Defenders: Beyond

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And while Loki’s speech about change rings true in your queer reading, it also reminded me of Kieron Gillen’s explanation (confession?) for why he killed off Kid Loki. It was because it’s a comic book in a shared universe and if he didn’t do it, the next writer would. Little did he know that his story would be the foundational text of the Loki of the 2010s. Even when Gillen tried to kill Loki off and reset the character, they remained permanently changed, and always changing.

Tarot Motifs: Since Strange uses the Tarot of the Secret Flame to summon the Defenders, each member gets their own card and meaning: During issue 2, the Surfer brings up how thanks to one thing and another thing, he's actually twice as old as the universe (due in part to events in Dan Slott's run on Silver Surfer).

‘Miracleman’ Book 1 by Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham coming this October

The "Dominion" is possibly referring to the "Dominions" that are mentioned in Powers of X #5. It is not clear though because the Dominions are a type of universal society but the Dominion here is an unknown threat from outside the Multiverse. Phoenix's outfit is notably white, which may suggest Taaia is a White Phoenix like Jean Grey in New X-Men #154 or Hope Summers in Avengers vs. X-Men #12. The Beyonder references the "debaser unit" from Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #5– 7. The Blue Marvel's son, Kevin, removes him from reality in issue #7. Made a Slave: By the time the Defenders crash-land in the Fifth Cosmos, Zota's been there a while, and has run afoul of Mor-i-Dun, who has enslaved him. Inconvenient Summons: None of the ad-hoc team were given any heads up before Stephen calls on them, but Betty is especially annoyed since she and the Hulk were about to rescue Bruce Banner from the Leader. It'll be even more inconvenient down the line since the cost of using magic is steep. But Doctor Strange was desperate.

Al Ewing and Javier Rodríguez follow up their acclaimed DEFENDERS: THERE ARE NO RULES series with a new volume and an all-new lineup, including none other than Loki, God of Stories! In his introduction in issue 3, Mor-i-Dun notes how prophecy says he, or his ghost, will one day see the world-to-come (i.e., the regular Marvel universe), which happened in New Avengers vol 4. Loki encounters Those Who Sit Above in Shadow in Loki: Agent of Asgard #17. He is not exactly sure what they are; one of his theories is that they may be Beyonders. Hoist by Their Own Petard: Mor-i-Dun is the Sorcerer Supreme of the Fifth Cosmos, meaning he's made the rules for magic. As Strange notes, this means he's bound by them as well.Jason Quantrell (Possessed by a "debaser unit" Beyonder only on screen as a static image or video record) In Thanos #8– 10, it is revealed that Kosmos turned herself into a mortal called the Maker. The Maker is later killed by the Annihilation Wave (see Annihilation) and the Fallen One finds her corpse in Annihilation: Silver Surfer #3, meaning the Beyonder within her is now free. As she's being used as a conduit for the Green Door, Betty thinks "I am as I am." Only the being she's being used as a conduit for is a lot less benevolent than God. The Beyonders' physical bodies are not their true forms. This is clearly demonstrated in Secret Wars II #2, and explained in New Avengers (Vol. 3) #30 and New Avengers (Vol. 3) #32. As Hank Pym states in #30, they cannot be fully comprehended in a human fashion. The Anti-All heavily resembles a one-time depiction of the Dragon of the Moon, a similar Beast of the Apocalypse, as a serpentine mass of darkness covered in spines.