Chapter Summaries

Steve and Bucky entered the burning ruins of a military academy after discovering guards marked with the classified Project Z. A Hulk burst from the rubble as Ant-Man and Wasp sought a way to counter the Gamma Radiation, while General Ross arrived and rushed to the scene after leaving Betty with Tony.

• Steve and Bucky found armed soldiers at the academy and discovered dog tags marked Project Z, which Steve identified as a project for enhanced humans.
• Steve and Bucky organized cadets to contain the fires, then headed into the ruins while Ant-Man and Wasp took over firefighting.
• A Hulk broke out of the rubble, and Steve shielded Bucky as they prepared to fight it.
• Wasp detected a Gamma Radiation spike, and Ant-Man sent her to the chemistry laboratory to help him neutralize the radiation.
• General Ross returned with Tony, struck Betty down when she tried to leave the helicopter, and rushed to join his soldiers.

Steve and Bucky tried to calm Hulk and protect the people trapped beneath the ruins, but General Ross's troops opened fire and enraged him. As Hulk tore through the soldiers and armored vehicles, Steve confronted him while Bucky left to search for anesthetics; Ross ordered a retreat, leaving Steve to face Hulk as Blonsky missed his chance to intervene.

• Steve approached Hulk and tried to persuade him to leave the ruins peacefully, but Hulk barely understood him.
• Ross ordered his troops to fire on Hulk, and the gunfire enraged Hulk into leaping into the air and attacking the soldiers.
• Steve rolled to safety, then charged Hulk to distract him while Bucky left to look for anesthetics at the School Hospital.
• Hulk crushed armored vehicles and killed their crews while Ross called for air support.
• Blonsky offered to hold Hulk off, but Ross ordered a retreat after Steve struck Hulk with his shield and drew his attention.

Tony watched Hulk’s attack from a helicopter with Betty and Obadiah, then realized the monster was Banner. When Captain America joined the fight, Tony decided to land and build a rocket from an old missile to send Hulk into space.

• Tony watched Hulk tear through military vehicles while mocking Betty’s concern for the soldiers and her father.
• Betty spotted Captain America entering the battlefield, and Tony judged that he was outmatched by Hulk.
• Tony recognized Banner from the jeans Hulk was wearing and concluded that Banner’s experiment had transformed him into the monster.
• Betty cried over Banner’s transformation while Tony decided he would help Captain America rather than let Hulk kill him.
• Tony ordered the helicopter to land near the World War II weapons display so he could convert an old missile into a launch vehicle for Hulk.

Hulk rampaged through the battlefield while Steve repeatedly drew his attacks, giving Pym, Bucky, and Tony time to prepare ways to stop him. Su Ming arrived before their plans could be used, rescued Steve, and knocked Hulk underground with Godslayer transformed into a frying pan.

• Hulk repeatedly struck Steve, who kept returning to hold his attention despite his injuries and the military's fire.
• Pym prepared an Inert Blocker to disrupt Hulk's balance, Bucky obtained anesthetic, and Tony prepared a rocket to contain Dr. Banner.
• Su Ming descended beside the exhausted Steve and used a tentacle to pull him to his feet.
• Su Ming chose to handle Hulk himself, transformed Godslayer into a frying pan, and struck Hulk into a hole in the ground.

Deathstroke knocked Hulk unconscious, and Strangle pulled the weakened Banner from the crater. After reuniting with Steve, Bucky, and the others, Deathstroke prepared to put the team to work, while Tony objected to what they were doing with Banner.

• Deathstroke revealed that Hulk was unconscious underground, and Strangle retrieved Banner from the hole.
• Steve examined the shrunken Banner as Deathstroke explained that Hulk could be knocked out by overwhelming his brain.
• Steve reunited with Bucky and the arriving team, then complained that support had come late.
• Deathstroke asked Bucky for the anesthetic gas and gave Banner another dose while joking that he was a dancer.
• Tony arrived in the Rocket transport truck and warned the others not to harm Dr. Banner.

Tony found Banner and Betty unconscious in the pit and decided to protect them from the military by taking them somewhere safe. With Ross's soldiers approaching, Hank and Janet appeared, while Deathstroke continued painting on Banner's face.

