Telepaths of Titan

If I hadn't started blogging about the Defenders back in 2008, I might have selected the Legion of Super-Heroes instead. Had that happened, I would be much more knowledgeable about the DC universe of the 30th century than I am today. Here's an interesting piece of trivia linking the two teams: Saturn Girl, a telepath and founding member of the Legion, comes from Titan, the same moon of Saturn where Moondragon honed her telepathic powers.

To date, my only prior blog reference to the Legion came when comparing super-hero Bouncing Boy to Pinball, an enemy of Nighthawk from the Squadron Supreme. If I run low on Defenders content, I might post more thoughts about the Legion.

This page about Saturn Girl originally appeared in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe.

The Origin of Aragorn

Technically speaking, Aragorn made his debut in Avengers #48 (Jan. 1968). In that issue, however, the Black Knight called the winged horse Pegasus. Not until later appearances was the horse renamed Aragorn. The name change made sense, as Aragorn had no relation to the flying horse from Greek mythology. In fact, the Black Knight described his winged stallion as a mutant. The mutation was not accidental but instead resulted from months of research.

Aragorn was in good company. When the original X-Men encountered a technological wizard called the Warlock, he too described his winged horses as mutants—the products of science rather than magic X-Men #30 (March 1967).

This image of the Black Knight riding Pegasus (Aragorn) comes from Avengers #48.

Chaotic Evil: Plodex

No sooner did Marrina join Alpha Flight than the implications of her alien ancestry surfaced. Though raised by the good-natured Smallwood family in Canada, Marrina was born Plodex, an extraterrestrial species genetically programmed to conquer life on other worlds. Because of their adaptability, the Plodex varied wildly from planet to planet while retaining an instinctive tendency toward Chaotic Evil. Marrina, at her best, was the exception that proved the rule.

Lawful Good	Neutral Good	Chaotic Good
Lawful Neutral	True Neutral	Chaotic Neutral
Lawful Evil	Neutral Evil	Chaotic Evil

Marrina's latent instincts shocked her teammates in Alpha Flight #2 (Sept. 1983).

Defensor

Defensor was never a Defender but his similar-sounding name warrants attention. The shield-bearing hero first appeared in Contest of Champions #1, which gathered superheroes from across the globe. During that challenge, Defensor fought alongside She-Hulk and Captain Britain on the side of the Grandmaster. Although Defensor was shown in Argentina immediately before the contest began, he revealed his secret identity as Gabriel Carlos Dantes Sepulveda, of Brazil (#2).

Later, heralding from South America rather than a specific nation, Defensor was among the countless heroes to celebrate amnesty for the Incredible Hulk (#279). But like several other international heroes from this period, Defensor was all but forgotten after this point.

This entry for Defensor originally appeared beside the entry for the Defenders in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. That entry told much more about Defensor's origin and weapons than his comic book appearances ever revealed.

On a Lark

Lady Lark was among the most tragic members of the Squadron Supreme. As revealed in the Squadron Supreme limited series, Linda Lewis had been a successful recording artist until an accident damaged her vocal cords. Following an operation, new vocal cords gave her superhuman sonic powers. As a drawback, however, she could no longer sing (Squadron Supreme #1, #4). In some respects, Lady Lark's music career had parallels to that of Dazzler, a singer whose mutant powers over light and sound propelled her into the role of reluctant superhero.

Like other early members of the Squadron Supreme, Lady Lark had a counterpart in the Justice League of America—specifically, Black Canary, with her ear-piercing "canary cry." On top of that, Lady Lark's on-again, off-again relationship with teammate Golden Archer was an homage to Black Canary's romantic pairing with Green Arrow in DC Comics.

This image of Lady Lark comes from Avengers #147 (May 1976). Since her powers often appeared as music notes, singing may have been how Lady Lark activated her superhuman abilities.

Neutral Good: Rick Jones

On a bet, young Rick Jones snuck past guards to drive into an off-limits military test area (Incredible Hulk #1). From this first impression, Rick's disregard for authority would seem Chaotic Neutral under the nine-alignment system of Dungeons & Dragons. But after Dr. Bruce Banner risked his life to shield Rick from a gamma bomb, the teenager had a change of heart. Rick would befriend Dr. Banner during his initial transformations into the Hulk.

In the years that followed, Rick would become a serial sidekick, training with Captain America and assisting the Avengers, teaming up with Captain Mar-vell, and then becoming an ally to Rom the Spacekight. Through this heroic adaptability, Rick Jones' true character would prove to be Neutral Good.

Lawful Good	Neutral Good	Chaotic Good
Lawful Neutral	True Neutral	Chaotic Neutral
Lawful Evil	Neutral Evil	Chaotic Evil

This panel of Bruce Banner warning Rick Jones comes from The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962).

