Showing posts with label Defenders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Defenders. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Monday, November 21, 2016
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Friday, June 10, 2016
Friday, March 27, 2015
1983 - Anatomy of a cover - Defenders #117
http://www.coollinesartwork.com/featured.asp?Piece=293974&Details=1&From=Room
Monday, December 29, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Thursday, November 14, 2013
1980 - Anatomy of a cover - Defenders #79
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=315046&GSub=15629
Sunday, October 27, 2013
1985 - Anatomy of a cover - The New Defenders #129
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=315024&GSub=15629
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Sunday, June 23, 2013
1980 - Whatever happened to the Marvel Spotlight Iceman issue?
Featured in the Marvel News Watch of Comics Journal #54 (Mar. 1980):
Cover by Bob Layton.
I spoke with Mr. Layton. He wasn't sure if it saw print either. He suspected it was actually for an Iceman Limited Series written by Jo Duffy.
Update: This one-shot story was indeed planned for Marvel Spotlight, but since that title was cancelled, the story was moved over to Bizarre Adventures #27, an all X-Men issue.
Thanks for James and Marc for helping me solve this mystery!
I spoke with Mr. Layton. He wasn't sure if it saw print either. He suspected it was actually for an Iceman Limited Series written by Jo Duffy.
Update: This one-shot story was indeed planned for Marvel Spotlight, but since that title was cancelled, the story was moved over to Bizarre Adventures #27, an all X-Men issue.
Iceman: Winter Carnival
Written by Jo Duffy and Art by George Perez and Alfredo Alcala
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
1981 - Anatomy of a cover - Defenders #94
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=961411&GSub=138630
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
1981: The Defenders Go Demonic Part III: Demon Ditties and Semi-Seraphimic Saviors
By Jef Willemsen
(clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)
In part three of the Defenders versus the Six
Fingered Hand, the team gained a new member in Devil Slayer as they closed in on
the demonic cabal. But not before running across a satanic singing sensation
and a spiritual guru who wasn't all that holy after all. All that plus page
after page of a Comics Code approved giant sized Man-Thing!
Meet Asmodeus Jones,
heavy metal singer and self proclaimed king of devil rock. His millions of fans
just love his act, thinking it’s just that… However, Jones’ demon worshipping
chants are more than mere entertainment, thanks to Fashima of the Six-Fingered
Hand.
That’s Johnny Blaze,
better known as the human half of the Ghost Rider. Blaze had been working as a
roadie on Asmodeus’ 1981 To Hell And Back
tour, but now he was fascinated by the pulsating demon form on stage. And he wasn't the only one. After returning home from their battle against the
Hand in Transylvania, Strange spent many hours meditating in hopes of
determining where their enemies would strike next. Let’s see what he came up
with…
The combination of
Detroit, Ghost Rider, a guitar, and a fierce looking demon were reason enough
for Strange to teleport the team to the motor city, yet again violating the
laws of space/time. Once there, it didn't take long to
run into Ghost Rider, who wasn't exactly willing to answer their questions,
which led to the obligatory hero versus hero fight scene.
The fight came to an abrupt end when Daimon Hellstrom performed a ritual that briefly negated the demon Zarathos’ influence, allowing Johnny Blaze to return and tell the Defenders what he had seen during Asmodeus’s shows. A concerned Doctor Strange immediately took off in his astral form to investigate.
The fight came to an abrupt end when Daimon Hellstrom performed a ritual that briefly negated the demon Zarathos’ influence, allowing Johnny Blaze to return and tell the Defenders what he had seen during Asmodeus’s shows. A concerned Doctor Strange immediately took off in his astral form to investigate.
In return for fame,
fortune and power, Asmodeus “Ozzie” Jones allowed himself to serve as a conduit
for Fashima’s mind control powers. This deal meant that in a single night, the Six
Fingered Hand would gain over 16.000 mindless followers.
“Doctor Strange has a plan!”
That plan was rather
simple. During Jones’ next show, it’s up to Ghost Rider to distract Asmodeus so
the Defenders can catch the singing demon channeller off guard. By attacking him
with their various energies, Strange hoped to overload his conduit to Fashima,
thereby ending his threat. And wouldn'tchaknow... it worked.
However, there are prices to pay and as Jones’ manager Felix Palmer mentioned earlier: he was the one who made the deal with the demons. That meant he had to pay the ultimate price, in a truly chilling scene that really relies on the readers’ power of suggestion to make it work. A simple black panel was all it took to tell the story.
However, there are prices to pay and as Jones’ manager Felix Palmer mentioned earlier: he was the one who made the deal with the demons. That meant he had to pay the ultimate price, in a truly chilling scene that really relies on the readers’ power of suggestion to make it work. A simple black panel was all it took to tell the story.
