Recaps

Luca climbed to the edge of space, absorbing energy as Tony’s iced-over armor lost power and sent him into a deadly fall. Luca rescued Tony by stopping his descent and clearing the ice, leaving the brothers hovering safely over downtown Los Angeles.

• Luca flew higher than any human record and absorbed sunlight at nearly ten times his usual speed.
• Tony’s armor iced over at roughly fifty thousand feet, shutting down JARVIS and sending him into free fall.
• Luca caught up with Tony and mocked him, but Tony refused to ask for help.
• Luca used his force field to stop Tony’s fall and lasers to melt the ice from his armor.
• JARVIS rebooted the armor, and Tony stabilized above downtown Los Angeles, shaken by how close he had come to dying.

After Tony’s test-flight armor nearly failed in the cold, Luca warned him about relying too much on technology, and the brothers reconciled through laughter. They then prepared to unleash their villain-themed armor over Los Angeles, which Tony renamed Lucifer.

• Tony ordered JARVIS to record the armor’s cold-weather flaw and add anti-icing measures.
• Luca reminded Tony that the test flight could have killed him, and Tony silently accepted that Luca had saved his life.
• Luca joked about his sexual exploits, and Tony answered with his own boast, leaving the brothers laughing together.
• Luca told Tony to send out the Demon Armor over downtown Los Angeles to give the citizens an exciting show.
• Tony criticized the armor’s name and suggested Lucifer, and Luca agreed to use it as the target’s name.

Luca overheard Nick Fury and Coulson observing the Stark brothers, then discovered Hydra was preparing to assassinate Fury. He redirected Lucifer toward the ambush, planning to let the conflict unfold and turn it into a more dramatic chance to play hero.

• Tony ordered JARVIS to send Lucifer downtown to cause destruction, but Luca overheard Coulson and Nick Fury discussing their surveillance of the Stark brothers.
• Luca spotted Fury and Coulson in a parked SUV and recognized Fury as the S.H.I.E.L.D. director.
• Luca overheard Hydra operatives preparing an ambush against Fury in retaliation for the explosion at their base.
• Luca told Tony to change Lucifer's flight path and wait above the street where Fury's convoy was headed.
• Tony agreed, and he and Luca flew toward the ambush as Lucifer's coordinates were updated.

At Britney Spears’s concert in Los Angeles, Peter Parker witnessed the Demon Armor attack the city and debated whether to use his powers to help. The armor continued wrecking selected buildings as news outlets worldwide broadcast the destruction, leaving the city in panic.

• Peter Parker attended Britney Spears’s concert as a Daily Bugle photographer and considered using his spider abilities after a reporter joked about a villain appearing.
• The Demon Armor crashed into Los Angeles City Hall and blasted the building with lasers, frightening the concert crowd and sending people fleeing.
• Peter hesitated to reveal his identity, then photographed the attacker alongside the other reporters.
• Controlled remotely by JARVIS, the Demon Armor destroyed buildings belonging to businesses accused of exploiting people or selling counterfeit drugs while moving toward Luca’s designated street.
• Reporters at the concert broadcast the destruction worldwide, and CNN and BBC anchors delivered breaking coverage as Los Angeles police lost control of the situation.

The Demon Armor shrugged off the military’s attacks, destroyed two helicopters, and continued its rampage in Los Angeles. After seeing the emergency broadcast, Gwen Stacy transformed into Ghost-Spider and headed for the city center to confront it.

• National Guard helicopters fired machine guns and Hellfire missiles at the Demon Armor, but it dodged the missiles and remained unharmed.
• The Demon Armor cut through two helicopters with lasers, leaving the military unable to stop its attack.
• Gwen Stacy watched the live broadcast while leaving her university in Los Angeles and decided to help.
• Gwen Stacy sent her classmate Maggie away, changed into her Ghost-Spider suit, and swung toward downtown.
• Ghost-Spider landed atop an advertising screen, promised to protect Los Angeles, and leaped toward the city center.

