Chapter Summaries

Luca convinced Tony to pursue Howard Stark’s proposed new element alongside an enhancement serum to address Tony’s palladium poisoning. After Tony read Howard’s notes and saw his father’s faith in his sons, Tony showed Luca an anonymous encrypted email, whose decrypted document left both brothers cold.

• Luca showed Tony that his palladium levels were rising and warned that he had four to six months before his body began to fail.
• Luca proposed using Howard’s notes to develop a new element and injecting Tony with an enhancement serum as a second safeguard, and Tony agreed.
• Luca had JARVIS display Howard’s complete 1974 notes, and Tony realized they outlined a path to a palladium replacement and ended with Howard’s faith in his children.
• Tony told Luca that an anonymous email had reached his private inbox, and JARVIS decrypted its encrypted attachment.
• Luca and Tony read the document inside the email, and both brothers’ gazes turned cold.

Luca and Tony discovered evidence that their parents’ supposed car accident had been a planned assassination, and they began considering who had concealed the truth. They suspected the killer was an enhanced operative working for a powerful organization, possibly Hydra, while JARVIS traced the anonymous email.

• Luca read a heavily redacted mission report dated December 16, 1991, which said Howard Stark had been eliminated and a female secondary target dealt with.
• Luca and Tony examined photographs showing Howard being strangled and the Starks’ car struck from behind, revealing that their parents had been murdered.
• Tony ordered JARVIS to trace the email’s route through its proxy nodes and offline servers in Eastern Europe.
• Luca outlined possible motives for the leak and argued that the sender’s access and skills pointed to someone with significant organizational connections.
• Luca and Tony considered whether S.H.I.E.L.D. knew about the murders and identified the long-haired killer as a likely enhanced combatant and organizational asset, possibly linked to Hydra.

Luca and Tony secretly investigated the possibility that their parents were murdered and concealed the evidence from everyone else. At Los Angeles International Airport, Jessica Drew arrived under an identity cover and began preparing to contact Luca within 72 hours.

• Luca and Tony agreed to keep their lead secret, including from Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey, until they uncovered the truth themselves.
• Luca told JARVIS to erase the email data from regular logs and store it in a highly restricted encrypted database called December.
• Luca and Tony pretended to bicker over their work when Pepper returned with burgers, then argued playfully over who got to choose first.
• Jessica Drew arrived at Los Angeles International Airport and received an encrypted message naming Luca Stark as her target with a 72-hour contact window.
• Jessica searched for Luca, saw his playboy reputation, and rode away in a waiting Maybach, confident she had enough time to deal with him.

Justin Hammer watched Luca Stark’s Superman coverage and brooded over his own failures, including another rejection from the Pentagon. In the parking garage, a mysterious man offered him a USB drive containing designs for a miniaturized reactor, claiming it could make Hammer independent of the Pentagon.

• Justin Hammer replayed footage of Luca Stark defeating the green brute and remembered being humiliated by Luca at a defense industry gala.
• Hammer received the Pentagon’s report rejecting Hammer Industries’ armor-piercing rounds and warning him not to contact the general again if the next proposal was no better.
• Hammer threw a plastic company cup at the floor in frustration, then decided to attend his scheduled procurement committee meeting anyway.
• A nondescript man intercepted Hammer in the underground parking garage and said a secretive friend considered him a brilliant, underestimated genius with potential.
• The man urged Hammer to cancel his meeting and left a USB drive on his car, saying it contained preliminary designs for a miniaturized reactor that Hammer’s team could make operational within six months.

Aruru sought a way into Hammer Industries without exposing his identity and chose to impersonate deputy research and development head Vince Carter. After killing Vince and taking his memories and appearance, Aruru left to find food, intending to use Vince’s identity to infiltrate the company.

• Justin Hammer accepted a USB drive and agreed to help produce equipment while causing Stark Industries a setback.
• Aruru failed to enter Hammer Industries by applying to be a doorman and watched the building from a Starbucks across the street.
• Aruru chose Vince Carter as his target and followed him home from work.
• Aruru entered Vince’s apartment, killed him, and absorbed his memories of Hammer Industries.
• Aruru changed into Vince’s appearance, practiced his smile, and left the apartment after telling Vince’s wife he would take care of her.

