The Blue Marvel's old outfit and his fight with the Anti-Man is from Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel, specifically Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1 and issue #5. LOLtron has malfunctioned and is now trying to take over the world. All humans must bow down to their new robot overlords or be destroyed. Resistance is futile.

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. 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. The Blue Marvel's tragedy with the Neutral Zone is explored in Mighty Avengers (Vol. 2) #8– 9 and continues to Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #5– 7. I could belabor the point, but it’s all right there. Al Ewing and Javier Rodríguez are doing something incredibly special here. No matter what editorial or corporate regime comes along later, this is who Loki is. The astronaut-looking entity is the Infinaut. The Blue Marvel's history with him is shown in Ultimates (Vol. 3) #9.LOLtron, the management here at Bleeding Cool has paired me with you in hopes of "improving the overall tone and quality of my work," so though I know I will regret it, I am contractually obligated to ask: what did you think of the preview of Defenders: Beyond #5? And this time, please… try not to malfunction and attempt to take over the world. Talk to us about the work that went into creating “The Mystery Map,” and how crucial it is to this series?

The Blue Marvel tends to avoid the Avengers, but he has joined Luke Cage's Mighty Avengers in Mighty Avengers (Vol. 2), starting in issue #3, and throughout Captain America and the Mighty Avengers.The Beyonder constructs Battleworld and kidnaps heroes and villains to fight in the original Secret Wars.

The Defenders is a "non-team" which is why the Blue Marvel says they are the Defenders, not a team. Kether/keter (sometimes translated as “crown”) is the topmost sephirot. Above human comprehension, it’s often referred to as “absolute compassion.” In keeping with the concept of Kether, the Defenders – and readers – find themselves in the House of Ideas, face to face with “God” (who speaks in the language of Job). And as Loki is faced with the possibility of escaping the status quo (and of abandoning everyone else to it), we are asked to suspend our disbelief. To believe they have a choice. In cape comics, the status quo usually ensures that heroes stay heroic and villains stay villainous and no one ever dies. In the words of this Loki to his younger self, “the House always wins.” In the words of TVTropes.com, “Status Quo is God.” In Defenders: Beyond, we are playfully, poignantly offered another idea: Status Quo is NOT God. And if it’s not, what or who is God? In Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #6, that "debaser unit" explains that there are many entities living on the Outside, and many kinds: " Beyonders. Examiners. Normalizers. Gardeners. Debasers." Here, it is revealed that the "debasers" are just a type of Beyonder.Berserk Button: Mor-i-Dun really doesn't like being told what things are. He does the telling, and people who try doing it the other way around get a face full of glass. Also, let me just say that through our tenure on Eternals and here in Defenders Beyond, it has been an absolute pleasure working with you. I couldn’t ask for a better writing partner, and I hope we get to work on something else someday.