Chapter Summaries

Sean and his group finally reached Bucharest, where Mephisto’s forces prepared a blood ritual to bring the Hell Lord into the world at midnight. As night approached, their RV drove into the city while the Blood Clan and werewolves watched.

• Sean’s group traveled slowly after their vehicle broke down, then rested and ate at a roadside motel instead of hurrying after Carrigan.
• Amelia confronted Carrigan as the Blood Clan and werewolves waited outside Bucharest for the sorcerers.
• Carrigan attacked Amelia with his darkness and decay powers, but Lucian intervened and ordered them to stop fighting.
• Dark Creatures poured blood across Bucharest, forming a vast crimson ritual pattern around the city.
• Sean’s group entered Bucharest in a Ford RV as the sun set.

Sean, Mordo, and Johnny entered an evacuated Bucharest, where the Blood Clan’s forces attacked them amid a massive blood formation. After splitting up to destroy its energy nodes, Sean blasted through Amelia and the vampires surrounding him and headed for Mephisto at the Palace of the Parliament.

• Sean, Mordo, and Johnny found Bucharest deserted and learned that the Blood Clan had evacuated its residents while covering the city in a huge blood formation.
• As night fell, werewolves and vampires surrounded the trio, and Sean assigned Mordo and Johnny to destroy nodes at Bucur Church and the Arch of Triumph while he went to the Palace of the Parliament.
• Mordo fought through the Blood Clan with silver ammunition and magic, while Johnny transformed into the Ghost Rider and rode toward the Arch of Triumph, drawn by a familiar presence.
• Amelia confronted Sean, but he unleashed a powerful beam that destroyed her and the gathered Blood Clan guards, sending the other vampires fleeing.
• Sean flew toward the Palace of the Parliament to confront Mephisto.

Sean confronted Mephisto in Bucharest as the Hell Lord completed a ritual to make the city the first foothold of hell in the material world. Mephisto reincarnated through Danny and attacked Sean.

• Sean arrived at Constitution Square and sensed Mephisto’s power gathering around the citywide blood formation.
• Sean entered the Palace of the Parliament and found Mephisto preparing to use the unconscious Danny as his vessel.
• Mephisto’s ritual drew energy from across Bucharest, transformed him into a demon, and raised a barrier Sean could not break.
• Sean deduced that Mephisto intended to overlap hell with the material world and turn Bucharest into a city of hell.
• Mephisto revealed his plan to expand the invasion across Eastern Europe, then completed his reincarnation through Danny.
• The transformed Danny threatened Sean, and Mephisto flashed forward to attack him.

Sean fought Mephisto as the Hell Lord’s ritual brought Bucharest closer to merging with Hell, and his energy blast nearly leveled the Palace of the Parliament. Though Mephisto believed he could not be killed, Sean revealed he had allowed the rebirth ritual to proceed and prepared to test his limits.

• Mephisto attacked Sean with molten flames and bat-wing blades, but Sean unleashed a vast energy beam that destroyed the Palace of the Parliament.
• Mephisto survived the blast and healed as the citywide magic array continued drawing Bucharest into Hell.
• Sean suggested that Mephisto had overlooked why he had been allowed to complete the ritual, leaving the Hell Lord uneasy.
• Sean ordered Mordo to destroy the energy nodes, then told him to flee with Johnny within ten minutes.
• Mordo escaped the battle with the Blood Clan leader and Wolf King Lucian while Mephisto mocked the retreat.
• Sean stood atop the ruins and erupted with dazzling light, ready to discover his limits.

Sean unleashed overwhelming destructive energy as the Sentry, repeatedly disintegrating Mephisto while the Hell Lord resurrected, and half of Bucharest was erased. The battle ended at dawn with Mephisto still alive but broken, and Mordo and the awakened Ghost Riders survived.

• Johnny and Daredevil fought under the influence of the Spirits of Vengeance until Mordo knocked them unconscious and loaded them into his truck.
• A colossal wave of energy erupted from Constitution Square, and Mordo fled as it demolished buildings and spread across Bucharest.
• Sean’s unleashed power destroyed Mephisto’s body again and again, while the Hell Lord’s ritual repeatedly resurrected him.
• Sean and Mephisto endured the prolonged contest until Sean’s energy faded and Mephisto begged to be killed.
• Sean walked into the crater and blasted apart Mephisto’s newly reborn body as dawn rose over a Bucharest devastated across half the city.
• Mordo and the two awakened Ghost Riders watched the sunrise, relieved to have survived.

