| Defenders | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Agiclée featuring the original version of the team by artistAlex Ross. It homages the comic book coverThe Defenders (February 1980) #80, originally drawn byRich Buckler | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Marvel Feature #1 (December 1971) |
| Created by | Roy Thomas Ross Andru |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | Sanctum Sanctorum Richmond Riding Academy Patsy Walker's Montclair, NJ house[1] |
| Roster | |
| See:List of Defenders members | |
TheDefenders are asuperhero group with rotating membership appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. They are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic outsiders who are known for following their own agendas. The team often battlemystic andsupernatural threats.
Its original incarnation was led byDoctor Strange and includedHulk,Namor, andSilver Surfer. They first appeared as the Defenders inMarvel Feature #1 (Dec. 1971), before receiving their own title,The Defenders, in 1972.
The group had a rotating line-up from 1972 until 1986, with Dr. Strange and the Hulk being usually constant members along with a number of other mainstays such asValkyrie,Nighthawk,Hellcat,Gargoyle,Beast, theSon of Satan andLuke Cage, and many temporary members. The publication was retitledThe New Defenders near the end of the run, featuring none of the original members and only Valkyrie, Beast and the Gargoyle of the former long-term members. The concept was modified in the 1993–95 seriesSecret Defenders, in which Dr. Strange assembles different teams for each individual mission. The original team was reunited in a short-lived 2001 series byKurt Busiek andErik Larsen. In 2005 Marvel published a five-issue miniseries featuring the classic line-up byJ. M. DeMatteis,Keith Giffen andKevin Maguire. In December 2011 writerMatt Fraction and artistTerry Dodson launched aDefenders series with a mixture of classic and new members, which lasted for 12 issues.
A television miniseries,The Defenders, set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe premiered in 2017 onNetflix, with the team consisting ofDaredevil,Jessica Jones,Luke Cage, andIron Fist.
The origin of the Defenders lies in two crossover story arcs byRoy Thomas prior to the official founding of the team. The first, inDoctor Strange #183 (November 1969),Sub-Mariner #22 (February 1970), andThe Incredible Hulk #126 (April 1970), occurred due to theDr. Strange series being canceled in the middle of astory arc, leaving Thomas no choice but to resolve the storyline in other series that he wrote.[2] In the story, Dr. Strange teams with Sub-Mariner and the Hulk to protect the Earth from invasion byLovecraftian interplanar beings known as theUndying Ones and their leader, theNameless One. Barbara Norriss, later the host of theValkyrie, first appears in this story. In the second arc, featured inSub-Mariner #34–35 (February–March 1971), Namor enlists the aid of the Silver Surfer and the Hulk to stop a potentially devastating weather control experiment, inadvertently freeing a small island nation from a dictator and facingthe Avengers under the name of the "Titans Three".[2]
The Defenders first appeared as a feature inMarvel Feature #1 (December 1971),[3] where the founding members gather to battle the alien techno-wizardYandroth and remain as a team afterward. EditorStan Lee, wanting to write all of the Silver Surfer's stories personally, had asked other writers not to use the character, and suggested that Thomas use Doctor Strange instead. Thomas has also speculated that Lee came up with the team's name: "The 'Defenders' is far too passive a name for my taste. I prefer more aggressive-sounding names like the 'Avengers' or the 'Invaders,' so Stan probably came up with that one."[2] Due to the popularity of their tryout inMarvel Feature, Marvel soon began publishingThe Defenders withSteve Englehart writing andSal Buscema penciling,[4] while Thomas moved into the editor's seat. Despite Lee's continuing edict on the use of the Silver Surfer, he approved Englehart's pitch to include the Silver Surfer in the story.[2]
Valkyrie was introduced to the team in issue #4 (February 1973).[5][6] Englehart wrote "The Avengers–Defenders War" crossover inThe Avengers #116–118 (October–December 1973) andThe Defenders #9–11 (October–December 1973),[7] leavingThe Defenders afterwards because he "didn't want to keep doing two team books at the same time."[2]Len Wein briefly wrote the series[8] and introduced such characters asAlpha the Ultimate Mutant[9] and theWrecking Crew.[10] Wein also addedNighthawk to the cast because, in his words, doing so "gave me a character to play with who didn't have a whole lot of previous history ... [a] character I could do anything I wanted to without worrying about how it would affect any other titles that character might appear in."[2]
