Appearing in "Musical Minds!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Headmen
- Gorilla Man
- Shrunken Bones
- Chondu the Mystic
- Ruby Thursday ⏵ (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Death (Vision or hallucination)
- Penelope Richmond (Only in flashback) (Death)
- Arthur Richmond (Only in flashback) (Death)
- Mindy (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
- US Army (Only in flashback)
- J.C. Pennysworth (Only in flashback)
- Daredevil (Only in flashback)
- Trish Starr (Only in flashback)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Musical Minds!"
Calling in Son of Satan to use his powers to see if Kyle Richmond's body has been possessed by a demon, who informs them the change in Nighthawk's personality is not due to a demonic possession. Using the Eye of Agamotto, Dr. Strange learns that Kyle's brain had been switched with that of Chondu the Mystic.
While at the Headmen's headquarters, Nagan and Morgan fight over what to do with Nighthawk's removed brain. When Morgan asks what they should do if the Defenders track them down, Nagan introduces the Headmen's newest member: Ruby Thursday. Back at Dr. Strange's Sanctum, Strange uses the Orb of Agamotto to search for Kyle, viewing Kyle's perceptions around him, Strange deduces that what happened was the result of a brain transplant not magic, and so transferring Jack Norriss' mind into Nighthawk's body, the Defenders rush out to rescue their friend.
While inside Nighthawk's Brain, Nighthawk is forced to relive his life and is guided through it by Death. Reliving his childhood where he was cared after by a caregiver, his mothers death, being sent off to private school as a child and being laughed at for crying. How in his youth, he got through high school because he was rich, the conflicts with his father, his relationship with Mindy, his car accident and being expelled from college. Finally, being rejected from the draft due to a heart murmur, his father dying in a plane crash and finally the events that led to him becoming Nighthawk and eventually joining the Defenders, and his guilt over Trish Starr losing an arm because of him.
In the real world, the Defenders have managed to track the location of the Headmen's headquarters, however upon their arrival they are taken by surprise by Ruby Thursday, whose detonating head knocks them all out.
Notes
- This issue is divided into three chapters:
- Chapter One: Musical Chairs (Minds) (the word Chairs is crossed out)
- Chapter II: My life and Times (Good and Bad) Narrated by Kyle Richmond
- Chapter III: Step Into My Parlor...
- This issue first provided readers with a much more detailed detailed origin and background information for Kyle Richmond
- This issue contains a letters page Defenders Dialogue. Letters are published from Rich Hango and Jo Duffy. The letters page also contains a Series "B" Marvel Value Stamp Vol 1 26 Silver Surfer.
- As seen on page one, this issue is Story#JV-122.