Chapter Summaries

Mercer used his lightning body to survive Loki’s magic and countered with a lightning hammer that overpowered Loki’s attack. Loki recognized Mercer as the true God of Thunder.

• Loki fired a powerful golden magic beam at Mercer, who vanished from its path by breaking his body down into lightning.
• Loki declared himself Earth’s new king, but Mercer struck him from behind with lightning and left him convulsing.
• Mercer and Loki recovered and discussed Mercer’s lightning body, with Loki admitting he had never seen even Thor do anything like it.
• Loki charged Mercer with a storm of golden spear illusions, but Mercer formed a giant lightning hammer and smashed through the attack.
• Mercer’s blow forced Loki back and left his hands numb, prompting Loki to call him the true God of Thunder.

Mercer defeated Loki’s lightning assault, but Loki escaped through the Bifrost, leaving Mercer to guard Mjolnir. That night, Thor arrived with two women, and Mercer was stunned to find that Thor was a woman.

• Mercer praised Loki’s range of lightning attacks as they fought, while Coulson ordered his people to retreat after the battle’s shock waves injured them.
• Mercer summoned a Thunder Beast, but Loki called Heimdall and escaped through the Bifrost before Mercer could continue the fight.
• Mercer told Coulson that Loki was Odin’s second son and that Thor was Mjolnir’s true owner, then asked SHIELD to leave the site while he guarded it alone.
• Mercer set up a lightning perimeter around his tent and sensed a car approaching, assuming its occupants were tourists looking for the hammer.
• Thor arrived with two women and exclaimed at the sight of Mjolnir, and Mercer opened his eyes to discover that Thor was a woman.

Mercer met Thor, Jane, and Daisy at the site of Mjolnir and learned that Thor had lost her divine power because she could not lift it. The group was interrupted by the arrival of two Destroyers, leaving Thor facing a new threat.

• Mercer was shocked to discover that Thor was a woman, then told her Loki had visited and left.
• Thor tried and failed to lift Mjolnir, and Daisy also found that the hammer could not be moved.
• Thor explained that Odin's seal stopped any living being from lifting Mjolnir, even indirectly, and admitted that Loki had attacked her before.
• Mercer asked what Thor planned to do, and Thor described Loki's dangerous tricks and her vulnerability as a mortal.
• Mercer noticed something in the sky, and two beams of light brought two Destroyers down before the group.

Loki arrived with two Destroyers and more than a hundred Royal Guard Warriors, revealing that he had come to take revenge on Mercer rather than attack Thor. Mercer faced Loki’s force by forming Lightning Armor from his lightning, leaving Thor stunned.

• Thor explained that the Destroyers were indestructible Asgardian weapons that could fire high-heat beams, while Mercer suspected they had been sent for him.
• Loki arrived with the Royal Guard Warriors and was surprised to find Thor there; Thor mistakenly believed Loki’s army had come to kill him.
• Loki declared that Mercer had insulted Asgard and said he had brought the army to confront him.
• Mercer mocked Loki for losing their earlier fight and quietly asked Thor about the Royal Guard Warriors, who had learned magic under Loki.
• Mercer told Thor to leave, then formed Lightning Armor from his lightning and noted its resistance to magic.

Mercer defeated Loki’s first assault with high-voltage lightning, absorbed five unconscious Asgardian Warriors, and gained a one-use Kotoamatsukami card. When Loki surrounded him with the Hexagonal Force Matrix, Mercer used the same formation, shocking Loki.

• Mercer countered the Destroyers’ beams with lightning and knocked out the front-line Asgardian Warriors.
• Mercer absorbed five unconscious warriors with the black substance and gained the Battle-Damaged Card: Kotoamatsukami.
• Mercer learned the card required chakra and decided he needed to travel to the Naruto world sooner to find a way to cultivate it.
• Loki ordered his warriors to form the Hexagonal Force Matrix, surrounding Mercer and enhancing their strength with magic.
• Mercer surrounded himself with the Hexagonal Force Matrix, leaving Loki stunned that he had copied the formation.

