File:Defenders Vol 1 96 001.jpg

Description
Detroit is the latest stop of popular Satan inspired heavy metal musician Asmodeus Jones, who is also a pawn of the demonic group known as the Six-Fingered Hand. Using his loyal fan base and mystical lyrics he slowly begins to gain enough mystical power to bring the demon known as Fashima to the material world. This show of power not only upsets Asmodeus' manager Felix Palmer, but their new roadie Johnny Blaze, who unknown to them is secretly the Ghost Rider. While in New York City, Kyle Richmond and Valkyrie pay a visit his lawyer Mr. Rosenblum regarding his current investment woes with the government, Rosenblum is shocked to find Kyle in a crippled state and finds his fantastic tale hard to believe. At Dr. Strange's Sanctum Sanctorium, Strange continues to probe his Cauldron of the Cosmos for more clues regarding the plans of the Six-Fingered Hand when he is interrupted by Wong bringing him tea. Having found images of Ghost Rider, Fashima and the city of Detroit, Strange finds the ever growing puzzle of this latest threat to the world ever more confusing. At a New Jersey hospital, Patricia Walker, Daimon Hellstrom and the Gargoyle pay a visit to the dying Dolly Donohue. When the guilty Gargoyle attempts to reach out and touch Dolly, Patsy lashes out at him again. However, Daimon believes he can help the comatose and dying woman and uses his Satanic powers to insure that she will at least live. Dr. Strange contacts them and shows them the images he got from the Cauldron and asks them to return to his Sanctum. There, Strange, Son of Satan, Hellcat, Valkyrie, and Gargoyle are all teleported off to Detroit, leaving an increasingly despondent Kyle Richmond behind. While back in Detroit, disturbed about rumors of strange Satanic rituals happening at Asmodeus Jones' rented home, Johnny Blaze decides to check things out. He comes across the Defenders, when Son of Satan blasts him in order to stop him to talk. Thinking it an attack, Blaze changes into Ghost Rider and attacks, but is defeated when Strange transports them to a junk yard and Son of Satan uses his powers to forcefully revert Ghost Rider back into Johnny Blaze. Explaining the situation, Blaze makes the connection that the Defenders were looking for: That Asmodeus Jones uses a picture of a six fingered hand as his emblem and they decide to investigate further. Dr. Strange sends out his astral form to Jones' home where he has arrived just after a ritual performed by Asmodeus and his followers. Asmodeus is confronted by his manager who tells him that he has gone too far with the rituals following their deal making with Fashima. Not liking this Asmodeus fires a mystical bolt from his eyes and gets a warning from Felix not to strike him again as he can break any deal that they made with Fashima. With the truth learned, the Defenders travel in secret to the stadium where Jones' next performance is taking place. During the show, the Defenders fears are confirmed as Jones gets the audience into a ritual to summon forth Fashima. With Asmodeus distracted by an attack from the Ghost Rider, the Defenders leap into action, bombarding Asmodeus with their combined magical might, overloading him and severing his link to Fashima and banishing her away. With the battle over, Asmodeus apologizes to Felix for everything has done. Felix then tells Asmodeus that he must now pay the price for making a deal with the Six-Fingered Hand, and is taken away in a swirl of darkness. With all over, Asmodeus tells them that his real name is Ozzie Palmer, and that the price of his fame and fortune came at the cost of his brother Felix's life. All the Defenders and Johnny Blaze are shocked at this revelation except for Hellcat who can do nothing but laugh hysterically, unnerving her comrades even more.