Chapter Summaries

Tony conquered the Nova Civilization, destroying its forces and killing Nova Prime while declaring that he would keep waging wars to fuel the Shadow Empire. Sarl broke free of his restraints and attacked Tony, who ordered the Dark Dragon to send him into reincarnation so he could keep growing stronger.

• Tony had Skeleton Billy bring Nova Prime before him and told her that the Nova Civilization would either kill him or be killed by him.
• Nova Prime summoned the civilization’s sleeping guardian, but Tony destroyed the attackers and shattered the darkness they had broken through.
• Tony killed hundreds of thousands with a punch, then turned Nova Prime to dust and vowed to use conquered civilizations as fuel for the Shadow Empire.
• Sarl broke his shackles and charged Tony, blasting the reception hall apart before the Dark Dragon restrained him.
• Tony praised Sarl’s willpower and ordered the Dark Dragon to send him into reincarnation so he could evolve and grow stronger.

Tony’s forces conquered Xandar in an hour and prepared to move on before the wider galaxy could react. Groot’s group learned that Xandar had fallen and that the Power Stone might have been taken, while Ronan cautiously ordered a ship to broadcast the attack.

• Loki reported that Ultimate Darkness could pull Xandar into the Shadow Empire in about three hours, and Tony told the Generals to continue their plan.
• Mephisto said the enemy’s key information channels were under their control, while Hyperion and the other Generals reported their victories over Xandar’s defenders.
• The Kree received Xandar’s distress signal, and Ronan ordered a reconnaissance ship to broadcast the attack while warning that the enemy might be powerful.
• Groot received Xandar’s forest memories showing darkness and monsters overwhelming the planet, and he told Star-Lord and the others that Xandar had fallen.
• Star-Lord realized the Power Stone might have been taken, while Gamora reassured him about his growing power and the group discussed Thanos.

The Ancient One forced Ego to leave his planet by using the Time Stone to make three days of effort appear instantaneous, preserving Star-Lord as a potential ally. After learning that Star-Lord and Drax had become more powerful, Tony set out with Loki, Mephisto, and Hyperion to find Star-Lord through Yondu while the Shadow Empire attacked the Nova Civilization.

• The Ancient One warned Ego that Star-Lord had awakened his light energy and ordered Ego to leave, then used the Time Stone to pierce the planet toward Ego’s brain.
• Ego fled into space with his planet, and the exhausted Ancient One revealed that her apparent instant victory had taken nearly three days.
• Loki learned from a Tree Person’s branch that Star-Lord had awakened his power and that Drax had recovered most of his strength; Tony became interested in the news.
• Tony ordered the Shadow Empire to attack the Nova Civilization, kept the five former Dimension Lords alive, and took Loki, Mephisto, and Hyperion to find Yondu at the Ravager Sanctuary.
• Tony arrived near the Ravager Sanctuary aboard the Emperor Carrier, then had Hyperion conceal it, but nearby ships fled after detecting the group’s powerful members.

Tony forced the Ravagers to reveal Yondu's location by surviving their deadly gun game, then used Yondu's communicator to contact Star-Lord. Star-Lord warned that Demon King Tony and the Dark Empire were destroying civilizations, and the Ravagers realized Tony was the empire's leader.

• Tony asked Stakar for information about Yondu and agreed to the Ravagers' lethal gun game.
• Tony fired the laser pistol beneath his chin three times without injury, then made Stakar surrender and reveal Yondu's location.
• Stakar called Yondu back, and the Ravagers detained him and brought him before Tony.
• Tony demanded Star-Lord's location in exchange for sparing the Ravagers, while Yondu insisted his son would not come to rescue him.
• Skeleton Billy used Yondu's communicator to call Star-Lord, who warned that Demon King Tony and the Dark Empire were attacking the Nova Civilization.
• Stakar and the Ravagers recognized Tony as the leader of the Dark Empire and begged him to let them live.

The Shadow Empire forced Yondu to choose between Star-Lord’s safety and his own life, and Yondu sacrificed himself to urge his son to run. Grief awakened Star-Lord’s Celestial power, and he unleashed a devastating assault on Xandar as Stakar resigned in guilt.

• Tony learned Star-Lord was being hunted, while Stakar restrained Yondu and let the Shadow Empire leave to pursue him.
• Yondu warned Star-Lord to run, but Star-Lord realized the Shadow Empire was using Yondu to threaten him and said he would handle it.
• Yondu confessed his love to Star-Lord and killed himself rather than remain a burden or let his son return.
• Star-Lord broke down in grief, awakened as a Celestial of creation, and sent a cosmic torrent toward Xandar.
• Stakar ordered Yondu given a proper burial, admitted he had violated Ravager tradition, and stepped down as leader.

