In
the borrowed Quinjet, the Defenders (Hellcat, Valkyrie, Beast, Gargoyle,
Over-Mind) are heading toward the Massachusetts monastery where Daimon
Hellstrom, Son of Satan, is in trouble. As they reach the monastery grounds a
giant statue of a monk suddenly rises before them. Beast swerves to avoid it
but another and then another rise before them no matter which way they turn;
the craft bounces off two of them and careens into a crash landing in the snow.
Then an ice dragon arises from the ground to challenge them; Hank and Patsy
distract it while Gargoyle attempts to drain its life force—but it isn’t alive
so there is nothing to drain. Val slashes at its legs with Dragonfang, toppling
it onto Over-Mind who emits a psychic blast, destroying the dead monster and
terrifying his (non-)teammates. Val swings her sword to protect the others from
a rain of ice bits and Gargoyle is thrilled that he is stronger than he thought
as fighting the monster didn’t injure him. Beast scolds everyone for not acting
like a team; Val interrupts to remind him they have been doing well so far and
if they really need a leader, she should be the one. Over-Mind interrupts her
to direct them to the monastery, their apparent goal. The door opens for them
and they enter…
…to
be greeted by the Miracle Man, in a room full of hypnotized monks. Some of the
Defenders recognize their foe from tales told by the Fantastic Four. They ask
about Daimon Hellstrom and he leads them to a stone statue; a snap of the
fingers and Daimon is returned to normal. MM explains how the return of his
mind and his powers unbalanced him briefly but now he is in possession of his
senses one again and intends to liberate Earth. With a wave of his arms, he
transports them all to Java in Indonesia. He explains he will become a god and
end poverty, hunger, and war, transforming the world into a paradise. Daimon
points out that MM has the symbol of the Darksoul, stolen from the Son of
Satan, on his chest but MM insists he is able to control it and draw on its power.
In a cluster of poverty-stricken villages called Ranngkasbitung, he turns the
place into a comfortable city. The Defenders debate whether this is a good
thing or a bad thing, a man playing god but to help the unfortunate. Miracle
Man then claps his hands to create a palace, where he begins healing the sick
and disabled. But an aged blind man tells him that he has accepted the fate the
gods have bestowed on him and declines healing. Miracle Man flies into a rage,
crippling the man and forcing him to beg for healing. At this, the Defenders realize
Miracle Man is insane and/or corrupted by the Darksoul and must be stopped.
Over-Mind tries to shut down MM’s mind but the baddie absorbs the psychic blast
and fires it right back, laying out Over-Mind. Val draws Dragonfang and goes
for him; MM conjures a multitude of sword out of the air and sets them to
attack her. Beast, Hellcat, and Gargoyle attack MM together and it appears to
be successful…until he shows Isaac his partners, drained of their life-force by
his attacks, fooled by an illusion placed in his mind. Issac gets mad and
starts punching MM in the face; he retaliates by turning Isaac into a stone
gargoyle on the palace. As the city begins to crumble from the force of the
Darksoul, Daimon calls to it and tells it that an ordinary human cannot
withstand the power of the Darksoul and promises that if it return to him
(Daimon), he will never again try to deny it. As the Darksoul emerges from
Miracle Man’s body, Hellcat and Over-Mind marshal their psychic powers and
force the Darksoul into the body of a nearby snake on the ground. With a flash,
they are returned to the monastery, all the effects of the Miracle Man’s powers
wiped away, Brother Joshua’s mind collapsing in on itself….