Chapter Summaries

General Ross began turning his soldiers into super soldiers using cards from Apocalypse, but the first transformation revealed that Pure Titans were powerful and dim-witted. As the new titan rampaged through the warehouse, Ross realized why Apocalypse had given him so many cards.

• General Ross assembled a hundred vetted soldiers and researchers in a warehouse, promising the soldiers a chance to gain superhuman power through the cards.
• General Ross drew a Pure Titan card and explained its promise of an undying body, while privately doubting that Li Ge had given him the power without a catch.
• A soldier volunteered to go first, cut his finger, and activated the card with his blood.
• Golden lightning transformed the soldier into a Pure Titan over three meters tall.
• The Pure Titan spoke sluggishly, hopped around, smashed instruments, and chased researchers, leaving General Ross furious at Apocalypse.

Li Ge assigned Apocalypse to administer the Samsara Realm, where Apocalypse redesigned the user panel and added a shop and points system. Li Ge restricted the shop to ordinary goods, then met Nick Fury and confirmed he was considering revealing the Nine Heavens before saying he had come to collect a debt.

• Li Ge told Tony to send Logan and the others home on their own, then left Tony in the laboratory.
• Li Ge brought Apocalypse into the Samsara Realm and tasked him with designing its instances.
• Apocalypse explored the realm, revised its panel to include points, a shop, and contacts, and applied the new rules to the Samsara Bracelets.
• Li Ge restricted the shop to ordinary goods and decided Apocalypse might need to be erased after finishing the task.
• Li Ge met Nick Fury, confirmed he was considering revealing the Nine Heavens, and said he had come to collect a debt.

Li Ge collected the Shadow Ring from Nick Fury and demanded the Tesseract and his promised choice of 084 items. After revealing that the ring could turn Hydra agents into Shadow Ninjas, Li Ge made Nick Fury and Coulson ride in carried lounge chairs and cloaked the group in invisibility and intangibility as they set off to the Tesseract research site.

• Li Ge reclaimed the Shadow Ring from Nick Fury and demanded the Tesseract and his promised 084 items.
• Nick Fury explained that the Tesseract was being researched separately by Erik Selvig and offered to take Li Ge there.
• Li Ge summoned a Shadow Ninja from his shadow, and Coulson drew his gun before Nick Fury explained what it was.
• Li Ge created more Shadow Ninjas, had them carry lounge chairs for himself, Nick Fury, and Coulson, and concealed the procession with invisibility and intangibility.

Li Ge waited at S.H.I.E.L.D. for Loki, planning to use the coming alien invasion to reveal the Nine Heavens. Meanwhile, Loki accepted Thanos's offer of an army and a scepter in exchange for bringing him the Tesseract, as Li Ge and Nick Fury continued toward it unseen.

• Li Ge explained that he was waiting for Loki and intended to let the invasion drive people toward the Nine Heavens without intervening.
• Loki met Thanos aboard the flagship, where Thanos offered him an army and power to conquer Midgard in return for the Tesseract.
• Loki accepted the deal and took the scepter Ebony Maw presented, while the Black Order reacted with concealed alarm.
• Nick Fury led Li Ge and Coulson through S.H.I.E.L.D. using the Shadow Ninjas' phasing ability, and Li Ge dismissed it as a minor use of spatial laws.

As Nick Fury led Li Ge and Coulson toward the remote site where the Tesseract was being studied, the Ancient One stopped time and confronted Li Ge about the powerful spacetime phenomenon within him. After Li Ge explained the Samsara Realm and showed it to her, she invited him to visit Kamar-Taj and departed.

• Nick Fury, Coulson, and Li Ge traveled toward the Tesseract research site on lounge chairs carried by Shadow Ninjas, and their journey grew awkward after they passed through a room where two security staff were undressing.
• Li Ge greeted the Ancient One, who had frozen everyone else in place and appeared before him.
• The Ancient One asked Li Ge about the immense cycling spacetime she had sensed within him, and Li Ge explained that it was the Samsara Realm and said he controlled it.
• The Ancient One praised Li Ge for creating the Samsara Realm by intercepting a discarded timeline and admitted that she had never thought to use the Time Stone that way.
• Li Ge showed the Samsara Realm to the Ancient One, who inspected its Solar System, Apocalypse, and scattered instances before asking Li Ge to visit Kamar-Taj and leaving.

