Chapter Summaries

Xu Xuanpin transformed into the Divine Venerable of Desire and let Galactus swallow him, triggering a new, greed-driven consciousness inside Galactus that began to seize control of his body. Xu Xiao watched from a distance and confirmed that Galactus’s predicament came from the divine body he had devoured.

• Xu Xuanpin revealed his true divine form and challenged Galactus, who sensed that the god could contend with him.
• Galactus unleashed his devouring power and pulled the Divine Venerable of Desire into his body while Xu Xiao watched.
• Galactus’s power shredded Xu Xuanpin’s divine body, but the absorbed essence caused Galactus’s devouring power to surge out of his control.
• A new consciousness awakened inside Galactus, consumed by greed and intent on devouring everything, and began fighting him for control.
• Galactus realized Xu Xiao’s divine body had caused the new consciousness, and Xu Xiao confirmed it.

Xu Xiao used the Dao of Desire to turn Galactus’s greed against him, causing new desire-born consciousnesses to fight for control of his body. After a year of watching the struggle, Xu Xiao saw the consciousness of greed nearing victory.

• Xu Xiao explained how desire could influence beings and described how his divine lord of desire had merged into Galactus rather than being consumed outright.
• Galactus’s amplified greed formed a new consciousness that fought his main will, while Xu Xiao watched and analyzed the contest.
• Galactus accused Xu Xiao of setting a trap, but Xu Xiao said he was using ordinary tactics and estimated that Galactus had less than a five percent chance of regaining control.
• Xu Xiao avoided trying to destroy Galactus because of his importance to the Marvel Universe, and spent the following year watching him while using the Seed of Desire to stir trouble across multiple worlds.
• Three consciousnesses—the embodiments of greed and killing intent and Galactus’s main will—fought inside Galactus, with greed holding most of the power and appearing likely to win.

Xu Xiao defeated Galactus by reclaiming the hidden power of the Dao of Desire and taking much of Galactus’s energy, then left the universe to pursue his plans in Marvel. On Earth in another Marvel universe, Apocalypse was cornered by the Illuminati, who prepared to attack him.

• Galactus’s two other consciousnesses blew themselves up, severely weakening his body and leaving the greedy consciousness in control.
• Greedy Galactus lunged at Xu Xiao, but fear stopped him, and Xu Xiao entered his maw to draw out his energy and consume his greed.
• Xu Xuanpin reappeared and absorbed Galactus’s greed, while Xu Xiao took and sealed away much of Galactus’s origin energy.
• Xu Xiao left Galactus as an unconscious energy aggregate and departed to investigate beings and a special dimension in Marvel, with Apocalypse’s ascension ritual in mind.
• The Illuminati tracked Apocalypse to a derivative Marvel universe on Earth, and Namor flew at him after Mister Fantastic confronted him.

Apocalypse attacked the Illuminati after rejecting Professor X’s claims that Mutants threatened universal order. He left Namor, Black Bolt, Mister Fantastic, and Tony Stark incapacitated, then fought Doctor Strange while Professor X fled.

• Namor charged Apocalypse and was knocked through the ground by a single blow.
• Professor X accused Apocalypse of endangering universal order, and Apocalypse dismissed the accusation and chose to fight.
• Apocalypse tore half of Black Bolt’s tongue out and punched him away, then froze part of Mister Fantastic and sent him flying.
• Apocalypse appeared beside Tony Stark and pierced him with a heat ray before Stark’s nanotech armor had fully covered him.
• Apocalypse attacked Doctor Strange as Strange tried to protect his teammates, while Professor X moved his wheelchair out of the fight.

Doctor Strange gathered heroes from multiple universes to stop Apocalypse, while Apocalypse recruited powerful Mutants and rallied them against humanity. The two sides assembled for a multiversal conflict, with thirteen powerful Mutants answering Apocalypse’s call as his apostles.

• Doctor Strange escaped Apocalypse through a portal and traveled across universes to recruit allies, warning them that Apocalypse planned to conquer the multiverse.
• The Avengers and other groups, including the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, agreed to oppose Apocalypse and gathered forces from multiple universes.
• Apocalypse traveled between worlds and sought out powerful Mutants who recognized him as the God of Mutants.
• Apocalypse urged Mutants to rebel against humanity, promising to awaken and strengthen their powers if they followed him.
• Thirteen powerful Mutants from dozens of universes answered Apocalypse’s summons and became his apostles.