His brother too? That
sad revelation was enough to startle even a wizened sorcerer supreme, an
immortal gargoyle and one of all father Odin’s most trusted valkyrie…
However, Hellcat, America’s sweetheart turned super heroine, had a slightly…
different reaction to the news.
Laughing at a man’s death isn't exactly normal behavior, so Doctor Strange
spent the opening pages of # 97 inside Patsy’s mind, hoping to find what’s
wrong. She might still be under the influence of Avarrish, after all. But, Patsy wasn’t exactly eager to help…
Once inside her mind,
Strange discovers his teammate was still being haunted by evil. Not just that of
Avarrish, but a deeper, underlying darkness was rising in her soul.. Before he
can dig deeper, another key player entered the fray…
Meet Devil Slayer,
better known as Eric Payne, a former Vietnam vet turned professional, well,
devil slayer. Equipped with a teleporting shadow-cloak that doubled as an
armory of any imaginable weapon past, present and future. The inclusion of ‘DS’ was typical of writer DeMatteis’ take on the Defenders, as he revealed to this
blog:
“My motto was: the more obscure the characters, the better. That gave me room to really push characterization and make them my own. That’s one of the reasons you saw characters like Devil Slayer and Son of Satan come into the book. You didn’t have to worry about anyone else complaining about their evolution; you could do what you wanted.”
DeMatteis certainly
didn’t waste time fleshing out Payne’s backstory. While his mixed marriage to
Corry Payne had already been established, DeMatteis used it to set up the next
phase of the war against the Six Fingered Hand. Devil Slayer arrived with a
note from Corry, that said… well, hey, you can read it yourselves…
Strange, still
disturbed by the things he saw inside Hellcat, agreed to teleport the Defenders
to the Israeli desert where they encounter David Kessler just as he wa curing
the disabled with blessed baptisms. Even the paralyzed Nighthawk was restored
to full mobility by this Messiah. Upon reuniting with Devil Slayer, Corry
recounts David’s origins to the Defenders…
Now, for those of you
familiar with the bible, the tale of David Kessler might seem familiar. After all, doesn’t a peaceful, loving teacher
known to his disciples as the messiah, capable of healing the sick and
performing miracles remind you of anyone?
Surprisingly enough, DeMatteis insisted David Kessler was by no means intended as an analogy for a certain carpenter’s son from Nazareth.
Surprisingly enough, DeMatteis insisted David Kessler was by no means intended as an analogy for a certain carpenter’s son from Nazareth.
“I didn’t see David Kessler as a Jesus stand-in. He was a cult leader, a spiritual figure, but he was essentially a flawed human like the rest of us.”
One of those flaws had to be rushing
to judgement Upon arriving in Israel,
Doctor Strange had cast an illusion spell so the team could pass as ordinary
looking people. Kessler saw through these illusions and immediately
figured the Defenders were devils sent to destroy him. Before Strange
could calm him down, Kessler summoned an army of guardian angels, complete
with biblical burning swords.
However, Strange revealed to David that the angels were in fact hordes of horrific demons who were beyond his control. This shocked Kessler so much that his sanity gave way, allowing another member of the Six Fingered Hand a proper reveal...
However, Strange revealed to David that the angels were in fact hordes of horrific demons who were beyond his control. This shocked Kessler so much that his sanity gave way, allowing another member of the Six Fingered Hand a proper reveal...
The fight against
Hypokkri (either short for ‘hypocrite’ or ‘hypocrisy’) ended as soon as it
began. Whatever was left of David Kessler regained control long enough to throw
himself on one of Devil Slayer’s daggers. His death drove Hypokkri out, but
also undid all of the ‘miracles’ David had performed… which, rather sadly, also
meant Nighthawk was paralyzed once again.
Issue # 98 finally
kicked the war against the Six Fingered Hand into high gear when, just as
Strange teleported everyone home from Israel, the Avengers called in to report
that the town of Citrusville, Florida had disappeared off the face of the
planet, only leaving a giant, smoldering chasm in the shape of… a six fingered
hand.
Reason enough for
Strange to transport everyone to Florida on the double.
There, they discovered
several disturbing holes in the fabric of space/time. But before they could
investigate further, they were attacked by Citrusville’s unofficial protector,
the swamp-walker Man-Thing… only now he was giant-sized and controlled by another
member of the Six Fingered Hand: Unnthink.
Doctor Strange was
getting fed up with the hand’s routine of hiding behind (and inside) innocent
victims. Switching to his astral form, he entered Man-Thing’s psyche to
confront Unnthink who proved more powerful than the mage.
