| Cast - 
Deacon
Doc Magus
Shannon Carter
Hulk
J2
Edwin Jarvis
Dr. Scott Lang
|
A-Next 3
Down 'N' Dirty with the Defenders
 Creators
-
Writers: Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz
Artist: Ron Frenz
Inker: Brett Breeding
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editor-in-chief: Bob Harras
Cover -
A-Next (Thunderstrike, Stinger, J2, & Mainframe) vs. the Defenders (Hulk, Dr. Strange,
& Namor)
By: Ron Frenz
Date Published -
December 1998
Plot -
The former Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange, calls upon his mystic ball to learn of danger
ready to consume the earth. However, the new Sorcerer Supreme, Doc Magus, appears. He is
young, and Dr. Strange, whose grown old and bitter in his old age, simply wills the boy to
vanish. He reappears at his home, with his mentor, Deacon. Meanwhile, Dr. Strange summons
his former fellow Defenders, the Sub-Mariner, Namor. Namor has been lost in inactivity
since the death of his people, but Dr. Strange's words stir him. Back at the mansion,
Jarvis and his aide, Shannon Carter, talk over the new Avengers, when Doc Magus appears
before them. They summon the Avengers. In Manhatten, Thunderstrike is forced to part ways
with his old friend, Maria Sapristi, who secretly has a crush on him. But before
Thunderstrike can meet up with the others, Dr. Strange calls upon another ally, Dr. Bruce
Banner, the former Hulk! Dr. Strange uses his powers to transform him into a form he can
control. At the mansion, Jarvis introduces the mansion's new technical aide, Scott Lang,
Stinger's father. However, the team jets off with Doc Magus, hoping to put a stop to Dr.
Strange's scheme. The new Avengers and Doc confront the old Defenders, but the trio of
older, wiser super-heroes maybe too much for them. J2 confronts the Hulk, barely holding
his own, while Doc Magus teleports Dr. Strange to the astral plane. In the heat of the
battle, the Hulk and Namor latch onto Mainframe and pull him apart. The Avengers are
horrified, believing their teammate to be dead. J2 runs away, and Stinger and
Thunderstrike are quickly overwhelmed. But J2 returns just in time to save Stinger's life.
Mainframe reappears, saying that what they destroyed was nothing but a mere robot. The
fighting ceases, for the Avengers and Defenders finally realize that they were all just
pawns of Dr. Strange. Doc Magus turns the Eye of Agamotto on Strange, and learns the
truth: he did it all to give the new Avengers their baptism of fire. Back at the mansion,
Shannon says good-bye to Jarvis and returns to her apartment. There, she meets up with
three others: telling them that the time has come and the Avengers will never know what
hit them |
More - 
Mainframe
Namor
Maria Sapristi
Stinger
Dr. Strange
Thunderstrike
|