Avengers, The (1963 series) #116

Chapter 2 and 3 of the epic Avengers/Defenders crossover; story continued from DEFENDERS #8; story continues in DEFENDERS #9

Chapter 3 follows Silver Surfer, Scarlet Witch and Vision to Rurutu. Dr Strange's guidance can't be *very* accurate because Surfer searches the whole island before deciding the volcano is the only place he hasn't looked. Vision isn't convinced by Loki's story, and plans to try talking to whichever Defender they find. But when the eruption endangers Wanda he attacks the Surfer. When the battle is over both combatants are convinced that the other attacked without provocation, and both intend to warn their fellows.

Loki helped Dormammu trick the Defenders in Def#8. Dormammu promised to cure Loki of blindness in return for his help, but now wants to wait until the Defenders have gathered the 6 pieces of the Eye. Loki begins to suspect that Dormammu may not play fair by him (as if!). He realises that if Dormammu uses the Eye to conquer Earth's dimension it will also allow him to conquer Asgard. And that's *his* job! So Loki decides to thwart his allies ambitions. He can't go to Asgard for help because Odin banished him back in Thor #194. So he sends a mental projection to the Avengers and Thor. (It's possibly strange that his mental projection is as blind as his body currently is.) He tells them about the danger of the Evil Eye, and claims that the Defenders are villains after the power for themselves. He names the mysterious Dr Strange, known 'villains' Hulk and Sub-Mariner, Valkyrie whom the Avengers only know as an alias of Enchantress in #83, and Silver Surfer who he claims resents being trapped on Earth. By the time Loki adds Hawkeye to the list the Avengers have already been convinced the Defenders are up to no good. (Hawkeye quit the Avengers in #109 and teamed up with the Defenders in Def#7.) Loki doesn't know which Defender went where, so the Avengers choose targets for their own reasons. Captain America goes to Japan because he's been there in WWII. Scarlet Witch and Vision choose Polynesia. Swordsman goes to Bolivia to make up for his villainy there in Av Annual #1. But Mantis senses she should accompany Black Panther to Indiana. Thor chooses relatively nearby California so he can also come to the aid of the others if necessary. Iron Man is left with Mexico.

This issue opens with chapter 2 of the Avengers/Defenders War, taking the main title. The Avengers go to Dr Strange's Sanctum Sanctorun to find out why he kidnapped Black Knight (as they think they discovered last issue). (Thor knows the place because he went there in Journey into Mystery #108.) They are repelled by the house's mystical defences, but not before they glimpse BK as a stone statue. They obviously think Strange is to blame (but it was actually Enchantress in Defenders #4). Dr Strange uncovers the events of Fantastic Four #54, where Human Torch took the Eye from its owner Prester John to break the barrier surrounding the Inhumans' Great Refuge, so he could get to his girlfriend Crystal. But the Eye overloaded and self-destructed. But the Orb of Agamotto now shows that the Eye wasn't destroyed. Instead it fragmented into 6 identical smaller Eyes which went to separate parts of the globe. This was a failsafe built-in by the people of Avalon to ensure that it couldn't be misused a 2nd time. The team decide to split up to get the fragments. Dr Strange will mentally guide them to the exact spots. He'll stay behind to coordinate, then go get the 6th Eye when the 1st Defender successfully returns. Valkyrie will give Hawkeye a lift to Mexico on her way to Bolivia. Silver Surfer will take Polynesia while Sub-Mariner visits Japan. They convince Hulk to put aside his animosity towards the Defenders in order to help his friend Black Knight, and leap to Los Angeles. Dr Strange will eventually do Indiana. (Hulk got fed up of being ordered around by Strange and Namor in Def#4, but I don't know any reason why Hulk considers Black Knight a friend.)