Dr. Strange is warned of a nuclear weapon that will destroy the entire world. Knowing he will be unable to defeat the menace alone, he seeks out allies in his quest.

Dormammu has returned and his minions have captured Dr. Strange's physical form for their demonic rite. It is up to Clea and Wong to gather the other Defenders and stage a rescue.

When a new TV program starring astronauts recently returned from space begins to mesmerize the nation's children, It falls to the Defenders to discover the strange secret.

When an unconscious Namor plummets from the sky before a bewildered Hulk, the green behemoth decides to seek Dr. Strange for help. It soon becomes clear that the three face a common enemy that has united them before.

The search for the Silver Surfer is on but has so far proved fruitless. Just when their quarry is within their grasp Strange and Namor let him slip away, but not before a clue to his whereabouts sets them on the right path.

With the Silver Surfer now in their ranks the Defenders enter another dimension in hopes of bypassing the barrier that keeps the Surfer on earth. Still, inter-dimensional travel is not without its pitfalls and the group find themselves once again in the land of the Nameless One.

Having rescued Barbara Norriss, now lost to madness, from the Nameless One, the Defenders find themselves back on earth again. Quickly divided by in-fighting, the group becomes ensnared in a conflict that involves the Executioner, the Enchantress and the Black Knight.

Having been recently returned to the mortal plane, Valkyrie ponders her existence and her place. Dr. Strange sets her on a path that will lead to both conflict and self discovery.

Val and Namor come across the conclusion of Hulk's scuffle with Hawkeye in time to intercede and win the archer over as a temporary ally of the Defenders. Quickly the team is called to action by a dire message from Atlantis.

With Val, Namor and Hawkeye under the control of the Red Ghost, it falls to the remaining Defenders to save them and stop Attuma. Thankfully, Dr. Strange has returned from his own tribulations in time to organize the rescue.

The plots set forth by Loki and the dread Dormammu have begun and the Defenders have set out to recover the Evil Eye, the Avengers to stop them. The battle's first blows are between the Vision and the Silver Surfer.

The battle continues when Hawkeye and Iron Man renew their rivalry of old. Meanwhile, Dr. Strange must contend with the Black Panther and the enigmatic Mantis if he and the Defenders are to recover the Evil Eye.

The record stands at Defenders 3, Avangers 0, but will Cap and the Swordsman be able to reverse that trend or will the Defenders continue to widen the gap? Meanwhile can Dormammu and Loki keep their alliance together long enough for their plots to play out?

A clash of titans is at hand when Thor and the Hulk square off over the final piece of the Evil Eye. Meanwhile, the other members of each group have started to piece together the conspiracy that has embroiled them.

This is it, the fateful climax of the great struggle that has raged between these two powerful units. They can only hope that their combined might is enough to unseat Dormammu.

With Dormammu defeated, the Avengers depart leaving the Defenders to their original task of saving the Black Knight; a quest that will span both time and space.

When Hulk unwittingly stumbles across his old foe Xemnu, he has but a moment to call for Dr. Strange before being overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Vlakyrie prepares to make a big decision.

Returning from their battle with Xemnu, Valkyrie continues to ponder her place with the Defenders. With help from a spell cast by Clea she takes a glimpse into the past of each of her companions.

When the Defenders are visited by Nighthawk, an erstwhile member of the Squadron Supreme, he relates to them a plan so sinister they must spring to action at once.

Nighthawk and the Defenders have been captured by Nebulon and the Squadron Sinister and must watch helplessly as their evil plan unfurls. Our heroes must join forces with their new ally if they are to have any hope of saving Earth.

With Nighthawk, the newest Defender sworn in, Valkyrie makes a fateful announcement. However, before their discussion can run its course Dr. Strange receives a call for help from a most surprising source.

Alpha the Ultimate Mutant has been born and the Defenders can but quake in his presence. However, if Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants are to be stopped, Dr. Strange and his crew must find a way to overcome this awesome menace.

When the Hulk falls prey to uncommon treachery the Defenders must turn to an outsider for assistance. But can even this stranger help them in a battle for their very souls?