A young couple on a motorcycle, later identified as Johnny Blaze and Roxanne Simpson, are heading down the desert highway when they approach an army roadblock. The soldiers call on them to stop and go back but the cycle leaps an impossible distance over the roadblock and heads off. The commander radios ahead with a warning….
The army forces, led by General Argyle Fist, escort the Defenders back to their Ayrie. The wounded Angel and Cloud are taken directly to the medical center where the army medics will tend to them. General Fist apologizes for their late arrival but Beast notes that had he come any earlier, the army would have suffered casualties as well. Fist then raises the issue of the Defender-centered trouble of late. Iceman accuses him of hating mutants like Senator Kelly; Fist stops him, as the General hates Kelly and has a long history of opposing fascists including William Taurey and his Royalists. What he was going to say is that the Defenders needs some sort of government clearance or sponsor. And he is surprised when he learns that Candy Southern is the official leader of the team. Candy heads downstairs to see Warren, Beast cuddles Sassafras, Gargoyle comforts Dolly. General Fist is notified of the intruder at the roadblock….
In New York City, Andrea McPhee greets her boyfriend Tony, home from his stockbroker job, and he notes her lips are turning blue, which he assumes is hypoxia, caused by all her running. She nearly panics as she notes her entire face is assuming a blue tinge [Spoiler: she as a citizen of Atlantis, first seen emerging from a submarine in issue #143]. While Tony is in the kitchen, Andrea summons a machine to meet her at the window and make duplicates of Tony’s credit cards, finishing just before he comes back. She distracts him with a romantic gesture….
At the Mansion, Hank McCoy consults remotely with some doctors about his injured colleagues. Warren will recover from his bone damage but it’s too soon to tell about his eyes while Cloud is a puzzle, only appearing to be human as most of her internal systems do not work. But then they are interrupted by an alarm…Beast rushes off as the motorcyclist is heading for the Mansion, dodging fire by the soldiers. The cycle mounts the stairs, passing the holographic warning figures of Doctor Strange, Hulk, Wolverine, Captain America, and the Sub-Mariner. The cycle is stopped by a flat but Bobby recognizes the intruder as Johnny Blaze, the former Ghost Rider and their colleague in the Champions. Johnny brushes off General Fist’s scolding and tells them that since he was cured of being Ghost Rider, he and Roxanne have been traveling cross-country, when she received a psychic warning that brought them there to see his old pals. And then the alarm goes off in the medical center…
…where the Defenders find the power out and the soldiers shooting at something that deflects their bullets. The lights come on to reveal Valkyrie, whom they thought was dead. Val informs them that Moondragon also lives, freed of the influence of the Dragon of the Moon yet twisted by evil and posing a threat to mankind. Isaac suggests they find and help her but Val reveals that the special powers granted her by Odin to be Moondragon’s guardian are now gone….
Later, the team gets together to discuss whether the Defenders should disband but each one has a reason for continuing, despite the setbacks with Moondragon, Cloud, etc. So they determine to make it work….
Several days later, Johnny stops in to see Warren who had offered him the job of Defenders’ mechanic. He says he’s thought about it and decided against it, as he doesn’t want to be part of the superhero life. Roxanne brings up what Johnny won’t: he needs money. So Warren gladly offers him anything he wants….
Late at night, Beast ponders Chris Larmouth, still in his coma since issue #141. Then he realizes someone is sneaking around in the dark near Cloud. He surprises the Army’s Nancy Turpin, who claims she was trying to get a look at the computer system. And she reminds Beast that they met before at a party: he promised to call her but never did. Beast promises to take her out and departs. Nancy stands over Cloud and takes out a news clipping about a girl in a near-fatal crash named Carol Faber, 17; the photo looks like Cloud….
For the special marvelite in you