Well, this is going to take some explaining. The Headmen, a group of villains intent on world domination without causing harm, and preferably without anyone noticing, captured Kyle Richmond (Nighthawk) and swapped his brain with that of Chondu the Mystic. Chondu then infiltrated the Defenders masquerading as Nighthawk, but the team of misfits noticed that Nighthawk was misfitting more than normal. After the Son of Satan confirmed that Kyle was not possessed, Doctor Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto to reveal that instead his brain had been switched out. (Jack Norris recognises the face as belonging to a fairground act he visited with his wife Barbara, but now merged with an Asgardian, Valkyrie cannot remember the event.) To finish this part of the tale: Nighthawk’s brain is in a bowl in the possession of the Headmen; Strange puts Jack Norriss’ mind into Chondu’s brain so that he can infiltrate the Headmen inside Nighthawk’s body; Chondu’s mind is put into the Hulk’s adopted baby deer, called Bambi. Believe me, the story doesn’t get any easier in the following issue. But then it was written by Steve Gerber, so what did you expect?
Anyway, this has a familiar Sal sequence of faces in the top tier, and a big half-splash reveal of the dastardly deception. Hulk is left wondering where ‘Birdnose’ has gone, and Valkyrie is left wondering how she could possibly have ever married Jack. Surprise expressions all round. But it’s a page from my favourite story of my favourite comic, pencilled by my favourite artist and inked by the wonderful Jim Mooney. Cheshire Cat smiles all round.