While Apocalypse’s forces prepared for a multiversal war, Xu Xiao negotiated with the First Firmament on the Far Shore to establish Mutants as a lasting concept across the Marvel Multiverse. The First Firmament exposed Xu Xiao’s otherworldly origins and made additional demands, and Xu Xiao agreed to its proposal.

• Apocalypse returned to the X-Men: Apocalypse world and waited for the multiversal war to begin.
• Xu Xiao met the First Firmament on the Far Shore and offered to hunt Celestials in exchange for access to the Mutant dimension it controlled.
• The First Firmament recognized Xu Xiao as a visitor from another world and asked for more than his original offer.
• The First Firmament proposed that Xu Xiao help carry out its broader plans, and Xu Xiao considered how he might use their cooperation to his advantage.
• Xu Xiao agreed to the First Firmament’s demands, and the two supreme beings reached an agreement.

Superheroes from across the multiverse launched an assault on Apocalypse in Egypt, but his pyramid cannons destroyed their Iron Legion vanguard and made portal attacks impossible. As the heroes planned a direct advance, Apocalypse revealed that the entire Mutant world had been rallied against them, and nuclear bombs began falling.

• Thirteen apostles prepared Egypt’s pyramid cannons as Strange, Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, and the assembled superhero forces arrived to fight Apocalypse.
• Captain Marvel and Tony Stark argued that Apocalypse had to be stopped, and the Sorcerers Supreme opened portals to Egypt.
• Apocalypse fired a pyramid cannon through the portal, annihilating the Iron Legion vanguard and forcing Tony Stark and Strange to shut the passage.
• Tony Stark and Mister Fantastic abandoned the portal assault and planned to advance by sea, land, and air using Ravager ships.
• Apocalypse’s forces dropped nuclear bombs on the approaching heroes after he had united the world’s Mutants against the invaders.

The heroes who had entered the mutant world faced nuclear strikes and a global military counterattack. In Cairo, Captain Marvel charged ahead alone and was killed by Jack and Hugh after they weakened her powers and drained her life.

• The Sorcerer Supreme and other heroes survived a nuclear blast, while Captain Marvel flew toward the northern hemisphere in anger.
• Tony Stark and the Iron Legion headed for Egypt to support Captain Marvel as more missiles approached the remaining heroes.
• Captain Marvel shot down Egyptian fighter jets and broke through the blockade to attack a pyramid.
• Jack altered the source of Captain Marvel's power, and Hugh used life manipulation to drain her life essence.
• Hugh drained Captain Marvel dry and left her corpse in the Egyptian desert, making her the first superhero to die in the conflict.

After Jack killed Captain Marvel, Apocalypse prepared to become the God of Mutants by taking control of the Superpower Dimension. Xu Xiao sent Apocalypse’s consciousness into the dimension and remained outside to guard it while he tried to take control.

• Jack warned the apostles that Captain Marvel had only been an appetizer and that a stronger enemy might come.
• Apocalypse remained still as he connected to the special dimension that was the source of Mutant powers.
• Xu Xiao explained that the Superpower Dimension had formed from fragments of the First Firmament and was the source of Mutants’ ability to alter reality.
• Xu Xiao guided Apocalypse’s consciousness through a space of countless dimensions until they found the Superpower Dimension.
• Apocalypse vowed to take control of the dimension and become the true God of Mutants.
• Xu Xiao sent Apocalypse’s consciousness into the unclaimed dimension and stayed outside to guard it.

Thor and Tony Stark fought the Egyptian military and Jack’s Mutants, who had gathered to kill the arriving superheroes. Tony was killed by Thena, and Thor was left surrounded as the battle continued.

• Thor and Tony Stark counterattacked the Egyptian military, while Tony ordered the Iron Legion to lift its weapons restrictions.
• Thor destroyed a particle cannon blast with lightning, but Jack arrived with five apostles to confront the heroes.
• Li Daokui absorbed Thor’s lightning and began fighting him with a stronger bolt of his own.
• Thena used magnetic fields to crush the Iron Legion and disrupt Tony Stark’s nano armor.
• Thena punched through Tony’s armor and chest, killing him as he fell from the sky.
• Thor roared at Tony’s death, but a powerful blast sent him flying while several Mutants closed in.

