The Defenders #139

The Defenders fight off a surprise attack from Mantis! With all this chaos, will the Dragon of the Moon take the opportunity to control Moondragon?

Odin watches over the Defenders. He is worried about his experiment with Moondragon, trying to teach her humility by wearing a headband that limits her powers.

Moondragon is being pummeled by Mantis, who keeps saying how she's inferior, and also takes on the rest of the team. Eventually Beast realizes Moondragon is unconsciously making an illusion of Mantis, and gets her to snap out of it.

Moondragon doesn't want to talk about her problems (fighting arrogance and evil within herself). She believes she has tried hard, and in return has been spurned by all her friends. The Defenders start to realize what she has been going through.

Angel later goes for a flight, for fun, and an eagle tells him of nearby danger in a mine. When he tells of the warning, Candy points out that he can't talk to eagles.

The weirdness of it makes them decide to check it out. En route, Moondragon confesses that she has been trying to get rid of her headband, and in order to do so, has been manipulating the Defenders' emotions, and drawing threats to the base, like Blowtorch Brand and the plant monster. She wants to make amends, but Beast thinks she's not being serious, and only more arguments ensue.

They get to the mine, which is on a Native American reservation. Humans and animals have been turning up, drained of their blood. Red Wolf shows up and they join up in their investigation.

As they go down the mine, Valkyrie says they're no longer on Earth, they're in the realm of the trolls--and indeed some trolls attack. They use their powers to paralyze or bind the Defenders and Red Wolf. They explain that they want to invade Midgard while Thor is away, and are using the blood for their spells.

They recognize Moondragon's headband as Odin's work, and offer to take it off for her. However, she realizes that it would be wrong and refuses.

The Defenders escape their bindings and crash the ceiling in on the trolls. Outside, Moondragon's band falls off of its own accord--in refusing the trolls' offer, she finally learned the humility that Odin had hoped for.