Marvel Subscriber's Club

One of my favorite ads for Marvel Comics was the subscription page that appeared in issues with cover dates of Nov. 1981, Dec. 1981, and Jan. 1982 (Defenders #101, #102, #103). While the titles listed on the subscription form included science fiction, jungle adventure, and sword and sorcery themes, the illustration accompanying the ad was a superhero sight gag reminiscent of the humor magazines that Marvel would publish at various points.

Pictured in the ad, a tiny Ant-Man tries to outrun the Hulk, who has just stepped on Iron Man. Meanwhile, Giant-Man busts through the roof of the heroes' comedically overcrowded clubhouse. Several other characters are only partially visible yet still recognizable by their claws, tail, winged ankles, or other identifiable traits.

Featuring Ant-Man

Immediately after Marvel Feature #1-3 introduced the dynamic Defenders as a superhero team, Marvel Feature #4-10 re-introduced Hank Pym as the astonishing Ant-Man. Finding himself trapped at a shrunken height, without the gadgetry he previously used as Yellowjacket, this revamped version of Ant-Man wore a new costume and armed himself with a proportionally small sword. The seven-part story arc brought back old foes Egghead and Whirlwind, introduced new villains, and pitted the swashbuckling hero against natural threats reminiscent of the 1957 film The Incredible Shrinking Man.

Henry Pym's wife, Janet (a.k.a. Wasp), lost much of her edge during these new adventures of Ant-Man, appearing largely as a romantic interest and occasional sidekick. As founding members of the Avengers, however, both characters had years of adventuring experience by this point and might very well have shared equal billing on the title.

Pym's lab assistant, Bill Foster, made a cameo appearance in Marvel Feature #9, investigating the disappearance of the super-couple and foreshadowing his eventual transformation into Black Goliath.

Henry Pym resumed his Yellowjacket identity in Giant-Size Defenders #4. Wasp featured prominently during her guest appearances in Defenders #76-77.

Micro-Management

Before he was Ant-Man, Scott Lang already had one foot in the door to becoming a superhero. In his debut appearance from Avengers #181, Scott Lang was the engineer hired to install a new security system at Avengers Mansion.

Returning from the movies, Wonder Man and Beast were the first to test out these new defenses, as they accidentally triggered a set of mechanical arms designed to stop intruders from entering the headquarters.

But mechanical arms weren't the only security measures introduced that issue. With a ballooning number of heroes coming and going from the mansion, including the Guardians of the Galaxy, the federal government decided to limit the Avengers to seven active members.

Government liaison Peter Gyrich announced the new lineup as Iron Man (chairman), Vision, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Beast, Wasp, and Falcon (recruited specifically to add an African-American to the group).

Of the heroes who didn't stay on, Hawkeye was the most outspoken against the government intervention. In a thought balloon, Wonder Man noted that Moondragon left without even saying good-bye.

When Falcon decided to step down in Avengers #194, Wonder Man filled the open slot (with no mention of maintaining racial quotas).

The team membership remained fairly consistent until Moondragon's abrupt return in Avengers #211.

Avengers. Vol. 1. No. 181. March 1978. "On the Matter of Heroes!" David Micheline (writer), John Byrne & Gene Day (artists), F. Mouly (colors), Elaine H. (letters), Roger Stern (editor), Jim Shooter (editor-in-chief).

Last But Not Least ... Ant-Man

Harking back to comics published a generation ago, the cover of Defenders #10 featured mugshots in the upper-left corner (including the head of a not-so-friendly ant).

This issue, of course, welcomed Ant-Man into the ranks of the Defenders (the last of the characters foreshadowed from Point One to appear in the new series).

The dimension-hopping non-team encountered Ant-Man (specifically Scott Lang) when they returned to present-day Earth, only to discover that civilization as far as they could see lay in ruins. Only by inconspicuously remaining the size of an insect had the hero managed to avoid execution at the hands of the ominous Dark Celestial.

