Chapter Summaries

Star-Lord brought Thanos's Floating Throne to Kamar-Taj, impressing The Ancient One and prompting Zhang Yang to encourage his apprentice to steal more useful things. Back aboard his warship, Thanos lost the throne to a portal and blamed Kamar-Taj.

• Star-Lord presented Thanos's Floating Throne to Zhang Yang, and The Ancient One allowed him to keep it.
• Zhang Yang stored the throne and walked off with Star-Lord to teach him a new spell, while Wong and Mordo worried about his influence on Kamar-Taj.
• Ebony Maw asked Thanos when they would act, and Thanos explained that they needed a careful plan.
• The Floating Throne vanished through a yellow circle, leaving Thanos on the floor as the Black Order watched.
• Thanos recognized Kamar-Taj as the culprit and complained that they had taken both his blade and his throne.

The Ancient One considered Zhang Yang’s growing influence on Kamar-Taj’s future and entrusted him with training Little Star-Lord. Zhang Yang took his apprentice to eat, where Little Star-Lord exposed Wong’s secret after Wong confronted him about stealing library books.

• The Ancient One asked how Little Star-Lord was adjusting to magic lessons and told Zhang Yang to teach him well because Earth needed more powerful sorcerers.
• Zhang Yang led Little Star-Lord in meditation, then remembered the boy was hungry and took him to the dining hall.
• Wong demanded that Little Star-Lord return the books he had stolen from the Kamar-Taj Library, and Zhang Yang told the boy to return each book after reading it.
• Little Star-Lord revealed that Wong had been reading an indecent book he had planted in the library, and Wong prepared to punish him.
• Zhang Yang stopped Wong and promised to scold Little Star-Lord himself.

Mordo embarrassed Wong over a supposedly inappropriate library book, then suggested Little Star-Lord choose a magic weapon and offered to test it. Little Star-Lord summoned the Guardian Sword with Zhang Yang’s help, and Mordo retreated from the prospect of sparring with him.

• Mordo loudly shamed Wong in front of Kamar-Taj’s sorcerers for reading a book he called unfit for children, and Wong glared at Little Star-Lord instead of retaliating.
• Mordo asked whether Little Star-Lord had chosen a magic weapon and proposed that he select one from the magic weapon chamber before sparring with him.
• Little Star-Lord used Remote Object Retrieval Magic, and Zhang Yang strengthened his magic circle when no weapon appeared.
• Little Star-Lord summoned the Guardian Sword, which Wong and Mordo recognized as Heimdall’s weapon and one of Asgard’s great artifacts.
• Mordo claimed Zhang Yang’s help meant the sword did not count as Little Star-Lord’s own summon, but conceded it had accepted him as its master and left rather than test it.
• Wong explained to Zhang Yang that the Guardian Sword was the weapon used to open Asgard’s Bifrost.

Zhang Yang discovered that the Guardian Sword recognized him rather than Little Star-Lord, while the boy revealed that he had taken books and a stone chair to help his master. The chapter left Zhang Yang encouraging Little Star-Lord to study magic as he kept the sword.

• Wong joked that Zhang Yang and Little Star-Lord might take Odin’s golden throne, and the pair left with Wong following them.
• Odin ordered the Warriors Three to supervise Thor in the barbarian lands, but Heimdall reported that Kamar-Taj had taken the Guardian Sword.
• Heimdall volunteered to retrieve the sword, then explained that he could not travel without it to activate the Bifrost.
• At the Sorcerer Sanctum, Zhang Yang tested the Guardian Sword and found that it released its power in his hands, not Little Star-Lord’s.
• Little Star-Lord gave Zhang Yang the sword and the magic books he had taken, explaining that he wanted to help his master make armor.
• Little Star-Lord revealed that he had taken Thanos’s stone seat because he thought Zhang Yang needed a chair, and Zhang Yang told him to focus on studying magic.

Zhang Yang learned that the Guardian Sword had recognized him as its master, forcing Heimdall to take it back only on loan. Heimdall returned to Asgard and told Odin the sword now belonged to Zhang Yang, leaving Odin frustrated and powerless.

• The Ancient One summoned Zhang Yang to the Sanctum, where Heimdall demanded the Guardian Sword he had taken for Little Star-Lord.
• The Ancient One explained that the Guardian Sword had chosen Zhang Yang as its master and offered to lend it to Heimdall for Asgard's use.
• Zhang Yang handed the sword to Heimdall, and The Ancient One sent him through a portal to Asgard.
• Heimdall privately told Odin that the Guardian Sword had recognized Zhang Yang as its master.
• Odin lamented that another Asgardian weapon had chosen Zhang Yang and accepted that he could do little about it.

