Even More Fun and Games

The cover of Fun and Games Magazine #2 (Oct. 1979) pictured Spider-Man and Hulk on a puzzle displaying the names of various supervillains. I understand including the likes of Juggernaut, a prominent foe of both the original and new X-Men. But I wonder how many readers recognized Droom as the name of a Badoon leader from Defenders #27 (Sept. 1975).

Inside the magazine, a feline word find featuring Hellcat was a more identifiable nod to the Defenders.

Cap'n Skragg

When numerous villains joined forces and pretended to be Defenders for a Day, their ranks included Pecos and Joe the Gorilla, two of the henchmen previously known as the Split-Second Squad (Avengers #77). Those characters featured prominently on the cover of Defenders #64, along with a sea captain—apparently Cap'n Skragg, who too had been a member of the Split-Second Squad. Although Cap'n Skragg appeared only in one panel that issue, he connected thematically to the villains' decision to attempt a getaway aboard the Staten Island Ferry.

Nighthawk knocks Joe the Gorilla into Cap'n Skragg in this panel from Defenders #64 (Oct. 1978).

Neutral Evil: Moondragon

Moondragon makes a compelling subject for the alignment system of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Originally introduced as Madame MacEvil (Iron Man #54), she soon joined the ranks of the Avengers as Moondragon. Even as a hero, though, Moondragon seemed driven to prove her own superiority above all else. For all her claims of transcending the mortal constraints of good and evil, Moondragon arrogantly followed a Neutral Evil alignent long before she joined the New Defenders as a villain under duress.

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

This image of Madame MacEvil comes from Iron Man #54. As Moondragon, the color of her costume changed to green.

Mission: Impossible

Whenever Dr. Strange uses Tarot cards to select a team of Defenders, I think of the television series Mission: Impossible. During early episodes, the show's formula included a scene zooming in on the dossier of each character selected for that week's mission. A comic book adaptation published by Dell closely adhered to the show's tone but often excluded that signature scene.

This panel from Mission: Impossible #4 (Oct. 1968) included the dossiers, which were a mainstay on the television show.