The Defenders (July 20, 1971) – This Day In Comics

The Defenders (July 20, 1971) – This Day In Comics

The origin of the Defenders lies in two crossover story arcs by Roy Thomas prior to the official founding of the team. The first, occurred when the Dr. Strange series was canceled and the storyline was completed in the other series. Dr. Strange teams with Sub-Mariner, then the Hulk to protect the Earth from invasion by Lovecraftian inter-planar beings known as the Undying Ones and their leader, the Nameless One. Barbara Norriss, later the host of the Valkyrie, first appears in this story. The Defenders first appeared as a feature in Marvel Feature #1 (July 20, 1971), where the founding members gathered to battle the alien techno-wizard Yandroth, and remained as a team afterward.

Due to the popularity of their tryout in Marvel Feature, Marvel soon began publishing The Defenders. Defenders membership was fluid, yet a few members were relatively consistent: the three founders (Doctor Strange, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and the Incredible Hulk), the Silver Surfer, Valkyrie, Nighthawk, Hellcat, and Gargoyle. Membership was clearer in the New Defenders era when the team was more formally organized. The group is usually presented as a “non-team” of individualistic “outsiders,” each known for following their own agendas. The team often battled mystic and supernatural threats.