Every Which Whizzer

The Squadron Supreme entry from the original edition of The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe introduced several details about the team. The Squadron's 12-issue limited series, however, would later contradict some of the information from the handbook. Whereas the handbook listed Whizzer as Hiram Arnold, chemist, his identity would instead become Stanley Stewart, mail carrier. Squadron Supreme #8 further established that Whizzer gained superhuman speed after jogging through a dense, slightly luminescent fogbank—distinguishing the hero's origin story from the Golden Age version of the Whizzer.

The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe included this image of the Whizzer in the original entry for the Squadron Supreme.

Dr. Druid and the Missing Link

Historically speaking, Weird Wonder Tales #21 (March 1977) contained the most unusual appearance of Dr. Druid. In the story, Dr. Druid led a scientific expedition in search of the missing link to prove that humans had evolved from apes.

In the mountains of Borneo, Dr. Druid got more than he bargained for when he encountered a giant primate called Gorgilla. After Gorgilla saved the explorers from a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Dr. Druid decided not to capture Gorgilla and instead let the creature live in peace.

Though pictured in costume on the cover, Dr. Druid did nothing superhuman within the issue. That's because the story initially ran in Tales to Astonish #12 (October 1960) and featured an ordinary scientist named Scotty—not a superhero. The reprint changed the character's appearance and name to Dr. Druid while keeping the other original material intact.

A flashback to a lecture he attended in college set Dr. Druid's expectations for how the missing link might look.

The Making of Marvel Man

Marvel Man was largely unknown when he joined the Defenders for a Day. During his debut in Captain America #217, the character had introduced himself as Marvel Boy—differentiating himself from an earlier hero with that same name—only to become Marvel Man in #218.

The original Marvel Boy had appeared in comic books published in the 1950s by Atlas Comics (the immediate predecessor to Marvel Comics). The character's origin story tied to recent history. In 1934, to escape the threat of Hitler, scientist Matthew Grayson fled Earth in a spaceship, taking his infant son with him. They arrived on Uranus, where young Bob Grayson developed intuitive telepathic abilities, like the planet's peaceful inhabitants. As a young adult, Bob returned to Earth to stop crime as Marvel Boy, wearing Uranian wristbands that could generate a blinding light.

The character made a jarring return in Fantastic Four #164-165. Now calling himself Crusader, the former hero went on a rampage and then vanished, leaving behind his wristbands. From there, Anthony Stark's crew developed the wristbands worn by the new Marvel Boy/Man in Captain America #217-218.

Following the events in Defenders #62-65, Marvel Man guest-starred in The Incredible Hulk #233, with his name highlighted on the cover. Marvel Man could use his wristbands to fly and manipulate energy in various ways. His confidence plummeted, however, when a boy told him that Marvel Man was a dopey name. In #234, the hero changed his name to Quasar, distinguishing himself from other recognizable Marvel characters, including Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel.

To Abin Sur, With Love

The Squadron Supreme had twelve active members when they fought the non-team in Defenders #113. The Squadron Supreme limited series that followed would reveal a former member of the Squadron: a Skrull who helped found the group. Adding to the decided parallels between the Squadron Supreme and the Justice League of America, the green-skinned Skrull was a nod to J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter.

That Skrull turned out to be a counterpart to another character from DC Comics as well. In presenting the origin of Dr. Spectrum, Squadron Supreme #4 showed how the hero received his Power Prism as a gift after saving the Skrull's life. The Skrull, therefore, was analogous not only to Martian Manhunter but also to Abin Sur, the dying extraterrestrial who gave Green Lantern his Power Ring. I admired the clever and economical storytelling in blending two DC characters into one character in the Squadron Supreme. As a fan of this version of the Squadron Supreme, I also enjoyed seeing any glimpse into the early years of the team.

Neutral Good: Black Knight

Giant-Size Defenders #2 reprinted an adventure of the Black Knight originally published in 1955. Set during the time of King Arthur, this version of the character battled treacherous forces while masking his true identity. To throw enemies off guard, Sir Percy of Scandia feigned cowardice under ordinary circumstances … until suiting up as the mysterious Black Knight.

Dieties & Demigods, a sourcebook for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, described King Arthur as the alignment Lawful Good. The Black Knight's clandestine chivalry, on the other hand, would more closely fall under the ethos of Neutral Good, the alignment that Dieties & Demigods ascribed to Merlin the magician. Merlin was the only one who knew Sir Percy was the Black Knight.

The modern superhero Black Knight, who appeared in early issues of the Defenders, was descended from the original version of the character.

