Chapter Summaries

Sean confronted the real Mandarin after using Trevor as bait, and their battle wrecked the Mirror Dimension and a building. Sean defeated Mandarin, removed his arms, and sent him away while keeping the Ten Rings.

• Mandarin detected the tracking device beneath Trevor’s skin and attacked Sean, who had been hiding nearby.
• Sean isolated Mandarin from Trevor and the other Ten Rings members, then revealed that he wanted the rings and challenged him to fight.
• Mandarin unleashed several rings at once, but Sean’s overwhelming power crushed his attacks and forced him to dodge.
• Sean and Mandarin exchanged a barrage of elemental attacks that shattered the Mirror Dimension and collapsed the building, sending nearby tourists into a panic.
• Sean defeated the badly injured Mandarin, severed his arms, and sent him away before collecting the ten rings.

Sean focused on Umbrella’s growing research, security, and settlement projects after defeating the Ten Rings, while its influence expanded across the world. When Betty publicly posted a photo of the ring he had given her, Gwen grew jealous, leaving Sean to plan a talk with the women in his life.

• Umbrella expanded its research facilities and advanced its work in biology, energy, and precision manufacturing.
• Ivan Vanko became General Ross’s scientific adviser, and the Vanko family regained its former standing.
• Sean bought land in Westchester for a Mutant settlement, while Umbrella’s Rapid Response Team formed a security company and partnered with the NYPD.
• Gwen ignored Sean, and Maya Hansen pointed out that he had caused trouble by not buying enough gifts.
• Sean saw that Betty had posted a photo of her gemstone ring and tagged him, prompting Tony Stark and Harry Osborn to tease him.
• Sean decided to invite everyone over to talk and clear up misunderstandings.

Sean reviewed the fallout from Asgard’s exposure and planned to exploit the conflict between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, starting by targeting Nick Fury. He considered the looming threat of Thanos and the future path involving Asgard, the Dark Elves, and the Aether before returning to the bedroom.

• Sean read Skynet’s reports on how Asgard’s exposure had prompted worldwide interest in extraterrestrial civilizations and Jane Foster’s invitation to the White House.
• Sean identified Project Insight as Nick Fury’s plan to use predictive data analysis and Sky Carriers to eliminate potential threats, and considered driving S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra into conflict.
• Sean chose Nick Fury as his first target and reviewed Steve Rogers’s routines and visits to Peggy.
• Sean checked on the Avengers’ activities, including Tony’s Iron Legion and Ultron Program, Thor’s efforts to rebuild Asgard, and Barton’s psychotherapy.
• Sean reflected that Thanos would eventually return and focused on Asgard, the Dark Elves, and the Aether as he prepared for what lay ahead.
• Sean returned to the bedroom, where the awakened women greeted him with startled cries and languid moans.

Nick Fury was ambushed while leaving the White House and fought his way out of the attackers’ first trap in his armored Cherokee. A masked figure then stopped his car with a shockwave and knocked him unconscious.

• Nick Fury left the White House with a file on the Sentry after arguing with the World Security Council over S.H.I.E.L.D.’s database.
• Armed attackers rammed Fury’s Cherokee, disabled its systems, and tried to break into the vehicle.
• Fury used the Cherokee’s machine guns and missile to destroy several attackers’ vehicles, then drove through the ambush.
• Fury evaded the pursuing SUVs through Washington D.C. and vowed to expose the threat inside S.H.I.E.L.D.
• A masked figure trapped Fury’s Cherokee in a shockwave, overturned it, and pulled Fury from the wreckage as he lost consciousness.

Sean arranged for Hydra to capture Nick Fury, intending to destroy Fury’s will and leave S.H.I.E.L.D. vulnerable to a takeover. After Fury disappeared, Hill told Steve that the Winter Soldier had likely taken him because of Project Insight, and Steve prepared to track down the assassin.

