Chapter Summaries

Su Ming and Daisy faced scavengers after landing on Sakaar, where Daisy used Mjolnir to drive them away. Su Ming then freed Peter from the electric net, while Deathstroke teased him about his dancing and poor combat potential.

• Su Ming and Thor left the spaceship as scavengers surrounded them, and Su Ming told Daisy to strike hostile enemies first.
• Daisy’s lightning attack destroyed several scavengers, and the rest fled through the garbage heaps.
• Daisy boasted to Su Ming after the fight, but he showed little surprise at her strength.
• Su Ming examined Peter and joked that his poor combat instincts suited him only for dancing.
• Su Ming used Godslayer to free Peter from the electric net while Deathstroke called his involuntary dancing a lucky encounter.

Deathstroke assessed Peter’s weaknesses and set him on the path of becoming a gunman, giving him a pistol and instructions for the operation. At the city entrance, a cloaked woman approached Deathstroke, discussed Ragnarök and her brothers, and reached for his face before he crushed her Blackstone and led the others onward.

• Deathstroke tested Peter’s fighting ability and learned he had no money, so he told him to become a gunman.
• Deathstroke gave Peter a 9mm Wilson 17 pistol and told him to practice shooting and piloting, and to dance or kill as ordered during the operation.
• A cloaked woman met Deathstroke at the city entrance and asked about the person wielding the hammer.
• Deathstroke warned the woman to prepare for Ragnarök and asked whether her brothers had been taken care of.
• The woman touched Deathstroke’s face and produced a Blackstone dagger, but Deathstroke crushed it and told her and the others to follow him.

Su Ming brought Thor, Daisy, and Peter into Sakaar’s city to meet the Grandmaster and renegotiate their old agreement. After receiving an elaborate welcome at the arena tower, they rode its panoramic elevator upward, leaving Peter overwhelmed by the view.

• Thor asked Su Ming about the cloaked woman, and he dismissed her as an old acquaintance whose aura carried the chill of death.
• Su Ming warned Peter not to touch unfamiliar creatures after Peter was burned by a Spine Hound pup.
• Su Ming said he had come to the city’s largest arena to find the Grandmaster and discuss new terms tied to a promise he had made decades earlier.
• The Grandmaster welcomed Su Ming, Thor, and Peter with attendants, flower petals, and a red carpet as they entered his tower.
• Peter sprawled on the elevator floor and drooled while Daisy whispered to Su Ming about his behavior.

Su Ming met Grandmaster, who asked him to judge a dispute between two merchants over a wager about nail polish. After Grandmaster revealed that the case was a pretext for an Another World transaction, the two discussed their power and agreed that Su Ming and his companions could tour The Tower before the gladiatorial matches.

• Grandmaster summoned Su Ming to help decide which of two nail-polish colors looked better, while two enslaved merchants knelt before him.
• Su Ming rejected both colors and learned that the merchants had wagered their lives over a search for fine nail polish.
• Grandmaster explained that he had wagered with Collector over finding nail polish Collector did not own, and Su Ming recognized that the cosmetics dispute concealed an Another World transaction.
• Grandmaster killed the two merchants with blasts of Cosmic Energy and discussed Su Ming’s longevity and the dangers of using the Time Stone.
• Grandmaster invited Su Ming to watch the Space Gladiator Competition, and Su Ming asked whether Grandmaster’s daughter could show them around The Tower.

Su Ming spent the afternoon with Daisy and Peter before attending Sakaar’s gladiatorial matches, where the Grandmaster introduced his daughter Vane Gast and revealed Loki was also his guest. Loki realized Deathstroke’s presence might be connected to Hela’s attack that brought him and Thor to Sakaar.

• Su Ming kept the Grandmaster from making trouble by mentioning Vane Gast, then relaxed with Daisy and Peter in the guest room.
• Su Ming explained his bargaining strategy to Daisy, while Peter danced until the gladiatorial matches were about to begin.
• Su Ming, Daisy, and Peter went to the packed arena, where the Grandmaster greeted Su Ming and introduced Vane Gast.
• The Grandmaster introduced Loki, who recognized Su Ming and suspected he had allowed Hela to enter Midgard and send Thor and Loki to Sakaar.