At a Department of Defense celebration for Umbrella’s contract, Tony Stark saw Ivan Vanko’s successful energy-weapon prototype threaten his claim that the Arc Reactor could not be replicated. The banquet ended with Tony warning Sean’s secretary to watch out for Justin Hammer.

• Tony Stark and Pepper attended the banquet as the military officials waited for Sean to arrive.
• Rhodey reminded Tony that Ivan Vanko’s weapon research challenged his claim about the Arc Reactor, and Tony acknowledged Ivan’s achievement while insisting he was still superior.
• Ivan Vanko appeared with Harry and Yuriko, hid his hostility from the gathered officials, and vowed to take revenge on the Stark family.
• Tony noticed Ivan’s hostile gaze and wondered whether Sean had found him a worthy opponent.
• Tony warned Sean’s secretary to watch out for Justin Hammer before leaving with Pepper.

After Sean defeated Mephisto in Bucharest, Ancient One used the Eye of Agamotto to reverse the city's destruction while leaving the dead untouched. Sean and Ancient One reflected on the cost and consequences of changing time, and Sean prepared to leave for his next expedition.

• Sean recovered after defeating Mephisto and saw that his progress toward the fifty-percent threshold had advanced slightly.
• Ancient One arrived and enclosed the ruined Bucharest in the Mirror Dimension before using the Eye of Agamotto to inspect the damage.
• Ancient One told Sean that Kaecilius had attacked the London Sanctum and that she had barely escaped being dragged into the Dark Dimension by Dormammu.
• Ancient One used the Eye of Agamotto to reverse time in Bucharest, restoring its buildings and streets while Mephisto and the other dead remained dead.
• Ancient One warned Sean that manipulating natural laws carried a price, while Sean argued that change brought vitality.
• Sean concluded that his journey had ended and prepared to return for a more distant expedition.

Nick Fury investigated a mysterious energy eruption in Bucharest and ordered S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to monitor Romania, but the reaction vanished before they could intervene. On his flight back to New York, Sean reflected on his Eastern European mission and read reports of the Hulk rampaging in Rio de Janeiro.

• Nick Fury questioned Coulson and Maria Hill about the Bucharest energy eruption, which satellite images showed centered on a humanoid figure.
• Fury asked about Sean Sipes, then ordered agents in Eastern Europe to travel to Romania and watch Bucharest.
• Coulson reported that the high-energy reaction had disappeared and nothing had happened in Bucharest.
• Sean flew back to New York after concluding his work in Eastern Europe, where Mordo, Matt Murdock, and Johnny had chosen their separate paths.
• Sean read reports and watched footage of the green giant rampaging through Rio de Janeiro before fleeing into the rainforest.

Sean met veteran soldier Emil Blonsky at the Pentagon and offered him a chance to join Umbrella, knowing Blonsky longed for renewed strength and battle. Blonsky left with Sean’s business card, while Sean planned to obtain Hulk’s serum through Umbrella’s project.

• Sean waited at the Pentagon and considered Hulk’s power after General Ross delayed meeting him.
• Sean recognized Emil Blonsky and praised his military record before asking whether he would retire or take a desk job.
• Blonsky insisted he would remain a soldier as long as he could fight, and Sean offered him an opportunity at Umbrella.
• Blonsky weighed a peaceful retirement against his desire for battle, then left for the Military Committee briefing with Sean’s card.
• Sean revealed that Umbrella was monitoring Samuel Sterns and planned to obtain Hulk’s serum for his research.

Samuel Sterns, communicating as Mr. Blue, pushed Bruce Banner, or Mr. Green, for more blood and experimental data to advance his research into Gamma Ray exposure. Banner agreed to meet him, leaving both men headed toward a dangerous collaboration.

