Defenders (2001) 7-A

"Fire Above, Thunder Below"

It's the end of the world as we know it. Heard that same song somewhere before? The Defenders have many times and thwarted that eventuality.

An Inter-Dimensional rift opens in the sky above Red Raven's floating island. Clawing from the portal, is a monstrous creature identified as the Wayfinder*. Horrendous as it appears, the Wayfinder is only the herald of something even bigger and nastier.

Thankfully, the beast is repelled back to its own realm by way of the sky island being deployed as a "cosmic cork".

Now, back to the other pressing problem of the day. Namor holds Stephen Strange to his promise to aid him in liberating Atlantis from Attuma's invading barbarian horde.

Cruising at considerable speed towards Atlantis, the Defenders en masse, team spirit gels and then dissipates. On the edge of the great undersea city they are met by Attuma.... and some fearsome friends.

Namor's unbridled hate precludes Doctor Strange's ideas for an organized plan of attack. Battle is quickly joined, and neither side offer quarter.

Call it a tie, until the "Big Three" (Hulk, Doc and Namor) fade out with a peculiar popping noise. The scales tip in Attuma's favor as only Nighthawk, Hellcat and Valkyrie stand against the amphibious assemblage

That'll be Yandroth's damnable curse again.

*The Wayfinder is referred to as "Wayfarer" just pages later, and Bloodraven Cult is this issue renamed "Blackraven Cult".