Deathstroke met Loki and the Grandmaster in Sakaar’s private box while Daisy and Peter mingled with them. The Grandmaster opened the Cosmic Gladiatorial Championship by sending Thor, armed with War Axe, into the arena against ninety-nine Spine Hounds.

• Loki appeared through a magical duplicate while his real body hid near the door, and he evaded Deathstroke’s questions.
• Deathstroke and the Grandmaster chatted before Deathstroke asked to begin the gladiatorial matches.
• The Grandmaster welcomed the crowd and introduced Thor as “Axe Man,” announcing that he would face ninety-nine Spine Hounds.
• The Spine Hounds attacked Thor after the Grandmaster ordered the match to begin, while Loki and Daisy watched from the stands.

Su Ming traded with Grandmaster for intelligence about the Phoenix Force, then followed its trail with Daisy and Peter. The group reached a recently scorched planet, where Su Ming began searching for the force that had destroyed it.

• Thor stayed on Sakaar with Deathstroke and Loki to pursue the arena championship while Su Ming left with Daisy and Peter.
• Su Ming learned that Grandmaster had heard reports of a blazing, bird-shaped trail that burned across galaxies and identified it as the Phoenix Force.
• Grandmaster gave Su Ming the intelligence in exchange for a chance to gamble against the Batman Who Laughs.
• Deathstroke made hundreds of consecutive jumps, leaving Peter terrified but bringing the ship to a charred planet along the Phoenix Force's trail.
• Su Ming directed the ship down toward the still-hot planet, believing the Phoenix Force might remain nearby.

Su Ming led Peter, Daisy, and Thor to search a Phoenix-destroyed planet for an underground facility, claiming they sought records that could help track the Phoenix. After finding survivors’ corpses inside, he revealed his real goal by having Strangle consume their brains.

• Su Ming explained that the planet’s interior might have survived Phoenix’s attack and suggested survivors could have left records in underground facilities.
• Su Ming put Peter to work digging and taught Daisy that superheroes needed to make use of others’ strengths.
• Using Godslayer and Strangle, Su Ming dug deep beneath the planet’s surface and located an underground facility.
• Su Ming drilled through the facility’s metal wall and found the corpses of aliens scattered across a dark hall.
• Su Ming sent Strangle’s tentacles to feast on the aliens’ brains, exposing that he had never truly been searching for records.

Deathstroke used the Kwee Kwee’s memories to learn Phoenix’s destination and discovered another spacecraft was following it. After Peter scavenged food from the underground shelter, Deathstroke decided to wait and watch the other group searching for Phoenix.

• Deathstroke used the Symbiotes to retrieve the Kwee Kwee’s memories, including their technology and evidence that another spacecraft was following Phoenix.
• Daisy and Peter entered the shelter, where Peter excitedly asked to search the bodies and rooms.
• Peter found no valuables but claimed crates of plant-fiber food, which he planned to keep for himself.
• Deathstroke told Daisy they would search the star systems along Phoenix’s route but would first see what the other group did.

Su Ming, Daisy, and Peter followed Phoenix’s trail to Sparta Star, where Peter tried to conceal his identity from his parents, King Jason and Queen Meredith. After a banquet, Su Ming and Jason discussed Phoenix’s likely location and its possible return to its host’s body.

• Su Ming found evidence that Phoenix had fought someone near a destroyed star system and used the debris gap to trace its path toward the Shi'ar Empire.
• Su Ming decided to stop at Sparta Star, despite Peter’s claim that he was allergic to its air and could not go there.
• King Jason and Queen Meredith welcomed Su Ming at the spaceport, while Peter hid inside an opaque-helmeted spacesuit and pretended to be Dancer.
• Su Ming introduced Daisy to Jason and joined the royal family for a banquet, while Peter narrowly avoided being recognized by his parents.
• Jason reported that Sparta Star’s Observation Post had detected no sign of Phoenix, and Su Ming suggested Phoenix might have returned to its host’s body and could be somewhere within the Shi'ar Empire.

