Defenders (Vol. 1)

**Line**: Supernatural

**Status**: Concluded

## Details

**THE DEFENDERS**

 Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

 Plot by EXCITER

 Art by SALVADOR LARACCO

 Tagline: You don’t have to be friends to be Defenders.

 Location: The Sanctum Sanctorum in Greenwich Village, New York City

 Cast: The quintessential “non-team,” these unique heroes all have their own distinct and often conflicting agendas. They come together only when necessary, like when dark forces conspire to threaten reality!

 1. Dr. Stephen Strange

 2. Hulk (Bruce Banner)

 3. Namor the Sub-Mariner

 4. Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd)

 Supporting: Mephista (Jezebel), Valkyrie, Queen Jarella, Arkon the Magnificent

 Antagonists: Dormammu, Abomination, Tiger Shark, Baron Mordo, Mangog, The Beyonder

 Reserve Roster: Stardust; Wong; Yao the Ancient One; Giganto; Xemnu

Reward characters: Skeletor(He-Man & the Masters of the Universe), Illidan Stormrage(Warcraft); Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters); Mothra (Godzilla); Cheetara (Thundercats)

## Issues

**THE DEFENDERS #0**

 Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

 Plot by EXCITER

 Art by SALVADOR LARACCO

“NON-STANDARD DIMENSIONS” Prelude: “THE MARCH”

An event beyond understanding has somehow “reset” reality, causing chaos on a multiversal level. With the walls between dimensions weakened, the all-seeing Eye of Agamotto beholds a terrifying site: the heinous hordes of the Dark Dimension, under the command of the dread Dormammu, march again! Jarella, Queen of the magical realm of K’ai, can feel the evil gathering at the bounds of her reality. Desperate to prevent the genocide of her people, she reaches out to the man peering through the Eye – Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange! Her message is simple, as she believes only one man can help her. *“Please Stephen, find and bring the great love of my life back to K’ai. Find… the Hulk!”*
*32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99*

**THE DEFENDERS #1**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARRACA

“NON-STANDARD DIMENSIONS” Part One “SMASH AND SORCERY”

The hordes of the Dark Dimension are pounding on the gates of reality at the command of the dread Dormammu, threatening to overwhelm the Earth-adjacent realm of K’ai. K’ai cannot possibly hope to repel the horde should it crossover, and in desperation Stephen Strange has intervened as a negotiator. The only hope appears to lie in accepting Dormammu’s challenge - the champion of the Dark Dimension against the champion of K’ai, winner takes all. Queen Jarella of K’ai has only one choice for a champion: the love of her life, the Hulk! But Dormammu has a champion of his own; a champion who is empowered by hatred and, upon finding a home in the Dark Dimension, has become more powerful than ever… the merciless Mangog!

As Namor evacuates K’ai’s citizens to Atlantis at Strange’s behest, the Silver Surfer visits a realm that already accepted Dormammu’s single combat challenge – the warlike world of Polemachus! What will he find?

Back on Earth, Mephisto has offered everyone a deal – but what has he offered his own daughter? And what price is Mephista willing to pay?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

AUGUST 2014

**THE DEFENDERS #2**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“NON-STANDARD DIMENSIONS” Part Two “POLEMACHIAN GLADIATORS”

As negotiated by Dr. Strange, the fate of the realm of K’ai hangs in the balance as the Hulk prepares to battle the hate-fueled Mangog. If Mangog wins, K’ai belongs to Dormammu! If Hulk wins, the hordes of the Dark Dimension cease their efforts to invade K’ai and Queen Jarella continues to rule. But can Dormammu be trusted? The Silver Surfer explores the world of Polemachus, the last realm Dormammu offered his challenge to. There, he encounters their champion: Arkon the Magnificent! As Imperion (leader), the arrogant Arkon chose himself to battle Mangog… and though he survived, he was resoundingly defeated. Now Arkon leads what remains of his barbarian warriors in a futile resistance campaign. Can the Surfer convince them to abandon their world before it’s too late? And even if he could, is there anywhere the warlike Polemachians could go?

Meanwhile, Namor deals with an evacuation of his own as refugees from K’ai preemptively flood into Atlantis. Things get more complicated when Mephista arrives in the undersea kingdom looking for her husband. Her bargain with Mephisto is revealed… she’s now the bride of Stephen Strange!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #3**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“NON-STANDARD DIMENSIONS” Part Three “STRONGEST OF ALL”

Finally, it’s the fight we’ve been waiting for! Hulk versus Mangog, and to the victor go the spoils: the realm of K’ai! But Mangog is fueled by hatred, and the combined malice of the hordes of Dormammu’s Dark Dimension has empowered him to an unimaginable level! When the Hulk starts getting pummeled, his lover Queen Jarella can think of only one thing that could make the Hulk angry enough, and therefore strong enough, to overcome his monstrous opponent – her own death! Leaping into the fray, will her plan to sacrifice everything for the safety of her realm succeed?

Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer has brought the warrior refugees from Polemachus to K’ai, but is it only a temporary reprieve? And will the Polemachian ruler Arkon be able to control his lust for revenge against the creature that ravaged his world, the Dread Dormammu?

On Earth, Namor attempts to stop Mephista from moving into the Sanctum Sanctorum, which according to the marriage contract she wished for from her father (hope you guessed his name), she now owns half of. Welcome home, Mrs. Mephista Strange…

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #4**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“NO FUTURE FOR YOU” \*\*\*Dawn of the Devil: Invasion Tie-in\*\*\*

The Defenders might have prevented the hordes of Dormammu’s Dark Dimension from invading the realm of K’ai, but what about the fiend’s more subtle plans for Earth? Water covers 71% of the planet, and the events of “Dawn of the Devil” have dramatically increased amateur interest in the mystic arts. In 25 years’ time, so many Atlantian sorcerers have been corrupted that the oceans, like the long-fallen surface world, finally belong to Dormammu and his pawn - the new undersea emperor, Tiger Shark! With Hulk, Dr. Strange, and the Silver Surfer dead, can the dethroned King of Atlantis, Namor, escape the future horrors of the deep and travel back in time to set things right? Maybe, with a little help from the Beyonder!

Meanwhile in the present, the honeymoon is over when Dr. Strange confronts his new wife - Mephista! Is the devil’s daughter working towards some nefarious endgame, or could it be possible that the nuptials were the result of an even more destructive force… true love?! Before the good doctor can find out, date night is interrupted by the savage sword of Mephista’s sworn enemy, a very vengeful Valkyrie! And she’s working for… the Talis Clan?!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #5**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC”

 \*\*\*Dawn of the Devil: Invasion Tie-in\*\*\*

Valkyrie and Mephista hate each other from way back. And by way back, we mean the 13th century. Relive the genesis of their rivalry as Mephista, at the behest of her father, seduces one of Valkyrie’s favored Úlfhéðnar, the famed Norse berserkers, into betraying his brethren for the power to turn into an unkillable bear monster! Meanwhile, in the present, Gandalf arrives at the Sanctum Sanctorum with a message for Dr. Strange – [i]“You can go straight to Hell!”[/i] The White Wizard attempts to recruit the Sorcerer Supreme into his cadre of invaders targeting Mephisto’s realm, but when mages of their renown get together, there’s bound to be a wand measuring contest! Can they hash out a mutually agreed upon strategy over a psychotropic pipe-weed-induced trip to the astral plane? And while they’re there, can Valkyrie and Mephista protect their physical bodies from an attacker sent by Mephisto? An attacker who happens to be… an unkillable bear monster?!

