Wonder Valkyrie

Under orders of Odin, the valkyries of Valhalla began capturing Amazons of Paradise Island shortly after World War II. These valkyries had wings but also rode wingless flying horses. Odin sought to turn the impressive Amazons into valkyries, but the Greek goddess Aphrodite restored the Amazons to their usual selves (Wonder Woman #23).

Wonder Woman. Vol. 1. No. 23. May 1947. "Seige of the Savage War Maidens" by Charles Moulton.

Nighthawks

I'm a fan of Edward Hopper and have seen his 1942 painting Nighthawks affectionately lampooned many times. If I were to create a Defenders rendition of the painting, I would place Nighthawk behind the counter, with Dr. Strange and Valkyrie next to each other, and Hulk seated by himself. This combination of heroes appeared in the upper-left corner of the covers for Defenders #40-46.

Anything Man

Jeff Colt (a.k.a. Anything Man) proved to be an unusual adversary in Defenders #69 (March 1979). When the unassuming veterinarian randomly acquired the power of Omegatron following a game of tennis, the Defenders came to investigate. Convinced that the heroes were there to test his abilities, Jeff attacked Hellcat, Nighthawk, and Valkyrie. He even struck Valkyrie's horse, Aragorn.

Concerned that an angry Hulk would make the situation worse, Dr. Strange apologetically turned his green teammate back into Bruce Banner. Once Jeff came to realize that he had become consumed with power, Dr. Strange returned him to normal with these magical words:

Then in the name of dark Satannish …

… By the mystic moons of Munnopor …

… Let Omegatronic power vanish,

And leave you but a man once more!

Introducing Power Man

When Defenders #17 reprinted in Rampage #16, the cover art changed significantly. Instead of picturing Hulk alongside Nighthawk and Dr. Strange, the reprint showed the green goliath deserting his comrades. Of the two versions, the cover of Rampage #16 was more accurate. Within the story, Valkyrie left the non-team (temporarily) to learn about her alter ego as Barbara Norriss. A saddened Hulk then blamed Dr. Strange and Nighthawk for Valkyrie's departure and leapt off to be alone. Only afterward did Dr. Strange and Nighthawk meet Power Man.

Rampage #16 also modified the original cover verbiage to introduce the guest star as "The Menace of Power Man!" Within the story, the hero for hire was guarding Richmond Enterprises and mistook the Defenders for intruders.

Day in the Lives

Rampage #7 (Nov. 30, 1977) included a two-page spread depicting "A Somewhat Quiet Day in the Lives of the Daring Defenders!" Valkyrie and Aragorn entered the comedic scene, which showed Prince Namor beside a "New Atlantis" fish tank, Dr. Strange practicing stage magic, and Hulk chewing on a Fantastic Four comic book with Thing on the cover.

Meditation Practices

The Defenders were no strangers to meditation. Dr. Strange had a Chamber of Meditation within his Sanctum Sanctorum, the original headquarters for the non-team. As one of the New Defenders, Moondragon often meditated as well. For all their differences, both characters were fiercely private and relied on meditation for mental clarity.

Dr. Strange shows Nighthawk and Valkyrie his Chamber of Meditation in Defenders #15; Moondragon meditates (and levitates) in New Defenders #136.

Valiant Pin-Up

This pin-up of Valkyrie riding Aragorn comes from Rampage #11 (Dec. 28, 1977). Also pictured: Dr. Strange, Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner, and Hulk.

Daring Pin-Up

This pin-up of the Daring Defenders comes from Rampage #8 (Dec. 7, 1977). That issue of the weekly U.K. magazine reprinted the story from Defenders #7, Hawkeye's introduction to the non-team.

Pictured clockwise: Hulk, Valkyrie, Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, Hawkeye.

Defenders Dialogue: Odin's Eye-Patch

New Defenders #126 published this thoughtful letter and editorial reply concerning a scene with Odin and Valkyrie from #122 and upcoming limited series spotlighting other members of the Defenders.

Dear Gang,

DEFENDERS #122 was fantastic but (there's always a "but", isn't there?) I did find a Major Mistake. On page 15, panels 1 and 2, where we see Odin consoling the Valkyrie, one would notice that the All-Father has an eye-patch on his left eye. But we all know the eye-patch goes over his right eye (it even says so in MARVEL UNIVERSE #8).

But never fear. I have an explanation. Odin's visual image to Brunnhilda could have been like a trick-photographic image in which all things are reversed. Therefore, the mixed-up eyepatches. This does entitle me to a No-Prize, right guys? Guys? Guys?

Kevin Pfluger
Cherry Hill, NJ

P.S. Having the Gargoyle in his own mini-series would be excellent! How about Iceman getting one, too?

