Announcing Aragorn!

The Black Knight began riding his winged stallion in Avengers #48, but not until #54 did he settle on the name Aragorn. The hero would shout, "Away, Aragorn!" or "Down, Aragorn!" when commanding the horse to fly or land.

The Black Knight and Aragorn faced the Masters of Evil in Avengers #54 (July 1968).

The Origin of Aragorn

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

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

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

The Pink Riddler

For my birthday this week, I received an action figure of the Riddler that I had been eyeing for some time. I have relatively few collectibles, but this particular figure is notable for depicting the Riddler in the pink costume that he wore during the opening sequence of The New Adventures of Batman, an animated TV series from 1977 that I watched as a kid. Outside of the opening, the villain didn't appear within any episodes of the cartoon.

Since the Riddler traditionally wears green, I don’t know how much demand there is for this obscure rendition of the character. And yet, it was that very novelty that sparked my interest in the figure, which made for a memorable birthday gift.

I alluded to the Riddler in an early blog post about Defenders #124. I have considered devoting more attention to DC characters, at times, even though they might veer outside the scope of a Defenders blog.

Jealousy

This panel from Patsy Walker #32 (Jan. 1951) shows a teenage Buzz Baxter jealous that Patsy might be dating someone else. The devil on his shoulder is oddly prophetic, as one day Buzz will crash Patsy's wedding to Daimon Hellstrom, a.k.a. the Son of Satan (Defenders #125). By that time, Patsy and Buzz will have married, divorced, and become Hellcat and Mad-Dog.

X-Men vs. Defender

The original X-Men faced an unexpected enemy when the Puppet Master took mental control of Mimic, who could replicate the heroes' mutant powers. Guarding the Puppet Master's criminal lair was a formidable android called the Defender (X-Men #27).

To prepare for a looming mutant menace, Professor X invited Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver to join the X-Men. They declined. The siblings had previously discussed that possibility but became Avengers instead (Avengers #16). Quicksilver, in particular, wanted to distance himself from any reminder of their early days in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

These panels with the android Defender come from X-Men #27 (Dec. 1966).

Patsy Driver

Patsy Walker comic books were not written with longterm continuity in mind, so it is understandable that contradictory storylines would appear. As an example, the teen protagonist received her driver's license in Patsy Walker #7 (Oct. 1946). Exacerbated by Patsy's speeding and overall poor driving skills, her father asked her to hand him her license at the end of the story.

A different course of events, however, transpired in Miss America #87 (Nov. 1957). When Patsy proudly announced that her driver's license just arrived in the mail, her father was surprised that Patsy even knew how to drive, much less had passed a driving test. It turned out that Patsy learned to drive from Beatrice Bagley, who recently wrecked her father's car. This time around, however, Patsy's own driving skills weren't called into question.

This panel from Patsy Walker #7 illustrated the character's original driving test.

The Golden Age Defender

If asked to name a patriotic Golden Age hero with a young sidekick, Captain America would immediately come to mind. He and Bucky made their debut in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941). Captain America became one of the most recognizable characters published by Timely Comics (later Atlas Comics, and then Marvel).

Meanwhile, the Defender first appeared in U.S.A. Comics #1 (Aug. 1941), also by Timely. The Defender sported the letters U.S.A. as an insignia and worked with a teenage sidekick named Rusty. With no iconic shield or superhuman origin story, the Defender lacked much staying power. The two-fisted crimefighter fell into obscurity after U.S.A. Comics #4.

Aligning with Galactus

Charged with saving the life of Galactus, Mr. Fantastic found himself on trial in an extraterrestrial court room (Fantastic Four #262). In his defense, Mr. Fantastic made an appeal to alignment, more ore less. Because there is order in the universe, he argued, Galactus must be part of that order and therefore is truly Neutral. If that is the case, Galactus' actions as a devourer of worlds are not Evil but part of some greater Good. With the Watcher as defense counsel, Odin testified on behalf of Mr. Fantastic, comparing Galactus to a natural force like a super-nova or the solar wind.

