Chapter Summaries

A bald guardian destroyed a blood-red bubble containing two warring technological beings, but they slipped into another timeline before he could erase them completely. In that world, Brad left his hometown for the big city, carrying a strange power over technology and memories of a future apocalypse.

• The bald man saw that accepting the shattered timeline would lead to many terrible outcomes and prepared to cast it away.
• The technological beings Skynet and its metallic opponent joined forces, struck the green gem, and opened a temporal passage before the bald man destroyed their bubble.
• The bald man realized the beings had slipped into one of the multiverse’s possibilities, though he had erased their primary consciousnesses.
• Brad’s fragmented memories of a future war and apocalypse haunted him as he grew up too frail to enlist.
• Brad discovered he could power and control technology, first reviving a dead walkie-talkie and later lighting bulbs without wiring.
• Brad left his hometown for the big city with two light bulbs on his back.

Brad used his unusual talent to make a living repairing Brooklyn’s electrical problems after a kind stranger helped him in an alley. A month later, Stryker approached Brad and recruited him for his squad, and Brad disappeared from Brooklyn.

• Brad was fired from a restaurant and left injured in an alley, where a tall young man helped him and gave him money for food.
• Inspired by the stranger’s story of settling scores, Brad used his talent to cause Brooklyn restaurant power outages and then charged owners to repair them.
• Brad’s repair work earned him a steady income and a room, but he never saw his benefactor again.
• Two armed men cornered Brad, and Stryker introduced himself and offered Brad a place in his squad.
• Brad was never seen in Brooklyn again.

Brad joined Colonel Stryker’s squad in raiding a diamond factory for mysterious metal, secretly taking a tiny amount for an unseen purpose. After a nanobot carrying the knowledge of Hemen and Skynet reached him, Brad gained memories of Wade’s many lives and began to understand that he was in the Marvel universe.

• Colonel Stryker ordered his squad, including Brad and Wade, to attack the diamond factory and eliminate its guards.
• Steel Fist Fred’s destruction of a tank alerted the factory, but Brad restored power to the elevator and the squad reached the office.
• Colonel Stryker recovered a lump of mysterious metal, and Brad secretly removed a fraction of it while placing it in a box.
• Hemen and Skynet sent a vibranium nanobot carrying their knowledge and technology into the Marvel universe.
• Brad experienced visions of Wade’s many life histories, recovered his composure, and murmured, “Marvel?”

After absorbing knowledge of Marvel stories, Brad realized he was destined to be killed by Sabretooth and decided to change his fate by staying with Colonel Stryker. He pledged his allegiance to Stryker while becoming increasingly wary of the man’s hatred of Mutants.

• Brad recalled that Sabretooth would eventually kill him and extract his X-Gene, and he resolved to change his fate.
• Brad recognized Peggy Carter in his photograph and realized the young man he had met was Captain America.
• Back at Stryker’s base, Brad chose to keep working for Stryker instead of leaving when their agreement ended.
• Brad went to Stryker’s office and offered to deepen their cooperation, saying he no longer wanted to leave.
• Brad shook Stryker’s hand but recalled his hatred of Mutants and grew wary of him.

As Stryker’s mutant team broke apart, Brad used his growing scientific abilities to become an indispensable researcher and secretly send advanced technologies to Dr. Arnim Zola. Zola arrived with military backing and took Brad away, leaving Stryker furious but unable to interfere.

• Logan left the team after Victor slaughtered a village, and Fland, Phantom John, and Wade also departed as their contracts ended and the missions stopped.
• Brad spent two years studying, earned eight doctorates, and joined Stryker’s research team, contributing to vibranium research and the first generation of adamanium alloy.
• After receiving an advanced computer, Brad used his mutant ability to miniaturize it, invent the transistor early, and rapidly improve its technology.
• Brad secretly mailed patented technologies to Dr. Arnim Zola, with whom he had already exchanged academic letters, while Agent Zero’s inspection failed to uncover the secret.
• Dr. Zola arrived at Stryker’s base with a large military force, embraced Brad, and declared that Brad belonged on more promising research.
• Brad said goodbye to Stryker and left with Zola; Stryker stopped Agent Zero from acting because he could not risk opposing the government.

Brad joined the Strategic Scientific Reserve, returned Steve Rogers's wallet to Peggy Carter, and secretly allied with Dr. Zola. After Howard Stark arranged for Brad to transfer to Canada, Brad and Zola used the separation to advance Hydra's plans.

