Issue #1
"GATHERING OF SHADOWS"
Part I
by Will Short
Doctor Strange
Namor
Hulk
Stephen Strange is of the creed who usually try to get their sleep at night. He goes to bed at a decent hour, most of the time, and wakes soon after the sun has risen in the morning. This night is such a night, a normal night when he sleeps soundly in his comfortable bed. The room he sleeps in is very dimly lit by a single candle on the opposite end from him, providing enough illumination for the varied magical artifacts spread throughout the shelves and drawers.
None of this is out of the ordinary for the room of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. A man of his position must keep such artifacts around, if not just as various souveneirs from his many adventures over the years, then as part of a mystical arsenal to keep at his disposal, just in case. There is no one besides Stephen in the room to see the items by a mixture of the candle's flame and the starlight. But things can quickly change, especially in the Sanctum Sanctorium of Doctor Strange.....
The small amount of the light in the room is enhanced by an eerie, unnatural light, forming only a few short feet away from Stephen's bed. He does not wake from is heavy slumber as the light forms.
"Stephen.....Stephen....." a wailing, male voice calls to the keeper of the house. The sorcerer still lays, dead to the world and his surroundings, undisturbed.
Once again, the voice calls, full of pain and suffering. "Stephen.....please, Stephen..."
His head against the fluffy pillow, Stephen's eyes slowly open slightly, and fall again. His eyelids flutter open and close a few times, until he finally realizes what he hears. The magician sits up in bed, stiffly and suddenly, his bare chest showing and his lower body covered by the detailed, purple sheets and blanket.
"Who is it?" he says with some concern, but less surprise than you would expect. "Who's there?"
The stray light catches the corner of Stephen's eye, and he turns to see the apparition hanging suspended in the air near him.
Light eminating in all directions from it, the vision is a puddle of silver hue, shining with a metallic luster and containing two completely white eyes, deviod of pupils, and a single lipless mouth, still uttering the mystic's name as though it were being tortured...
"Stephen.....please....." The indifferent and almost droning voice is familiar to the man it calls for.
Stephen gets up from the bed slowly and cautiously, and walks closer to the moaning mist of a vision. He feels a strange kinship with the strange creation before him. Making a possible realization, Stephen says in almost a whisper under his shortening breath.....
"...Norrin? Surfer...is that you?"
Doctor Strange receives no answer from this ghastly thing he sees, wondering whether or not it truly is his former teammate and long-time friend, the Silver Srufer. He receives only a response in the same manner as before.
".....Stephen.....please, help...help....."
Before Stephen Strange can ask anymore questions of the mysterious formation in his sleeping quarters, the apparition dissapears slowly, even more gently and secretively than before, simply whisking itself away like a collection of gray sand grains blowing and swirling in the end until they finally collapse on themselves and disappear.
The door to the dark room opens just as the image reaches the end of its disappearance, and Stephen's old friend and servant Wong enters quickly, holding a candle of his own and wearing his green sleeping robe.
"Master Stephen, is something amiss? I thought I heard you speaking, and I thought maybe you were having disturbing dreams again....." the Asian servant says with a deep concern.
Stephen turns to his faithful servant and looks very serious.
"No, Wong.....not dreams." the mystical mastermind says calmly.
"Then, what...?" Wong asks.
"I think one of my old friends is in trouble, Wong." Stephen explains shortly. "And he is a friend who should not be ignored in a time of need."
The doctor walks over to a chair, taking his usual loosely fitting mystic's suit, also donning his partners, powerful artifacts, and boosters of ability, the Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation. Wong is confused as to why his master is dressing so late at night, but he allows Stephen to explain on his own.
"Go ahead and put some tea on the stove, if you would, Wong."
"Certainly...are we expecting company, Master Stephen?"
As Stephen Strange walks out the door of his bedroom and into the darkened hallway, he answers.
"Let's hope so."
The dawn's faint light struggles to shine through the many elaborate windows of Doctor Strange's large dwelling, and the early morning's calm stillness is interrupted only by the firm speaking of the King of Atlantis.
"How long can the world's strongest mortal take to bound such a short distance?" Namor complains, sitting cross-legged in one of Doctor Strange's chairs at the small dinnner table. Wong offers Namor a cup of piping hot tea, and the Sub-Mariner accepts the cup cordially.
"Thank you, Wong." he says, breathing in the tea's herbal scent and steam, and taking a long, full sip of the refreshing beverage.
"Certainly, Master Namor. Is there anything else you need?.....A towel, perhaps?" Wong asks, pointing out the King's shortcoming but doing so with his everlasting politeness.
Namor wonders for a moment, and then looks down at his body, still dripping water onto the chair and floor. Embarassed, he grimaces and answers the servant.
"Why...yes, please, Wong. I apologize...I'm a bit tired, and I came as quickly as I could, so....." Namor says humbly, for once.
Wong laughs understandingly. "Hahaha...oh, Master Namor. There is no need for apologies...I will be back with a towel in a moment."
"Thank you very much."
