Avengers #118Avengers #118
Title: “To the Death”
Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciller: Bob Brown
Inkers: M. Esposito & F. Giacoia
Colors: Geo. Roussos
Editor: Roy Thomas
The Avengers and Defenders announce to Dormammu that before he can conquer the universe that he will have to fight them to the death. They fight against the people that have been transformed into demons. Dr. Strange warns them not to hurt the demons because if they can defeat Dormammu that the demons will become people once again. Strange casts a spell to ensure that they are not transformed and then tells everyone to follow him into Dormammu’s dimension. Strange says that with each second their situation becomes more dire. Captain America says that they just can’t abandon the Earth though. He says that he knows that Dormammu is the cause, but that if they leave the world then people are going to be killed in their demon forms. Strange says that he doesn’t like it either, but that they can’t face Dormammu with anything less than their full strength. Suddenly SHIELD arrives and starts battling the monsters. Nick Fury and Countess Valentina Allegro de Fontaine run up to the Avengers and Defenders. Fury says that he heard about the battle and rushed to the scene. Cap says that Fury is too injured to be here, but Fury says that he isn’t watching the end of the world from bed. Dr. Strange says that now SHIELD can remain behind and the Avengers and Defenders can go after Dormammu at full strength. Strange and the others disappear. As soon as Strange and the others disappear, Countess de Fontaine suddenly changes into one of the demons. Fury is forced to hit her with his stun gun. Fury thinks how anyone could turn against them, and that if the supertypes don’t come through that they don’t have a chance.
The Avengers and Defenders appear on a bridge within Dormammu’s dark dimension. Strange says that there is no turning back, and that the glowing light at the end of the path marks their destination. Thor says that those who can fly should rush ahead, but Strange says that under no circumstances are they to stray from the path. Strange says that the laws of reality are altered and negated here. Strange says that they must stay together. Thor says that the Defenders remind him of the Avengers in their early years arguing among themselves. Thor tells them all that in matters of occult matters they will bow to his authority. Everyone begrudgingly agrees and starts walking along the path.
Dormammu revels in the power of the Evil Eye. He tells Loki to look at the power that can cause universes to tremble. Loki says that Dormammu knows full well that he cannot behold anything because of his blindness. Dormammu tells Loki to be silent because he no longer amuses him. Dormammu says that he is going to watch the visions of those that try to oppose him because they do amuse him. Loki reminds Dormammu that he swore to fix his eyes if he helped him. Loki says that Dormammu could not have done this without him, and that the Prince of Evil is not to be trifled with. Dormammu traps Loki in a cage and says that he told him to be silent. Dormammu says that Loki knew that he wouldn’t help anyone whose ambitions rivaled his own. Dormammu says to stop this play-acting. Dormammu says that he has placed Loki in a mystic cave so that he does not have a second opportunity to betray him. Loki tries to deny it, but Dormammu says that he knew all the second he held the Evil Eye. Dormammu realizes that he is standing in a long shadow and turns to see the Watcher looking at him. Dormammu says that he doesn’t know how the Watcher got passed his defenses, but that he will battle him if he tries to interfere with his plans. Watcher says that even though he acted impulsively in the past that he has simply come to witness the merging of two dimensions. Dormammu says that he believes Watcher, and that today he will see something so spectacular that it will justify his entire existence.
The Avengers and Defenders come to the end of their path, but they are still far from their destination. Suddenly a new path appears, but the Mindless Ones that roam around Dormammu’s domains rush off the new path towards them to attack. Hulk says that he has been wanting something to hit, and that he finally knows that he has a good target. Thor reminds everyone that these are not their true enemy, and that they must not get bogged down fighting them. Strange says that physical force only excites the mindless ones, and that concentrated force is the only thing that can drive them back. Strange, Thor, Swordsman, Iron Man, Silver Surfer, and Vision let loose with a blast that drives the mindless ones away. Mantis says that she can still feel each second being ripped from the cosmos. She says that she is sure that they have no more than twenty minutes to go. Surfer says that he fears for their dimension.
Back in our dimension, many heroes fight against the transformed demons. The Fantastic Four battle one as does Spider-Man.
At the Great Refuge, the Inhumans battle one.
Luke Cage complains that Broadway is going crazy around him, and that this was supposed to be his day off.
Kazar and Zabu battle against the transformed Swamp Men.
Ghost Rider decides that this isn’t Satan’s doing.
Man-Thing even battles against one.
Doctor Doom swears that Latveria will not fall.
Dracula says that even he might face annihilation.
Adam Warlock battles against them on Counter-Earth.
Thanos even battles against the demons.