However, Strange’s
actual plan was to empower Ted Sallis, the human scientist who shared his form
with the creature. Sallis defeated Unnthink, but had a surprising
request for Strange: he wanted to be returned to the nothingness the Hand had
consigned him to when they took over Man-Thing.
Preferring oblivion to
remaining trapped inside the body of the muck monster, Sallis begged
to be euthanized. Strange, for better or worse, agreed to this request and ended Sallis’ existence. Pretty heady stuff for
1981!
Returning to his body,
Strange found that Man-Thing had reverted to his normal size and was lumbering
back towards the swamp, now more mindless than ever. With Citrusville still
missing, the Defenders debated the wisdom of entering through one of the
remaining rips in space/time…
As one, the valiant
five entered the unknown, ready to defend Earth against all that might await them
on the other side. Wait, wha… Five? Where did Hellcat go? And for that matter,
why isn’t Devil Slayer wearing his shadow cloak?
More on that and the outcome of the team’s rip roaring round trip in the fourth and final part of The Defenders Go Demonic: Six Fingered Finale
More on that and the outcome of the team’s rip roaring round trip in the fourth and final part of The Defenders Go Demonic: Six Fingered Finale
Friday, January 18, 2013
Marvel Comics' April 2013 Solicitations - 1980s Goodness
Here are the 1980s highlights for Marvel's April 2013 releases:
INCREDIBLE HULK: CROSSROADS TPB
Written by BILL MANTLO
Penciled by SAL BUSCEMA, ALAN KUPPERBERG, BRET BLEVINS & MIKE MIGNOLA
Banished to the mysterious and dangerous Crossroads by Dr. Strange, the Hulk fights his way back from the edge of insanity; battles the U-Foes, the N’Garai, Klaatu, the Puffball Collective and more; fights alongside newfound friends like the Lady of Life in the City of Death; and comes face to face with three aspects of his own shattered psyche as Bruce Banner struggles to reassert control over his savage alter ego and come to terms with his haunted past! Plus: The story of Banner’s birth, and how his tragic childhood shaped the monster within, is revealed! And longtime INCREDIBLE HULK artist Sal Buscema wraps up his decade-long run! The Jade Giant is truly at the crossroads of his life! Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #301-313 and ANNUAL #13, and ALPHA FLIGHT (1983) #29. 384 PGS./Rated T ...$39.99
AVENGERS: HEART OF STONE TPB
Written by BILL MANTLO, JIM SHOOTER, STEVEN GRANT, ROGER STERN & DAVID MICHELINIE
Penciled by JOHN BYRNE, ARVELL JONES, SAL BUSCEMA, GEORGE PÉREZ & DON NEWTON
It’s a cornucopia of classic Avengers action as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes travel to Russia to face the Elements of Doom, and then battle the WWII-era Arsenal robot and learn its shocking ties to Iron Man’s family! Meanwhile, an out-of-work Hawkeye takes a security job and clashes with the vicious alien princess Deathbird! Plus: The Avengers are called before Congress, battle the stone-faced Grey Gargoyle, face the new Inferno and deal with the meddling machinations of government liaison Henry Peter Gyrich! But when the team investigates a cry for help from a mental hospital, they discover a deadly new foe: Who is the terrible Taskmaster? And how can the Avengers hope to stop him when he can match every single fighting move they have to offer? Time to get creative! Collecting AVENGERS (1963) #188-196 and ANNUAL #9. 216 PGS./Rated T ...$24.99
ESSENTIAL DEFENDERS VOL. 7 TPB
Written by J.M. DEMATTEIS, PETER B. GILLIS & ANN NOCENTI
Penciled by ALAN KUPPERBERG, SAL BUSCEMA, DON PERLIN & MIKE ZECK
The age of the New Defenders begins here! The Beast assembles the infamous “non-team” into a real super-group featuring members both old and new — from Gargoyle and Valkyrie to fellow ex-X-Men Iceman and Angel — and now the newly focused heroes must face some of their greatest challenges! Can the Defenders, Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. stop the Secret Empire’s Professor Power before he takes revenge on Professor X — and starts World War III? Plus: Iceman takes on the villainous Void in a time-traveling existential adventure! Beast and Dazzler vs. Doctor Doom and a mutant fight club! The menace of Manslaughter! The power of Odin! The redemption of Moondragon! The attack of...Frog-Man and the Walrus?! And more! Collecting DEFENDERS (1972) #126-139, ICEMAN (1984) #1-4 and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1984) #1-4. 528 PGS./Rated T ...$19.99
X-MEN: LONGSHOT TPB (NEW PRINTING)
Written by ANN NOCENTI
Penciled by ARTHUR ADAMS
Meet Longshot. He’s a man without a past who possesses an uncanny lucky streak...and he’s on an existential quest through the Marvel Universe. But as Longshot deals with the quirkier aspects of American society, he must learn the secrets behind his enigmatic identity and accept his destiny as a hero. Along the way, he meets a crazed militiaman, demons from his mysterious otherworldly home, a daring stuntwoman named Ricochet Rita, ram-headed Quark, and Marvel heroes Spider-Man, She-Hulk, and Dr. Strange. As Longshot digs deeper, he rediscovers more about himself — and must come to terms with his past along the way. Because only Longshot and his friends can stop the media-addled Mojo from taking over Earth and remaking it in his own warped image. Collecting LONGSHOT #1-6.
