Chapter Summaries

Lu Qi and Tony rescued Happy and destroyed Killian’s island base, but they failed to locate Killian. After learning his base had been discovered, Killian planned to kidnap Stark Group’s CEO and use the Extremis serum to lure Tony into paying.

• Captain America led the Extremis Squad into the woods, where the Ninja Soldiers ambushed and killed him and wiped out the squad.
• Tony rescued Happy from missile attacks, and Happy explained how Killian’s men had captured him.
• Lu Qi’s forces cleared the island and gathered its surviving researchers and leaders, but Killian was not among them.
• Killian discovered the attack through hidden cameras and blamed Tony Stark for destroying his base.
• Killian ordered his subordinate to investigate Stark Group’s CEO so they could kidnap her and inject her with Extremis serum.
• Killian beat his subordinate, who then entered a building and returned with a case of serum.

Pepper was ambushed by Killian’s Extremis Soldiers in Hell’s Kitchen, but Lu Qi and Tony rescued her and captured their leader. Tony confronted Killian at the harbor and defeated him by swallowing his attempted self-destruction in darkness.

• Pepper diverted through Hell’s Kitchen, where Killian’s Extremis Soldiers attacked her car and fought Lu Qi’s Ninja Soldiers.
• Pepper called Tony, and Lu Qi opened a portal so he and Tony could reach Hell’s Kitchen; they captured the bald Extremis Soldier while Pepper left to continue her business.
• At the harbor, Killian waited for Pepper, then discovered his yacht and every light source had vanished into darkness.
• Tony appeared and fought Killian, absorbing his heat and countering his fire with magic circles.
• Killian injected himself with the medicine in his briefcase, grew into a giant, and tried to explode beside Tony, but the darkness swallowed him and stopped the blast.

Tony and Lu Qi discussed the port after Lu Qi stopped a nearby threat, while a future version of Captain America maneuvered to disrupt Hydra’s plan to capture the captain. Hydra proceeded with the Arctic mission, and Natasha secretly retrieved evidence from Pierce’s office before leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

• Lu Qi teased Tony about nearly being caught in an explosion, and Tony claimed the port belonged to his family before considering buying it.
• Rumlow delivered the Arctic mission briefing to the captain, then reported to Sitwell that the captain had not suspected Hydra’s plan to capture him.
• An old man visited Carter, revealed his intention to help the captain rescue Bucky early, and sent several messages that triggered changes within S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Rumlow questioned the unfamiliar personnel added to the mission, but Pierce approved the replacements and ordered the other team members to prepare at the Arctic base.
• After the captain’s team departed, Pierce left to observe the operation, and Natasha entered his office and stole a thin sheet hidden beneath a wine bottle’s label.

Natasha and Fury investigated suspicious S.H.I.E.L.D. operations and were confronted by an unknown intruder at their safe house. In the Arctic, Captain America realized Rumlow and the Special Operations Team had turned against him, and Rumlow faced him with his gun drawn.

• Natasha gave Fury a stolen chip, and its recording showed that Pierce and others had secretly blocked surveillance during a discussion about Captain America.
• Fury showed Natasha reports of thirteen questionable operations while they had been in Asgard, and she agreed that S.H.I.E.L.D. had a serious problem.
• A hooded intruder entered Fury and Natasha’s safe house, and they fired at the figure before recognizing the person.
• Rumlow led Captain America and the Special Operations Team to an apparently abandoned Arctic base and directed them to search its records hall.
• Captain America noticed the team’s nervousness and a member’s warning that enemies were behind him, then confronted Rumlow after seeing his gun was ready.
• Rumlow stopped pretending to search, and the Special Operations Team turned to face Captain America.

Captain America fought Hydra forces and a group of enhanced Winter Soldiers after learning S.H.I.E.L.D. was his enemy. As the Winter Soldiers turned on Hydra, an unknown force seized the commander, and a massive figure appeared behind Captain America's strongest opponent.

• Captain America and undercover agents attacked Rumlow's forces, but Rumlow escaped as Hydra reinforcements arrived.
• Captain America and the agents built a defensive line, then were overwhelmed by enhanced soldiers who proved to be Winter Soldiers.
• The Winter Soldiers turned on Hydra's troops, and the commander fled toward the entrance before a shadowy force captured him.
• Captain America fought the strongest Winter Soldier while four others battled Hydra soldiers in the hall.
• A massive figure appeared behind Captain America's opponent, grabbed his head, and crushed it.

Lu Qi rescued Captain America’s team from Hydra and met Old Captain America, who asked him to help reconcile Steve and Tony. Lu Qi refused to seek Tony’s forgiveness for Bucky, then began telling Tony that his parents’ deaths might not have been an accident.