• Tony examined Banner and confirmed he was alive, then explained that Banner was a physicist and Betty was General Ross's daughter.
• Tony said he wanted to keep Banner and Betty together and send them to New Zealand, and Steve agreed if Banner could control the Hulk.
• Hank and Janet arrived and Hank warned that Tony could not buy Banner, then introduced himself and explained Janet's connection to the Gamma Ray Project.
• Tony impressed Hank by explaining the Compton Effect and his ideas about quantum communication and cosmic detection.
• Deathstroke drew a mustache, spectacles, a vest, and a mole with hairs on Banner's face.

Tony, Pym, and the others discussed how to get Banner and Betty away from the military, while Deathstroke disguised them and then frightened Tony by impersonating his dead father. Deathstroke prepared to leave with Banner, Betty, Pym, and Janet, intending to assign the couple some tasks.

• Pym explained that the military would not give up Banner, its only successful test subject, and Tony proposed stealing him.
• Pym said he could not safely shrink living people without their suits, so Tony suggested launching Banner and Betty toward the Pacific in a cushioned rocket.
• Janet pointed out that the army had arrived and suggested relying on Deathstroke, who had disguised Banner and Betty to help them escape unnoticed.
• Tony offered Deathstroke a check, but Deathstroke revealed a charred imitation of Howard and terrified Tony into fleeing the crater.
• Steve and Bucky stayed calm as Deathstroke resumed his usual appearance and addressed Steve's regret about Howard's death.
• Deathstroke told Pym and Janet to take Banner and Betty and leave with him, saying he had tasks for them.

After escaping the battlefield with Banner and Betty, Deathstroke told Steve that Voyager 1’s record had revealed Earth’s location to a planet-devouring god and sent them to investigate its agents. The chapter left Steve heading for Cape Canaveral to confront Malik, a Soviet Hydra operative known as the Red Skull, while Deathstroke prepared to fight the invader in space.

• Steve and Bucky helped Banner and Betty escape by blackening their skin and passing them off as burn victims.
• Su Ming explained that Voyager 1’s Golden Record included Earth’s location and biological information, allowing Aliens to identify Earth as a planet worth devouring.
• Deathstroke told Steve that a godlike Planet Eater used advance agents to scout planets and ordered Steve to have Banner scan Andromeda with Gamma Ray detection.
• Deathstroke directed Steve and the others to Cape Canaveral, where Malik, a Soviet Hydra operative wearing a Red Skull mask, was guiding the Planet Eater toward Earth.
• Deathstroke explained that the Brood had pursued Carol, the Skrulls were fleeing the insects toward Earth, and the Supreme Intelligence was pursuing Carol as the alien forces converged.

Su Ming warned Steve that Red Skull had become a Herald of Galactus, then left to face threats in space while Steve headed for Cape Canaveral. Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. shifted under Alexander Pierce’s control, and Fury and Melinda infiltrated a Skrull outpost to find Coulson, unaware that a Brood creature was hunting them.

• Su Ming warned Steve that Red Skull had a special unit and spies in the United States, then flew away to confront Galactus and the other Heralds.
• Natasha declared S.H.I.E.L.D. under Level One alert and left in a Quinjet to find Steve, while Alexander Pierce assumed the director’s position and took control of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Fury and Melinda disguised themselves as Skrulls and searched the dark outpost for Coulson, communicating silently because they could not understand the Skrull language.
• A Brood creature watched Fury and Melinda on the security screens, decided to keep them as food, and entered the ventilation shafts to ambush them.
• Fury realized the outpost was deserted and hurried Melinda toward a door marked by bloodstains, then blasted its lock and entered with her.

Fury, May, and Coulson escaped the Skrulls’ prison on Eris as Zerg threats closed in. Fury freed the other captives as a distraction, including S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Kohler, and the group ran for safety.

• Fury rescued Coulson from a memory-extraction tank by pressing the green button, and May helped confirm Coulson’s identity.
• Fury explained that Skrulls had kidnapped Coulson and that the outpost might be overrun by Zerg.
• Fury ordered Coulson and May to release the other captives, intending to use them as a distraction while the trio escaped.
• Fury freed Kohler but left without looking back as Kohler woke and called after him.
• Screams from the fleeing captives echoed behind the group, and Fury told May that her lucky color had saved them as they ran.