Iceman's getting one, Kevin — courtesy of the creative team that brought you this very issue of THE NEW DEFENDERS: J.M. DeMatteis and Alan Kupperberg. Look for it some time in '84. And, yes, Kevin, the No-Prize is on the way. We were inundated with letters from irate eye-patch watchers and yours was the only one to offer a solution. Thanks, pal — we really needed you on this one.

Defenders Fan and Games

The closing page of Fun and Games Magazine #11 (July 1980) said the next month's content would include:

Hulk Spider-Woman The Thing Silver Surfer The Defenders

Those characters, and more, did appear in various puzzles within #12 (August 1980). With regard to the non-team, the cover of The Defenders #73 (July 1979) was the basis for an activity titled "What's Missing?" The scene pictured Aragorn, Valkyrie, Nighthawk, Hulk and Hellcat facing an extra-dimensional foe named Arisen Tyrk.

More Fun and Games

Defenders fans had reason to enjoy Fun and Games Magazine #11 (July 1980). One activity showed how to draw Nighthawk. Printed sideways across pages 16-17 was a poster of Valkyrie—easily detachable by removing the staples between the two pages. Mazes and word puzzles featuring other Marvel characters appeared elsewhere in the magazine.

What's Missing?

Fun and Games Magazine #1 (Sept. 1979) repurposed the cover of Defenders #59 (May 1978) to create two panels for a visual puzzle titled "What's Missing?" Valkyrie, Aragorn, Nighthawk and Hellcat featured as prominently as they had on the original cover. Hulk, on the other hand, was all but cropped out of the puzzle.

Defenders: Tier B

When evaluating the Defenders by their respective abilities, Valkyrie surely rose to Tier B beginning with Defenders #64, as she more fully embodied her true self. The supernatural nature of Son of Satan and Gargoyle also placed them both squarely in Tier B: a notch above most of their crimefighting contemporaries yet still below Tier A.

Even with a headband limiting her mental talents, Moondragon safely landed in Tier B during her time with the New Defenders. Without the headband (as illustrated below), Moondragon would surely slot herself in the loftiest Tier S.

These images come from The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.

Contemplating the Titans

Conceptually, the Teen Titans and the Defenders have little in common. The founding members of the Teen Titans were sidekicks to adult DC heroes, while the founding members of the Defenders were highly powerful and individualistic Marvel heroes. After hearing the podcast Titan Up The Defense, which discusses classic issues of each team on alternating weeks, I decided to look for commonalities between the two super groups. Here are a few examples:

• Aqualad, a founding member of the Teen Titans, has Atlantean parallels to the Sub-Mariner, a founding member of the Defenders.
• Robin (Nightwing), the original leader of the Teen Titans, was the longtime sidekick to Batman; Marvel Comics patterned Nighthawk after Batman.
• Superhuman strength, weaponry, and a mythological background makes Wonder Girl analogous to Valkyrie.
• Daughter of the demonic Trigon, the mystical Raven corresponds to Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan.
• With green skin and the power of transformation, Changeling (Beast Boy) has superficial similarities to the Hulk.
• Three of the New Defenders began fighting crime as teenage members of the X-Men.

The Brave and the Bold #54 (July 1964) marked the beginning of the Teen Titans, when three sidekicks teamed up. The young heroes soon landed their own series, which ran 53 issues, and then found new popularity with the launch of The New Teen Titans #1 (Nov. 1980).

Two In One

Feeling out of his element, the curmudgeonly Thing accompanied the Defenders on a paranormal investigation that shed light on the background of Barbara Norriss (née Denton), the young woman tragically intertwined with the persona of Valkyrie (Marvel Two-In-One #6-7; Defenders #20).

At the heart of the drama was Alvin Denton, a destitute man who believed his wife, Celestia, had died in an automobile accident. Celestia Denton, however, not only survived the automobile accident: she also joined the cult of the Nameless Ones responsible for sacrificing her daughter, Barbara, to another dimension. Since Dr. Strange had led the Defenders in rescuing Barbara, and the Enchantress had tied Barbara to the spirit of Valkyrie (Defenders 3-4), the cult intended to balance the score by sacrificing Dr. Strange and Valkyrie.

To make matters more complicated, Alvin carried a magical harmonica sought after by the Enchantress and her loyal henchman, the Executioner. The harmonica's magic was limited, however, and of no use to the Enchantress by the time she claimed the item. Toying with Alvin and the heroes, the Enchantres temporarily transformed Valkyrie back to the persona of Barbara Norriss, who remained in a state of madness as a result of her time trapped in another dimension. After Valkyrie's mind returned to Barbara's body, the heroine learned that Barbara was married to a man named Jack Norriss, spurring interpersonal concerns for both characters.

What if ... Thor Had Joined the Defenders?

Today's blog post takes inspiration from Marvel's classic series that asked, "What if…?" In that vein, I consider how a key decision in the formation of the Defenders might have unfolded differently.