I have a hard time seeing Galactus as Neutral in this way. It was Silver Surfer, a former herald of Galactus, who discovered that Mr. Fantastic was apprehended (#261). Silver Surfer could not attend the trial, however. As the Surfer reminded Invisible Girl more than once, he remained trapped on Earth due to the will of Galactus.

I could understand of Mr. Fantastic had argued that all sentient beings, including Galactus, have a right to live. But Silver Surfer's own words would contradict an interpretation of Galactus as naturally Neutral.

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

This page comes from Fantastic Four #261 (Dec. 1983).

Neutral Evil: Mr. Rasputin

An early adversary of Dr. Strange was Mr. Rasputin, a magician who sought to use defensive secrets from two warring nations for his own personal gain. In combat against Dr. Strange, Mr. Rasputin proved to be the weaker magician. To gain the upper hand, Mr. Rasputin drew a pistol, an action Dr. Strange deemed as a sign of cowardice. Be that as it may, Mr. Rasputin's criminal pursuit of power—without regard to political alliance—would align with Neutral Evil in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.

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

This image of Mr. Rasputin comes from Strange Tales #145, reprinted as a flashback in Giant-Size Defenders #1.

Chaotic Neutral: Bernard the Poet

The original X-Men frequented Coffee A Go-Go in Greenwich village. Entertainment at the coffee house regularly included readings from a beat poet named Bernard. Decidedly unconventional, Bernard and his fans would surely embrace the the Chaotic Neutral alignment from Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.

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

Bobby Drake (Iceman) and Hank McCoy (Beast) hear Bernard's poetry for the first time in X-Men #7 (Sept. 1964).

Cover Versions: Chalk in Hand

Sight gags were commonplace on comic book covers featuring Patsy Walker. In this regard, Patsy Walker #30 (Sept. 1950) and Miss America (Apr. 1954) make for an interesting pair, as both covers show Patsy and boyfriend Buzz Baxter at a chalkboard when a teacher enters the classroom.

Chaotic Evil: Plodex

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

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

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

Classic John Byrne

My favorite scene from Deadpool & Wolverine occurs relatively early in the film. In that scene, Deadpool encounters a version of Wolverine sporting a brown costume (rather than the yellow suit he wears throughout most of the picture). Deadpool describes the brown costume as "classic John Byrne" … just before Hulk moves into frame and pummels the wisecracking Deadpool.

In comic book history, Wolverine first wore that brown costume in X-Men #139 (although the cover still depicted him in yellow). In that issue, Wolverine returned to Canada to reconnect with members of Alpha Flight who were on the trail of the monstrous Wendigo. That story contained flashbacks to Wolverine's first encounter with Wendigo from Incredible Hulk #181. Because Wolverine wore his original yellow uniform in the flashback panels, the new brown costume helped to delineate the past from the present.

Illustrated by John Byrne, this panel from X-Men #139 shows an unmasked Wolverine in his new brown costume. Beside him are Vindicator and Snowbird of Alpha Flight.

Deadpool and Wolverine

I've never cared for Deadpool, but I am enough of a Hugh Jackman fan to see Deadpool & Wolverine, which opened in movie theaters today. Both characters were members of the Secret Defenders at different times, although it would be a stretch to draw many comparisons to that team. Even so, I did like seeing the Human Torch as a supporting character in the film, given his appearances on the DEFENSE Lines letters page as well as the cover of Defenders #62. Of all the surprises in the film, my favorite may have been an "easter egg" referencing illustrator Rob Liefeld.

Venus vs. Son of Satan

When Atlas Comics gave Venus her own series, the genre of that title gradually transitioned from romance to horror. Case in point, Venus #10 (June 1950). In that issue, the love goddess received an unwanted marriage proposal from the Son of Satan. This was not Daimon Hellstrom, who would premiere as the Son of Satan two decades later. Rather, it was another character who happened to be the devil's son. Venus discreetly referred to her unwanted suitor as Mr. Satin and successfully fought off his advances.

Neutral: Earth Prime

Stepping well outside the scope of the Defenders, I've wanted to include the character Ultraa in my posts about the alignment system from Dungeons & Dragons. An acquaintance of the Justice League of America, Ultraa was the first superhero of Earth Prime (a world where the JLA was mere fiction). Soon after Ultraa's heroic debut, the first supervillain also premiered on Earth Prime. This coincidence led Ultraa to believe that a balancing force was at work in the universe, evening the scales between good and evil. Therefore, the best way to protect his world from super criminals was to give up being a superhero. This seemingly convoluted outlook would fit within an alignment of true Neutral.

