Chapter Summaries

Red Skull planned to use the Tesseract-powered Valkyrie missiles to destroy cities and establish a Hydra Empire, but an overwhelmingly powerful intruder attacked the military factory. Red Skull escaped with the Tesseract, intent on activating Valkyrie from Hydra’s Alpine base.

• Red Skull told Dr. Zola that the Axis Powers were doomed and declared his plan to build a Hydra Empire with the Valkyrie Project.
• Dr. Zola revealed that Valkyrie missiles could destroy New York, Berlin, London, and Moscow.
• An armored intruder stormed the factory, defeating Hydra guards and shrugging off gunfire.
• The intruder snapped a tank’s cannon barrel and flipped the tank, driving the remaining Hydra soldiers into despair.
• Red Skull initiated the factory’s self-destruct sequence and fled with the Tesseract, vowing to destroy Superman with Valkyrie.

Luke fought through Hydra’s base while Rogers rescued captured soldiers and searched for Bucky. When Hydra’s monstrous enhanced warriors attacked, Luke defeated them with ease, leaving Rogers questioning whether he was really a Super Soldier.

• Luke withstood Hydra gunfire and energy blasts, defeated the base’s defenders, and headed for the military factory.
• Luke met Rogers with the rescued prisoners, and Rogers said Bucky had been taken for human experiments but was missing from the isolation ward.
• Luke told Rogers to lead the prisoners out while he continued searching for Bucky.
• Four monstrous Hydra enhanced warriors arrived, and one shattered Rogers’s shield as Rogers tried to protect Luke.
• Luke tore through the enhanced warriors, stunning the prisoners and prompting Rogers to wonder whether he was a Super Soldier at all.

Luke and Rogers returned to camp after destroying Hydra’s base and rescuing captured Allied soldiers, though Red Skull escaped with the Tesseract and Dr. Zola. Colonel Phillips welcomed Luke’s victory, and Carter greeted him with a quiet “Welcome back.”

• Colonel Phillips learned that Luke and Rogers were missing and blamed Carter for their disappearance.
• Carter brought back reconnaissance photographs showing Hydra’s base had been destroyed, but Phillips scolded her and feared Luke was dead.
• Luke and Rogers returned with rescued Allied soldiers, captured energy weapons, and Hydra tanks, earning cheers from the camp.
• Luke told Phillips that some soldiers needed medical treatment and said he would explain his reckless rescue operation to Allied Command.
• Luke revealed that Red Skull had escaped with the Tesseract and Dr. Zola before the base exploded.
• Carter stopped Luke and welcomed him back.

Luke visited Howard Stark at the Strategic Scientific Reserve base, discussed Howard’s ambitions and business troubles, and took a Vibranium shield for Steve Rogers. He recognized Wakanda as a source of the rare metal and left considering a visit there.

• Luke returned to the Strategic Scientific Reserve base and traded jokes with Howard Stark about Peggy Carter and Howard’s attempts to court her.
• Luke told Howard that Stark Industries had won aircraft contracts from Lockheed Martin, prompting Howard to dismiss the company’s complaints and caution Luke against getting involved.
• Luke spotted a silver shield and asked to take it for Steve Rogers, and Howard explained that it was made of rare Vibranium.
• Luke recognized that Wakanda held vast Vibranium deposits and considered visiting the hidden nation.

Luke reassured Rogers that Bucky had likely been transferred elsewhere and teased him about his lack of romantic experience. At the soldiers’ celebration, Luke’s jokes made Rogers spray his whiskey while the tavern laughed.

• Luke told Rogers that Hydra had moved prisoners to other locations and that Bucky was probably transferred, possibly to Baron Strucker’s custody.
• Luke teased the embarrassed Rogers about being hugged and kissed by a woman, then reflected on Strucker’s ties to Hydra and the Nazi Party.
• Luke and Rogers attended a celebration at a tavern, where Dugan and the soldiers cheered Luke as a war hero.
• Luke joked that a blonde woman had her eye on Rogers and asked whether Captain America planned to surrender his chastity that night.
• Rogers sprayed his whiskey, apologized to the bartender, and cursed Luke after he slipped away.

At a soldiers’ ball, Luke joked with Dugan, Howard, and Steve about courting women while Howard’s attempt to charm Carter failed. Carter reserved Luke as her dance partner, and the two finally danced together.

