History[]
Years ago, the Hulk (Bruce Banner), Dr. Strange and Namor the Sub-Mariner found themselves drawn unwillingly together to combat a threat to Earth (Namor and the Hulk had previously teamed up with the Silver Surfer as the so-called "Titans Three"). These "Defenders" disliked the situation intensely, and never intended the arrangement to become permanent, but circumstances kept forcing them to come together, and when others (like the amnesiac warrior woman Valkyrie and the former supervillain Nighthawk) joined them and made it clear they considered the Defenders to be a team, it became inevitable that they would become one...or if not a team, then a group of people who were very definitely not a team. A "non-team", in fact!
Over the years, more heroes drifted into the non-team's orbit; Hellcat, Daredevil, Hawkeye, Luke Cage, the Red Guardian, Yellowjacket, Gargoyle (an elderly man trapped in the body of a demon), Son of Satan (the son of the Devil), Devil Slayer (a vigilante who specialised in killing demons and devils, which doubtless led to some awkward moments for the team), Beast, Angel, Iceman, Black Panther, Clea, the Silver Surfer and many more. Sometimes, various groupings tried to formalise the team; on other occasions, they fought side by side resentfully. But the general rule of thumb eventually became a simple one: anyone who fought alongside the Defenders was a Defender!
The slightly odd nature of the group was frequently mirrored by the threats they faced, from the alien known as Nebulon the Celestial Man (who attempted to buy the Earth in order to terraform it) and the Squadron Sinister (a group of villains who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Justice League of America) to the bizarre criminal scientists called the Headmen and the insane vigilante named Foolkiller. Strangest of all was the mysterious Elf With a Gun, who periodically showed up to commit random murders...but despite his being a constant presence in their adventures for some time, the Defenders never even met him!
Paraphernalia[]
Transportation
Valkyrie's winged horse, Aragorn
Notes[]
The Defenders never had their own Marvel UK title, but are included here because their adventures featured in so many other titles; Rampage, Captain America, Hulk Comic, Spider-Man and Hulk Weekly, Mighty World of Marvel, Marvel Action, Marvel Super Adventure and more, all between the mid 1970's and the early 1980's!
Oh...and also because I like them!
Links[]
- Appearances of Defenders
- Character Gallery: Defenders
- Images that feature Defenders
- Fan-Art Gallery: Defenders
- Defenders quotations