Defenders #6
Title: “The Dreams of Death”
Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Frank McLaughlin
Colors: David Hunt
Editor: Roy Thomas
Silver Surfer flies above the city. He says
that for too long he has blamed others for the misfortunes of
chance. Surfer says that he is ready to rejoin mankind. Surfer
says that on one hand it is comforting to know that he can still
act irrationally, but on the other hand he has hurt the feelings
of Dr. Strange. Surfer says that the first thing he must do is
apologize to Dr. Strange. Surfer is flying to Strange’s
sanctum when he spots a strange glow in the direction of
Strange’s house. 
Surfer then
finds that the entire block that Dr. Strange’s home is on is
surrounded by a strange colorful cube. Surfer heads down to find
out what is going on. A police officer tells Surfer that the cube
just showed up a few minutes ago, and that they can’t seem
to break through it. Surfer offers to try, but the blast from his
hand is insufficient. Surfer says that more is required and tells
the police to evacuate the area. Surfer says that the feeling of
menace is strong from the cube. Surfer flies up as high as he can
go and then speeds down to ram into the cube. Surfer smashes
through the cube and a house before he can stop. Surfer then
notices that Strange’s house is under attack.
The leader of the menace calls out to Dr. Strange from the street and introduces himself as Cyrus Black, the Devil Incarnate. Strange, Namor, and Valkyrie look out from the window. Strange says that he fought Cyrus Black before, but that he struck him as a minor magician. Valkyrie notices that Black’s soldiers are the same kind that attacked her last issue. Cyrus laughs that they call him minor. He says that he has spent years training and studying to be better than Strange. Cyrus erects necromantic ladders for his minions to climb up Strange’s house. Valkyrie leans out the window and slices the ladders apart with the ebony sword. She says that they may attack, but that they are the Defenders. Namor says that he told Valkyrie not to think of this as a team. Cyrus’ minions crash through the ceiling and tell Namor to die in the name of the Devil Incarnate. Namor thinks to himself that these minions have few magical powers and less physically, but that they just keep coming. Cyrus uses a spell to open the door to Strange’s house. Silver Surfer swings around and smacks down the minions trying to enter through the door. Strange spots the Surfer and says that he is about to seal all entrances so if he wants to come in to do it now for soon it will be impossible. Surfer says that he doesn’t know about that, but that he will fight with his friends. Namor says that he doesn’t think that Black’s minions could defeat one of them much less four. Strange warns Namor about counting themselves as winners before they win. Cyrus notices that he is about to lose. He lets loose a blast into the house. Strange tells Cyrus that he lost, and that his last bolts barely reached the house. Strange starts to render Cyrus immobile, but Valkyrie notices that Cyrus’ bolts struck the Black Knight in his statue form. Strange is forced to draw off the effects to the bolt to keep Black Knight from shattering. While Strange was doing that Cyrus Black and his minions escape.
Strange says that Cyrus Black underestimated him, but that he underestimated Black too because he had to be able to overturn some of Strange’s spell to get away like that. Strange says that he had no idea that Black held such a grudge against him. Strange thanks them for their assistance. Valkyrie says that is what partners are for. She asks about the silver stranger. Strange makes introductions between Valkyrie and Silver Surfer. Surfer apologizes to Strange, but Strange says that is unnecessary, as they all understood his frustration. Surfer tells Valkyrie that he understands how Valkyrie feels to be newly born and yet fully grown. He says that he was created from a normal man, as she was a regular woman. Surfer tells Valkyrie that he is about to fly over the world to observe it. He asks if she would like to come with him so that he can tell her about his observations of the planet. Valkyrie says that she would love it. Namor says that he would like to come as well.
As the trio flies off their shadow falls upon a house where inside Cyrus Black resides. Cyrus curses and rages over all the work he did to become better than Dr. Strange, and yet Strange still bested him. Cyrus curses Strange, but then realizes that is the problem that he couldn’t curse Strange. Cyrus puts his rat Nebuchadnezzar on his shoulder. He says that Strange is the Sorcerer Supreme, and that he is just a pretender to the throne. Cyrus says that he cannot be blamed that Strange had the Ancient One for a mentor. Cyrus says that he will get Strange some day. Cyrus lights some new Jamaican incense and goes to lie down for some rest. Cyrus says that if only Strange would attack him because the incense protects him while he sleeps. Cyrus succumbs to sleep.
