Defenders vol. 2 #2
Title: “ The Curse”
Writer: Kurt Busiek and Erik Larsen
Artist: Erik Larsen
Inker: Klaus Jansen
Colors: Gregory Wright with Color Arts
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Namor shouts at Attuma as the barbarian and his hordes attempt to invade Atlantis. Attuma says that Namor’s day is done and that he will conquer. Namor says that his might alone is enough to turn the tide in their favor and that as long as he stands against Attuma they will win. Suddenly Namor disappears. Attuma says, “Now…where were we?”
Doc Samson enters a Virginia roadhouse to talk to Joe Fixit. Joe is playing a game of pool with a few women. Samson says that they are concerned about him and that he ought to come back for a couple of tests. Samson says that they have to figure out why Bruce Banner’s disease is affecting him, but not the Hulks. Fixit tells Samson to beat it. Fixit says that he doesn’t care about any tests and that he isn’t sick. He says he doesn’t get out very much, and that being a lab rat isn’t his idea of a good time. He says that this is fun for him. Samson goes to interject, but suddenly Fixit disappears.
Doctor Strange and Hellcat are in his sanctum as he is examining the curse. Strange has discovered that the curse is powered by Gaea herself because Yandroth was still controlling her power when he made the curse. He also says that dying curses are always harder to break. Strange says that he hasn’t found any way to break the curse. He is telling Hellcat that he isn’t sure how the curse works when he disappears leaving Hellcat standing there alone.
In Northern Canada, the Defenders arrive. Doctor Strange, Namor, Silver Surfer, and the Savage Hulk even though it was the Gray Hulk that was teleported. Namor says that Attuma is attacking his people and that he doesn’t have time for this. Namor flies away. Strange says that it is Yandroth’s curse when seconds after leaving Namor teleports back to the group. Namor shouts at Strange to do something about this. Strange says that it might not be within his power. Hulk puts his arm around Namor. Hulk says that he doesn’t want to be here either, but he says that they will smash whatever they were brought here to smash and then he will help him smash “A-toom-a”. Namor knocks Hulk’s hand off and says not to touch him. Hulk pokes Namor’s shoulder and says, “touch”. Namor freaks and decks the Hulk.
Inside his penthouse Kyle Richmond practices his combat skills as the silent blond woman stands watch. Hellcat arrives and she and Nighthawk compliment each other on having the good sense to go back to their “classic” suits. Hellcat says that she likes the yellow suit and it isn’t as though the Defenders have a team uniform. Kyle says that he is glad to hear Hellcat talking about the team being back together. Hellcat tells Kyle that Doc vanished. Kyle tells Val to get Papa Hagg. Hellcat asks if Val is Valkyrie why doesn’t she seem to recognize her. Hellcat asks who Papa Hagg is too. Kyle explains that he picked up Papa Hagg when he had to get rid of the demonic powers that Mephisto gave him. Hellcat asks Kyle why he didn’t go to Strange. Kyle says that he was a little embarrassed and that Strange has been very aloof lately. Kyle goes on that he just found Val wandering around apparently with amnesia. Papa Hagg has been working on her, and he says that she has major Asgardian magic around her. He says that she must be Valkyrie…who else could she be?
Back in Canada, Surfer asks Strange if he isn’t going to try and stop them as Hulk and Namor destroy the landscape while they fight. Strange says that they are intent on acting like children and that he is not their keeper. Suddenly a shot rings out as an old man fires his shotgun into the air. He yells that they are disturbing his privacy and tells them to get off his mountain. Suddenly monsters burst from the ground. Hulk and Namor lunge into them. Dr. Strange says that he recognizes the monsters as originating from Greek mythology. Strange is about to banish them when he is struck by a bolt from Pluto.
Back in New York, Papa Hagg traces the curse and finds the Defenders location. Hellcat and Nighthawk watch through Hagg’s crystal ball. They see Dr. Strange fighting Pluto. Pluto says that he doesn’t know how they found him, but that they can’t hope to impede him. Strange explains that Pluto is the one that attacked them.
Silver Surfer fires his cosmic power, but one of Pluto’s allies Ampharon absorbs the power with a gem on a staff and then fires it back at Surfer. Strange explains to the others that this must be what Yandroth’s curse entails. Yandroth wanted them to be miserable so the curse will unite them at catastrophes. The others decide that to get to go home that they might as well fight together. Hulk says that dumb magician wants him to smash monsters, but that he was already smashing monsters. Namor says that Hulk is even more annoying that the last time he saw him. Namor says that even Hulk’s gray form would be less irritating. Surfer, Namor, and Hulk throw themselves into a seemingly endless supply of monsters. Namor and Hulk go up to the top of the mountain. They smash it together and cause the thing to fall over onto the monsters. With all of his minions crushed Pluto turns to the Defenders and offers them one last chance to surrender. The Defenders figure he must be joking as he is alone against them, but then suddenly they are struck by a blast from behind. Hellcat, Kyle, and “Val” are watching as the Valkyrie stands next to Pluto.
RETURN TO DR. STRANGE'S DEFENDERS