208 PGS./Rated T ...$19.99
X-MEN: FALL OF THE MUTANTS VOL. 2 TPB
Written by LOUISE SIMONSON, PETER DAVID, ANN NOCENTI, MARK GRUENWALD & STEVE ENGLEHART
Penciled by WALTER SIMONSON, TODD MCFARLANE, JON BOGDANOVE, JOHN ROMITA JR., KIERON DWYER & KEITH POLLARD
The FALL OF THE MUTANTS continues as the members of X-Factor — the original X-Men — face tragedies of their own! Angel is dead, apparently by suicide. The Beast is slowly losing his amazing intellect. Iceman’s powers are out of control. Cyclops and Marvel Girl don’t know how to feel toward one another. And amid all this, a new generation of troubled mutant teens desperately needs help — especially when they’re targeted by the villainous Right! And if that’s not enough, X-Factor faces their deadliest challenge yet in Apocalypse and his Horsemen — including the new Archangel! Guest-starring Captain America, Daredevil, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four and Power Pack! Collecting X-FACTOR (1986) #18-26, INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #336-337, POWER PACK (1984) #35, DAREDEVIL (1964) #252, CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #339 and FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #312.
400 PGS./Rated T ...$34.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-6685-6
SQUADRON SUPREME TPB (NEW PRINTING)
Written by MARK GRUENWALD
Penciled by BOB HALL, PAUL RYAN, JOHN BUSCEMA & PAUL NEARY
On an Earth much like our own, the world’s greatest superhuman champions are confronted by a society in ruins. Faced with the possibility of a new dark age for mankind, they choose the only course available to them — and take control of the world’s governments themselves! Now, they have one year in which to completely restructure human society. Can their plan succeed? Will a renegade member bring about their downfall? And what will happen when this Earth’s mightiest heroes find themselves becoming instead its all-powerful, totalitarian overlords? Before Watchmen, before MARVELS, before Kingdom Come — there was Squadron Supreme, a deconstructionist parable of the super-hero paradigm in a real-world setting considered by many to be the late Mark Gruenwald’s finest work. Collecting SQUADRON SUPREME (1985) #1-12 and CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #314. 352 PGS./Rated T ...$34.99
Written by BILL MANTLO
Penciled by SAL BUSCEMA, ALAN KUPPERBERG, BRET BLEVINS & MIKE MIGNOLA
Banished to the mysterious and dangerous Crossroads by Dr. Strange, the Hulk fights his way back from the edge of insanity; battles the U-Foes, the N’Garai, Klaatu, the Puffball Collective and more; fights alongside newfound friends like the Lady of Life in the City of Death; and comes face to face with three aspects of his own shattered psyche as Bruce Banner struggles to reassert control over his savage alter ego and come to terms with his haunted past! Plus: The story of Banner’s birth, and how his tragic childhood shaped the monster within, is revealed! And longtime INCREDIBLE HULK artist Sal Buscema wraps up his decade-long run! The Jade Giant is truly at the crossroads of his life! Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #301-313 and ANNUAL #13, and ALPHA FLIGHT (1983) #29. 384 PGS./Rated T ...$39.99
Written by BILL MANTLO, JIM SHOOTER, STEVEN GRANT, ROGER STERN & DAVID MICHELINIE
Penciled by JOHN BYRNE, ARVELL JONES, SAL BUSCEMA, GEORGE PÉREZ & DON NEWTON
It’s a cornucopia of classic Avengers action as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes travel to Russia to face the Elements of Doom, and then battle the WWII-era Arsenal robot and learn its shocking ties to Iron Man’s family! Meanwhile, an out-of-work Hawkeye takes a security job and clashes with the vicious alien princess Deathbird! Plus: The Avengers are called before Congress, battle the stone-faced Grey Gargoyle, face the new Inferno and deal with the meddling machinations of government liaison Henry Peter Gyrich! But when the team investigates a cry for help from a mental hospital, they discover a deadly new foe: Who is the terrible Taskmaster? And how can the Avengers hope to stop him when he can match every single fighting move they have to offer? Time to get creative! Collecting AVENGERS (1963) #188-196 and ANNUAL #9. 216 PGS./Rated T ...$24.99
Written by J.M. DEMATTEIS, PETER B. GILLIS & ANN NOCENTI
Penciled by ALAN KUPPERBERG, SAL BUSCEMA, DON PERLIN & MIKE ZECK