Lawful Good	Neutral Good	Chaotic Good
Lawful Neutral	True Neutral	Chaotic Neutral
Lawful Evil	Neutral Evil	Chaotic Evil

X-Men Impostors

Before Blob joined numerous supervillains in pretending to be Defenders, he pulled off a similar stunt in X-Men #20 (reprinted in #71). During that earlier crime spree, Blob and fellow evil mutant Unus disguised themselves in costumes matching those of the original X-Men. The ruse exacerbated an undercurrent that followed the X-Men and would carry through to the New Defenders. To much of the general public, all mutants were a menace, with little distinction made between mutant heroes and mutant villains. X-Men #20 also provided an important piece of background about Professor X, telling how he had lost the use of his legs when facing an evil extraterrestrial called Lucifer.

As a sign of their achievements, the original X-Men began wearing individualized costumes in #39. The original costume style returned as a student uniform when Kitty Pryde joined the X-Men in #139; the New Mutants would would wear a variation of this original uniform as well.

The Secret Origin of Dr. Druid

As Dr. Druid grew in prominence, the similarities between his origin story and the origin of Dr. Strange became hard to overlook. Avengers Spotlight #37 reconciled this coincidence while reinvigorating the character.

Within the issue, Dr. Druid learned that the lama who had sent for and trained him in the Himalayas some time ago was none other than the Ancient One who went on to train Dr. Strange. The world needed a magical protector before Dr. Strange was psychologically ready to learn the mystic arts, so the Ancient One selected Dr. Druid as a precursor to Dr. Strange—cultivating the powers of the ancient Britons that Dr. Druid inherited.

With this revelation, Dr. Druid felt repentant for his manipulative behavior as a member of the Avengers. Further, he underwent a physical transformation, appearing as he might have looked a few years before his initial meeting with the lama (a.k.a. the Ancient One). Dr. Druid retained this younger body, with a full head of hair, during his time with the Secret Defenders.

Avengers Spotlight. Vol. 1. No. 37. October 1990. "Interlude in a Peaceable Kingdom!" Roy & Dann Thomas (writers), Bob Hall (penciler), Win Mortimer (inker), Rick Parker (letterer), R. Witterstaetter (colorist), Mark Gruenwald (editor), Tom DeFalco (editor in chief).

The Discreet Debut of Dr. Druid

An earlier post on this blog noted how the first few appearances of Dr. Droom in Amazing Adventures appeared years later in Weird Wonder Tales … prominently reintroducing the mystical hero as Dr. Druid.

Interestingly, Dr. Droom had returned for a fifth appearance in Amazing Adventures #6 (Nov. 1961), which had the same publication cover date as Fantastic Four #1. But while the Fantastic Four would enjoy lasting success, launching a new generation of heroes in Marvel Comics, the character of Dr. Droom fell into obscurity.

In that fifth and final Dr. Droom adventure, an extraterrestrial menace named Krogg used advanced technology to send houses in the town of Greenbirch to another dimension. That five-page story was reprinted as a back-up feature in Giant-Size Man-Thing #3 (Feb. 1975), changing the name Dr. Droom to Dr. Druid two years before Weird Wonder Tales #19 (Feb. 1977) … and effectively making the last published appearance of Dr. Droom the first published appearance of Dr. Druid.

This image of Dr. Droom/Druid comes from the final page of the story "Krogg!"

The Original Gargoyle

Years before Isaac Christians became trapped in the body of a demon, a Soviet scientist briefly used the codename Gargoyle (The Incredible Hulk #1).

Like countless masterminds who would follow, the original Gargoyle was intent on enslaving the Hulk. After seeing that the subdued Hulk had reverted to the form of Dr. Bruce Banner, Gargoyle confessed that he longed to be rid of his own mutations—side effect of bomb research he had conducted for the Soviet government.

Lo and behold, Dr. Banner explained that through the selective use of radiation he could in fact return Gargoyle to an ordinary human being. Although this meant losing his superhuman intelligence, Gargoyle agreed to the procedure.

Dr. Banner, meanwhile, was just beginning to understand his own transformations into the Hulk, which resulted from exposure to gamma rays while risking his life to save teenager Rick Jones.

The Incredible Hulk. Vol. 1. No. 1. May 1962. By Stan Lee + J. Kirby.

Ode to Etrigan

Daimon Hellstrom and Gargoyle likely owed some creative debt to The Demon, a series that Jack Kirby created for DC Comics soon after leaving Marvel.

The debut issue introduced readers to Jason Blood, a demonologist with a conspicuously long lifespan. During one of his supernatural investigations, Jason entered a crypt protected by living gargoyles.

Within the crypt, Jason felt compelled to read aloud a mystic inscription that would cause him to involuntarily change back and forth into the demon Etrigan.

Although Etrigan had previously served Merlin the magician and continued to fight against the forces of evil, Jason largely despised transforming into the inhuman creature.

The above images come from The Demon #1 (September 1972). Jack Kirby wrote and illustrated the original series, which ran for 16 issues. Supporting characters throughout the run included Jason's friends Harry Matthews and Randu Singh (who had E.S.P.), and romantic interest Glenda Mark.