Elsewhere, after their efforts to expose Dormammu’s agents on Earth prove unsuccessful, Namor and the Silver Surfer receive an offer to help from an unlikely source - the Beyonder! All he asks for in return... is a seat at the Defenders’ table!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #6**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“HEAVY IS THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN”

 \*\*\*Dawn of the Devil: Invasion Tie-in\*\*\*

Dr. Strange, Mephista, Valkyrie, and the Hulk have all joined Gandalf's fellowship in opposition to Mephisto, but one does not simply walk in to Hell! The team must survive the onslaught of unholy legions, but after the [i]shocking twist[/i] concerning the real power behind the [i]Dawn of the Devil[/i], a new ruler is set to take the throne of the underworld! Yet the question remains, what will be done with the former ruler? Will the first act of the new Queen of Hell, Mephista, be one of mercy? Or of patricide?

Meanwhile, the Beyonder has information concerning Dormammu's long-term plans to conquer Earth, and the Silver Surfer and Namor are forced to play his games to get it! The Beyonder's first mission as a member of the team? Confront Dormammu's chief acolyte, Baron Mordo!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #7**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“FAMILY MATTERS”

After the shocking events of “Dawn of the Devil,” Mephisto's daughter Mephista has ascended to become the Queen of Hell... and Dr. Stephen Strange is the Prince Consort! Can these crazy kids make their unholy union work, or will Mephista's new career get in the way? And while they may not be ready to start discussing children yet, when a nefarious Sorcerer Supreme travels back in time from the grimdark year of 2039 with horrific power and malicious intentions, it becomes apparent that the new power couple's future child is destined to betray him and align with Dormammu! Can the Defenders possibly hope to stop... Victor Strange? Or will the Silver Surfer's cold pragmatism compel him to take preemptive action to stop this new threat – by sterilizing Dr. Strange!?!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #8**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“DEFEND THE FUTURE” Part One “TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AND A THOUSAND DISASTERS”

While confronting Victor Strange, Stephen's treacherous son from the year 2040, the Defenders are inadvertently pulled into Victor's grimdark future – a future where Dormammu and his minions have conquered the Earth Realm! The Defenders are dead, Atlantis is ruled by Tiger Shark, Mangog controls the spaceways, and Baron Mordo holds the Sanctum Sanctorum! The team's only safe-haven is the realm they prevented Dormammu from invading – K'ai! But can Hulk accept that his love Queen Jarella has remarried, and that the only father his children remember is Arkon the Magnificent? And if they can't get back to 2015, can Namor, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, and the Hulk possibly find a way to save what's left of the Earth from the hordes of Dormammu's Dark Dimension?

Meanwhile, the Beyonder finds himself unable to move the team back to their time. Why? Because future Beyonder is stopping him. What happens when two nearly omnipotent and all-powerful beings throw down? Powers get canceled out, and things need to be settled with fists!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #9**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“DEFEND THE FUTURE” Part Two “THREE LIEUTENANTS AND THE STRANGEST OF BEDFELLOWS ”

Trapped in the grimdark future of 2040 where Dormammu has conquered the Earth Realm, the Defenders have allied with the resistance and look to systematically take out the Lord of the Dark Dimension's lieutenants. It's Hulk, Namor, Dr. Strange and the Silver Surfer against Mangog, Tiger Shark, and Baron Mordo! But when things go horribly awry, the Defenders will have to look for help from the most unexpected of places... the Cabal of 2040! Does all hope lie in Doom, Dracula, and Dr. Strange's father-in-law, Mephisto?!

Meanwhile, having lost the fight with his future self, the Beyonder is completely depowered and offered as a sacrifice to Dormammu. Can the no-longer-omnipotent rapscallion open negotiations on behalf of the Defenders? Do the Defenders [i]want]/i] him negotiating for them?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #10**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“DEFEND THE FUTURE” Part Three “BEAUTY IN THE EYE OF THE BEYONDER ”

Even after allying with the Cabal of 2040, the time-displaced Defenders have failed to defeat Dormammu. Now the hordes of the Dark Dimension invade the last safe haven of the future, the realm of K'ai. As all hope is nearly lost, the Dr. Doom of the future imparts his final contingency plan to the Defenders: stop Dormammu before he conquers Earth; route out his hidden disciples before they can enact their fiendish plan to take over; make preemptive strikes against the Dark Dimension, weakening it to the point where it cannot maintain its dominion over so many conquered realms; and, if possible, [i]kill Dormammu.[/i] The only problem is getting back to the past...

It's a race against time as Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor, and the Silver Surfer risk it all to get to Doom's last hidden temporal platform! Can the now powerless Beyonder help? And what exactly was the deal he brokered with Dormammu and his future self last issue? Moreover, is Doom's plan really designed to help the entire Earth realm, or to help his past self?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #11**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“PREEMPTIVE WARFARE” Part One “YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE A REFUGEE”

His name was Keldor, and once he was a prince of his realm. But he was greedy. He wanted more. After an unsuccessful attempt at a coup, he reached out to the universe, desperately seeking any source of power that could help him overcome his enemies - and he found the Dark Dimension. With the magical might he discovered there, he ceased being Keldor. From that moment forth, he was indelibly transformed into the malevolent sorcerer... Skeletor! But why is he being targeted by the Defenders?

Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor, the Silver Surfer, and the de-powered Beyonder have finally returned from the dystopian future. They brought with them a list, and you better believe they're checking it twice – because this list was written by the Dr. Doom of 2040 and it details how to preemptively foil Dormammu's impending plans to conquer the Earth Realm! First item – eliminate the man who would become one of Dormammu's top lieutenants and the man destined to murder Stephen Strange – (you guessed it) Skeletor! But in the year 2015, Skeletor is banished from his home of Eternia, slowing amassing power in the hinterlands of the majestic realm of K'ai! Which members of the Defenders will be willing to do whatever it takes to save Earth from Dormammu? And did we mention Skeletor had made friends with the refugees from the warrior world of Polemachus and their Hulk-hating leader, Arkon the Magnificent?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #12**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“PREEMPTIVE WARFARE” Part Two “BARBARIANS, MOST BARBEROUS”

The Defenders have been waging a preemptive war against Dormammu, but as with all preemptive warfare, there are unexpected consequences – and those consequences are already coming to bear. Their attack on Skeletor has incited the Eternian refugee's unwitting allies, the relocated warriors of Polemachus, to march to K'ai's capital for war. They blame Queen Jarella's lover the Hulk for starting the new and escalating conflict – and they're not entirely wrong! Refusing to sacrifice the lives of any of Jarella's people in the capital's defense, Hulk, Namor, and the Silver Surfer must stand alone against an army of blood-thirsty barbarians!

Meanwhile, the new ruler of hell, Mephista, has fallen ill. Odd. Demons don't regularly catch the flu... she's been cursed! And its up to her husband, Dr. Strange, to find a cure. But this task might be more than what the doctor ordered, given that Dormammu has been recruiting powerful disciples from across the multiverse... and the curse in question was cast by none other than the Betrayer of Azeroth – Illidan Stormrage!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #13**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“PREEMPTIVE WARFARE” Part Three “SCIENCE WE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND YET”

Queen Jarella of K'ai is torn. Her people blame her lover, the Hulk, for bringing war to their homeland – even after he, Namor, and the Silver Surfer defended the capital from Arkon and his Polemachian warriors! Is there a revolution at hand? Can even the Hulk quell the rumblings of the proletariat? Was this Skeletor's plan all along?