Li Ge honored his promise to give Natasha a custom ability after she taught Sif how to attract Thor, then arrived with Nick Fury and Coulson at the secret base where the Tesseract was being studied. He gave Natasha a card granting her the ability to create and control threads.

• Coulson asked Li Ge about the ability he had promised Natasha, and Li Ge learned that Sif had already begun pursuing Thor, leaving him caught between Sif and Jane Foster.
• Li Ge asked Nick Fury to bring Natasha over so he could give her the promised ability directly.
• The group reached the underground base, where Dr. Selvig and his assistants were studying the Tesseract; Li Ge agreed to let their research continue and asked to stay at the base.
• Natasha arrived at the training ground, where Li Ge handed her a card labeled "Create and control threads."

Li Ge demonstrated his thread ability, and Natasha used a card to gain the same power before testing it on a metal target. As Natasha trained at the Tesseract research base, Barton decided to keep exploring the Nine Heavens for a chance to gain an ability, while Nick Fury stayed close to Li Ge to learn what he was planning.

• Li Ge showed Natasha, Coulson, Nick Fury, and Barton how his threads sliced an alloy target into pieces.
• Natasha drew blood onto her card and gained the thread ability, then cut halfway through another metal target with her first attempt.
• Nick Fury reassured the envious Barton that he still had a chance, and Barton resolved to explore the Nine Heavens.
• Li Ge learned that Coulson's Tyrant ability had reached its third form and said it would come in handy later.
• Li Ge moved into the Tesseract research base, where Natasha trained with Coulson and Nick Fury watched Li Ge study with Dr. Selvig.
• Barton stayed on a beam in the room where the Tesseract was being studied.

Li Ge enjoyed a quiet spell in the Second Heaven before falling asleep on his floating island. In a dreamlike space, Death and Galactus confronted him about taking the universe’s energy and influencing souls, and Li Ge calmly agreed to talk.

• Li Ge watched Grant at his villa, then rested on his floating island while thinking about the Mutants Nation, Loki, and Asgard.
• Li Ge grew drowsy as he ate a King Fruit and rocked in his reclining chair.
• Death and Galactus appeared beside Li Ge and discussed his potential and his connection to Franklin.
• Li Ge awoke as a mass of consciousness and recognized Death and Galactus, then prepared to defend himself.
• Galactus questioned Li Ge about taking the universe’s energy, while Death asked whether he had influenced many souls through his contracts.
• Li Ge realized why they had summoned him, conjured a reclining chair, and invited them to talk.

Li Ge learned that Death and Galactus had summoned him because his Nine Heavens could spread powers related to creation gods on a massive scale. They explained that those who mastered the abilities would benefit Li Ge and deepen the gods’ laws, so they wanted his Nine Heavens to grow stronger rather than take it.

• Death revealed her skull beneath her melting flesh, and Li Ge caught some of the law-rich liquid and sealed it in a card.
• Death and Galactus challenged Li Ge over taking the liquid, but Li Ge redirected the conversation by asking why they had summoned him.
• Galactus told Li Ge that he should have informed them after learning about them, and Death asked whether Nine Heavens contained abilities related to the gods.
• Li Ge confirmed that Nine Heavens included such abilities and explained that he had collected them for the Path to Godhood he created.
• Death and Galactus explained that Nine Heavens could spread their related powers widely, benefiting Li Ge and strengthening the laws of creation gods.

Li Ge realized the Nine Heavens also strengthened creator gods by spreading their rules, then negotiated compensation from Death and Galactus for the benefits they gained. Death accepted his request to use Scan and Record on her information, and Galactus agreed as well, warning Li Ge not to disappoint him.

