection and dimensional coordinates in exchange for his dark energy.
• Luke accepted the system-assisted contract, allowing Ancient One to draw energy from him and giving him knowledge of portals.
• Luke used the Time Stone to trigger an ad that accelerated his progress by an hour, then spent his energy points and remaining ads to summon four Ninja Soldiers.
• Ancient One modified Luke’s Sling Ring so he could open portals by channeling dark energy, then went into seclusion to expel Dormammu’s influence.
• Luke returned to the plaza, summoned five Ninja Soldiers, and forced Mordo to spar with them until he collapsed from exhaustion.

Luke learned how his dark energy regeneration worked, then Ancient One released him from Kamar-Taj and sent him to the New York Sanctum. While exploring Hell’s Kitchen, he watched a gang battle and encountered Punisher, who mistook him for an enemy and opened fire before Luke escaped.

• Luke discovered that his dark space grew with his Dark Energy Crystals and that his 31 Ninja Soldiers regenerated 3.1 energy per second.
• Ancient One told Luke that she had purged Dormammu's power and no longer needed to observe him, but advised him to stay away while she prepared Stephen to succeed her.
• Luke randomly took a portal to the New York Sanctum, where Master Daniel explained that relics chose their own masters and the Cloak of Levitation rejected Luke.
• Luke wandered into Hell's Kitchen and watched two gangs fight, including one side firing a Stark rocket that showered its targets with steel pellets.
• Frank emerged on the rooftop carrying a sniper rifle, mistook Luke for an attacker, and fired at him; Luke's Ninja Soldiers blocked the bullets before Luke fled using stealth.

Luke used his Ninja Soldiers to raid Hell's Kitchen gangs, taking their money and destroying their drugs, while S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Coulson investigated the killings. Kingpin learned of the Shadow Army and arranged for S.H.I.E.L.D. to investigate it, while Luke remained unaware that his actions had drawn their attention.

• Luke considered ways to make money in Manhattan and decided to target the gangs in Hell's Kitchen.
• Paul entered the Blood Hand gang's base and was killed by a Ninja Soldier, while Luke waited nearby and then left after receiving word.
• Coulson examined the Blood Hand base, found more than a hundred gang members killed and the cash stolen, and suspected a superpowered culprit.
• A man approached Coulson and offered to tell him who was behind the killings.
• Kingpin ordered an associate to pass information about the Shadow Army to S.H.I.E.L.D. and prepared to respond to the new threat.
• Luke returned home with his Ninja Soldiers and their stolen cash, reflecting on why he had begun killing gang members; his system showed seventy soldiers and seventy-one Energy Crystals remaining.

Luke received coordinates for Dark Dimensions from Ancient One and continued strengthening his Shadow Army. After Coulson visited and Fury arranged an identity for him, Luke’s home was attacked by a rocket.

• Luke returned to Kamar-Taj, where Ancient One gave him a book of Dark Dimension coordinates and warned him that some dimensions had powerful owners.
• Luke chose a dimension to mine, sparred with Mordo using seventy-four Ninja Soldiers, and returned to his home.
• Luke found Coulson playing his game, revealed that he commanded the Shadow Army, and accepted Coulson’s offer to arrange identification documents.
• Coulson discovered that Luke’s Ninja Soldiers had knocked out the S.H.I.E.L.D. team waiting outside, and Fury decided to give Luke a security consultant’s ID.
• Luke exchanged mined ore for more Ninja Soldiers and was nearing a hundred when he saw a rocket flying toward his window.

Luke survived an attack on his apartment and retaliated against Kingpin’s forces, then met Coulson and accepted a S.H.I.E.L.D. security consultant credential. Fury reviewed Luke’s record and ordered his file sealed at level seven while S.H.I.E.L.D. assessed how to use his abilities.

• Luke escaped a rocket attack with Shadow Form, then sent his Ninja Soldiers to kill the armed thugs who had destroyed his apartment.
• Luke traced the attack to Kingpin, raided his building, and overcame its armored guards, snipers, and gangsters with his Ninja Soldiers.
• Coulson gave Luke an employee ID naming him a S.H.I.E.L.D. security consultant, and Luke accepted the position rather than becoming a formal employee.
• Fury reviewed Coulson’s investigation, judged Luke potentially useful, and ordered his assessment kept provisional and his file sealed at level seven.