• Luke explained to Dugan why sweet talk worked better than bluntly propositioning women, while Howard joined them at the bar.
• Howard tried to invite Carter to dance but returned in under a minute after she rejected him, and the others drank to their bets.
• Howard moved on to pursue another woman, while a blonde woman drew Steve onto the dance floor.
• Carter told Luke she had claimed he already had a dance partner reserved and challenged him to say whether he would use directness or sweet talk.
• Luke invited Carter to dance, and she accepted as the ball neared its end.

Luke learned that Red Skull planned to destroy major cities, including New York, within twenty-four hours, and prepared to lead a mission against Hydra’s headquarters in the Alps. Rogers and the Howling Commandos joined him as Carter left without saying what she had wanted to tell him.

• The morning after their night with Margie, Rogers awkwardly confirmed her name while Howard teased Luke about Carter.
• Colonel Phillips told Luke and the officers that Red Skull planned to attack cities including New York, London, and Berlin within twenty-four hours.
• Howard warned that Schmidt’s mysterious power could destroy the East Coast, and Phillips said the President had asked Luke to stop Hydra.
• Luke asked Rogers to guide him to Hydra’s headquarters in the Alps, and Rogers agreed to go with him.
• Dum Dum Dugan and the Howling Commandos volunteered for the mission, and Luke ordered them to prepare to leave in two hours.
• Carter left the operations room without voicing what she had wanted to say to Luke.

Luke prepared to attack Hydra’s Alpine headquarters while Rogers and the Howling Commandos held off its soldiers. Red Skull’s dream of ruling the world was interrupted by Luke’s assault, and he fled with the Tesseract to launch the Valkyrie Project early.

• Luke told Rogers he would lead the assault on Hydra’s base while Rogers protected the Howling Commandos, and said Bucky might have been transferred to a German laboratory.
• Red Skull rallied Hydra followers around the Valkyrie Project and planned to bomb Allied and Axis cities into submission.
• An explosion and alarm announced that Luke had broken into the base, prompting Red Skull to curse Erskine and order his troops to resist.
• Red Skull took the Tesseract and boarded an aircraft, telling Dr. Zola to accelerate human experiments so he could become stronger than Luke.
• Red Skull placed the Tesseract in the aircraft’s central hub and prepared to begin the Valkyrie Project ahead of schedule.

Luke pursued Red Skull aboard the Valkyrie aircraft and refused to be swayed by his offer to rule the world together. The chapter ended with Luke approaching as Red Skull threatened to detonate the twenty-one missiles, while Luke seemed eager to test his durability.

• Luke left Captain America and Colonel Phillips to fight the Hydra soldiers while he raced after Red Skull’s aircraft.
• Luke leaped onto the aircraft, entered it, and saw that its Valkyrie Missiles were labeled for cities including New York and Chicago.
• Red Skull tried to persuade Luke to join Hydra, describing his discovery of Odin’s Vault and his ambition to make humanity kneel.
• Luke rejected Red Skull’s offer and demanded that he hand over the Tesseract.
• Red Skull threatened to detonate all twenty-one Valkyrie Missiles, but Luke advanced toward him with eager anticipation.

Luke defeated Red Skull, seized the Tesseract, and watched as its energy opened a passage that consumed Red Skull. He returned toward base with Dr. Zola, aware that an unseen presence had noticed him.

• Luke knocked Red Skull down, destroyed the Valkyrie Missiles detonator, and took the Tesseract from its device.
• Red Skull fired at the Tesseract's casing, releasing its energy, while Dr. Zola offered to explain how to extract its power.
• Luke held the Tesseract as its energy opened a passage to the Nine Realms, and Red Skull rushed into it and was consumed.
• Luke placed the Tesseract in a briefcase, and Dr. Zola agreed to tell the Allied forces that Red Skull had been defeated and thrown from the plane.
• Luke asked Dr. Zola to fly them back and sensed that an unseen gaze had turned toward him.

Luke returned after defeating Hydra and stopping its Valkyrie Project, leaving the Axis Powers without their secret weapon. In Berlin, the Fuhrer learned that a new Aryan Superman named Marcus Jung had defeated the Soviet forces and renewed his hopes for victory.

