The Sorcerer, the Spider, and the Sacrifice!

 

Despite his limited exposure to date, one evil character who seemed to be headed for a bright, or, in his case, dark future as a comics villain was the deformed Necrodamus, who schemed to be free of his detested form by becoming a willing servant of the Undying Ones and acting in their name to open a way for them to our world, reaping the benefits of a powerful new form for himself when the stars were in proper alignment. Since his introduction in 1972 within the pages of the newly-launched Defenders series, however, his potential victims have managed to prevail, resulting in his return to the diminutive, misshapen form that he abhors; in fact, when he faced both Agatha Harkness and the Scarlet Witch, it seemed we'd surely seen the last of him when he was swept up in the maelstrom of escaping souls he'd held captive.

Nearly nine years later, however, the tenacious Necrodamus returned to take his vengeance against Wanda, breaking from the Undying Ones and striking to seize a new body for himself directly, rather than depend on a ritual that benefits his former masters. And guess which synthezoid he's set his sights on?

If successful, Necrodamus would take on a powerful form that would last indefinitely and allow him to unleash his hatred and destruction at will--a rampage that the Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man may find themselves helpless to prevent!

As for Spider-Man, he and senior Daily Bugle reporter Andy Pauncholito, along with the Vision, have concluded an assignment involving a bizarre turn of events in the town of Rain, New Hampshire, where a slip of the tongue has unfortunately resulted in Pauncholito putting two and two together and discovering that Spider-Man and Peter Parker are one and the same. Worse, this thirty-year veteran of the Bugle, closing in on retirement, sees an opportunity to file one last story which will end his career "in style," by making it clear to Spider-Man in so many words that he intends to reveal that information in print.

But the tense scene takes a back seat to the sudden appearance of Necrodamus, who makes his demands to the Vision in no uncertain terms, while using a more than compelling bargaining chip.

We're mainly seeing the work of artist Mike Esposito in these pages, finishing over Sal Buscema's breakdowns and also providing inks, which might help to explain why the Defenders scenes pictured here leave something to be desired from their original depiction by Buscema (for example, the Hulk's left arm almost resembling a tentacle should never have seen the light of day). Nevertheless, he turns in good work in this issue, with J.M. DeMatteis's script blending well with what Buscema and Esposito have provided.

His terms accepted, Necrodamus descends to complete this hellish bargain (which, at the Vision's insistence, extends to Spider-Man's noninterference, as well). Given all that he's accomplished this day, it's difficult to believe that this sorcerer hasn't been able to address his issues with his physical form on his own--but then we wouldn't have been witness to such sheer villainy as this.

Which leaves us in the wake of "the Vision's" departure with a scene involving the grieving Scarlet Witch, who must now face the fact that the Vision is lost to her, but must also act as an Avenger to prevent Necrodamus from harming any humans he comes across in his rage.

And the rage of Necrodamus arrives soon enough in the city of Concord, on a day its population won't soon forget.

No one in law enforcement recognizes one of the Avengers? Just how far off the beaten path is Concord?

Meanwhile, the tension between Spider-Man and Pauncholito continues to simmer as both men join the Scarlet Witch in pursuit of Necrodamus. At this point, it might have been a sensible precaution for Wanda to alert her fellow Avengers to the situation--though frankly, I'd think that the one person capable of taking on Ultron would stand the best chance of handling the Vision, and she'll be on the scene. (Though we beg to differ on the option of flight being ruled out and settling for conventional transportation, Wanda.)

As Pauncholito has discerned, something's up with the Vision, now a raging killer but who consciously or otherwise avoids the kill when his target is Wanda. Yet it's clear Necrodamus has no such compunction against killing Spider-Man, a fact which Pauncholito brings to the attention of Wanda who finally does what she must against the Vision. Regrettably, she also suffers a similar affliction in her own attack, and it may cost her.

The conclusion to this drama comes with the intervention of no less than three individuals: the Vision, who apparently survives to some degree, enough to prevent his wife's death; Pauncholito, who rashly forces Necrodamus to accept the truth of this situation and thereby places himself in great danger; and Spider-Man, whose heroism kicks in whenever anyone is threatened and doesn't cease until he can battle no more. In the end, Necrodamus is doomed to choose his own fate, leaving the Vision, Wanda, Spider-Man, and Pauncholito to pick up the pieces of their lives. (Albeit uncertainly, in the case of the latter two.)

Yet Pauncholito chooses to end his career in style after all, by taking the high road and recognizing the valor and character of the young man whom he works with, in a fine scene by DeMatteis which closes the issue.

NEXT: DeMatteis takes a sharp turn toward the absurd, with the return of... the White Rabbit!