Tony arrived at Xandar and fought Star-Lord, whose newly awakened Creation power let him alternate destruction and rebirth. Tony overwhelmed him but spared him, and a green light carried the unconscious Star-Lord away.

• Ratso reported that a Celestial was attacking Xandar with immense Creation Divine Power, so Tony traveled there with Loki and Hyperion.
• Tony found Star-Lord engulfing Xandar in light and learned that he blamed Tony for Yondu's suicide.
• Star-Lord attacked Tony, but Tony caught him with a Black Hand and fought him while Hyperion and Mephisto stood aside.
• Star-Lord repeatedly healed and adapted to Tony's darkness, but Tony battered him and eventually subdued him with a vast wave of darkness.
• Tony spared the unconscious Star-Lord, whose power was drained, and a vivid green light enveloped him and vanished.

Tony finished fighting Star-Lord and received Erguotou from Mephisto, while his followers reflected on their loyalty, rewards, and place in the Shadow Empire. The chapter left Loki continuing to expand the empire with the Infinity Stones and appreciating his friendship with Tony.

• Tony ordered his Generals to locate The Ancient One after she interfered with his spoils.
• Mephisto admired Tony's power, brought him Erguotou, and resolved to keep Hyperion close so his own loyalty would stand out.
• Hyperion cheered Tony after he crippled Star-Lord, and Tony invited him over for a drink.
• Ratso envied the rewards and attention given to the other followers, died in a battle-cannon blast, resurrected, and vowed to keep serving Tony.
• Loki used the Infinity Stones to bring planets into the Shadow Empire and thought fondly of Tony.

Tony gathered the Generals to locate The Ancient One and embarrass her publicly as punishment for taking Star-Lord. Hyperion proposed a scheme that left Loki tasked with infiltrating her temple, and Tony sent him off with the Power Stone and the Generals’ laughter.

• Tony asked the Generals to use their powers to find The Ancient One, explaining that he wanted to ruin her reputation rather than kill her.
• Hyperion suggested that Loki use the Mind Stone to put The Ancient One in a nightmare, wet her pants, and teleport her to a public square.
• Loki objected that The Ancient One’s defenses would stop him, so Hyperion proposed that he take Tony’s Power Stone and use three Infinity Stones.
• Hyperion suggested that Tony could use Loki’s disappearance as an excuse to attack The Ancient One’s lineage, and Tony approved the plan.
• Tony gave Loki the Power Stone and urged him to proceed, while Mephisto and the other Generals mocked and encouraged him.

Tony and the Generals advanced their campaign against the Nova Civilization, exploiting the enemy’s panic when resurrected soldiers repeatedly returned after being killed by light-element weapons. After witnessing the invasion, Ronan concluded that the Dark Empire threatened every civilization and ordered a Level Ten Disaster Signal to the Interstellar Alliance.

• Ratso explained to Tony that Nova’s light-element weapons left identifying signals on soldiers, so the enemy recognized resurrected troops and lost morale after killing them repeatedly.
• Mephisto reported that the Nova Corps had suffered heavy losses and that the Dark Empire had occupied key relay planets, while Tony promised rewards after victory.
• Ronan watched a live broadcast of the Nova Civilization’s defeat and feared that its light-element weapons had reached perfect accuracy.
• A deputy commander showed Ronan evidence that General Ratso had survived multiple heavy-cannon shots with the same light-element signal, leading Ronan to conclude the soldiers could resurrect.
• Ronan learned that a Demon King and nine super life beings were attacking the Nova Civilization and could also resurrect endlessly.
• Ronan ordered a Level Ten Disaster Signal sent to the Interstellar Alliance, warning that the Demon King could drag planets into his Dark Empire.

Loki used the Mind Stone to trap the Ancient One in a nightmare and pour mineral water onto her while she slept, but she woke before he could finish his scheme. After Loki’s trick teleported her and her wet bed to the temple square, the humiliated Ancient One decided to leave the planet to escape Demon King Tony.

• The exhausted Ancient One fell asleep after rescuing Star-Lord and dreamed that she was drowning in an ocean.
• The Ancient One woke to find Loki pouring mineral water onto her, and Loki tried to distract her with an illusion of Demon King Tony.
• The Ancient One recognized the apparent Demon King Tony as a fake, but Loki’s trick teleported her, her bed, and its wet blanket to the temple square.
• Captain Marvel and the gathered sorcerers mistook the incident for the Ancient One wetting the bed, despite her explanation that Loki had poured water on her.
• The Ancient One ordered everyone to leave the Blue Planet, and Captain Marvel dragged her inside to change her trousers.