• Lu Qi arrived with Shadow Ninjas, defeated the Hydra forces, and brought the unconscious teammates to Fury’s building in New York.
• Old Captain America asked Lu Qi to help mend the relationship between Steve and Tony, but Lu Qi agreed only to let him explain and promised to support Tony.
• Fury asked Lu Qi to help S.H.I.E.L.D. against Hydra, but Lu Qi refused to intervene in their battle.
• Lu Qi took Tony to Stark Tower’s rooftop and asked about his parents before revealing that their car crash might not have been an accident.

Tony learned that Hydra had killed Howard and decided to avenge his father after Hydra was dealt with. As Hydra launched its Helicarriers and attacked the Captain and his allies, Tony and Lu Qi joined the fight, but Lu Qi left Tony unaware of the truth about Bucky and what the Captain's future self had told him.

• Lu Qi told Tony that Hydra had killed Howard, and Tony decided to postpone bringing Howard to the present until Hydra was defeated.
• Pierce, reassured by Lu Qi's misleading email, ordered Hydra to launch the three Helicarriers while the Captain and his allies infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
• The Captain's broadcast exposed Hydra's plan, but Pierce ordered the Helicarriers launched, and Hydra forces overwhelmed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and trapped the Captain, Falcon, and Barton aboard the vessels.
• Tony arrived with an armored squad and a magical suit, rescuing the Captain and attacking Hydra forces.
• The Captain apologized to Tony over Howard's death and promised to bring Bucky to him, while Lu Qi said he would explain the remaining truths after the battle.

Tony's armor squad helped the heroes defeat Hydra aboard the Helicarriers, while Lu Qi watched the battles and confronted Pierce at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. After Fury completed the identity check that exposed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s records online, Lu Qi raised his hand as the Helicarriers fired on one another.

• Tony led his armor squad against Hydra on the three Helicarriers, giving Barton, Falcon, and Captain America an opening to reach the cores.
• Barton defeated Rumlow, and Falcon disabled Zola's drones, clearing two Helicarriers for the heroes.
• Captain America subdued Bucky and replaced the chip in the remaining Helicarrier's core.
• Lu Qi joined Fury and Natasha at the command center, where Pierce threatened them and the Security Council with explosive badges; Lu Qi severed Pierce's hand and destroyed the badges.
• Pierce blinded himself, but Fury brought in a lookalike to complete identity verification, allowing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database to be released online.
• Lu Qi watched the Helicarriers fire at one another and slowly raised his hand.

Lu Qi brought Tony to meet Old Captain America, who revealed that Bucky had killed Tony’s parents while brainwashed by Hydra. Tony watched the recording, spared Bucky’s life but severed his metal arm, and ordered him to serve and protect his parents; Lu Qi reminded Captain America that he owed Tony.

• Lu Qi took the captured warships and turned the remaining Hydra agents over to Fury and Tony.
• Lu Qi brought Tony to the Captain America Memorial Museum, where Old Captain America was waiting to speak with him.
• Old Captain America told Tony that Bucky had killed Howard and Maria Stark, then showed him a recording of the murder.
• Tony struck Bucky, severed his metal arm, and ordered him to serve and protect Tony’s parents rather than die.
• Lu Qi told Captain America that he owed Tony as Tony left to get some air.

Lu Qi met Wanda Maximoff and Pietro Maximoff after they attacked Galacta while trying to protect a disguised Dimensional Demon God, then brought them to watch Stephen restore the Sanctums. The Time Stone restored the Sanctums and activated a vast magic array across Earth.

• Tony told Lu Qi that he would let the people involved decide whether to forgive Bucky and said they should deal with Hydra before bringing his parents over.
• Galacta told Lu Qi she had captured Wanda Maximoff and Pietro Maximoff after they attacked her while she pursued a Dimensional Demon God’s avatar.
• Lu Qi explained the misunderstanding, but Pietro tried to escape and Wanda attacked; the Ancient One arrived and invited the siblings to witness Stephen restore the Sanctums.
• Wanda and Pietro followed the Ancient One through Kamar-Taj, where Pietro collected food from the snack street before they joined Lu Qi and the others in the command hall.
• Stephen used the Time Stone to reverse the damage in the command hall and restore the three Sanctums.
• Energy surged from the restored Sanctums and formed a massive magic array across the surface of Earth.

After the Earth Defense Formation was restored, Wanda and Pietro considered staying at Kamar-Taj so Wanda could learn magic and they could grow stronger. Lu Qi agreed to help The Ancient One convert the formation to Dark Energy, while the siblings discovered that Tony Stark was one of Kamar-Taj’s financial backers.

