The Defenders are fighting the dead, while Pluto and Lorelei are dueling over Valkyrie (whom we learn later really is Valkyrie II), when the Valkyrior (“the Asgardian Choosers of the Slain”) shows up, led by Valkyrie as Brunnhilde.
Valkyrior joins the battle against the dead (following a recap of Valkyrie’s history). The Defenders turn their attention to Pluto & Lorelei. They want Pluto & Lorelei to let Valkyrie (II) alone; Pluto tells Valkyrie to attack the Defenders; and Lorelei tells Valkyrie to attack Pluto.
Hulk and Namor want to aid Valkyrie, but Doctor Strange keeps them back, as Valkyrie is going into overload over the mental commands of Pluto & Lorelei. She finally breaks free from them. Pluto threatens Valkyrie, but the Defenders back her up. Pluto & Lorelei prepare to attack, but Zeus shows up and yells at Pluto for his actions, which breaks a prior agreement among them. Zeus yells at Lorelei too, and prepares to punish them both, but Pluto and Lorelei join forces and escape.
Brunnhilde informs the Defenders that Zeus healed the rift between Hades and Earth, and the battle is over. Valkyrie says, “No, it is not over.” She feels bad for a civilian who lived on the mountain where the battle took place and Pluto murdered. She says that since that man wasn’t a warrior, he couldn’t go to Valhalla (heaven for the Nords). But he deserves a place to rest. Since he loved the mountain, she buries him there.
Valkyrie (II) says she will find her own place in the world, but Brunnhilde strongly suggests that Valkyrie II join the Defenders as she once did when she was new to the world. Brunnhilde gives Valkyrie her horse Aragorn (since he was from Earth in the first place). Namor reiterates the Defenders are together only by duress and will split up again as soon as the curse vanishes.
Conversely, Nighthawk welcomes Valkyrie II into the Defenders. Brunnhilde leaves with the rest of the Valkyrior. Namor wants the remaining Defenders to aid him rescue Atlantis from Attuma. Dr. Strange says they should study the curse first to get rid of it. THe Sub-Mariner asks Hulk for help, and he blows a raspberry at him. So Namor flies away in a huff to rescue Atlantis alone.
Hulk jumps away because there’s nothing else to fight. Silver Surfer flies away, saying “I am heartsick - and tired of humanity.” The rest of the Defenders fly back to New York with Dr. Strange.
Also in this issue: Hellcat