• Li Ge understood that people who gained power from the Nine Heavens carried knowledge of rules back to the real world, strengthening creator gods such as Death and Galactus.
• Li Ge asked Death and Galactus to invest treasures or power in the Nine Heavens so its evolution would yield greater benefits.
• Li Ge proposed using Scan and Record on their information to help him create a realm of gods and demons.
• Galactus reacted angrily to Li Ge's demand, while Death considered it and accepted.
• Galactus agreed to let Li Ge use his information and warned him that it would not come easily.

Li Ge woke on the Second Heaven and celebrated Death and Galactus becoming investors, while Coulson and Natasha trained at the Tesseract base. As the Tesseract opened a portal, a horned man in green robes stepped through.

• Li Ge woke on the Second Heaven, celebrated the backing of Death and Galactus, and examined the marks they had left on his hand.
• Coulson and Natasha fought in the training ground, then discussed asking Li Ge to design special clothing for Coulson.
• Barton asked Nick Fury whether he should request a special ability from Li Ge, and Fury offered to bring Li Ge to him when he returned.
• The Tesseract activated by itself, and Dr. Selvig said a door had opened from the other side.
• A blue vortex appeared before the Tesseract, and a horned man in green robes carrying a golden scepter stepped through.

Loki stole Li Ge’s Tesseract and controlled Barton and Dr. Selvig, prompting Li Ge to refuse to help S.H.I.E.L.D. recover it. Nick Fury decided to form the Avengers, while Natasha recruited Bruce Banner and Fury approached Steve about an impending war.

• Loki attacked the facility, stole the Tesseract, and escaped with Barton and Dr. Selvig under his control.
• Li Ge refused Nick Fury’s request for help, insisting S.H.I.E.L.D. recover the Tesseract, then vanished while secretly tracking it.
• Nick Fury announced that it was time to form the Avengers, and Tony continued building a new suit he named General.
• Natasha visited Bruce Banner and told him that they needed him.
• Nick Fury waited for Steve and asked him to join because war was coming.

Li Ge freed Loki from the Mind Stone’s influence, returned the scepter and Tesseract, and asked him to carry out his original plan so Li Ge could watch a grand spectacle. As Li Ge observed events through a holographic New York, the Avengers assembled while Loki ordered Barton and Dr. Selvig to open a portal for his army.

• Li Ge appeared at Barton's safe house, took the scepter from Loki, and used the Mind Stone to free him from Thanos’s control.
• Li Ge handed Loki the scepter and Tesseract and asked him to continue his plan, promising to provide the power Loki was owed.
• Li Ge returned to his research base and used a holographic projection to watch Loki and the Avengers in New York.
• Tony arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D.’s assembly area, mocked its equipment, and ignored Nick Fury’s greeting.
• Natasha and Bruce arrived, and Nick Fury led them inside to join the others.
• Loki gave Barton and Dr. Selvig the iridium stabilizer and ordered them to open a portal for his army.

Li Ge watched the Avengers assemble while Loki prepared to open a portal at Stark Tower. Bruce located the Tesseract, and the team discovered it was at Tony’s home.

• Nick Fury proposed the Avengers Initiative, and the team agreed to work together to recover the Tesseract and rescue Barton and Dr. Selvig.
• Bruce requested access to S.H.I.E.L.D. signal receivers to trace the Tesseract, while Tony secretly accessed classified files and Steve waited with Natasha and Coulson.
• Loki and Dr. Selvig began building the portal device at Stark Tower, while Loki sent Barton out to delay S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Bruce tracked the Tesseract to a location on the map, and Tony realized it was his home.

Loki-controlled Barton attacked the Helicarrier, prompting Steve, Natasha, Coulson, and Tony to confront him. Tony arrived in his Golden Body Armor as Barton’s assault continued.

• Barton and several mind-controlled attackers breached the Helicarrier and began killing agents with gunfire and explosive arrows.
• Steve, Natasha, Coulson, and Tony headed toward the attack, while Bruce and Nick Fury remained behind.
• Tony donned his Golden Body Armor and flew toward Barton.
• Steve shielded an agent from an explosive arrow, while Coulson and Natasha advanced through the attackers’ fire.
• Tony flew past the others and charged directly at Barton.

