Chapter Summaries

Tony transferred twenty million dollars to Peter, then pressured Norman to accept Stark Industries’ investment in Oscorp while keeping him captive. The next morning, Bucky told Tony that Norman wanted to talk.

• Tony transferred twenty million dollars to Peter, who thanked him and left the villa.
• Tony ordered Bucky to wake Norman and confronted him about Oscorp, proposing that Stark Industries buy in.
• Norman resisted, but Tony argued that Oscorp would collapse without him and promised to leave its daily affairs in his hands.
• Tony left Norman with Bucky watching him, then spent the night with two women.
• The next morning, Bucky told Tony that Norman wanted to see him and talk.

Tony forced Norman to accept Stark Industries’ investment in the Osborn Group while promising to leave him in charge. Stark Industries bought a ten-percent stake and then acquired enough shareholder holdings to become the largest shareholder, leaving Tony able to take over but choosing not to.

• Norman proposed a share swap, but Tony refused and made him choose between accepting the investment and watching the Osborn Group go bankrupt.
• Norman accepted Tony’s offer after realizing Tony had the stronger bargaining position, and Tony promised not to interfere with the company’s operations.
• Tony told Potts to invest in the Osborn Group and buy shares from its other shareholders.
• Stark Industries acquired a ten-percent stake for ten billion US dollars, then bought enough shareholder holdings to secure fifty-five percent of the company within three days.
• Tony left Norman with forty-three percent of the shares and chose not to force a takeover, bringing the corporate upheaval to an end.

Nick learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. had found Captain America frozen in the North Sea and watched him awaken after seventy years. Meanwhile, Tony recruited Norman Osborn into the Dark Alliance by offering him control over the Shadow Ninjas.

• Nick ordered his agents to retrieve the figure found frozen in the North Sea, who appeared to be Captain America.
• Three days later, S.H.I.E.L.D. thawed the ice, and Captain America opened his eyes as Nick entered the lab to meet him.
• After regaining his freedom, Norman ate at Tony's villa and prepared to return to the Osborn Group.
• Tony invited Norman to join his alliance, and Norman agreed after Tony showed him the Shadow Ninjas and offered him some control over them.
• A notification confirmed that Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, had joined the Dark Alliance and that Tony had received his reward.

Tony gained the Rabbit Talisman and tested his new speed and Shadow Trolls, while escaped convict Flint Marko developed sand-controlling powers and robbed the Federal Reserve to pay for his daughter Harley’s leukemia treatment. Flint escaped with the cash, and the police faced pressure to recover it.

• Tony drew the Rabbit Talisman, tested its speed, and summoned his Shadow Troll legion.
• Flint Marko escaped through the sewers, wandered into a radioactive military test site, and emerged with the ability to control sand.
• Flint returned home and discovered a medical report saying his daughter Harley had leukemia.
• Flint transformed into a sand giant, knocked out the Federal Reserve guards, and escaped with cases of cash.
• The New York Daily News reported the robbery, and police officials ordered the case solved and the stolen money recovered.

After the Federal Reserve robbery, Nick traced the Sandman to Flint and decided to offer him a chance to join S.H.I.E.L.D. Flint returned home, arranged for Vanessa to take their daughter for medical treatment, and called Nick to face the matter.

• Nick learned about the Federal Reserve robbery and sent S.H.I.E.L.D. to identify the robber.
• S.H.I.E.L.D. identified the robber as fugitive Flint and went to his home in Hell's Kitchen.
• Nick spoke with Vanessa, left his business card, and told her Flint should consider his family and resolve the matter.
• Nick decided to recruit Flint because he had avoided killing anyone and had robbed the bank to help his daughter, who had leukemia.
• Flint returned home, told Vanessa where to find his money for their daughter's treatment, and left to protect his family.
• Flint weighed Nick's offer and called him.