The Avengers and Defenders finally arrive outside the mystic shield that Dormammu uses to protect himself from the mindless ones. Strange says that he can sunder it, but that it will take time. Thor says that it is time that is their real enemy. Thor then spots the Watcher standing behind Dormammu. Dormammu turns to Watcher and says that they seem happy to see him. Dormammu looks and wonders if Watcher’s solemn oath not to interfere was a solemn lie. Watcher says that Dormammu’s suspicions waste his energy. Watcher says that he will admit to Dormammu that he cherished his opponents, but that he will not find one hint of that in his actions. Dormammu tells Watcher to calm down, and that he didn’t mean to imply.
Dormammu sees that his opponents have managed to break through his barrier. Dormammu says that they should both forget his anger, and that this is a time for laughter. Dormammu says that Dr. Strange has led a commendable attack on him, but that now with the power of the Evil Eye that he is going to knock Strange and his Defenders unconscious. Dormammu waves his hand and Strange and the other Defenders collapse to the ground. The Avengers call out for “Avengers Assemble!” Dormammu calls them loud-mouthed buffoons. He blasts the ground before them and turns it into quicksand. Thor and Iron Man fly above it, and the Scarlet Witch hexes herself over it, but Vision, Swordsman, Mantis, Captain America, and Black Panther are trapped in the quicksand. Wanda tells Vision to turn weightless and fly out, but Vision is panic-stricken and cannot. Wanda tells Thor and Iron Man to help them out, but Swordsman uses his sword to harden the quicksand with heat and says that they will be fine. He tells them that they have to go on towards Dormammu.
Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, and Thor continue to advance on Dormammu. Dormammu says that the humanity of these heroes makes them even more fun to play with. Dormammu says that they are so human that they should become so in flesh as well as spirit. Thor is transformed into Donald Blake while Iron Man’s suit of armor disappears leaving Tony Stark to drop to the ground. Dormammu sees that Scarlet Witch is unaffected and says that should not be. Wanda says that she was born with her powers, and that he cannot separate her from her power. Suddenly Wanda is caught in a storm. The rain however seems to turn to glue on her, and Wanda finds that she can barely move.
Loki is listening to this all, and decides
that this is the moment that he has been waiting for. While
Dormammu’s attention is focused on Scarlet Witch Loki turns
himself into an insect and flies free of his cage. Loki reforms
himself and says that now he will have his revenge. Loki follows
Dormammu’s voice and plows into his back. Wanda knows that
this is the last moment that she will have to act. She sends out
a hex, and the thought controlled Evil Eye flashes. Dormammu is
sucked into the Evil Eye and blasted onto Loki. 
Loki’s
eyesight is restored, but in the process he is driven totally
insane.
Back on Earth, the demons have disappeared and the regular people have returned. Thing says that he guess they did it, but wonders what it was that they did.
Back in the Dark Dimension, Wanda is rejoined by the Defenders and her fellow Avengers. The Watcher greets them and says that congratulations are in order. Black Panther starts to ask the Watcher exactly what happened, but Watcher anticipated the question and starts to answer. Watcher says that Dormammu’s extra-dimensional form is made out of raw energy that is continually on fire. Watcher says that energy is powered by lesser beings believing and worshipping him. Watcher says that Wanda’s second hex disrupted the flow of things around the Evil Eye, and the Evil Eye sucked Dormammu’s energy into itself destroying him. Watcher says that Dormammu will rise again however, as others who love sin will call upon him. Watcher says that in the mean time the energy has been driven through Loki’s mind, and that no brain of our dimension could handle that much sorcerous force and he his intellect has collapsed under the strain. Watcher says that he does have one question for the Vision about why his computer mind was overwhelmed when the quicksand engulfed him. Vision says that he wishes he could tell him, but that he does not know. Doctor Strange says that at least they have recovered the Evil Eye, and that is all they really need to know. Strange says that they should return to Earth because they still have to rescue the Black Knight with the Evil Eye. Strange tells Thor to grab Loki, and that he is going to use the Evil Eye to erase Thor and Iron Man’s secret identity from everyone’s minds until they decide that they want to tell the others. The Defenders and Avengers disappear from the Dark Dimension.
Watcher remains behind says that they are always moving and looking for some new struggle never pausing to savor what they see along the way. Watcher says that he must never forget that it was they who saved their dimension , and that all he saved was memories of their doing it. Watcher says that is why he treasures them.
Avengers Files rating: 7.5 out of 10
A great story with a great climax. The confrontation is fantastic showing the heroism of both teams. I will say that as a Hulk fan I found that the book was very ready to cast aside most of the heroes in order to spotlight a few. And that in a crossover designed to feature them all that it just seems wrong that it should all come down to so few of them. On the front page they thank Bob Brown for working so hard on the issue. I wish I had something positive to say about the art, but I found it rather bland. I gave it a 3 out of 5 merely for the scope of the events.