The ever-lovin' Thing joins forces with the Defenders to save a Valkyrie ambushed by the Undying Ones!
Valkyrie mourns the death of Alvin Denton, the father of Barbara Denton Norriss, whom she had just met. As she does, the Executioner gets up from their previous battle and attacks, but the Thing fends him off. The Enchantress then teleports herself and Skurge away.
Val decides she needs to bring Alvin's body into town for burial. She says she wants to be alone, so the Thing lets her leave. However, Dr. Strange appears to the Thing as an astral projection, and says Val is in danger.
When they're in town, a man recognizes her, believing her to be Barbara Norris (the woman whose body Valkyrie's spirit inhabits). He plans to notify Van Nyburg, the leader of the occult sect of the Nameless Ones. Barbara and her husband Jack were once members of their cult.
Val brings the body to the sheriff, who also believes her to be Barbara. He brings her to a diner, where she learns that Barbara was married to a man named Jack, who Valkyrie has no memory of. Then the sheriff brings her to her family home. Val explores it on her own, and is ambushed by Van Nyburg, who knocks her out with a spell.
Nighthawk and Strange join the Thing, and they all go into town. Thing and Nighthawk fall into a trapdoor, and find the man who recognized Barbara earlier. He runs off, and takes a magic harmonica that Ben had been carrying with him.
Dr. Strange, unable to get through the trap door, explores the house. He finds a portrait of Barbara's mother, who looks very beautiful. Her name is Celestia, the name which is engraved on the magic harmonica. Strange is then also ambushed and knocked out by Van Nyburg.
Van Nyburg's cult plans to sacrifice Val/Barbara and Strange to the Nameless Ones, aided by Celestia, whose face is now warped horribly. She gave up her beauty for them.
Ben and Kyle find their way out of the trap and interrupt the ceremony. Ben grabs the harmonics from Celestia and destroys it, and Celestia turns to ash. Strange and Val are saved.
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