For the second instalment of Classic Comics, we are returning once again to the year 1973. This week, I will be telling you about what could be considered as one of the first crossover 'events'.
First of all, before I delve in to the story itself, I'll run through the current rosters for these teams at the time of the event.
For the Avengers we have: Iron Man, Captain America, Black Panther, The Vision, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Swordsman and Mantis. Most of these characters have been mainstays on the Avengers team for a few years, with only Black Panther, Mantis and Swordsman having joined fairly recently.
On The Defenders side of things we have: Doctor Strange, Namor the Submariner, Valkyrie, Silver Surfer, The Incredible Hulk, and Hawkeye, (Hawkeye had joined only a couple of issues before this event took place, after he had previously left the Avengers after a disagreement.)
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| The Defenders, as Strange goes to find the Knights soul |
The narrative of the story centres around The Defenders quest to save The Black Knight, Dane Whitman, who they had previously fought alongside when battling The Executioner, and he was also a former member of the Avengers. After the aforementioned battle with The Executioner, The Enchantress had kissed Black Knight, which caused him to be turned to stone. Doctor Strange comes up with a plan to locate the Knight's soul, hidden in another dimension, using his astral form. He relays a message to the Knight, and while awaiting a reply, Dormammu, Strange's nemesis, intercepts and changes the Knight's reply, telling The Defenders that a device called The Evil Eye would be able to save him. Dormammu is aided in his scheme by Thor's half-brother, Loki, who had recently been blinded during a battle with his brother.
When The Defenders receive the message, they set out across the world to find the Eye, which had been destroyed and scattered into six pieces. As they begin to do this, Loki realises that once Dormammu get the Eye, he will not stop at just destroying the Earth, but he will destroy Loki's home of Asgard also. Once he realises this, he sends a message to The Avengers at their mansion headquarters, telling them that The Defenders are after the Eye, and intend to destroy the world.
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| Thor locks horns with The Green Goliath |
This sets the conflict between the two teams in motion. Each member of The Avengers goes after one member of The Defenders. Captain America battles his former World War II ally, Namor. The Vision and Scarlet Witch battle Silver Surfer. Thor and Hulk lock horns. Iron Man attempts to subdue Hawkeye, in a call back to the archer's first appearance in Marvel comics. Doctor Strange comes into conflict with Black Panther and Mantis. Finally, Swordsman and Valkyrie clash in a castle in South America.
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| Former wartime allies Captain America and Namor |
All of The Defenders manage to retrieve their pieces of the Eye. However, Cap and Namor begin to realise that something about this is not right, and rush back to Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum to relay their suspicions, along with the rest of their teams. After discovering this, they are all teleported to the location of Hulk and Thor's battle, where the two behemoths are told to cease the conflict. Once all of the pieces of the Evil Eye are put together, Dormammu swoops in and takes them all, allowing him to enact his plans, merging his dimension with the Earth. In doing so, many people turn in to demons. Strange takes all members of both teams to the Dark Dimension to battle Dormammu, while SHIELD is left to protect the Earth.
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| Dormammu discovers the conflict |
When they finally reach The Dread Dormammu, there is a brief battle, with Loki finally betraying his ally, and having his sight restored by Scarlet Witch. When they are sure that it is over, they all return to Earth, where Doctor Strange wipes the memories of The Defenders existence from the minds of SHIELD and any nearby civilians. He allows The Avengers to remember, due to the two teams now being allows.
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| The teams join forces |
The aftermath of this event sees The Defenders freeing the Black Knight from his stone prison.
In terms of the writing for this issue, it's pretty standard stuff for the time that it was released. Also, it's not the most interesting story that has ever been offered to us by Marvel Comics. However, it is an interesting concept, even if the two teams teaming up to face the real threat was utterly predictable.
The artwork, in my opinion, was pretty good for the time, with the battles themselves being great.
I give this story a solid 6.5/10.
Thank you for reading this addition of Classic Comics.
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