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

Ultraa made his debut in Justice League of America #153 (April 1978).

Anything Man

Jeff Colt (a.k.a. Anything Man) proved to be an unusual adversary in Defenders #69 (March 1979). When the unassuming veterinarian randomly acquired the power of Omegatron following a game of tennis, the Defenders came to investigate. Convinced that the heroes were there to test his abilities, Jeff attacked Hellcat, Nighthawk, and Valkyrie. He even struck Valkyrie's horse, Aragorn.

Concerned that an angry Hulk would make the situation worse, Dr. Strange apologetically turned his green teammate back into Bruce Banner. Once Jeff came to realize that he had become consumed with power, Dr. Strange returned him to normal with these magical words:

Then in the name of dark Satannish …

… By the mystic moons of Munnopor …

… Let Omegatronic power vanish,

And leave you but a man once more!

Neutral Good: Professor Imam

Believing that his former teammates in the Squadron Supreme were corrupt, Nighthawk sought the help of Professor Imam, the Wizard Supreme of Earth-S. Professor Imam agreed that the Squadron was now a menace but said he needed to conserve his dwindling energy to train his successor. By weighing the needs of the present versus those of the future, Professor Imam exhibited a balanced approach in keeping with an alignment of Neutral Good.

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

This panel of Professor Imam comes from Captain America #314 (Feb. 1986).

Shockwaves

Shocker was one of the numerous supervillains who pretended to be Defenders for a Day. A recurring foe of Spider-Man, this particular Shocker had no connection to the member of Mutant Force also known as Shocker. Though not necessarily shocking, it was uncommon to see two characters with identical codenames active during the same time period.

The original Shocker appears in these panels from Defenders #64 (Oct. 1978).

Examining Egghead

I wonder if Egghead ever considered joining the Headmen. After all, he was an evil genius—with a distinctive head to boot. But perhaps the monicker Egghead would have been too on the nose. Also, whereas the four Headmen were basically unknowns, Egghead had established himself early on as a member of Ant-Man's rogues' gallery. The criminal mastermind went on to lead the Emissaries of Evil (Defenders #42-43).

This pnael from Marvel Feature #5 (Sept. 1972) shows one of numerous times Egghead crossed paths with Ant-Man (Hank Pym).

Lawful Neutral: Miss Whiplash

One of Patsy Walker's teachers in high school was Miss Whiplash. In class, Miss Whiplash tried to instill in her students the importance of academic learning. Because Miss Whiplash didn't frame her principles in terms of good or evil, her alignment might best be characterized as Lawful Neutral.

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

This panel comes from Patsy and Hedy #22 (Dec. 1953).

Spellbook: Rope Trick

In one of his earliest adventures, Dr. Strange discussed the ancient Indian rope trick (Strange Tales #116). During the trick, a magician climbs to the top of a rope and vanishes. That description more or less matched the 2nd Level magic-user spell Rope Trick that would appear in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. When the spell is cast, one end of a rope rises into the air. The upper end of the rope fastens in an extra-dimensional space. The spell caster and up to five others can climb to the top of the rope and disappear into safety. The spell also allows climbers to stop and reach a normal place if they do not climb all the way to the rope's upper end.

After describing the ancient trick, Dr. Strange uses a sash as a rope substitute to climb diagnally upward and rescue three prisoners in Strange Tales #116 (Jan. 1964).

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Chaotic Good: Moonglow

Nighthawk charged his former teammates in the Squadron Supreme with abusing their authority and then enlisted help to defeat them. One of Nighthawk's recruits was Moonglow, a new hero who would infiltrate the Squadron Supreme only to turn against the team. Intensely private, Moonglow felt a certain thrill in the subterfuge. Adding a layer to her undercover work, she used her actual power of illusion—sometimes carelessly—to give the Squadron the misimpression that she had other superpowers instead. Moondglow's covert modus operandi would align with Chaotic Good.