• Carter told Colonel Phillips that Commodore Cavill had defeated Red Skull, and the control tower celebrated the victory.
• Luke landed with Dr. Zola and the Tesseract, told Colonel Phillips that Red Skull had jumped from the plane, and reunited with Rogers and Carter.
• The Fuhrer learned that Hydra had fallen and, believing the war lost, prepared to kill himself after Eva poisoned herself.
• A soldier interrupted the Fuhrer with news that Saint General had created the Aryan Superman, Marcus Jung, who had defeated the Soviet forces.
• The Fuhrer abandoned his suicide attempt, ordered Saint General to bring Marcus Jung to him, and vowed that the Third Reich would rule the world.

Luke learned that three Axis Powers Super Soldiers had devastated the Soviet assault on Berlin, then met Churchill in London’s War Cabinet as the Allies sought his help. Churchill told Luke that nearly one hundred thousand Soviet troops had been captured and that the Allies’ hopes rested on him.

• Luke and Rogers read a telegram reporting that three Super Soldiers had routed Soviet forces near Berlin and forced many to surrender.
• Luke considered his recent gains and reasoned that the Axis Powers’ new Super Soldiers could not withstand nuclear weapons.
• Carter led Luke into London’s underground War Cabinet to meet with Churchill.
• Churchill told Luke that the Soviet Union had been defeated, nearly one hundred thousand troops were prisoners, and the capture of Berlin had been put on hold.
• Churchill declared that the Allied Nations’ only hope rested on Commodore Cavill.

Luke agreed to rescue Stephanie, an MI6 agent carrying intelligence about the Axis Powers’ Aryan Supermen, in exchange for sharing the technology with the Strategic Scientific Reserve. In Berlin, Saint General learned that the escaped Norwegian scientist Freya was a British agent and sent Siegfried to meet the Fuhrer while he pursued her.

• The British Prime Minister told Luke that MI6 agent Stephanie had warned the Allies about the Aryan Supermen before going missing, and asked him to rescue her.
• Luke agreed to the mission on the condition that the Axis Powers’ Superman technology be shared with the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and said he would set out immediately.
• The Berlin Liaison Officer summoned Saint General to meet the Fuhrer, but Saint General revealed that Freya had escaped from the factory producing Wardun’s Blood and was a British undercover agent.
• Saint General insisted that capturing Freya mattered more than meeting the Fuhrer, then ordered Siegfried to meet him in his place and show the Fuhrer a perfect Aryan.

Stephanie fled German pursuers through a forest of starving refugees, carrying secret information about Berlin’s Aryan Superman, and reached a British position only to be attacked by a Tank-class superhuman. A tall stranger appeared to protect her and stepped out to face the German soldier, saying the Aryan Superman was exactly who he had been looking for.

• Stephanie hit a refugee with her motorcycle and fired her MP40 to clear a path through the crowd.
• German soldiers pursuing Stephanie shot refugees who blocked them as they raced after her.
• Stephanie reached a British position, identified herself as an MI6 agent, and was attacked by a German Tank-class Aryan Superman.
• The German superhuman destroyed the British tank and killed soldiers while Stephanie tried to shoot him with a Springfield rifle.
• A tall stranger appeared behind Stephanie, reassured her, and went out to confront the Aryan Superman.

Luke confronted Julian, a modified German soldier who called himself an Aryan Superman, and defeated him despite Julian's powerful energy attack. Luke survived with only a minor injury, while Julian was left powerless and in his grasp.

• Julian mocked Luke's build and boasted that killing the Allied Superman would earn him a reward from the Fuhrer.
• Luke asked Stephanie about the strength of Tank-class Aryan Supermen and learned that Battleship-class Supermen were even more dangerous.
• Luke struck Julian so hard that he shattered both of Julian's arms, then forced him to his knees.
• Julian released a powerful energy sphere that engulfed Luke, leading Stephanie to believe the rescue mission had failed.
• Luke emerged nearly unhurt in steel-like armor, seized the exhausted Julian, and mocked his claim to be a Superman.

Luke killed the Tank-class Julian and brought Stephanie safely back to London, where she revealed the Aryan Supermen’s weaknesses and offered to help the Allies create their own Superman. The Prime Minister learned that she had brought Wardun’s Blood, while Saint General ordered the German project relocated and its test subjects eliminated.