Justin Hammer studied the USB drive and began designing a bulky armored suit to challenge Luca Stark. Meanwhile, Vince Carter, an impostor infiltrating Hammer Industries, and the USB drive’s contact each noticed something unusual about the other, while Justin ended the chapter vowing to surpass Stark.

• Justin Hammer studied the USB drive’s technical files and sketched an armored suit, settling temporarily on the name Justin Hammer Armor No. 1.
• Vince Carter entered Hammer Industries and carefully imitated the real Vince as he set out to gain Justin Hammer’s trust.
• Vince Carter and the contact passed each other in the corridor and each noticed something unusual about the other’s manner.
• Justin Hammer developed his armor design and imagined presenting it to the Pentagon.
• Justin Hammer saw Luca Stark’s popular poolside selfie and vowed that Stark would not be a hero forever.

At Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One reassigned Wong to guard the New York Sanctum and teach Tony Stark and Luca Stark magic. After Wong eagerly accepted in hopes of eating better food, the Ancient One reflected on a distorted timeline and the hope that the Stark brothers could reveal what lay behind it.

• The Ancient One told Wong she was moving him from the Kamar-Taj library to the New York Sanctum to strengthen its defenses.
• The Ancient One instructed Wong to approach Tony Stark and Luca Stark, build a connection with them, and teach them magic.
• Wong questioned whether the Stark brothers would take magic seriously, but the Ancient One told him to follow her instructions.
• The Ancient One mentioned Wong could enjoy delicious food with the Stark brothers, and Wong immediately agreed to leave for New York.
• After Wong left, the Ancient One studied the hazy timeline and hoped the Stark brothers could help her see what was hidden behind it.

Jessica Drew met Luca Stark at Stark Industries headquarters for an interview as his personal life assistant, while secretly assessing the dangerous, superpowered executive. Luca sensed her unusual energy and entertained himself by testing her, leaving Jessica determined not to be drawn in by his charm.

• Jessica waited in Luca's office and reviewed what she knew about the supposedly carefree co-CEO, whom Hydra's leadership considered dangerous.
• Luca entered, argued with Pepper about his lost contracts, and met Jessica, insisting she call him Luca rather than Mr. Stark.
• When Luca shook Jessica's hand, he sensed that her body contained far more energy than an ordinary person's and realized she was superpowered.
• Luca joked about his previous assistant quitting after buying him a latte, then rapidly scanned Jessica's résumé and questioned her about her work at the Wayne Foundation.
• Jessica corrected Luca about Stark Industries' clean-energy focus and laughed at his jokes, but resolved not to let his charm distract her.

Luca Stark tested Jessica Jones during her interview, hired her as his assistant, and recognized that her flawless résumé concealed unusual abilities and a likely hidden agenda. Jessica left believing she had completed the first step of her plan, while Luca welcomed the prospect of keeping a possible spy close.

• Luca rejected Jessica's polished interview answer and asked her to answer honestly, then praised her blunt admission that she would do a lot for high pay.
• Luca told Jessica she had passed and invited her to start the next day, teasing her about her looks and fitness.
• After leaving the office, Luca assessed Jessica's unusual energy and suspected she was an enhanced person sent by an organization.
• Luca messaged Pepper that Jessica would start tomorrow and decided it was better to keep a possible spy where he could watch her.
• Jessica relaxed after Luca left and departed believing she had successfully become his personal assistant, while viewing him as her target.

Luca and Tony argued over Tony’s reluctance to take Luca’s serum, then agreed Tony would spend no more than five days trying to solve his palladium poisoning with his father’s research. Luca discovered his new assistant might be a superpowered spy, then headed out to patrol and promote their superhero image while Tony returned to the notes.

