Namor | The Defenders! How...? |
Dr. Strange | While we were in New Atlantis, I took the liberty of conjuring a more...aggressive version of Belial's Beckoning. I put the call out to Defenders, Secret Defenders, even those who were only Defenders for a Day... Pretty much everyone. And I didn't take 'no' for an answer. |
Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
- Defenders
- Dr. Strange (Stephen Strange) (Main story and flashback)
- Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) (Main story and flashback)
- She-Hulk (Lyra) (Main story and flashback)
- Loa (Alani Ryan) (Main story and flashback)
- Namor (Main story and flashback)
Supporting Characters:
- Stingray (Walter Newell)
- Son of Satan (Daimon Hellstrom)
- Moon Knight (Marc Spector)
- Cloak (Tyrone Johnson)
- Dagger (Tandy Bowen)
- Devil-Slayer (Eric Payne)
- Hellcat (Patsy Walker)
- Gargoyle (Isaac Christians)
- Blazing Skull (Mark Todd)
- Black Panther (T'Challa)
- Cloud
Antagonists:
- Attuma (Possessed by Nerkkod, Breaker of Oceans)
- Nerkkod, Breaker of Oceans (Possesses Attuma)
- Atlanteans
Other Characters:
- Galactus (Galan) (Only in flashback)
- Hulk (Bruce Banner) (Only in flashback)
- Aradnea (Only in flashback)
- Wolverine (Logan) (Mentioned)
- Serpent (Mentioned)
- Belial (Mentioned)
- Secret Defenders (Mentioned)
- Defenders for a Day (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Humans
- Zenn-Lavians
- Mutants
- Atlantean-Human Hybrids
- Human-Demon Hybrids
- Cosmic Beings
- Atlanteans
- Taa-ans (Only in flashback)
- Undying Ones (Mentioned)
Locations:
Items:
- Silver Surfer's Surfboard (Main story and flashback)
- Hammer of Nerkkod
- Trident of Neptune
- Stingray's Suit
- Panther Habit
- Cat Suit
- Hellstorm's Trident
- Cloak's Cloak
- Moon Knight's Suit
- Belial's Beckoning (Mentioned)
Synopsis for 1st story
The Defenders remember moments that changed their lives, from Doctor Strange realizing he could use magic, long ago, to Loa dissolving Aradnea into pieces, moments before. Namor remembers his terror when confronted with Nerkkod, Breaker of Oceans. "I still feel fear. But I must fight my fear... I must face him again."
Attuma (Nerkkod) is assembling his army at the shoreline. They are all Atlanteans wearing armor and special water-filled helmets; behind them is an enormous war machine. A one-eyed general gives Nerkkod a horn to sound the march, but between them and conquest stand the Defenders.
With his hammer, Nerkkod has the power to rend the earth and create gushing pillars of water. Doctor Strange and the Silver Surfer caution that his power is unlike anything they have faced before, but Namor has regained his resolve.
They attack Nerkkod's army. Loa and Lyra take out the war-machine with an oddly familiar "fastball special", but otherwise they are causing only minimal losses. Doctor Strange tells them they must separate Nerkkod from his hammer, but that is much easier said than done. Then, just as Namor begins to lose heart, reinforcements arrive.
Cloak appears in the sky, bringing with him his partner Dagger and a small army of "Defenders, Secret Defenders, even those who were only Defenders for a Day," summoned by a spell Doctor Strange conjured in New Atlantis. (That number includes Daimon Hellstrom, Hellcat, the Gargoyle, Black Panther, Stringray, Devil-Slayer, Blazing Skull, Cloud, and Moon Knight.) The added numbers quickly turn the tide of battle, assisted by another spell from Strange which clouds the army's transparent face-shields.
Namor claims the right to face Attuma. Raising his trident high with a shout of "Imperius Rex!", he gets the first blow on Nerkkod. The Serpent's Worthy strikes him down, but Namor overcomes the Fear and plunges his weapon into Attuma's chest. The Defenders join forces to restrain him while Loa, apologetically, dissolves his arm and separates Attuma from the hammer.
Stunned at this turn of events, and losing power fast, Attuma manages to recover hand and hammer, but he does not stand to face the Defenders again. He flees on a column of water, leaving the heroes triumphant, if a little disappointed that they could only force a retreat.
Though New Atlantis is free, Strange reminds his teammates that the world is still in danger and is likely to need its Defenders again in the days to come.