Beware the Over-Mind

Breaking his oath of noninterference, Uatu the Watcher warned the Fantastic Four of the impending threat of Over-Mind (Fantastic Four #113).

The Watcher later described how Grom, champion warrior among the extraterrestrial Eternals, underwent a scientific procedure long ago to gain the mind power of one billion people and become the evil Over-Mind (#115).

Soon after arriving on Earth, Over-Mind telepathically coerced Mr. Fantastic to turn against his teammates before they could formulate a plan to stop Over-Mind's wave of destruction.

Intent on conquering the world himself, Dr. Doom became an unlikely ally to the remaining members of the Fantastic Four. Yet even the psionic-refractor that Dr. Doom invented did little to halt Over-Mind.

A form of deus ex machina occurred with the arrival of the mysterious Stranger. A composite being from the planet Gigantus, whose ancient inhabitants were enemies of the Eternals, the Stranger had power enough to shrink down and imprison Over-Mind within a mote of dust (#116).

Archie Goodwin wrote Fantastic Four #113-116. John Buscema pencilled those issues.

Hulk, Hulk, Gray Hulk

Bruce Banner's irritable alter ego had gray skin during his initial transformations in The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962), and then began turning green with #2. Throughout his early exploits and quarrelsome dealings with the original Avengers, Hulk was befuddled at times but remained reasonably articulate nonetheless.

By the time the Defenders formed in Marvel Feature #1 (December 1971), however, Hulk's vocabulary was simplistic. This held true throughout his lengthy membership with the non-team (outside of the rare occasion when Hulk retained the brains of Bruce Banner).

When Banner later began transforming regularly into the gray-skinned Hulk, his verbal skills returned to the level they had been during Hulk's first appearances. This gray variation of the character was now distinct from stupefied green Hulk.

Yet the gray version of Hulk retained a modicum of loyalty to Sub-Mariner and Dr. Strange just the same. When the three heroes teamed up in The Incredible Hulk #370-371 (June-July 1990), they considered the adventure a reunion of the original Defenders.

In making their re/acquaintance, gray Hulk took to referring to Stephen Strange as Steve instead of calling him Magician as green Hulk had done.

The Age of Doom

When read outside the Age of Ultron crossover event, the Fearless Defenders tie-in issue held up as a stand-alone story just the same—with the heroes in an alternate reality addressing the threat of Dr. Doom.

Even in the company of Hippolyta (a.k.a. Warrior Woman), the Defenders in this divergent timeline had little connection to the all-female team appearing regularly in the Fearless Defenders series. Instead, the Defenders featured in this issue were Hulk, Wolverine, and Colonel America (Captain America with an eyepatch).

Fearless Defenders. No. 4AU. July 2013. On the cover, Hippolyta held up a decapitated Doombot, not the head of the real Dr. Doom. The pages inside revealed that Dr. Doom was the father of criminal mastermind Carolyn Le Fay. Her mother was legendary sorceress Morgan Le Fay.

Tigra, the Were-Woman!

Greer Grant had been the costumed heroine known as Cat for only a short while when agents of HYDRA set out to kidnap Dr. Tumolo, the scientist responsible for giver her superhuman powers (Giant-Size Creatures #1). While protecting her mentor from HYDRA, Cat was shot in the back by a pistol that fired alpha radiation. The heroine was doomed to die unless she received help from a hidden society of Cat People. Combining science and magic, the Cat People cured Greer Grant by transforming her into Tigra. Back on the tails of HYDRA, she encountered Jack Russell in his alter ego as Werewolf by Night. Regarding the fur-coated female as a kindred spirit, the Werewolf helped Tigra. To stop the evil organization from learning the secrets of the Cat People, Dr. Tumolo exposed the agents of HYDRA to a modern dose of the Black Plague.

Within the issue, a column by editor Roy Thomas addressed how changes in the Comics Code beginning in 1971 now made room for werewolves and vampires, which were banned under the original version of code from 1954.

Roy Thomas ended the column with the following remarks concerning the billing of Tigra, the Were-Woman!

One final footnote: Yes, we know that the Germanic word "were" actually means "man"—so that the term "were-woman" is actually something of a misnomer. However, in everyday parlance, people have come to attach the prefix "were-" to something when they want to indicate an element of lycanthropy—so we've no real fear of being misunderstood. But, for those linguistic experts out there in Marvelland, we just had to et you know that we do read things besides comic-mags.

Honest, we do.

Giant-Size Creatures. Vol. 1. No. 1. July 1974. "Tigra, the Were-Woman!" Tony Isabella (writer), Don Perlin (artist), Vince Colletta (inker), Artie Simek (letterer), P. Goldberg (colorer), Roy Thomas (editor).