Man from Atlantis

Back when Sub-Mariner was appearing semi-regularly in Super-Villain Team-Up, a Marvel comic book featuring another water-breather made its debut. Adapted from a live-action television series with the same name, Man from Atlantis ran (or swam) for seven issues (with cover dates Feb.-Aug. 1977). Though set outside the world of superheroes, this new Man from Atlantis shared a few traits with Sub-Mariner, the Prince of Atlantis.

When introduced on TV and in the comics, the Man from Atlantis (a.k.a. Mark Harris) suffered from amnesia—reminiscent of Sub-Mariner, who had amnesia when he resurfaced in Fantastic Four #4 (May 1962). Additionally, Mark Harris was reportedly the last citizen of Atlantis, just as Sub-Mariner long considered himself the sole survivor of Atlantis. During his science-fiction adventures, Mark Harris wore only yellow swim trucks, not unlike the green trunks commonly worn by Sub-Mariner. Whereas Sub-Mariner had pointed ears and winged ankles, however, Mark Harris had webbed fingers and toes, making the characters physically distinct.

The cover of Man from Atlantis #1 (Feb. 1977) shows the character's visual similarities to Sub-Mariner, pictured here on Super-Villain Team-Up #13 (Aug. 1977).

Archetypes

Defenders #4 (February 2022) continued the team's pursuit of time-traveling scientist Carlo Zota. The elusive quest brought the heroes to the Fourth Cosmos and then to the Third Cosmos (having skipped over the Fifth Cosmos of pure magic). Stunningly illustrated, the issue brought the Defenders in conflict with an assortment of archetypical beings. Betty Ross (a.k.a. Harpy) was quick to point out that the creature called One-Is-Four looked like the Hulk (but with four heads). An editorial note encouraged readers to try identifying which Marvel characters were the basis for all of Archetypes and then send their best guesses to mheroes@marvel.com!

Ken Nimura illustrated this variant cover. Javier Rodríguez illustrated the interior.

Wedding Bells

As a teenager, Patsy Walker dreamed of one day marrying her high-school sweetheart, Buzz Baxter. Bursting her bubble, however, Patsy Walker #97 (Oct. 1961) offered the young protagonist an unromantic vision of married life. In the dream sequence, Buzz proved to be a klutzy and inattentive husband, burying his head in the newspaper over breakfast, spending his evenings watching baseball on TV, and leaving Patsy feeling unfulfilled.

Ultimately, the couple would eventually marry and divorce—setting the stage for Patsy to become the happy-go-lucky Hellcat and Buzz to become the supervillain Mad-Dog.

Space Invaders

Unlike the other exploits featuring Dr. Droom, a story published in Amazing Adventures #4 (Sept. 1961) was not reprinted a decade later when the character was reintroduced as Dr. Druid. That tale's title ominously asked, "What Lurks Within?"

When a spacecraft resembling a jack-o'-lantern landed on Earth, Dr. Droom used his telepathy to intimidate the extraterrestrials into leaving by convincing them that Earthlings were cranes with wrecking balls.

Dr. Droom: They were our first invaders from outer space. But we defeated them by our wits! As long as we use the brains which destiny gave us, we will always be able to meet threats to our survival--no matter where they come from--or how strong the enemy may be!

That sentiment might have confused readers who had been following the adventures of Dr. Droom, as this was not his first encounter with extraterrestrials. Dr. Droom had previously thwarted the conniving Zemu from the planet Saturn in Amazing Adventures #3 (Aug. 1961).

When that story reprinted in Weird Wonder Tales #20 (Jan. 1977), Dr. Droom became Dr. Druid, Zemu became Zamu, and Saturn became the planet R'Zahn.

Defenders: Tier D

This month's series of posts comparing the power levels of the Defenders wraps up with Tier D. Candy Southern, the level-headed leader of the New Defenders, would default to this tier as she had no superhuman powers or extraodinary skills. Through her connection to Angel, however, Candy certainly had encountered her share of super-beings before joining the Defenders.

For an example of a costumed hero at Tier D, I'll turn outside of the Defenders and select the original Whizzer when he came out of retirement during the Bronze Age of comics. While Whizzer retained the super-speed he sported as a member of the All Winners Squad shortly after World War II, he now lacked the stamina to hold his own alongside other heroes.