The age of the New Defenders begins here! The Beast assembles the infamous “non-team” into a real super-group featuring members both old and new — from Gargoyle and Valkyrie to fellow ex-X-Men Iceman and Angel — and now the newly focused heroes must face some of their greatest challenges! Can the Defenders, Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. stop the Secret Empire’s Professor Power before he takes revenge on Professor X — and starts World War III? Plus: Iceman takes on the villainous Void in a time-traveling existential adventure! Beast and Dazzler vs. Doctor Doom and a mutant fight club! The menace of Manslaughter! The power of Odin! The redemption of Moondragon! The attack of...Frog-Man and the Walrus?! And more! Collecting DEFENDERS (1972) #126-139, ICEMAN (1984) #1-4 and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1984) #1-4. 528 PGS./Rated T ...$19.99
Written by ANN NOCENTI
Penciled by ARTHUR ADAMS
Meet Longshot. He’s a man without a past who possesses an uncanny lucky streak...and he’s on an existential quest through the Marvel Universe. But as Longshot deals with the quirkier aspects of American society, he must learn the secrets behind his enigmatic identity and accept his destiny as a hero. Along the way, he meets a crazed militiaman, demons from his mysterious otherworldly home, a daring stuntwoman named Ricochet Rita, ram-headed Quark, and Marvel heroes Spider-Man, She-Hulk, and Dr. Strange. As Longshot digs deeper, he rediscovers more about himself — and must come to terms with his past along the way. Because only Longshot and his friends can stop the media-addled Mojo from taking over Earth and remaking it in his own warped image. Collecting LONGSHOT #1-6.
208 PGS./Rated T ...$19.99
Written by LOUISE SIMONSON, PETER DAVID, ANN NOCENTI, MARK GRUENWALD & STEVE ENGLEHART
Penciled by WALTER SIMONSON, TODD MCFARLANE, JON BOGDANOVE, JOHN ROMITA JR., KIERON DWYER & KEITH POLLARD
The FALL OF THE MUTANTS continues as the members of X-Factor — the original X-Men — face tragedies of their own! Angel is dead, apparently by suicide. The Beast is slowly losing his amazing intellect. Iceman’s powers are out of control. Cyclops and Marvel Girl don’t know how to feel toward one another. And amid all this, a new generation of troubled mutant teens desperately needs help — especially when they’re targeted by the villainous Right! And if that’s not enough, X-Factor faces their deadliest challenge yet in Apocalypse and his Horsemen — including the new Archangel! Guest-starring Captain America, Daredevil, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four and Power Pack! Collecting X-FACTOR (1986) #18-26, INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #336-337, POWER PACK (1984) #35, DAREDEVIL (1964) #252, CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #339 and FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #312.
400 PGS./Rated T ...$34.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-6685-6
Written by MARK GRUENWALD
Penciled by BOB HALL, PAUL RYAN, JOHN BUSCEMA & PAUL NEARY
On an Earth much like our own, the world’s greatest superhuman champions are confronted by a society in ruins. Faced with the possibility of a new dark age for mankind, they choose the only course available to them — and take control of the world’s governments themselves! Now, they have one year in which to completely restructure human society. Can their plan succeed? Will a renegade member bring about their downfall? And what will happen when this Earth’s mightiest heroes find themselves becoming instead its all-powerful, totalitarian overlords? Before Watchmen, before MARVELS, before Kingdom Come — there was Squadron Supreme, a deconstructionist parable of the super-hero paradigm in a real-world setting considered by many to be the late Mark Gruenwald’s finest work. Collecting SQUADRON SUPREME (1985) #1-12 and CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #314. 352 PGS./Rated T ...$34.99
Sunday, October 28, 2012
1985 - The New Defenders (Part Three)
The New Defenders: Teaming up the non-team part III
By: Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)
Wrapping up this three part look at The New Defenders, one conclusion already seems obvious. It should really have been titled ‘Moondragon… featuring the New Defenders’.
Both Peter B. Gillis and his predecessor J.M. DeMatteis were rather taken with Moondragon, featuring the arrogant telepath prominently during their runs. Gillis especially seemed determined to mine her backstory for all it was worth. Hinting at a deeper darkness growing underneath Moondragon’s exterior, Gillis revealed how young Heather Douglas grew from an innocent little girl to be the haughty high priestess of the mind.
