The Second Cosmos

Defenders #4 (Vol. 6) announced that the final installment of that five-part series would list the Marvel heroes and villains who were the basis for the archetypal characters in the Fourth Cosmos. Instead, those answers appeared at the end of Defenders: Beyond #2, reinforcing how intersected the two limited series happened to be.

Often reading like a travelogue, Beyond #2 brought the latest group of Defenders to the Second Cosmos, described as a multiverse of possibility and infinite instability. In a fitting touch of continuity, the issue brought back the Omega Council and Concordance Engines, credited in Defenders #11 (Vol. 4) for the impressive number of improbable events that happen on Earth.

This page comes from Defenders: Beyond #2 (Oct. 2022).

Round Up the Defenders

This ad for Booking.com appears on the back cover of Defenders #4 (and other comics with a publication date of October 2017). The scene of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Daredevil vacationing at Big Mountain Ranch is reminiscent of Nighthawk's ranch—home to an earlier version of the non-team.

The Defenders logo at the bottom of the ad, interestingly, comes from a previous run of the Defenders (Volume 4) rather than the current series (Volume 5).

The Omega Connection

	While reading Silver Surfer's meeting with the mysterious Omega Council in Defenders #11 (Vol. 4), I immediately thought of the deceased hero called Omega. Only after the cancellation of the 10-issue series Omega the Unknown did the hero learn his origin. Omega and youthful "sidekick" James-Michael Starling were in fact biological constructs sent to Earth by metallic lifeforms on another planet that faced extinction. Omega and Starling both died in Defenders #76-77 (Vol. 1). The metallic extraterrestrials designed additional constructs to send to other worlds as well. My initial suspicions aside, however, these beings do not appear to have ties to the recently revealed Omega Council.
	Well-known for his use of monikers, Hulk repeatedly referred to the hero Omega as "Curly-Hair" during a guest appearance in Omega the Unknown #2 (May 1976), a story referenced in Defenders #39.

But Not Forgotten

Though launched as an ongoing title, the latest Defenders series ended at #12, with the time-bending storyline rewriting itself so the events in the series never took place.

The result gave a whole new meaning to the term non-team, with this grouping of Defenders never truly having formed.

Disappointing as that may be, the cancellation of the Defenders is not the end of the world … and it's not the end of this blog. There is still a lot left to cover.

Defenders. Vol. 4. No. 12. January 2013. Matt Fraction (writer), Mirco Pierfederici (penciler), Veronica Gandini (colorist), VC's Clayton Cowles (letterer), Terry & Rachel Dodson (cover artists), Jon Moisan (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor).

The Eleventh Hour

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

Dr. Strange: … Déjà vu.

Foretold in Point One, those pivotal words of dialogue appeared on the closing page of Defenders #11. But the situation was far from predictable. Unlike the original vision witnessed by Dr. Strange, the version of Prince Namor who rendezvoused with the non-team this issue wore a beard. Another deviation was the presence of Black Cat, who began tagging along with the heroes after her appearance in Defenders #7.

Minor details aside, the big reveal of Defenders #11 came early that issue. In a surreal state, Silver Surfer learned that an Omega Council hid the Concordance Engines on Earth to keep the machines from the destructive Death Celestials, which now threatened to destroy the planet.

Though undetected for years, the reality-bending Concordance Engines accounted for the large number of highly improbably events on Earth, including the origins of many super-beings.

Defenders. Vol. 4. No. 11. December 2012. Matt Fraction (writer), Mirco Pierfederici (artist), Jordie Bellaire (color artist), VC's Clayton Cowles (letterer), Terry & Rachel Dodson (cover artists).

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).

Footnote

Perhaps the most footnoted item in the history of comics has been the full title of the organization S.H.I.E.L.D. Traditionally, when a character would pronounce SHIELD as a word of dialogue, the footnote would spell out that the six letters stood for Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-Enforcement Division.

Defenders #9 turned the convention on its ear. Here, Dr. Strange stated the full name of the organization in a conversation with Nick Fury, and editor Mark Paniccia placed the acronym S.H.I.E.L.D. in a footnote.

Sub-Mariner into 1967

Living up to the hype, Defenders #9 did indeed take the non-team "Sideways into 1967!" The trip landed the Defenders on a parallel Earth a handful of decades in the past, bringing a version of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury from the 1960s into the larger storyline around the reality-bending Concordance Engine. Though pictured on the cover, Sub-Mariner did not partake in the issue. With that segue, here's a look at four striking covers from comic books published in 1967 that did spotlight the Prince of Atlantis!

Sideways into 1967

The newly published Defenders #8 ended with a teaser … NEXT: SIDEWAYS INTO 1967! Given the sliding nature of time in most comic books, stories from 1967 now would have occurred reasonably close to the present. Just the same, here are some memorable events from comics published that year.

