Chapter Summaries

Luke warned Rogers that Wardun's Blood could make him stronger but carried severe risks, and Rogers chose to pursue the enhancement. Luke then reassured Rogers that their friendship mattered more than comparisons between them, and Rogers explained that he wanted strength so he could stand beside Luke when help was needed.

• Rogers admitted that he wanted to become stronger after years of being compared unfavorably to Luke.
• Luke explained the dangers and low success rate of Wardun's Blood, but Rogers said he had made up his mind to become a candidate for the Allied Superman project.
• After a long Strategic Scientific Reserve meeting, Luke asked Rogers to stay and talked with him about Margie and their correspondence.
• Luke told Rogers that Dr. Erskine had valued him and admitted that he had no desire to become a conventional hero.
• Rogers confessed that Luke's abilities had pressured him, but said he wanted strength so he could help Luke rather than leave him to fight alone.

Luke and Stephanie prepared the first recipients for Wardun's Blood enhancement while the Allies raced to develop their own Superman army. At a camp outside London, Steve Rogers underwent his first mutation and screamed in pain as Luke held him down.

• Stephanie warned Luke that enhancement and training would take weeks, while Luke arranged for Dr. Zola to study Wardun's Blood.
• Stephanie suggested Steve Rogers might endure enough mutations to become Battleship-class and urged Luke to undergo enhancement, but Luke refused.
• At the camp outside London, Steve agreed to the procedure and asked Luke to look after Margie if he died.
• Stephanie pressed a grain of Wardun's Blood to Steve's forehead, and it burned into his body as he convulsed in agony.
• Luke restrained Steve in the reinforced chair while Stephanie said the first mutation had begun and hoped he could endure it.

Rogers endured a second painful Wardun's Blood mutation, while Luke saw how few test subjects survived the process. The Allies’ experiments remained far from producing reliable soldiers when Stephanie brought news that Berlin had launched an attack with all three Battleship-class soldiers.

• Rogers woke after his first mutation, ate glucose oatmeal porridge, and learned he would soon undergo another mutation.
• Luke told Rogers that 141 people had been eliminated during the first mutation, leaving only a small number of survivors.
• Stephanie doubled the Wardun's Blood dosage for Rogers's second mutation, which lasted more than two hours.
• Rogers finished the second mutation and learned that only eighty-two qualified recipients remained.
• Stephanie rushed into the tent and told Luke that Berlin had launched an attack with all three Battleship-class soldiers.

Saint General sought Guderian’s help to stabilize the Third Reich and plan attacks using three Battleship-class Aryan Supermen. Baron Strucker then pressured him to ally with Hydra, offering political support in exchange for an Aryan Superman, and revealed a loyal masked soldier as his latest creation.

• Saint General discussed the Third Reich’s military situation with Guderian, who proposed three offensives led by Sieglinde, Siegmund, and Siegfried.
• After Guderian left, Baron Strucker warned Saint General that the Allies had obtained Wardun’s Blood and urged him to strike before they could create Aryan Supermen.
• Strucker reminded Saint General that Hydra had imprisoned his opponents and helped him seize power, then demanded Hydra’s flags cover the Third Reich and asked him to create an Aryan Superman for them.
• Strucker presented a tall masked man who demonstrated his loyalty by shouting, “Hail Hydra!”

Baron Strucker persuaded Saint General that Luke Cahill was the Third Reich’s greatest threat and proposed trapping him before the Allies could create more Supermen. Saint General considered altering Guderian’s battle plan but remained undecided.

• Baron Strucker argued that Luke Cahill’s victories in Italy and at Klausburg had changed the course of the war and proved he could threaten the Third Reich.
• Baron Strucker reminded Saint General that Luke had rescued a female spy and caused the loss of Tank-class Julian.
• Saint General acknowledged Luke’s danger but pointed out that the Empire had three Battleship-class specimens and hundreds of Tank-class soldiers.
• Baron Strucker proposed ambushing Luke, then sending the Battleship-class specimens to attack London and Allied headquarters.
• Saint General hesitated over Strucker’s proposal and asked for more time to consider it.