As it turns out, Moondragon took her codename after beating an evil entity known as the Dragon of the Moon. This immensely powerful, immortal, and subversive creature tried to corrupt her, planting part of his evil inside her head. Refusing his offerings, Heather fought valiantly to remove his presence from her mind. Thinking she had succeeded in defeating the Dragon, her confidence quickly grew to borderline arrogance. In reality, the Dragon had left its permanent mark on her, an ever present and increasing temptation to give in and accept his power.
This approach allowed Gillis to show a new side to Moondragon. She had always been portrayed as a stuck up snob who was in love with her own power, which of course she was. But by having her resist the Dragon’s influence, rightly believing it would corrupt her, she became something of a lamentable anti-hero. At least, that’s what she considered herself to be. She felt she was fighting hard and doing the right thing and grew increasingly frustrated over the fact she didn’t receive any credit for it. A tragic notion that added a new layer to an otherwise one note character and led to an unexpected breakdown.
This outburst was her first step on the path to humility. Remember how Odin had placed that headband on her to dampen her powers, forcing Moondragon to relearn the ways of man? It finally came off when the Defenders were forced to go up against a band of Asgardian trolls who were planning an invasion of Midgard. The team was captured and the trolls offered to remove Moondragon’s headband. Despite being tempted by both her own desire to be free ánd the Dragon of the Moon, she outright refused and redeemed herself in the eyes, well, eye of the All-Father.
Freed from the headband, Moondragon’s full powers returned with a vengeance. Luckily, recent experiences had indeed tempered her arrogant behavior and she actually became a valuable and willing member of the team. Alas, disaster soon struck when the gamma spore creature formerly known as Ephraim Soles returned to threaten the Defenders again. After their initial fight in Gillis’ first issue, the creature escaped as a handful of tiny spores that infected the grass of a local cattle farm. When a rather unlucky cow ate the spore grass, it became pregnant… the eventual birth resulted in a revolting scene that somehow made it past the Comics Code Authority.
Quickly mutating into a massive, uncontrollable form, the spore creature made its way to the New Defenders base where it infected and invaded all it could find. The team defeated it, thanks to an ingenious combination of Moondragon and Gargoyle’s powers. But Moondragon didn’t escape unscathed, as subsequent issues revealed. She had been infected by the sentient spores who were slowly mutating her body into a new host… a process she would not survive. Faced with certain death, Moondragon finally succumbed to the Dragon in a moody, foreboding tale told in issues #143 & 144.
“I am free again, young ones.”
Over the course of # 144, the vastly more powerful Moondragon cleaned the New Defenders’ collective clocks. Blinding Angel, turning Gargoyle’s demon body against him and casually teleporting Valkyrie away, the Dragon seemed assured of victory. That is, until Brunhilda dramatically returned with her fellow Valkyries in tow. Odin had been aware of the Dragon’s presence in Moondragon, that’s why he released her in Valkyrie’s care, in preparation for the creature’s reemergence. In final combat, it was Cloud who delivered the apparent deathblow to Moondragon, but her remains were never found.
In the months that followed, Gillis dealt with the impact of the Moondragon controversy. Angel’s blindness proved incurable, Cloud was revealed to be a sentient nebula that assumed the forms of two teens who were both left comatose following a car accident, the team got a visit from the former Ghostrider and also gained a new member in the Atlantean warrior woman Andromeda. They also finally got around to electing an official leader: Angel’s girlfriend Candy Southern who didn’t have any superpowers but proved quite adept at handling the non team’s official team business. And while all of this was going down… In Siberia a mysterious stranger decided to go for a walk.
All in all, the New Defenders finally seemed ready to have another go at being a proper superhero team. Alas, there were two threats about to end their existence altogether. Moondragon had survived, still possessed by the Dragon and ready for revenge… But there was a far more lethal threat on the horizon: imminent cancellation. The year was 1986, the 25th anniversary of Marvel Comics and then-editor in chief Jim Shooter decided to celebrate a quarter century of established and beloved characters by starting a completely New Universe.
To make room in the company’s publishing schedule, several struggling titles received the axe. Power Man and Iron Fist was cancelled and the New Defenders shared their fate. Under the gun, Peter B. Gillis rushed to wrap up the book… and what better way to end things than by having Moondragon return to kill the team once and for all?
The New Defenders’ swansong was told in issues # 151 and the double sized 152, which was jam packed with the biggest wrap up and deck clearing exercise of the 1980s. The mysterious stranger turned out to be the Interloper, an Eternal who was the Dragon of the Moon’s arch enemy. Interloper revealed he had trained the insane telepathic hitman Manslaughter, who popped up wanting to join the team and actually proved invaluable during the final confrontation with Moondragon...