Stephen enters the room and bids welcome to his fellow hero. "Namor...I'm relieved that you were able to come here so quickly."
Namor turns to his host. "Greetings, Stephen! It has been too long since I have seen you, friend.....I take it this early morning invitation was not for the worst of reasons....."
Stephen pours himself a cup of tea and stands against a wooden cupboard, sighing and taking a sip. "I'm afraid it is."
Namor frowns some, and becomes more curious. "I feared as much...what is the disturbance, Doctor?" he asks.
"We will wait for the Hulk to arrive before I explain.....I assume he's not here yet?"
The avenging son of Atlantis frowns again, more this time, and answers Stephen.
"No, he is not, and I can't say I'm very much surprised. He has always been more of an individual than a good team member...and we both know he has his mixed history....."
"You haven't had such a clean record yourself, Subby. And besides, some of us like to try and sleep in between one hard day's work and another." the sarcastic and booming voice of Bruce Banner, the incredible Hulk, bounces around the room, causing both Namor and Doctor Strange to notice his entrance.
"Hulk...welcome." Stephen greets him, and the green behemoth lumbers over to the tea, taking a tiny cup in his powerful hand and sips at it.
"Hey, Doc." the Hulk says, and stares at the King of Atlantis smugly. "Nice hair, buddy. What'd you do, swim here?" he teases Namor, who still drips salt water in the sorcerer's kitchen.
"I merely came here as soon as possible, Hulk, which you could at least attempt to do..."
It is obvious to Stephen that the two will take the bickering as far as possible if he does not intervine, so he speaks.
"Hulk...Namor.....please. I've called you both here for an important reason."
The other two apologize simply with the looks on their faces, and listen intently to their friend and host.
Stephen begins his explanation. "Last night, I was woken from my sleep by a startling vision.....a shining silver puddle in the air, with a face within the puddle, calling my name and asking me to help. What startled me the most about this vision is that the voice and face.....well, they seemed to belong to the Silver Surfer."
Doctor Strange notices a change in the posture and expression of both of his guests as he tells of what he told. He stops speaking, and the Hulk speaks, sounding a little frightened.
"Hey, uh...Doc? That's really weird...because I had the same vision just the other day, too....."
"I, too, saw the Silver Surfer's face in a small puddle of silver recently. I just dismissed it as a strange dream or hallucination, though." Namor admits, and Doctor Strange continues.
"Then I am even more glad that I called both of you here, this morning." the magician says, sounding relieved and scared at the same time. "I managed to examine the energy source behind the vision I saw, and I found it to be very familiar...but I couldn't put my finger on it, and I still can't."
"Could it be the Surfer's own energy?" the Hulk inquires, but Stephen shakes his head.
"No...I know Norin's Power Cosmic energies well. This was from another that I recognize, but can't name."
"We can only assume that the Silver Surfer is in some type of peril then." Namor adds.
"That's correct. Before Namor arrived, I attempted to search for the same energy source, and the only location with any trace of the same energy is.....well, Zenn-La." the doctor explains.
"...that is...?" the emerald giant asks, taking another sip of tea and finishing off his small cup.
"This is, Hulk, the Silver Surfer's home planet." Stephen answers bluntly, and Namor sets down his cup quickly.
"Do you think the Surfer could have some type of trouble that he can't handle himself on his home planet?" the Sub-Mariner says with worry.
"I do. And if it's something that he can't handle himself...it has to be something pretty big." Stephen agrees.
"But are we really going to go all the way across the galaxy for something we don't really know for sure.....?" the Hulk asks skeptically, crossing his huge arms across his chest.
"I think it is our duty as founding Defenders to help a former member and old friend, if he is in need." Stephen states nobly.
"I agree." Namor announces. "The Surfer is a powerful and valuable ally."
Namor stands as he says this, his muscular frame glistening with wetness, as if he were defying some great foe.
"So...I guess this is sort of like a reunion or something?" The Hulk leans onto the counter and holds his monstrous arms up while wondering.
"I suppose so...we are the original Defenders. I can't think of any others more fit to take part in this." Stephen sounds proud and almost excited about the decision, despite the current situation for which they have been brought together.
"It has been a very long time....." Namor tells them.
"Don't worry, gills...if you're rusty, I'll save your salty green trunks..." the Hulk begins to tease again, and as they begin to bicker once more, Stephen holds his head and says to himself quietly, "...I guess this is why these two are on teams for so little....."
Wong walks in again, holding two towels and looking surprised at the sight of the Hulk. He is even more surprised when Namor "playfully" pushes the Hulk, whose massive body knocks over the tray of tea cups. A few of the mugs shatter as they fall to the floor, and the two men stop when they hear this, along with Wong's voice.
"Master Namor...Master Hulk.....please!" the servant pleads with the guests as they move out of his way as he investigates the damage.
"Sorry, Wong...I guess we got a little carried away there." the Hulk sounds sincerely sorry, and he is.
"I apologize too, Wong." Namor says, and Wong turns his upset cringe to a warm smile.