Su Ming returned to Carol's home and helped her family fight off the Brood, then arranged for Mary and Joseph to leave for the Antarctic Sanctum Sanctorum. He took Carol into space and led her toward the moon.

• Su Ming returned to Mary's house and joined Mary and Carol in fighting the Brood while Joseph struggled to keep up.
• Su Ming told Mary that the Brood were scouting for a larger plundering operation and that her home was no longer safe.
• Su Ming arranged for Mary and Joseph to move to the Antarctic Sanctum Sanctorum, and Mary agreed to leave with her children.
• Su Ming called Kaecilius to arrange transport, then gave Mary and Joseph a Silk Pouch and instructions for their new home.
• Su Ming took Carol into space with a bat-shaped respirator and pointed her toward the moon.

Deathstroke and Carol arrived in Attilan to discuss its defenses, but a Kree diplomatic ship was shot down and a devastating Mimic Wave tore through the city. They flew toward the crash site, where Deathstroke suspected the ship had struck the council hall.

• Deathstroke and Carol entered Attilan, where he explained that the Inhumans were descendants of humans altered by Kree experiments.
• Carol recognized a Kree diplomatic vessel, the Voice of Wisdom, as it tried to flee Attilan.
• Attilan's anti-air weapon fired a Mimic Wave that struck the vessel, sending it crashing into the city.
• A roar triggered a powerful tremor that destroyed buildings and split the ground across part of Attilan.
• Deathstroke explained Attilan's family-based council and the Inhumans' unusual division of authority as he and Carol flew toward the crash site.

Su Ming and Carol helped the Inhumans clear the wreckage of the council hall, where Black Bolt’s parents and other councilors had died. With Black Bolt stunned by grief and the royals looking to Medusa for direction, Su Ming urged them to act against Maximus.

• Su Ming and Carol arrived at Attilan and learned from Medusa that Maximus had secretly contacted Kree spies, and Black Bolt’s attempt to stop them had caused the council hall to collapse.
• Su Ming suggested Black Bolt take control and inherit leadership, then used Strangle to clear the rubble while Carol hauled away massive chunks of debris.
• The cleared ruins revealed that Agon, his wife, and the other councilors had been crushed to death.
• Black Bolt recognized his parents by their clothing and remained overwhelmed by grief and guilt over the disaster.
• Triton blamed Maximus, while Gorgon cautioned him to wait for Medusa’s lead and Karnak chanted beside them.

Deathstroke persuaded Black Bolt to join the fight against Galactus and the Brood, despite Attilan’s turmoil, and the group departed aboard an Attilan ship. They planned to intercept their enemies in Andromeda and draw the battle deep into the Skrull Empire.

• Deathstroke convinced Black Bolt that his parents’ ideals lived on and secured his agreement to maintain ties with Kamar-Taj and accept Earth’s food supply.
• Deathstroke warned Black Bolt about Galactus, his Herald, the Brood, the Skrulls, and the Kree, then urged him to join the fight immediately.
• Black Bolt agreed after Karnak assured him that Attilan’s affairs could be handled while he was away, and he briefly said goodbye to his parents.
• Black Bolt used Lockjaw’s power to take Deathstroke, Carol, and himself to Attilan’s shipyard, where Deathstroke chose a cargo ship for their mission.

Steve and Bucky headed for Cape Canaveral to stop Red Skull, while Natasha met them and flew the group toward the launch silos. After waking Banner and Betty, Steve sent them away from the coming danger, and the group continued toward the base.

• Carol flew Attilan's ship out of the protective barrier and began the long warp journey to Andromeda.
• Steve and Bucky drove toward Cape Canaveral with Banner and Betty unconscious in the truck, discussing Red Skull and whether to use Hulk.
• Natasha revealed herself in a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet, picked up Steve's group, and said she had killed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s green Alien director.
• Pym identified NCL-41 as Voyager 1's launch site, and Natasha agreed to accompany the group into Cape Canaveral using her credentials.
• Janet woke Banner by tickling his nostril, and Steve told Banner and Betty to leave the United States for somewhere remote.
• Pym gave Banner his notes on the Hulk phenomenon, and Betty woke and clung to Banner as the plane neared its destination.