Gillis gives an impressive final showing in his portrayal of Manslaughter’s madness. Trying to preserve her sanity, Moondragon flees the scene in an attempt to exorcise the demons that just got pumped into her mind. And who would show up during this struggle but… The Beyonder?
Heck, this was still 1986 after all, there had to be a Secret Wars II tie-in at some point, right? The Beyonder did what every other jerry curled deus ex machina does best: show up and mess things up. Not recognizing Moondragon’s deeper issues, the one from beyond falls for her line that she wants to be his disciple… He grants her a fragment of his vast powers and departs, leaving her to head straight back to Defenders headquarters for a final showdown.
It turned out to be a brutal battle, one that only ended after Valkyrie, Andromeda, Manslaughter and the Interloper gave up their very lives to stop Moondragon. Only Beast, Angel and Iceman were left standing when the…dust… settled.
Ashes and dust… all that’s left of the once noble and proud New Defenders… AngelBeast and Iceman were the only ones left alive. They would soon join Cyclops and Jean Grey to form the first incarnation of X-Factor. And what of their fallen comrades? Apart from the Interloper, most of them would eventually return from the dead in a series of tales Gillis wrote for Solo Avengers #16,18, and 20. But those are stories best left for another time.
On a closing note: despite the rush of impending cancellation, Gillis brought Moondragon’s story full circle on the book’s last page. In spite of her being juiced up by the Beyonder’s power, let alone the Dragon’s corruption, she used her final moments to do the right thing. She restored Angel’s sight, cured Cloud’s comatose templates and even healed Chris Larmouth, a largely forgotten victim of the gamma spore creature’s second attack.
More importantly, she performed these Samaritan acts not as Moondragon, mistress of the mind or high priestess of the soul… but as Heather Douglas of Earth. Finally, she had learned just what being human meant… No longer did she seek to impose her will on her fellow man, all she did was give them the chance to live their lives. Heather Douglas triumphed over all her flaws and inherent evil, proving herself at long last to be the most human of us all.
By: Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)
Wrapping up this three part look at The New Defenders, one conclusion already seems obvious. It should really have been titled ‘Moondragon… featuring the New Defenders’.
Both Peter B. Gillis and his predecessor J.M. DeMatteis were rather taken with Moondragon, featuring the arrogant telepath prominently during their runs. Gillis especially seemed determined to mine her backstory for all it was worth. Hinting at a deeper darkness growing underneath Moondragon’s exterior, Gillis revealed how young Heather Douglas grew from an innocent little girl to be the haughty high priestess of the mind.
As it turns out, Moondragon took her codename after beating an evil entity known as the Dragon of the Moon. This immensely powerful, immortal, and subversive creature tried to corrupt her, planting part of his evil inside her head. Refusing his offerings, Heather fought valiantly to remove his presence from her mind. Thinking she had succeeded in defeating the Dragon, her confidence quickly grew to borderline arrogance. In reality, the Dragon had left its permanent mark on her, an ever present and increasing temptation to give in and accept his power.
This approach allowed Gillis to show a new side to Moondragon. She had always been portrayed as a stuck up snob who was in love with her own power, which of course she was. But by having her resist the Dragon’s influence, rightly believing it would corrupt her, she became something of a lamentable anti-hero. At least, that’s what she considered herself to be. She felt she was fighting hard and doing the right thing and grew increasingly frustrated over the fact she didn’t receive any credit for it. A tragic notion that added a new layer to an otherwise one note character and led to an unexpected breakdown.
This outburst was her first step on the path to humility. Remember how Odin had placed that headband on her to dampen her powers, forcing Moondragon to relearn the ways of man? It finally came off when the Defenders were forced to go up against a band of Asgardian trolls who were planning an invasion of Midgard. The team was captured and the trolls offered to remove Moondragon’s headband. Despite being tempted by both her own desire to be free ánd the Dragon of the Moon, she outright refused and redeemed herself in the eyes, well, eye of the All-Father.
Freed from the headband, Moondragon’s full powers returned with a vengeance. Luckily, recent experiences had indeed tempered her arrogant behavior and she actually became a valuable and willing member of the team. Alas, disaster soon struck when the gamma spore creature formerly known as Ephraim Soles returned to threaten the Defenders again. After their initial fight in Gillis’ first issue, the creature escaped as a handful of tiny spores that infected the grass of a local cattle farm. When a rather unlucky cow ate the spore grass, it became pregnant… the eventual birth resulted in a revolting scene that somehow made it past the Comics Code Authority.