Defenders: Tier C

To continue comparing the power level of Defenders from the original series, this post covers Tier C, which encompasses those heroes who were largely proficient yet did not necessarily stand out among other superhumans. Notable examples would include longtime members Nighthawk and Hellcat. Devil-Slayer functioned here too.

Although Red Guardian had no superhuman powers until she left in Defenders #53, her exceptional fighting skills and athleticism kept her on par with her teammates at Tier C. As a disciple of the mystic arts, Clea remained on the sidelines during much of the original series but her magical powers operated at this tier when she adventured with the non-team.

Among the New Defenders, Iceman and Cloud had powers with great creative potential yet still seemed scaled back to Tier C, in league with Beast and Angel.

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

In the Shadow of Tier S

In this series of posts placing characters into alphabetical tiers based on their powers, I am not slotting any of the Defenders into Tier S: a penultimate tier directly above Tier A. This is because I see Tier A as the cap for Marvel heroes during the span of the original Defenders and New Defenders series (1971-1986).

In contrast, however, I would place Superman into Tier S during this time frame. His indestructibility and vast array of abilities made him recognizably more powerful than other DC heroes. Although the versions of Hyperion from the Squadron Sinister and Squadron Supreme were Marvel homages to Superman, their scaled-back strength fell far enough below Superman's to rest within Tier A.

Squadron Supreme #8 (April 1986) pitted Hyperion of the Squadron Supreme against his evil counterpart from the Squadron Sinister.

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.

Defenders: Tier A

To capitalize on a recent trend, I'm placing many of the Defenders into tiers based on their relative power levels during the original run of the series. From Marvel Feature #1 through Defenders #125, Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner, Hulk and Silver Surfer consistently fell in the upper echelon of power and belong in Tier A. Other appearances, such as the Offenders limited series, emphasized the importance of these four characters all the more.

During his short time with the non-team, a heroic Over-Mind also operated in this tier. As a villain, on the other hand, his power level rose to the superior Tier S. Upcoming posts with discuss Defenders in Tiers B, C and D.

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

The Competitiveness of Captain Ultra

Of all the heroes to call themselves Defenders, Captain Ultra was the most ironic.

The colorfully clad character made his debut in Fantastic Four #177 (Dec. 1976), when three founding members of the Frightful Four sought an additional member (filling a spot originally held by Medusa of the Inhumans). With the power of flight and superhuman strength, Captain Ultra seemed the most promising applicant under consideration. Captain Ultra lost his shot, however, when he fainted at the sight of a lit cigarette. Given his weakness to fire, Captain Ultra would have been a liability whenever the Frightful Four battled the Human Torch of the Fantastic Four.

Given his original aspirations, Captain Ultra might have joined with the many costumed criminals from Defenders #63-64 who posed as members of the non-team. Instead, he became a superhero as one of the Defenders for a Day.

Thor #336 (Oct. 1983) found Captain Ultra in Chicago, hoping to make a name for himself away from the more prominent heroes of New York City.

In this panel from Fantastic Four #177, Captain Ultra meets Wizard, Sandman, and Trapster of the Frightful Four.

Reading with White Tiger

Of all the Defenders for a Day, White Tiger had the most recognizable dialogue, as the hero often incorporated Spanish words into his speech. This pattern was similar to the way the villain Batroc used French, as evidenced when the characters fought one another in Defenders #63-64.

When White Tiger appeared in Spidey Super Stories, his use of Spanish served as an educational tool, with footnotes translating each Spanish word into English. This editorial decision was in keeping with the "Easy Reader" intentions for the series.

Footnotes in Spidey Super Stories #57 (March 1982) told young readers that señor was Spanish for mister and amigo was Spanish for friend.

The Avenging Angel

Warren Worthington III faced a crisis of conscience during a shocking chain of events that could put Hamlet to shame. At home visiting his parents, Warren accepted an invitation to go out on a date that evening. While out on the town with his date, Warren heard over the radio that two masked men had just murdered his father. In his costumed guise as Angel, Warren tracked down the killers and learned they were working for a criminal known as the Dazzler (Ka-Zar #2-3). After capturing Warren and his date, Dazzler revealed himself to be none other than Warren's uncle Burt (Marvel Tales #30). The family drama aside, Warren felt torn about his role as a crimefighter, as so much of humanity still regarded mutants like himself as freaks.

