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Sunday, November 2, 2008

Defenders Dialogue: Elf

The Defenders faced several serial killers over the years. But few villains garnished as much mail as the inexplicable gun-toting elf. Here's an editorial note from Defenders #43 and the letter that followed.

The elf sub-plot has been one of the most controversial in the history of the DEFENDERS mag. Fan mail has been split almost down the middle as to whether it should ever have been started in the first place. But Paul Butler kind've put the situation in a very appropriate tongue-in-cheek perspective. It gave the Bullpen a big laugh, and we think it'll give you some snickers.

Dear Marvel,

Report on the elf phenomenon by the Univac 1108 computer.

A: Elf appeared in DEFENDERS #25, #31, #38, #40. NO APPRECIABLE PATTERN.

B: Victims of elf were Tom/Pritchett, Charles Lester, Stewart (no last name given), and an unidentified woman. NO APPRECIABLE PATTERN.

C: Locations of crimes were a mobile home park in California; Las Vegas, Nevada; the Grand Canyon in Colorado; somewhere in the southwestern United States. CRIMES WERE COMMITTED IN THE WESTERN HALF OF THE UNITED STATES.

D: Activities of the victims at the time of death were singing, gambling, exploring, hiding. NO APPRECIABLE PATTERN.

@Conclusion. Steve Gerber is suffering from a severe mental disorder which zorf gglmf ndjb. BLAM!

The Univac 1108 computer is unable to complete its report due to an unidentified elf with a gun! But all seriousness aside, when is this thing coming to a head?

Paul Butler
Madison, WI
This image of the Elf comes from Defenders #25. Long after his killing spree, the Elf returned in an equally ambiguous subplot that convinced early members of the team to step aside, making way for the New Defenders.

2 comments:

Peter Cooper said...

Random violence can affect anyone at anytime. The "Elf" showed this to readers of the "DEFENDERS" of this time. Personally I thought it was kind of appropriate that it was not given closure by Gerber. (I think it was brought to a close by other writers. (ALRIGHT another excuse to dig out my old comics and read them!) I really like this webpage by the way!

--Peter

Michael Damian Jeter said...

I was wondering if EwaG was a response to Myx from that other company, but EwaG was MUCH more sinister.