Luke strengthened his summoned troops, added Blade Soldiers to his growing army, and began registering as a S.H.I.E.L.D. security consultant. After testing his abilities at the Triskelion, he finished the day’s assessment and prepared to return to Hell’s Kitchen with Coulson.

• Kingpin sent Bullseye to recruit Luke or kill him, then ordered Lanco’s family killed for the failed operation.
• Luke bought an upgrade that enhanced his physical attributes and unlocked Blade Soldiers, then tested their strength against his Ninja Soldiers.
• Coulson brought Luke to the Triskelion, where Luke registered as a summoner while concealing some of his abilities and his Blade Soldiers.
• S.H.I.E.L.D. staff tested Luke’s physical attributes and summoned Ninja Soldier, finding that the soldier could withstand rifle fire for several seconds before being killed.
• Coulson completed Luke’s photos and records, then prepared to drive him back to Hell’s Kitchen.

Luke teamed up with Punisher to raid a harbor shipment belonging to Kingpin, but the cargo was a trap and the harbor exploded. Luke escaped into the Shadow World, then joined Punisher in fighting the forces surrounding them as the Shadow Legion overwhelmed the thugs.

• Punisher approached Luke and proposed that they work together to disrupt Kingpin’s cocaine shipment, and Luke agreed.
• Luke visited Punisher’s safe house, tried firing a Barrett, and spent the afternoon shooting with him at a range.
• Luke sent Ninja Soldiers into the harbor, then entered it himself and released Blade Soldiers to defeat the guards and open the containers.
• Luke sensed danger when a container was opened and retreated into the Shadow World before the harbor exploded; Punisher found him outside the blast.
• Luke sent his ninjas against the surrounding thugs while Punisher picked off the heavy machine gunners, and the Shadow Legion advanced into the enemy position.

Luke expanded his Ninja Soldier force, discovered one could dominate video games for him, and dismissed Bullseye’s attempt to recruit him for Kingpin. After Natasha captured Bullseye and brought him to Luke, she gave Luke her number and said S.H.I.E.L.D. would contact him about a mission.

• Luke increased his Ninja Soldiers to 200 after seeing them fight effectively against gunfire, then had one play video games for him.
• Luke posted a winning match record online, and Coulson liked it before Luke teased him about slacking off.
• Bullseye sent Luke a threatening recruitment note from Kingpin, but Luke threw it away and asked Coulson for nearby hideouts to investigate.
• Luke recognized Natasha Romanoff when she approached him undercover, and the two joked about Egghead before she explained that S.H.I.E.L.D. had recalled its agents.
• Natasha said she had caught Bullseye throwing a dart at Luke, and Luke sent a photo of the captured assassin to Punisher.
• Natasha gave Luke her number and said Fury had sent her to recruit him, promising to contact him when S.H.I.E.L.D. had a mission.

Luke and Punisher used Bullseye as bait to draw Kingpin into a fight, but Kingpin offered money and a truce instead. Luke left Punisher with Bullseye and realized he did not have a bank account to receive the payment.

• Punisher took the captured Bullseye to a factory, where he and Luke prepared to use him as bait for Kingpin.
• Luke spotted an incoming force and sent Blade Soldiers after the squad sneaking behind the factory while his ninjas ambushed the attackers in front.
• Luke destroyed two armored vehicles that charged into the factory, and his soldiers wiped out their crews and supported the battle outside.
• Kingpin contacted Luke by radio, offered him five million dollars, and called a truce, while refusing to help Bullseye.
• Luke left Bullseye to Punisher and noticed Kingpin had texted him for bank details, but Luke had not opened a bank account.

Luke traveled to Las Vegas ahead of the Pinnacle Award ceremony and met Tony Stark at his hotel. After their exchange about a photo and Luke’s blog, Luke returned to his room and posted his first pictures.

