Defenders #3
Title: "Four Against the Gods”
Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Jim Mooney
Editor: Roy Thomas
Silver Surfer tells Dr. Strange that he wishes that he could return home, but that Galactus placed a barrier around the Earth keeping Surfer trapped inside. Strange says that the barrier only exists in this dimension. He says that if they went to another dimension where the barrier did not exist that Surfer could go where he wanted. Strange asks Namor if he wants to come along. Namor says that he will and that a trip to another world intrigues him. Strange asks Hulk if he wants to come. Hulk says no and adds that he is not doing anything that Dumb Magician wants him to anymore. Hulk says that when he is with others that they are always bossing him around and that he hates that. Hulk is about to go when Surfer stops him. Surfer says that a chance to go home is a trip that should be made with friends. Hulk is intrigued when Surfer calls him friend. Hulk says that not many call him friend and Hulk decides to go with Surfer. Before they go Namor excuses himself to go jump around in the snow and renew his strength through contact with water. Hulk tells Namor to hurry up, but Strange tells Namor not to pay attention to the brute.
Strange performs a spell that allows them “to tread beyond the gates of locked dimensions”. The Defenders are hit with a flood of warmth and then they become one with the universe and multiverse. They find themselves sinking and Strange says that this was not the cosmos that he wanted to go into. Strange realizes that they are in the realm of the Nameless One when he spots the woman, Barbara Norriss, that sacrificed herself to free Strange from that dimension a few months back. Barbara is thrilled to see other people. She says that she has been there with nothing except the Nameless One. She begs them to free her from the construct that holds her. Strange says that he was unable to help her before, but that he will help her now. Surfer joins Strange and manages to free Barbara from her prison. Strange holds his hand out for her as Barbara flies towards them. She tells Strange to hold her after spending so much time with no human contact at all. Strange says that he wanted to return for her, but that the stars were never right. Strange says that the must flee now bore the Nameless One finds them there. Surfer tries to lead them back out, but Strange spots a hole that is the very fabric of the macrocosm. Suddenly space itself seems to become a solid wall and then turns into a maelstrom sucking the Defenders and Barbara towards the hole. They can’t resist the maelstrom, but Namor notices that Surfer’s board is not effected. Namor tells Surfer to bring the board to them, but Surfer says that the board isn’t listening to him. Namor tries swimming up the vortex. Hulk falls to the hole, but notices that the vortex becomes an actual solid at the base. Hulk holds onto the edges and blocks the hole as Strange, Surfer, and Barbara fall into him. Namor says that it is like trying to swim up a waterfall, but he eventually makes it and reaches Surfer’s board. Namor falls back down the vortex on the board and also crashes into Hulk. The board still won’t listen to Surfer, but he uses the Power Cosmic to force it to move and carry them to safety.
Namor says that he strained too hard and is
exhausted. Strange, as thanks, bathes Namor in water to replenish
his strength. Hulk thinks to himself that nobody thanked him.
Strange hears feint cries and turns to spot that now in Barbara
Norriss’ prison stands the Defenders’ loves: Clea,
Shalla-Bal, Dorma, and Jarella. Hulk, Strange, and Surfer are
completely buying it, but Namor realizes that it is a fake
because Dorma has been dead for “many tides”. Namor
says that Dorma looks so real and he wonders who would have such
knowledge of women. 
Namor looks over
and sees the Nameless One. Nameless One’s two-headed body
now has three heads and the third head is that of Barbara
Norriss. The mirage of Clea, Jarella, Shalla-Bal, and Dorma fades
away. Barbara says that she truly meant to be brave and noble
when she sacrificed herself for Strange, but the loneliness made
her so desperate that she agreed to become the Nameless
One’s mate. The Nameless One tells her to be quiet and that
no one is interested in her rationale. The Nameless One creates a
giant flaming rock and sends it hurtling at the Defenders. Surfer
blows it into pieces. Nameless One says that he thought Barbara
was supposed to have them waste their power freeing her and
fighting the vortex. Barbara says that she did. Namor punches
Nameless One’s lower face and says that even though he is
weakened that he will never surrender to him. The upper face
directs the lower one on where to grab Namor. The lower face does
so and throws Namor backward into the upper face’s mouth.
Strange tells Hulk to go help Namor. Hulk says that now Magician
wants Hulk’s help. Hulk says that he should say no, but that
he thinks that he likes Namor for some reason. Namor breaks out
of the upper face’s mouth by himself, but the pain the
Nameless One experiences causes them not to notice that the Hulk
goes beneath the giant rock the Nameless One is standing on. 
Hulk turns
Nameless One over. Barbara says that the Nameless One said they
would defeat them easily. She says that she betrayed her own kind
for his promises. Namor and Hulk take turns pounding on the
Nameless One over and over driving them back. Strange and Surfer
notice that the Nameless One’s foot is right above
Barbara’s old prison. They create a snare by combining their
powers that pulls the foot into the prison trapping them.
Surfer suggests that they go, but Strange says that he still owes Barbara his life. Strange goes to work, but Barbara tells him to leave her alone. Strange says that is just the will of the Nameless One speaking through her, but that they can’t hold her against his will. Strange returns Barbara to her own body only to discover that she has been driven insane. Strange says that his magic could not have hurt her, but that her decision to bond with the Nameless One must have been one that she was happy with. Strange still takes Barbara with him as the Defenders leave. Surfer says that he senses that they are beyond the realm of Galactus’ barrier and tells Strange to take them back to their own dimension. They all expect to find themselves in deep space, but instead find grass under their feet. There is a castle off in the distance. Surfer says that Strange has betrayed him. Strange swears that this is the exact location they occupied in the other dimension. Surfer says that he is trapped like a rat on this planet. He flies off and says that he put his trust in man, and that man has betrayed that trust again. Barbara is still insane and screaming. Strange wonders if the burden of leadership that he has assumed is too much for him.
Dumb Magician’s review: 9 out of 10
I love when these long reaching plots come together. The Nameless One is the foe that actually got certain members of the Defenders together in the first place. Barbara was probably all but forgotten in the minds of most readers by the time this issue came out, and yet now one can’t even imagine the importance of her presence. A masterful tale. What a whiner that Surfer is though huh? Sal does a great job capturing the scope of this tale.
RETURN TO DR. STRANGE'S DEFENDERS