Chapter Summaries

Su Ming explained how he had suspected The Old Man was secretly watching them and used Strangle to share a counterplan. The plan ended with Deadpool disguised as Cousin and The Old Man poised to use the Devouring Method on him.

• Su Ming concluded that The Old Man had another way to spy on them after recalling the Eye of God, so he shared his suspicions and plan through Strangle.
• Su Ming reasoned that The Old Man wanted his concept of darkness and proposed the Devouring Method through Elaine’s lion to steer the god toward a predictable way of taking it.
• Su Ming and Deadpool switched identities during their teleportation, with Wade imitating the serious older brother and Su Ming acting like the talkative younger brother.
• Kitty and the lion hid to distract The Old Man, while Su Ming used a Planet Bomb as a Flashbang and concealed himself in a gap in space.
• Elaine deliberately entered the trap, and Deadpool, disguised as Cousin, urged The Old Man to dig in and eat himself.

Su Ming stalled the poisoned God while Deadpool and the Gods of Darkness attacked him from within. As God’s body and mind deteriorated, Su Ming mocked him and waited for the poison to take effect.

• Su Ming kept his distance from God and taunted him about consuming Deadpool, while Big Cat laughed at God’s predicament.
• Su Ming sent Sandwich to deal with the archangels charging up from below.
• God vomited golden liquid and began to decay as Deadpool’s power of Disgust and the voices in his mind overwhelmed him.
• Su Ming questioned God about the suffering he had inflicted on humanity and continued stalling as God writhed and lost his sanity.

Su Ming rewrote the resurrection miracles and divine artifacts so they would belong to Charles Roland, preventing The Old Man from returning to life. Elaine arrived to confirm the plan had succeeded and agreed to help Su Ming deal with CAAT as part of their mutual-assistance pact.

• Kitty warned Su Ming that The Old Man might still be waiting to resurrect, prompting Su Ming to rewrite the Shroud of Turin, the Spear of Destiny, and the Lazarus Miracle in the Origin Codex for Charles Roland.
• The Old Man realized Su Ming had thwarted his resurrection plan and remained in agony while Su Ming finished the rewrite.
• Kitty told Su Ming that people would still regard Elaine as God, so there would be no public change or new holy day.
• Elaine teleported to Su Ming, saw The Old Man defeated, and praised him for carrying out the plan.
• Elaine accepted Su Ming's snacks and agreed that her side would help him deal with CAAT in return for his assistance.

With the black sphere gone, Su Ming and his companions watched The Old Man succumb to his injuries, while Elaine accepted responsibility for the aftermath. Su Ming descended to finish the dying god and asked Kitty to help him enter The Old Man’s dream.

• Su Ming joked with Kitty and Elaine as they watched The Old Man writhe on the ground, and Elaine said Lucifer and Gabriel would find their own way home.
• Su Ming gave Elaine the Horn of Judgment Day to pass to Gabriel and advised her to leave Ezekiel transformed into a cockroach.
• Su Ming descended with Kitty to check on The Old Man, whose body was failing as his energy escaped.
• Su Ming asked Kitty whether they could see what The Old Man was thinking before he died, and Kitty suggested they follow it into the dream.

Su Ming watched Deadpool torment the dying Old Man God inside Death's dream, leaving the god mentally shattered. Back in the circus, Su Ming prepared to finish him off while the lion continued fighting the Angels.

• Kitty showed Su Ming an overhead view of the Old Man God's dream, where Little Deadpools and the four gods' powers drove the god toward madness.
• Deadpool reached the Old Man God, explained that he was a hallucination before death, and led a grotesque dance with the Chaos Gods' avatars.
• Su Ming and Dream of a Thousand Cats left the dream and returned to the circus, where the Old Man God's body writhed as black water flowed from his seven orifices.
• The lion continued overpowering the Angels as Dream of a Thousand Cats urged Su Ming to act quickly.
• Su Ming drew a Lightsaber and moved to slice the unconscious Old Man God into a thousand pieces.