• Luke received five million dollars from Kingpin and kept his work ID after getting a bank card.
• Luke flew to Las Vegas, booked a luxury hotel room near the award ceremony venue, and bought a digital camera.
• Luke spotted Tony Stark and Happy Hogan at the hotel and took a photo of them.
• Tony joked with Luke about the picture and his plan to post it on a blog, while Luke hinted that Tony would remember his name in a month.
• Luke returned to his room, uploaded photos of Las Vegas scenery to his blog, and posted, “Day one of taking photos.”

Luke enhanced his strength and tested his improved Shadow Army before attending an award ceremony, where he unexpectedly encountered Kingpin. After Luke photographed him, Kingpin asked why he was there, then returned inside without further confrontation.

• Luke spent his remaining energy on Ninja Soldiers, upgraded his physique, and discovered he was too strong to set down a marble tabletop by himself.
• Luke encountered Tony Stark in a crowded elevator, teased him about his bodyguards, and later tested the Shadow Army's improved abilities.
• Luke mined a fresh Dark Dimension, bought more Ninja Soldiers, and went to the award ceremony to take photographs.
• Tony invited Luke to make money with him, but Luke declined and entered the venue with his camera carried by a ninja.
• Luke spotted Kingpin speaking with Obadiah, exchanged a greeting with him, and took his photograph on the balcony.
• Kingpin asked Luke why he was at the ceremony, and Luke said he was taking pictures for his blog before Kingpin returned inside.

Luke watched Obadiah accept Tony Stark’s Pinnacle Award in Tony’s absence, then found Tony gambling at an entertainment center. After winning Tony’s chips through a dice game with Rhodey, Luke photographed Tony handing him the trophy and planned to keep the picture as leverage.

• Luke saw Obadiah arrive at the awards ceremony, where Rhodey presented the Pinnacle Award to Obadiah after Tony failed to appear.
• Luke slipped away from Kingpin and went to the entertainment center, where he found Tony gambling with two women.
• Tony challenged Luke to a dice game, but Luke rolled low and Tony kept his chips.
• Rhodey arrived with Tony’s trophy, and Tony handed it to a woman before Rhodey accidentally knocked the dice away.
• Rhodey rolled lower than Luke, so Tony awarded Luke thirty million dollars in chips.
• Luke photographed Tony handing him the trophy and exchanged the chips for money.

Luke followed Tony from California to a war zone, where Tony’s convoy was ambushed and he was captured by terrorists. Luke silently followed the kidnappers, as Tony’s transformation into a superhero began.

• Luke secretly boarded Tony’s plane, explored his mansion, and returned to New York before setting an alarm to follow Tony the next day.
• Luke waited with Rhodey for hours before Tony arrived and boarded the plane with him.
• Luke followed Tony to the war zone and watched him travel with soldiers in a Humvee.
• A missile struck the convoy, and gunfire and a grenade killed several soldiers while Tony survived in his body armor.
• Tony fled to a rock and called Rhodey, but a missile marked with Stark Industries landed beside him and exploded.
• Terrorists carried the unconscious Tony away, and Luke followed them.

Luke secretly watched Tony build his armor and intervened to keep Yinsen alive during their escape from the terrorists. After Tony left, Luke revealed that Yinsen had faked his death to help complete Tony’s transformation.

• Luke traveled to the cave where Tony was held and secretly photographed him finishing his armor.
• The Ten Rings leader realized Tony and Yinsen were building something other than the Jericho missile and sent guards to investigate.
• Yinsen and Tony set off a bomb at the door, and Yinsen went out alone to distract the terrorists while Tony’s armor powered up.
• Tony found Yinsen apparently dying and left in his armor after Yinsen urged him not to waste his life.
• Yinsen opened his eyes after Tony had gone, and Luke revealed that he had helped stage Yinsen’s death.

Tony escaped the terrorists’ cave with Luke’s help and was rescued by Coulson and Rhodey, while Luke secretly arranged Yinsen’s survival. The group departed as Yinsen took command of fifty Shadow Ninjas and set out to save others.