Nick Fury recruited Flint by promising to help cure his daughter and clear his record. Meanwhile, Tony watched Doctor Octopus’s mechanical-arm demonstration end in Sally’s death, then learned Flint had joined S.H.I.E.L.D.

• Nick Fury offered Flint a place working for the government in exchange for returning the stolen money and promised to arrange treatment for his daughter.
• Flint agreed to join Nick’s organization once his daughter’s surgery was completed.
• Tony attended Otto Gunther Octavius’s conference, hoping to recruit him after he became Doctor Octopus.
• During the demonstration, Sally died while connected to Octavius’s mechanical arms, and reporters crowded the grieving scientist.
• Tony called the police and left without intervening, then learned from JARVIS that Flint had met Nick and joined S.H.I.E.L.D.

Tony learned that Flint had joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and told Peter that Flint had been involved in Uncle Ben’s death, provoking Peter to attack him. Peter left Flint badly injured outside a cafe and continued fighting him inside while Nick watched helplessly.

• Tony learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. had recruited Flint and decided to have Peter interfere with the agency’s growing strength.
• Tony found Peter partying at a bar and took him aside to explain Flint’s role in Uncle Ben’s death.
• Peter demanded Flint’s location, then left Tony’s car and rushed to the cafe where Flint was meeting Nick.
• Peter dropped from the sky and kicked Flint through the cafe’s glass door as Nick called for him to stop.
• Peter ignored Nick and charged into the cafe, where crashing sounds and fleeing customers left Nick helpless while Tony watched from his car.

Peter and Flint’s battle escalated as Nick ordered S.H.I.E.L.D. to fire on Peter, prompting Tony’s Shadow Trolls to protect him and attack the agents. Nick refused to retreat and called for an aerial strike in Manhattan.

• Peter’s Shadow Ninjas stabbed Flint, but Flint turned into Sandman and became immune to physical attacks.
• Nick confronted Tony, who denied involvement and claimed he was only passing by.
• Nick ordered S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to arrest Peter and fire on him, giving Flint an opening to knock Peter away.
• Shadow Trolls appeared, shielded Peter from the bullets, and crushed the advancing S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
• Nick ordered an aerial firepower strike despite his assistant warning him that they were in Manhattan.

Tony unleashed the Shadow Night Bats over Manhattan, escalating his conflict with Nick into a battle between the Shadowkhan and the U.S. Military. As the Shadowkhan regenerated and overwhelmed the soldiers, Tony arranged for Bucky to face Captain America.

• Tony summoned the Shadow Night Bats, which destroyed three helicopters and plunged Manhattan into chaos.
• Nick ordered the Military to attack and called Captain America for help.
• Tony overheard Nick's call and summoned Bucky to Third Avenue to meet his old friend.
• The U.S. Military entered Manhattan and attacked the assembled Shadowkhan with tanks, artillery, and helicopters.
• The Shadowkhan regenerated in greater numbers after the bombardment and launched a brutal assault on the soldiers.

Tony’s forces devastated the military, and Captain America arrived to confront Tony. After Tony revealed that Howard Stark was his father, Steve chose to uphold the law and attack, but Bucky intervened and faced his old friend.

• The Four Legions overwhelmed the American military while Peter and Flint continued fighting in the café.
• Captain America arrived, and Nick directed him to attack Tony.
• Tony told Steve that Howard Stark was his father, causing Steve to hesitate before Nick urged him to consider the casualties.
• Steve decided that Tony had to obey the law and charged at him despite Tony’s taunts.
• Bucky blocked Steve’s attack with a punch, and Steve recognized his old friend.

Tony ended the Manhattan battle after Nick revealed an old pager that Tony recognized as his means of contacting Captain Marvel. Tony and his allies withdrew, leaving Nick to deal with the aftermath.