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

This panel with Moonglow comes from Squadron Supreme #11 (July 1986).

Defenders Dialogue: Non-Team

Defenders #21 (March 1975) included this letter contrasting the Defenders to Marvel's other superhero teams. For context, the original X-Men were appearing in reprints at the time; their series would revitalize with an "all-new, all-different" team of mutants starting with X-Men #94 (August 1975).

Dear Marvel,

With their new official headquarters, the Defenders seem to be slowly edging toward becoming a real team instead of a non-team. This should not be done.

What makes each Marvel superhero group individual is its form of organization. The Fantastic Four is a family, and with all its supporting characters it almost takes on the form of a tribe. The Avengers is a democratic body. The X-Men, of course, are organized as a school, so they never quite gained the respectability of the F.F. or the Avengers. There is nothing more respectable than family and democracy, but students don't really belong to polite society.

But the Defenders are anarchistic. They don't even exist as far as society is concerned. They should stay as loose and anarchistic as possible to retain their distinctness from the other Marvel groups.

Jana C. Hollingsworth
Port Angeles, Wash.

Lawful Evil: Badoon

The Badoon had green hides when they originally appeared in the pages of the Defenders. When those stories reprinted in the U.K. magazine Rampage, however, the militaristic extraterrestrials were red instead. No matter how they looked, the Badoon likely prescribed to the alignment of Lawful Evil while conquering the galaxy during the 31st century.

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

Introducing Power Man

When Defenders #17 reprinted in Rampage #16, the cover art changed significantly. Instead of picturing Hulk alongside Nighthawk and Dr. Strange, the reprint showed the green goliath deserting his comrades. Of the two versions, the cover of Rampage #16 was more accurate. Within the story, Valkyrie left the non-team (temporarily) to learn about her alter ego as Barbara Norriss. A saddened Hulk then blamed Dr. Strange and Nighthawk for Valkyrie's departure and leapt off to be alone. Only afterward did Dr. Strange and Nighthawk meet Power Man.

Rampage #16 also modified the original cover verbiage to introduce the guest star as "The Menace of Power Man!" Within the story, the hero for hire was guarding Richmond Enterprises and mistook the Defenders for intruders.

Lawful Good: Comics Code Authority

I started posting about Dungeons & Dragons alignments almost a decade ago, usually as a lens to discuss various characters or teams. Along the way, I have wondered how the Comics Code Authority would fit within the nine alignments. Introduced in 1954, the lengthy set of rules greatly limited the artwork and text within comic books—to the chagrin of many fans and creators. As contentious as the code may have been, the prohibitions against glorifying crime or depicting criminals in a positive light would most closely match the alignment of Lawful Good. The revised version of the code from 1971 loosened some of these restrictions, allowing more depth and mature themes. The end result was still Lawful Good but certainly a more nuanced version of that alignment.

I plan to continue posting about character alignments intermittently in the coming months.

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

Defensor

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

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

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

Expenses

As master of the mystic arts, Dr. Strange earned no income. This put his servant, Wong, in the unenviable position of explaining that he couldn't pay their pharmacy bill because he had already withdrawn their last penny to pay that month's rent. To make matters worse, building inspectors informed Dr. Strange that his home would be condemned unless he painted the building and sealed up the trap doors and hidden passageways. To make do, Dr. Strange asked Wong to take a handful of jeweled trinkets from their vault and sell them at market price (Strange Tales #147).

Dr. Strange must have learned a thing or two following that ordeal. When a battle against the mystic Kaluu left the Sanctum Sanctorum in need of repair, Wong broached the subject of money again. This time around, Dr. Strange repaired their home by casting a spell. He then conjured up stacks of coins and dollar bills so Wong would never need to ask for money again (#151).

Strange Tales. Vol. 1. No. 147. August 1966. "From the Nameless Nowhere Comes … Kaluu!" Stan Lee & Denny O'Neil (script), Billy Everett (art), Sam Rosen (lettering), Irv. Forbush (amulet polisher).

Strange Tales. Vol. 1. No. 151. December 1966. "Umar Strikes!" Stan Lee (script), Bill Everett (art), Artie Simek (lettering).