• Tony emerged from the cave in his Iron Man armor, but terrorists damaged its leg mechanism and pinned him down.
• Luke and his ninjas killed the terrorists, freed Tony from the armor, and carried him away before the explosives went off.
• Luke called Coulson for a rescue, and Coulson and Rhodey arrived with cheeseburgers to take Tony home.
• An explosion destroyed the valley, and Tony remembered Yinsen before joking about selling burgers.
• Yinsen watched the aircraft leave, then accepted command of fifty Shadow Ninjas and planned to help others resist the terrorists.

On the flight home, Tony questioned Luke about his timely rescue and learned about S.H.I.E.L.D. and his father Howard Stark’s role in its predecessor. After apologizing, Tony grew curious about Luke’s Shadow Ninjas, and the two began talking more comfortably.

• Tony questioned Luke about when he had found him and whether he had arranged the kidnapping.
• Luke explained that the Strategic Scientific Reserve had been founded by Howard Stark and others, and that S.H.I.E.L.D. had mobilized to find Tony because he was Howard’s son.
• Luke summoned his Shadow Ninjas for Tony to see, then sent them away after Rhodey warned them to keep things low-key aboard the plane.
• Luke described himself as a traveler and S.H.I.E.L.D. security consultant whose rescue of Tony had been a coincidence, and Tony quietly apologized.
• Luke arranged a second hammock for Tony and explained that the Shadow Ninjas were energy beings from his own dimension, prompting Tony to ask how they worked.
• Tony and Luke talked about the ninjas and their fathers, then gradually settled into conversation during the flight.

Tony returned to New York with Luke’s help, reunited with Pepper, and announced that Stark Industries would shut down its weapons division. Luke shared photos of Tony’s return online, then headed to the Triskelion to meet Fury.

• Tony arrived at Stark Industries with Pepper, Happy, and Luke, and asked Pepper to arrange a press conference and get him cheeseburgers.
• Luke wondered whether the explosion had destroyed Tony’s prosthetic armor, and Tony said he thought it had.
• Obadiah welcomed Tony at Stark Industries and thanked Luke for finding him, while Luke recognized Obadiah as the culprit behind Tony’s capture.
• Tony announced to reporters that he was shutting down Stark Industries’ weapons division, and Pepper led him away as the crowd surged.
• Luke uploaded photos of Tony’s return to his blog, then traveled to the Triskelion, where S.H.I.E.L.D. sent an agent to pick him up.

Luke bluffed his way past Fury by claiming he had returned from space and met Carol Danvers, then upgraded his Mining System before discovering an enemy Dimension Lord attacking through a rift. The chapter left Luke outnumbered in the Shadow Dimension, preparing his Shadow Ninjas to fight off the invading army.

• Luke told Fury that Carol Danvers had helped him return from space, convinced him with private details about Carol and the pager, and returned home safely.
• Luke increased his Ninja Soldiers to 500, upgraded his physical abilities to eight times those of an ordinary person, and doubled his mining and recovery rates.
• Luke entered a new micro dimension and discovered that enemies were preventing him from mining its energy by connecting it to the Shadow Dimension.
• Luke moved the rift and sent Shadow Ninjas through it, where he found a much larger dimension filled with creatures gathering energy.
• The opposing Dimension Lord sent tens of thousands of creatures to attack Luke, forcing Luke to form a defensive line with his Shadow Ninjas despite being heavily outnumbered.

Luke discovered that he could control dark energy directly and declared himself the Shadow Lord, disrupting Andrews’s control of the Dark Dimension. Andrews sealed Luke’s connection to the dimension and tried to escape, but a yellow figure appeared and asked for all of Luke’s energy.

• Luke converted 150 Shadow Ninjas into Blade Soldiers, and his Shadow Squads began pushing back Andrews’s forces.
• Luke blocked Andrews’s attack with dark energy and realized he could wield it directly, unlike Andrews, who relied on spells and techniques.
• Luke declared himself the Shadow Lord, and the dark energy responded to him while Andrews struggled to control it.
• Andrews used a forbidden spell to seal Luke’s connection to the Dark Dimension, but Luke learned that his energy recovered from within himself and continued fighting.
• Andrews tried to flee through the spatial rift, and Luke hesitated to pursue him because flying would consume too much energy.
• A yellow figure appeared beside Luke as the sound of shattering glass rang out and asked him to give over all his energy.