• Nick concluded that S.H.I.E.L.D. had lost and urged Tony to end the fight, but Tony pressed him to reveal his hidden trump card.
• Nick threatened Tony and produced an old-fashioned pager, prompting Tony to recognize that Nick could summon Captain Marvel.
• Tony decided not to push S.H.I.E.L.D. further and left in his car; Bucky and the Shadowkhan withdrew as well.
• Spider-Man finished his fight with Flint and left, bringing the Manhattan chaos to an end.
• Nick wondered whether Tony had known about the pager, then turned to managing the damage left behind.

After S.H.I.E.L.D. was blamed for the Manhattan damage and lost a third of its funding, Nick faced a nearly two-billion-dollar compensation bill and decided to make Tony pay. At Stark Industries, Tony enjoyed Natasha’s attention but warned her to remain a mere ornament.

• S.H.I.E.L.D. lost a third of its funding and was ordered to compensate civilians for the Manhattan damage.
• Nick learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. was broke and estimated the compensation bill at nearly two billion dollars.
• Nick decided to make Tony cover the costs and drove to Stark Industries Tower.
• Potts briefed Tony on the company’s affairs and secured his promise to visit the office regularly.
• Natasha offered to help the exhausted Potts, but Tony warned her to behave like a good little ornament.

Tony agreed to give Nick five billion dollars to compensate Manhattan residents in exchange for special materials from S.H.I.E.L.D. Elsewhere, Eddie Brock infiltrated the Life Foundation Laboratory and became host to a black symbiote.

• Natasha left Tony's office when she learned Nick had arrived, avoiding her S.H.I.E.L.D. boss.
• Nick asked Tony to fund compensation for citizens whose property was damaged during the Manhattan unrest.
• Tony offered five billion dollars in return for special materials, and Nick accepted the deal.
• Eddie Brock sneaked into the Life Foundation Laboratory to investigate reports of human experiments but found no evidence.
• A black liquid dropped onto Eddie, merged with him, and transformed him into a pitch-black monster as guards arrived.

After a fragment of Venom broke free from Eddie and bonded with Peter, Peter gained a dramatic boost in power and set out to find Tony for help defeating Sandman. Venom sensed the fragment and chased after Peter, bringing the two together in the street.

• The New York Daily News reported that an explosion at the Life Foundation had killed several people, while Peter trained at home and reflected on his weakness against his enemy.
• Eddie struggled to remove Venom, then tore a small piece of the symbiote from his body and threw it out the window.
• The symbiote fragment crawled into Peter's room, attached itself to him, and formed a Black Spider Suit that greatly increased his abilities.
• Peter decided to seek Tony's help in destroying Sandman and left home wearing the black suit.
• Venom sensed the fragment, took control of Eddie, and chased after Peter, frightening people in the street.
• Peter heard the commotion, recognized the same presence he had sensed in the symbiote fragment, and stopped as Venom approached.

Peter fought and defeated Venom, while Tony recognized the danger the Life Foundation posed and sent Happy to watch over him. Dr. Drake ordered his people to capture Peter and Venom, and Peter knocked out Eddie before they could arrive.

• Venom demanded that Peter's symbiote show respect, but Peter attacked him and their fight tore up the street.
• Peter's strength overwhelmed Venom because his own powers enhanced the newborn symbiote, and the battle drew government personnel and news crews.
• Tony watched the fight on a holographic screen and sent Happy to keep an eye on Peter, suspecting the Life Foundation would target him.
• Dr. Drake watched Peter's performance and ordered his people to bring both Peter and Venom back, especially wanting Peter as a test subject.
• Peter defeated Venom, who withdrew into Eddie, then ignored Eddie's protests and knocked him unconscious.

Peter was surrounded by Mania, Scream, and other symbiotes, but summoned the Shadowkhan to turn the fight around. As the Shadowkhan killed symbiotes with ease, Peter fixed his attention on Scream and Mania.