Steve Gerber first worked on the characters inGiant-Size Defenders #3 (January 1975) and became the writer of the main title with issue #20 the following month.[11] He wrote the series until issue #41 (November 1976).[12] Part of Gerber's oeuvre was reviving forgotten characters; he brought back three pre-Marvel characters, now organized as theHeadmen,[13] as well as theGuardians of the Galaxy.[14] The Defenders met Gerber'sHoward the Duck inMarvel Treasury Edition #12 (1976).[15]
Due to Marvel's shuffling of editors-in-chief, a brief run byGerry Conway abruptly ended in mid-production on issue #45.David Anthony Kraft andRoger Slifer volunteered to write the series, but issue #45 had no written plot, having been drawn by Giffen following a story conference with Conway. Kraft and Slifer were unable to contact either Conway or Giffen, and so had to puzzle out Conway's plot from the unscripted artwork.[2]
David Anthony Kraft's run as writer[16] included "The Scorpio Saga" (issues #46, 48–50) and the "Xenogenesis: Day of the Demons" storyline (issues #58–60).[17] The "Defenders for a Day" storyline in issues #62–64 saw dozens of new applicants attempting to join the Defenders, as well as a number of villains attempting to present themselves as Defenders members in order to confuse the authorities and the public as they commit robberies. Kraft and artistEd Hannigan explained some of the Valkyrie's backstory inThe Defenders #66–68 (December 1978 – February 1979).[18][19][20] At Kraft's request, Hannigan helped write issue #67 but found that he could not handle both writing and artwork at once, and so transitioned to being just the series's writer with the following issue.[2]
Steven Grant wrote a conclusion to Steve Gerber'sOmega the Unknown series in two issues ofThe Defenders,[21][22][23] at the end of which most of the original series' characters were killed. While Gerber seemed unhappy with Grant's conclusion,[24] it nevertheless tied up the loose ends of the comic series, and is considered "canon" by Marvel.[25]
WriterJ. M. DeMatteis took over the series with issue #92. He andMark Gruenwald co-wroteThe Defenders #107–109 (May–July 1982), which resolved remaining plot points from the Valkyrie story by Kraft and Hannigan published three years earlier.[26][27][28][29]
As of issue #125,The Defenders was retitled toThe New Defenders as the original four members (Doctor Strange, the Silver Surfer, the Hulk, and Namor) are forced to leave the team,[30] in response to analien prophecy that states that these four, operating as a group, would be responsible for destroying the world. In the same issue the Beast reforms the team as an official superhero team complete with government clearance.[31]
DeMatteis stayed on for only six issues ofThe New Defenders before turning it over to writerPeter Gillis, whose run was marked by shorter, more personal stories.[2] Gillis recounted, "I had been working for a while at Marvel, and was constantly pumping for more work, and specifically a series of my own. So when I heard DeMatteis was leavingDefenders, I was in [editor]Carl Potts' office like a shot, and I got the gig."[2]
Though the series remained a modest hit through the Gillis/Perlin run, it was cancelled to make room in Marvel's production schedule for theNew Universe line.[2] The final issue wasThe New Defenders #152.[32] In the final issue, several members (Gargoyle,Moondragon and Valkyrie), plus allies (Andromeda,Manslaughter,Interloper) seemingly die in battle with theDragon of the Moon controlling Moondragon.[33] The remaining mutant members leave the team to joinX-Factor. Gillis has claimed that killing off the other members of the group was a directive from the editorial staff to free up the surviving members for usage inX-Factor, pointing out that he shortly after revived several of these seemingly-deceased members[2] in issues ofSolo Avengers,Strange Tales vol. 2 #5–7, and issues #3–4 of the relaunchedDoctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme series.[34][35]
In 1990, the original trio reunited inThe Incredible Hulk #370–371, in which it was revealed that the prophecy was a hoax. The originals then rejoined with the Silver Surfer in a story entitledThe Return of the Defenders running inThe Incredible Hulk Annual #18,Namor the Sub-Mariner Annual #2,Silver Surfer Annual #5, andDr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme Annual #2.