Nova Legion Commander Kulen ordered the Third Legion to hold off the overwhelming Dark Creatures while transport ships evacuated civilians, knowing the soldiers would likely die. Hyperion’s forces reached the planet before the evacuation was complete, and Adjutant Kulen suggested preserving the conquered civilization’s institutions to ease the transition.

• Kulen learned that nine super life forms and their resurrecting forces could not be defeated unless their hidden leader was killed or their energy exhausted.
• Kulen ordered the Third Legion to switch to defense, send transport ships to evacuate civilians, and hold the front until the evacuation was finished.
• Soldiers enforced order as civilians boarded the ships, while a red-skinned mother learned that her husband’s legion had been ordered to fight to the death.
• Hyperion’s forces darkened the sky and announced that surrendered women and children would be spared, leaving the mother and transport captain despairing over the Third Legion’s fate.
• Hyperion asked Adjutant Kulen why the civilians feared death, and Adjutant Kulen proposed preserving their institutions and civilization after their conversion.

After the legions surrendered, Tony let the Generals divide the conquered territory and demonstrated his overwhelming power by killing Hyperion instantly. The Ancient One moved her pocket dimension to the Moon, convinced that Tony posed a threat to the entire universe, though the others still thought her flight was prompted by bedwetting.

• The eight Generals forced the legions to surrender by teleporting populated planets in halves, with the other halves destroyed.
• Ratso asked Tony for a reward, and Tony granted the Generals the territory they had conquered while telling them to decide how to govern the Nova Civilization.
• Loki warned that Tony might miss out on power from governing the conquered people, but Tony insisted he did not need it and killed Hyperion instantly to demonstrate his strength.
• The Generals promised to keep Tony's power secret, while the Ancient One moved her pocket dimension to the Moon after recovering Star-Lord from Loki's attempted assassination.
• The Ancient One warned Captain Marvel and Star-Lord that Tony's threat could spread across the universe, but they still thought she had moved because Star-Lord wet the bed.

The Ancient One recruited Star-Lord to help create worlds and gather strength against the Demon King, then brought him to meet Thanos. After Star-Lord pledged to help, Thanos agreed to join the fight as part of his plan to balance life and death and save the universe.

• The Ancient One explained that the Demon King drew power from multiple essences and worlds, and proposed using Star-Lord's creation ability to build worlds and strengthen their allies.
• Star-Lord followed The Ancient One through a portal to meet Thanos, hoping to avenge his father while recognizing that he remained far weaker than the Demon King.
• Thanos attacked The Ancient One over her use of the Time Stone, and the Overlord’s Twin Blades severed Star-Lord's arm before he healed it with creation power.
• The Ancient One offered Star-Lord's help to restore Thanos's strength, and Star-Lord agreed to fight the Demon King despite the danger.
• Thanos agreed to join the fight, explaining that a transcendent civilization was needed to save the resource-strained universe from eventual destruction.

The Ancient One showed Thanos a future of the Demon King’s multidimensional conquest and began seeking allies to stop it, while Star-Lord brought the Guardians of the Galaxy to her. Meanwhile, Tony and his Generals left Loki to manage the Dark Empire and set off to recruit talent in the Sovereign’s kingdom.

• The Ancient One gave Thanos the Time Stone, and he saw a future in which the Demon King and his forces devastated worlds across dimensions, convincing him there was nowhere to run.
• The Ancient One named Drax the Destroyer, Apocalypse, Ultron, and Adam Warlock as potential allies, and Star-Lord used Drax’s spatial signature to bring the Guardians of the Galaxy through a portal.
• Drax agreed to help Star-Lord get revenge but left rather than face Thanos, while the Ancient One told Thanos she had found a lead on Adam Warlock in the Sovereign’s Golden Race kingdom.
• Loki urged Tony to focus on consolidating the Dark Empire, and Tony agreed that its technology and systems needed development.
• Tony appointed Loki Imperial Advisor and departed with the other Generals for the Sovereign’s kingdom, leaving Loki with the empire’s management work.

Tony fled the work of absorbing the Nova Civilization and sent Mephisto ahead to the Sovereign Empire to arrange for the Sovereign to summon the Destroyer. Meanwhile, Ronan struggled to rally the Interstellar Alliance against the Dark Empire and learned the Sovereign planned to send an unofficial force to help.