Deathstroke finished killing The Old Man while Elaine refused to watch, then the group returned to Elaine’s old room at Lucifer’s nightclub. Elaine proposed a celebration, and Deadpool asked for a reward for his part in the fight.

• Deathstroke completed ten thousand cuts on The Old Man, then delivered the final cut after Elaine said she had no farewell words.
• The Old Man’s pasture melted away after his death, and Elaine brought the group to her old room at Lucifer’s Afterlife nightclub.
• Su Ming cleared the dust from Elaine’s room, and Elaine relaxed on her bed before suggesting they celebrate.
• Deadpool asked Elaine for compensation, but she offered to write him an IOU for Lucifer to repay.
• Deadpool gave up on asking for Lucifer’s reward and turned to his cousin about waiting for the party.

After the Old Man God’s death left disasters across the world, Elaine refused to handle the cleanup and explained that she wanted to live as an ordinary human by pursuing an education. Su Ming realized she was searching for a purpose, and Elaine insisted that studying suited her age and would keep her from getting arrested for skipping school.

• Deathstroke showed Elaine news reports of disasters in Coast City, Gotham, and Paris that still needed to be undone.
• Elaine said she would leave the divine cleanup to Lucifer and wanted to continue through school, college, and graduate studies.
• Kitty and Deadpool questioned why Elaine needed qualifications, with Deadpool offering to use his connections to find her work.
• Elaine rejected special treatment and said she wanted to rely on herself and become a scientist.
• Su Ming recognized that Elaine felt lost after the Old Man’s death and wanted an activity that would give her purpose.
• Elaine said she wanted to study because it suited her age and would prevent the police from arresting her for skipping school.

Su Ming explained the threat posed by CAAT and questioned Lucifer about his encounters with it, learning that Lucifer could only save fragments of worlds from its destructive waves. The true location of CAAT remained unknown, and Su Ming left Lucifer with the task of helping Elaine rebuild Earth-0.

• Su Ming told Girl God about CAAT, higher realms beyond Hypertime, and the possibility of stronger threats to come.
• Lucifer returned after the Hand of God vanished, greeted Elaine, and described his repeated confrontations with CAAT.
• Lucifer said CAAT felt like an immense, inanimate force that destroyed worlds like a tsunami, though he had managed to preserve a few small areas.
• Su Ming and Lucifer discussed whether CAAT's true body was hidden within Mystery, but neither could locate it.
• Su Ming urged Lucifer to help Elaine with disaster relief on Earth-0, and Elaine Blinked back under the covers as if asleep.

After the meeting, Su Ming and Deathstroke headed to the Hall of Justice while Lucifer took Maze to save people and Elaine stayed behind to sleep. At the hall, Dream of a Thousand Cats departed after discussing Mother Night and the Endless’ need to meet, leaving Su Ming and his cousin to handle matters before going home.

• Elaine stayed in bed while Lucifer took Maze to rescue people and stop disasters, and Deathstroke left with Su Ming and Kitty for the Hall of Justice.
• Su Ming, Deathstroke, and Dream of a Thousand Cats arrived at the Hall of Justice, where the city around them was devastated and covered in ash.
• Dream of a Thousand Cats told Su Ming that the Endless needed to meet and that Mother Night still supported him despite his role in her sister’s death.
• Su Ming gave Dream of a Thousand Cats canned cat food and sent it home to rest.
• Deadpool offered Dream of a Thousand Cats his mercenary services, but it insulted him and walked away.

Deathstroke met Barbara at the Hall of Justice and told her he had arranged help for Earth’s disasters, while she explained Gotham’s water-pipe crisis and their charity fund. He planned to transfer the fund to Harley, then went farther into the Hall after someone waved to him from the Crossroads.

• Deathstroke encountered Barbara at the Hall of Justice as she hurried out to borrow Mongul’s Matter Lens to locate broken water pipes in Gotham.
• Deathstroke told Barbara that he had already found people to handle the disasters and that Earth’s crises would soon stop.
• Barbara discussed the deaths of Mongul and his children with Deathstroke while Deadpool wandered away from them.
• Barbara told Deathstroke that the charity fund earned money through Wayne Enterprises stock and supported families of fallen Gotham police officers.
• Deathstroke said he would transfer the fund to Harley, then said goodbye to Barbara and headed toward someone waving from the Crossroads.

