New Defenders, The (1983 series) #143

Moondragon is forced to relive the tragic deaths of her parents when she was a child; she thought she had overcome it but she is now shaking. The Dragon of the Moon residing in her head appears in the mirror to remind her that she is dying. She smashes the mirror with a thought but scolds herself for acting so irrationally. She walks out, leaving blood on the doorknob….

Gargoyle hears the crash and goes out to investigate but finds nothing. He sees that Valkyrie is still up and looks in. Val tells him that Moondragon is in great danger but must have the chance to defeat it herself….

At the West Side waterfront, a route favored by joggers, a woman in sweats emerges from a submarine and heads up to the path, impersonating an ordinary jogger. She pretends to stumble and hurt her leg. A man offers to see her to his house for first aid….

On a mountaintop near Defenders Mansion, Moondragon searches within herself to find the source of her pain. She sees that much of her inner organs have been replaced by the spores of Ephraim Soles; she intends to summon Gargoyle to help her defeat them as they did earlier but she is called by the Dragon of the Moon who tells her there is no escape from death for her except by giving herself to him. She defies him, to protect her friends but the Dragon sends her astral form to see Bobby Drake and Cloud at Fontaine College (last issue) as they talk over recent difficulties and Cloud wishes she had never met Moondragon and the Dragon presents that as her friends’ concern for her….

Back at the Aerie, Valkyrie wakes up Candy Southern and tells her to take Dolly Donahue and Sassafras and hide in the mountains as danger is coming for the Defenders….

On an observation dome overlooking the moon of Titan, the Dragon shows Moondragon scenes from her earlier life. After Heather Douglas had shocked the priests by taking the name of Moondragon, Mentor assured her that he was concerned about her future but she dismissed him as a fool and as she stood there, she encountered a glowing golden man who called himself Runner and invited her to see the galaxy with him. They flew together through the universe and saw myriad wonders. But then they stood on a sun and Runner told her the star was close to supernova and they should see it then; Moondragon asked out the inhabited planets in its orbit and what they should do about them but Runner didn’t care so Moondragon asked to be returned to Titan. And there she decided to stay. And now the Dragon reiterates that she is dying and that he is the only hope for her…and she gives in, handing herself over to the Dragon of the Moon…

…and then she arrives at Defenders Mansion, cold and arrogant, delighting in her expanded powers. She confronts Valkyrie, Gargoyle, and Angel and they try to subdue her but she evades them neatly then causes Isaac’s tiny hand to grow large and overpower him, she strikes Warren blind, and then just causes Val to vanish with a poof. And she and the Dragon of the Moon laugh….