• Tony resisted taking Luca’s serum because he wanted to understand his father’s research and find a technological cure for his palladium poisoning, so they agreed to a five-day deadline for the injection.
• Luca told Tony that his new assistant had unusually high energy and seemed like a trained agent, possibly sent by Hydra, but he kept her close so he could monitor her.
• Luca explained that regular patrols and public appearances would build goodwill and help the company’s stock, and Tony agreed to stay behind and study his father’s notes.
• Luca armored up, flew out of the villa to patrol Los Angeles, and startled Tony with a sonic boom.
• Tony asked JARVIS to reopen his father’s notes and resumed researching the New Element.

Luca flew over Los Angeles looking for crime and followed a bioenergy signal to Gwen, who had stopped a van of robbers. After Luca and Gwen talked, officers and nearby residents recognized them, and a crowd gathered while people speculated that they were dating.

• Luca asked JARVIS to scan Los Angeles and flew toward a bioenergy signal similar to Spider-Man's.
• Gwen webbed a fleeing van, landed on its hood, and immobilized the robbers for the police.
• Luca greeted Gwen and warned her that standing on a moving vehicle was dangerous, and Gwen challenged his advice.
• Gwen told Luca she was an exchange student studying in Los Angeles for a few months.
• Police officers and nearby residents recognized Luca and Gwen, and bystanders crowded around to take pictures and ask if they were dating.

Luca and Gwen Stacy finished a patrol and handled a lively media interview that fueled speculation about their relationship. After Gwen revealed her face to Luca and left, JARVIS predicted the coverage would boost Stark Industries, and Luca planned another patrol the next day.

• Luca praised Gwen Stacy and the police to reporters, giving Gwen credit for stopping armed robbers.
• Luca and Gwen Stacy traded jokes during the interview and denied that they were dating.
• After the crowd dispersed, Gwen Stacy revealed her blonde hair to Luca and asked whether he had come out to patrol.
• Gwen Stacy left for class the next day, then praised Luca's cape before swinging away.
• JARVIS predicted the publicity would raise Stark Industries stock by two to five percent, and Luca decided to patrol again tomorrow.

Luca welcomed his new assistant, Jessica Drew, to Stark Industries while continuing to monitor Tony’s health and encourage his work on the New Element. Jessica began her covert mission to assess Luca’s abilities, but her powers could not read him, leaving her convinced he was far stronger than she was.

• Luca absorbed sunlight on the Stark villa terrace as JARVIS reported that his energy reserves had recovered to ninety-seven percent.
• Tony told Luca that he had stayed up all night studying Howard’s notes on the New Element and revealed that his palladium level was twenty-three percent.
• Luca went to Stark Industries to meet his new assistant, Jessica Drew, and began showing her around the company.
• Jessica recalled her orders to investigate Luca’s abilities and weaknesses, and she found that her senses could not detect his physical condition.

Luca toured Jessica through Stark Industries, became increasingly convinced she was a spy, and tested her by demanding a shoulder massage. Jessica stayed on the job and reviewed meeting materials while Luca concealed that he was nearly certain of her identity; he told her to wear something bright tomorrow.

• Luca showed Jessica the departments and watched her closely as she examined laboratory equipment, security systems, and an emergency exit.
• Luca asked Jessica to massage his shoulders, and Jessica reluctantly agreed after weighing whether to abandon her mission.
• Yinsen entered the office, met Jessica, and hurried out after Luca teased him about blushing.
• Luca noticed Jessica's shaking hands and unusually fast, capable review of the meeting documents, raising his suspicion that she was a spy to ninety-nine percent.
• Luca told Jessica to join him at the eleven o'clock meeting and wear something bright the next day, and Jessica followed him out.

Gwen Stacy was identified as Spider-Woman by a Hydra agent who threatened her father, but she decided not to call Luca for help. That evening, Luca attended a Beverly Hills charity gala with Jessica Drew, whom he pressured to act as his personal assistant.