Deathstroke arrived at the crowded Hall of Justice, exchanged greetings with its heroes, and sent Deadpool home after paying him for their completed mercenary job. He met Martian Manhunter, who took him to his quarters to hear the intelligence he wanted to share.

• Deathstroke greeted Ice, who mentioned that she had dealt with a volcanic eruption in Norway.
• Deathstroke scolded Deadpool for ogling Ice, paid him, and teleported him away to go enjoy himself.
• Deathstroke greeted several heroes in the Hall of Justice before meeting J'onn at the corridor crossroads.
• J'onn explained that Superman and the others were away and invited Deathstroke to his quarters to talk privately.
• Deathstroke asked after Hawkgirl and the children, and J'onn said they were doing fine at home.

Deathstroke visited J'onn in his Martian-style quarters and shared some intelligence before heading to Starro's quarters to check on Jar-ro's attempt to recover the Force of Connection's memories. He found Batwoman and Damian waiting without progress, and began to tell Batwoman information he had withheld from J'onn.

• J'onn welcomed Deathstroke into his recreated Martian home, and the two made small talk over tea.
• Deathstroke told J'onn about God and his recent actions, sharing less than he had told Batwoman.
• Deathstroke left J'onn and went to Starro's quarters, where Jar-ro had made no progress extracting memories from the Force of Connection.
• Damian told Deathstroke that the task seemed beyond Jar-ro's current abilities, while Batwoman waited nearby.
• Deathstroke told Batwoman that he had intelligence he could not share with J'onn and needed to tell her.

Su Ming took Batwoman to a hidden safehouse beneath the Hall of Justice to discuss something he insisted must remain secret. He began blocking off the Narrative Layer before telling her what he had come to share.

• Su Ming left Damian to guard the Uni-Force ghost while he followed Batwoman into the Hall of Justice's hidden passages.
• Batwoman led Su Ming through a concealed trapdoor into a safehouse stocked with supplies and nuclear fuel.
• Su Ming asked Batwoman to keep their conversation secret, even from Diana, and she agreed.
• Su Ming pulled out the Origin Codex and began pouring dark energy into it to block off the Narrative Layer.

Su Ming offered Bruce Wayne the chance to resurrect his parents by changing Batwoman’s origins, but Bruce refused because the alteration could harm countless people and Gotham needed Batwoman. Su Ming then teleported himself and Batwoman back to the corridor outside Jar-ro’s dormitory.

• Su Ming told Batwoman to keep the Uni-Force with Jar-ro and warned her to be careful around J’onn.
• Su Ming asked Bruce Wayne whether he wanted Thomas and Martha Wayne brought back to life by changing the Origin Codex.
• Bruce considered the consequences of altering Batwoman’s origin and chose not to risk changing other people’s lives.
• Bruce put on his cowl and said Gotham and some people needed Batwoman.
• Batwoman showed Su Ming to the airlock, but he teleported them both to the corridor outside Jar-ro’s dormitory.

After Batwoman refused Su Ming’s offer to change history, he let Damian go and reviewed his schedule with Adjutant. With Barry’s wedding arranged and no urgent duties ahead, Su Ming decided to return to Marvel and look for his old rival, Kang the Conqueror.

• Su Ming accepted Batwoman’s refusal, gave Damian snacks and an energy block, and watched him leave the Hall of Justice.
• Su Ming told Batwoman he was leaving, then checked his schedule with Adjutant outside the Hall of Justice.
• Adjutant told Su Ming that Barry’s wedding was three days away, and Su Ming arranged to hold it at TVA headquarters and send invitations to Barry’s social circle.
• Adjutant raised the question of Barry’s father needing a companion, but Su Ming joked that matchmaking was not his responsibility.
• Su Ming decided to return to Marvel to find Kang the Conqueror and check whether his old rival was still alive.