Thor was overwhelmed by the Apostles as new arrivals joined the battle, and Apocalypse’s cannons destroyed the Ravagers’ ship before the fighting spread. Meanwhile, Xu Xiao faced the attention of dimension demon gods drawn to the Superpower Dimension.

• Thena struck Thor with a Destruction Fist after Jack weakened his defenses, while Li Wei took Thor’s axe blow; Thor was driven underground but remained alive.
• Jack stopped Li Wei from finishing Thor when a portal opened and a massive spaceship approached.
• Apocalypse’s particle cannons destroyed the Ravagers’ warship, killing Star-Lord, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the surviving Asgardian Valkyries, and the others aboard.
• Doctor Strange and the X-Men fought the Apostles as Scarlet Witch and the two Phoenixes opened a portal toward the pyramids.
• Xu Xiao killed dimension creatures while Dormammu, Mephisto, the Vishanti, Shuma-Gorath, and other dimension demon gods arrived, drawn by the Superpower Dimension.

Xu Xiao revealed that he was a Dominator from another world and used World Power to overpower Dormammu in the Sea of Dimensions. As he began cutting into Dormammu’s origin, the other dimensional demon gods reconsidered confronting him.

• The dimensional demon gods eyed Xu Xiao with hostility while he waited for Apocalypse to make progress in the Superpower Dimension.
• Xu Xiao chose Dormammu as a target and unleashed his hidden presence, revealing himself as a Dominator from another world.
• Dormammu challenged Xu Xiao and attacked him with dark power, but the assault failed to corrupt him.
• Xu Xiao used World Power and his Golden Pupil of Myriad Phenomena to pierce Dormammu’s dark power and analyze its essence.
• Dormammu realized Xu Xiao was cutting apart his origin, and the gathered dimensional demon gods grew wary.

Xu Xiao cut away and stored some of Dormammu’s dark essence, frightening the dimensional demon gods into fleeing. Meanwhile, the two Phoenixes and Scarlet Witch reached Apocalypse’s pyramid, where the Phoenixes killed his seven apostles and prepared to face him.

• Xu Xiao overpowered Dormammu with world power, took a sample of his dark essence, and let him escape into another universe.
• Xu Xiao invited the remaining dimensional demon gods to let him study their powers, and they all fled.
• The two Phoenixes and Scarlet Witch arrived at Apocalypse’s pyramid and were attacked by seven apostles.
• Scarlet Witch resisted an apostle’s freezing power, while the Phoenixes used the Phoenix Force to overwhelm the attackers.
• The Phoenixes killed all seven apostles and turned their attention to Apocalypse.

Xu Xiao intervened when the Phoenix’s main consciousness attacked Apocalypse, transporting himself, Phoenix, and Wanda away from Earth. Left to ascend, Apocalypse merged with the Superpower Dimension and claimed godhood over all Mutants.

• Wanda watched Phoenix and Apocalypse clash, then was shocked when Apocalypse seized both Phoenixes and killed Jean Grey.
• Phoenix’s main consciousness revived Jean Grey and burned Apocalypse’s wrists, forcing him to release the Phoenixes.
• Xu Xiao appeared to shield Apocalypse, then used World Power to transport himself, Phoenix, and Wanda into space.
• Apocalypse called on the Superpower Dimension and linked himself to the concept of Mutants across all worlds.
• Apocalypse declared himself the eternal God of Mutants, taking conceptual authority over their powers and ensuring no Mutant could surpass him.

Apocalypse became the multiversal concept of Mutants, turning the battle against Strange and the superheroes in the Marvel Universe against them. Xu Xiao returned to the Doomsday Base after learning from First Firmament about the Sea of Worlds and the demand that he join an invasion of the DC Multiverse.

• Apocalypse became bound to the Mutants as their representative, resurrected his apostles, and strengthened Jack and the other Omega-Level Mutants.
• Jack blocked escape through space while Strange, Thor, and the superheroes realized they had lost and prepared to fight to the death.
• Xu Xiao persuaded Phoenix and the being behind Wanda to avoid conflict with Mutants, then reflected on Apocalypse as his lasting representative in Marvel and his new control of World Power.
• Xu Xiao recalled that First Firmament had made him agree to join an invasion of the DC Multiverse in exchange for ownership of the Superpower Dimension.
• Xu Xiao considered First Firmament's account of world invasions, the different scales of worlds, and the higher-dimensional Sea of Worlds.
• Xu Xiao activated the World-Crossing Gate and returned to the Doomsday Base, unsure whether anything had changed.