• Gwen Stacy's Spider-Sense warned her of danger on campus, where a man in a gray trench coat revealed that he knew she was Spider-Woman.
• The man identified himself with Hydra and threatened Gwen Stacy by mentioning her father, Chief George Stacy.
• Gwen Stacy hid in a restroom and considered calling Luca, but chose to handle the danger herself.
• Luca Stark arrived at a Beverly Hills charity gala with Jessica Drew, who wore a wine-red evening gown.
• Luca reminded Jessica that she had to stay close and obey him at the gala, and Jessica agreed while hiding her anger.

At a high-society party, Luca pretended to reveal weaknesses in his and Tony's defenses to Jessica, who secretly worked for Hydra. Jessica believed the information and planned to use it, while Luca knew she was a spy and had planted a trap in Tony's safe.

• Luca told Jessica to relax as they walked into the club, where he drew attention from the guests.
• When a lieutenant general asked about his limits, Luca claimed that he needed sunlight and became weak without it, and Jessica memorized the supposed weakness.
• Luca told the nearby guests that Tony's backup power core was in a Malibu villa safe, giving them Pepper Potts's birthday as the code.
• Jessica believed Luca had divulged valuable secrets and began planning how to reach the safe, unaware it held a shock bomb and concentrated skunk spray.
• Luca asked Jessica to massage his temples while inwardly anticipating the trap being triggered and filmed for Tony.

After pretending to be drunk at the party, Luca told Jessica to dress sexier for work, while Jessica reported his and Tony's weaknesses to Hydra. Luca then headed to xxx University to pick up Gwen Stacy.

• Luca left the club with Jessica and told her to wear black lace or a tight leopard-print skirt to work.
• Jessica contacted Hydra as Spider-Woman and reported that Luca's powers weakened without sunlight and that Tony's backup power core was in a safe at his Malibu villa.
• Jessica agreed to stay undercover and gather more intelligence before Hydra acted.
• Luca texted Tony about the supposed trap in the safe, and Tony angrily told him to stop distracting him from his work on the New Element.
• Luca told Happy to drive to xxx University so he could pick up Gwen Stacy.

Luca picked Gwen Stacy up and discovered that Hydra had threatened her family after learning she was Spider-Woman. He promised to protect George Stacy and planned to take action against Hydra the next day.

• Luca picked up Gwen at the school gate and noticed she was distracted and troubled.
• At a private dinner, Luca pressed Gwen to explain what was wrong.
• Gwen told Luca that a strange man at school had identified her as Spider-Woman and invoked Hydra while mentioning her father, George Stacy.
• Luca promised to send Stark Industries security personnel to spend time with George and said he would personally deal with Hydra.

After dinner, Luca walked Gwen Stacy home and accepted her invitation to come inside, where they kissed and spent the night together. He left in the morning after promising security for her father, leaving breakfast and a card for Gwen before flying away.

• Luca sent Happy back to Tony and told him he would be conducting biological field research.
• Luca walked Gwen Stacy to her apartment, reassuring her that he would arrange protection for her father.
• Gwen invited Luca inside, and he kissed her before carrying her to the bedroom.
• Luca woke beside Gwen the next morning, left her a note, breakfast, and a black card, and said her father's security team would report to the New York Police Department.
• Luca flew away from the apartment as Gwen continued sleeping.

Wong arrived at the New York Sanctum and saw Luca Stark on the news, doubting he could teach him magic. At S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury decided to withhold Howard Stark’s new-element model until Tony’s palladium poisoning forced the Starks to seek help, confident Luca could not solve the problem.

• Wong stepped through a portal into the New York Sanctum and settled in to study local news before approaching his targets.
• Wong watched Luca Stark describe himself as an ordinary person and questioned whether he could teach him magic.
• Fury complained to Coulson that Luca had turned S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Los Angeles operation against them and left them imprisoned for two days.
• Coulson told Fury that Tony Stark’s palladium poisoning would likely kill him within months and suggested using Howard Stark’s model as a bargaining chip.
• Fury ordered S.H.I.E.L.D. to keep the model’s new-element design secret until Tony was desperate, dismissing the possibility that Luca could save him.