• Tony escaped with Hyperion and Mephisto while the others took on tasks related to the Nova Civilization.
• Tony asked Mephisto to have the Sovereign summon the Destroyer and sent him to prepare the Sovereign for Tony's arrival.
• Ronan denounced Alliance leaders who wanted peace with the Dark Empire, while his deputy reported that the Kree political faction supported sounding out the enemy before going to war.
• Ronan explained that the Sovereign would send a volunteer force, potentially destroying empires along the route to make them recognize the danger.
• Ronan ordered gifts for the Sovereign Leader and considered how to draw Thanos into the conflict.

Mephisto reached the Sovereign Capital Star and told Leader Linda that the Demon King planned to visit in six hours. After Mephisto escaped, Linda ordered the Sovereigns to awaken Adam and ready every weapon.

• Mephisto flew openly through the Sovereign Empire's defenses, using spatial magic and hyperspace teleportation to reach the Capital Star.
• Leader Linda ordered the Sovereigns to awaken Adam and their sleeping powerhouses, but Adam's awakening would take at least three hours.
• Linda went out to meet Mephisto, who requested that the Sovereigns prepare for the Demon King's arrival in six hours.
• Mephisto fled after sensing the Sovereigns' Super-Sensor Weapons locking onto him.
• Linda ordered Adam's full-speed awakening and put every weapon on standby.

Mephisto and Tony tricked Hyperion into leading the Dark Empire's arrival at the Sovereign Empire, expecting him to absorb any attack. Hyperion was killed by the Sovereign Empire's enormous beam, leaving Tony and Mephisto shocked by its firepower.

• Mephisto returned to the Emperor Carrier and persuaded Tony to have Hyperion announce their arrival, privately explaining that Hyperion could take the Sovereign Empire's attack.
• Linda ordered the Sovereign Empire's Planetary Weapons to fire on whoever appeared first and prepared Adam to deploy.
• Tony, Mephisto, and Hyperion approached the Capital Star, while Tony and Mephisto coaxed Hyperion into flying ahead to introduce them.
• A massive beam struck Hyperion before he could finish speaking, killing him and leaving his soul floating in space.
• Tony and Mephisto admired the beam's destructive power, with Tony realizing it could even threaten his defenses.

Linda ordered Adam to intercept Tony and his companions after their display of power, while Hyperion's confusion led him to destroy himself against an energy reactor. Adam then accepted Tony's challenge to exchange punches in a livestream, but Tony conceded after injuring him with the first punch, leaving Adam bewildered.

• Linda saw Hyperion revive after the Rift-Splitting Cannon's blast and ordered Adam to intercept the group.
• Hyperion charged past Adam and exploded after crashing into an energy reactor, while Tony and Mephisto blamed the blast for his confusion.
• Adam introduced himself and challenged Tony to demonstrate combat prowess, and Linda ordered a global livestream of their contest.
• Tony proposed that they take turns punching until one conceded, and Adam agreed to let Tony strike first.
• Tony punched Adam in the face and seriously injured him, then immediately conceded, leaving Adam stunned.

Tony and the Dark Empire overpowered the Sovereign Empire’s defenses, then Tony revealed that he had come to recruit their help in luring Drax the Destroyer. Linda agreed to post a bounty while concealing her anger and suspicion.

• Adam was badly injured after Tony’s ambush, and the Sovereign Empire’s analysts concluded that Tony could defeat him in a few punches.
• Linda prepared to receive the Dark Empire as the Sovereign people condemned Tony’s shameless attack.
• Tony entered the hall and resurrected Hyperion, whose soul had been shaken after he flew into a Super Life’s energy reactor.
• Tony asked Linda to lure Drax the Destroyer to the Sovereign Empire, explaining that he wanted to capture him for fun.
• Linda ordered a bounty posted to draw Drax to an interstellar monster, then arranged a banquet for Tony.

Ronan’s attempt to draw Thanos into a war against the Dark Empire revealed that Thanos already knew about its Infinity Stones, and Thanos joined the Ancient One and Ronan in planning an attack while the Demon King was away. As Loki struggled to manage the conquered Nova Civilization, he foresaw their enemies approaching and urgently called for help.

• Ronan realized the Dark Empire might rely on dimensional energy sources, then falsely claimed it had the Infinity Stones to recruit Thanos.
• Thanos revealed that four Infinity Stones were held by Tony and Loki, and the Ancient One reported that the Demon King had gone to Sovereign’s Capital Star.
• Thanos, the Ancient One, and Ronan agreed to attack the Dark Empire while its Demon King and two powerful Generals were away, with Ronan promising Kree support.
• Loki ordered the Dark Generals to impose order on the Nova Civilization while he considered how to integrate its technology.
• Loki glimpsed a future in which the Ancient One, Thanos, Star-Lord, and Kree warships threatened them, then ordered the Generals summoned and called for the Demon King.