Ancient One rescued Luke from Andrews and helped him restore his connection to the Shadow World, but Luke was stranded there for five days while he wore down a seal. After returning to the Material World, Luke helped Tony confront Obadiah in Iron Monger, and the fight ended with Obadiah surrendering inside the armor.

• Ancient One used Luke's energy to trap Andrews in the Mirror Dimension and killed him, then gave Luke coordinates for unclaimed Dark Dimensions.
• Luke spent five days wearing down the seal, restored his connection to the Shadow World, and returned to find Tony's messages about his stolen Arc Reactor.
• Luke brought Tony's Arc Reactor to him, and Tony, Luke, and Rhodey used a portal to reach Stark Industries, where they found Potts and Coulson.
• Iron Monger attacked, and Luke's Shadow Ninjas and Blade Soldiers pinned the armor down before Obadiah escaped into the air.
• Luke hid in Tony's armor, transferred onto Iron Monger, damaged its helmet and neck, and sent Shadow Ninjas inside to threaten Obadiah.
• Obadiah stopped maneuvering and landed after a ninja blade reached his neck, and Luke ordered him to get out of the armor.

Tony handed Obadiah and the damaged Iron Monger armor to S.H.I.E.L.D., then announced that he would stop selling weapons and focus on energy. At a press conference, Tony revealed that he was Iron Man and named Luke the Shadow Lord, leaving Luke caught in the spotlight.

• A Ninja Soldier escorted Obadiah out of the Iron Monger armor, and Coulson asked Tony to hand them both over to S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Tony removed the armor's reactor before allowing the agents to take Obadiah and Iron Monger away.
• Tony told Rhodey that Stark Industries would stop selling weapons and turn to energy, while Luke joked that Tony should not sell burgers.
• Luke arrived at Tony's press conference and photographed Tony as he declared, "I am Iron Man."
• Tony introduced Luke to the reporters as his superhero sidekick, the Shadow Lord, then left with his bodyguards.

Luke tested Tony Stark’s jet boots, raced him using dark energy, and accepted thanks from people he had saved during the Stark Industries battle. While sharing burgers, Luke suggested a new all-in-one smartphone to help Tony earn money, but their conversation was interrupted by an Egghead.

• Luke reviewed his Shadow Legion’s strength and planned to expand his forces after mining the remaining tiny dark dimensions.
• Tony gave Luke miniature-reactor jet boots that could break the sound barrier, and Luke formed a dark-energy suit to protect himself.
• Luke and Tony raced along a route plotted by JARVIS, and Luke used dark energy to accelerate past Tony before slowing down from exhaustion.
• Luke met Tony at a burger joint, where the crowd thanked Luke for saving people from Obadiah, and the two shared burgers.
• Luke suggested Tony build an all-screen smartphone with many features and a simple voice assistant, and Tony agreed to try it.
• An Egghead appeared behind Luke and Tony while they were talking.

Luke gave Fury misleading information about the Hulk and Antarctica, then returned to developing his Shadow World. With Ancient One’s help, he arranged for elite mages to draw on his dark energy and connected his dimension to Kamar-Taj, preparing to explore another dimension.

• Luke told Fury that damaged alien technology had revealed possible Hulk activity at a beverage factory in Brazil and a powerful energy source in Antarctica.
• Luke admitted to Tony Stark that he had lied to Fury, while Tony avoided discussing what was wrong with him.
• After finishing excavation at his known coordinates, Luke returned to Kamar-Taj and learned from Mordo that Ancient One had left him a booklet and offered mages to help fight for dark dimensions.
• Luke tested dark-energy contracts with Mordo and several elite mages, then connected the Shadow World to Kamar-Taj through a portal.
• Luke entered his expanded Shadow World, selected a target dimension from the booklet, and asked Mordo to bring the others.