Defenders

Summary
A group of special gifted superhuman individuals are assembled to protect the world when a dangerous enemy, with the power to use dark spells, seeks to obtain an ancient mystical power source and rule mankind.

Genres
Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi and Thriller

Composer
Alan Silvestri

Plot
Horvath ( Mark Strong ), a dangerous international criminal who can use dark spells and leads a secret organization called  R.C.O.N. , declared war against the  U.S. Government  in the attempt to obtain the  Arkstone , a mystical orb-like gemstone with an infinite source of energy. In response, the Government sponsored a special gifted group called “ Defenders ”; its leaders were both Ryan O’Connell ( Mike Vogel ), aka  Hero Man , who possesses superhuman strength and flight, and his brother Jason O’Connell ( Ben Barnes ), aka  Blast-Man , who has the superhuman ability to manipulate sonic energy blasts through his hands. Their purpose was to put an end to R.C.O.N. and restore peace and justice back to mankind. When Jason is abducted by R.C.O.N., the Defenders track down Horvath’s secret hideout and, after fighting through R.C.O.N. soldiers, rescues Jason, only to realize Horvath had brainwashed him into becoming evil. In an ensuing battle, Jason killed his teammates, before being defeated by Ryan, who mourns after watching his own brother fall to his apparent death despite his attempt to help him. Horvath failed to obtain the Arkstone and escaped, and an honorably worldwide memorial is held for the deceased members of the Defenders, with Ryan as the only surviving member.



Seven years later, Wade Foster ( Flex Alexander ), director of the CIA, and his second-in-command agent Tia Hicks ( Gina Carano ) arrive at a remote military research facility, where famous worldwide scientist Dr. Tom Richards ( Stanley Tucci ) is leading a research team experimenting on the Arkstone. Suddenly, the facility is attacked by R.C.O.N. soldiers, led by Horvath, who has come to retrieve the Arkstone. Horvath takes the Arkstone and enslaves agents under his mind control using magic. Brody Roberts ( Penn Badgley ), aka  Marksma n, a highly skilled master archer with superhuman eyesight and agility, pursuits Horvath, but instead, engages a showdown with Blast-Man, who was thought to have been dead. Blast-Man defeats Brody, who then becomes enslaved by Horvath’s mind control.



In response to the attack, Forster declares war against R.C.O.N., despite Richards’s plea in reactivating the Defenders. Nathalie Gibson ( Marie Avgeropoulos ), aka  Athena , a highly skilled fighter with superhuman enhanced skills in acrobatics, who works as an assistant for Richards, locates and recruits Flynn Wilson ( Nicholas Hoult ), a science college student who transforms into a blue mutant with super-human strength, stamina and agility, and oversized hands and feet. Agent Phillip Simmons ( David Cross ) visits and Tori Fowls ( Amber Heard ), a college graduate with the superhuman ability of flight and celestial abilities. Richards visit Ryan, now a former dedicated U.S. Marine, and reveals to him of the attack on the remote military facility. He persuades Ryan to join the newly formed Defenders, with him as leader, after showing him stolen top-secret government videos, all of which shows countries and nations being under attacked by R.C.O.N. soldiers being led by Blast-Man. Ryan agrees to lead the team against R.C.O.N., in hopes of reuniting with his brother.



Ryan, Tori, Flynn and Nathalie are brought by Richards to a secret underground facility, under his mansion, and are put in a simulation training room to improve and control their skills. During their time there, Ryan befriends Flynn, Nathalie and Tori, who he slowly develops a crush on. Nathalie reveals that she and Brody are childhood close-friends and is determined to rescue him. Foster is not happy with Richards going behind his order in reforming the Defenders, and vows to have him put in jail should they fail to retrieve the Arkstone.



