Extremely contrived crossover that spanned the Avengers and Defenders titles in 1973. Dormammu, looking for a loophole by which he can invade Earth (he had promised Doctor Strange that he wouldn't), tricks the Defenders into retrieving for him parts of a magical artifact. Sensing duplicity, his erstwhile ally Loki tells the Avengers that the Defenders are a threat to the planet...and they believe him! (Loki, of course, is well-known as the god of lies and mischief; it was his trickery that brought the Avengers together in the first place, and Thor had just defeated him in battle before this story began.) Several ill-conceived battles ensue. The writing might be acceptable for very young readers but is otherwise embarrassing, and even Sal Buscema's art is not as good as it usually is. Two stars for a vague sense of nostalgia. ( )