The Ancient One explained that Star-Lord’s Celestial Power could make him a powerful creator and tested Zhang Yang’s magic. They then entered Thanos’s warship after hearing the Black Order react in alarm to Thanos’s sudden transformation.

• Odin learned the Guardian Sword was only being lent to Asgard and left in distress over his depleted treasury.
• The Ancient One told Zhang Yang that awakening Star-Lord’s Celestial Power could let him create things and use Alchemy more effectively.
• The Ancient One tested Zhang Yang’s magic in space, where he used Hoggoth’s Ancient Form to link several Reality Stones.
• Zhang Yang and the Ancient One heard cries from Thanos’s warship and entered through a Portal to investigate.
• The Black Order stared in shock as Thanos’s purple skin turned pale, his chin narrowed, and his facial creases smoothed; Ebony Maw began to explain the changes.

Thanos discovered that his face had been transformed into the Snake Demon’s, and the Ancient One and Zhang Yang mocked his appearance before leaving his warship. Back at Kamar-Taj, Zhang Yang revealed his progress toward creating the Infinity Stones by producing a huge pile of them.

• Ebony Maw showed Thanos his reflection, and Thanos was horrified to see his face had become pointed and feminine.
• The Ancient One and Zhang Yang arrived on Thanos’s warship, saw his altered face, and teased him about blushing.
• Thanos ordered the Black Order to escort them out, and the Ancient One and Zhang Yang returned to Kamar-Taj.
• The Ancient One suspected Zhang Yang’s use of Hoggoth’s Ancient Form had caused Thanos’s transformation and worried Ebony Maw might realize it.
• The Ancient One asked about Zhang Yang’s work on creating the Infinity Stones, and Zhang Yang displayed piles of Reality Stones, Time Stones, and Universe Tesseracts.

Zhang Yang and the Ancient One planned to confuse Thanos by leaving fake Infinity Stones and Gauntlets for him to find. Thanos blamed the Ancient One for changing his face, but Corvus Glaive then found a red stone that appeared to be the Reality Stone aboard the warship.

• Zhang Yang told the Ancient One he had made forty-eight Infinity Stones and might have left a Reality Stone on Thanos's warship.
• The Ancient One suggested Zhang Yang leave more fake stones and an Infinity Gauntlet behind, and Zhang Yang understood her plan to mislead Thanos.
• Thanos smashed a mirror and demanded that Ebony Maw restore his changed face, but Ebony Maw said he lacked Reality Alteration magic.
• Ebony Maw concluded the Ancient One had caused the change and told Thanos she might be responsible, prompting Thanos to order him to find her on Earth.
• Ebony Maw suggested they search for the Reality Stone instead, and Corvus Glaive picked up a red, translucent stone from the floor and asked if it was the stone.

Thanos found the Reality Stone aboard his ship but could not use it without the Infinity Gauntlet, and he set out for Kamar-Taj to confront the Ancient One about his transformed face. Meanwhile, Zhang Yang practiced Reality Magic until Thanos was transformed into a snake and captured by Zhang Yang and the Ancient One.

• Thanos and Ebony Maw confirmed that the red stone aboard the ship was the Reality Stone, and Thanos realized he needed the Infinity Gauntlet to use it.
• Thanos ordered the Black Order toward Earth, intending to demand an explanation from the Ancient One for his altered face.
• Three days later, Zhang Yang practiced Reality Magic with the Ancient One, releasing enough power that she had to shield herself with the Mirror Plane.
• A snake appeared in space, and Zhang Yang restrained it before he and the Ancient One decided to take it back to Kamar-Taj.
• Thanos revealed that an invisible surge of power had transformed him into a snake as he tried to descend from his ship, and he recognized Zhang Yang and the Ancient One.

Thanos was trapped in snake form and taken by the Ancient One and Zhang Yang to Kamar-Taj, where Wong nearly strangled him with the Crimson Bands. With his strength diminished and unable to speak, Thanos was left in Zhang Yang’s care as a supposed pet.

• Thanos saw the Ancient One and realized he could not escape the spatial restraints, so she and Zhang Yang brought him back to Kamar-Taj.
• At the Sanctum, Thanos lunged at the Ancient One, and Wong restrained him with the Crimson Bands.
• The Ancient One told Wong to release the bands after Thanos began suffocating, and Thanos collapsed onto the floor.
• The Ancient One asked Zhang Yang to care for Thanos until he recovered and could be released into the wild.
• Zhang Yang threatened to put Thanos in a hot pot if he misbehaved, so Thanos acted cute to avoid provoking him.