In 1993, Marvel sought to revive the "Defenders" brand as "The Secret Defenders". The new team first appeared, unofficially, inDr. Strange #50 and laterFantastic Four #374, before being officially introduced inSecret Defenders #1.[36][37] The series' premise originally was that Doctor Strange would organize various teams of heroes for certain missions, with him as the leader. Members includedWolverine,Darkhawk,Spider-Woman,Spider-Man, Hulk,Nomad,Ghost Rider, and others. This lasted for the first several months of the title, before Doctor Strange was removed from the book, due to the character being reassigned to the "Midnight Sons" line at Marvel. After an arc where thesupervillainThanos organized a team of "Secret Defenders" for a mission,[38] leadership of the Secret Defenders passed toDoctor Druid[39] and the series itself abandoned the revolving-door roster in favor of Druid and the Cognoscenti. The series was canceled withSecret Defenders #25.[40]
In 2001–02, the Defenders reunited inDefenders (vol. 2) #1–12 created byKurt Busiek andErik Larsen, immediately followed byThe Order #1–6, in which Yandroth manipulated Gaea into "cursing" the primary four Defenders (Doctor Strange, the Sub-Mariner, the Hulk, and the Silver Surfer) so that they would be summoned to major crisis situations. These members were thenmind controlled by Yandroth into forming the world-dominating "Order"; once the Order were freed from this control by their fellow heroes (including their teammatesHellcat,Nighthawk, andValkyrie), the Defenders apparently disbanded. A fill-in issue set between these two series was published in 2011.
ADefenders five-issueminiseries debuted in July 2005, byKeith Giffen,J. M. DeMatteis, andKevin Maguire, featuring Doctor Strange attempting to reunite the original four Defenders to battleDormammu andUmar. This series focuses mostly on humor as the characters spend most of their time arguing with and criticizing one another.[2]
In 2008,Joe Casey wrote a new miniseries with a new line-up of Defenders, following the aftermath of "Civil War".[41]Nighthawk wanted a team made up of previous Defenders such as Hellcat and Devil Slayer but Tony Stark (Iron Man) makes the decision to select other heroes for the team. The line-up is led by Nighthawk,[41] withBlazing Skull,Colossus, andShe-Hulk as members. The Defenders are assigned to New Jersey under theFifty State Initiative, because the proximity to New York City demands more experienced heroes than can just be recruited from the ranks ofCamp Hammond. The team is disbanded for incompetence but Richmond eventually founds a team outside the Initiative with theSon of Satan,She-Hulk,Krang, and Nighthawk (S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Joaquin Pennyworth). The team reappears in the mini-seriesVengeance (2011).
In the 2009 ongoingHulk series (Issues #10–12),Red Hulk assembles a counter team of supervillains called theOffenders, which includesBaron Mordo,Terrax, andTiger Shark, and fights past versions of their enemies.[42][43]
During the 2011 "Fear Itself" storyline, Doctor Strange forms a new version of the Defenders withLyra (daughter of Hulk),Namor,Loa (a student of theX-Men), and theSilver Surfer to confrontAttuma who has become Nerkkod, Breaker of Oceans. Many past Defenders appear in the last issue.[44][45]
Marvel launched a newDefenders series in December 2011, written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Terry Dodson. The new book featuresDoctor Strange,Red She-Hulk,Namor,Silver Surfer, andIron Fist. The new series follows the reunion of the Defenders inFear Itself: The Deep.[46] During the battle against the DeathCelestials, the charactersBlack Cat,Nick Fury, andAnt-Man join the team. The series was cancelled at issue #12. Despite the prophecy supposedly being a hoax, the central storyline of the series involves a reunion of the original four Defenders setting off a chain of events leading to the destruction of the universe. In the final issue, Strange changes the past so that the reunion never happens, thus erasing all the events of the series.
