The Defenders

Synopsis for ”Darkness on the Edge of Time!”
The original Defenders—Dr. Strange, Hulk, Sub-Mariner, and Silver Surfer—are shown Earth in the 24th Century, where it has become a wasteland. The Elf then takes them to stand before the Tribunal. Back on Earth, SHIELD arrives at the Vision and Scarlet Witch’s house to take custody of Cloud, Seraph, and Harridan. Beast is concerned about the return of the Secret Empire and tries to convince the Vision and Scarlet Witch to join the Defenders against this common enemy, but they are committed to living as a normal couple and have no interest in joining another super-hero team. Meanwhile, the Tribunal explains that they have taken a form that the Defenders can comprehend. They exist outside of time—yet throughout all times—and act as sort of an anti-body to the universe, seeking out disease and eliminating it wherever and whenever they can. They created the Elves to serve as their physical agents on Earth, giving them a form that was familiar throughout mankind’s history. The first Elf With A Gun used his time-displacement gun to remove people from the timestream whose existence posed a threat to Earth’s future, until he was hit by a truck. Determining that the Defenders were the focal point of the problem with Earth’s future, the Tribunal posed as a government agency that was investigating the group. Then, they created a mechanical “time-buoy” to pose as Kyle Richmond’s nurse, Luann Bloom, to monitor the Defenders more closely. When the Defenders demand proof that they are responsible for Earth’s fate, the Tribunal shows them a vision of an alien spaceship that lands on Earth. Dr. Strange investigates and finds out that the aliens’ prince, Ch’kra, has fallen ill and the aliens have taken several Earthlings to drain their life-energies and cure him. The aliens are peaceful and mean no harm, but they need their prince to lead them, and only human life-energy can restore him to health since the disease he suffers from originated on Earth. Strange attempts to communicate with the aliens, but they assume he is an enemy and capture him. Strange’s astral self contacts Namor, the Surfer, and the Hulk for help. They attack the spaceship in order to free Strange and the other captive humans, but they are stunned to find that the aliens have all committed suicide.

Defenders Vol 1 124

Art by: Sandy Plunkett and Alan Weiss

Cover Date
October, 1983
Issue Details
Editor-in-Chief
Jim Shooter
Original Price
60c US
75c CAN
25p UK
Pages
32
1. ”Darkness on the Edge of Time!”
Appearances · Synopsis
Writer(s)
J.M. DeMatteis
Penciler(s)
Don Perlin
Inker(s)
Kim DeMulder
Colorist(s)
Christie Scheele
Letterer(s)
Janice Chiang
Editor(s)
Carl Potts
Ann Nocenti
“ ... we who call ourselves the Tribunal are one mind -- one soul. These forms we are taken are simply a matter of convenience. To glimpse us as we truly are would no doubt drive even you, Doctor Strange... insane! “
—The Tribunal
Appearing in ”Darkness on the Edge of Time!”
Featured Characters:

Defenders
Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange)
⏴ Hulk (Bruce Banner) ⏵
Sub-Mariner (Namor)
⏴ Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) ⏵
Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)
Beast (Hank McCoy) (Main story and recap)
Gargoyle (Isaac Christians)
Supporting Characters:

Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)
Vision
Iceman (Bobby Drake) (Main story and recap)
Antagonists:

The Tribunal
Elves with Guns
Kamado (First appearance)
Prince Ch’kra (First appearance)
Denzile (First appearance; dies)
Mox (First appearance; dies)
Seminekk (First appearance; dies)
T’voor (First appearance; dies)
Xeotpik (First appearance; dies)
Zimm (First appearance; dies)
Other Characters:

Lord / God (Invoked)
Neptune (Invoked)
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Secret Empire
Harridan (Svetlana Porfiry)
Seraph (Sonya Tolsky)
Cloud
Galactus (Galan) (Mentioned)
X-Men (Only in recap)
Angel (Warren Worthington) (Only in recap)
Havok (Alex Summers) (Only in recap)
Lorna Dale (Only in recap)
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (Only in recap)
Unus the Untouchable (Gunther Bain) (Only in recap)
Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde) (Only in recap)
Mesmero (Only in recap)
Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Only in recap)
Moonstone (Lloyd Bloch) (Only in recap)
Dolly Donahue (Mentioned)
Tom Pritchett (Only in flashback)
Charles Lester (Only in flashback)
Richard Kessler (Only in flashback)
Mutant Force (Only in recap)
Burner (Byron Calley) (Only in recap)
Lifter (Ned Lathrop) (Only in recap)
Peeper (Peter Quinn) (Only in recap)
Shocker (Randall Darby) (Only in recap)
Slither (Aaron Salomon) (Only in recap)
Jack Norriss (Only in recap)
Buzz Baxter (Only in recap)
Luann Bloom (Time-Buoy Number 6-C)
Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond) (Mentioned)
Defenders (Earth-8394) (First appearance) (Only in flashforward)
Silver Surfer (Earth-8394) (First appearance) (Only in flashforward)
Doctor Strange (Earth-8394) (First appearance) (Only in flashforward)
Hulk (Earth-8394) (First appearance) (Only in flashforward)
Sub-Mariner (Earth-8394) (First appearance) (Only in flashforward)
Dormammu-8394 (Referenced)
Vishanti-8394 (Referenced)
Tom Pritchett-8394 (Only in flashforward)
Charles Lester-8394 (Only in flashforward)
Richard Kessler-8394 (Only in flashforward)
Neptune (Referenced)
Races and Species:

Humans
Atlantean-Human Hybrids
Zenn-Lavians
Elves
Tribunals
Atlanteans (Mentioned)
Kamado (First appearance)
Mutants
Synthezoids
Asgardians
Demons (Referenced)
Locations:

Alternate future reality
Earth
Earth-616
Earth
United States of America
Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York (Mentioned)
New Jersey
Leonia
Gobi Desert, China (Mentioned)
Atlantis (Referenced)
Zenn-La (Mentioned)
Heaven (Invoked)
Items:

Cloak of Levitation
Eye of Agamotto
Captain America’s Uniform (Only in recap)
Captain America’s Shield (Only in recap)
Dragonfang
Vehicles:

Silver Surfer’s Surfboard

Solicit Synopsis
The lead-in to Vol 1 125 as we learn the entire secret behind the Elf and the Tribunal, and the reason why the Defenders must break up.
Notes
Cover pencils and colours by Plunkett, inks by Weiss.
Scheele is credited as Christy Scheele.

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Defenders_Vol_1_124

Oct 1983

Marvel Comics

124

July

1983

Release Date July 19, 1983

1

United States

$0.60

English

2018-07-02 23:54:43

Defenders Vol. 1

Darkness On The Edge Of Time

~$8.00

2025-09-28

2018-07-02 23:54:43