Steve, Janet, Natasha, and their allies formed the Avengers and gained access to Cape Canaveral to investigate Red Skull's plan. They discovered that Command Center 26 had been flooded, so they headed for the nearby museum housing Voyager 1's ground equipment.

• Natasha sent Banner and Betty away on an inflatable raft as the others prepared for battle.
• Janet suggested forming a team, and Natasha proposed the name Avengers; Steve accepted it and rallied the group with the words, "Avengers, assemble!"
• Natasha used S.H.I.E.L.D. credentials to get the Avengers into Cape Canaveral after Director Pierce endorsed Steve's authority.
• Steve and Bucky opened the entrance to Command Center 26 and found it completely flooded.
• Pym learned that Voyager 1's ground equipment was housed in a nearby space museum, and Steve ordered the group to go there.

Steve and the Avengers reached the Cape Canaveral museum, where Red Skull’s disguised force was believed to be hiding. After a soldier escorting them died in an accident, Steve’s team prepared to enter the museum and attack from several directions.

• Steve realized Red Skull could have entered the restricted base by posing as a museum tour group and buying admission tickets.
• A tropical storm arrived as the team reached the museum, and the Black soldier who had driven them away died in a crash caused by a lightning-struck tree.
• Steve took the soldier’s dog tags and signed helmet, then returned to the Avengers as they mourned their comrade.
• Natasha estimated that around fifty adult men had arrived on a tour bus, suggesting that Red Skull’s force was inside the museum.
• Steve ordered Natasha to enter through the roof, Bucky and himself to attack through the front, and Pym and Janet to infiltrate through the rear.

Deathstroke persuaded Black Bolt and Carol to stay together, then used a Skrull patrol fleet as bait to draw the Brood toward them. He infiltrated the mothership to disable its power source, leaving the team waiting in hiding as he searched for the energy core.

• Deathstroke refused to split up, explaining that the team would be stronger and safer together against the Brood and the Herald of Galactus.
• Carol detected a Skrull patrol fleet, and Black Bolt recognized that Deathstroke intended to use it as bait.
• Deathstroke flew to the mothership to disable it and draw the Brood toward the fleet.
• Deathstroke entered the mothership and searched for its energy source, while Cloak hoped it would not be a Faith Engine.
• Deathstroke encountered a maintenance team and realized they could lead him to the mothership's power source.

Su Ming disguised himself as a Skrull general and sabotaged the mothership’s energy core while Strangle and Cloak helped him destroy its defenses. He returned to the Attilan ship as the Skrulls searched for Ronan the Accuser, then offered snacks to the uneasy crew.

• Su Ming and Strangle killed the Skrull repair soldiers who approached them, and Su Ming learned the locations of the energy core and engine room.
• Su Ming chose the energy core, had Strangle imitate a Skrull general, and rode the elevator to the core compartment.
• Cloak drained the energy from the mothership’s tanks while Deathstroke killed the guards and disguised himself as Ronan the Accuser.
• Deathstroke returned to the Attilan ship, where Lockjaw and Carol reacted fearfully to his killing aura as the Skrulls searched for Ronan.
• After resting briefly, Deathstroke answered Carol casually and offered the crew snacks and cigarettes.

Deathstroke and Black Bolt signed a trade agreement while the Skrull fleet remained powerless and Carol questioned Deathstroke’s ruthless tactics. The Brood arrived in overwhelming numbers, and Deathstroke chose to watch how the Skrulls would respond.

• Deathstroke taught Black Bolt to use betel nut and tobacco while Carol worried over Deathstroke’s treatment of the Skrull fleet.
• Deathstroke negotiated a trade with Black Bolt for lunar resources, including KREEP, mare basalt, and dog food, and Black Bolt signed a Vishanti contract.
• Black Bolt recovered from the cigar and decided the deal was fair, while Carol continued petting Lockjaw.
• The Brood swarm filled the sky around the ship, and Carol found that the scanner could not process their numbers.
• Deathstroke told Carol they would watch the Skrull fleet’s response before deciding what to do.