The Defenders are confronted a giant image of the Gargoyle, who is under the control of a wizard that believes they are demons. Cloud tries to smother the wizard in cloud-form, but the wizard changes Cloud back into his human form. Valkyrie’s enchanted sword, Dragonfang, is able to hurt the Gargoyle but she hesitates out of concern for him and is sent flying by the back of his hand. Moondragon creates a psychic link with Gargoyle and tells him to direct his mystic bolts at the headband that restrains her mental powers; only then will she be powerful enough to free him from the wizard’s control. Gargoyle is reluctant to do so for fear of possibly unleashing a greater evil, so Moondragon allows him to look into her mind and soul to prove she is not evil. Meanwhile, Beast recognizes that the wizard is a Gnostic and speaks to him in his own tongue to try to convince him that they are not demons. Angel drags the wizard into the sky and tries to take the crystal with the pentagram he has been using to control the Gargoyle, but to no avail. The Gargoyle sends a fist crashing down on the Defenders, but Valkyrie manages to hold his fist from descending and instructs the Beast to use Dragonfang to cut off the Gargoyle’s hand. Finally, Moondragon directs Valkyrie to attack the Gargoyle, while Angel sends Dragonfang plunging towards the wizard, and Cloud strikes the sword with lightning. The resulting glare of light blinds the wizard, and he asks the Gargoyle to restore his sight. Gargoyle gives the wizard true sight, enabling him to see the Defenders as they truly are. The wizard realizes that the Defenders are not demons, except for Valkyrie and Moondragon, whose true selves send him running in fear. The wizard leaves the pentagram, freeing Gargoyle from his control. A weakened Gargoyle warns the Defenders to “beware Moondragon” before passing out.

---