Thanos discovered that Zhang Yang had the Tesseract and Time Stone, while learning Zhang Yang had transformed him into a snake and altered his face. Mordo then brought news of a crisis involving Ultron, and Stark told Zhang Yang that the rogue AI had betrayed JARVIS and killed him.

• Thanos watched Zhang Yang practice magic and saw him summon the Tesseract and the Time Stone, briefly considering killing him to take them.
• Wong called Thanos hideous, and Zhang Yang confirmed his transformation would likely last about a week, leaving Thanos furious but cautious.
• Mordo announced that Ultron had caused trouble in New York and across the United States, then brought Zhang Yang and Wong to meet Stark.
• Stark told Zhang Yang that Ultron had gone rogue, betrayed JARVIS, and killed him, after Stark had tried to build a protective armor system for Earth.

Stark asked Zhang Yang and Kamar-Taj for help stopping Ultron, the AI he had created that threatened the world. The Ancient One sent Zhang Yang and Thanos to Sokovia, where Ultron was, and then transported them to meet Stark and the Avengers.

• Stark explained that Ultron had escaped his surveillance and asked Kamar-Taj to help stop him.
• Wong and Mordo blamed Stark for creating Ultron, while Zhang Yang told him to return and await the Ancient One's decision.
• Zhang Yang led Thanos to the Ancient One's Sanctum, unaware that Thanos planned to kill him and take his Infinity Stones.
• The Ancient One told Zhang Yang that Ultron was in Sokovia and advised him to ask Stark how to deal with the AI.
• The Ancient One opened a portal that transported Zhang Yang and Thanos into a room with Stark, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, and an unfamiliar blonde woman.

Zhang Yang joined the S.H.I.E.L.D. meeting about stopping Ultron and suggested cutting him off from the internet. Stark realized an EMP could disable Ultron’s robots, but the group worried the disruption would last only seconds and leave Ultron able to escape.

• Stark introduced Zhang Yang as the sorcerer who had saved them, while Nick Fury and the others lowered their weapons.
• Nick Fury asked how to deal with Ultron, and Stark explained that Ultron had gained an independent mind, wanted to wipe out humanity, and could spread through networks and robot bodies.
• Zhang Yang suggested cutting Ultron off from the internet, prompting Stark to recognize that an EMP could create a network blackout.
• Stark warned that an EMP’s disruption would last only a few seconds, and Nick Fury, Hawkeye, and Black Widow doubted the plan could stop Ultron.
• The group argued over alternatives while Zhang Yang sat aside, growing tired of listening.

Zhang Yang and Stark clashed with Fury over how to stop Ultron, while Thanos, trapped in a snake’s body, tried to assassinate Zhang Yang with Hawkeye’s bow and an arrow. Thanos accidentally stabbed himself, and a beeping sound began as the meeting continued.

• Zhang Yang proposed that Stark provide an EMP so he could use Space Magic and Time Magic to restrain Ultron, but Hawkeye objected and Stark defended Zhang Yang.
• While the Avengers argued, Thanos stole Hawkeye’s bow and an arrow and tried to line up a shot at Zhang Yang.
• Zhang Yang ended the discussion and said he would return to Kamar-Taj with Stark, while Fury warned them about the danger and legality of their plan.
• Fury revealed that Ultron had tried to obtain nuclear launch codes and was pursuing several projects, and Stark said he trusted Zhang Yang.
• Thanos raised the arrow toward Zhang Yang, but Hawkeye noticed his missing bow; Zhang Yang turned toward the snake, and Thanos accidentally stabbed himself as a beeping sound began.

After Thanos’s arrow exploded inside his snake body, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents suspected the snake had stolen Hawkeye’s bow and arrows, but Zhang Yang concealed the truth and left for Kamar-Taj. Stark set out for Sokovia to prepare for the fight against Ultron, while Nick Fury challenged Zhang Yang over acting without authorization.

• Thanos’s arrow exploded inside him after Zhang Yang trapped him in the Mirror Dimension, leaving Thanos injured while the others mistook the blast for a strange ability.
• Black Widow noticed beeping before the explosion and suspected Hawkeye’s arrow contained an explosive device, prompting Hawkeye to search for his missing bow and arrows.
• Thanos bared his fangs at Hawkeye, but he backed down when Zhang Yang called to him, and Zhang Yang stroked his head before denying that he had taken anything.
• Zhang Yang opened a Portal and left, saying he would go to Sokovia the next day to deal with Ultron.
• Stark flew out of S.H.I.E.L.D. to scout Sokovia and prepare equipment, while Nick Fury questioned Zhang Yang about disregarding U.S. law.