Su Ming, Daisy, and Peter traveled to Chandilar to find Jean Grey before the Shi'ar could capture her. After confirming the military was hunting Jean, Su Ming planned to draw her out by attacking Shi'ar patrols.

• Su Ming took Daisy and Peter toward the Shi'ar capital, reasoning that the Shi'ar intended to capture the Phoenix for their empire.
• The trio infiltrated Chandilar, a heavily fortified Shi'ar military planet, by cloaking their spaceship with Strangle.
• Su Ming saw patrols searching for Jean Grey using projections of her face and concluded that Jean, not the Phoenix, controlled her body.
• Su Ming explained that Jean could be hiding anywhere and proposed attracting her by entering patrol search areas and revealing their human identity.
• Su Ming drew the Nightfall Greatsword and planned to slaughter Shi'ar soldiers to show Jean that humanity opposed the Shi'ar.

Deathstroke, Daisy, and Peter defended a rooftop from a swarm of Shi'ar fighters, using Wilson Enterprises fireworks to signal Earth’s arrival. After they destroyed the first wave, Peter asked why they had set off the fireworks, but Deathstroke told him to keep singing.

• Su Ming launched Wilson Enterprises fireworks that Jean Grey could recognize as a sign that Earthlings had arrived.
• Deathstroke coached Peter through his nervousness as fighters approached, and Peter began singing and dancing to calm himself.
• The Shi'ar fighters opened fire, and Deathstroke reflected their beams and counterattacked with a barrage of weapons.
• Daisy summoned a storm of lightning that helped destroy the first wave of fighters.
• Daisy and Peter briefly discussed a pop singer before Peter asked why they were setting off Wilson fireworks, and Deathstroke ordered him to keep singing.

Su Ming prepared for the Shi'ar response while joking with Peter and Daisy after destroying a fighter squadron. Shi'ar soldiers surrounded them, and Daisy readied herself for the coming fight.

• Su Ming explained that the Shi'ar Royal Imperial Guard and Gladiator could pose serious threats, but he had prepared ways to exploit their weaknesses.
• Su Ming gave Peter a flaming Shi'ar bone to use as a microphone, and Peter became eager to sing and meet Su Ming's dance prodigy.
• Shi'ar soldiers in golden armor surrounded Su Ming, Peter, and Daisy on nearby rooftops.
• Su Ming explained how the Shi'ar's gunblades and gunlances stored energy from their strikes and fired it as plasma.
• Daisy rejected the idea of taking one of their weapons and spun Mjolnir as she prepared to fight.

Su Ming, Strangle, Daisy, and Peter fought off Shi'ar soldiers while waiting for Jean Grey to reveal herself. Jean appeared beside Su Ming, who asked her to lift her mental influence over Daisy and Peter.

• Su Ming and Strangle slaughtered Shi'ar soldiers as Peter dodged gunfire and sang.
• Su Ming reassured Strangle that it could face Dragon and Venom later, while Peter watched the Symbiote and hoped to get a similar companion.
• Daisy returned after killing thousands and complained that her shoulders were sore.
• Su Ming predicted the Shi'ar might deploy orbital bombardment or Gears of War and said Jean Grey had already been nearby.
• Su Ming asked the invisible Jean Grey to release her mental influence over Daisy and Peter, and Thor saw her appear beside him.

Su Ming found Jean Grey among the destruction and tried to ease her guilt over the Phoenix’s rampage, arguing that its victims were alien animals rather than humans. Jean resisted the idea of returning to Earth and asked him to kill her, but Su Ming urged her to find a way to coexist with the Phoenix.

• Su Ming met the battered Jean Grey and told her that Charles had asked him to bring her home.
• Jean blamed herself for the worlds and lives consumed by the Phoenix, but Su Ming claimed the victims had been chickens and grasshoppers and said Earth was unharmed.
• Phoenix briefly influenced Jean as Su Ming suggested it could hunt aliens as long as it left Earth and humanity’s allies alone.
• Jean said she could not return to Earth and asked Su Ming to kill her, fearing she was too dangerous.
• Su Ming explained that the Phoenix would exist even without Jean and encouraged her to seek peaceful coexistence with it, suggesting she give it an affectionate name.

