Chapter Summaries

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.

Tony announced Stark Industries’ shift from weapons manufacturing to clean energy and unveiled its industrial Arc Reactor, then promised a major upgrade to the Life Sciences Division under Luca. Luca accepted the confidence Tony had placed in him and resolved to deliver on his promises.

• Tony introduced the Arc Reactor as a clean-energy technology capable of powering a city of one million people for a year and said Stark Industries would build a demonstration plant in Los Angeles within six months.
• Tony said Stark Industries would retain control of Arc Reactor production and operations, and he told traditional energy companies to adapt to change.
• Tony announced a strategic upgrade to the Life Sciences Division, saying Luca would develop treatments that repaired defects at cellular and genetic levels.
• Tony publicly vouched for Luca’s ability to deliver the promised medical breakthroughs.
• Luca realized Tony had trusted him with another public promise and resolved to make it happen.

Tony explained that Luca missed the press conference because he needed rest after fighting to protect Los Angeles, while Luca began working in their underground lab. Luca set aside his serum research to investigate the Arc Reactor and its palladium problem, which was poisoning Tony.

• A reporter asked Tony why Luca had missed the press conference, and Tony joked that Luca had stayed up late with two female models before explaining that he had deliberately let his brother rest after the battle.
• Luca watched Tony’s explanation at the villa, forgave him for the teasing, and went to the shared laboratory beneath the garage.
• Luca reviewed his serum research and concluded that the fused serum that transformed him could not be replicated, though its Super Soldier Serum component could be developed separately.
• Luca decided that Tony should be the first recipient of his enhanced serum so his brother could survive even if his armor failed.
• Luca asked JARVIS to archive the serum analysis and display the full-parameter Arc Reactor model so he could address the palladium poisoning Tony.

Luca investigated Tony’s worsening palladium poisoning and began searching for a replacement element for the Arc Reactor. He discovered Howard’s decades-old theory of a Super Palladium Element and set out to follow his father’s clues before Tony’s condition became irreversible.

• Luca learned from JARVIS that Tony’s palladium levels were rising and could reach a critical level within four to six months.
• Luca reviewed Tony’s forty failed replacement-element experiments and asked JARVIS to simulate whether an undiscovered element could meet the reactor’s requirements.
• Luca found Howard’s old notes proposing a Super Palladium Element and read his message of faith in his children.
• Luca canceled the simulation and told JARVIS to compare Howard’s theory with his conditions and Stark Industries’ equipment.
• Luca began calculating how to create the New Element while continuing to pursue the Super Soldier Serum as another way to save Tony.

Tony welcomed Yinsen to Luca's advanced Life Sciences Division laboratory and gave him access to its facilities. On the drive to Malibu, Tony bet Pepper that Luca was still asleep, hoping to get out of an afternoon board call, and Pepper refused to wager with him.

• Tony showed Yinsen the gene sequencing center and offered him access to the laboratories, equipment, and funding.
• Yinsen thanked Tony and Luca for giving him a place to continue his medical research.
• Tony, Pepper, and Happy left the laboratory, and Pepper reviewed Tony's afternoon schedule, including a board conference call.
• Tony bet Pepper that Luca was still asleep and offered the wager to escape the board call, but Pepper declined.
• Tony and Pepper rode with Happy along the coastal highway toward Malibu.

Luca struggled to synthesize the super-palladium described in Howard's notes, while Tony revealed he had read the research years earlier. After Pepper stopped their argument and went to buy food, Luca and Tony were left alone in the lab.

• Luca and JARVIS ran simulations, but every attempt to synthesize super-palladium failed because its elemental structure and core parameters were unknown.
• Tony arrived with Pepper and teased Luca for only just finding Howard's notes, while Luca challenged Tony for having read them six years ago without telling him.
• Tony and Luca argued over their old emails and who was responsible for not solving the problem sooner.
• Pepper cut off their bickering and agreed to buy burgers after Luca and Tony asked her to leave them alone in the lab.
• Pepper left with a warning not to let them tear up the lab, and Luca called their plans a serious academic question.