• Dr. Zola and Howard Stark praised Brad's computer research, and Zola became eager to work with him.
• Brad returned Steve Rogers's wallet and photograph to Peggy Carter, then invited her for a walk, but she declined.
• Brad hinted to Dr. Zola that he might trade his technology for wealth, and the two began meeting daily to discuss research.
• Howard persuaded Peggy to separate Brad and Zola, so Brad was assigned to a branch in Canada.
• At Brad's farewell, he and Dr. Zola secretly exchanged Hydra's greeting, revealing their partnership and plans to rebuild Hydra in Canada while Zola remained in New York.

Brad arrived at Hydra’s Canadian branch and gained General Calvin’s trust, allowing him to pursue advanced computer research in an underground factory. Alarmed by the danger of creating intelligent life and unable to make progress in biotechnology, he turned to Dr. Zola for help perfecting the Zola Algorithm, hoping to secure a path toward a superior super-soldier serum.

• Brad arrived in Canada and found Bashar and General Calvin’s followers welcoming him as part of Hydra.
• Brad avoided Calvin’s suspicions by focusing their conversations on research and funding, then gained Calvin’s trust and control of an underground factory.
• Brad advanced his artificial intelligence research but refused to activate the system, fearing it could become an intelligence like Ultron.
• Brad spent three years struggling with biotechnology and began to suspect that his unusual knowledge of artificial intelligence had been planted in his mind.
• Brad decided to seek Dr. Zola’s help with the Super Soldier Serum and emailed him an offer to perfect the Zola Algorithm, citing his worsening health.

Brad developed the embryonic Zola Algorithm while encouraging Dr. Zola to continue researching the Super-Soldier Serum. He obtained the Moonstone and used it to gain superhuman strength, leaving him with a new source of power beyond his research.

• Brad accepted Dr. Zola’s help with the serum trade and began developing the Zola Algorithm, finishing its embryonic version that afternoon.
• Brad traveled to Nevada with a masked man and ordered him to kill Lloyd Bloch and retrieve the Moonstone.
• Brad explained that he had arranged Lloyd’s release and guided him toward stealing the stone after the museum refused to sell it.
• Brad cut his chest and pressed the Moonstone against his heart, causing it to go dull as his wound healed.
• Brad crushed a titanium alloy cube and concluded that the Moonstone had made him as powerful as an inferior version of Captain Marvel.

Brad studied the Moonstone, tested the superpowers it granted him, and decided to act on his plans for HYDRA. At a dinner with the organization’s senior officers, he denounced Calvin and called for reform, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Brad reviewed the Moonstone’s powers and weaknesses, then stored it in a lead-coated box for safekeeping.
• Brad tested his strength, durability, speed, and lifespan at the base, while postponing tests of flight, energy blasts, and miniature black holes.
• Brad invited HYDRA’s senior officers to a dinner, where Calvin confidently took the seat at the head of the table.
• Brad gave a speech about HYDRA’s ideals and accused Calvin of endangering the organization by acting selfishly and exposing it to the world.
• Brad called on his comrades to remove Calvin, who mocked Brad’s attempt to seize power.

Brad seized control of Hydra’s Canada base with the T900 and a growing army of T800s, then turned his attention to Ultron, the Mind Stone, and Stryker’s adamantium and vibranium. He decided to return to New York and claim Stryker’s assets before Wade underwent his transformation.

• Brad revealed the T900 and used it to kill Calvin’s super soldiers and take control of Hydra’s Canada base.
• Brad funded production of more than a hundred T800s and secured the loyalty of Calvin’s surviving subordinates.
• Zola congratulated Brad after learning that he had taken over the base faster than expected.
• Brad worked to keep Ultron from accessing his robot blueprints and considered secretly creating and controlling Ultron with the help of an Infinity Stone.
• Brad decided to return to New York and take the vibranium and adamantium from Stryker before Stryker transformed Wade into Deadpool.

Brad visited Logan at his cabin in Canada and warned him that Stryker had been monitoring former team members. Brad revealed Silver Fox’s connection to Stryker, and Logan caught her with a broken communicator, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Brad watched Logan from his car, then approached him and said he had left Stryker.
• Logan welcomed Brad into his cabin, where they shared liquor and cigars while catching up.
• Brad told Logan that Stryker had been watching everyone who left the team.
• Logan realized Silver Fox might be involved, and Brad explained that Stryker held her mutant sister captive.
• Brad noticed Silver Fox using a communicator in the kitchen, and Logan confronted her after the device stopped working.