Su Ming returned from the DC Universe to his Maine home, where Gin and Natasha welcomed him and he planned to take them out for dinner. Natasha asked about Steve’s strange visions, and Su Ming explained that he was making Steve repeatedly experience the gruesome death of Su Ming’s identity as desensitization therapy.

• Su Ming decided the DC Universe needed only cleanup work for now and had Adjutant teleport him home to Maine.
• Su Ming arrived at his wooden villa, where Gin greeted him and helped remove his Cloak.
• Natasha told Su Ming that Steve had been hallucinating and having nightmares, and Su Ming said he was using the visions to desensitize him to a gruesome death.
• Natasha complained about eating convenience food on an alien planet, so Su Ming invited her and Gin to go out for dinner.
• Gin and Natasha went upstairs to change while Su Ming settled on the sofa and asked Adjutant to turn on the news.

Su Ming watched the news and discussed why many people were staying on Earth instead of joining the Cosmic Voyage. He ordered the Adjutant to prepare for the return of the first space travelers and the launch of his Credit Point system, while the news gave him ideas for attracting more customers.

• Su Ming and Strangle discussed how older, wealthy, and cautious people were waiting before deciding whether to join the Cosmic Voyage.
• A news report showed a Portland farmer using drones to drop feed over his sheep, prompting Su Ming to remark that people with businesses at home were unlikely to leave Earth.
• Su Ming told the Adjutant to arrange purchases of returning travelers' resources, Earth-based trading locations, reporters, and the official launch of the Credit Point system.
• A second news report featured a raccoon accused of trying to rape a homeowner's cat, and Su Ming and the others joked about people who would stay home for their pets.
• Su Ming concluded that the news revealed potential customer groups for his spaceships and gave the Adjutant useful ideas for future promotion.

Su Ming reviewed Adjutant’s search for Kang the Conqueror and learned that millions of Kang variants existed across the Timelines, but none was the Conqueror he knew. Adjutant suspected Kang had left the Marvel Universe, and Su Ming asked whether anyone who knew Kang could offer clues.

• Su Ming handed responsibility for space affairs to Gin and asked Adjutant to locate Kang the Conqueror.
• Adjutant reported that she had scanned more than thirty million Kang variants across the Timelines without finding the Conqueror.
• Su Ming wondered whether Kang had died, but Adjutant judged that he had probably left the Marvel Universe.
• Su Ming asked whether Kang had friends or acquaintances who might provide clues, and Adjutant said he had none.

Su Ming sent the Adjutant to investigate Kang's traces on the Sacred Timeline while they waited for more leads. When Gin and Natasha were ready to go out, the Adjutant reported that the Circus Restaurant had closed because its owner was preparing a mobile diner ship near Pluto.

• Su Ming told the Adjutant to search TVA headquarters and the Sacred Timeline for evidence of Kang's past activity.
• The Adjutant agreed to organize the investigation and went offline, leaving Su Ming and Strangle to wait for results and news from Jar-ro.
• Gin and Natasha came downstairs dressed for an evening out, with Natasha disguised to conceal her identity.
• Natasha suggested the Circus Restaurant, but the Adjutant reported that it was closed while its owner prepared a mobile diner ship near Pluto.

Natasha helped Deathstroke get a meal aboard the Cosmic Diner Ship, where he turned the visit into a profitable sale and advised its owner to improve security. Afterward, Deathstroke warned Natasha that he might leave on a journey he could not return from and entrusted her with a backup plan before telling her about CAAT and Mystery.

• Natasha used her connections at the Food Hygiene Supervision Administration to pressure the Cosmic Diner Ship into serving them.
• Deathstroke gave the restaurant staff energy batteries, then sold the owner security services, frigates, and energy turrets.
• Deathstroke told the owner to hire Taskmaster and strengthen the restaurant’s defenses against threats in space.
• Aboard their ship, Deathstroke told Natasha that he might soon leave on a journey without knowing whether he could return.
• Deathstroke instructed Natasha to pass his words to Doom and Little Franklin and lead her sisters in carrying out a backup plan if he did not return.
• Deathstroke began explaining CAAT and Mystery to Natasha and Gin, telling them to keep the information secret.