Luke reviewed the Allied Nations’ worsening situation and asked Dr. Zola to adapt Wardun’s Blood to improve cellular energy conversion. Zola agreed despite the treatment’s lifespan-shortening side effects, and Luke demanded results quickly.

• Luke observed the modified soldiers training and learned that only twenty-six of the first three hundred subjects had survived three mutations, while Captain Rogers alone had endured twenty-four.
• Luke considered the German Battleship-class battle groups’ advances and the Allied Nations’ repeated defeats.
• Dr. Zola explained that Wardun’s Blood altered cells to store energy and that Berlin’s Aryan Supermen could release it through their eyes, but could fight for only eight hours.
• Luke asked Dr. Zola to focus the modifications on improving cellular energy conversion, and Zola agreed.
• Dr. Zola warned that using the abilities shortened a subject’s lifespan, while Luke noted that the cost would be especially serious for Rogers.
• Luke told Dr. Zola he wanted results as soon as possible.

Luke prepared to lead the Allies’ counterattack against the Third Reich while Captain America completed testing as a Battleship-class Super Soldier. After seeing Rogers’s strength, Luke ordered him to prepare for battle in Paris.

• Carter brought Luke telegrams from the Allies and the White House, and Luke correctly guessed their contents.
• Luke told Carter he intended to reorganize the Strategic Scientific Reserve after the war and was confident no rival could threaten his position.
• At the army camp, Rogers demonstrated his enhanced strength by destroying tanks, while Stephanie explained that she had made him a Battleship-class soldier focused on durability.
• Luke asked Rogers how his enhanced body felt, then told him to prepare to go to Paris.

Sieglinde’s force occupied Paris as the Third Reich prepared to bomb the city and use it to draw the Allied Nations into a final battle. As she waited for the Allied Superman to appear, she spotted Allied transport planes approaching.

• Sieglinde’s battle group occupied Paris after breaking through the Allied lines with little resistance.
• A Hydra officer told Sieglinde that Berlin had ordered the bombing of Paris to begin in an hour.
• Sieglinde threatened the officer until he revealed that Saint General planned to make Paris the final battlefield and lure out the Allied Superman.
• Sieglinde hoped to defeat the Superman and earn an Iron Cross, then waited for the bombing to begin.
• Forty minutes later, Sieglinde spotted several Allied transport planes approaching through the dark sky.

Luke led the Allied Colossus unit into occupied Paris to confront Sieglinde, while Baron Strucker prepared a plan involving Luke and Hydra’s Far Star Project. The Allies advanced toward the Arc de Triomphe, unaware that two more Aryan Supermen were approaching.

• Luke and Rogers landed in Paris with twenty-eight Allied Tank-class soldiers to attack Sieglinde and the Third Reich forces.
• Luke warned the Colossus unit to stay together and ordered them to retreat if they encountered Sieglinde, leaving her to him and Rogers.
• Baron Strucker told Heinrich Zemo that he suspected Luke had Inhuman blood because his powers exceeded those of an ordinary Super Soldier.
• Strucker planned to capture Luke and use him as a sacrifice for the Far Star Project, while treating the theory as something to investigate.
• Strucker revealed that two Aryan Supermen as powerful as Sieglinde were on their way to Paris.

Allied forces advanced toward the Arc de Triomphe while Rogers fought German Tank-class soldiers, and Luke encountered Sieglinde alone. Their battle began with Luke throwing Sieglinde into the road, leaving the outcome uncertain.

• Sieglinde's squad fought a six-man Allied unit, killing one Allied Tank-class soldier before Rogers arrived and defeated two German soldiers.
• Rogers ordered the Allied squad to regroup while he moved ahead to face more German soldiers.
• Luke traveled alone toward Place de l'Étoile and encountered Sieglinde, the German Battleship-class soldier.
• Sieglinde attacked Luke with an energy blast, but he dodged and charged her with a powerful punch.
• Sieglinde caught Luke's punch and counterattacked, but Luke blocked her knee strike, seized her wrist, and threw her into the road.