Ever-hounded by the people of Earth, an angry Hulk demanded that the Silver Surfer take him to a far-away planet in Tales to Astonish #93 (July 1967). While sympathetic to the Hulk's predicament, the former herald of Galactus was himself trapped on Earth and could not oblige. When all attempts to reason with the green goliath failed, the Silver Surfer flew off in frustration.

Avengers #43 (Aug. 1967) introduced the original Red Guardian (a.k.a. Alexi Shostakov, the estranged husband of the Black Widow). Though he died the following issue, the Soviet counterpart to Captain America would later inspire Dr. Tania Belinsky to become the second Red Guardian.

Iceman, the youngest of the original X-Men, celebrated his 18th birthday in X-Men #32 (May 1967), the first in a two-issue battle against Juggernaut. Acknowledging that the the original X-Men were adults, the merry mutants received individualized costumes in X-Men #39 (Dec. 1967).

Captain Nemo

An unfolding storyline in the pages of the Defenders revealed that more than 100 years ago Prince Namor's mother had banded together with an unusual array of pulp-era adventurers, including the likes of Captain Nemo. A key piece of evidence emerged in Defenders #5, when the modern heroes discovered the remains of the Nautilus submarine from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne.

This would mean that Captain Nemo was not only a character from 19th century literature but also a historical figure within the world of Marvel characters—and a topic of discussion among the latest version of the non-team (Defenders #5).

Red She-Hulk: Do you think the dead guy there is really Captain Nemo? From the books and such?

As his teammate spoke, Namor looked closely at a photograph of the fabled captain.

Namor: What books?

Red She-Hulk: Jules Verne?

Namor: Is he an Atlantean author?

Red She-Hulk: No, he--

Namor: Haven't read it.

The half-Atlantean observed familial resemblance between himself and the legendary captain, so Red She-Hulk broached the subject.

Red She-Hulk: Could he be your father?

Namor: … It doesn't matter. I know who I am.

Defenders. No. 5. June 2012. "Namor: The 99 Daughters of Pontus." Matt Fraction (writer), Mitch Breitweiser (artist), Mitch & Bettie Bretweiser (color artists), VC's Clayton Cowles (letterer).

An illustrated adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ran in Marvel Classics Comics #4 (Jan. 1976). The Mysterious Island appeared in #11 (July 1976).

Speaking Volumes

Since newer comics do not include the volume number on the copyright page, as comics of earlier years had, I checked the Marvel Comics Database to see that the latest Defenders series (bringing Iron Fist and Red She-Hulk into the fold) is indeed Volume 4.

Volume 1 was the original run of the Defenders that began in the 1970s, with Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, and Hulk as founding members. The Silver Surfer was the first of numerous heroes to unofficially join the non-team.

Because the issue-to-issue numbering stayed consistent, the series remained Volume 1 even when the title changed to the New Defenders (issues #125-152).

Volume 2 was most notable for giving Samantha Parrington a chance to reprise the role of Valkyrie and work with the Defenders. In this twelve-issue limited series from 2001, she shared the spotlight with six of the most recognized members of the team: Nighthawk, Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer, Hellcat, and Hulk.

Volume 3 brought back Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, Hulk, and Silver Surfer for a dimension-hopping limited series. The ever-dreaded Dormammu was the group's primary adversary during this five-issue adventure from 2005.

Series with variant titles (including Secret Defenders and Last Defenders) were each published as Volume 1 in their own right.

Here at Last!

The closing pages of the seven-issue Fear Itself limited series worked as a segue, with Hulk heading to the home of Stephen Strange.

When Wong greeted him at the door, Hulk pushed the servant out of the way and barged inside. The green goliath requested that Dr. Strange come to his aid to defeat Nul, a being best understood as rage incarnate.

The story continued in the highly anticipated debut of the latest Defenders series. To proceed on the quest, Dr. Strange in turn requested the aid of Namor, Silver Surfer, Red She-Hulk, and Iron Fist—all featured prominently on the cover of Defenders #1

As the adventure moved forward, the heroes ventured to Wundagore Mountain, which Dr. Strange aptly compared to The Island of Doctor Moreau. The issue ended on a suspenseful note, as one of the mountain inhabitants introduced himself as the legendary Prester John.

I certainly like the refreshing approach that the creative team is taking in both the writing and the artwork. I hope this new series has a long life ahead of it.

Defenders. No. 1. February 2012. "Breaker of Worlds Part 1: I Hate Myself and Want to Die." Matt Fraction (writer), Terry Dodson (penciler), Rachel Dodson (inker), Sonia Oback (colorist), VC's Clayton Cowles (letterer).

The top image comes from Epilogue 4 of Fear Itself. No. 7. December 2011.

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.

It's Either in You or It's Not

A friend was kind enough to alert me this week that Marvel plans to launch a new Defenders series in December 2011.

Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer, Iron Fist, and Red She-Hulk (Betty Ross) are among the characters slated for the ongoing series.

For all my mixed feelings about previous attempts to either revisit or ravamp the non-team, I have to say that I am looking forward to the upcoming Defenders title.