Quickly mutating into a massive, uncontrollable form, the spore creature made its way to the New Defenders base where it infected and invaded all it could find. The team defeated it, thanks to an ingenious combination of Moondragon and Gargoyle’s powers. But Moondragon didn’t escape unscathed, as subsequent issues revealed. She had been infected by the sentient spores who were slowly mutating her body into a new host… a process she would not survive. Faced with certain death, Moondragon finally succumbed to the Dragon in a moody, foreboding tale told in issues #143 & 144.
“I am free again, young ones.”
Over the course of # 144, the vastly more powerful Moondragon cleaned the New Defenders’ collective clocks. Blinding Angel, turning Gargoyle’s demon body against him and casually teleporting Valkyrie away, the Dragon seemed assured of victory. That is, until Brunhilda dramatically returned with her fellow Valkyries in tow. Odin had been aware of the Dragon’s presence in Moondragon, that’s why he released her in Valkyrie’s care, in preparation for the creature’s reemergence. In final combat, it was Cloud who delivered the apparent deathblow to Moondragon, but her remains were never found.
In the months that followed, Gillis dealt with the impact of the Moondragon controversy. Angel’s blindness proved incurable, Cloud was revealed to be a sentient nebula that assumed the forms of two teens who were both left comatose following a car accident, the team got a visit from the former Ghostrider and also gained a new member in the Atlantean warrior woman Andromeda. They also finally got around to electing an official leader: Angel’s girlfriend Candy Southern who didn’t have any superpowers but proved quite adept at handling the non team’s official team business. And while all of this was going down… In Siberia a mysterious stranger decided to go for a walk.
All in all, the New Defenders finally seemed ready to have another go at being a proper superhero team. Alas, there were two threats about to end their existence altogether. Moondragon had survived, still possessed by the Dragon and ready for revenge… But there was a far more lethal threat on the horizon: imminent cancellation. The year was 1986, the 25th anniversary of Marvel Comics and then-editor in chief Jim Shooter decided to celebrate a quarter century of established and beloved characters by starting a completely New Universe.
To make room in the company’s publishing schedule, several struggling titles received the axe. Power Man and Iron Fist was cancelled and the New Defenders shared their fate. Under the gun, Peter B. Gillis rushed to wrap up the book… and what better way to end things than by having Moondragon return to kill the team once and for all?
The New Defenders’ swansong was told in issues # 151 and the double sized 152, which was jam packed with the biggest wrap up and deck clearing exercise of the 1980s. The mysterious stranger turned out to be the Interloper, an Eternal who was the Dragon of the Moon’s arch enemy. Interloper revealed he had trained the insane telepathic hitman Manslaughter, who popped up wanting to join the team and actually proved invaluable during the final confrontation with Moondragon...
Gillis gives an impressive final showing in his portrayal of Manslaughter’s madness. Trying to preserve her sanity, Moondragon flees the scene in an attempt to exorcise the demons that just got pumped into her mind. And who would show up during this struggle but… The Beyonder?
Heck, this was still 1986 after all, there had to be a Secret Wars II tie-in at some point, right? The Beyonder did what every other jerry curled deus ex machina does best: show up and mess things up. Not recognizing Moondragon’s deeper issues, the one from beyond falls for her line that she wants to be his disciple… He grants her a fragment of his vast powers and departs, leaving her to head straight back to Defenders headquarters for a final showdown.
It turned out to be a brutal battle, one that only ended after Valkyrie, Andromeda, Manslaughter and the Interloper gave up their very lives to stop Moondragon. Only Beast, Angel and Iceman were left standing when the…dust… settled.
Ashes and dust… all that’s left of the once noble and proud New Defenders… AngelBeast and Iceman were the only ones left alive. They would soon join Cyclops and Jean Grey to form the first incarnation of X-Factor. And what of their fallen comrades? Apart from the Interloper, most of them would eventually return from the dead in a series of tales Gillis wrote for Solo Avengers #16,18, and 20. But those are stories best left for another time.
On a closing note: despite the rush of impending cancellation, Gillis brought Moondragon’s story full circle on the book’s last page. In spite of her being juiced up by the Beyonder’s power, let alone the Dragon’s corruption, she used her final moments to do the right thing. She restored Angel’s sight, cured Cloud’s comatose templates and even healed Chris Larmouth, a largely forgotten victim of the gamma spore creature’s second attack.
More importantly, she performed these Samaritan acts not as Moondragon, mistress of the mind or high priestess of the soul… but as Heather Douglas of Earth. Finally, she had learned just what being human meant… No longer did she seek to impose her will on her fellow man, all she did was give them the chance to live their lives. Heather Douglas triumphed over all her flaws and inherent evil, proving herself at long last to be the most human of us all.
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