Double Trouble

Hedy Wolfe was envious of Patsy Walker's popularity—so envious, in fact, that when she ran into a young woman who happened to be the spitting image of Patsy, Hedy concocted a plan to destroy Patsy's reputation. Hedy offered to buy the mystery woman a new dress if she insulted Patsy's closest friends. The mystery woman, who was in town visiting her aunt, agreed. Hedy's plan worked at first but eventually unraveled when she mistook the real Patsy for the imitator. After learning the truth, Patsy's friends held no grudges against her for the things the impostor had said. Meanwhile, the fake Patsy fled with the new dress, having never divulged her true name.

Patsy Walker. Vol. 1. No. 109. September 1963. "Patsy's Troublesome Twin!" Part Two: The End of a Scheme!"

Disappearing Act

Although the covers of Patsy Walker comic books sometimes referenced the stories within, the covers often worked as stand-alone gags. Such was the case with Patsy and Her Pals #22 (May 1956). That cover showed Patsy Walker and Hedy Wolfe fighting for the attention of Buzz Baxter at a magic show starring Presto the Magician. While it would have made for a creative setting, the magic show did not appear inside the issue. Incidentally, Presto closely resembled longtime comic character Mandrake the Magician, who would become one of the anachronistic Defenders of the Earth.

Day in the Lives

Rampage #7 (Nov. 30, 1977) included a two-page spread depicting "A Somewhat Quiet Day in the Lives of the Daring Defenders!" Valkyrie and Aragorn entered the comedic scene, which showed Prince Namor beside a "New Atlantis" fish tank, Dr. Strange practicing stage magic, and Hulk chewing on a Fantastic Four comic book with Thing on the cover.

The Knave of Hearts

One of the numerous Defenders for a Day was Jack of Hearts—real name Jack Hart. Because of his motif, I tend to associate that character with the Knave of Hearts, who was accused of stealing tarts in Alice in Wonderland.

Around the time he sought membership in the Defenders, Jack of Hearts starred in Marvel Premiere #44 (Oct. 1978); the Knave of Hearts and other Wonderland characters featured prominently on the back cover of Marvel Classics Comics #35.

Bonus Points!

While reprinting issues of the Defenders, the weekly U.K. magazine Rampage also included back-up content from other superhero comics—and sometimes from anthology series originally published during the Silver Age. Such was the case with Rampage #13 (Jan. 11, 1978), which reprinted Defenders #14 followed by the five-page story "Beware!!! Of the Little Toy Men!!" That suspenseful tale first appeared in Journey into Mystery #58 (May 1960). In writing this blog over the years, I've noticed the frequent use of exclamation points in comic books, but this particular title takes the cake for excessive punctuation!

Reservations about Wertham

I've written several posts over the years about Seduction of the Innocent, Fredric Wertham's scathing attack on the comic book industry. After rereading the book again, I've decided to address a few more of Wertham's arguments, which contributed to the Comics Code of 1954. Wertham held that comic books were anti-educational. Western comics, for example, did not accurately portray the American West. Additionally, placing dialogue in word balloons was just one of many practices that depleted comics of literary merit.

The merits of some of Wertham's claims were themselves suspect, however, such as his contention that superheroes promoted a Fascist ideology. In Chapter II, Wertham remarked that we should be thankful the S on Superman's chest was not an S.S. That comparison was blatantly ahistorical seeing how often comic books had portrayed Superman and other costumed heroes battling Nazis during the Second World War.

Wertham's credibility might be called into question elsewhere as well. In Chapter IV, he recalled a conversation with a boy who suffered from nightmares. The boy said he liked reading Blue Beetle comics, likening the title character to Superman but with the added power of turning into a beetle. Wertham said it was easy to understand why a child would be frightened after reading the adventures of a man who became an insect. The problem with Wertham's analysis, however, was that Blue Beetle did not transform into an insect—exposing Wertham's unfamiliarity with the material he was so prone to condemn.

Right or wrong, Wertham was convinced that comic books interfered with the psychological well-being of children and their ability to identify with positive role models. In Chapter IX, he asked, "Is that the best we can do for children, that we teach them the Green Lantern will help?" Interestingly, though self-reflection was uncommon for characters during the Golden Age of comics, Green Lantern would readily question his impact on society during the Bronze Age.