On that fateful day when Dr. Strange formed the Defenders (Marvel Feature #1), Prince Namor was his first recruit. In need of a second ally with great physical strength, the sorcerer reluctantly selected the Hulk. Dr. Strange summoned the green goliath only because Silver Surfer was trapped on Earth and couldn't travel with them to another dimension, and because Dr. Strange presumed that Thor was unavailable. But what if Dr. Strange hadn't jumped to that conclusion? And what if Thor was indeed available? In other words, What if … Thor had joined the Defenders?

In this speculative timeline, Dr. Strange, Namor, and Thor would found the non-team. During their early adventures, the thunder god would prove as capable a Defender as the Hulk had been in the original published stories.

Without the Hulk, however, the events from Defenders #7 would play out differently. In the original story, Hawkeye tried to capture the Hulk and then accepted Valkyrie's offer to join the Defenders. (Valkyrie herself joined in Defenders #4.) Yet if Hulk had no ties to the Defenders, Hawkeye would not have met the non-team at that time, much less join them.

This change in lineup would affect the crossover event spanning Defenders #8-11; Avengers #115-118, when the two teams clashed. As originally published, Thor of the Avengers battled Hulk of the Defenders, while Iron Man of the Avengers squared off against Hawkeye of the Defenders. In this alternate version, Thor of the Defenders would battle Iron Man of the Avengers. In both versions, the teams would put their differences aside at the end of the story. Not everything would balance out so evenly, however.

Nighthawk's membership into the Defenders (#13-14) would inevitably lead the non-team to meet Power Man and then battle the Wrecking Crew (#17-19). Here, fate would change irrevocably. The original story required Hulk to return to his alter ego as Bruce Banner and save the day by deactivating a dangerous Gamma Bomb. Unlike Banner, Thor's alter ego of Donald Blake was a physician, not a physicist. Without Bruce Banner's know-how, the Gamma Bomb would detonate and kill 20 million people. As a result, this story would end in tragedy, just like many tales published in the series What If…?

This panel with Dr. Strange and Bruce Banner comes from Defenders #19.

Turning Points and Trolls

On two occasions, the appearance of trolls marked turning points for the Defenders. The first instance came in Defenders #64, when Valkyrie entered a berserker rage while imagining that everyone around her was a fiendish troll. The frightening hallucination was a side effect of Valkyrie's internal conflict with the mind of Barbara Norriss. Afterward, Valkyrie journeyed to Asgard in a quest to regain her peace of mind and, eventually, her own Asgardian body.

Valkyrie and teammates eventually faced actual trolls in New Defenders #139. During this encounter, the monsters took a special interest in the Asgardian headband worn by Moondragon. As a form of punishment, the god Odin had placed the headband on Moondragon's head to limit her powers. Although Moondragon desperately wanted the headband removed, she telekinetically kept the trolls from prying it off her; Moondragon's resistance was driven out of concern that others might think she was as evil. With the trolls defeated, the magical headband serendipitously disappeared soon afterward, signifying that Moondragon demonstrated humility (at least for the time being).

This panel comes from Defenders #64.

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.

Red Ghost of the Sea

Defenders #7-8 creatively repurposed an establish character. Red Ghost, who had demonstrated the ability to mentally command apes after bombarding them with cosmic rays, found them increasingly difficult to control. As a result, the villain decided to try out his power on porpoises—also highly intelligent mammals and perhaps more responsive to his commands. Red Ghost's new modus operandi found him an ally in the Atlantean conquerer Attuma.

Red Ghost tried to expand his powers even more, using advanced technology to mentally command Sub-Mariner, and then Valkyrie and Hawkeye (during his short time with the Defenders). The mental tampering had a side effect for Valkyrie, who as already internally conflicted with the mind of of Barbara Norriss, causing her to hallucinate monstrous images (foreshadowing events in Defenders #64).

Dr. Strange ultimately freed the others from the influence of Red Ghost by creating a mystic shield to prevent cosmic rays from reaching Earth.

This panel of Red Ghost comes from Defenders #7 (Aug. 1973).

Turning to Tarot

Since the time I started this blog twelve years ago, I've witnessed numerous attempts to revamp the Defenders. None impressed me as much as Tarot #1.

Bringing together Hulk, Namor, Valkyrie, Silver Surfer, and Dr. Strange, the mini-series features five of the earliest and most iconic members of the original non-team … with a seasoned sense of camaraderie.

The premiere issue found the heroes facing Cyrus Black, one of the team's oldest foes. Within the story, Namor remembered a surprising moment in 1944 when Captain America turned into a green-skinned Hulk. A visit to Avengers Mansion, however, found that Captain America had no memory of this dubious event.

Pual Renaud illustrated this variant cover of Tarot #1 (March 2020). Alan Davis wrote this issue.