As Ming teams up with Queen Hadea of the Netherworld, elsewhere, Jedda suffers injury from an experiment intended to examine the Neckless of Oros. The Phantom takes her to a village to be healed, accompanied by Rick and LJ. With a crew of soldiers, Hadea suddenly holds the village hostage and captures the group of Defenders, seeking the neckless for herself.

Meanwhile, Graviton continues to pressure Ming into retrieving the neckless for him. At the Netherworld, the others and a still-unconscious Jedda are brought before Hadea's feet and an offer is made: the Queen will heal Jedda if the Phantom agrees to be the new King, which he apparently does. Hadea keeps the Neckless of Oros and gives Jedda a fake before reviving her. Ming then enters unexpectedly with troops and abruptly seizes all of the Defenders except Phantom, who's been locked in the main chamber.