In New York, Stephen Strange carefully tends to his curse-stricken wife, Mephista, though he is mindful of the other steps he must take to foil Dormammu's grand scheme. They say magic is science we just don't understand yet, but one scientist working in a re-purposed firehouse in Tribeca was making serious inroads to understanding. He'd already mapped out the theoretical framework for paranormal/quantum entanglement and weaponized the proton to use against supernatural entities. He could be the key to an anti-Dormammu human resistance, and that means Egon Spengler, Ph.D. Is marked for death! Can Stephen, Valkyrie, and Wong get Egon to the safety of the Sanctum Sanctorum before the vile sorcerers Baron Mordo and Illidan Stormrage eliminate them all?

Meanwhile, two mere mortals that were both once nearly omnipotent are sitting down together. But why is the Beyonder conspiring with Mephisto, and does this meeting have to do with reclaiming their lost power?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #14**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“PREEMPTIVE WARFARE” Part Four “THEY CAME FROM THE DARK DIMENSION!”

A massive hellfire explosion has jettisoned an incalculable amount of dark energy into the magical boundaries that lie between Earth and adjacent realms (See DOOM #14 – Ed.), and none are more adept at harnessing that dark energy than the Lord of the Dark Dimension himself, the Dread Dormammu! Finally, after of a year of effort, Dormammu has succeeded in opening a portal to the idyllic world of K'ai, and the mindless hordes of the Dark Dimension begin to swarm through! Queen Jarella has no choice but to call on her lover Hulk and his allies to do what the do best – Defend the world! But with Mangog, and Illidan Stormrage leading the invasion, can even the the Hulk and the Silver Surfer stand against such odds?

Dr. Strange believes that the answer to defeating Dormammu lies in the paranormal/quantum science of the man he rescued last issue, Egon Spengler, Ph.D.! For Strange's plan to work, Prince Namor must call upon the factories of Atlantis to mass produce Egon's innovative weapons – the only weapons that can defeat Dormammu's supernaturally empowered mindless ones! The Defenders must arm the people of K'ai with proton packs! But before they can do that, Namor and Strange will have to defend Atlantis' industrial sector against an attack lead by Tiger Shark and Baron Mordo!

The Defenders played at preemptive warfare, and they failed. Now, war is upon them. The depowered Beyonder, still conspiring with Mephisto, smiles and laughs. Everything was going according to plan...

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #15**
DEFENDERS Versus DIABLO!
Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“SOMEWHERE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL”

The mindless hordes of the Dark Dimension continue to pour into the realm of K'ai. Queen Jarella has only one hope to repel them: the Defenders! But hope is fleeting, and Dormammu has a plan to turn Jarella's greatest champion against her...

Dormammu's disciples Baron Mordo, Illidan Stromrage, and Mangog traveled to the mythical realm of Sanctuary where they stole a legendary gem containing the essence of a vanquished Prime Evil – the Soulstone! When Mangog presses the Soulstone into the Hulk's chest, the jade giant is possessed by the spirit of the Lord of Terror himself. Hulk is now host to [i]Diablo[/i]! If K'ai was doomed before, why hope does it have against “the strongest evil of all”?

Its up to Dr. Strange, Namor, Valkyrie, Egon Spengler, and the Silver Surfer to trap Diablo back in the Soulstone and destroy it forever – but Dormammu and his Offenders aren't about the let that happen. They have a Hulk, so the Defenders will need an army... Fortunately, on Sanctuary the archangel Tyrael has assembled a fighting force of barbarians, monks, sorcerers, paladins, and demon hunters dedicated to vanquishing Diablo no matter what realm he menaces! They're used to hack and slash, but could they possibly be prepared for hack and [i]smash[/i]?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #16**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“A HULK OF A DIFFERENT COLOR”

The Defenders have succeeded in shattering the Soulstone, cutting off Diablo's possession of the Hulk and ending the threat of “the strongest evil of all.” The problem is that the Hulk has been shattered into as many pieces as the Soulstone, resulting in a number of gamma-powered monsters of different colors and dispositions being scattered around Earth and its adjacent realms! Can the Defenders reassemble them all? The Silver Surfer goes to Earth's moon to confront the manically depressed Blue Hulk. Namor travels to the Gold Coast to confront the mellow surfer Bronze Hulk. Valkyrie must travel to the fantastic locale known as "Las Vegas, Nevada" to confront the morally ambiguous Grey Hulk - Joe Fixit! And finally, Dr. Strange seeks out the calm Orange Hulk on Infant Island - where the extraction gets complicated. Orange Hulk has formed an inseparable bond with the benevolent kaiju worshiped by the island's natives , the giant Mothra, and she doesn't want to give him up!

Meanwhile, as Dormanmu's forces continue to march on K'ai, Arkon the Magnificent realizes that he and his Polemachian Warriors had been manipulated into fighting on the wrong side. He seeks to rectify his error the only way he knows how - in a battle to the death with his betrayer, Skeletor!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #17**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“YOU ARE WHAT YOU BUST”

While focused on tracking down the various Hulks created when the Soulstone shattered, the Silver Surfer, Namor and the other Defenders failed to defend the man whose ingenious anti-magic proton packs where helping to turn back the hordes of Dormammu's Dark Dimension. Baron Mordo and his Offenders have claimed the life of the brilliant Egon Spengler – but that doesn't mean he's done fighting! How will a man known for busting ghosts fair when he becomes one?

Meanwhile, Dr. Strange's wife and newly-crowned Queen of Hell, Mephista, recovers from the curse that was afflicting her – drawn from her coma by the presence of an unimaginable power. The Right Hand of Doom has arrived on Earth, and Mephista must have it! To keep it safe, of course... The problem? Its attached to the harbinger of the apocalypse, Anung Un Rama. You might know him by another name: Hellboy!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #18**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“THE FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE OF SECRETS” Part One “THAT LITTLE REBEL INSIDE YOU”

* + - Age of Avengers Tie-In\*\*\*

[i]5 years later...[/i]

It seems like an eternity ago that the Dark Dimension War came to an end with the vanquishing of the Dread Dormammu. Out of the ashes of destruction wrought in that conflict arose the House of Secrets, or the “HoS” for short, an Avengers affiliated mystical parliament lead by the King of Hell himself - Dr. Strange. With the HoS defending the realms from otherworldly threats, a new era of unprecedented order has come to Earth, K'ai, Eternia, Sanctuary, Hell, Weirdworld, and even the Dark Dimension itself. But too much of anything is not a good thing - and freedom is often the first victim of security. A rebellion has festered, intent on bringing back some of that good old fashioned chaos! Founding Avenger Maestro's regime is threatened by the usual suspects – Advanced Idea Man, Giganto, Wong and the Mothra Larvae – but also by two particularly troublesome rebels whom he never expected – Marplan Lexapro and Bodie Righteous, the blue and bronze hulks! How did they split from the Maestro again after all the effort he put into reassembling his personas? That's a question he demands Strange and the HoS find out... But is Strange even really who he claims to be? See what happens when Norrin Radd uncovers a secret so grand that it might just topple the very foundation that the House of Secrets is built upon!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #19**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“THE FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE OF SECRETS” Part Two “

* + - Age of Avengers Tie-In\*\*\*

[i]5 years later...[/i]

Norrin Radd was once the Silver Surfer. Now, he's just a man - a man running for his life! You see, Norrin found out that the Dread Dormammu wasn't vanquished when the Dark Dimension War ended. Instead, Dormammu possessed the body of Dr. Strange and went on to ally himself with the authoritarian Avengers, becoming the ruler of Hell and leader of the mystical parliament - the House of Secrets! Now the HoS hunts Norrin, and it's up to his wife Cheetara of Thundera to use her super-speed and preternatural “sixth sense” to detect danger and evil - the very ability that exposed Dormammu - to keep her husband safe! But the question remains... if Dormammu is in Strange's body, then where is Strange?