Even though Warren's romantic interest during this three-party story was named Candy, the following evidence suggests this was not Candy Southern, an old flame from X-Men #31 who would become leader of the New Defenders.

1. Whereas Candy Southern consistently had black hair, the Candy introduced in Ka-Zar #2 had red hair.
2. Looking at a picture of redheaded Candy, Warren exclaimed that their relationship was over, as Warren held her indirectly responsible for his father's death (Ka-Zar #3). In contrast, black-haired Candy Southern returned as Warren's romantic interest in Incredible Hulk #7.
3. Candy's last name went unstated in Ka-Zar #2-3. Then, in Marvel Tales #30, Dazzler referred to the redhead as Candy Summers.

Granted, one could explain away the above inconsistencies by arguing instead that

1. Candy Southern simply dyed her hair red prior to Ka-Zar #2 and later changed it back,
2. Warren no longer felt reminded of his father's death when he saw Candy with dark hair, and
3. Dazzler misspoke, confusing Candy's last name with the last name of Warren's classmate Scott Summers (a.k.a. Cyclops).

In a skewed take on the Oedipal complex, Warren's interest in Candy Southern began to wane as he romantically pursued the mutant hero Dazzler (no relation to Warren's uncle). Warren's feelings went unrequited, however, and he returned to dating Candy Southern. As for Dazzler, she would similarly turn down romantic advances from Hank McCoy during the Beauty and the Beast limited series.

This image comes from Marvel Tales #30 (April 1971).

Variant

As much as I might like having a choice of covers when buying comics, some variant covers are misleading. For example, this cover of Defenders #3 (December 2021) displayed Namor, who had no connection to the story. Told from the perspective of Betty Ross, the Harpy, the issue brought the latest band of Defenders back before science: to a time of unrefined magic.

Return of the Nautilus!

Like a number of other issues during the run of the series, Sub-Mariner #53 (Sept. 1972) drew upon the character's history. While the main story teamed the Prince of Atlantis with Sunfire, a relatively new hero at the time, a back-up feature reprinted a Sub-Mariner tale from the 1950s.

In that back-up story, an occult magician stole a painting from the Fictional Art Section of the Manhattan Historical Museum. The stolen painting pictured the Nautilus submarine from Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Making matters worse, a ghostly submarine began appearing out of nowhere and attacking naval vessels. Sub-Mariner's investigation led him to a ramshackle shanty, where he found the magician dead from heart failure. The villain's hand clutched the stolen painting … with the image of the Nautilus inexplicably absent.

Before and after renditions of the painting appear below.

A Question of Canon

Revisions to the Comics Code in 1971 loosened the restrictions on horror comics, allowing Dracula to star in his own series set in the world of superheroes. How beholden, however, was the Dracula from superhero comic books to the text from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel? Tomb of Dracula #49 (Oct. 1976) broached this subject, as this version of Dracula adamantly distanced himself from the literary depiction a century before.

Dracula: That foolish novel Stoker half-based on my diary? Bah! He turned what I am…the power I possess, into a children's story. A mere fable based half on lies.

This same year, interestingly enough, Marvel Classics Comics #9 (1976) featured an adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The title character's appearance in the adaptation closely resembled his appearance in Tomb of Dracula and other contemporary comics.

Cat and Mouse

Patsy Walker became Hellcat almost incidentally in Avengers #144 (Feb. 1976), when she found a costume of the heroine formerly known as Cat (now Tigra). The alias Cat, however, did not go to waste.

Just one month later, Master of Kung Fu #38 (March 1976) introduced Shen Kuei, a Chinese martial artist who also answered to the name Cat. In contrast to Hellcat, who did not use a superhero insignia, Shen Kuei had a cat silhouette tattooed on his chest.

A well-matched adversary to Shang-Chi (a.k.a. Master of Kung Fu), Shen Kuei boasted that he began training in the martial arts at age four. Shang-Chi countered how he began training at age three. Under a complicated set of circumstances, Shen Kuei believed that Shang-Chi was sent to kill him. The two men stopped fighting when Shen Keui realized that this was not the case (#39).

Shen Kuei appears prominently on the cover of Master of Kung Fu #39 (April 1976).

Defenders Dialogue: Built by Yandroth

The letters page in Defenders #8 addressed a discrepancy between dialogue from the non-team's first mission and the panel below from issue #5. Acknowledging the inconsistency, the editorial staff awarded one reader with a sought-after no-prize.