• Luke assessed Julian’s abilities, killed him, and learned that Tank-class Aryan Supermen weakened after releasing their energy.
• Stephanie warned Luke that Battleship-class units were far stronger, and he escorted her back to the Allied Nations.
• Saint General called off the pursuit, concluded the Allies might have captured the project’s core technology, and ordered its materials and researchers transferred to a second base.
• In London, Stephanie told the Prime Minister that Aryan Supermen had limits on how long they could fight and explained their weaknesses.
• Stephanie offered to help the Allies create a Superman and opened her briefcase to reveal documents and Wardun’s Blood.

Stephanie revealed that Wardun's Blood powered the Aryan Superman project and traced its origins to ancient Brood technology discovered in Egyptian ruins. She left Luke and the Prime Minister confronting the revelation that Imhotep had fought the alien creatures in antiquity.

• Stephanie explained that Wardun's Blood was grown through fermentation, and said she had destroyed the facility's containers, though Saint General likely retained reserves.
• Stephanie told Luke and the Prime Minister that the Germans developed the Aryan Superman project after finding an ancient document written in an extraterrestrial language.
• Stephanie explained that Ahnenerbe researchers had uncovered ruins in Egypt and records describing Imhotep's fight against the Brood.
• Stephanie said Wardun's Blood was Brood technology used to transform beasts into war machines, prompting the Prime Minister to drink several glasses of gin.
• Luke recognized Imhotep as an Egyptian pharaoh and pyramid designer, and Stephanie described him as a warrior who led the Egyptians in driving the Brood from Earth.

Luke learned that the Third Reich’s Aryan Superman program had inherited ancient biological modification technology and proposed a way for the Allies to screen candidates. The Prime Minister appointed Luke to lead the Strategic Scientific Reserve as the Allies prepared to develop their own enhanced soldiers.

• Luke recognized Imhotep as an ancient hero whose technology had inspired the Saint Shield Brotherhood and traced the Third Reich’s research to the Brood insectoids.
• Stephanie explained that the Germans had created Wardun’s Blood and used brutal testing to produce several hundred Tank-class and three Battleship-class Aryan Supermen.
• The Prime Minister asked Luke about the threat, and Luke suggested studying Wardun’s Blood and using Stephanie’s red crystal to identify suitable soldiers.
• The Prime Minister arranged to recall the Strategic Scientific Reserve and appointed Luke to lead it.
• Luke and the Prime Minister professed their shared commitment to world peace.

The Fuhrer celebrated the Aryan Supermen’s power and confronted Saint General over hiding the project and criticizing his leadership. When the Fuhrer ordered Siegfried to kill Saint General, Siegfried instead turned his attack on the Fuhrer.

• The Fuhrer awoke in the Reichstag and praised Siegfried while recalling how he had ordered tens of thousands of Soviet prisoners killed to test the Aryan Superman.
• Siegfried told the Fuhrer that Saint General was returning after failing to catch a British spy, and the Fuhrer summoned him for an audience.
• Saint General revealed that the Aryan Superman project had begun nearly a year earlier and explained that he had waited until the units could fight in groups.
• The Fuhrer angrily dismissed Saint General after he accused the Fuhrer of misusing the super soldiers and declared that the Third Reich needed a better leader.
• The Fuhrer ordered Siegfried to kill Saint General, but Siegfried turned toward the Fuhrer and fired dazzling light from his eyes.

Luke told the Strategic Scientific Reserve that the Third Reich had created Aryan Supermen using advanced technology, and that the Allies were developing their own Supermen to oppose them. He left Steve Rogers with a chance to contribute by asking whether he wanted to become stronger.

• Colonel Phillips arrived at Bletchley Manor and learned that Allied Command had placed the Strategic Scientific Reserve under Luke's command.
• Luke gathered Carter, Stephanie, Rogers, and Phillips and revealed the Third Reich's Aryan Supermen and the Allies' efforts to create Supermen using Wardun's Blood.
• Rogers and Phillips offered to fight, but Luke warned them that ordinary soldiers could not contend with Aryan Supermen and that reckless attacks would cause needless deaths.
• Luke asked Rogers whether he wanted to become stronger.