Mercer fought Loki’s Asgardian Warriors inside the Hexagonal Force Matrix, using the battle to wear them down while Thor recognized he was holding back. Loki sent the Destroyers after him, but Mercer swiftly decapitated one and cut the other in half.

• Loki realized Mercer had learned the matrix’s incantations by absorbing the warriors’ memories, and Mercer confirmed that ability.
• Mercer attacked the Asgardian Warriors with lightning-coated claws, shifting between corners to tire them out.
• Thor explained to Daisy and Jane that Mercer was wearing the warriors down rather than fighting seriously.
• Loki ordered the warriors to empower the Destroyers, then had them form a circle around Mercer.
• Mercer caught a Destroyer’s hand with blacklight matter and decapitated it with a lightning axe.
• Mercer cut the second Destroyer in half with the Dark Saber.

Mercer defeated Loki’s forces and used Kotoamatsukami on Thor after realizing his intervention had prevented Thor from regaining his divinity. Thor summoned Mjolnir and reclaimed his thunder god powers, leaving Mercer stunned by the technique’s effect.

• Mercer destroyed the shattered Destroyers, and Loki withdrew with the Asgardians through the Bifrost.
• Mercer realized Thor might not regain his divinity because the events that would have led to it had changed.
• Mercer used the Kotoamatsukami Battle-Damaged Card on Thor, briefly revealing his Mangekyo Sharingan and leaving him dizzy.
• Thor emerged from his daze, summoned Mjolnir, and regained his thunder god powers as lightning struck around him.
• Mercer watched Thor in armor and concluded that Kotoamatsukami had extraordinary power in the Marvel Universe.

Mercer restored Thor’s ability to lift Mjolnir by using Kotoamatsukami to alter her beliefs, and Thor returned to Asgard to confront Loki. The Ancient One invited Mercer for tea, recognized that he knew too much about this world, and asked which universe he came from.

• Mercer’s illusion made Thor believe she alone could lift Mjolnir, allowing her to regain the hammer and her divine power.
• Thor thanked Mercer, summoned Heimdall, and left for Asgard to deal with Loki.
• The Ancient One arrived after Loki’s army was driven off and invited Mercer to her home for tea.
• Over tea, the Ancient One pointed out Mercer’s unusual powers and knowledge of the world.
• The Ancient One asked Mercer which universe he came from.

The Ancient One explained that Mercer’s arrival had blurred the future she could see and asked him to help prevent Strange from becoming a danger if he could not recover from his accident. She revealed that she had survived for centuries by drawing on Dormammu’s power and hoped Strange could succeed her so she could stop.

• The Ancient One told Mercer that his arrival had obscured her visions of the future, and Mercer admitted he was an outsider who had come to this world alone.
• The Ancient One asked Mercer to help Strange if his accident kept him from becoming her successor, even suggesting Mercer kill him if he went astray.
• Mercer questioned why the Ancient One needed a successor, and she revealed that she had relied on Dormammu’s power to survive for centuries.
• The Ancient One said Strange’s arrival as her successor would let her stop absorbing Dormammu’s energy and retire early.

Mercer agreed to help the Ancient One stop Strange if he lost control, in exchange for access to the Sanctum Sanctorum’s magical books. The Ancient One began teaching him to use magic through a training artifact, and Mercer urged Mordo to give him the hardest practice possible.

• The Hero Card System issued Mercer a quest to learn a spell at the Sanctum Sanctorum, and he agreed to help the Ancient One if she let him browse its magical books.
• The Ancient One accepted Mercer’s condition, and they agreed that he would help counter Strange if Strange lost control.
• The Ancient One showed Mercer sorcerers sparring with enchanted weapons and explained that an artifact’s power depended on its wielder’s magic.
• The Ancient One handed Mercer the Living Tribunal Staff and asked Mordo to help him channel his magic through combat.
• Mercer interrupted Mordo’s instructions and told him to crank the training up to the maximum.