Meanwhile, the Blue and Orange Hulks have escaped on the back of a Mothra Larvae to the last place that the Maestro would look for them - the Dark Dimension! The mindless ones who inhabit the realm haven't been mindless in years thanks to Dormammu's absence, but the leader they elected to shepherd their fledgling society is somewhat unexpected - Namor! Can the former king of Atlantis keep the Hulks alive when the Maestro's agents come looking for them? Will this ignite another war with the Dark Dimension?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #20**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“THE FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE OF SECRETS” Part Three “THE OLD SWITCHEROO”

* + - Age of Avengers Tie-In\*\*\*

[i]5 years later...[/i]

Norrin Radd, with the help of his wife Cheetara's sixth sense, discovered that the Dredd Dormammu secretly possessed the body of Dr. Strange almost four years ago at the end of the Dark Dimension War. Since then the Earth has become a horrible place, with Dormammu's insidiously patient form of evil slowly corrupting and perverting everything that was once beautiful. Norrin believes the switch means Dr. Strange's spirit is now inhabiting the body of Dormammu - which was supposedly banished forever to the 6th Dimension. Wong, Strange's former assistant, knows that the only way to access the 6th Dimension is, of course, to use the mystical "Screaming Idol." Problem is, the Screaming Idol was hidden by "Strange" after the war specifically to prevent such access. Can these “Defenders” follow the few clues they have to the Idol's location? Its a treasure hunt/rescue mission of universal proportions and the fate of the multiverse hangs in the balance!

Meanwhile, with the help of the Orange and Blue Hulks and the Mothra Larvae, Namor has defended his new principality in the Dark Dimension from the forces of the Maestro. But the conflict unearthed and cracked open an otherwise well-hidden vault. Amongst the apparently magical artifacts inside is some kind of idol that just won't stop screaming... How can Namor make it shut up?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #21**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“THE FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE OF SECRETS” Part Four “TO THE SIXTH POWER”

* + - Age of Avengers Tie-In\*\*\*

[i]5 years later...[/i]

The Sixth Dimension is an ethereal place where anything can happen. The former Silver Surfer, Norrin Radd, his wife Cheetara, Wong, and Namor arrive with a mission: free the imprisoned Dormammu. But they're not the bad guys, and it's not really Dormammu. It's Stephen Strange trapped in Dormammu's body. The switch happened years ago, and since then the former dictator of the Dark Dimension has assumed power as the leader of the House of Secrets and plunged the Earth into an infernal and seemingly endless downward spiral. Needless to say, Dormammu doesn't want that to change. He invades the Sixth Dimension with the full might of his House of Secrets, supported by the gamma-powered Maestro. They too have a mission: seek and destroy. The outcome of this final battle will have ramifications throughout every realm... and their will be a definitive victor!

Regardless of the outcome, the real Dr. Strange knows that too much damage has been done. Earth and its allies believed that they won the Dark Dimension War in 2016, but they did not. They lost and continue to lose every moment of every day. They were just too arrogant to realize it. But its not too late to change the War's outcome. Can Strange leverage the unique properties of the Sixth Dimension to send a Defender back in time ?

[I]Next issue:[/i] Back to the Present!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #22**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“1,00,000 MINDLESS SOLDIERS AND A TRIP THROUGH TIME”

Kai's struggle against the invading hordes of Dormanmu's Dark Dimension continues. Many of Kai's champions have fallen, amongst them the Polemachian warrior Arkon the Magnificent, now crucified and carried as a gruesome war banner by minions of Dormammu's lieutenant, Skeletor. Yet, hope remains. The Defenders have returned! Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor, Valkryie, Mothra, and the Silver Surfer! With the other refugees of Polemachus now galvanized against Dormammu following Arkon's death, the Defenders rally the troops and begin to push the invaders back through the portals from whence they came! In the Age of Avengers timeline, this is when Dormammu secretly possessed Dr. Strange - but AoA Cheetara has traveled back in time to prevent that from happening! Can she save the future, or will her interference spell disaster for K'ai? And what happens when her arrival on the scene causes Dormammu to prematurely take notice of her race - and to target her unsuspecting people! Prepare yourselves for the Dark Dimension invasion of Thundera!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #23**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“A MINDLESS ONE IS A TERRIBLE THING”

The Defenders have succeeded in pushing Dormammu's hordes back through the portal to the Dark Dimension from whence they came. But inside the Dark Dimension, the question arises: who turned out the lights? Who were the mindless ones before, and can they ever be "reminded"? Dr. Strange, his wife Mephista, and the Silver Surfer explore these mysteries... and what they find may shock you! With their magic and power cosmic, in conjunction with the anti-magic technology developed by Egon Spengler and Bruce Banner, they manage to revert a mindless one into a strange zombie-like trooper, a seventh son of a seventh son calling himself “Eddie.” Have the Defenders found a powerful new ally... or unleashed a dangerous new enemy?

Meanwhile, Namor meets with a traitor amongst Dormammu's Offenders – a man who learned how to look out for his own best interests on his tumultuous world of warcraft - Illidan Stormrage! They don't call him "the Betrayer" for nothing, but what does the Night Elf Demon Hunter want from the Prince of Atlantis in exchange for his help? And does Dormammu's chief lieutenant Skeletor already suspect Illidan's lapse in loyalty?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #24**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“SECRET CRISIS ON THREE EARTHS”

He is an unparalleled evil genius. He is an unstoppable engine of destruction. He is... Dr. Doomsday! And in his hubris, he has endangered all of reality! Dr. Doomsday's machinations have caused an item of indescribable mystical power, the Crucible, to crash into his Dawn of Marvels universe... and the impact has caused ripples that are wreaking havoc on the magic of two equidistant dimensions - the Age of Marvels and New Dawn! The supernatural and cursed heroes of all three universes must now find a way to restore balance before the multiverse collapses upon itself...

The dire threat felt by Dr. Strange causes him to lead the other Defenders - Hulk, Namor, Valkyrie, and the Silver Surfer - through an unstable portal to the Dawn of Marvels universe. Little does he know, in another universe, the sorceress Zatanna has summoned her Justice League Dark - Swamp Thing, Etrigan, Lobo, Azrael, Amethyst, Kratos, and Zealot - to the same place! What happens when these two powerhouse teams encounter one another for the first time? And what happens when the the guardians of mysticism native to the Dawn of Marvels world, the Dark Defenders League - Dr. Strangefate, Mariner, Speed Demon, White Witch, and the Silver Racer - confront these trespassers?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #25 \*\*\*Amalgamate crossover\*\*\***

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“SECRET CRISIS ON THREE EARTHS”

Dr. Doomsday's quest for the all-powerful Crucible has already caused irreparable damage to the heroes of three universes - the Age of Marvels, New Dawn, and the amalgam Dawn of Marvels. The leaders of the Dark Defenders League from the Age of Marvels universe - Wanda "White Witch" Zatarra and Dr. Strangefate - are dead. They sacrificed themselves to remove the Crucible from Dr. Doomsday's grasp (see Justice League Dark #16). Their absence will leave an unfillable void - especially in the lives of their pre-teen children, Wicven (amalgam Wiccan and Raven) and Speedpulse (amalgam Speed and Impulse). Dr. Strange agrees to give the kids a temporary home in the Sanctum Sanctorum, but what does he know of child rearing? Fortuitously, a supernatural nanny is traveling via umbrella from London to Greenwich Village. Enter Mary Poppins! But beware - the instant chemistry between Poppins and Strange could cause problems for the man who is literally married to the devil!

