TITLE: The Avengers Issue #118
YEAR: December 1973
COMPANY: Marvel Comics
AUTHOR: Steve Englehart
INKERS: M. Esposito & K. Giacoia
COLORIST: Geo Roussos
LETTERER: Tom Orzechowski
EDITOR: Roy Thomas
Dormamu plans to use the Evil Eye to merge Hell and Earth (as well as Hell and other planets) together and has managed to pit the Avengers vs. the Defenders. Unbeknown by Dormamu, the God of Evil, Loki has tipped off the Avengers on what his plans may be.
This time around, the Avengers and Defenders team up to prevent Armageddon as the process to combine Earth and Hell together as one has begun and many humans are turning into monsters.
With the two teams having fought each other like enemies, can they work together in defeating Dormamu?
This is probably one of the first multi-issue crossover that was featured on a Marvel Comic back then. Featuring the Avengers and Defenders, it was fascinating to see these one-on-one battles and now everything culminates to this issue as both groups team up to take on Dormamu.
While it features other superheroes (such as the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Adam Warlock) trying to take on the hordes of monsters, this issue we get to see the two leaders, Dr. Strange for the Defenders and Captain America of the Avengers work together as a team.
And possibly one of the most intrusive issues I have seen the Watcher, not watching within a long distance but wanting to be up front and personal observing Dormamu’s quest of evil.
The issue showed audience the power of the Scarlet Witch, changes within the Vision and also, for fans of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” film and like the character of Mantis, she is also featured in this issue.
But with awesome one-on-one battles, I must admit that the final team-up between the two teams was not as strong or exciting as I would hope but for those wanting to see many characters in one issue, then “The Avengers” issue #118 would be exciting in that aspect.