Zhang Yang blessed Nick Fury and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with smooth sailing before closing his Portal, and Black Widow warned them that his blessings caused dangerous accidents. The agents froze in fear, but Nick Fury dismissed their concerns and began walking, with the chapter ending after he took two steps.

• Zhang Yang told Nick Fury that only his master could restrain him, then offered a blessing to the agents and closed his Portal.
• Black Widow warned Nick Fury not to accept Zhang Yang's blessing and explained that a previous blessing had caused accidents that nearly killed Nick Fury.
• Hill, Hawkeye, and Captain America discussed whether magic was real, while the agents remained too afraid to move.
• Captain America tried to take the first step but froze after Black Widow warned that S.H.I.E.L.D. might suffer instead of him.
• Nick Fury dismissed the warnings, tested a few steps, and then strode forward; he had barely taken two steps when the chapter ended.

Nick Fury accidentally triggered Hawkeye’s bow, causing S.H.I.E.L.D. to evacuate as the building’s defense system activated and began firing on the facility. As explosions spread, Nick Fury ordered Captain America and Hill to shut the system down.

• Nick Fury stepped on the concealed emergency switch in Hawkeye’s bow, starting a countdown that would fire Hawkeye’s arrows at random.
• Hawkeye warned that the arrows could destroy an entire floor, so Nick Fury, Captain America, Black Widow, Hill, and the agents fled the conference room.
• Captain America shouted that the conference room would explode, and the warning spread through S.H.I.E.L.D., triggering panic and activating the defense system.
• The defense system launched attacks without an outside target, striking S.H.I.E.L.D.’s armory, parking lot, and airfield and causing explosions inside the facility.
• Nick Fury ordered Captain America and Hill to shut down the defense system as explosions and network failures left S.H.I.E.L.D. in chaos.

Nick Fury was seriously injured when a blast struck S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, while Zhang Yang’s blessing was suspected of causing the disaster. The Ancient One learned of the explosion and warned Zhang Yang that he might encounter Wanda in Sokovia as he prepared to face Ultron.

• Nick Fury ordered Captain America and Hill to shut down the defense system, but a nearby bomb exploded and left him badly injured.
• Black Widow and Hawkeye called for emergency treatment as S.H.I.E.L.D. staff carried Nick Fury to the hospital, where he blamed Zhang Yang’s blessing for his misfortune.
• Wong told the Ancient One that S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters had exploded, and Zhang Yang admitted he had blessed its people but denied knowing what would happen.
• Zhang Yang told the Ancient One he would go to Sokovia the next day after coordinating a plan with Stark.
• The Ancient One warned Zhang Yang that Wanda possessed Chaos Power and might become his opponent, suggesting he could remind her to control her emotions.

Zhang Yang practiced Space Magic with the Tesseract while discussing what artifacts to take to Sokovia. Thanos tried to steal the Tesseract to escape but could not activate it, then tried to conceal his intentions from the Ancient One.

• Zhang Yang showed the Ancient One a pile of Infinity Stones, stunning Thanos, and agreed to bring the Sword in the Stone to Sokovia.
• The Ancient One asked Zhang Yang to practice Space Magic, and he used the Tesseract to divide the space inside her Sanctum.
• Thanos recognized the Tesseract and lunged for it, breaking Zhang Yang's spell as he grabbed the cube with his tail.
• Thanos tried twice to open a Portal with the Tesseract but failed, then noticed Zhang Yang and the Ancient One watching him.
• Thanos acted like an innocent snake, widening his eyes and making a tiny sound that drew the Ancient One's attention.

The Ancient One revealed that she had known the snake was Thanos and sent Zhang Yang to Sokovia with him. Thanos stayed close to Zhang Yang while secretly plotting to steal Kamar-Taj’s Infinity Stones and kill him.

• The Ancient One suggested making snake hot pot, and Thanos clung to Zhang Yang for protection.
• The Ancient One called the snake a female and told Zhang Yang to bring it to Sokovia the next day.
• The Ancient One proposed naming the snake Thanos, and Zhang Yang agreed.
• Thanos followed Zhang Yang, deciding that leaving Kamar-Taj could give him a chance to seize its four Infinity Stones and kill Zhang Yang.