Nick Fury and Coulson were trapped under attack in Los Angeles as the Demon Armor approached their location, prompting Fury to summon the secret Howling Commandos. Meanwhile, Luca and Tony watched the armor’s rampage, and Tony boasted about his creation while Luca warned that the military could destroy it in the desert.

• Nick Fury and Coulson took cover behind their bullet-riddled SUV as a trained group of attackers and a sniper pinned them down.
• Coulson learned that the Demon Armor was approaching their neighborhood and speculated that Hydra had sent it to kill Fury.
• After learning the Defenders were unavailable, Coulson told Fury that the Howling Commandos were nearby, and Fury ordered them to rescue them and destroy the approaching monster.
• JARVIS directed the Demon Armor through Los Angeles as it smashed roadblocks, vehicles, and other obstacles while civilians fled.
• Luca and Tony watched from above, and Luca challenged Tony’s claim that the armor was invincible against military firepower.

Luca discovered that Hydra assassins were attacking S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury and Coulson, then persuaded Tony that S.H.I.E.L.D. deserved punishment for failing to protect them. As the Demon Armor arrived over the street, Luca ordered JARVIS to fire on everyone below.

• Luca spotted Nick Fury and Coulson pinned behind a bullet-riddled Chevrolet and told Tony to have JARVIS locate the firefight.
• Luca explained that Hydra had sent killers to assassinate Nick Fury and Coulson in retaliation for John blowing up a Hydra base.
• Luca argued that S.H.I.E.L.D. had failed to protect him and Tony, so attacking its agents was justified; Tony accepted his reasoning.
• JARVIS reported that the Demon Armor had arrived and locked onto armed Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel.
• Luca ordered JARVIS to open fire and blow everyone sky-high.

Hydra's assassination squad and Nick Fury and Coulson took cover as the Demon Armor rampaged through the street. The Demon Armor then aimed its weapons at both groups, forcing Nick Fury to order Coulson into the car.

• James's squad blamed S.H.I.E.L.D. for the Demon Armor and prepared to shoot Nick Fury if an opportunity arose.
• Nick Fury and Coulson spotted reporters, soldiers, and civilians gathering near their position.
• Coulson noticed the Demon Armor raising its arm and deploying missiles aimed at the street.
• Nick Fury shouted for Coulson to get into the car as the weapons targeted them and Hydra's squad.

JARVIS staged a destructive attack as the Demon Armor to draw worldwide attention and set up Luca and Tony as heroes. After surviving the explosions, Nick Fury and Coulson were mistaken for terrorists by a racist military officer, who ordered their arrest.

• JARVIS attacked the street with the Demon Armor's weapons, then landed and roared while planning to let Luca and Tony defeat him in a dramatic fight.
• Nick Fury and Coulson escaped their overturned, damaged Chevrolet with only minor injuries after the blast destroyed the Hydra assassins.
• The Los Angeles military opened fire on the Demon Armor, and a middle-aged officer approached Nick Fury and Coulson.
• Nick Fury identified himself and Coulson as FBI agents and ordered the officer to focus fire on the monster and help them retreat.
• The officer dismissed their claims, aimed his gun at Nick Fury, and ordered soldiers to arrest both men as terrorists.

Luca and Tony arrived as the Demon Armor attacked Los Angeles, fought it back, and were celebrated as heroes. Luca then praised the officer and soldiers as the real heroes, moving viewers around the world.

• The Demon Armor stomped the ground, sending soldiers and an officer flying as reporters broadcast the chaos.
• Luca and Tony descended from the sky and blasted the Demon Armor into an abandoned building, burying it beneath the rubble.
• Luca and Tony introduced themselves as the Stark brothers and reassured the crowd that Los Angeles was safe.
• A reporter identified the two men, and citizens, soldiers, and reporters rushed to celebrate them.
• Luca thanked the officer and praised him and the soldiers for protecting the citizens, and viewers worldwide were moved by his words.

Luca and Tony celebrated saving Los Angeles as the crowd hailed them as Superman and Iron Man, but the Demon Armor rose again and a group of monsters arrived. Nick Fury claimed the monsters were his team, and Luca accused him of hiring them to kill humans and ordered the officer to arrest him.