• The Ancient One explained that Wanda wielded Chaos Magic and invited her to learn at Kamar-Taj, but Pietro took her away to discuss the offer.
• Wanda persuaded Pietro that they should stay, train, and use their powers to become strong enough to take revenge on Tony Stark.
• The Ancient One proposed converting the Earth Defense Formation to Dark Energy, and Lu Qi strengthened himself so he could supply enough energy for it.
• The Ancient One began studying the formation’s new energy source and told Lu Qi that Mordo’s soul had recovered enough for him to prepare General Corvus Glaive’s weapon.
• Wanda and Pietro gathered information about Kamar-Taj and learned that Tony Stark was one of its two major financial backers.

Lu Qi visited Johnny, then helped The Ancient One restore Mordo by merging his soul with Corvus Glaive. Mordo returned in a body that required him to keep holding the weapon, and Lu Qi immediately demanded a thousand years of work in exchange for it.

• Lu Qi visited Johnny and revealed his disguise after Johnny recognized that he was not Mephisto.
• Johnny told Lu Qi he had stopped performing motorcycle stunts because his fans were pestering him and he feared a serious accident.
• Wanda and Pietro decided to stay at Kamar-Taj despite learning that Tony, their intended target, helped fund it.
• The Ancient One and Lu Qi reassured Mordo before he merged his soul with Corvus Glaive.
• Mordo emerged with a restored body but learned he had to keep holding the Glaive, and Lu Qi demanded a thousand years of work to pay for it.

Lu Qi and Galacta tracked Ulysses Klaue to a secret United States base hidden inside a Busan gambling den. After exposing the rigged tables and capturing its staff, Lu Qi confronted Ulysses and revealed that T'Chaka had identified him.

• China informed Lu Qi that Ulysses Klaue had surfaced in Busan, and Lu Qi took Galacta there to find him.
• Lu Qi and Galacta entered a gambling den concealed behind a vegetable shop while Shadow Ninjas searched the base.
• An agent interrogated Ulysses about the Vibranium he had sold, while the base's staff discovered that its external sentries had gone silent.
• Galacta noticed that the gambling tables were rigged, and Lu Qi flipped one over before the Shadow Ninjas subdued the guards.
• Lu Qi reviewed the agents' interrogation records and had Ulysses brought before him.
• Lu Qi told Ulysses that T'Chaka had named him, leaving Ulysses pale as Galacta asked whether they were going back.

Lu Qi arrived in Wakanda with Galacta and delivered the captive Ulysses Klaue to King T'Chaka. He proposed trading Vibranium through a private portal to the Trading Station, leaving T'Chaka and T'Challa to consider whether Wakanda should open itself to the opportunity.

• Lu Qi brought Ulysses Klaue to Wakanda, where W'Kabi recognized him and ordered the warriors to take him away.
• Okoye welcomed Lu Qi and Galacta, escorted them through Wakanda's hidden barrier, and brought them to King T'Chaka's palace.
• T'Chaka welcomed Lu Qi and received Ulysses, while Galacta went to explore Wakanda with Shuri.
• Lu Qi asked to trade for Vibranium and demonstrated that he could send it through a crack so it could not circulate outside Wakanda.
• Lu Qi offered Wakanda private access to the Trading Station and warned that other nations' technology could soon catch up with it.
• T'Chaka gave Lu Qi time to leave Wakanda's decision to him and T'Challa, while Lu Qi went to find Galacta.

T'Chaka accepted Lu Qi's proposal to trade one ton of Vibranium each month, and Lu Qi tested the newly completed Samurai Soldier, discovering it could summon Shadow Ninjas and strengthen his Demon God Form. As Lu Qi prepared to return to Earth, a vast Dark Dimension approached and pressed against Earth's defense formation, alarming The Ancient One.

• T'Challa argued that Wakanda needed new paths of development before its Vibranium ran out, and T'Chaka agreed to accept Lu Qi's terms.
• Shuri and Galacta bonded over inventions in Shuri's laboratory, while Lu Qi reassured Shuri that he would not seize Wakanda's Vibranium.
• T'Chaka signed Lu Qi's contract to buy one ton of Vibranium monthly, and Lu Qi collected the first shipment before leaving Wakanda.
• Lu Qi tested the Samurai Soldier and discovered it could summon Shadow Ninjas, operate across dimensions, and enhance his Dimensional Demon God Form.
• As Lu Qi prepared to return to Earth, a massive Dark Dimension pressed against Earth's defense formation, and The Ancient One wondered whether Lu Qi was responsible.

