In
the parallel world where President Kyle Richmond and the Over-Mind have joined
forces and conquered the world, they have the Squadron Supreme constructing
rockets to extend their dominion to the stars….
August
Masters, villainous ex-government agent, found himself transported to this
parallel world after the explosion on Mount Charteris. Driven mad by the many
changes, Masters is now on a mission to assassinate President Richmond….
In
an underground lair in New England, the Defenders and allies are holed up with
Hyperion who is suffering from exposure to Argonite. Son of Satan is able to
ease his illness so that his own recuperative powers can do the rest. Hyperion
is impatient and wants to head to the moon but the transporter is broken. But
the Silver Surfer can fly to the moon as the barrier placed around Earth by
Galactus does not exist in this parallel world. And as he can withstand the
rigors of space, Vision accompanies the Surfer on his trip….
Meanwhile,
Bruce Banner grows so frustrated trying to repair the transporter that he
transforms into the Hulk; Sub-Mariner complains about Hulk being nothing but
trouble and suddenly a ghostly character materializes before them, a composite
being created by the merged minds of all the psychics caught in the explosion
at Mount Charteris, revealing themselves to be the ones who sent Nighthawk,
then the others into this dimension. Nighthawk recognizes the voice as
Mindy Williams, his psychic ex-girlfriend….
The
Surfer and Vision arrive at the moon; Surfer knocks out the surveillance
satellites surrounding the moon and they descend to the surface. But the
Squadron Supreme was alerted so Doctor Spectrum uses his Power Prism to create
a giant hand to snatch away the board and beat the Surfer with it; Surfer takes
the board back and uses his power to return Spectrum’s energy to him, knocking
him out. Meanwhile, Nuke hits Vision with his Atom-Blast but Vizh has passed
through the floor and ascended behind Nuke and easily takes him down. Then the
rest of the SS arrive, ready for action. But so do the Defenders and company,
teleported by the psychics and the two teams clash….
Tom
Thumb tries to wrap Hulk in his Quadra-Tritanium bands but Hulk easily snaps
them and punches Tom into the distance. Valkyrie struggles with Power Princess,
Gargoyle chokes Golden Archer with his own bow, Nighthawk lures Cap’n Hawk to
the ceiling then punches him in the face. As some of the Defenders start
destroying the rockets, Lady Lark unleashes her song to stop them until Doctor Strange
conjures a Sphere of Silence around her head. Scarlet Witch hexes
Arcanna, Beast outmaneuvers Whizzer, Amphibian grabs Sub-Mariner and throws
them both into water, which makes Subby stronger than it does Amphibian. On
Richmond’s orders, Over-Mind takes the field and Hyperion and Hulk try to take
him down together and fail. And then August Masters arrives and guns down
President Richmond. Over-Mind weakens and collapses, babbling to himself. Then
a black substance arises from Richmond’s dead body and stands revealed as
Null the Living Darkness….