Marvel Madmen,

According to DEFENDERS #5, we should not be here now. Observe. Page 18, panel 1: the Omegatron says "I am the Omegatron, built by Yandroth, scientist supreme, to atomically disintegrate this planet." Notice, he said his creator's name. Check.

In MARVEL FEATURE #1, it was explained that when the Omegatron said his maker's name, the world would explode. He said it and the world is still here.

I claim a no-prize.

Also, leave Valkyrie in the DEFENDERS. She would make a good member. I'm glad the Hulk left. Please, Steve, let's keep it that way.

RFO, KOF, FFF Christopher Coleman
Fitchburg, Mass.

Chris, we tried hard to think of a way out of this one, hoping all the while that what Yandroth meant was that his machine would bring doom when it said his name at the correct time—but a quick check of MARVEL FEATURE #1 shows him mumbling "…once, and only once, it shall speak my name…", so we're caught like rats in a trap. You win true believer; the no-prize is yours, right after Roy gets through beating up Steve with it.

Weird Wonder Tales

While writing a recent blog post about the comic book series Weird Wonder Tales, I spotted something unexpected on the TV show Fame. The episode Teachers, which originally aired in Fall 1982, included a scene with high-school student Danny Amatullo (Carlo Imperato) intently reading issue #15 (April 1976). We can only wonder how many viewers identified the comic book at the time.

Weird Wonder Tales #15 reprinted science-fiction stories originally presented in Chamber of Darkness #4, Strange Tales #95, and Tales to Astonish #25.

A Gift for Galactus

Defenders #2 (Nov. 2021) transported the team from the present-day Eighth Cosmos back in time to the Sixth Cosmos—specifically to the technologically advanced planet of Taa. There, the Silver Surfer encountered the infant Galen, who would grow up to become Galactus. Out of a sense of compassion, the Surfer used the power cosmic to instill in the child an understanding that might help him resist the hunger he would eventually experience as a devourer of worlds.

This image of Galactus comes from The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.

The Squadron Symmetry

At the time of their appearance in Defenders #113, the Squadron Supreme had a dozen active members—each corresponding in varying degrees to a member of the Justice League of America. That being said, not everyone in the Justice League up to that point had a Squadron counterpart—and that's not all bad. Creatively speaking, making the Squadron even larger could have had diminishing returns and shortchanged the team's originality.

For example, a Squadron homage to Elongated Man could have felt reminiscent of Mr. Fantastic (featured in Defenders #105), and a Squadron equivalent to Red Tornado could have overshadowed the Vision (who would play a central role in #123). As for the Phantom Stranger and honorary JLA member Snapper Carr, these characters were too tertiary to warrant counterparts in the already sizable Squadron.

As much as I liked the dynamic that married couple Hawkgirl and Hawkman brought to the Justice League of America, the Squadron sufficed with a singular winged weaponsmith in Cap'n Hawk (a.k.a. Blue Eagle).

As a pleasant surprise, the Squadron Supreme limited series would establish that an extraterrestrial Skrull helped found the team, matching Martian Manhunter's place as a founding member of the JLA. From that point on, however, the order of new recruits to the Squadron did not always follow the same order as the JLA.

Green Arrow (the basis for Golden Archer of the Squadron Supreme) joined in Justice League of America #4, becoming the team's first new recruit. For the Squadron, the first new member was Tom Thumb (a loose approximation of the Atom, who joined in JLA #9).

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.

Reversal

The first installment in a five-part limited series, the recently released Defenders #1 provided a new take on early concepts of the non-team. The story began with the Masked Raider making the acquaintance of Dr. Strange by threatening the sorcerer with a gun. As the two men sized up one another, Dr. Strange used his oft overlooked skill as a brown belt to defend himself before offering to hear the Masked Raider's concerns over tea.

Relying on a Tarot deck for guidance, Dr. Strange identified with the Magician card and saw the Masked Raider as the Hierophant card. Oddly, both cards appeared upside down, as did the next three cards that Dr. Strange harnessed to mystically summon a fresh combination of heroes to face a looming threat.

The card of Judgment summoned the Silver Surfer, a former herald to Galactus (who promises to play a role in the limited series).