February 2013 saw the debut ofThe Fearless Defenders, a series written by Cullen Bunn with artwork byWill Sliney. Bunn said that he had wanted to write the series, which centers on a new team ofValkyrior, led by Valkyrie andMisty Knight, after writingFear Itself: The Fearless. It was suggested to him that it should run as a Defenders title, however Bunn explained that beyond the name there is "little connection" to the Defenders.[47]
In August 2017, Marvel launched a new Defenders comic book series starringDaredevil,Jessica Jones,Luke Cage andIron Fist, based on theNetflix incarnation of the team.[48]
During the "Secret Empire" storyline, the Defenders were seen fighting the villains that were on a rampage for what happened in Pleasant Hill. They were defeated whenNitro exploded.[49]
2018 saw a new five part crossover storyline involving the "Big Four" members of the team. Published throughout December, the plot features separate issues all sub-titled "The Best Defense" inImmortal Hulk,Namor,Doctor Strange andSilver Surfer which culminates in a final issue under the banner of The Defenders. Announced on August 24, 2018, the creative teams were respectively:[50]
In August 2021, Marvel launched a new Defenders series.[51] Written by Al Ewing with art by Javier Rodriguez, this new version of the team features Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer,Masked Raider, Red Harpy and Cloud.
Before the publication of the fifth and final issue of the 2021 series it was teased that the team would be returning after a short break in summer 2022 for another five part run.[citation needed] Following a message from beyond the grave from Doctor Strange, a new team is assembled featuringBlue Marvel,America Chavez, Taaia (the mother ofGalactus),Tigra, andLoki (a variant of the God of Mischief) to tackle a new cosmic threat.
Defenders membership was fluid, yet a few members were relatively constant: the three founders (Doctor Strange, Namor, and Hulk), Silver Surfer,Valkyrie,Nighthawk,Hellcat, and Gargoyle. Membership was clearer in the New Defenders era when the team was more formally organized.
This group's composition was even more fluid than that of the original Defenders, but typically included either Doctor Strange orDoctor Druid as leader, joined by a custom selection of heroes chosen for the mission at hand.[37] At various times,War Machine,Darkhawk,Thunderstrike,Wolverine,Spider-Woman,Ant-Man,Iceman,Nomad, and many others were members. At the end of its existence, the group had a somewhat regular composition, including Cadaver,Sepulchre, Joshua Pryce, and Druid.
An alternate universe variant of the Defenders from Earth-1610 appears in theUltimate Marvel imprint, consisting ofPower Man,Hellcat,Nighthawk,Valkyrie,Black Knight,Daimon Hellstrom, Whiz-Kid, andAnt-Man. These versions are fame-seeking amateurvigilantes.[52] InUltimate Comics: New Ultimates (2010),Loki gives the Ultimates superpowers and tasks them with stealingMjolnir.[53]
An alternate universe variant of the Defenders from Earth-26111 appears inAge of Ultron, consisting of Doctor Strange,Captain America,Wolverine,Captain Marvel,Thing,Cable,Hulk, andStar-Lord. This version of the group are Earth's premier superhero team following the disbanding of the Avengers.[54]
An alternate universe variant of the Defenders from Earth-10429 appears in theIron Man: Fatal Frontier storyline, consisting of Captain America, Hulk,Thor, andRescue.[55]
Several alternate versions of the Defenders from Battleworld appear in the "Secret Wars" storyline.
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TheJustice League episode "The Terror Beyond" featuresDoctor Fate,Aquaman,Solomon Grundy, andHawkgirl banding together to fight the otherdimensional deity Icthulhu. According to series developerBruce Timm, the team is a homage to the Defenders, with each member paralleling a Marvel character (Doctor Fate / Doctor Strange, Aquaman /Namor, Solomon Grundy / Hulk, and Hawkgirl /Nighthawk).[59]
[Roy] Thomas and artist Ross Andru reunited [Doctor] Strange, the Hulk, and Namor as a brand new Marvel superhero team – the Defenders."