Tony, Natasha, Steve, and Coulson tried to stop Barton from destroying a Helicarrier turbine, but his bomb damaged it before they could intervene. After Barton regained consciousness, Nick Fury encouraged him to explain their enemy’s identity, and Barton named Loki as Thor’s younger brother.

• Natasha trapped Barton’s armed companions in her threads while Tony and Coulson pursued Barton.
• Steve realized Barton was heading for a turbine thruster, and Tony used Telekinesis to stop him and his bomb.
• Barton detonated a concealed button, damaging the turbine and knocking himself unconscious as the Helicarrier shook.
• Nick Fury questioned the recovered Barton about their enemy, and Barton identified him as Loki, Thor’s younger brother.

After learning Loki planned to bring the Chitauri to Earth, Tony took Bruce, Coulson, Natasha, and others through a portal to Stark Tower. The alien portal opened before they could stop it, and Steve sent the team to protect civilians and respond.

• Barton told the Helicarrier crew that Loki had stolen the Tesseract and intended to open a portal for the Chitauri army.
• At Stark Tower, Dr. Selvig finished preparing the device, and Loki ordered him to install the Tesseract and begin opening the portal.
• Tony used his armor to take Bruce, Coulson, Natasha, and others from the Helicarrier to Stark Tower through a portal.
• Tony realized Loki had taken wine from his private bar and vowed to teach him a lesson.
• The portal opened above Stark Tower, and Steve ordered Tony to the rooftop while the others moved to protect and evacuate civilians.

Coulson and the others descended into the city to fight the Chitauri and protect civilians as the invasion plunged the streets into chaos. The group began carrying out Steve’s plan, while Coulson discovered that Bruce could transform into a second Hulk.

• Tony flew through the broken rooftop opening, while Coulson transformed and Natasha prepared threads to carry Steve and Barton down.
• Coulson leaped from Stark Tower, slowed his fall with his claws, and landed amid the destruction as Chitauri attacked the city.
• Natasha lowered Steve and Barton to the ground, and Hulk arrived alongside Bruce, who transformed into a second Hulk.
• Steve told the group to stick to the plan, and they set out to protect civilians and fight the invaders.
• Coulson shielded a mother, her child, and nearby students from a Chitauri attack, then hurled a chunk of concrete at the soldier.

Steve organized civilians and police to evacuate people, while Natasha, Bruce, and Hulk fought the Chitauri and their Leviathans across New York. The battle continued as Hulk tore into a Leviathan and Barton hunted enemies from the shadows.

• Steve led civilians to shelter in a library, then joined Barton in the ruins and took command of a group of police officers to evacuate people.
• Natasha blocked a broad street beneath the portal and used threads to entangle and kill Chitauri soldiers on their skiffs.
• Chitauri Leviathans emerged through the portal and spread destruction as soldiers attacked people across the city.
• Hulk smashed through an office building and attacked a Leviathan, while Bruce joined him and fought off the Chitauri soldiers.
• After Bruce promised Hulk the next Leviathan, Hulk tore open the current Leviathan's belly and charged inside.
• Steve sent Barton elsewhere, and Barton hid along the streets to shoot Chitauri with his bow.

Tony confronted Loki on the roof of Stark Tower and learned that Li Ge had arranged the invasion and wanted the Tesseract and Loki’s mind-controlling scepter. As Tony asked when the portal would close, Nick Fury warned him that a nuclear missile was heading his way.

• Tony arrived at Stark Tower’s roof and found Loki dining leisurely with Dr. Selvig as the Chitauri invaded the city.
• Loki told Tony that Li Ge had arranged the invasion and would not refuse to compensate him for the damage.
• Tony questioned Loki about Li Ge’s purpose, and Loki suggested that Li Ge might use the Tesseract and the scepter to control Midgard.
• Tony saw through Loki’s attempt to mislead him and demanded to know when the portal would close.
• Nick Fury contacted Tony and warned him that a nuclear missile was heading toward the tower.