Appearing in "Its Always Darkest..."
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Peggy Carter (Behind the scenes)
Antagonists:
- Secret Empire
Number One - Agent Nine (Linda Donaldson)
- Number Sixteen (Mr. Black)
- Number Thirteen
- Number Forty-Two (First appearance)
- Number Sixty-Eight (First appearance)
- Number Eight (First appearance)
- Moonstone
- Quentin Harderman (Only in flashback)
Other Characters:
- Richard Nixon
- Number 68 (Gabe Jones)
- X-Men
- Professor X (Charles Xavier) (Main story and flashback)
- Jean Grey (Main story and flashback)
- Cyclops (Scott Summers) (Main story and flashback)
- Lorna Dane
- Havok (Alex Summers)
- Iceman (Bobby Drake)
- Angel (Warren Worthington III)
- Beast (Hank McCoy) (Main story and flashback)
- Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
- Mesmero
- Magneto (Recap)
- Tumbler (John Robert Keane) (Only in flashback)
- Banshee (Sean Cassidy) (Only in flashback)
- Frank (First appearance)
- Miss Kearny (First appearance)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- United States of America
- Southwestern Desert, Secret Empire Installation
- New York (Main story and recap)
- Westchester County (Recap)
- North Salem (Recap)
- Salem Center (Recap)
- North Salem (Recap)
- New York City
- Long Island (Only in flashback)
- Westchester County (Recap)
Items:
- Captain America's Shield
- Captain America's Uniform
- Cyclop's Visor MK I
- Falcon's Wings
- Magneto's Helmet (Recap)
- Atomic Annihilator
- Electorn-Gyro
Synopsis for "Its Always Darkest..."
Cap and Falcon are disguised as possible employees of the Secret Empire to gain entry into their secret base to spy on what they are planning. They are found out and almost executed by laser beams. They are able to escape down an exhaust vent and then find a way to let in Professor X, Cyclops, and Marvel Girl who are looking for lost X-Men and some other X-Men's villains who have mysteriously disappeared. They locate the missing mutants, Beast, Iceman, Angel, Lorna Dane, Havok, Mastermind, Blob, Unus, and Mesmero who have been attached to a turntable that will use their mental patterns to project a force field. The mutants are set free, but then the Secret Empire uses the Atomic Annihilator on the heroes and appears to kill them all.
Notes
- The Beast was last seen in Hulk #161.
- Havok and Lorne Dane were last seen in Hulk #150.
- Angel and Iceman were last seen in Avengers #111.
- This issue contains a letters page, Let's Rap With Cap. Letters are published from ("Name and Address Unknown", Bob Rodi and R.E. Miller. The letters page also contains a 1/2 page ad for Doctor Strange #1 with a cover reproduction.
- This issue contains a Series "A" Marvel Value Stamp: #48 - Kraven
- This issue is reprinted in the trade paperback Secret Empire.