• Samuel Sterns entered his laboratory and contacted Bruce Banner through an encrypted channel as Mr. Blue.
• Samuel reviewed his failed tests on mice injected with diluted serum from Banner’s blood and demanded more samples and experimental data.
• Samuel proposed meeting in person, and Banner agreed after returning secretly to Culver University.
• Banner reflected on his escape from the military and decided he needed Mr. Blue’s help to solve the Gamma Ray problem in his body.

Sean strengthened his alliance with General Ross by discussing Ivan Vanko’s energy weapon and the future of warfare. Ross invited Sean to a family dinner the next day to meet his daughter Betty, leaving Sean suspecting he was being set up on a blind date.

• Sean visited General Ross at his Upper East Side home, where Ross praised Ivan Vanko’s energy weapon and its potential for mass production.
• Sean and Ross discussed energy weapons, future warfare, and Sean’s growing influence.
• Ross lamented that the military had halted the hunt for Bruce Banner and abandoned plans to use Blonsky against the Hulk.
• Ross asked Sean about his romantic life and suggested choosing a partner strategically.
• Ross invited Sean to dinner and offered to introduce him to Betty, while Sean privately suspected the invitation was a blind date.

Sean attended General Ross's dinner party, where he debated biology with Betty and bonded with the general over vodka. After leaving, he planned to meet Blonsky, who had decided to pursue greater strength.

• Sean arrived at General Ross's home with Crown Vodka and white tulips and met Betty.
• Sean and Betty debated biology, and he described Umbrella's research plans and its future Hive bio-industrial park.
• General Ross interrupted their discussion, and Sean spent dinner talking with him while they drank the vodka.
• Sean helped the drunken General Ross to his room and left after Betty's opinion of him softened.
• Sean headed to meet Blonsky, who had contacted him after deciding to seek strength.

Sean brought Blonsky to Umbrella’s Babel Tower and promised him a younger, stronger body through a human enhancement experiment. Blonsky agreed to begin the dangerous procedure, leaving his transformation in the hands of Dr. Connors and Dr. Helen Cho.

• Yuriko guided Blonsky through Umbrella’s Babel Tower, where he saw its enormous garden and the mutated animals Sean kept for genetic experiments.
• Sean introduced Blonsky to Dr. Helen Cho and promised to fulfill his desire for greater strength.
• Blonsky explained that he had retired after the Brazil operation and accepted Umbrella’s invitation because he could not bear an ordinary life.
• Dr. Connors outlined a two-stage procedure involving a spinal serum injection followed by gaseous exposure, while Gwen assisted with preparations.
• Blonsky declared that he was not afraid of pain and wanted power, then stripped and was strapped to the operating table as Sean watched.

Sean oversaw Blonsky’s transformation using the Green Goblin and Super Soldier serums, while Dr. Connors and the others monitored the experiment. After Blonsky endured the spinal injection and inhaled the green gas, he began violently attacking the isolation chamber as Sean lowered it into an arena.

• Blonsky endured the painful spinal injection without crying out, and his muscles, bones, and physical indicators strengthened during the first stage.
• Dr. Connors praised Blonsky’s endurance, while Sean explained that Blonsky’s desire for power would lead him to regard Sean as a god.
• Gwen and Dr. Helen Cho monitored Blonsky as the sealed chamber filled with green gas for the experiment’s second stage.
• Blonsky roared and struck the chamber walls as the gas thinned, spreading cracks across the transparent barrier.
• Sean sent Gwen and Dr. Helen Cho away, then dropped the chamber onto a large arena platform surrounded by electrified fences.

Sean tested Blonsky’s Super Soldier enhancement by pitting him against Juggernaut, and Blonsky fought as the powerful Abomination. After Blonsky won the brutal contest, Sean reminded him that their arrangement required obedience before he could receive his reward.

• Blonsky emerged from the isolation chamber transformed by the maximum-dose injection, while Sean ordered Dr. Connors to release Juggernaut for a strength test.
• Juggernaut mocked Blonsky, who transformed further into Abomination and charged him.
• Blonsky and Juggernaut battled fiercely, with Blonsky using his combat skill to gain the upper hand.
• Sean ended the test, and Juggernaut left as Blonsky recovered and praised the fight.
• Sean grabbed Blonsky by the throat and made him submit after warning him to remember who held power over their transaction.