Luke defeated Sieglinde in their fight, but German bombers attacked Paris and Rogers struggled to stop them. Baron Strucker watched as Luke suddenly flew into the sky on a green winged horse.

• Luke used Deathstroke's Martial Arts Master skill to overpower Sieglinde, who unleashed a devastating energy attack that left him with only a cut on his cheek.
• Sieglinde, exhausted and badly injured, revealed that German bombers were coming to destroy Paris and hoped to take Luke down with her.
• Rogers saw the Stuka bombers attack and ran toward the Eiffel Tower to find a better position for shooting them down.
• Baron Strucker told First Baron Zemo that Sieglinde's defeat strengthened his belief that Luke had Inhuman blood.
• Baron Strucker and First Baron Zemo watched in astonishment as Luke soared into the sky on an emerald-green winged horse.

Luke used a Green Lantern Disc to destroy the German bomber formation over Paris, then confronted three Battleship-class warriors. As Siegmund, Siegfried, and Sieglinde faced him, Luke launched the first attack on Siegmund.

• Luke created an emerald Pegasus with the Green Lantern Disc and flew after the Stuka bombers attacking Paris.
• Luke shrugged off machine-gun fire and destroyed the bomber formation, prompting Baron Strucker to order Hydra to withdraw with First Baron Zemo.
• Luke spotted Baron Strucker and another masked figure, then landed near the recovering Sieglinde as the disc’s energy ran out.
• Sieglinde offered Luke a place with the Third Reich, but Luke rejected her and encountered Siegmund, who carried the severed head of an Allied soldier.
• Siegfried arrived and challenged Luke alongside Siegmund and Sieglinde, and Luke charged at Siegmund to begin the fight.

Luke used Deathstroke’s combat awareness to overpower Siegmund in a brutal close-quarters fight, then challenged the remaining Aryan Supermen to attack together. The chapter ended with Luke advancing through the ruined street as he warned them they were running out of time.

• Luke dodged Siegmund’s punch, struck his abdomen, and slammed him face-first into the ground.
• Siegmund tried to rise and unleash his energy, but Luke pinned his head and endured the attack as his hand burned and began regenerating.
• Luke explained that he felt the pain but could disregard it through Deathstroke’s combat awareness.
• Siegfried and the other surviving Aryan Superman grew frightened by Luke’s apparent composure.
• Luke stepped forward and told the remaining opponents to attack together because they did not have much time left.

Luke and Rogers joined forces against Sieglinde and Siegfried, but Siegfried’s precise energy attack threatened to destroy everyone on the street. Rather than risk being injured and relying on his healing, Luke opened his panel and leveled up.

• Siegfried advanced with Sieglinde and declared that their odds had improved to two against one.
• Rogers arrived to fight alongside Luke, and Sieglinde immediately attacked him while Siegfried waited for his opening.
• Sieglinde battered Rogers after he blocked her punch with his shield and accidentally exposed her uniform.
• Siegfried unleashed compressed spheres of annihilating energy and explained that he planned to sacrifice himself to eliminate Luke.
• Luke decided to end the fight without taking the blast and opened his panel to level up.

Luke upgraded his Magic Superman template to LV2 and used his enhanced powers to defeat the remaining Aryan Supermen in Paris. After leaving Rogers behind to report the victory, Luke flew toward Berlin to end the war.

• Luke spent most of his reputation points upgrading to the LV2 Magic Superman template, gaining far greater strength and enhanced abilities, including flight and Heat Vision.
• Luke killed Siegfried with Heat Vision, protected Rogers from the ensuing explosion with his Bio-Force Field, and killed Sieglinde and Siegmund.
• Rogers admitted his disappointment at needing Luke's help, and Luke reassured him that becoming a combat genius took time.
• Luke told Rogers to stay in Paris and report the victory to London, then took off toward Berlin, surprising Rogers with his ability to fly.