Lu Qi discovered that Dormammu had been consumed by dark energy connected to a vast Dark Sea beyond the dimension, then merged the dark space Dormammu had brought with him into the Shadow World. Meanwhile, Silver Surfer encountered a seemingly endless fleet of battered ships that rebuilt themselves after he destroyed them.

• The Ancient One and Galactus joined Lu Qi near the Earth Formation, where Dormammu emerged from dark energy and was swallowed by it after Lu Qi unexpectedly controlled the energy.
• Lu Qi examined the Dark Source and learned that countless dark spaces and the Dark Sea lay beyond the Dimensional Space, but Galactus warned him that crossing the passage would destroy his consciousness.
• Lu Qi merged Dormammu's dark space into the Shadow World, doubling its size and turning its excess energy into the world's origin.
• Silver Surfer encountered a fleet while traveling back to Earth and fought its ships after they charged at him without firing.
• Silver Surfer destroyed hundreds of ships, then saw black energy reassemble their wreckage into battered warships that returned to battle.

Silver Surfer fought Shadowbane and fled toward Earth as the armored monster pursued him. On Earth, Lu Qi approved Tony’s plan for an Ultron-controlled robot army, checked on Wakanda’s Trading Station stall, and visited Galacta, who began considering keeping pets.

• Silver Surfer destroyed the surrounding warships, but Shadowbane emerged from their wreckage and pursued him through an asteroid belt.
• Silver Surfer, unable to attack again after exhausting much of his board’s energy, headed toward Earth while Shadowbane continued the chase.
• Tony proposed building a robot legion controlled by a restricted central system, and Lu Qi agreed to support the plan; Tony named it Ultron.
• Lu Qi visited Wakanda’s disguised stall at the Trading Station and learned that its people were trading outdated technology for resources.
• Lu Qi found Galacta feeding Wakandan rhinos, gave her a Shadow Devourer Soldier to hold, and suggested she try raising small pets.

Lu Qi exposed and killed Aili, a Vampire agent assigned to protect Erik, after she offered Jane eternal life through a Vampire embrace. He promised Jane a different path to endless life, then joined Thor, Jane, and Galacta for a game, while Thor learned that Galacta had eaten Vampires before.

• Galacta kept the Shadow Devourer Soldier close and asked Lu Qi what it ate; he explained that it grew by consuming shadows and advised against feeding it.
• Thor told Lu Qi he wanted to find Jane, and the two hurried to join Jane, Erik, and Aili for a game.
• Lu Qi recognized Aili as a Vampire and accused her of reaching toward his friends, then ordered a Ninja Soldier to kill her.
• Aili offered Jane a Vampire embrace for eternal life, but Lu Qi warned that Vampires controlled those they turned, and the Ninja Soldier reduced Aili to ash.
• Lu Qi promised Jane endless life through another method, and Thor thanked him before bringing Jane to play.
• Galacta joined the game using Aili's phone and told Thor that Vampires smelled different from Earthlings and that she had eaten some before.

Lu Qi organized a worldwide campaign to exterminate the vampires after their plot involving Jane and Thor failed, while Tony began researching a way to identify them. The chapter ended with Thor, Steve, Natasha, and Barton joining the effort as the nations prepared to act.

• After Fury sent him information on vampire leaders, Lu Qi recruited Tony to develop a way to identify vampires and provided him with captured samples.
• A vampire elder learned that Aili had been killed and ordered his allies to flee to Vanaheim, but the Shadow Legion captured him and other vampires.
• Lu Qi told representatives from Earth’s nations that he intended to exterminate the vampires and that Tony Stark and Bruce Banner were investigating how to expose them.
• Thor arrived at the meeting and volunteered to help avenge the vampires’ attempt to target Jane.
• Steve called Lu Qi and said he would join the campaign alongside Natasha and Barton.

Lu Qi sought help from Eitri and the Dwarves to obtain shields that could contain the vampires gathered in encirclement zones. Eitri agreed to provide the stored shields, and the five permanent members bought the entire supply.

• Military representatives warned Lu Qi that bombing the vampires risked letting transformed vampires escape and trigger a Blood Plague in nearby cities.
• The representatives asked Lu Qi to secure Asgard-style shields from the Dwarves so they could trap the vampires, and Lu Qi agreed to speak with Eitri.
• Lu Qi traveled to Svartalfheim and flew to Nidavellir, where he found Eitri forging weapons.
• Eitri explained that the Dwarves could not wield their powerful weapons themselves and agreed to send the stored shields to Lu Qi.
• The five permanent members bought every shield the Dwarves brought out.