• Sean explained to Mystique Raven that Hydra would target Nick Fury over Project Insight and said he wanted to break Fury’s will rather than defeat him with force.
• Hill told Steve that Fury had vanished after his car was attacked and showed him a photograph of the Winter Soldier.
• Hill identified the Winter Soldier as a Soviet assassin with a record of successful missions, including an attempt on Tony Stark.
• Hill explained that Project Insight would use Sky Carrier satellites and DNA screening to target potential threats before they acted.
• Steve objected to Project Insight’s surveillance and ordered the Avengers gathered while he set out to find the Winter Soldier.

Alexander Pierce learned that the Winter Soldier had vanished and Nick Fury’s whereabouts were unknown, then questioned Steve Rogers about Fury’s encrypted message. Steve revealed that Fury had told him not to trust anyone, so Pierce ordered his arrest as he moved to seize control of S.H.I.E.L.D.

• Alexander Pierce learned that the Winter Soldier’s mission had failed and Nick Fury had disappeared.
• Pierce discovered that Fury had sent Steve Rogers an encrypted message and summoned him to the conference room.
• Pierce tried to gain Steve’s trust by recalling his history with Fury and describing his own efforts to build a better world.
• Steve refused to reveal Fury’s message at first, then told Pierce that Fury had said not to trust anyone.
• Pierce ordered Captain Rogers arrested after Steve left.

Nick Fury was captured by Raven Darkholme and the Winter Soldier, and he realized Sean Sipes was behind the operation. Sean explained that he intended to crush whatever stood in his way and began to reveal a surprise gift for Fury.

• Nick Fury woke restrained in a dark room and told his captors that he would not reveal S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets.
• Raven told Fury she wanted him to cooperate in a performance and revealed that the Avengers had gone the wrong way.
• Fury recognized the Winter Soldier and accused his captors of being Hydra, then identified Raven as Mystique when the lights came on.
• Fury connected the clues to Sean Sipes, who entered and confirmed that Fury’s instincts were right.
• Sean told Fury that he crushed obstacles in his path and began describing a surprise gift.

Sean revealed his plan to frame Nick Fury as a deeply embedded Hydra agent and explained how he would make Captain America uncover convincing evidence. Fury's resistance broke as Sean laid out the staged trail that would implicate him.

• Sean questioned the injured Nick Fury and read from a script detailing Fury's military and intelligence history, including his knowledge of the Skrulls.
• Sean accused Fury of being Hydra and tied his alleged motives to his father's death during the 1932 Bonus Army march.
• Sean claimed Fury had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., manipulated its programs, and planned to have the Winter Soldier kill Alexander Pierce.
• Fury denied the accusations and struggled against his restraints, but Sean said he had arranged evidence for Captain America to discover.
• Sean explained that Captain America would follow an encrypted message to a USB drive and a New Jersey base, where Arnim Zola would help complete the frame-up.

Alexander Pierce seized control of S.H.I.E.L.D., ordered a purge of Nick Fury’s loyalists, and prepared to launch Project Insight. His triumph ended when the Winter Soldier shot him through a window and revealed his face to the cameras.

• Sitwell ordered a Level One alert and a search for Captain America, while Sharon Carter challenged the order.
• Pierce declared Captain Rogers a fugitive and claimed authority from the World Security Council.
• Pierce had Maria Hill arrested as she secretly activated the destruction protocol for classified files.
• Pierce told Sitwell that Project Insight would soon launch the Sky Carriers and let Hydra purge its enemies.
• The Winter Soldier shot Pierce through the bulletproof glass and removed his mask for the satellites and cameras.

Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff followed Nick Fury’s clue to an abandoned training camp, where they uncovered a secret Strategic Scientific Reserve computer room. After Natasha activated its system, a Russian-accented artificial intelligence identified them, leaving them facing an unknown presence.

• Steve met Natasha at a Greenwich Village café, where she said the Winter Soldier had taken Fury and described a past encounter with the assassin.
• Steve and Natasha escaped S.H.I.E.L.D. searches and used Fury’s USB drive to trace its signal to Lehigh Training Camp.
• Natasha scanned the abandoned camp and found no suspicious signals, but Steve realized a warehouse violated military storage regulations.
• Steve cut open the warehouse and he and Natasha discovered a hidden elevator leading to an underground computer room.
• Natasha connected the USB drive and activated the computer, which displayed a humanlike face and identified Steve Rogers and Natasha Alianovna Romanoff.

