Defenders #9
Title: “Divide and Conquer”
Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Frank McLaughlin
Colors: P. Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas
Silver Surfer returns to Dr. Strange’s house. Strange thought that it might be an enemy, but when he sees Surfer he asks why Surfer didn’t wait for him to let him in. Surfer says that the power of the Evil Eye allowed him to get through. Surfer says that speed is of the essence because their quest to help the Black Knight is being countered by the Avengers. Strange asks Surfer if he is sure so Surfer tells him of what happened to him. Strange uses the Orb of Agamotto to look in on Avengers mansion. He finds the place empty, but sees that Loki’s essence has been there recently. Strange also discovers that well known villain, the Swordsman, has become an Avenger. Strange figures that Loki must be controlling the Avengers now. Surfer says that all he knows is that to get the pieces of the Evil Eye that the Defenders are going to have to fight. Surfer says that he should go fly to help the others. Strange tells Surfer to stay and guard the Black Knight while he gets his piece of the Evil Eye. Strange says that he will send warnings to the others as he goes.
On Rurutu, Vision warns the other Avengers that Loki’s story was true and that the Defenders will stop at nothing to get this ultimate weapon. After he lets the others know, Wanda says that she is scared. She says that Avengers have faced every conceivable menace and won, but that these Defenders are so powerful and ruthless and yet so like them. Vision says that in different circumstances they could have been friends. He hopes the others did better than they did.
Valkyrie and Hawkeye descend on Monterrey Mexico to locate Hawkeye’s piece of the Evil Eye. Hawkeye says that he should have taken that second year of Spanish, as he can’t understand anything that the locals are saying as the flying Aragon descends. Suddenly Dr. Strange appears before Hawkeye and Valkyrie. He warns all the Defenders that Loki has corrupted the Avengers’ minds, and that they are trying to block their obtaining the Evil Eye. Strange says that Surfer was attacked and reminds them that Black Knight is counting on them. After Strange disappears, Hawkeye has a hard time believing that the Avengers are after them. Val says that if Strange says it is so that it is true. Val says that she hates the Avengers. Hawkeye reminds Val that she has never met the Avengers, and that is the Enchantress part of her talking. Valkyrie tells Hawkeye that she craves action. Hawkeye tells Valkyrie to call him Clint, and that he craves action too. Hawkeye grabs Val and kisses her. Val grabs her sword and swings it at Hawkeye. Hawkeye ducks and says that he is sorry. Val says that he should be, but thinks to herself that it wasn’t completely unpleasant. Val takes off for her piece of the Eye and says that she will pick him up on the way back. Hawkeye is thinking about Val when he spots Iron Man flying overhead.
Up above, Iron Man reasons that if an object like the Evil Eye were found that it would be taken to the University for study. Iron Man talks to one of the professors and sure enough the professor says that something that fits Iron Man’s description was brought to him a few years ago. He says that he guesses that the piece is 700 years old, but that its purpose is still a mystery. Iron Man asks if he can see it as working for Stark Industries has taught him a few things. Iron Man says that there are grooves on the sides indicating that similar pieces fit on both the inside and the outside of this portion. Suddenly an arrow passes through the window of the University and knocks the Evil Eye from Iron Man’s hands. The arrow boomerangs back out the window with the Evil Eye portion grabbed up. Iron Man flies out after it and spots Hawkeye. Hawkeye says that it has been a “long time, no see”, but adds that it is too bad that it couldn’t be longer. Hawkeye asks Iron Man if he remembers when they used to fight. He says that was just him against Iron Man, but that this time it is Defender against Avenger, and that the Avengers are going to win. Hawkeye hits Iron Man with a blast arrow. Hawkeye says that he has been working on his arrows since he left the Avengers. He says that he hasn’t become a solo star, but at least he hooked up with some real friends working for a good cause. Hawkeye thinks to himself how they are trying to save the Black Knight, but Iron Man figures the good cause is ruling the world. Iron Man knocks down Hawkeye’s arrow and blasts him. Iron Man says that he thought that Hawkeye had changed, and that he even proposed him for membership. Hawkeye says that Iron Man is talking crazy. Hawkeye throws an acid arrow on Iron Man’s armor. Hawkeye says that he may be the weakest Avenger and that Iron Man may be the second strongest, but that he is going to be the one who leaves with the Eye. Iron Man jets off and manages to fly so fast that the acid evaporates. Iron Man flies back down at Hawkeye. Hawkeye fires an arrow, but Iron Man disintegrates the arrow with a blast. Iron Man hits Hawkeye. Iron Man says that he doesn’t want to hurt Hawkeye because he was a good guy when he was with the Avengers. Iron Man blasts Hawkeye backward into a building so he can try and knock him out gently. Hawkeye reaches another arrow. Iron Man blasts Hawkeye’s hand upward, but Hawkeye planned for that and the magnetized arrow draws Iron Man’s hand with it as it passes by him. Iron Man doesn’t turn off his repulsor ray in time and he blasts a construction site. For ninety seconds, Iron Man saves the people within the site. Hawkeye takes the Evil Eye and leaves.
