Marvel's Non-Team: The Defenders Appreciation 2022

[alanyoung909]

It looks like the Beyonder is returning:

d1.jpg

d2.jpg

Defenders Vol 7 coming in June?

[strathcona]

I really hope we're going to get Ewing's take on the Beyonder. Maybe fix that mutant Inhuman idiocy.

[Phoenixx9]

It looks like the Beyonder is returning:

d1.jpg

d2.jpg

Defenders Vol 7 coming in June?

Hmmn. The Beyonder..... the artwork looks very good.

[alanyoung909]

Yes, I will look forward to more Defenders this summer...but I wonder if Dr. Strange will be "dead" for that series? A Clea led Defenders would be kind of fun.

The thing about Clea leading this team right now is that Jed MacKay is currently defining Clea's new role as Sorcerer Supreme of Earth over in Strange and if Clea starts leading a multiversal team in another book, that might disrupt his plans.
Especially since I don't think MacKay is writing this new Defenders book.

---

After seeing the new teaser for the upcoming Defenders relaunch, I have a theory - what if the ghost of Stephen Strange is leading the Defenders?

Back in Defenders (Vol 6) 4, when Cloud left the Defenders and joined the Archetypes of Good and Evil, they said to Doctor Strange:
"But this isn't goodbye, Doctor. I'll see the Defenders again. When you reach the Mystery."

Strange is confused by this, but Cloud does not elaborate and moves on their travels.
Now, this statement did not pay off during that miniseries - the team traveled from the Eight Cosmos to the Sixth, Fifth, Fourth and Third Cosmoses and then went back home with Stephen now in possession of the Eternity Mask.
They never got to the Mystery.
And then Stephen died during The Death of Doctor Strange and his titles were passed on to his wife and successor Clea Strange.
She's trying to resurrect her husband right now but that will clearly take some time since the Harvestman is opposing her.

In Al Ewing mythology, the Mystery or the Far Shore is the furthest, most distant part of reality - the very edge of the Multiverse.
Beyond that, there is only the Outside, also known as the Beyond, where the Beyonders used to live (before Doom killed them all).

So what if, after he died (for the second time in DoDS 5), Stephen's spirit traveled to the Mystery, where he meets up with Cloud again.
Together, they assemble a new team to oppose the man who returns from beyond, the Beyonder.

Of course all of this is predicated on Al Ewing being the writer of this new relaunch and not someone else.

[alanyoung909]

I really hope we're going to get Ewing's take on the Beyonder. Maybe fix that mutant Inhuman idiocy.

Hickman has already fixed this Bendis retcon in his Avengers run - the mutant-Inhuman thing was just a game of pretend the Beyonder was playing with the Illuminati.

The latest origin (as of Secret Wars 2015) is that the Beyonder is a child unit of the Beyonders, a species of omni-intelligent lifeforms that evolved outside of the Marvel Multiverse - in a place called the Beyond / the Outside.
In New Avengers 33, Doctor Doom, along with Doctor Strange and the accumulated Molecule Men, went to the Beyond and committed omni-genocide - slaughtered the entire Beyonder species and stole their power, which was eventually used by Franklin to restore the Multiverse.

So maybe the child Beyonder is a survivor of Doom's culling and is returning to the Marvel Multiverse for revenge?
Especially against Stephen Strange, who was helping Doom at that time.

[protege]

I’m wondering if there will BE a connection BEtween the BEyonder, and omega the unknown as was alluded to…

[Phoenixx9]

I’m wondering if there will BE a connection BEtween the BEyonder, and omega the unknown as was alluded to…

...hmmmn...and Omega was in the Original Defenders run, so this would be a good time/place to add to his history...

[Frontier]

It looks like the Beyonder is returning:

d1.jpg

d2.jpg

Defenders Vol 7 coming in June?

He had a helmet....?

[Nomads1]

Hmmn. The Beyonder..... the artwork looks very good.

Ron Lim. Always a treat. But makes me think this'll be some kind of flashback story.

He had a helmet....?

Not that I recall. I think that's new.

Peace

[Phoenixx9]

He had a helmet....?

I know he had the high shoulders and the rest of the outfit....but I don't think I ever saw a helmet. When I saw it here, I wasn't sure it was going to be the original until I saw the next pic.

[Phoenixx9]

Ron Lim. Always a treat. But makes me think this'll be some kind of flashback story.
Peace

Ah, his work is so good!

[Frontier]

I know he had the high shoulders and the rest of the outfit....but I don't think I ever saw a helmet. When I saw it here, I wasn't sure it was going to be the original until I saw the next pic.

Somehow it makes the Beyonder look even more ridiculous .

[Phoenixx9]

Somehow it makes the Beyonder look even more ridiculous .

Lol, I know, right?

The helmet is also too small anyway and it looks like he would have a mini-head inside it.

[vitaminbee]

New Defenders!

[Nomads1]

New Defenders!

I'll withold my comments until I see more, but I'll admit my first reaction was a facepalm. Let's see. The creative team is a positive for me, the line-up, not so much.

Peace