Inside his dream he feels as if he is standing on solid ground though he cannot see any ground. Cyrus thinks that he is not really sleeping, but that he has entered another realm. Cyrus says that it must be the incense. Cyrus sees a giant Nebuchadnezzar coming after him. Nebuchadnezzar pins Cyrus to the ground. Cyrus can feel him, and say that this must be a dream and that he has to wake up. Cyrus tries to fend off Nebuchadnezzar, but then suddenly he is awake. Cyrus realizes that it was a dream, but he says that for a moment there he really thought Nebuchadnezzar had grown. Cyrus looks over and sees Nebuchadnezzar in giant form in the waking world. Nebuchadnezzar suddenly shrinks before Cyrus. Cyrus comes to realize that his dream became reality under the influence of the incense. Cyrus says that he is talking like a child, but that there is no other explanation for what happened to him. Cyrus goes and opens a book. Cyrus says that if it is true that Strange and his friends will know the revenge of Cyrus Black. The book is opened to the pages with a giant purple wolf-like creature and a three-headed dragon.
Two days later, Surfer, Namor, and Valkyrie return to Strange’s house. Namor seems weary of being with them. They pass through a spell of invisibility as they near Strange’s house so that the people cannot see them enter. Strange is standing at the orb of Agamotto. Valkyrie asks what is the matter. Strange says that there is a grim feeling in the air. Elsewhere, a sleep-drugged voice says that they are together and that it is time. Suddenly the giant purple wolf-like creature is inside Strange’s house. The beast strikes Strange to the ground, but Surfer blasts the thing and it disappears. The voice says that it must try harder.
The three-headed dragon suddenly appears. Val quickly cuts off two of the three heads. The dragon grabs Valkyrie in one of its hands, and says that to defeat the Serpent of Rham that you must destroy all three of its heads. Namor flies in and smashes the other head. The Serpent of Rham disappears. Elsewhere, Cyrus Black continues to sleep. Strange realizes that the Serpent of Rham is only a mythological creature.
Valkyrie asks Strange if he thinks this is
over. A voice says that it is about to get worse. Suddenly, a
much larger and more powerful looking Cyrus Black appears.
Strange says that he should have known, but that they beat him
before and will do so again no matter what his size. Strange and
Surer blast Cyrus, but Cyrus says that they are nothing. 
He says that
Strange mocked him and made him feel inferior, but that now it is
Strange that will learn the meaning of power. Cyrus lets loose
with a blast of power that knocks Strange and Surfer off their
feet. Namor and Valkyrie charge at Cyrus, but Cyrus just smacks
them down. Cyrus says that no one is his master, or even his
equal. Cyrus says that the others are just toys to him, and that
it is only Strange’s demise that will satisfy him. Cyrus
starts blasting Strange and asks him where his power is now.
Strange thinks to himself that he doesn’t know. Namor comes
to realize that he is not weakened from his extended absence from
water even though he should be. Namor comes to realize that this
is not reality as he knows it. Namor tells Black that he knows
his game. He says that he invented all of this, even himself.
Cyrus says that this is the way he is. Namor tells Cyrus to think
and that he knows that he does not exist here with them. Cyrus
starts to shout his protest, but he suddenly blinks out of
existence. Namor drops to the ground weakened. Val rushes and
starts pouring water on him. Namor explains that as long as Cyrus
believed in what he was doing that he could have killed them, but
that as soon as he stopped believing that the effects were lost.
Strange realizes that it is just like it was a dream.
Cyrus Black gets up off the floor and says that he failed again. He says that even in his own imagination they beat him. Cyrus wonders if he is destined to lose, to always be second best. Cyrus says that he must take a long look at himself, and that some day he will try again. Cyrus says, “but then… maybe I won’t”.
Dr. Strange’s rating: 6 out of 10
Nothing spectacular about this issue, but an entertaining read. I enjoy Cyrus Black obscure status being used again, but really it seems most of Strange’s rivals fall into that category. Sal does a fine job drawing, but the whole issue seems sort of an “in-between”. Besides the fact that Valkyrie met Silver Surfer nothing significant would be missed by skipping this issue.
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