In Indiana, Dr. Strange flies over a
cornfield looking for the Evil Eye piece. He uses a spell to
reveal its location to him. Strange hopes to go grab it before
any Avengers arrive. Mantis and Black Panther spot the radiance
on the other side of the field. Strange grabs the Evil Eye and
spots Black Panther and a woman coming towards him. Strange
decides that he doesn’t need to fight and tries to slip
away. Black Panther sees that some one was here and decide to
follow the tracks towards the road. They spot three men standing
and decide to go ask where the man went. The men say that they
didn’t see anyone else, but Mantis says that she senses
magic. As soon as she senses the magic it disappears, but Mantis
recognizes them as coming from Dr. Strange. Mantis hauls off and
kicks an old woman that is trying to get on a bus. The woman
rolls under the bus. Mantis is blasted by a magical attack that
comes from under the bus. Strange flies up into the air and says
that he had hoped to do this without violence. Black Panther
wonders to himself how he and Mantis can stop a man like Strange.
Strange keeps flying away. He sees no sign of being followed, but
below Black Panther bounds up after Strange and collides into
him. Panther says that he isn’t sure what to do with him,
but tries to stop Strange from gesturing or reciting. Strange
blasts Panther with the Eye of Agamotto. Panther is falling.
Strange says that he has no desire to kill Panther and goes to
catch him. Strange grabs Panther’s wrist, but Panther swings
around and kicks Strange in the face. The man who’s farm
they are fighting on spots them and runs out to shoot them before
they spook the livestock. Mantis dives into Panther and Strange
and stops them from being killed. Mantis then unarms the farmer.
Strange turns to face Mantis. He says that his studies in the
Himalayas included martial arts. Mantis swings at Strange, but
Strange dodges it. Mantis says that only three others have ever
dodged her attack. Mantis says that win or lose she will cherish
this competition. Panther tells Mantis to keep Strange busy and
they will outflank him. Strange thinks to himself that he
can’t let the Evil Eye go unfinished. 
Strange puts a
spell on Mantis and Panther that drains them of their energy.
Strange flies away alone. He says that he should be happy, but
that he is filled with loss. Back on the ground, Panther says
that they were just ants to Strange and that as soon as he felt
like it he stepped on them. He says that if the Avengers
can’t reverse this trend that they are all doomed.
Dr. Strange’s rating: 8 out of 10
Fantastic story and cool Sal art. The match ups between the Avengers and Defenders are cool. Well Surfer vs. Vision and Scarlet Witch was a mismatch, and Strange vs. Mantis and Panther was a bit of one too. Hawkeye vs. Iron Man is a classic match up going back to Hawkeye’s first appearances. Sal does a great job of storytelling. The color separator could have done a better job, but it seems like all comics from this era suffer from this displaced color problem. This issue marks where the Avengers Defenders war really gets interesting.
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