Defenders. Vol. 4. No. 10. November 2012. Matt Fraction (writer), Jamie McKelvie w/Mike Norton (artists), Jordie Bellaire (colorist), VC's Sabino & Cowles (letterers), Joe Quinones (cover artist).

Tales from 1967

In honor of the cliffhanger from Defenders #8 that referenced 1967, here's a look back at more memorable events from comic books published that year.

Out for revenge against Hank Pym and Wasp, the fiendish Whirlwind trapped the size-changing duo in an ant hill. After they escaped from that death trap in Avengers #46 (Nov. 1967), Pym installed cybernetic antennae into his latest costume as Goliath—regaining the insect-control powers he originally used as Ant-Man.

Nick Fury began to show his age in Strange Tales #154 (March 1967). Whereas prior issues depicted the S.H.I.E.L.D agent with a full head of brown hair, Nick Fury now sported "snow" around the temples. The distinguishing trait signaled the passage of time since Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos, a series published at the same time but set during World War II.

By the Seven Rings of Raggadorr! In another story from Strange Tales #154 (March 1967), the master of the mystic arts fought off hostile creatures in the Dark Dimension on his quest to the castle of Umar. There, Dr. Strange encountered the evil sorceress who had captured and threatened to kill Clea.

To protect his secret identity in Daredevil #25 (Feb. 1967), attorney Matt Murdock began the ongoing ruse that he had a twin brother named Mike. That issue also marked the first appearance of Leap-Frog, a villain whose son would later become the struggling hero known as Frog-Man.

Against the Swarm

A string of fatal insect attacks against leading entomologists prompted the national Department of Covert Extranormal Investigation and Disinformation to enlist the help of Dr. Druid (Secret Defenders #18-19).

At Dr. Druid's recommendation, Henry Pym received orders from the highest levels of government to investigate conspicuous insect infestations at the Rand-Meachum Technology Facility in Houston.

Though back to his Giant-Man powers at the time, Dr. Pym brought along a cybernetic helmet from his days as Ant-Man. Accompanied by Iron Fist—who was already on site as Daniel Rand, chairman and CEO of Rand-Meachum Inc.—Pym concluded that a singular consciousness was controlling the army of insects that stormed the facility.

Meanwhile, Dr. Druid, Shadowoman, and Cadaver of the Secret Defenders worked behind the scenes to battle Swarm, the collective intelligence responsible for the attacks.

During the encounter, Dr. Druid sensed that Iceman and Angel had previously faced Swarm (Champions #14-15). For backup, Dr. Druid cast an illusion in the minds of Iceman and Archangel that Professor Xavier wanted them to report to the facility. The two mutants arrived at the tail end of this latest conflict.

Secret Defenders. Vol. 1. No. 18. August 1994. "A Tiny Little War." Tom Brevroot & Mike Kanterovich (writers), Bill Wylie (penciler), Hudson + Dezuniga (inkers), John Costanza (letterer), Jim Hoston (colorist), Craig Anderson (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor in chief).

Secret Defenders. Vol. 1. No. 19. September 1994. "Survival of the Fittest." Tom Brevroot & Mike Kanterovich (writers), Bill Wylie (breakdowns), Tony Dezuniga (finishes), John Costanza (letterer), John Kausz (colorist), Craig Anderson (editor), Tom DeFalco (bee-hind it all).

Hank Pym, the Ultimate Defender

The Defenders never had it so bad as they did in Ultimates 2. Set in an alternate reality, #6 of that series depicted the Defenders as a group of struggling vigilantes with high hopes of stopping crime.

Misrepresenting their skills, resources, and connections, the group recruited Dr. Henry Pym into their ranks. With the ability to shrink as Ant Man or grow 60-feet-tall as Giant Man, he was actually the only member of these Defenders with any superhuman powers.

The 34-year-old biochemist soon found himself in a burgeoning romance with Barbara, a 19-year-old teammate who called herself Valkyrie. But that relationship made the sting all the more harsh when Hank learned that he he'd been misled.

Hank: You people don't really know Dr. Strange at all, do you?

Barbara: Nope. Or Iceman. Or Colossus. Or any of the other X-Men we kind of hinted might be signing up.

