Appearing in "Breakthrough!"
Featured Characters:
- Defenders (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Hulk (Bruce Banner) ⏵
- ⏴ Hawkeye (Clint Barton) ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Valkyrie ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Namor the Sub-Mariner ⏵
Supporting Characters:
- Avengers (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Thor Odinson ⏵ (Main story and recap)
- ⏴ Mantis ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Black Panther (T'Challa) ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Iron Man (Tony Stark) ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Swordsman ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Vision ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Scarlet Witch (Wanda) ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Captain America (Steve Rogers) ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
Antagonists:
- Loki Laufeyson (Only in recap)
- Dormammu (Main story and recap)
- Asti, the All-Seeing
Other Characters:
- Numerous unnamed Angelinos
- LAPD
- Mayor Bradley (Referenced) (Topical Reference)
- Odin (Invoked)
- Barbara (Main story and flashback) (Possessed by Valkyrie)
- Black Knight (Dane Whitman) (Statue) (Only in flashback)
- Trojans (Mentioned) (Only in flashback)
- Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida) (Only in recap)
- Devil (Invoked)
- Hoggoth (Invoked)
- T'Chaka (Invoked)
Races and Species:
- Humans (Main story and flashback)
- Titans (Referenced)
- Asgardians (Main story and flashback)
- Zenn-Lavians (Main story and flashback)
- Synthezoids (Main story and flashback)
- Mutant Atlantean-Human Hybrids (Main story and flashback)
- Fish (Mentioned) (Only in flashback)
- Mutants (Only in recap)
- Frost Giants (Only in recap)
- Faltine (Main story and recap)
- Demons
Locations:
- Prime Marvel Universe (Main story and flashback)
- Earthspace (Main story and flashback)
- Milky Way Galaxy (Main story and flashback)
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- North America (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- California
- New York (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Only in flashback)
- Manhattan (Only in flashback)
- Greenwich Village (Only in flashback)
- Bleecker Street (Only in flashback)
- Stephen Strange's Mansion (Only in flashback)
- Bleecker Street (Only in flashback)
- Greenwich Village (Only in flashback)
- Manhattan (Only in flashback)
- New York City (Only in flashback)
- Vermont (Only in recap)
- Rutland (Only in recap)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- Atlantis, Atlantic Ocean (Referenced)
- Asia (Only in recap)
- Japan (Only in recap)
- Honshu (Only in recap)
- Osaka Prefecture (Only in recap)
- Osaka (Only in recap)
- Osaka Prefecture (Only in recap)
- Honshu (Only in recap)
- Japan (Only in recap)
- South Pacific (Mentioned)
- South America (Mentioned)
- Central America (Mentioned)
- North America (Main story and flashback)
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- Milky Way Galaxy (Main story and flashback)
- Asgard (Referenced)
- Heaven (Referenced)
- Dark Dimension (Behind the scenes)
- Earthspace (Main story and flashback)
Items:
- Evil Eye (Main story and flashback)
- Mjolnir (Main story and recap)
- Uru (Main story and recap)
- Hawkeye's Suit, Bow and Trick Arrows (Main story and flashback)
- Panther Habit (Main story and flashback)
- Power Cosmic (Main story and flashback)
- Iron Man Armor Model 3 (Main story and flashback)
- Swordsman's Sword (Main story and flashback)
- Cloak of Levitation (Main story and flashback)
- Eye of Agamotto (Main story and flashback)
- Ebony Blade (Main story and flashback)
- Captain America's Shield (Main story and flashback)
- Loki's Firesword (Only in recap)
Vehicles:
- Silver Surfer's Surfboard (Main story and flashback)
Synopsis for "Breakthrough!"
Brief Summary:
The Hulk and Thor both arrive in Los Angeles looking for the final piece of the Evil Eye. They engage in battle and appear to fight to a standstill until the Avengers and Defenders stop the fight. Earlier in the day, Namor had brought the Avengers and Defenders together to sort out their recent misunderstandings. It was discovered that Loki had been deceiving the Avengers and tricking them into fighting the Defenders. They all rush to Los Angeles with the fragments of the Evil Eye. Once all the pieces are collected, Dormammu swoops in and takes the weapon from the heroes.
Detailed Summary:
Chapter 9: Breakthrough!
The Hulk arrives in Los Angeles and is lead by Doctor Strange to city fountain. There he starts to break into sidewalk to reveal the last missing fragment of the Evil Eye. As he is about to pick up the item, Thor arrives and demands to talk with him. The Hulk has no patience for Thor and quickly lashes out at him.
The two titans exchange blows, rocking the city and people that surround them. Evenly matched, their clash appears to be fought to a standstill. Suddenly, the struggle is stopped by Doctor Strange, the Defenders, and the Avengers.
Chapter 10: United We Stand!
Earlier that day, Doctor Strange and the Defenders gather at the Sanctum Sanctorum with the collected pieces of the Evil Eye. Namor arrives and surprises the Defenders by bringing the Avengers with him. Before a fight can break out, Namor explains how a truce was made when he battled Captain America in Japan. They talked and realized that Loki had tricked the Avengers into fighting the Defenders.
As the two groups of heroes discuss how the recent events had transpired, they realize that the only two unaccounted for were Hulk and Thor. The combined hero groups head off to Los Angeles to stop the two powerhouses before they cause too much damage.
With the battle between Thor and Hulk stopped, Thor mentions that he last battled the god of mischief in Rutland, Vermont. This causes the Defenders to wonder if Dormammu is involved considering they fought him recently in Rutland as well.
They collect all the pieces of the Evil Eye and wonder if they dare put it together. Before they can decide, Asti, one of Dormammu's minions, swoops down and scoops up all the fragments of the Evil Eye and brings them to the Dark Dimension. At that moment, Dormammu instantly begins merging the Dark Dimension with Earth. The landscape and humans begin to warp in front of their eyes. The heroes vow to fight back.
Trivia
- As seen on page one, this issue is Story Number 1600 Z.
- Gaspar Saladino is uncredited for lettering page 1.
- This issue contains a letters page, Defenders Dialogue. Letters are published from Calvin Bentley, Rick Hoberg, and Alan Rothman.
See Also
Recommended Reading
The story references:
- Journey Into Mystery #112 - Thor and Hulk's previous battle.
- Avengers #117 - Namor and Captain America's battle with Sunfire and Valkyrie's battle with the Swordsman.
- Thor #207 - Thor and Loki's previous battle.
- Marvel Feature #2 - The Defenders and Dormammu's previous battle.
- Strange Tales #144 - Previous appearance of Asti, the All-Seeing.