| Apocalypse |  They'll be coming. They'll try to stop us.  |
| Spider-Man | They will not succeed. |
| Apocalypse | Are the three of you ready? |
| Spider-Man | Yes. We are ready to hunt. |
Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
- Human Torch (Johnny Storm) (Death)
- Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
- Luke Cage
- Jessica Jones-Cage
- Pepper Potts
- Honey Badger (Gabby Kinney)
- Wolverine (Laura Kinney)
- Doctor Doom (Dr. Victor von Doom)
- Aja-Adanna (Shuri)
- Black Panther (King T'Challa)
- Moon Girl (Lunella Lafayette)
- Marvel Girl (Jean Grey)
- Invisible Woman (Sue Storm Richards)
- Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) (First appearance) (Temporarily controlled by the Purple Man)
Supporting Characters:
- Dani Cage
- May Parker
- Blade (Eric Brooks)
- Dora Milaje (First appearance)
- Okoye (First appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
- Mister Fantastic (Dr. Reed Richards) (Controlled by the Purple Man)
- Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Octavius) (First appearance) (Controlled by the Purple Man)
- Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur)
- Purple Man (Zebediah Killgrave)
- Spider-Man (Miles Morales) (Possessed by the Venom and Carnage symbiotes)
- Venom symbiote (Amalgamated with the Carnage symbiote)
- Carnage symbiote (Amalgamated with the Venom symbiote)
Other Characters:
- Galactus (Galan) (Mentioned)
- Tony Stark (Mentioned)
- Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Mentioned)
- Mystique (Raven Darkhölme) (Mentioned)
- Magneto (Erik Lensherr)
- Beast (Dr. Hank McCoy) (Mentioned)
- Riri Williams (Mentioned)
- Franklin Richards (Referenced)
Races and Species:
- Humans
- Human-Vampire Hybrids
- Mutants
- Vampires (Mentioned)
- Symbiotes
Locations:
Items:
- Fantastic Four Uniforms
- Spider-Man's Suit and Web-Shooters
- Wolverine's Suit
- Blade's Sword
- Doctor Doom's Armor
- Panther Habit
- Doctor Octopus' Tentacles (First appearance)
Synopsis for 1st story
At a tea party for Dani Cage and May Parker, Johnny Storm uses his flame powers to heat a tea-kettle, expressing incredulity when the young girls reveal they haven't heard of classic villains like Galactus. As Spider-Man and Luke Cage tell Johnny to let the girls have fun, Jessica Jones-Cage approaches with a haggard expression, Peter and Luke realizing something's wrong.
At Tony Stark and Pepper Potts' lab, Blade, Wolverine, and Honey Badger investigate Stark's disappearance. As Pepper says that Tony had left with Captain America, Honey Badger interrupts to say that their visitor was an imposter, having a completely different scent than Steve Rogers. Wolverine growls that she recognizes the scent as belonging to Mystique. Setting out to follow the trail, Wolverine surmises to the others that the Night Horde attack the night before was a diversion. Finding the clearing, Wolverine and Blade deduce what happened, and reveal that Apocalypse took Tony.
At Wakanda, Doctor Doom advocates storming Apocalypse's base and taking Tony back, Johnny sneering that he didn't think Doom cared about anyone other than himself. Lunella Lafayette remarks that Doom is saying that Tony's weapon-making skills in the wrong hands could be disastrous. Pepper protests that Tony is more than a weapon-maker, but Doom scoffs that she is deluding herself if she believes that before grimly warning T'Challa that his utopia will go up in flames unless Tony is retrieved. Pepper volunteers to lead the charge, Peter and Johnny volunteering to join her. As Sue Storm remarks that they don't even know if Tony is still alive, Johnny lashes out at Doom for melodramatically simulating the sound of a doomsday clock ticking down. As Johnny remarks that thus far they've avoided conflict with Apocalypse and his forces, and can't afford to blindly rush in; T'Challa remarks that they do have someone who can do so.
Quicksilver is dispatched as a scout, using his superhuman speed to infiltrate Apocalypse's territory, but is caught off-guard by the sight of Magneto still alive - albeit enslaved. Quicksilver tries to save his father, but is electrocuted by Doctor Octopus and brainwashed by the Purple Man. Quicksilver is sent back to Wakanda, Jean Grey and Spider-Man sensing that something is wrong too late. In he span of a second, Quicksilver evades Spider-Man's attempts to restrain him with webbing, snaps the neck of Okoye, T'Challa's royal bodyguard, and impales Johnny through the heart with a spear. Enraged, Jean shuts down Quicksilver's mind, but Johnny loses control of his powers and starts to go supernova, Sue using her forcefield to contain the blast while deliberately letting Quicksilver's legs be incinerated.
Restored to his senses, Quicksilver reveals that the Purple Man made him a prisoner in his own body, Jessica bitterly recalling her time as his sex-slave and saying it wasn't Pietro's fault. Quicksilver reveals that Apocalypse built a Faraday cage using Magneto as a power source, letting him hold back the EMP and produce electricity, T'Challa's sister Shuri remarks that it could be done - albeit only by someone completely lacking a conscience. As Quicksilver reveals that not only Tony Stark but Beast, Riri Williams, and Reed Richards have been enslaved, Sue is outraged to learn that her husband is still alive and rushes from the room in shock, while the others begin planning to send a strike force to Europe the following day.
Outside his fortress, Apocalypse tells Miles Morales - bonded to and controlled by an amalgam of the Venom and Carnage symbiotes - that the heroes will be coming to stop them, asking if Miles and his symbiotes are ready. Symbiote Spider-Man snarls that they will not succeed, extending bladed tendrils and eagerly declaring his intent to make Apocalypse's foes his prey.
Solicit Synopsis
AFTER THE LIGHTS GO OUT — STRANGE THINGS LURK WITHIN THE DARKNESS!
The Earth has been plunged into darkness, and Avengers and X-Men have begun vanishing in the night. They have been taken and twisted by Apocalypse to serve an evil older than the world. A group of heroes will assemble to travel across the dark planet in a desperate attempt to rescue their friends and save a civilization already on its knees.