Meanwhile, the Defenders and other cursed and supernatural heroes continue to pursue the Crucible - but they face opposition. Dr. Doomsday has unleashed New Dawn's Doomsday into the Age of Marvel's as a distraction. Can even the Hulk slow him down? Who's really the strongest there is?

Plus, Aquaman, the Submariner, and Mariner must travel deeper into the ocean than even they've ever gone in pursuit of the Crucible... deep enough to touch the borders of Hell itself!

And what role does the now powerless Beyonder have yet to play in this event?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #25 \*\*\*Amalgamate crossover\*\*\***

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“SECRET CRISIS ON THREE EARTHS” Part Two

The Justice League Dark and the Defenders succeeded in magically locking Dr. Doomsday in his home universe, the amalgam Dawn of Marvels world! They've also shunted the all-powerful Crucible into the Age of Marvels universe to keep it away from the bad doctor. But this creates two separate and serious problems that must be addressed:

(1) If Dr. Doomsday can't have ultimate power, he'll settle for ultimate desolation! He's a nearly invincible, unkillable engine of destruction with strength beyond strength, the mind of a super-genius, and the sorcery of the darkest of wizards - and he's determined to lay waste to his Earth! There may be no way to stop him... but the remaining heroes of his world, Speed Demon and the Silver Racer, must try! Fortunately, they'll have help from heroes foreign to their reality - Etrigan the Demon and the Silver Surfer! Can the power cosmic, the speed force, the touch of death, and hellfire itself be combined to send Dr. Doomsday to Hell?

(2) The Crucible is now in the Age of Marvels Universe. It's defended by Dr. Strange, Namor, Hulk, and the visiting Zatanna and Swamp Thing. But with a prize this grand, and the married Dr. Strange distracted by an affair with his magical nanny, Mary Poppins, others with intentions on the Crucible will act! Could it be the Cabal?? Or the Beyonder? ...Or both?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #26 \*\*\*Amalgamate crossover\*\*\***

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“SECRET CRISIS ON THREE EARTHS” Part Three “THE FATAL EPILOGUE”

The Defenders have survived the Amalgamate event that threatened three universes, but in doing so have they gravely imperiled their own? The Crucible, the source of all fantastical power, is now in the Age of Marvels universe - and everybody, including the Defenders and the Cabal, wants it! To keep the world safe, might it be necessary to make [i]all[/i] the fantastical power... go away?

Moreover, not everyone ended up where they should be when the three universes were separated and sealed. Where exactly is Valkyrie? And how will Hulk and the Silver Surfer deal with the most destructive castoff from the New Dawn Universe? Can the Age of Marvels Universe possibly survive... Doomsday?

Meanwhile, rumors of Dr. Strange's affair with his magical nanny, Mary Poppins, have reached his wife - the Queen of Hell, Mephista. Sure, Mephista may have forced marriage upon Stephen via supernatural wish during the "Dawn of the Devil" event (waaay back in Defenders #2!), but she really thought it would last! Despondent, she looks to fall into the arms of another - and Prince Namor's arms are always open!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #27**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"SUN SALUTATION"

* + - Killing the Fantasy tie-in\*\*\*

[i]The world your heroes live in is the world outside your window... [/i]

A surgeon whose hands were crippled in a debilitating accident could no longer perform the advanced operations for which he gained acclaim. Destitute and depressed, Stephen Strange travelled to Asia where he discovered and mastered an ancient artform that allowed him to save himself and find his ultimate purpose.... Yoga!

Now Stephen teaches advanced stretching techniques twice a day at his studio in Greenwich Village. But on his way to class two days ago, a disheveled hobo warned him "the Magnificent" would be murdered unless he took action. Stephen responded with a kindly "namaste" and went about his business. Yesterday, while reading the Bugle, Stephen learned that male model Arkon was the latest victim of the "Magician" serial killer. Arkon's nickname? The Magnificent. Today, the hobo confronts Stephen again. This time he warns more specifically that two individuals who have attended Stephen's classes, surf-enthusiast Norman Radd and former Olympic swimmer Mackenzie Namor, will be killed next unless Stephen acts. Will the yogi get involved? Is he willing to throw himself into the world of a serial killer to maybe save two men he barely knows? Can he trust the vagrant... or could the vagrant himself be the slasher?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #28**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"SURF'S UP"

* + - Killing the Fantasy tie-in\*\*\*

[i]The world your heroes live in is the world outside your window... [/i]

Stephen Strange, master of the art of yoga and all around normal man in a normal world, just had his normal world turned upside down. The "Magician" serial killer has claimed his most high profile victim yet - Mackenzie Namor, an Olympic swimmer who won gold for his nation at the '96 games in Atlanta and famously struggled with sex addiction. His struggle is finally over. Stephen Strange couldn't save him, despite being warned of Namor's fate by a seemingly prescient homeless man! But there's still time to save the other victim Strange was warned about - surf enthusiast Norman Radd. Problem is, the surfer doesn't believe him and wants nothing to do with a "gnarly hodad" like Strange. Can he still protect Norman before the beach runs red with surfer blood?

In any event, for Stephen the answers he seeks may be closer to home. Aware of his own affair with a nanny, in retaliation Strange's wife was seeing the late Namor on the side. She was hiding in his apartment at the time of the murder, and what she saw could change everything...

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #29**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"WANTED AND UNWANTED MAN"

* + - Killing the Fantasy tie-in\*\*\*

[i]The world your heroes live in is the world outside your window... [/i]

Yoga master Stephen Strange couldn't save surfer Norman Radd or Olympic swimmer Mackenzie Namor from the serial killer known as "the Magician." But Stephen's wife, Meg Phista-Strange, happened to be in Namor's home when he was killed. She was having an extra-marital affair with the famous swimmer, and when she tells this to FBI Director Nick Fury, Nick gets a new person of interest in the investigation: the jealous husband, Stephen Strange!

Stephen now has to avoid an all-points bulletin for his arrest while attempting to track down other potential serial killer victims that the prophetic hobo Stabbity Jones said could help "defend" themselves: formerly Bruce, now Kaitlyn Banner - a scientist who transformed into something he was not but always felt was inside him; Val Kyrie, a fitness/Instagram model; Wong, Strange's former personal assistant when he was a high-paid surgeon; for some reason Fing Fang Foom, an iguana for sale at the local pet shop; and most challenging of all, his adulterous wife! How is Strange possibly going to get this alliance together when each one of them is being stalked by a murderous slasher? Who will survive and what will be left of them?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #30**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"TWO IS THE DEADLIEST NUMBER"

* + - Killing the Fantasy tie-in\*\*\*

[i]The world your heroes live in is the world outside your window... [/i]

Diplomat Victor Van Damme and yoga master Stephen Strange know that they're both supernatural powerhouses in the "Age of Marvels" fantasy world. But in this world, they're flawed and powerless men that have failed to protect almost everyone. Of the Magician's targets, they are seemingly the final two - aside from the crazy(?) homeless man that warned them that all of this was coming, Stabbity Jones. They've sacrificed so much to unmask the Magician, but they should have known all along: the killings were too much for just one person. Not one but two men who seek ultimate power have gone on an insane murdering spree - and conveniently, they have two targets left. As one slasher pursues Stephen, the other pursues Victor. If they die, the Magician wins. But the two normal men just have to survive long enough for Stabbity to get his hands on the Crucible! Was it a huge mistake to put all their faith in him?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #31**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"LIVING THE FANTASY"

* + - Killing the Fantasy tie-in\*\*\*

[i]The world your heroes live in is the world outside your door...[/i]

Dr. Strange awakens not in the Sanctum Sun Salutation Yoga Studio, but in the Sanctum Sanctorum. His allies on the Defenders, alive once more. Norrin Radd surfs the cosmic spaceways, not the gnarly swells off Fire Island. Bruce Banner transforms into the gamma-fueled Hulk, not a fearless transgender woman named Kaitlyn. Namor is no longer an Olympic gold-medalist with a sex addiction but an Atlantean king with a perhaps overly healthy libido. But how? If either the Beyonder or Mephisto obtained the ultimate fantastical power, they wouldn't give it back. Could it be that Stabitty Jones claimed the Crucible himself and released its contents into the world? But the release of that much power would have annihilated him... Can the good Doctor discover whatever happened to Stabitty Jones?