Mercer demonstrated extraordinary speed and quickly opened a Sling Ring Portal, though he struggled to use the Living Tribunal Staff. After a fiery object landed in the mountains, Mercer and the Ancient One found a gigantic slime, whose voice accused them of trying to steal its food.

• Mercer challenged Mordo, deflected his attacks with ease, and left Mordo so demoralized that he surrendered.
• The Ancient One gave Mercer a Sling Ring, and he opened a portal within minutes of receiving it.
• Mercer received an Item Card from the system and reflected that he still did not know how to use the magic he had absorbed from the Asgardian Warriors.
• Mercer noticed a streak of fire fall into the mountains, and he and the Ancient One traveled there through a Sling Ring Portal.
• Mercer and the Ancient One discovered an enormous dark green slime, which asked whether they had come to steal its food.

Mercer and The Ancient One met a purple-clad girl who had chased a Slime to Earth and devoured it. Mercer recognized her as Galactus’s daughter and offered her lightning orbs in hopes of persuading her to stay with him.

• Mercer and The Ancient One prepared to face the purple-clad girl, who explained that she had diverted the Slime away from a populated city.
• The girl ate the enormous mass of Slime, then complained that it had not been enough to satisfy her hunger.
• Mercer asked whether her father was Galactus, and the girl confirmed the connection when she asked how he knew.
• The girl said she would not harm Earth’s inhabitants as her father did, and Mercer offered her tasty lightning in exchange for staying with him.
• The girl inspected Mercer’s lightning orbs by catching and eating them.

Mercer persuaded Galacta to join him by offering her powerful energy to eat, then returned with her and the Ancient One to the Sanctum Sanctorum. There, he began studying magic for ways to summon beings he could devour, while a slime quietly re-formed and fled.

• Mercer explained that his Lightning Orb could destroy a medium-sized city, but Galacta could safely absorb its energy.
• Galacta agreed to go with Mercer if he kept feeding her, and they introduced themselves before returning to the Sanctum Sanctorum with the Ancient One.
• After Mercer and the others left, tiny green particles gathered where the slime had been and re-formed into a dark green slime that wriggled away.
• At the Sanctum Sanctorum, the Ancient One explained how sorcerers gained magical power, including absorbing energy from other dimensions.
• Mercer studied magic for summoning techniques while making Lightning Orbs for Galacta to eat.

Mercer used an Item Card to gain a one-tomoe Sharingan and learned it could not yet fuse with his Kotoamatsukami Battle-Damaged Card. He tested the Sharingan’s illusions on Galacta through the night, leaving him exhausted while she remained eager for more.

• Mercer tried to fuse his one-tomoe Sharingan Item Card with his Kotoamatsukami Battle-Damaged Card, but the system said the Sharingan was not advanced enough.
• Mercer used the Item Card and gained a one-tomoe Sharingan, though he doubted its usefulness in the Marvel Universe.
• Galacta secretly watched Mercer activate the Sharingan, and he caught her outside his window.
• Mercer brought Galacta into his room and spent the night testing the Sharingan’s illusions on her.
• Galacta said the illusions were entertaining but could not seriously affect her godlike mental strength, while Mercer ended the night with exhausted eyes.

The Ancient One told Mercer and Galacta that Hydra was trying to summon a Sub-Dimensional Being and gave Mercer the Book of the Vishanti to help him prepare. Mercer immediately learned a spell from it, shocking the Ancient One.

• Mercer and Galacta joined the Ancient One for breakfast, and Galacta quickly ate her meal before finishing Mercer’s food.
• The Ancient One explained that Hydra had learned Ancient Evil Magic and was attempting to summon a Sub-Dimensional Being, while she could not leave the Sanctum Sanctorum unguarded.
• Mercer asked how they could deal with the being, and Galacta confidently offered to help.
• The Ancient One gave Mercer the Book of the Vishanti and suggested he try learning its first few spells.
• Mercer used Vishanti’s Law, Punishment, and its magical pressure forced the Ancient One back in shock.

Mercer learned the spells in the Book of the Vishanti through his Sharingan, which evolved into its three-tomoe form. He then tested his new magic against Galacta, who emerged unharmed and eager for more.

