* 1st Appearance "NULL The LIVING DARKNESS"

While at Dr. Strange's Sanctum, the other Defenders listen to the troubles of their friend the Gargoyle: He explains that his family founded the town of Christiansboro years ago and it became a thriving community until recent times. Loving his town so much that he would do anything to save it, Isaac delved into the occult and made a deal with the Six-Fingered Hand, leading to his transformation into the Gargoyle -- something that was supposed to be temporary until after he did their bidding. however, he betrayed the Six-Fingered Hand to the Defenders and has since been trapped in his Gargoyle form. Since then he has been worried about the fate of Christiansboro. Listening to their depressed friend tell his tale, Valkyrie suggests that they travel to Christiansboro and investigate what is happening there and see what they can do. With everyone in agreement, they teleport away in Devil-Slayer's Shadow Cloak. Just after they leave there is a knock at the door, Wong finds the Avenger known as the Beast there asking if he can see Dr. Strange. When Wong informs him that the Doctor is not in, he tells the man-servant that he can wait.

The Defenders meanwhile appear in Christainsboro to find the town completely deserted. Unaware of what has happened, they decide to split up into groups and try to find clues as to where the townspeople had gone. Going solo, Hellcat comes across a young man named Simple Joe. Joe tells her that following the Gargoyle's departure from Christiansboro, the town was attacked nightly by strange ghosts that forced pretty much everyone in town but him to flee. Suddenly, Hellcat and Simple Joe are surrounded by a swirling fog and they are swallowed up in darkness.
The Defenders awaken shortly after and find themselves in front of the force behind the haunting in Christiansboro: A creature called Null, the Living Darkness. Null explains to them that he was part of the S'raphh race, angel like creatures that ruled over Earth centuries before humanity first walked. An enlightened race they soon took for the stars to seek ultimate truth. There were cast from the heavens and died, however they would form into Null the Living Darkness. Free once more, the creature then attempts to destroy the Defenders.

While back at the Christians family home, the Gargoyle in utter despair attempts to commit suicide by hanging himself, but finds his new form makes it impossible for him to do so. The spirits of his parents and brother appear to him and chastise him for being a failure before forcing him to flee from the home. Gargoyle comes across Null the Living Darkness and his zombie hordes fighting his comrades. Using his life-force absorbing powers the Gargoyle manages to incapacitate the reanimated corpses before attacking Null itself. Finding an outward attack ineffective, the Gargoyle flies into the creatures immaterial mass and unleashes the full extent of his powers, seemingly destroying the creature. The victory comes at a price as the Gargoyle is mortally wounded. However before he can die, the spirits of his family -- now free from Nulls control -- appear before him and tell him that he will live to defend the world still. Their spirits then enter his body reviving him. When Clea approaches him and asks him how he feels, he tells her that he has never felt so great in all his 78 years.

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