Luke flew to Berlin and entered the underground research facility as Superman of the Allied Nations, where he confronted Saint General after the Third Reich’s defeat. Saint General gave Luke the Brude insect race modification plans and took his own life, leaving Luke to look over Berlin and wonder who would rule the new era.

• Luke broke the sound barrier on his way from Paris to Berlin and crashed through the roof of the underground research facility.
• Luke announced the Third Reich’s defeat, killed a fanatic with Heat Vision, and made his way through the facility to find Saint General.
• Saint General told Luke that Baron Strucker had offered to help him escape and explained that he had stayed to the end rather than abandon the Third Reich.
• Saint General offered Luke the original Brude insect race modification plans in exchange for being allowed to die with dignity.
• A few minutes after Luke accepted the deal, a gunshot sounded in the operations room, and Luke flew above Berlin wondering who would master the new era.

After the war, Luke used a staged photograph to build his public reputation, but rumors and sensational stories quickly overshadowed the real questions about his powers. Colonel Phillips told him the military might keep him in charge of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and Luke welcomed the prospect because he wanted to develop the organization quietly.

• After the Allied victory, a staged photograph of Luke flying in metal armor became a sensation, inspiring rumors and fictional tales about him.
• At Bletchley Manor, Luke complained to Colonel Phillips about the wild stories and explained that he had arranged the photograph to earn more reputation.
• Colonel Phillips warned Luke that politicians might disregard him once he was no longer useful and advised him to lie low until the right opportunity came.
• Colonel Phillips told Luke that some military leaders wanted him to keep leading the Strategic Scientific Reserve rather than enter the Department of Defense.
• Luke declined to pursue higher office and considered the Strategic Scientific Reserve's potential as the forerunner of S.H.I.E.L.D.

After the war, Luke witnessed the new world order take shape and reorganized the Strategic Scientific Reserve as its new leader. The chapter ended with Luke proposing that the agency be renamed S.H.I.E.L.D.

• Japan's thirty-one Tank-class soldiers were destroyed by members of the God Spear Bureau, and Japan later surrendered after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• Luke attended the Yalta Conference as a celebrated war hero while the Allied leaders negotiated the postwar order and worried about his power.
• The President promised Luke a promotion to rear admiral, while Rogers and Colonel Phillips helped spread Luke's fame.
• Luke reorganized the Strategic Scientific Reserve in London and secured Hydra's remaining forces, researchers, and the Tesseract despite Britain's objections.
• After Roosevelt died, Truman became president and awarded Luke the rank of rear admiral and leadership of the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
• Luke told Truman that he wanted to rename the Strategic Scientific Reserve S.H.I.E.L.D.

Luke visited Rogers at the Army Club and encouraged him to join the newly renamed S.H.I.E.L.D. as he struggled to find direction after the war. Luke left Rogers to consider the offer and went to meet another guest.

• Luke arrived at the Army Club, where admirers surrounded him before he went upstairs to meet Rogers.
• Rogers told Luke that he felt lost now that the war had ended and he had nowhere to go.
• Luke explained that the Strategic Scientific Reserve was becoming S.H.I.E.L.D. and invited Rogers to join.
• Luke warned Rogers that the coming Cold War would bring another kind of conflict and that America would need him.
• Rogers thanked Luke and agreed to think over the offer, while Luke paid the tab and left to meet another guest.

Luke arrived at the Pentagon and met with Bolivar Trask, a geneticist whose research focused on human evolution and Mutants. He told Trask that he had seen Mutants himself, setting the stage for a discussion of the Hellfire Club and Trask’s work.

• Luke rode to the Pentagon, thinking about recruiting Captain America, Howard, and Carter for S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Luke entered the Pentagon and went to his third-floor office, where his secretary said Bolivar Trask was waiting.
• Luke welcomed Trask and described the genetic theories in Trask’s papers, prompting Trask to anxiously deny being a racist or Nazi.
• Luke reassured Trask that he wanted to discuss Mutants and agreed with his research.
• Luke told Trask that he had seen Mutants with his own eyes and hinted that he planned to deal with the Hellfire Club.