The Defenders are sent to  New York City , where Blast-Man and Horvath lead an assault on civilians in  Manhattan . They confront and battle Horvath, who surrenders. While Horvath is being escorted to the  Pentagon , where he is to be transported to a holding prison facility, the Defenders are attacked by Blast-Man and several R.C.O.N. soldiers. Ryan fights Blast-Man and tries to convince Jason into remembering who his friends and family are, but nothing works, while Flynn, Tori and Nathalie take out the R.C.O.N. troops.



<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">After Blast-Man surrenders, the Defenders take him and the Arkstone to the Pentagon, where he and Horvath are imprisoned while scientists begin researching the Arkstone. Ryan tries to make Jason break out of Horvath’s mind control, showing him old photos of their family and old teammates. Nothing works until later, Jason begins to struggle in breaking out of Horvath’s control, but Horvath uses a medallion to stop Jason from doing so. <span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Nathalie approaches Horvath and offers him freedom, in exchange, for Brody. Horvath, however, refuses to do this, revealing his plan to kill Brody once after he reclaims the Arkstone and escapes. After sneaking around the Pentagon, Flynn discovers that the U.S. Government seeks to harness the Arkstone’s infinite power to develop high-tech weapons for future world threats. As Richards and the Defenders argue with Foster and his government superiors about their secret agenda, Brody and a fleet of R.C.O.N. troops attack the Pentagon, disabling power and killing agents in the process.

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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">During the chaos, Horvath escapes and enslaves Flynn, commanding him to attack the military. Nathalie fights Brody, and knocks him unconscious, breaking Horvath’s mind control. Ryan engages and defeats Blast-Man, before being powerless against Horvath, who kills Simmons. Freed from Horvath’s mind control, Jason attacks and severely injures Horvath, saving Ryan just as he was about to be killed. Horvath, with the Arkstone in his possession, escapes. Richards uses Simmons’s death to motivate the Defenders to finish what they started and stop Horvath, who uses the Arkstone’s power, including his magic, to place everyone in Manhattan under his mind control. Ryan admits to Tori of his love for her, and Tori agree to start a relationship with him, only after stopping Horvath. Despite the team forgiving him for what he has done, Jason feels guilty and remains at base, mourning the loss of his previous teammates.

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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Defenders rally in defense of New York City, and soon after defeating an army of R.C.O.N. soldiers, they quickly realize they will be overwhelmed as wave after wave of R.C.O.N. soldiers descend upon the city. As the team slowly starts to give up, Jason appears and together, Jason, Ryan, Tori, Brody, Nathalie and Flynn battle R.C.O.N. while Richards, Hicks and the military evacuates civilians. While Brody, Nathalie, Flynn and Tori holds off the remaining R.C.O.N soldiers, Ryan and Jason engage and defeats Horvath in an ensuing final battle, avenging the death of their old teammates. The nuclear missile, which had earlier been launched by Foster’s superiors in the attempt to end R.C.O.N.’s invasion, is intercepted by Ryan, who takes it in space before falling back down after losing his breath. Flynn catches him at the last second, and Jason revives Ryan, restarts his heart. In the aftermath, mankind hails the Defenders as the earth's mightiest heroes. The team celebrates, and Tori and Flynn are given their superhero codenames (Tori as " Ace " and Flynn as " Beast "). Richards notes that the Defenders will always protect the world when another threat emerges.

Characters

 * Mike Vogel as Ryan O'Connell / Hero Man
 * Ben Barnes as Jason O'Connell / Blast-Man
 *  Amber Heard  as Tori Fowls / Ace
 * Nicholas Hoult as Flynn Wilson / Beast
 * Marie Avgeropoulos as Nathalie Gibson / Athena
 * Penn Badgley as Brody Roberts / Marksman
 * Mark Strong as Horvath
 * Stanley Tucci as Dr. Tom Richards
 * Flex Alexander as Wade Foster
 * Gina Carano as Tia Hicks
 * David Cross as Phillip Simmons

Theme song
"Blackened Blue Eyes" by ( The Charlatans )

Sequel
Defenders 2