Skynet pursued and absorbed Doctor Zola in the virtual world, while his computer continued revealing Hydra’s infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. The chapter ended with Captain America and Natasha trapped in the underground server room as a missile exploded around them.

• Skynet hunted Doctor Zola through the internet and absorbed his consciousness and data.
• Captain America and Natasha heard Zola explain how Hydra survived the war and secretly infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Zola revealed that Hydra had orchestrated crises for decades and that its heir was hidden among S.H.I.E.L.D.’s ranks.
• Zola identified the trusted person behind Project Insight and the Tesseract work as Hydra’s enemy, then announced that he had been stalling for time.
• The server room sealed as a missile approached, and its explosion buried Captain America and Natasha beneath rubble.

Sean used fabricated evidence and public suspicion to break Nick Fury and make him appear to be a Hydra traitor, while arranging the downfall of both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra's leaders. Afterward, he told Raven to prepare for her turn to enter the conflict.

• Sean showed Nick Fury a recording of the World Security Council condemning him and laid out evidence tying him to the Lemurian Star hijacking.
• Sean explained that Fury’s actions, combined with his supposed Hydra identity, made him look guilty and left him unable to defend himself.
• Fury warned Sean that the lie would eventually be exposed, but Sean argued that people preferred a comforting lie to a painful reality.
• Sean said Fury and Alexander Pierce had both been dealt with and that he was ready to claim the spoils.
• Raven questioned Sean about the lives at stake, and Sean told her to get ready for her turn to take the stage.

Natasha struggled with the truth about S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra before seeking comfort from Sean. In Asgard, Odin sent Thor to Midgard to become a hero and build peaceful ties as the Nine Realms faced growing threats.

• Natasha concluded that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated by Hydra and parted ways with Steve, unsure where to go.
• Sean arrived and embraced Natasha, and she sought comfort with him.
• Thor told Odin that Asgard had reorganized its legions and would soon restore order across the Nine Realms.
• Odin warned Thor that Asgard had weakened while Midgard advanced, and that a new catastrophe might be approaching.
• Odin ordered Thor to go to Midgard, learn to be a hero, and extend an olive branch of peace.

Steve and Sam discussed General Ross’s takeover of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the proposed Superheroes Registration Act as public pressure against superheroes mounted. Sean watched the debate unfold, confident that the unrest advanced his plan to control superheroes and build a new world.

• General Ross took command of S.H.I.E.L.D., purged its ranks, and had Nick Fury branded a traitor and placed on the wanted list.
• Steve told Sam he would not return to a government-controlled S.H.I.E.L.D., and Sam asked what he thought about the proposed Superheroes Registration Act.
• The government and public debated whether superheroes should be regulated, while the Avengers faced growing condemnation.
• Sean watched the public backlash from the Baxter Building and considered it part of his plan to control superheroes and establish a new world.
• Sean carried milk and bread to the bedroom, where a female agent was waiting, and reflected on his future blueprint for the Sentry and himself.

Sean met General Ross to discuss Ross’s new role leading S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military’s future. He recommended Helmut Zemo as a leader and persuaded Ross to pursue a powerful force for operations beyond Earth.

• Sean visited General Ross at the Army Club and congratulated him on becoming S.H.I.E.L.D.’s acting supreme commander.
• General Ross thanked Sean for helping him gain control of S.H.I.E.L.D. and said he had recommended Sean for a White House chief adviser position.
• Sean recommended Helmut Zemo, a colonel in the Sokovia Elite Forces, to help remove Nick Fury’s influence and rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Sean urged General Ross to establish a powerful military force for external operations, citing the coming threat from Asgard and the Dark Elves.
• General Ross hesitated over Congress’s opposition, but Sean convinced him that taking the risk would make him a historic hero, and Ross agreed.

Sean tried to persuade Tony Stark to support the Superheroes Registration Act before a United Nations conference, warning that the Avengers would face mounting pressure and S.H.I.E.L.D. oversight. Tony remained conflicted, and Sean left him with a videotape dated December 16, 1991, connected to the day Tony lost his parents.