Meanwhile, elsewhere another man awakens. He's in a white suit, has a Jheri curl, has limited reality-changing powers, and has a newfound altruism that he can't shake. The Beyonder is back, and all he wants is to Defend the universe!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #31**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"LIVING THE FANTASY"

* + - Killing the Fantasy tie-in\*\*\*

[i]The world your heroes live in is the world outside your door...[/i]

Dr. Strange awakens not in the Sanctum Sun Salutation Yoga Studio, but in the Sanctum Sanctorum. His allies on the Defenders, alive once more. Norrin Radd surfs the cosmic spaceways, not the gnarly swells off Fire Island. Bruce Banner transforms into the gamma-fueled Hulk, not a fearless transgender woman named Kaitlyn. Namor is no longer an Olympic gold-medalist with a sex addiction but an Atlantean king with a perhaps overly healthy libido. But how? If either the Beyonder or Mephisto obtained the ultimate fantastical power, they wouldn't give it back. Could it be that Stabitty Jones claimed the Crucible himself and released its contents into the world? But the release of that much power would have annihilated him... Can the good Doctor discover whatever happened to Stabitty Jones?

Meanwhile, elsewhere another man awakens. He's in a white suit, has a Jheri curl, has limited reality-changing powers, and has a newfound altruism that he can't shake. The Beyonder is back, and all he wants is to Defend the universe!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #32**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"ALL NEW DEFENDERS"

* + - GLOBAL WARNING tie-in\*\*\*

The events of the last year, including those of "KILLING THE FANTASY," have taken their toll on the Defenders. Stabitty Jones seemingly sacrificed himself to restore the universe to normal, but Dr. Strange is unwilling to give up his search for the prophetic vagrant. At the same time, his adulterous affair with magical nanny Marry Poppins has become public knowledge, as has the affair between Strange's wife Mephista and his ally Namor. Plus, Hulk is busy in Oakland, a.k.a. Hulkland (see HULK #29) and the Surfer is inextricably engaged in the cosmic struggle against Thanos (see SILVER SURFER #32). The Defenders have never been more fractured and distracted at a time when S.H.I.E.L.D. needs them the most!

HYDRA has all but announced its intent to conquer the world under the pretense of saving it from global warming, and HYDRA's supernatural arm - the Department of Occult Affairs - is a threat Nick Fury needs to deal with. But when he knocks on the Sanctum Sanctorum's door, he doesn't find Dr. Strange - but Wong! Can the humble mystical servant rally and lead a stand-in team of All-New Defenders to confront the threat? He'll call upon: the Superstrong and enormous denizen of Atlantis, the man-sperm-whale Giganto; former herald of Galactus, and weird female alien, Stardust; and shirtless barbarian warrior from a fantasy world, the recently resurrected Arkon the Magnificent! But will this team end up DOA?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDBROS #33**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"ALL NEW DEFENDERS" part three "THE BROSEIDON ADVENTURE"

* + - GLOBAL WARNING tie-in\*\*\*

It's high power and high fives as the best bros in the superhero game do what they do best - pound bad-guys and pound brews! Party hard as Stephen "Chasing" Strange, the Silver Surfbrah, Hulk Smash, and Prince Namor, a.k.a. "Broseidon," totally wreck HYDRA's occult arm, the D.O.A.! And to think, just weeks ago the team had been completely torn apart by multiple love triangles and interpersonal conflicts. Good thing the Beyonder was there to help get them back on the same page! Now fidelity to women and personal introspection are no longer problems whatsoever. But when Wong, in desperation, turned to the Beyonder to help reunite the Defenders, he never anticipated he'd alter reality to make them into total bros! Can the all new Defenders - Wong, Giganto, Stardust, and Arkon - manage to revert these changes and restore the Defenders to their original status as brooding uncomfortable middle-aged frenemies? Or will they just get crushed like so many barbells and brewskis?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

**THE DEFENDERS #34**

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"FIVE EVIL WIZARDS AND A HOMELESS HERO"

[i]"Generals gathered in their masses

Just like witches at black masses

Evil minds that plot destruction

Sorcerers of death's construction."[/i]

Never have these lyrics been more literal. In the Dark Dimension, the dread Dormammu has gathered a collection of the most feared and malevolent wizards ever to cast spells. They are his Counsel of Black Magic: Baron Mordo of Earth; Skeletor of Eternia; Iliidian Stormrage of Azeroth; Mumm-Ra of Third Earth. With these fiends at his command, and with the Defenders fractured by in-fighting, Dormammu targets

the two realms that recently denied him his conquest: Earth and K'ai. Plans to depose Queen Jarella of K'ai are discussed, but Illidan is known as "the Betrayer" for a reason. His alliance with Namor (see DEFENDERS #) results in the Defenders getting a fair warning of the storm to come - but are they prepared to do anything about it?

Meanwhile, Dr. Strange takes advantage of the newfound altruism of the Beyonder and they both discover the final fate of Stabbity Jones and the Crucible... and it's not what you think!

Plus, Strange's estranged demonic wife Mephista comes face to face with the woman her husband had an affair with. It's Mary Poppins y'all!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #35

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"PLANET ABOMINATION" part one "GREEN AND RED ALL OVER"

It's been a long time since the Defenders have had to worry about the Hulk's perennial nemesis, the Abomination. That's because the gamma-infused monster that once called himself Emil Blonsky left Earth years ago and found himself in the Microverse - on the planet K'ai. After the Defenders helped repel Dormammu's invasion of K'ai (see THE DEFENDERS #22), the world's rulers were greatly weakened. Abomination was able to rally an insurgency amongst the proletariat and depose the ruling class and Queen Jarella, whom he had learned was the lover of his nemesis, the Hulk. Now the former KGB-agent turned Abomination rules a communist regime from a palace adorned in Soviet iconography and Jarella leads a small and harried rebel group of those still loyal to the crown. But when the lieutenant of Dormammu who ravaged K'ai during the last invasion, the sinister Skeletor, returns with an army of Eternian warriors, Mindless Ones from the Dark Dimension, and a new ally in the malevolent Mumm-Ra, do either the Abomination or Jarella have any hope of stopping them? Perhaps if Jarella's ally Cheetara can contact Dr. Strange, Namor, the Silver Surfer, and the Incredible Hulk! Defenders assemble!

Meanwhile, the ghost of Stabitty Jones, the hobo who absorbed and then released the unimaginable power of the Crucible in the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, confronts the Beyonder and explains why he changed reality to make him benevolent - Stabitty's last wish was for the Beyonder to be a Defender!

