We have to stop us. How can we stop us? 
- -- Dr. Strange
Appearing in "The Impossible End"
Featured Characters:
- Defenders (Disbands)
- Red She-Hulk (Betty Ross) (Leaves team)
- Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) (Leaves team)
- Dr. Strange (Stephen Strange) (Leaves team)
- Iron Fist (Danny Rand) (Leaves team)
- Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) (Leaves team)
- Ant-Man (Scott Lang) (Leaves team)
Supporting Characters:
- Nick Fury
- Prester John (Death)
Antagonists:
- Death Celestials (Main story and flashback)
Other Characters:
- Molly
- Wong
- Hulk (Bruce Banner)
- Avengers (Illusion)
- Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Illusion)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Illusion)
- Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) (Illusion)
- Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) (Illusion)
- Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) (Illusion)
- Vision (Illusion)
- Thor (Illusion)
- New Avengers (Illusion)
- Thing (Ben Grimm) (Illusion)
- Spider-Man (Peter Parker) (Illusion)
- Daredevil (Matt Murdock) (Illusion)
- Secret Avengers (Illusion)
- Beast (Dr. Hank McCoy) (Illusion)
- Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) (Illusion)
- Young Avengers (Illusion)
- Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) (Illusion)
- Asgardian (Billy Kaplan) (Illusion)
- Hulkling (Teddy Altman) (Illusion)
- Patriot (Eli Bradley) (Illusion)
- X-Men (Illusion)
- Cyclops (Scott Summers) (Illusion)
- Emma Frost (Illusion)
- Storm (Ororo Munroe) (Illusion)
- Colossus (Piotr Rasputin) (Illusion)
- Namor (Illusion)
- Wolverine (Logan) (Illusion)
- Kitty Pryde (Illusion)
- Rogue (Anna Marie) (Illusion)
- Iceman (Bobby Drake) (Illusion)
- Gambit (Remy LeBeau) (Illusion)
- Angel (Warren Worthington III) (Illusion)
- Lockheed (Illusion)
- Doop (Illusion)
- Cable (Nathan Summers) (Illusion)
- Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) (Illusion)
- Future Foundation (Illusion)
- Invisible Woman (Sue Richards) (Illusion)
- Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) (Illusion)
- Inhuman Royal Family (Illusion)
- Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltangon) (Illusion)
- Medusa (Medusalith Amaquelin) (Illusion)
- Lockjaw (Illusion)
- Crystal (Crystalia Amaquelin) (Illusion)
- Karnak (Illusion)
- Ghost Rider (Alejandra Blaze) (Illusion)
- Deadpool (Wade Wilson) (Illusion)
- Punisher (Frank Castle) (Illusion)
- Amora the Enchantress (Illusion)
Locations:
- New York State
- Philadelphia (Mentioned)
- Alternate universes (Only in flashback)
Items:
- Patriot's Uniform (Illusion)
- Cyclops' Visor (Illusion)
- Ant-Man's Helmet
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Impossible End"
Once upon a time, mad gods came to destroy the world. They had grown bored with their reality, and in this profound, soul-deep numbness they decided to render all of reality useless. They entered finite systems and made them more finite. Until one day, they came to a world full of super heroes...
In Dr Strange's home in Greenwich Village, the Silver Surfer shows Dr Strange what he was shown: the Presters Omega, escaping a universe that was destroyed by the Death Celestials. Taking stock, the Presters decided to see if anyone else had managed this feat. Looking across time and space, they found singular marvels that had temporarily held back Armageddon. So they decided to replicate them. Building the Concordance Engines, they bent physics, setting the stage for the fantastic, the amazing, the uncanny, for brave avenging souls and men without fear. They built a world designed to stand against the impossible.
Dr Strange realises that the system was able withstand everything except their efforts to understand it. To give the world a fighting chance, they need to stop themselves. In a flash, Dr Strange vanishes into time to do just that. The other heroes strategize about what to do next: Nick Fury wants to get drunk, Ant-Man wants to use the Concordance Engines to get the surviving civilians to safety, Namor says they need to destroy the engines before the Death Celestials discover them, so that this plan can be tried again elsewhere. They decide to do everything.
Dr Strange lands a month in the past, watches his first meeting with Molly and the subsequent one-night stand. With the benefit of hindsight, he shouts abuse at his younger self for his self-destructive behaviour. The following morning, Dr Strange tails himself into town, thinking about the day ahead: a divination alerting him to the Hulk, the subsequent adventure fighting Nul, Breaker of Worlds, and the discovery of the Concordance Engine which started this whole sad affair. Realising what he must do to avert his future, he changes the outcome of the divination, making his younger self go after Molly.
Returning to the future, Dr Strange hears the news: the Defenders died destroying the Concordance Engines after the civilians got free, and now the Death Celestials are here. Prester Omega finally speaks, wishing him good luck in his next life.
Everything you love dies.
But with the destruction of the universe, paradoxical events are given the space to unfurl. The Hulk came to Dr Strange for help, but without him, the Hulk decided to confront Nul alone. Dr Strange mended fences with Molly and the two parted as friends. Because sometimes a kind gesture is all it takes to save the world.
Solicit Synopsis
• Series finale! The end of the Defenders!
• All your questions answered!
• Everybody dies! Everything ends! So how do the good guys pull it off?
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in the trade Defenders by Matt Fraction, Vol. 2.
- Due to Dr Strange's time-travel in this very comic, the entire run retroactively takes place on Earth-11127[1].
See Also
- Write your own review of this comic!
- Discuss Defenders Vol 4 12 on the forums
- 3 Images from Defenders Vol 4 12
Footnotes
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