"No real damage is done, my friends. Please just try to be more careful when you are in the kitchen, though....." Wong says. "Oh yes...I have your towel, Master Namor." he holds out the fairly nice beach towel to the Sea King, but Namor refuses it politely, shaking his head and holding back his hands.
"I appreciate it, Wong, but we must be going." the Submariner says.
"Oh? So you all are going, Master Stephen?"
"Yes, Wong.....we're going to be gone for a little while on urgent business. I assume everything will be fine here, like usual?" Stephen says with assurance.
"Of course, Master Stephen. Do be careful though..." the Asian man advises.
"Don't worry, Wong...I take my work a lot more seriously than wing-feet here." the Hulk jokes, but Namor ignores it this time.
"By the way," he continues, "Just how do you plan on getting us to Zenlava, Doc?"
"Zenn-La, Hulk.....You seem to forget that I am the Supreme Sorcerer of Earth, my friend. It should be very simple for me to transport us safely to the Silver Surfer's home planet."
"Then let us move quickly...Norin Radd's safety may be in danger!" Namor urges, and the others agree.
As the three men, apparently the Defenders once agian, dissapear in a flash of red light, Wong uses the left-over towels to wipe up the spilled tea and to pick up the shards of the mug, doing so quickly and with precision. Wong takes pride in his work, as his family members have before him, and he has no quarrels with the work.
After he is done cleaning, Wong searches the house for more to do, but happily finds that there is really nothing that he has to do. With time to relax, the servant runs a warm, steaming bath to ease his busy body. As the warm water vapor fills the room and fogs up the mirror, Wong removes his robe and steps slowly into the tub, allowing the water to seap into his skin's pores and relaxing with his thoughts solely on the feelings he recieves. His head against the warmed porcelain, his eyes closed, Wong almost fails to hear the loud crash from the other end of the house.....but luckily, his sharp ears catch the noise, and he jumps out of the bathtub quickly, tying his robe and running out of the bathroom to follow the noise.
The crash came from Stephen's Sanctum Sanctorium.....that much, Wong knows. As he hurries to the room, he flings the door open and finds the shining, limp body of the Silver Surfer on the floow in a pile of debris and broken glass, the morning light shining in strongly through the destroyed main window. His trademark silver board lay near him, inseperable from its rider.
"Oh my...!" Wong exclaims, rushing over to the body of the alien on the floor. Wong holds the Surfer's head, trying to find some sign of life, and the former herald's eyes open slightly. He speaks painfully.
"Stephen.....where is...Stephen.....?" he asks, straining.
"The Doctor just left, Master Norrin, along with Namor and the Hulk.....what has happened? Are you injured?" Wong worries hurriedly over the fallen cosmic rider, but the Silver Surfer does not answer as another voice threatens from above.
"He will soon be more than injured!" the strange, inhuman voice yells boldly from above. Wong and the Surfer look up through the window-turned-skylight, and through the hole and the baptism of forced sunlight, they can make out an orange, muscular form, with a winged helmet and a hammer in hand.....
"Who.....?" Wong wonders aloud, and the Silver Surfer murmurs.
".....Beta...Ray..........Bill..."
The strangely clothed creature from above laughs and descends upon the two inside.
"Um.....is that it?" The Hulk's voice can be heard in the vacuum of space
only because of Doctor Strange's various spells, supporting the trio of
Defenders as they lay their eyes on the startling sight in the midst of
space.
Where the planet of Zenn-La once existed, now only a great number of small
asteroids and other varied pieces of debris are seen, floating randomly
and aimlessly in the nonexistant gravity of deep space. Stephen is horrified
and confused, and does not speak yet.
"Huh, Doc? That's supposed to be a planet?" the Hulk asks again, and Namor
holds his finger to his lips, shushing the green goliath.
"Shhh.....something's wrong. Leave him be....." Namor tells the Hulk,
and they both go along with it.
Stephen stares from inside the Bands of Cytorrak, still able to easily
stare at the oustide space easily through the crimson field. He looks
through the countless rocks and metals, the possessions and fragments
of buildings, and God knows what else.....and in the distance, within
the former volume of the planet Zenn-La, Stephen can barely make out a
single figure, floating suspended among the apparent destruction with
its arms crossed.
Seperating from the other two, Doctor Strange floats, protected, towards
the figure, still unable to make out who or what it is. He cannot hear
Namor and the Hulk discussing behind him, but he assumes they would be.
Still approaching the mysterious figure, still Stephen's vision does not
improve. But, suprisingly, he hears a voice speak to him, as though it
were coming from within his ears, or even his head.....
He cocks his head, and listens to the phantom voice.
"You'll not find your friend here, Stephen.....only your end."
The Hulk and Namor can only watch from a distance as a figure appears
as if from nowhere and attacks Doctor Strange in the middle of blank,
endless space.
NEXT ISSUE: More Defenders join the fray, as New York's heroes band together to battle a common threat...a former hero. Who is the strange man in space? What happened to Zenn-La? These questions and more answered in Defenders #2.
