- Kshin's experiments with Mandrake's forbidden sorcery books produces Shogoth, an evil demon. It takes all the Defenders to defeat this creature.
- During soccer practice at school, Kshin gets into an altercation with a boy named Stewie, who pushes him into the mud. He refuses to fight back because the Defenders are forbidden to fight unless they have a good reason for doing so, but Stewie accuses him of being a coward and, when the coach comes to see what is going on, says Kshin just got clumsy. Stewie and his friends then walk away, leaving Kshin seething with humiliation.
Later, Kshin returns to Monitor (where Rick has just been demonstrating his latest invention, a set of wristbands which magnify the energy field around Lothar's body) and on the pretext of having homework to do asks Mandrake for permission to use his library. In fact, Kshin is planning to look in Mandrake's sorcery books for a spell to use against Stewie and his friends, even though he knows he is forbidden to so much as touch these books. When he later hears Mandrake calling his name from outside the library, Kshin tells Zuffy to stall him while he puts the sorcery book he has been reading back on its shelf. Kshin then discovers a scroll which he retrieves, before grabbing another book at random and trying to act casual when Mandrake enters the library, but it's clear that Mandrake suspects something is amiss. Late that night, Kshin recites the magic words written on the scroll, summoning a demon named Shogoth.
The next day, Octon tells Ming that he has detected a power surge near Monitor and Ming, suspecting the Defenders are up to something, sends some of the Frost People to Central City to investigate. Meanwhile, Flash and the Phantom are also tracking the power surge and, on learning via Dynak that it has moved to Kshin's school, realise they have a problem. Later, Kshin unleashes Shogoth (who has increased in size since the previous night) on Stewie and his friends. Mandrake, meanwhile, is demonstrating some basic magic tricks on live TV when he suddenly cries out and clutches his head before collapsing. Lothar, fearing Mandrake has been taken ill, hurries onto the studio floor, but there is nothing physically wrong with Mandrake, who tells Lothar there is an evil presence nearby that has to be stopped.
Having dealt with Stewie and his friends, Kshin tries to send Shogoth back where he came from, but Shogoth refuses to leave and tells Kshin that no-one is his master. When Kshin tells him Mandrake will deal with him, Shogoth conjures up a vision of the future in which Mandrake banishes Kshin, saying his disobedience in touching the sorcery books means he cannot be trusted. Shogoth then says this vision will come true if Kshin tells Mandrake about him. Ming, seeing Shogoth on his view-screen decides to enlist the demon and use him against the Defenders.
Shogoth goes on a rampage through the streets of Central City, attacking everything in his path and becoming larger and more powerful with each passing moment. Presently, Flash and the Phantom (in the Terry) encounter Shogoth while he is toying with a passenger craft. Flash tells the Phantom to take care of Shogoth while he goes up top and frees the craft, which he succeeds in doing, only for Shogoth to zap the Terry and send it plummeting to the ground. Luckily, Flash manages to pull out of the dive.
Ming contacts Shogoth via one of his Frost People, telling him the Defenders could stop him and, in order to defeat them, he must destroy Dynak. As Shogoth continues to wreak havoc, Kshin (who only wanted to teach Stewie and his friends a lesson and never meant for things to get so out of control) realises he has no choice but to warn Mandrake. Presently, Kshin encounters Shogoth, who has just picked up Rick's van with Rick, LJ and Jedda inside, and tries once again to vanquish the demon. When this doesn't work, Kshin resorts to yelling at Shogoth to get lost, prompting Shogoth to throw the van at him. Luckily, Mandrake and Lothar appear on the scene at that moment and, while Mandrake gets Kshin to safety, Lothar saves the rest of the kids.
Kshin confesses that he was the one who summoned Shogoth and, at Mandrake's urging, hands over the scroll containing the spell. Flash and the Phantom join the rest of the Defenders, as Shogoth heads for Monitor and breaks into the base, where he attacks Dynak. Shogoth is able to break through Dynak's defences, but just as he is about to destroy her Flash, Mandrake, the Phantom and Lothar arrive. The four Defenders battle Shogoth, whom Lothar traps in a force-field created by the wristbands he is wearing, weakening him and reducing him to his original size. Ming's Ice Robots then turn up and, though the Defenders defeat most of them, two of them escape with Shogoth, taking him to Ice Station Earth. But Shogoth refuses to obey Ming and returns to his own dimension rather than face the Defenders again.
Later, Dynak reports that the power surge has disappeared. Mandrake then has the other Defenders leave him and Kshin alone for a while, and Kshin says he will accept whatever punishment Mandrake has in mind, short of being sent away. When Mandrake questions him about this, Kshin tells him about the vision Shogoth showed of Mandrake disowning him because of his disobedience, to which Mandrake says confessing under those circumstances took a lot of courage. Kshin will still be punished, but he will not be sent away. Relieved, Kshin vows not to disobey Mandrake again and to make him proud. In response, Mandrake hugs Kshin and says he is already proud of him.
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