The Zodiac Legacy Convergence

The Zodiac Legacy Convergence (2015), a young-adult fantasy novel written by Stan Lee and Stuart Moore and illustrated by Andie Tong, is the first book in The Zodiac Legacy trilogy. Set in various locations around the world, the epic story follows fourteen-year-old Chinese-American Steven Lee, who is thrown into a sprawling global adventure when twelve pools of mystical energy based on the signs of the Zodiac are discovered. When a villainous collective known as The Vanguard sets out to obtain the magical superpowers held in the twelve pools, Steven must lead a group of friends and allies to defeat the bad guys, restoring order to the universe. Along the way, Steven absorbs the power of the Tiger and must use his newfound influence to take down the evil villain Maxwell, a corrupt businessman who intends to take over the world. The creative leader of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee’s most well-known works include The Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers, The X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, and many more.

Narrated in alternating perspectives between protagonists and antagonists, the story begins in Hong Kong. Fourteen-year-old Chinese-American Steven Lee, on a class trip from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, visits the New China Heritage Museum. Steven, having always felt a bit out of place in America, feels even more alienated in China. He senses something even stranger when he hears a horrifying scream coming from the bowels of the museum. He investigates the scream, which leads him down a stairwell and into an old underground chamber. Inside the chamber, Steven witnesses Maxwell in the process of unleashing magical powers into the world.

Steven discovers that these magical powers are linked to the Chinese Zodiac and a particular shipan (disc) that can unlock hidden forces. Steven also meets the museum tour-guide Jasmine, who at first seems shady. However, when Steven learns Jasmine is out to stop Maxwell, a ruthless businessman, from obtaining the unlimited power of the Zodiac, Steven decides to help. After Jasmine and Maxwell get into a violent fight, Jasmine asks Steven to join her team. He agrees and is soon beamed with a convergence ray, gifting him with the strength, speed, power, and reflexes of the Tiger, one of the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Maxwell, the leader of the villainous Vanguard group, has absorbed the powers of the Dragon. Maxwell wants to obtain all twelve pools of Zodiac energy in order to seize control of the world.



As the remaining pools of mystical energy are released across the globe and absorbed by various people, Jasmine and Steven must round them up and teach them how to harness their newfound abilities. Along the way, Steven makes friends with a team of ethnically diverse characters. Jasmine, who has also absorbed the powers of the Dragon, is the leader of the resistance; Carlos is her brilliant scientist assistant with no Zodiac powers; Roxanne is a French musician and Rooster; the Irish Liam is a brawling Ram; Duane is a talented hacker and Pig; and Kim is a Rabbit with teleportation skills. Together, Steven and his new friends aim to take down Maxwell and end the Vanguard’s plan of global dominance. At first, Steven is reluctant to partake in the mission, as he doesn’t feel a sense of belonging with Jasmine and Carlos. Yet, with his newfound superpowers, Steven makes a daring escape with Jasmine thrown over his shoulder. The team makes its way back to headquarters in Greenland.

Extensive training and a series of intense battles between both sides ensue, giving Steven an opportunity to discover and accept himself along the way. Maxwell’s evil cohorts include Celine (Snake) who can hypnotize, Josie (Horse), Malik (Ox), Nicky (Dog), Vincent (Monkey), and Thiago (Rat). As the story unfolds, Steven learns Jasmine and Carlos used to work for Maxwell. Jasmine hates Maxwell for his time as a corrupt war-profiteer and wants revenge for his role in annihilating the city of Lysteria and killing her parents in the process.

Steven and the team devise a plan to defeat Maxwell. Carlos builds a machine that lures Maxwell to the Dragon’s Gate, a charged-up meeting point between the Zodiac energy and the ley-lines. Once summoned, Jasmine will extract the other half of Maxwell’s Dragon powers. To achieve this, Jasmine’s teammates must distract Maxwell long enough for her to activate the machine. In the final showdown of the story, all of Maxwell’s agents leave him alone to fight Steven one on one. During their fight, Carlos turns on the machine that allows Jasmine to suck the remaining Dragon energy from Maxwell’s body. The procedure succeeds, but Jasmine absorbs all of the Dragon power. Knowing she has too much power for one person to wield, her teammates release their Zodiac abilities into Jasmine’s body so she can control the power. With the help of Steven, Jasmine drains the energy from Maxwell, setting the mystical energies of the Zodiac free, and defeating the Vanguard once and for all. Their mission is complete. Steven comes to accept his new role as a leader, friend, and Tiger.



American comic book author, editor, and publisher Stan Lee’s work spanned from the 1940s to the 2010s. In the 1950s, Lee revolutionized Marvel Comics by shifting storylines to focus on superheroes that had deeply flawed, human characteristics. In the 1970s, Lee became the public face of Marvel Comics, introducing the company’s first graphic novel in 1978 with The Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Cosmic Experience. In 1981, Lee moved to Los Angeles to focus on Marvel’s TV and film adaptations. For his contributions, Lee has won a Life Career Saturn Award, National Medal of Arts, Scream Award, Hugo Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Lee died on November 12, 2018, at the age of ninety-five.