Recaps

Tony Stark used the Shadow Kingdom’s power to seize control of Stark Industries and recruit Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, and Reed Richards into his plans. As Reed developed a strength-enhancing serum, S.H.I.E.L.D. and General Ross prepared a covert assault on Tony’s villa.

• Tony escaped the Ten Rings’ cave with Doctor Yinsen, healed his chest wound with the Horse Talisman, and returned to New York.
• Tony forced Obadiah to transfer his Stark Industries shares, killed him and a witness, then took the company private and drove its stock price down to buy the remaining shares.
• Tony recruited Kingpin as an information source, then used a staged criminal transaction and the Shadow Ninjas to force Spider-Man to agree to kill Ivan Vanko.
• Peter killed Ivan at Hammer Industries, but Tony later recruited him into the Dark Alliance and tasked him with capturing Norman Osborn, who attacked Tony’s villa as the Green Goblin.
• Tony captured Bruce Banner after Hulk rampaged through Manhattan, then hired Reed Richards and his team to research Bruce’s genes in exchange for extensive funding and autonomy.
• Peter failed to capture Norman, accepted Tony’s offer to join the Dark Alliance, and received control of the Shadow Ninjas while Tony retained ultimate command.
• Pierce and Nick Fury arranged a secret joint operation with General Ross to capture Bruce at Tony’s villa, while Reed presented Tony with a strength-enhancing serum for which human trials had an estimated success rate above eighty percent.

Tony crushed S.H.I.E.L.D.’s attack, brought Bucky and Norman into his alliance, and watched new conflicts gather around Flint Marko and Peter. The arc ended with the Shadowkhan battling the U.S. military as Steve Rogers faced Tony and Bucky intervened.

• Tony tested the Hulk enhancement on Happy, then ordered his ninjas to slaughter the S.H.I.E.L.D. force sent to his villa.
• Happy defeated S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Mecha Warrior while Nick Fury’s team infiltrated the villa, where Tony’s ninjas fought the agents and Bruce transformed into Hulk.
• Tony used the Horse Talisman to heal Reed and Bucky, recruited Bucky into the Dark Alliance, and gave Reed permission to test the Enhancement Serum.
• Tony’s retaliation against the attack weakened S.H.I.E.L.D. and led to Pierce’s death, while Peter captured Norman Osborn and delivered him to Tony.
• Tony secured control of the Osborn Group and recruited Norman as the Green Goblin into the Dark Alliance.
• Flint Marko gained sand powers and robbed the Federal Reserve to pay for his daughter’s treatment, then agreed to work with Nick Fury after Nick promised to arrange her care.
• Peter attacked Flint at a cafe over Uncle Ben’s death, triggering a battle that drew in Tony, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the U.S. military.
• Tony summoned the Shadowkhan against the military, and Steve Rogers confronted him before Bucky blocked Steve’s attack and revealed himself to his old friend.

Tony built the Dark Alliance, battled S.H.I.E.L.D. over the Life Foundation’s symbiote research, and traded the data for information about the Tesseract. After Loki stole it and Thor arrived to pursue him, S.H.I.E.L.D. assembled a divided team while Tony watched Thor confront Loki in New York.

• Nick ended the Manhattan conflict, then made Tony agree to fund civilian compensation in exchange for special materials.
• Eddie bonded with Venom, while a fragment of the symbiote joined Peter and formed a Black Spider Suit, and Peter defeated Venom and fought off the Life Foundation’s symbiotes with the Shadowkhan.
• Tony formed the Dark Alliance and sent Peter, Norman, Happy, and Bucky to steal the Life Foundation’s research, but Steve’s new symbiote powers helped defeat them.
• Tony confronted Nick at the Life Foundation and exchanged the symbiote research for the Tesseract, then learned that Venom had freed Banner and wrecked his villa.
• Loki emerged from a Space Portal, stole the Tesseract, and abducted Barton, and Tony later recruited Doctor Octopus into the Dark Alliance, while Daredevil declined to join.
• Thor arrived on Earth seeking Loki, and Nick recruited Banner and Eddie into S.H.I.E.L.D. as they learned Tony had previously held them captive.
• Thor refused to serve under Steve, found Loki at the Times Building, and attacked him among his illusions as Tony arrived to watch.