Archetypes

Defenders #4 (February 2022) continued the team's pursuit of time-traveling scientist Carlo Zota. The elusive quest brought the heroes to the Fourth Cosmos and then to the Third Cosmos (having skipped over the Fifth Cosmos of pure magic). Stunningly illustrated, the issue brought the Defenders in conflict with an assortment of archetypical beings. Betty Ross (a.k.a. Harpy) was quick to point out that the creature called One-Is-Four looked like the Hulk (but with four heads). An editorial note encouraged readers to try identifying which Marvel characters were the basis for all of Archetypes and then send their best guesses to mheroes@marvel.com!

Ken Nimura illustrated this variant cover. Javier Rodríguez illustrated the interior.

Variant

As much as I might like having a choice of covers when buying comics, some variant covers are misleading. For example, this cover of Defenders #3 (December 2021) displayed Namor, who had no connection to the story. Told from the perspective of Betty Ross, the Harpy, the issue brought the latest band of Defenders back before science: to a time of unrefined magic.

Reversal

The first installment in a five-part limited series, the recently released Defenders #1 provided a new take on early concepts of the non-team. The story began with the Masked Raider making the acquaintance of Dr. Strange by threatening the sorcerer with a gun. As the two men sized up one another, Dr. Strange used his oft overlooked skill as a brown belt to defend himself before offering to hear the Masked Raider's concerns over tea.

Relying on a Tarot deck for guidance, Dr. Strange identified with the Magician card and saw the Masked Raider as the Hierophant card. Oddly, both cards appeared upside down, as did the next three cards that Dr. Strange harnessed to mystically summon a fresh combination of heroes to face a looming threat.

The card of Judgment summoned the Silver Surfer, a former herald to Galactus (who promises to play a role in the limited series).

The High Priestess card summoned Betty Banner (née Ross). Now known as the Red Harpy, this unique identity harks back to her previous transformation into Harpy. I much prefer this take on the heroine over her former alias as Red She-Hulk, which felt derivative on several levels.

The most apropos reveal was the Lovers card for Cloud, a cosmic being metaphysically merged with a young romantic couple.

For those keeping track, this relaunch of the Defenders is officially Volume 6 with regard to publication history. I hope that the limited series adds momentum for the Defenders to continue as an informal group of magical, monstrous, and misanthropic heroes.

Defenders. No. 1. October 2021. "Eighth Cosmos: The Magician." Al Ewing & Javier Rodríguez (storytellers), Álvaro López (letters), VC's Joe Caramagna (inks), Wil Moss & Sarah Brunstad (editors). The issue inclues a MARVEL REMEMBERS page honoring influential Defenders writer David Anthony Kraft (1952-2021).

Mythology Lessons

Defenders #92 placed the non-team into pairs, with each heroic duo searching for various missing persons … missing persons who were in fact personified aspects of the entity Eternity. Mystically teleported by Dr. Strange, the mission took Hellcat and the Son of Satan to a temple in India, and Nighthawk and Hulk to a Russian village.

Meanwhile, Valkyrie and Sub-Mariner traveled to Patras, Greece, where a harpy reportedly had swooped down and carried off one of the missing men. Oddly, though, the flying creature in question resembled a gigantic bird rather than the bird-women of Greek mythology. During their quest, Valkyrie and Sub-Mariner also faced interference from Glaucus, a transformed fisherman from Greek mythology. With his fish-like tail, Glaucus emerged from the water and attacked the two heroes unexpectedly. It was left unsaid whether either hero actually recognized Glaucus or wondered whether the giant bird was technically a harpy.

During their teammates' journeys, Dr. Strange and Clea tried to magically restore Eternity itself.

The Defenders. Vol. 1. No. 92. February 1981. "Eternity … Humanity … Oblivion!" J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Don Perlin & Pablo Marcos (artists), Diana Albers (letters), George Roussos (colorist), Al Milgrom (editor), Jim Shooter (editor-in-chief). The so-called harpy in this story had no connection to the super-villain Harpy.

A Woman Scorned

MODOK, the super-intelligent leader of A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) was so convinced that an encounter with the Hulk was inevitable that he decided to create a monster strong enough to defeat the green goliath. The plan required a test subject who was easily susceptible to hypnosis and who had built up enough tolerance to gamma radiation to survive the experiment.

Betty Ross had carried a torch for Bruce Banner long after learning about his transformation into the Hulk. Only after the world thought Hulk was dead did she agree to marry Maj. Glenn Talbot. Soon after the world discovered that Hulk was still alive, Glenn went missing on a military operation. At this time, MODOK turned the emotionally conflicted Betty into the green and powerful Harpy (Incredible Hulk #168).

Firing self-described Hellbolts, Harpy all but killed the Hulk. As Bruce Banner, the hero successfully reversed MODOK's experiment and restored Betty to normal the next issue.

Venturing into Hulk's psyche, Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, and Tunnelworld native Aeroika fought a facsimile of Harpie and other antagonists of the Hulk in Defenders #83.