The High Priestess card summoned Betty Banner (née Ross). Now known as the Red Harpy, this unique identity harks back to her previous transformation into Harpy. I much prefer this take on the heroine over her former alias as Red She-Hulk, which felt derivative on several levels.

The most apropos reveal was the Lovers card for Cloud, a cosmic being metaphysically merged with a young romantic couple.

For those keeping track, this relaunch of the Defenders is officially Volume 6 with regard to publication history. I hope that the limited series adds momentum for the Defenders to continue as an informal group of magical, monstrous, and misanthropic heroes.

Defenders. No. 1. October 2021. "Eighth Cosmos: The Magician." Al Ewing & Javier Rodríguez (storytellers), Álvaro López (letters), VC's Joe Caramagna (inks), Wil Moss & Sarah Brunstad (editors). The issue inclues a MARVEL REMEMBERS page honoring influential Defenders writer David Anthony Kraft (1952-2021).

I, Robot

When Kyle Richmond became paralyzed during the day, regaining his Nighthawk powers only at night, he employed Luann Bloom as a nurse. An adherent of modern medicine, Luann was skeptical of any attempt the Defenders might make to cure Kyle through mystical means. With Dr. Strange out of town, Clea assured Luann that Kyle's affliction was indeed mystical in nature and required further analysis (Defenders #102).

Luann: What kind of analysis, Clea? The kind that requires a bubbling cauldron and the eye of newt?

Although Luann had Kyle's best interests in mind, she was painfully unaware of her own true nature. As she later learned (#119), Luann was a robot programmed by an extra-dimensional tribunal to covertly collect information about the Defenders. After much analysis, this tribunal would erroneous warn Dr. Strange, Hulk, Sub-Mariner, and Silver Surfer against fighting together again (#125).

This panel comes from Defenders #119. The bulk of that issue was a flashback story, showing data that Luann's computer brain had gathered from Nighthawk.

Blast from the Past

By delving into the psyche of their mentor, X-Men #106 underscored the reasons why several members of the mutant team left … eventually finding their way to the New Defenders.

At the X-Mansion, the "new" X-Men were training in the Danger Room with Cyclops, the only member of the original team who didn't resign in #94. To everyone's surprise, Angel, Iceman, Beast, and Marvel Girl appeared out of nowhere, wearing their original matching uniforms. With deep-seated hostility, these former X-Men called the new members everything from animals to circus freaks, while accusing Cyclops of going astray.

Oddly, by this point Marvel Girl had transitioned to Phoenix, Angel and Iceman were in the Champions, and Beast was an Avenger. Clearly, something was amiss!

The former X-Men turned out to be mental projections from Professor X: more specifically, manifestations from the evil side of his personality that he typically kept in check. Recent mental strain, however, had caused Professor X to temporarily lose his bearings. The incident revealed that, at least on a subconscious level, Professor X resented the original team for adopting individualized costumes and forging their own identities (#39); similarly, he harbored disdain for the independently inclined new members of the team.

X-Men. Vol. 1. No. 106. Aug. 1977. "Dark Shroud of the Past!" Claremont • Mantlo • Brown • Cockrum • Sutton • Rosen • Yanchus • Goodwyn production! The cover mentioned that Angel was back without revealing the apparent return of other members. When the real Angel did rejoin in #137-148, he felt out of step with Professor X and found the new members wanting.

Strange Tales with Bobby Drake

Strange Tales #120 shed light on the social life of Bobby Drake during his early days as Iceman. Published the same month as X-Men #5 (May 1964), Iceman was disappointed that another classmate had plans with Jean Grey, the only female student then enrolled at Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Although Bobby hadn't taken an interest in Jean in X-Men #1, he seemed to have a change of heart.

Iceman: Gosh, Professor X … whenever I get up the never to ask Jean for a date, the Angel or Cyclops, or somebody beats me to it!

Professor X: Well, the day is still young, Bobby! Why don't you go to New York and see the sights?

Hoping to meet someone special, Bobby decided to take a day cruise around New York. While aboard the boat, Bobby struck up a conversation with a female passenger named Doris—only to learn that she was dating Johnny Storm, publicly known as the Human Torch of the Fantastic Four. As fate would have it, modern-day pirates also came aboard. Preserving his secret identity, Bobby assumed his veneer as Iceman and fought alongside Human Torch to defeat the pirates.

