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Selector

Defenders #72

Jun 1979
Ed Hannigan, Herb Trimpe

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Story Name:

Up From The Sky


Synopsis

Defenders #72 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 3 stars

In Tunnelworld, Valkyrie pursues Professor Turk and the three Lunatiks who have kidnapped Hellcat while the other Defenders are occupied elsewhere. The native Sputs are helping Doctor Strange and company find their way. Clea regrets bringing the others to this world but Strange tells her that the Defenders knew what they might be getting into. The three Nilffim captured turn out to be three more fragments of Arisen Tyrk and all are in the service of the Unnameable. The heroes mount the Nilffim’s giant birds and search for their missing comrades….

The baddies have led Val to a frozen area of the land and there she assaults them but is quickly outnumbered. The other Defenders arrive and Hulk drops from the bird to take down all of the Lunatiks in one blow. The team reunited, Strange explains how he and Hulk came to Tunnelworld searching for an evil power that controlled the Lunatiks back on Earth. They take Turk, the Lunatiks, and the Nilffim with them as they go in search of sanctuary and Strange informs them that he cannot perform any of his magic lest he draw the Unnameable’s attention to them. And so they set out to fly across Tunnelworld, as a massive malign storm rises ahead of them….

Back on Earth, Justice Department agents are investigating all of Kyle Richmond’s business dealings and are wondering why Richmond himself can’t be found….

And it’s because Kyle Richmond, Nighthawk, is in Tunnelworld with the rest of the Defenders. They have run into a scaly giant monster controlling the storm. Nighthawk draws its lighting away from the group while Strange conjures up a magical tornado to carry them all through the monster’s turf. Leaving the tornado, they run into winged electrical insects; Strange freezes a few of them and Nighthawk leads the group on. A huge spherical monster with a giant mouth and multiple tentacles threatens them next and Hulk tangles it up and punches it into the distance. They exit the storm and find themselves in an area without gravity. They take a few moments to enjoy the odd feeling before moving on. As night falls, the group sets up an encampment near a forest. Strange explains that they are near to the sanctuary of this world’s master of the mystic arts, Xhoohx. He warns them that they do not have the strength to face the Unnameable and would do well to avoid attracting his attention. Meanwhile they are being watched from the nearby foliage….



 

Review / Commentaries


Defenders #72 Review by (October 4, 2023)

Review: And so THE DARK KNIGHT turns into a sword and sorcery epic. Nothing particularly creative here, just some typical urban heroes joining some typically magical heroes to traverse a hostile fantasy land. The most interesting bit is the reference to Hellcat’s psychic power, last seen in issue #64 but not displayed herein, just detected by the baddies. It will be a few years before these powers become part of Patsy’s shtick.

Comments: Part three of four parts. Lunatik quotes “You Can’t Catch Me” by Chuck Berry, Wagner’s “Die Walkure,” a McDonald’s jingle, and “Soul Man” by Sam & Dave. The letters page includes an apology for issue #68’s confusing plot.



> Defenders comic book info and issue index

Elektra
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Excelsioring your collection:
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Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Herb Trimpe
Fred Kida
Elaine Heinl
Herb Trimpe (Cover Penciler)
Al Milgrom (Cover Inker)
George Roussos (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Michael Higgins.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange

(Stephen Strange)
Hellcat
Hellcat

(Patricia Walker)
Hulk
Hulk

(Robert Bruce Banner)
Nighthawk
Nighthawk

(Kyle Richmond)
Valkyrie
Valkyrie

(Brunnhilda)

Plus: Lunatik (Arisen Tyrk).