• Mercer used his Sharingan to learn and cast the Book of the Vishanti's spells, surprising the Ancient One with his speed and skill.
• After absorbing the book's magic, Mercer's Sharingan evolved from one tomoe to three, and he said he could now face the Sub-Dimensional Being.
• Mercer invited Galacta to practice with him in the training grounds, and she revealed that she could quickly learn fighting techniques.
• Mercer used Vishanti's Law, Four-Sided Suppression to trap Galacta between four massive dark-gold blocks, alarming Mordo and the spectators.
• Galacta broke free unharmed and laughed, saying the spell had been fun.

After testing his magic against Galacta, Mercer answered Carter’s call for help and joined S.H.I.E.L.D.’s effort against Hydra. Natasha revealed that a mole had stolen the Tesseract, which Mercer recognized immediately.

• Mercer sparred with Galacta, tested around twenty spells, and concluded he could stand equal to The Ancient One.
• Carter called Mercer to ask for help with Hydra, and he agreed to go to the S.H.I.E.L.D. building with Galacta.
• Mercer and Galacta entered the S.H.I.E.L.D. operations room through a portal, and Mercer briefly took Galacta away to change her clothes.
• Natasha explained that a mole among the trusted forces fighting Hydra had stolen something important.
• Mercer identified the stolen object as the Tesseract.

Mercer questioned S.H.I.E.L.D.'s handling of the stolen Tesseract and met Tony Stark and Dr. Banner, who had tracked the theft to New York. Banner asked whether Mercer could help him control or eliminate the Hulk, while Mercer considered the benefits of absorbing Hulk blood but decided against harming him.

• Mercer asked Natasha how S.H.I.E.L.D. planned to locate the Tesseract, and she said two technical experts were searching for its Gamma Energy.
• Mercer challenged Nick Fury over S.H.I.E.L.D. using the Tesseract to develop weapons, prompting Carter to demand an explanation.
• Mercer ended the argument and asked to meet the experts as Tony Stark and Dr. Banner arrived with news that the thieves were still in New York.
• Stark recognized Mercer from online videos, and Banner asked how Mercer had defeated the Abomination and whether he could help Banner control the Hulk.
• Mercer considered absorbing Hulk blood but decided to keep the Hulk alive so the Avengers could form.

Mercer agreed to study Banner’s blood to help him control the Hulk, while Stark revealed that Hydra planned to act at Queens First High School during a science fair. Mercer volunteered to infiltrate the school using his Blacklight Virus disguise ability, then had Galacta seize a suspicious staff member and told the group to check his teeth.

• Banner trusted Mercer and gave him a vial of his blood for research into controlling the Hulk.
• Stark showed the team that a second Gamma Ray signal was coming from Queens First High School, where Hydra could exploit the science fair to bring in equipment.
• Mercer thought of Spider-Man and offered to infiltrate the school, despite warnings that Hydra would recognize him.
• Mercer transformed his face into several ordinary-looking identities, astonishing the team with his disguise ability.
• A staff member dropped an object while watching Mercer, and Mercer ordered Galacta to pin him down.
• Mercer told Nick Fury and the others to check the captive staff member’s teeth.

Mercer exposed S.H.I.E.L.D. operative Vermier as a Hydra agent, who revealed that Hydra was summoning Loki. After S.H.I.E.L.D. finalized a plan to send Mercer and Galacta to infiltrate the campus, Galacta demonstrated technology that could disguise her appearance and transform her into alien forms.

• Mercer warned S.H.I.E.L.D. that the captive operative had a poison fang, and Nick Fury confirmed Vermier was a Hydra agent.
• Vermier declared that Hydra was summoning Loki, but Mercer and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were not alarmed because they already knew about him.
• Nick Fury ordered Vermier locked up, and the group planned for Mercer to infiltrate the campus and locate Hydra's target site.
• Galacta disguised her face with a device and demonstrated its ability to transform her appearance into many alien forms.
• Galacta grabbed Mercer by the collar after he joked about her age, while Stark watched and wanted to study her technology.