Given recent storylines depicting Iceman as gay, I think it is possible to read Strange Tales #120 through a queer lens, interpreting Iceman's conversation with Professor X and attempt to meet a woman as ways of hiding his homosexuality. Either way, Bobby's luck with women would improve upon meeting Zelda at Coffee A Go-Go in X-Men #7.

Strange Tales. Vol. 1. No. 120. May 1964. "The Torch Meets the Iceman!" Deftly written by: Stan Lee. Dazzlingly drawn by: Jack Kirby. Dramatically inked by: Dick Aywers. Distinctively lettered by: S. Rosen.

Nighthawk's Rogues

Seeing how Batman developed one of the most recognized rogues' galleries in comic book history, it stood to reason that the version of Nighthawk in the Squadron Supreme would have a rogues' gallery of his own. Although we don't know every supervillain Nighthawk might have faced, Squadron Supreme #7 identified Remnant, Mink, and Pinball as the hero's oldest foes.

• Remnant, the most esoteric of the trio, could pull a magic carpet and other items from the "bottomless pocket" in his costume.
• Mink armed herself with claws and a poisonous perfume spray. A flashback in #9 revealed that Mink had once been a member of the Institute of Evil, a supervillain team that often battled the Squadron.
• With the ability to expand into a rubbery sphere, Pinball had powers similar to the DC hero Bouncing Boy from the Legion of Superheroes.

This image of Nighthawk, Remnant, Mink, and Pinball comes from Squadron Supreme #9. The hero and villains formed an unlikely alliance to end the Utopia Project introduced in #1.

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.

Adapting Alice

In the opening paragraph of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, protagonist Alice asked, What is the use of a book without pictures or conversations? This telling question would make the 1865 novel ripe for a comic book adaptation, specifically Marvel Classics Comics #35 (1978). Titled Alice in Wonderland, the comic-book retelling stayed faithful to Lewis Carroll's original text, with slight modifications. For instance, the comic book changed the name of the Hatter to the Mad Hatter, as he became commonly known in popular culture.

Within the comic book, Alice looked similar to her depiction in the 1951 animated Disney film. Most other characters in the comic, however, resembled the illustrations of John Tenniel originally published in the novel. In fact, the comic book reproduced some of Tenniel's artwork on the inside back cover, along with the poem You Are Old, Father William; in the novel, that poem appeared in the chapter with the Caterpillar (a character who would cross over to superhero comics and meet Dr. Strange.)

Abridging the story for space left the Marvel Classics Comics adaptation with the following chapter order:

Down the Rabbit Hole The Pool of Tears A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill Advice from a Caterpillar Pig and Pepper A Mad Tea-Party The Queen's Croquet-Ground Who Stole the Tart Alice's Evidence

The following two chapters did not appear in the comic book:

• The Mock Turtle's Story (although a scene with the Duchess moved to chapter VIII)
• The Lobster-Quadrille

Additionally, Marvel Classics Comics did not incorporate material from the 1872 sequel, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. Nevertheless, Defenders #131 drew inspiration from a poem within that novel by introducing a supervillain called the Walrus and a scientist with the surname Carpenter.

Friday, July 2, 2021

X-Defenders

Polaris and Havok warrant joint attention as Defenders for a Day. After all, both heroes had been on-again, off-again members of the X-Men and remained overshadowed by related characters.

Although her mutant green hair made Lorna Dane visually distinct, Lorna's magnetic powers intrinsically linked her to the X-Men's earliest foe, Magneto. As a result, Lorna received the monicker "Magneto's daughter" well before she adopted the heroic name Polaris. Similarly, by the time Alex Summers became Havok, his older brother, Cyclops, already held the mantle of field leader of the X-Men.

Joining the Defenders, even for a day, presented Polaris and Havok with an opportunity to continue their crimefighting careers without comparison to other mutants. To this point, the two heroes did not even interact with one another directly during their appearances in Defenders #62-65, prompting others to respond to them individually and not as a pair.

On the topic of individuality, #62 spelled Havok like the word havoc (ending in c). This was not a lasting change, however, as #63 returned to the established spelling of his codename (ending in k).

Lorna Dane appeared on the cover X-Men #50, with interior text hailing her as the daughter of Magneto. X-Men #97 pitted Cyclops against Havok in a story titled "My Brother, My Enemy!"