Xu Xiao investigated why the main world was ascending and discovered that laws from beyond its barrier were fueling the transformation and apocalypse. He found no breach, stopped draining small worlds for World Power, and sensed the karma of destroying them settle upon him.

• Xu Xiao noticed that the main world had gained laws and was beginning to ascend, and he suspected the apocalypse was part of that change.
• Xu Xiao used the Golden Pupil of Myriad Phenomena and World Power to analyze the planet and trace its transformation.
• Xu Xiao discovered that laws flowing in from other worlds were reviving Spiritual Energy and changing the main world's rules, with their effects concentrated most strongly on Earth.
• Xu Xiao searched the universe's dark side for a breach in the world barrier but found none, despite draining another Small Chiliocosm to fuel his investigation.
• Xu Xiao stopped using World Power to destroy small worlds after realizing that each destruction brought karma and could lead to rejection by worlds and the Great Dao.

Xu Xiao contributed fragments of his powers to the main world's elevation, hoping to gain its authority and eventually develop it into a Great Chiliocosm. He returned to the Great Tang Twin Dragons World and spent time with his women and extraordinary young children, reaffirming his resolve to grow stronger for his family.

• Xu Xiao discovered that the World-Crossing Gate could not seize the main world's authority, so he decided to help its elevation and seek authority afterward.
• Xu Xiao scattered portions of several of his powers and some World Power into the main world's fundamental rules, forming a connection with the world and its emerging World Will.
• Xu Xiao returned to his base in the Great Tang Twin Dragons World and spent time with his women.
• Xu Xiao embraced his young children, who were already above the Innate realm and possessed extraordinary abilities inherited from his bloodline.
• Xu Tianci materialized spirit milk with his mental power and offered it to Xu Xiao, who drank it before sending the children to rest.

Xu Xiao weighed when to enter the DC Universe and how to build forces while the main world approached its ascension. He tested whether a clone could travel independently, discovering that the World-Crossing Gate had grown powerful enough to transport living things and briefly manifest in the real world.

• Xu Xiao decided to delay stirring up trouble in the DC Universe until he had more power and a way to gather forces.
• Xu Xiao considered staying in the main world to prepare for its ascension and avoid obstructing the two children of destiny nearing Godhood.
• Xu Xiao created a clone from divine blood and a sliver of his true spirit origin, then tried sending it through the World-Crossing Gate alone.
• Xu Xiao discovered that the Gate carried both bodies together because they shared the same essence, and that slight differences between them were needed for independent travel.
• Xu Xiao learned that the World-Crossing Gate could now transport living things, briefly take physical form, and let all things pass through if he supplied enough power.

Xu Yuantui arrived in New York to seek out Vought International and encountered Homelander, whom he judged to be an ideal target for a Seed of Desire. The chapter ended with Xu Yuantui freezing Homelander in midair.

• Xu Xiao used Guangchengzi’s cast-off body and his own blood essence and consciousness to create the avatar Xu Yuantui.
• Xu Yuantui forced a young Black man to give him directions to Vought, then killed him and flew toward Manhattan.
• Xu Yuantui reached Vought International, where Homelander confronted him about entering private property.
• Xu Yuantui recognized Homelander as a suitable vessel for a Seed of Desire and froze him as he approached.

Xu Yuantui subdued Homelander, isolated him from Vought’s surveillance, and offered him the Seed of Desire in exchange for obedience. After wrestling with suspicion and temptation, Homelander accepted the deal.

• Xu Yuantui immobilized Homelander, carried him to the Vought Company rooftop, and cut power to prevent the company from spying on them.
• Xu Yuantui released Homelander and revealed the Seed of Desire, which stirred Homelander’s longing to heal the wounds of his childhood.
• Xu Yuantui offered Homelander the chance to act without concern for rules or approval, in exchange for obeying some of his orders.
• Homelander asked what the price was, then agreed to Xu Yuantui’s terms.