Brad recruited Logan and Silver Fox to attack Stryker’s base and take the adamanium alloy. Logan faced his brother Sabretooth in the woods and defeated him, while Brad and Silver Fox watched.

• Brad gave Logan a reinforced black uniform made with adamanium alloy and explained that he wanted to take the alloy from Stryker.
• Logan and Silver Fox joined Brad on the trip to Stryker’s base, where Stryker had tortured imprisoned mutants and turned Wade into a weapon with more than thirty powers.
• Stryker used a serum extracted from Mastermind’s spinal cord to control Sabretooth and send him out of isolation.
• Logan confronted Sabretooth but was quickly overpowered, and his earpiece fell into the grass.
• Logan’s adamanium-reinforced suit kept Sabretooth from piercing his heart, and Logan fought back and killed his brother by stabbing him in the eye.

Brad and Wolverine infiltrated Stryker Base, where Brad took control of its machinery and killed Stryker. A psychic vision revealed a possible future involving Skynet and the Ultimate Nullifiers, while a hidden force manipulated events and left Brad unaware of what had happened.

• Brad, Wolverine, and T900 entered Stryker Base without triggering its alarms, and Brad and Wolverine headed for the cells while Brad went to confront Stryker.
• Brad used his power to foil Stryker's escape and seize control of the base, then discovered advanced bionics research that inspired him to develop humanlike robot skin.
• After T900 killed Stryker, Brad saw visions of Skynet, the Ultimate Nullifiers, and a future war, while Hemen used the psychic intrusion to send him a warning.
• T900 broke through the floor, killed Mastermind, and ended the visions, while Brad mistakenly believed Mastermind had caused them.
• Brad unknowingly gave Skynet a push toward its plan, as Skynet altered his memories and the Blue-Clad Big-Headed Man noticed the disturbance.

Brad added Bolivar Trask to his watch list after learning about the evolving biomechanical Sentinels, and decided to let Trask develop the technology so he could acquire it. At Stryker's base, Brad offered to repair Emma Frost's damaged spine using Logan's healing factor, and Logan agreed, ending his relationship with Silver Fox.

• Brad reviewed Stryker's experiments and identified Bolivar Trask and his mutant-hunting Sentinels as threats, but resolved to obtain Trask's technology.
• Brad considered building an ability amplifier or artificial life to control technological weapons, then left T900 and joined Logan and the captive mutants.
• Silver Fox told Brad that Stryker's spinal-fluid extraction had paralyzed her sister, Emma Frost.
• Brad said he could repair Emma's spine with a bionic external spine or by grafting Logan's healing factor.
• Logan agreed to let Brad use his healing factor to restore Emma, and Silver Fox chose her sister, ending her relationship with Logan.

Brad returned the captured mutants to their homes and brought Logan, Silver Fox, and Emma Frost to his Canadian Hydra Base, where Emma began touring the facility. After ordering his men to take over Stryker's base and freeze its ultimate weapon, Brad received Dr. Zola's new Human Optimization Serum results and was delighted by its anti-aging and corrective effects.

• Brad asked Logan what he planned to do after the procedure, but Logan refused to stay and the two shared whiskey on the flight.
• T900 repeatedly knocked Sabretooth unconscious as it carried him toward the newly acquired base.
• Brad arrived at the Canadian Hydra Base with Logan, Silver Fox, and Emma Frost, then showed Emma the facility and sent her to the medical team.
• Logan and Silver Fox reunited privately in the lounge, and Brad briefly saw them on the surveillance feed before shutting it off.
• Brad ordered his men to seize Stryker's base and freeze the uncontrollable ultimate weapon.
• Brad read Dr. Zola's report on the Human Optimization Serum, which slowed aging and could activate beneficial genes and correct bodily defects.

Brad planned to kill Dr. Zola rather than give him the complete Zola Algorithm, while using research from Stryker Base to help Emma Frost walk and injecting himself with a healing factor. After returning to New York, Brad learned that Howard Stark’s wife was pregnant, a development absent from every future he had seen.