Plus, after sleeping with Mephista's husband, mystical nanny Marry Poppins finds out that a spoonful of sugar helps her go to Hell! Can she escape the underworld in which the devil's daughter has imprisoned her?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #36

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"PLANET ABOMINATION" part two "GLORIOUS DREAMS OF THE GREAT ABOMINATION"

Red flags adorned with the hammer and sickle of the Soviet Union fly over the planet K'ai as troops march through the streets to the thunderous cheers of the proletariat. The palace, once home to the unjust monarch Queen Jarella, now houses the voice of the people - Premier Emil "the Abomination" Blonsky, who watches the parade approvingly. As a child, this is what he dreamed his crumbling nation could be. Yet even as he trained all his life to become a super soldier, he couldn't save his homeland from degenerating into a crooked kleptocracy. But he could save this place. And he did. Now, the only problem is tracking down Jarella and her fascist band of rebels. Rumor has it they are being assisted by his hated enemy, the Hulk. He'll make the world safe from their oppression... and maybe, just maybe, he'll realize that none of that is real because his mind is being beguiled by the magic of Dormammu. As he lives out his fantasy, the Dark Dimension slowly overtakes the world he dreams that he liberated... but Hulk, Jarella, Namor, the Silver Surfer, and Cheetara are no mere dreams! Somehow, they've found themselves inside the Abomination's reverie with no way out! Can they escape this nightmare before reality catches up with them and K'ai is destroyed?

Meanwhile, Dr. Strange travels to the underworld to rescue his paramour Mary Poppins from the wrath of his vindictive wife, Mephista. But the unthinkable happens when, instead of finding Poppins, who escaped on her own, Strange is served with divorce papers!! Will he lose half of the Sanctum Sanctorum to Hell itself?

Plus, the Beyonder learns why Stabbity Jones altered his mind towards altruism - so he could kill Dormammu!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #37

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"THE DEATH OF DORMAMMU"

The hordes of the Dark Dimension pour onto the once idyllic world of K'ai like maggots over carrion. Scores of mindless ones ravage everything in sight, guided by those fiends who willingly serve as Dormammu's lieutenants - the malevolent Skeletor and the vile Mumm-Ra. Across the field are K'ai's battle-weary protectors: it's queen, Jarella, and her paramour, the Incredible Hulk; their unlikely ally, the Abomination, who wants to save his newly adopted world; plus Namor, the Silver Surfer, Mothra, Cheetara, Dr. Strange, and what remains of the realm's "Defenders" army. This is the inevitable battle that's been looming for years (see THE DEFENDERS #0). But when Dormammu himself enters the fray, all hope is lost. K'ai will fall and Earth will be next. Yet, months ago the hobo Stabitty Jones sacrificed himself by absorbing and releasing back into the multiverse the omnipotent power contained within the Crucible (see KILLING THE FANTASY #5), and in those brief moments of clairvoyance he foresaw a solution. He restored the powers of the Beyonder but bent his personality towards altruism for one reason. For one moment. For this moment. With the fate of several realms at stake, the Beyonder must kill Dormammu! Does even he have enough power to do it? And if he does, what unforeseeable consequences would such a monumental slaying bring about?

Meanwhile, Dr. Strange misses the first court date in his divorce proceeding - leading to a default judgment for his jilted bride! The Sanctum Sanctorum and 75% of his other holdings now belong to Mephista!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #38

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"THE LIGHT DIMENSION" part one "LET THERE BE LIGHT"

Dormammu is dead! Killed in battle with the Beyonder, who sacrificed himself in the process, the dreaded lord of chaos is no more! But the consequences of his demise are widespread...

For the first time in millennia, there is light within the Dark Dimension! The stone exteriors of the seemingly endless hordes of Mindless Ones have fallen away, no longer held in place by Dormammu's power. Beneath them is flesh and blood, people whose worlds were subjugated and whose wills were dominated. Thanks to the Defenders, they are breathing the sweet air of freedom once again. Some endured eons of mindless servitude. Now they must reconstruct both their lives and their worlds. But are the Defenders prepared to become... the Rebuilders?

Hulk assists his lover, Queen Jarella, in attempting to repair her damaged kingdom. It was on her world of K'ai that Dormammu fell, so they must figure out how best to dispose of his enormous flaming skeleton!

Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer escorts the warrior Arkon the Magnificent back to his homeworld of Polemachus, ravaged years ago by Dormammu (see THE DEFENDERS #2). Unfortunately, the freed Polemachians, who value strength above all, blame Arkon's perceived weakness for their initial defeat. And weakness means his leadership must be challenged - in combat!

Plus, Namor and Dr. Strange hunt down Dormammu's lieutenants. There's no where to run, Skeletor!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #39

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"THE LIGHT DIMENSION" part two “PLANET OF NINE LIVES”

Free from the oppression of the now-dead Dormammu, the rocky hides of the seemingly endless legions of Mindless Ones have fallen away and revealed people - mostly very scared and confused people. In seeking to reclaim their lives so long taken from them, these “Re-Minded Ones” turn to the heroes responsible for their liberation - the Defenders!

The feline Thunderans seek to return to their world after its recent conquest at Dormammu’s hands (see THE DEFENDERS #22), but their mortal enemy Mumm-Ra refuses to allow any but the Ancient Spirits of Evil to claim dominion over the remains of Thundera! Can Hulk, Namor, and Dr. Strange help Cheetara and her people defeat the undead sorcerer and reclaim finally their home?

Meanwhile, the majority of realms ravaged by Dormammu have been rendered uninhabitable. For the Re-Minded Ones who lived on those worlds, there is no going back. Faced with the biggest refugee crisis in the history of the multiverse, the Silver Surfer must lean on his experience as a herald of Galactus. Where once he found worlds to be devoured, now he must find worlds to be settled by a massive displaced population! But worlds that at first blush seem idyllic often hold secret dangers beyond comprehension...

Plus, the recently slain Skeletor sells his soul to Mephista for the chance to live again! And Mephista plans on keeping the soul safe in property she acquired in her recent divorce - the Sanctum Sanctorum!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #40

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

"THE LIGHT DIMENSION" part three “REOPENING OLD WOUNDS”

Upon Dormammu’s death, his legions of Mindless Ones were returned to the beings that they were before he subjugated them - but this only allowed old hatreds to resurface! The Defenders helped the Re-Minded Ones reclaim their native worlds - including Polemachus and Thundera - but now those two realms have reignited a war with each other that began thousands of years ago! Legends say the genesis of the conflict was a historical summit on an asteroid near Polemachus where an argument over who should possess the legendary Sword of Omens left the Lord of the Thundercats dead. Mysteriously transported back in time, can Dr. Strange, Hulk, and the Silver Surfer find out what really happened on that fateful day before the Namor can no longer prevent Arkon the Magnificent and Cheetara from slaying each other in the present?

Meanwhile, Mephista and her new manservant Skeletor begin remodeling the Sanctum Sanctorum. Wong was unable to prevent her from claiming it in the divorce since Stephen defaulted when he did not appear, but can Wong succeed in stopping Mephista from flooding the streets with dangerous magical artifacts in a hellacious garage sale? Everything must go!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #41

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“EX-WIFE FROM HELL” part one “IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES”

The death of Dormammu, liberation of his legions of Mindless Ones, and transition of the Dark Dimension into the light has consumed much of Dr. Strange’s time. After months away, he finally returns to Earth - to find his holdings ravaged by divorce proceedings! His dalliance with the nanny, Mary Poppins, has cost him his marriage and after failing to appear in court, daughter of the devil Mephista has successfully claimed most of his assets. The Sanctum Sanctorum has been taken... but he’ll be damned if he won’t fight to get it back! The law firm of Mason & Walters declined to represent Mephista (see SHE-HULK, ATTORNEY AT LAW #34), but can they help Strange get his stuff back? Was the original marriage, wished for by Mephista in the classic Dawn of the Devil event (wayyy back in THE DEFENDERS #2), even legal? It’ll take some real sorcery to make that marriage contract disappear! But does Mephista have a defender in her corner - her former paramour Namor?!