Sean and Betty shared a pleasant meal at Riverside Restaurant while Banner secretly watched them before leaving to contact Mr. Blue. Banner agreed to meet Samuel Sterns, whose experiments had produced a powerful serum-mutated rat, and Sean sensed a fleeting vision of Banner and Hulk.

• Betty arrived late and apologized to Sean, then agreed to get to know him as a friend despite still grieving Banner’s disappearance.
• Sean introduced Betty to the restaurant’s dessert and guided their conversation toward books, making the date comfortable for her.
• Banner returned to the Culver University laboratory for the original experiment data, found it deleted, and watched Betty laughing with Sean before quietly leaving.
• Banner called Mr. Blue and agreed to meet him so they could work on controlling or removing Hulk.
• Samuel Sterns celebrated Banner’s agreement while admiring the aggressive, oversized rat created by his improved serum and imagining the wealth and recognition it could bring him.
• Sean briefly sensed an image of Banner and Hulk intertwined, then dismissed Betty’s question as the vision vanished.

Samuel Sterns trapped Bruce Banner and used an experimental serum to suppress Hulk, then revealed that he intended to exploit Banner’s Gamma-powered body for research and profit. Banner was sedated after hearing Samuel mention Sitwell and S.H.I.E.L.D.

• Banner met Samuel Sterns at Grayburn College, hoping the cellular biology teacher could cure him of Hulk.
• Samuel restrained Banner in his laboratory and used a machine to infuse his blood with a solution intended to reduce Gamma radiation.
• Banner began transforming into Hulk, but Samuel administered the maximum dose and caused him to shrink back to normal.
• Banner thanked Samuel, who revealed that he planned to use Banner’s serum for research and to create powerful warriors.
• Samuel showed Banner a monstrous white rat, injected him with a heavy sedative, and spoke with a buyer as Banner heard the names Sitwell and S.H.I.E.L.D. before losing consciousness.

Sean watched Skynet’s recording of Samuel Sterns negotiating with Hydra agent Sitwell over Hulk’s serum and Bruce Banner. Samuel refused to hand Banner over, while Hydra’s involvement drew Sean’s attention as events grew more complicated.

• Sean learned that Hydra had tracked Banner through its agents embedded in S.H.I.E.L.D. and had lured Samuel with the promise of wealth.
• Sitwell met Samuel at night and inspected a second-generation serum sample, then asked where Banner was.
• Samuel told Sitwell that Banner’s serum remained too toxic for a mature drug and refused to surrender Banner before uncovering his potential.
• Samuel used his giant dog to deter Sitwell and demanded new terms, including payment and test subjects, while revealing he had another buyer.
• Sitwell accepted Samuel’s terms, unaware that Skynet was recording their exchange.
• Sean closed his laptop and considered Hydra’s emergence and Banner’s predicament.

Justin Hammer grew increasingly frustrated by his failures to eliminate Sean Sipes and ordered Fernando to obtain human test subjects for a mysterious strength-enhancing serum. Hammer planned to use the serum to kill Sean and then take it for himself.

• Justin Hammer berated Fernando because his mercenaries had failed to kill Sean and Wade Wilson had refused the job.
• Hammer explained that Umbrella's military success and powerful backers made Sean difficult to target directly.
• Hammer ordered Fernando to find test subjects for an unapproved serum, ignoring Fernando's warnings about the risks.
• Hammer watched Sean speak in support of the Mutant Registration Act and smashed the television in anger.
• Hammer revealed that he had contacted Mr. Blue and planned to use the serum to eliminate Sean before taking it for himself.

Sean’s outing with Betty turned awkward when Gwen and Maya joined them, creating romantic tension among the four. Sean slipped away to the restroom, where armed men confronted him on behalf of their boss.

• Sean walked with Betty and urged her to consider staying in New York instead of returning to Culver University.
• Gwen Stacy and Maya Hansen unexpectedly encountered Sean and Betty, interrupting their romantic moment.
• At a café, Gwen watched Betty sit close to Sean while Maya observed the tension with amusement.
• Sean excused himself and went to the restroom, where a group of men told him their boss wanted to see him.