Su Ming explained that Vulcan had manipulated Jean into fleeing to the Shi'ar capital, hoping the danger would unleash Phoenix and destroy the planet. Jean realized Scott and his brother had deceived her, while the Shi'ar fleet sealed off Chandilar.

• The Shi'ar fleet arrived above Chandilar as Su Ming asked Jean who had helped her regain control of her body.
• Jean revealed that Scott had wanted her to leave Earth, and that Vulcan and a woman had pursued Phoenix through space and urged her to help destroy the Shi'ar.
• Su Ming deduced that Vulcan had lured Jean toward the Shi'ar capital, where danger could trigger Phoenix's rampage.
• Jean recognized that Vulcan had wanted her to lose control on Chandilar, and Su Ming asked what the conspirators would do after the Shi'ar fleet and capital were destroyed.

Su Ming pieced together Vulcan’s revenge plot against the Shi’ar and prepared to negotiate with the empire. The chapter ended as Gladiator arrived to meet the Sorcerer Supreme, while Su Ming made Peter prepare to dance if talks failed.

• Su Ming explained that Vulcan had lured Scott away with false promises and planned to provoke conflict between Earth and the Shi’ar Empire.
• Su Ming connected Vulcan’s revenge to the Shi’ar royal family’s succession struggle and suspected Deathbird was helping him.
• Su Ming concluded that the Shi’ar had paused their attacks because their leaders had recognized the conspiracy and wanted peace talks.
• Kallark, the Shi’ar Guard Captain known as Gladiator, requested an audience with the Sorcerer Supreme.
• Su Ming opened the hatch, told Daisy that the Shi’ar would overlook their losses for greater interests, and ordered Peter to dance when signaled.

Deathstroke confronted Gladiator over the Shi'ar fleet’s actions and exposed his plan to present the heroes as captured for propaganda. When Gladiator refused to offer concessions, Su Ming threatened to support Vulcan and Deathbird, then prepared to demonstrate his own plan.

• Gladiator arrived on the ship, offered Lilandra’s greetings, and promised that the Shi'ar Empire would respect the Solar System and the Nine Realms.
• Su Ming suspected the fleet’s mission was tied to a Shi'ar civil war, and Gladiator invited the group to meet Lilandra without explaining further.
• Su Ming accused Gladiator of wanting footage that would make it appear the Imperial Guard had captured the heroes and Jean Grey.
• Su Ming threatened to aid Vulcan and Deathbird, calling D'Ken a mad king and the Imperial Guard rebels.
• Gladiator insisted he was confident in protecting the Empire, and Su Ming told Peter to begin his lesson.

Su Ming used Star-Lord’s singing and dancing to challenge Gladiator and exploit the Shi’ar warrior’s lack of experience with art. Gladiator failed to learn the dance, lost confidence, and fell, leaving the contest—and the crew’s promised response—unresolved.

• Star-Lord missed Deathstroke’s cue and danced with silent headphones until Phoenix crushed them and the music began playing.
• Deathstroke ordered Star-Lord to keep dancing, and he performed to “Hooked on a Feeling.”
• Su Ming promised Gladiator they would go with him if he could copy Star-Lord’s singing and dance.
• Gladiator tried to imitate Star-Lord but could not coordinate the moves or learn them quickly.
• Gladiator doubted himself, tangled his limbs, and fell to the floor.

Su Ming forced Gladiator to accept a diplomatic arrangement that would make the Shi'ar appear allied with Earth, then explained to Peter why he was cooperating with Lilandra's side. After Peter described his ambitions, Su Ming gave him the codename Star-Lord as the Shi'ar welcoming party arrived.

• Peter stopped singing and dancing after Su Ming told him he had earned merit, and Su Ming promised him new headphones and a gift.
• Su Ming told the defeated Gladiator to prepare an honor guard, a diplomatic vessel, and reporters for their arrival.
• Gladiator left to arrange the reception, while Su Ming explained that supporting Lilandra against Deathbird served Earth's interests.
• Peter asked Su Ming for a codename and described his wish to become a famous, wealthy Marauder who owned planets.
• Su Ming named Peter Star-Lord, and Peter celebrated by dancing as the welcoming party arrived.