Plus, she’s been missing since the Amalgamate even (THE DEFENDERS #26). Hulk and the Silver Surfer finally resolve to discover... whatever happened to Valkyrie?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #42

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“EX-WIFE FROM HELL” part two “RING OF FIRE”

Dr. Strange returned from liberating the Dark Dimension to find his holdings ravaged by one-sided divorce proceedings! Mephista, the ex-wife from Hell, took him to the cleaners and has sold off his collection of priceless (and incredibly dangerous) mystical artifacts (plus his baseball cards)! Fortunately, Stephen knows SHE-HULK, ATTORNEY AT LAW! And she knows that a divorce isn’t legal if the marriage contract was never binding to begin with! Stephen never agreed to the union, it was brought about by Mephista’s wish granted by her father (in THE DEFENDERS #2)! So, according to She-Hulk, all Stephen has to do is shatter the vessel that contains that wish magic and the marriage can be voided. Problem: the vessel is embedded in a gem, which is set in an engagement ring, which sits on the finger of Mephista, who sits on a throne in Hell! Will Namor, who maintains a purely physical relationship with Mephista, reluctantly help Strange sneak into her fiery realm?

Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer and Hulk locate Valkyrie - on Sakaar! Without her memory, the Asgardian has become a champion gladiator. Can even vintage gladiator champions the Green Scar and the Silver Savage bring her home?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #43

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“EX-WIFE FROM HELL” part three “EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION”

Even the devil fears the law firm of Mason & Walters, LLP! Perry Mason, the only attorney to successfully litigate his way out of the afterlife, and the sensational She-Hulk took Dr. Strange‘s case after divorce proceedings left him penniless. They not only won (though reclaiming his already sold mystical assets will prove a different problem), but with a little legal magic and Namor’s reluctant aid, they’re succeeded in a countersuit against Mephista! For damages associated with pain & suffering alone, Strange has been awarded a share of Mephista’s assets - and now finds himself with the deed to a portion of Hell (the 8th Circle, specifically). Yet this might prove less an asset and more a severe liability... What will the good doctor do as a lord of the underworld?

Meanwhile, Victor Strange returns! The evil offspring of Stephen and Mephista from the year 2039 (see THE DEFENDERS #7) is back, but this divorce threatens his very future existence! If he ever wants to be born, he’s got to find a way to get his parents to f\*\*\*!!

Plus: Hulk and the Silver Surfer attempt to help Valkyrie recover her memories and personality - but they seem to have been magically stripped away by a mysterious object that they learn too late is a fragment of a Diablo’s shattered soul stone (see THE DEFENDERS #16)! What havoc will touching the stone fragment wreak?

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #44

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION”

After She-Hulk’s firm worked some legal magic in his divorce proceeding, Dr. Strange finds himself the owner of some of his ex-wife Mephista’s real estate. Specifically, he now possesses the 8th Circle of Hell! Charmingly known as the Malebolge, Dante said this was the Circle where punishment was meted out to counterfeiters, hypocrites, grafters, seducers... and sorcerers. Strange can work with that. First task, end all that punishment stuff! Second task, large scale renovation! With some stable portals to transportation hubs around the world, cooling/filtration systems, and affordable housing, Dr. Strange thinks he can turn the Malebolge into a thriving community! But can even the Sorcerer Supreme make Hell a nice place to live?

Plus, Victor Strange from the future hasn’t been able to work romantic magic and get his parents to hook up and create him. If he can’t turn the Malebolge into a love nest, he’ll blink out of existence! In desperation, he turns to the one man he remembers had an uncanny talent for instigating sexual encounters - Namor!

Meanwhile, Hulk and the Silver Surfer have successfully restored Valkyrie’s memories - and what she remembers will shock you!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #45

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

* + - 4 YEAR AOM CONTINUITY ANNIVERSARY\*\*\*

“SEE YOU IN HELL”

Against all odds, Stephen Strange has transformed the 8th Circle of Hell into one of the hippest places in the universe to relocate! The Malebolge has become basically the Williamsburg, Brooklyn of Hell. But it’s not all long beards, $14 lattes, and a deep appreciate for vinyl records... it’s also a place where old friends (and enemies) can reunite. Following the neighborhood’s official ribbon cutting ceremony, the guests of honor get a rare respite and the opportunity to share a craft beer together with friends who have helped defend the multiverse for the past four years - Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor, the Silver Surfer, Valkyrie, Cheetara, Queen Jarella, Wong, Giganto, Arkon the Magnificent, Stardust, Illidan Stormrage, the ghost of Egon Spengler, Mothra, Mary Poppins, and more. Plus, nobody expects the arrival of deceased friends Stabitty Jones and the Beyonder! But can the jealous Mephista rebuild the bridge she burned with her ex-husband - or will she invite the spirit of the slain Dormammu to disrupt the festivities?

Includes Special Reprint from June 2014!

THE DEFENDERS #0

“NON-STANDARD DIMENSIONS” Prelude: “THE MARCH”

An event beyond understanding has somehow “reset” reality, causing chaos on a multiversal level. With the walls between dimensions weakened, the all-seeing Eye of Agamotto beholds a terrifying site: the heinous hordes of the Dark Dimension, under the command of the dread Dormammu, march again! Jarella, Queen of the magical realm of K’ai, can feel the evil gathering at the bounds of her reality. Desperate to prevent the genocide of her people, she reaches out to the man peering through the Eye – Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange! Her message is simple, as she believes only one man can help her. “Please Stephen, find and bring the great love of my life back to K’ai. Find… the Hulk!”

64 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

THE DEFENDERS #46

Written by MIKE MIGNOLA

Plot by EXCITER & GLOBAL HONORED

Art by SALVADOR LARROCA

“EXTRAORDINARY RECOLLECTION”

A mind can shape reality... sometimes literally. But age and entropy are unavoidable. We can all only hope that when the time comes, the world we’ve created and the people we’ve brought into it will support us with care and love. Yet sometimes, unscrupulous sorts weasel their way in.... gaining trust, exploiting our gifts for their own purposes, and reshaping our reality into something we don’t recognize - stunting it; abusing it; and if left to their own devices, ultimately ending it and scavenging the remains. In such times of confused panic, we may reach out to friends who are no longer there - memories of those we trusted but that can’t help us now. But if reality can change...

Namor was investigating odd seismic waves within the Bermuda Triangle when he finds himself pulled from the waters and brought... somewhere else. In another universe, a mysterious and powerful cosmic entity regarded him as a friend and is imploring him to help. Problem is, this Namor has never met “the Man” before! Who the blazes is he?

Elsewhere, Stephen Strange awakens to find himself in an equally unexpected place - Mephista’s bedroom? Even after the “hellacious” and inebriating celebration last issue, there’s no way he hooked up with his literal she-devil of an ex-wife again... is there? Meanwhile, a time displaced Victor Strange smiles. He has every reason to be happy. After all, he just facilitated his own conception!

32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99

## Gallery

The Defenders #0The Defenders #1The Defenders #2The Defenders #3The Defenders #4The Defenders #5The Defenders promotional ImageCheetara character addition