□ Avengers #109 (March 1973) □ Avengers #110 (April 1973) □ Daredevil and Black Widow #99 (May 1973) □ Avengers #111 (May 1973) □ Incredible Hulk #166 (August 1973) □ Defenders #7 (August 1973) □ Avengers #115 (September 1973) □ Defenders #8 (September 1973) □ Avengers #116 (October 1973) □ Defenders #9 (October 1973) □ Avengers #117 (November 1973) □ Defenders #10 (November 1973) □ Avengers #118 (December 1973) □ Defenders #11 (December 1973)
Marvel’s first, true cross-over event, linking several issues of The Avengers and The Defenders.
In the months leading up to Defenders #8 we have seven issues across four titles that outline the background of the Avengers vs Defenders cross-over, principally to allow Hawkeye to move from one team to the other and enable the Defenders’ roster to increase to six.
Hawkeye’s difficulties accepting the relationship between Vision and Scarlet Witch dominates the story in Avengers #109, culminating in him being employed by a giant called The Champion who has plans to trigger the San Andreas fault. The Avengers come to his aid but Hawkeye resigns from the team in the final panel.
The Avengers take on Magneto in Avengers #110 as Hawkeye seeks Natasha, the Black Widow, who is currently teamed up with Daredevil. The story continues in Daredevil #99 (“The Mark of Hawkeye”) where Hawkeye expresses his feelings for Natasha and fights Daredevil until the Avengers arrive to ask Hawkeye to rejoin. He rejects their offer and leaves, and both Daredevil and Black Widow temporarily join The Avengers in his stead.
Back to Avengers #111 as the Magneto story concludes with Black Widow signing on as a full member and Daredevil returning to San Francisco alone. Hawkeye, meanwhile, muses on his actions over the previous few days.
Hawkeye next makes an appearance in Incredible Hulk #166 as he rallies to help Hulk battle a creature called Zzzax, with the story moving into that month’s Defenders #7 where Hawkeye allies with the non-team[1] against The Ghost and agrees to join them.
Meanwhile, in Avengers #115, a three-page epilogue sees Loki summoned to Dormammu, the recurring nemesis of Dr. Strange. Dormammu seeks a device called “the evil eye” which would enable him to hold dominion over the Earth. The eye has been shattered into six parts and Dormammu plans to trick The Defenders into finding them.
The cross-over proper begins in Defenders #8 with each issue written by Steve Englehart and drawn by either Bob Brown and Mike Esposito, or John Romita and Sal Buscema.
In Defenders #8, Dr. Strange tries to rescue the Black Knight from a spell cast by the Enchantress and receives a message from Dormammu instructing them to relocate the six pieces of the Evil Eye. The six heroes split up and head for locations across the globe, as Loki warns the Avengers[2] of Dormammu’s plans in Avengers #116.
In the same issue, the Silver Surfer battles Vision and Scarlet Witch.
Old foes Hawkeye and Iron Man meet in Defenders #9, and Dr. Strange fights Black Panther and Mantis in the same issue. Namor fights Captain America[3] and Valkyrie battles the Swordsman in Avengers #117, and Thor takes on Hulk in Defenders #10 reaching stalemate before both teams unite against their common enemy.
The teams finally work together in Avengers #118, taking and defeating Dormammu with assistance from the Watcher[4].
The story concludes in Defenders #11 as the team travels to the 12th century to free the Black Knight’s spirit.
This ambitious cross-over with its extended prologue wasn’t wholly successful, but it did make excellent use of Marvel’s shared universe concept which foreshadowed Secret Wars ten years later, and used many of the same characters.
[1] The Defenders, at this stage, consisted of Dr. Strange. Silver Surfer, Hulk, Namor and Valkyrie.
[2] Their roster had changed between Avengers #111 and #116, and by now comprised Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Panther, Mantis, Swordsman, Vision and Scarlet Witch.
[3] With a surprise appearance by the Japanese X-Men alumnus Sunfire.
[4] The events impact just about every Marvel character. Witness single panel appearances by the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Inhumans, Luke Cage, Ka-Zar, Ghost Rider, Swamp Thing, Dr. Doom, Dracula and Captain Marvel in Avengers #117. Nick Fury also pops in to little effect.