• Luca identified himself to the press as Luca Stark, and the crowd named him Superman while Peter Parker watched and sensed unusual people approaching.
• Tony answered questions about Obadiah Stane and Stark Industries, then declared, "I am Iron Man!"
• The Demon Armor stood up again, and a group of monsters appeared, frightening the crowd as Luca and Tony prepared to defend them.
• Luca ordered the white officer to organize a defensive line, but Nick Fury arrived with Coulson and told the officer to evacuate the crowd, claiming the monsters were his team.
• Luca and Tony mocked Nick Fury, and Luca accused him of hiring monsters to kill humans before ordering the officer to arrest him as a terrorist.

Luca and Tony dealt with Nick Fury before preparing to fight the approaching monsters, joined by Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker. The four formed a team they called the Justice League as the Demon Armor and monsters closed in.

• Luca accused Nick Fury of summoning the monsters, and a military officer ordered Nick Fury and Coulson arrested as anti-human terrorists.
• Nick Fury threatened Luca and Tony as soldiers dragged him and Coulson away.
• Gwen Stacy swung down to join Luca and Tony, followed by Peter Parker, who crashed to the ground in a crude hood.
• Gwen and Peter recognized that they shared spider-like powers, while Tony mocked their outfits and Gwen defended their right to help protect the city.
• Tony named their group the Justice League, and Luca rallied the four as the Demon Armor and approaching monsters prepared to attack.

After Luca Stark ordered Nick Fury and Agent Coulson arrested, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Howling Commandos mistook Luca and his allies for enemies and attacked. Luca and Tony fought the monsters, and the battle continued with Tony targeting the Cthulhu monster.

• The Howling Commandos were confused when American soldiers arrested Nick Fury and Agent Coulson on Luca Stark's orders.
• JARVIS convinced the monsters that Luca and the others were responsible for the arrests, and Luca charged into battle.
• Luca knocked Frankenstein's monster unconscious with one punch and burned two attacking werewolves with energy beams from his eyes.
• Tony attacked the mummy with his palm cannons and fired missiles at the chimpanzee, which knocked them aside with a streetlight.
• Tony dodged the Cthulhu monster's tentacle and ordered JARVIS to lock onto it.

Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy joined the battle against the Howling Commandos, while Luca rescued Peter and hurled the Cthulhu monster into Tony’s Demon Armor. The heroes overwhelmed the monsters, leaving Gwen impressed by Luca and surprised by the Stark brothers’ bickering.

• Gwen Stacy webbed Hit-Monkey into a bundle after knocking him into the ground.
• The vampire woman hypnotized Peter, but Luca hit her with a beam of energy and freed him.
• Luca grabbed a Cthulhu monster’s tentacle and flung the monster into Tony’s Demon Armor, crushing nearby buildings.
• Tony and Gwen fought the remaining monsters as the other Howling Commandos were defeated or incapacitated.
• Tony claimed his tactical command had won the fight, and Luca mocked his performance before they bickered.
• Gwen Stacy watched the Stark brothers argue and admired Luca’s strength and appearance.

Luca and the heroes celebrated defeating the monsters in Los Angeles, but Teen Abomination emerged from the ruins and attacked. Luca overwhelmed the creature while Gwen and Peter watched, and Tony decided he needed to start developing anti-Luca armor.

• The military, police, citizens, and reporters arrived and praised Luca, Tony, Gwen, and Peter as heroes, while Luca welcomed the acclaim and Tony approved of calling them the Justice League.
• Teen Abomination emerged from the ruins, startling the crowd and prompting Tony to tease Luca for apparently missing the monster.
• Teen Abomination charged Luca, but Luca blocked its punch, dodged its bone-spur attack, and battered it with a rapid barrage of blows.
• Gwen wondered whether Luca was really human, while Peter felt humbled by Luca's strength and renewed his resolve to protect the world.
• Tony decided to upgrade his armor and put an anti-Luca suit on the agenda.