• Brad decided to kill Dr. Zola and agreed to return to New York after receiving an order from the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
• Brad used research from Stryker Base and Logan’s bone marrow to isolate a healing factor, then performed surgery that allowed Emma Frost to walk again.
• Brad injected himself with a small amount of the healing factor, and Emma Frost revealed her diamond form to Silver Fox.
• Brad flew to the United States with Silver Fox, reunited with Peggy and Howard, and heard that Howard’s wife was pregnant.
• Brad panicked because Howard’s unborn child had never appeared in any of the futures he could access.

Brad searched the future for clues about Tony Stark’s unseen older brother, then brought Howard Stark an advanced universal joint as a gift for his unborn child. Howard and the gathered scientists marveled at its design, while Obadiah Stane looked at Brad with newfound admiration.

• Brad found no future scenes involving Tony Stark’s older brother and wondered whether the mysterious person was hidden or had yet to be born.
• Brad arrived at Howard Stark’s mansion for dinner and gave Howard a gift intended for his unborn child.
• Howard introduced Brad to his new assistant, Obadiah Stane, whom Brad recognized as a future enemy of Tony Stark in many universes.
• Howard unwrapped Brad’s gift, a universal joint, and praised its mechanical design after examining it.
• The scientists gathered around the device and discussed its value, while Obadiah regarded Brad with awe.

Howard apologized to Brad for having him transferred to Canada and confronted him about the worldwide reach of his technology. After Brad described ambitions beyond the universe, Howard warned him about Zola, while Brad secretly completed a transaction with Zola through Silver Fox.

• At Howard's dinner party, JARVIS asked Brad to stay and speak with Howard after the other guests left.
• On the balcony, Howard apologized for sending Brad to Canada and asked whether Brad had planted backdoors in the technology used around the world.
• Brad denied needing backdoors and told Howard his ambitions reached beyond the universe; Howard accepted his explanation and urged him to keep working.
• As Howard left, he warned Brad to stay away from Zola, whom he distrusted.
• Brad ordered Silver Fox to complete his transaction with Zola and deliver an extra gift.
• Silver Fox delivered a hard drive with the perfected algorithm to Zola, then stole his briefcase after he left it by the window.

Brad visited the former Vita-Ray laboratory in Brooklyn, reconstructed its technology in Canada, and thwarted Hydra's attempt to assassinate Howard. After Zola died in prison, Brad used enhanced Vita-Ray technology and the Human Optimization Serum on himself, then prepared to begin producing T1000s.

• Brad inspected the Brooklyn laboratory and used his mutant ability to learn the Vita-Ray equipment's structure, deciding he could rebuild and improve it himself.
• Brad returned to Canada and reconstructed the Vita-Ray laboratory while Zola, suffering from a genetic illness, urged him to develop Human Consciousness Uploading Technology and plotted against Howard.
• Brad intercepted the Winter Soldier's plane, brought it down, and disabled the Winter Soldier's metal arm before the assassin lost consciousness and disappeared.
• The Strategic Scientific Reserve uncovered Zola's failed assassination plot, stripped him of his positions, and imprisoned him; Brad revealed he had already mastered Human Consciousness Uploading Technology but refused to save Zola, who froze to death.
• Brad underwent enhancement using improved Vita-Ray technology and the Human Optimization Serum, gaining a ten-kilometer electromechanical sensing range and greatly increased control over Ultimate Nullifiers.
• Brad planned the next Ultimate Nullifier manufacturing program, and collaboration with Stark Industries helped advance biomimetic materials and alloys enough to begin T1000 production.

Howard searched for a cure for his newborn son Arno Stark’s genetic disorder, eventually partnering with Brad to develop a treatment. Arno received the Iron Lung System, and Howard founded the Maria Foundation with Brad and Arno as joint owners.

• Howard left his position at the Strategic Scientific Reserve and sought help from people with unusual abilities after Arno was born unable to breathe on his own.
• Charles and Erik brought Howard to the mutant school, where Mr. M temporarily improved Arno’s condition but could not cure his genetic disorder.
• After Brad offered to help, Howard brought Arno to Canada and examined Brad’s research combining biology and machinery.
• Howard joined Brad in the laboratory, and six months later they developed and implanted the Iron Lung System in Arno.
• Howard offered Brad Stark Industries shares, then used their value to establish the Maria Foundation with Brad and Arno as joint owners.