• A man and woman demanded that Peter go with them to meet their boss, but Peter refused and attacked.
• The man transformed into Mania, while the woman transformed into Scream, and they overwhelmed Peter with help from the surrounding symbiotes.
• Peter summoned a vast force of Shadowkhan, surrounding the symbiotes and shifting the battle in his favor.
• The Shadowkhan killed several symbiotes despite their powerful regenerative vitality, frightening Scream and Mania.
• Peter realized the Shadowkhan could kill Scream and Mania too and turned on them with murderous intent.

Peter and the Shadowkhan defeated the remaining symbiotes after Scream and Mania fled, and Peter brought Eddie to Tony. Tony decided to study and possibly raise symbiotes, while Nick identified the Life Foundation as their source and arranged to meet Drake.

• Scream and Mania fled when Peter turned toward them, abandoning the symbiotes left behind.
• Peter and the Shadowkhan destroyed the remaining symbiotes, then Peter took Eddie and left before S.H.I.E.L.D. agents arrived to clean up.
• Tony studied a Shadow Ninja but could not explain why the Shadowkhan countered symbiotes, then considered raising some himself.
• Nick's assistant reported that the Life Foundation had obtained Venom from a meteorite, created Scream and Mania, and that Venom had bonded with Eddie.
• Nick classified the information as top secret and called Drake to arrange a meeting.
• Tony praised Peter for bringing Eddie and told him to take Eddie to the basement.

Peter received control over the Claw Shadows as a reward, and Tony asked Reed to study the symbiote once Reed finished his current project. At the Life Foundation, Nick approached Drake about cooperation and warned him that Tony Stark was involved.

• Tony rewarded Peter for bringing Eddie to the underground laboratory by giving him control over the Claw Shadows, which Peter summoned before leaving.
• Tony showed Reed news and footage of the symbiote battle and asked him to study the symbiote and find a way to produce more.
• Reed said he would study the symbiote after finishing his nearly completed research project, and he and Tony discussed his progress.
• Nick met Drake at the Life Foundation and proposed that they work together, but Drake refused to cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Nick warned Drake that Tony was involved and revealed that Spider-Man, who had fought Drake's people, worked for Tony.

Nick and Drake negotiated a S.H.I.E.L.D.–Life Foundation alliance to create symbiote-enhanced fighters against Stark Industries, with Nick offering Drake a share of Stark’s assets. Drake remained unsatisfied and demanded half of Stark Industries’ patents.

• Nick warned Drake that Spider-Man belonged to Stark Industries, prompting Drake to consider cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Drake explained that symbiotes bonded with human hosts, grew stronger with stronger hosts, and generally left powerful hosts in control.
• Drake told Nick that symbiotes did not inherently change a host’s morality, but reflected the host’s character.
• Nick proposed that the Life Foundation supply symbiotes while S.H.I.E.L.D. supplied hosts to fight Stark Industries.
• Drake rejected Nick’s initial terms, then was tempted by an offer of half of Stark Industries’ business holdings and research results.
• Drake demanded half of Stark Industries’ patents as well.

Nick made a deal with Drake to share Stark Industries if S.H.I.E.L.D. took it over, while Tony assembled the Dark Alliance to steal the Life Foundation’s symbiote research. The group gathered at Tony’s villa, where Norman asked what they would receive for completing the mission.

• Nick agreed to give Drake a share of Stark Industries in exchange for the Life Foundation’s symbiote research data, with the promises contingent on S.H.I.E.L.D. taking over the company.
• On the drive back to S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick told his assistant that taking over Stark Industries would be difficult as long as Tony remained, then considered choosing Flint or Captain America to bond with a symbiote.
• Tony decided to obtain the Life Foundation’s symbiote research and ordered JARVIS to contact Norman and Peter.
• Peter, Norman, Happy, and Bucky gathered at Tony’s villa for what Tony described as the Dark Alliance’s first mission.
• Tony asked the group to retrieve all of the Life Foundation’s symbiote research, and Norman asked what reward they would receive.