The original Green Lantern first appearance in All-American Comics #16 (July 1940).

The Hostess Formula

Hostess ads were a mainstay of superhero comic books throughout much of the Bronze Age. Criminals would stop in their tracks at the sight of Twinkies, CupCakes, or fruit pies—gleefully surrendering to authorities while biting into the Hostess snacks. Hostess products could also subdue a rampaging Hulk.

Ads for fruit pies consistently featured both apple and cherry (although a character might favor one flavor over another). Sometimes a third choice would appear from one of the following selections:

blueberry lemon peach

Daredevil defeats the crimelord Peachy Keen in the closing panels of this Hostess ad for peach, apple and cherry fruit pies.

Meditation Practices

The Defenders were no strangers to meditation. Dr. Strange had a Chamber of Meditation within his Sanctum Sanctorum, the original headquarters for the non-team. As one of the New Defenders, Moondragon often meditated as well. For all their differences, both characters were fiercely private and relied on meditation for mental clarity.

Dr. Strange shows Nighthawk and Valkyrie his Chamber of Meditation in Defenders #15; Moondragon meditates (and levitates) in New Defenders #136.

Day of the Druid

The druidic philosophy outlined in early versions of Dungeons & Dragons considered the moral opposites of Law and Chaos as balancing forces of nature. As such, the clerical subclass of Druid adhered to the alignment of Neutral, a worldview with no particular leanings toward good or evil.

About a decade before the creation of the game, Strange Tales #144-145 presented a vastly different take on druids. The leader of a hidden cult combined mystic rites and modern technology to summon the Egg of Satan—a thing of evil designed to seek out Col. Nick Fury and destroy him. Given their diabolical aims, these druids might be a better fit for Lawful Evil, the alignment closely associated with devils in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.

The cover of Strange Tales #144 (May 1966) likened the mysticism of Dr. Strange to Nick Fury's nemesis in "The Day of the Druid!" Dr. Strange starred in a different story within the issue.

Torpedo

Like many other Defenders for a Day, the hero Torpedo was still relatively unknown during his stint with the non-team. Torpedo later found a niche as the recurring ally to Rom the Spaceknight. After their first encounter in Rom #21, Torpedo made frequent appearances in the series until his death in #50.

Ins and Outs

Bringing together mutant heroes and supernatural crimefighters, the Champions was an antecedent to the New Defenders—just set in Los Angeles instead of the Southwest. A source of internal conflict arose, however, when Darkstar became the group's new recruit (Champions #10).

Already feeling like an outsider, the demonic Ghost Rider resented how quickly his teammates trusted Darkstar. On more than one occasion, Ghost Rider refused to let Darkstar help him in combat, misinterpreting her cooperativeness as a sign of pity (#14). Ultimately, neither character felt at home in the Champions, prompting them both to resign and leading to the dissolution of the superteam (#17).

The following entry for the Champions originally appeared in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.

Gals on the Go-Go!

The cover of Patsy and Hedy #109 introduced a new tagline for the series, referring to the duo as "Gals on the Go-Go!" Now employed as newspaper reporters, Patsy and Hedy thwarted a spy ring and other dangers far outside the scope of their earlier adventures in high school. The change of pace was short lived, however, as the series ended with #110. That being said, this brazen version of Patsy Walker was an important step toward her future career as the superheroine Hellcat.

Patsy and Hedy. Vol. 1. No. 109. December 1966. "Surf-Side Spies!" Stan Lee (editor), Denny-O (writer), Al Hartley (artist).

Patsy and Hedy's Apartment

After Patsy Walker and Hedy Wolfe graduated from high school, the words "Career Girls" began appearing on the cover of their series beginning with Patsy and Hedy #96. The two young women began sharing an apartment and the comic book adopted a soap opera tone.

This annotated apartment layout appeared in Patsy and Hedy #101 (August 1965).

Valiant Pin-Up

This pin-up of Valkyrie riding Aragorn comes from Rampage #11 (Dec. 28, 1977). Also pictured: Dr. Strange, Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner, and Hulk.