Luca discovered that he could absorb energy from the battle, then defeated Teen Abomination and became the center of public adoration. Tony announced the Justice League, while Nick Fury and Coulson remained prisoners and Fury vowed revenge on the Stark brothers.

• Luca realized that kinetic and thermal energy from the fight made him stronger, then knocked Teen Abomination into the air and blasted him into a crater.
• The crowd and reporters celebrated Luca, who flirted with a blonde reporter before declaring that he would stand against evil.
• Tony announced the formation of the Justice League with Luca and two mysterious friends.
• Nick Fury learned that the Howling Commandos had been wiped out and Teen Abomination had been captured, then raged over his arrest and ordered Coulson to contact Pierce for help.

After the battle in Los Angeles, Luca and Tony secured the Demon Armor from the military and said goodbye to Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. Luca and Tony departed with the armor, inviting the two young heroes to visit them in Malibu.

• The military and police secured the battlefield and began taking the defeated monsters into custody.
• Luca persuaded a white officer to let him and Tony take the Demon Armor for examination at their lab.
• Luca and Tony spoke with Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy as the two prepared to leave for New York.
• Tony advised Peter to stick to his principles and not let others exploit his powers.
• Luca flirted with Gwen and gave both young heroes his private number, inviting them to visit the Malibu villa.
• Luca carried the Demon Armor into the sky and left with Tony, waving goodbye to the spiders.

After their first battle, Gwen and Peter parted ways, while Luca and Tony returned to Malibu and discussed the dangers of a world full of hidden superpowered people. JARVIS revealed that Luca could absorb energy from attacks and grow stronger, and Luca ended the night by arranging a private pool party.

• Peter decided to return to Malibu and seek out Luca and Tony, while he and Gwen said goodbye and swung off in opposite directions.
• Luca and Tony returned to their villa, celebrated their victory, and traded teasing insults about their performances in the battle.
• Luca warned Tony that the monsters and mysterious newcomers showed that the world held many hidden threats, and Tony decided to develop more powerful armor.
• JARVIS reported that Luca's cells absorbed kinetic and thermal energy from attacks and converted it into bioelectric energy, increasing his strength during battle.
• Luca asked JARVIS to invite Scarlett and Jessica to a private pool party, while Tony headed back to the lab.

Alexander Pierce read Hydra’s report on Luca and Tony Stark’s public emergence as superheroes and the formation of the Justice League. He recalled how Hydra had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. after Howard Stark’s death, but the Stark brothers’ actions now worried him.

• Alexander Pierce reviewed Hydra’s report on Luca and Tony Stark’s recent activities, including their decision to stop making weapons and their public superhero identities.
• Pierce read that Luca and Tony had defeated S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Howling Commandos, arrested Nick Fury, and announced the Justice League with two unidentified allies.
• Pierce studied images of Luca’s powers, which Hydra analysts could not measure, and grew concerned about another Stark.
• Pierce recalled how Howard Stark had uncovered Hydra’s agents in S.H.I.E.L.D. and how the Winter Soldier had killed Howard and Maria.
• Pierce mocked Nick Fury for allowing Hydra to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. before turning his thoughts to Luca and Tony.

Pierce reported the Stark brothers’ sudden transformation and actions to Hydra’s leader, Dr. Zola, and urged Hydra to eliminate them. Dr. Zola refused to approve a premature assault while Hydra’s God-Seeking Project remained unfinished.

• Pierce suspected that Luca and Tony had carried out the human-bomb attack on Hydra’s Los Angeles base and framed S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Pierce decided that Hydra needed to strike first but contacted Dr. Zola before acting because Zola led the organization.
• Pierce told Dr. Zola about the brothers’ escape from Afghanistan, Iron Man armor, superpowers, fight with the Howling Commandos, and founding of the Justice League.
• Pierce urged Dr. Zola to eliminate Luca and Tony before they grew more powerful.
• Dr. Zola warned that Hydra lacked the resources for a large-scale assault and would not risk derailing the unfinished God-Seeking Project.