• Sean told Tony that the Registration Act had strong government and public support and that Avengers were already taking different positions.
• Tony said Iron Man should not become a government tool and that he wanted to retain the freedom to choose his actions.
• Sean warned that 117 countries would vote on the Act in Vienna in half a month and that the Avengers would face S.H.I.E.L.D. oversight.
• Sean argued that Tony’s goals for Ultron and Project Insight aligned with creating a world under surveillance and urged him to compromise.
• Sean gave Tony a videotape from S.H.I.E.L.D. archives labeled December 16, 1991, and Tony accepted it after recognizing the date tied to his parents’ deaths.

Steve and Sam questioned Sitwell about the Winter Soldier, learning that he was Steve’s former friend Bucky Barnes. After Sitwell was shot by the Winter Soldier, Steve confronted Bucky, and Iron Armor arrived as the fight continued.

• Steve broke into Sitwell’s apartment with Sam and demanded information about the Winter Soldier.
• Sitwell revealed that the Winter Soldier was James Buchanan Barnes, Steve’s former comrade, and described how Hydra had captured and conditioned him.
• A metal bullet killed Sitwell, and Steve and Sam pursued the assassin to a nearby rooftop.
• Steve recognized Bucky, but Bucky denied knowing him and attacked; Sam intervened as Steve hesitated to fight his old friend.
• Iron Armor struck the Winter Soldier with a Repulsor Ray and descended onto the rooftop.

After learning that the Winter Soldier had killed his parents, Tony attacked him, while Steve tried to protect Bucky and stop Tony from killing him. The Winter Soldier escaped as Tony and Steve remained at odds, leaving the Avengers divided.

• Tony arrived and attacked the Winter Soldier after watching footage of him killing Howard and Maria Stark.
• Steve blocked Tony's attack to save Bucky, and Bucky fought back while Falcon tried to intervene.
• Tony explained his grief over his parents and said Bucky deserved to die, while Steve insisted that Hydra had brainwashed him.
• Steve and Tony fought, with Steve trying to restrain Tony and Tony accusing him of excusing Bucky's actions.
• Sam broke free of Tony's shackles and told Steve and Tony that the Winter Soldier had escaped.

As the Superheroes Registration Act approached its signing, Sean Sipes defended it at the United Nations while fugitive Steve Rogers watched from Romania. Steve and Sam Wilson continued searching for Bucky, hoping to find him before Tony did, as Steve questioned his place in the changing world.

• Sean Sipes addressed delegates at the United Nations and argued that Superheroes needed government supervision and restraint.
• Steve watched Sean's speech on television in Romania, where he and Sam were fugitives opposing the Registration Act.
• Steve told Sam that Bucky should face a just trial, but should not be killed by Tony as an act of revenge.
• Steve said S.H.I.E.L.D. would soon locate Bucky through Project Insight, so they had to reach him before Tony.
• Steve reflected on concealing the truth about Howard Stark's death from Tony and wondered who he was in the new century.

At a United Nations gathering, Sean persuaded Tony Stark to consider working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and using political and financial interests to shape the world from within. Tony remained focused on finding the Winter Soldier, but Sean’s proposal to combine Ultron with Project Insight began to sway him.

• After the nations signed the act, Sean observed the gathering and spoke with Tony Stark, Peter Parker, and the Fantastic Four.
• Sean asked Tony if he was still troubled by the Winter Soldier, and Tony explained his anger over Bucky Barnes killing his parents and Captain Rogers protecting him.
• Tony asked whether S.H.I.E.L.D. had located Barnes, and Sean said his last known location was in Romania.
• Tony questioned whether S.H.I.E.L.D. had built Isolated Island Prison to hold the Avengers, and Sean said it was originally intended for Mutants.
• Sean argued that they could use political interests and human ambition to change the world from within, then proposed integrating Tony’s Ultron Program into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Project Insight.
• Tony said Sean might be right and began reconsidering cooperation with S.H.I.E.L.D.