Having long felt like a second-class superhero, Hank's heart sank all the more when Barbara asked if he could dress up like Captain America.

Roll Call: (back) Nighthawk, Giant Man, (front) Power Man, Valkyrie, Son of Satan, Hellcat.
Not Pictured: Black Knight.

Ultimates 2. No. 6. July 2005. "The Defenders." Mark Millar (story), Bryan Hitch (pencils), Bryan Hitch & Paul Neary inks), Laura Martin (colors), Chris Ellopoulos (letters), Tom Valente (production), Nicole Wiley & John Barber, Ralph Macchio (editor), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Dan Buckley (publisher).

Stephen in Wonderland

At a time when his astral form was trapped inside the Orb of Agamotto, Stephen Strange encountered facsimiles of other heroes, including the earliest members of the Defenders (Dr. Strange #2).

The sorcerer recognized that the other heroes within the orb were in fact impressions from his own subconscious. With that in mind, the way these characters interacted with Dr. Strange in the dream world may have revealed his personal thoughts about them in the outside world.

Borrowing imagery from Wonderland as he adventured inside the orb, the master of the mystic arts was surprised to witness himself slumming at a tea party with other costumed figures.

Interestingly, an homage to Ant-Man was one of the characters napping at the tea party—while scientist Henry Pym had long abandoned his identity as Ant-Man by this point, and no one else had yet picked up the mantle as Ant-Man.

The version of Nick Fury who sat at the table showed the first signs of aggression when he drew a gun at an out-of-place Munchkin. Next, Nick Fury joined with Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Sub-Mariner, Hulk, and Black Panther in threatening to kill Dr. Strange, who in turn subdued them with his magic.

Not everyone was so volatile.

Even though the version of Silver Surfer inside the orb did not recognize Dr. Strange, the cosmic champion nonetheless offered to help the master of the mystic arts navigate through the dream world soon after his arrival.

Heralded by the other characters as the "Queen," Valkyrie received everyone's respect when she entered the scene on her flying horse, Aragorn. With more self-awareness than the other figures within the orb, Valkyrie gave Dr. Strange words of wisdom and support.

Dr. Strange #3 found the sorcerer riding on Aragorn as he continued his quest to escape from the maddening dreamland. That issue consisted largely of flashback pages to the first time Dr. Strange met Clea (who was in the clutches of the villain Silver Dagger while Dr. Strange was trapped inside the orb).

Doctor Strange. Vol. 1. No. 2. August 1974. "A Separate Reality." Steve Englehart (author), Frank Brunner (artist & colorist), Dick Giordano (inks), John Costanza (lettering), Roy Thomas (editor).

The Defenders Yet to Come

This promotional image for Point One tipped off fans that an upcoming cast of Defenders would factor into the 64-page one-shot.

Framed as a series of possible realities observed from the Watcher's home on the moon, each story within the issue held together on its own—while setting the stage for comics slated to release in 2012.

A tale of particular interest found Stephen Strange in uncharacteristically good spirits, at home in his role as "The Shaman of Greenwich Village."

But Dr. Strange fell sullen as he tried to help a man named Joe Mitchell who was trapped in a state of waking-sleep. Entering Joe's mind, Dr. Strange saw a one-panel vision of Silver Surfer, Red She-Hulk, Sub-Mariner, Ant-Man, Nick Fury, and Iron Fist, who delivered a word of warning.

Iron Fist: We either shut the engines down, or the universe will break. Doc. The impossible is everywhere now…

Certain that the vision came from the future, Dr. Strange set out to decipher stacks of notebooks that Joe had kept over the years while writing "The Compleat History of Greenwich Village."

Point One. November 2011. The Defenders tie-in occurs in "The Shaman of Greenwich Village." Matt Fraction (writer), Terry Dodson (penciler), Rachel Dodson (inker), Sonia Oback (colorist), VC's Clayton Cowles (letterer), John Denning (asst. editor), Arbona & Brevoort (editors).

Six other stories foreshadowing comic books of 2012 also appear in Point One.