Dr. Zola and Pierce planned to infiltrate Luca Stark's inner circle and use Hammer Industries against the Stark brothers. Pierce began putting their plans into motion and ended the chapter confident that the Starks would cooperate.

• Dr. Zola identified Luca Stark as the main threat and proposed sending a beautiful Hydra agent to discover his abilities and weaknesses.
• Dr. Zola persuaded Pierce to use Justin Hammer against the Stark brothers, arguing that Norman Osborn had to be saved for the God-Seeking Project.
• Pierce and Dr. Zola chose Jessica Drew, codenamed Spider-Woman, to infiltrate Luca Stark's inner circle and ordered her return from Europe.
• Pierce instructed the Special Operations Division to contact Justin Hammer through an anonymous military sponsor and prepare a false identity for Jessica.
• Pierce ended the call and watched Washington's nightscape, hoping the Starks would not do anything earth-shattering.

Aruru watched news footage of Luca Stark and realized the weakened body he used to hide from the bald woman could not yet challenge him. After deciding to manipulate Justin Hammer and travel to New York, Aruru killed a robber who interrupted him and flew off toward the city.

• Aruru watched reports of Luca Stark's battle and recognized that Luca's energy could defeat him in his current weakened form.
• Aruru recalled that he had placed his consciousness in a symbiotic life-form to avoid detection by the bald woman, and decided to grow stronger before confronting Luca.
• After hearing that Stark Industries had stopped accepting military weapons orders, Aruru planned to use Justin Hammer against the Stark Family.
• A robber confronted Aruru on a rooftop, and Aruru transformed, seized him, and drained his life force until his body crumbled.
• Aruru dismissed the robber as too weak, spread his wings, and flew toward New York to find Justin Hammer.

After the Justice League defeated monsters in Los Angeles, news coverage and public reaction made Luca Stark, Tony Stark, and their teammates global sensations. The chapter ended with Luca rising from a notorious playboy to the world’s hottest public figure as governments and commentators considered the implications of the superheroes.

• Los Angeles residents celebrated the Justice League after reports spread that superheroes had fought monsters in their city.
• New Yorkers watched footage of Luca Stark, Tony Stark, Peter, and Gwen Stacy, while the Daily Bugle labeled Peter Spider-Man and Gwen Spider-Woman.
• CNN and MSNBC praised the Starks’ role in the battle and discussed Luca’s power and the advanced Iron Man Armor.
• Fox News questioned the origins of the monsters and accused S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury of unleashing them.
• The BBC reported on the growing number of superhumans, while social media worldwide spread memes and fan creations about Luca, Tony, and the Justice League.

After Luca and Tony became celebrated superheroes, Stark Industries' stock surged and the brothers drew worldwide attention. Luca woke at the Stark villa, learned that General Ross wanted to discuss the Superhero Regulation Act, and deferred the requests while planning to consult Tony about interviews.

• Stark Industries' stock rose thirty-five percent after the battle, and its board celebrated the brothers' success.
• Luca woke at the Malibu villa and heard JARVIS report the media attention, new followers, and calls from government officials and television networks.
• JARVIS told Luca that General Ross wanted to discuss the Superhero Regulation Act.
• Luca told JARVIS to block calls and emails for now, direct urgent matters to the legal team, and leave interview invitations pending until he spoke with Tony.

Luca discovered that Tony and Pepper had left for Stark Industries, where Tony was holding a press conference. Watching the broadcast, Luca heard Tony reveal that a man claiming to lead S.H.I.E.L.D. had been arrested and handed over to the military, before Tony moved on to the conference’s future-strategy topic.

• Luca found the villa empty and used his perception to confirm that no one else was there.
• JARVIS told Luca that Tony had gone to Stark Industries for a press conference and that Pepper had arrived earlier to prepare for it.
• Luca watched the live broadcast and heard reporters press Tony about the monsters, Luca’s powers, the Justice League, and the Spider-Men.
• Tony said the monsters’ origins were still under investigation and revealed that a man claiming to lead S.H.I.E.L.D. had been arrested and turned over to the military.
• Tony declined to discuss further national-security details and prepared to address Stark Industries’ future strategy.