Marvel's Non-Team: The Defenders Appreciation 2023

[Nomads1]

Yay, so excited!

Starting today, I am going to spend the next few days reading my Defenders Epic Vol I from cover to cover! I want to take in all of the esoteric aspects of each story.

So many great stories packed in, like Valkyrie's origin. The artwork and coloring are spectacular.

I also got mine in the mail last week. Just finishing some other things I was already reading and will get started on it.

Peace

[Phoenixx9]

I also got mine in the mail last week. Just finishing some other things I was already reading and will get started on it.

Peace

I have started and it is soooo great, lol! I am excited for you as well. Enjoy the read!

[Lukmendes]

The Defenders were such a cool team, I can't wait to read more about them when the next Omni comes out. I saw Beast on the lineup on the front page. He's lived quite the decorated hero career. An X-Men, Avenger, and a Defender. Not bad at all.

Hey, since Marvel can't make Hulk and Namor solo movies do you think they'll do a Defenders movie with them with Doctor Strange? If they do, I demand Hulk quits then immediately rejoins lol.

If they were gonna do that, they would probably have another name, 'cause of Netflix series and all.

Apparently, whatever Thor movie that has Hulk on it ends with him forming the "Revengers", that could be close enough lol.

I suppose that's true. It's so weird because I hardly associate Hulk with the Avengers after reading Defenders. Hulk seemed way more natural with the chaotic nature of the Defenders coming and going, then the orderly, well organized Avengers. But I'll have to check out this "The Terror Beyond" as it sounds like a fun wink.

Hulk only ever works with the Avengers if he doesn't have his own ongoing, 'cause his status quo is that he's hunted and whatnot, it'd make no sense if he's hunted by the government, while working with the Avengers, who are at the very least connected with the government in such a way that they have some control over who gets to be a member of the Avengers or not.

So yeah, if Hulk has his usual status quo, it makes no sense for him to be on a team like Avengers, and Defenders are basically perfect for him in that regard.

Hulk always will be a core Defenders member to me. In the comics, Hulk never was accepted/trusted nor felt comfortable with the Avengers, and despite his problems with the Defenders, he did recognize quite a few as his friends, especially Val. ComicNoobie, you will see this more when Omni Vol 2 comes out.

There's even a cute moment after they deal with Xemnu where Hulk finally realizes that Strange and Valkyrie are his friends:



Which got Hulk so friendly that even Strange was weirded out afterwards:



(Giant Size Defenders#1).

Yeah, avengers treatment of the hulk was questionable in the early days. They hunted him at times. Claim to "remove" his founder status and "give" it to cap something you can't do. Sorry cap. You are not a founding member. Then when hulk was interested in joining again like in infinity gauntlet it never went anywhere. In fact, hulk only joined the fight with thanos on he wanted to be known as an avenger and get better treatment from them! It never went anywhere!

That's weird, 'cause by the time Busiek's Avengers run starts after Heroes Return, when they asked him to join, Professor Hulk essentially told them to not bother him.

Keep in mind this was the same avengers who send a teen underage spidey to fight the hulk all alone as a "test" to get into the avengers!

Which's not only a massive disrespect for Hulk, it's also pretty dangerous, considering how strong Hulk is, and if Spidey caught him in a bad mood, which's his default, yeah...

If the Defenders were more mainstream then Hulk's membership with them would probably be more well known. I would enjoy a Defenders reunion special. Doctor Strange, Namor, Hulk, Val (Brunhilde), Silver Surfer, Nighthawk and any other member who happens to come by! A classic adventure together of them fighting some evil mystical being for old times sake and afterwards Hulk can't quit the team spouting how he hates the magician for shooting him into space and killing. It would be interesting given how different so many of them are now.

While Strange shooting him to space is a sore spot, Strange did show up a few times to help out Hulk in Hulk's own comic in a few stories after World War Hulk, so while I'm not sure they're friends now, Hulk doesn't hate him as much nowadays.

The new defenders were more open to the public but yeah defenders is odd. Remember toyfare made fun of them as "d-grader avengers" all the time. It's a team with hulk, surfer, namor and strange on it! Some of the most powerful heroes in the world and they are d-graders? Heck in an issue the avengers call in the defenders to deal with a demon like threat as it "may be more than the avengers can handle." Cap doesn't just do that to every team!

Not to mention that, in Avengers/Defenders War, before they team up to fight Dormammu, the comic might as well be called "Avengers get clowned by Defenders", because every battle besides Hulk vs Thor (Which's inconclusive, but was basically a draw) had the Defenders defeating the Avengers, to the point even Hawkeye "won" against Iron Man (Though it's more so he got the part of the Evil Eye, not that he won the battle exactly).

Hell, the "war" itself starts with the Avengers trying to get inside Sanctum Sanctorum, and Strange just does some magic to push them away and he doesn't even realize who just tried to get inside his house:

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...0996/image.png

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...7165/image.png

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...3054/image.png

(Avengers#116).

Sadly, with the acquisition of 20th Century Fox, I think Marvel has far too may riches. They will do the FF and the X-Men before they even think about the Defenders of any roster.

Maybe, but it's also worth pointing out they tried **** with the Eternals when they really had no reason to even bother with them, I think Disney is willing to experiment with lesser known stuff.

Though I don't expect them to get anything anytime so soon...

[Phoenixx9]

Yes, I am very familiar with and love that Hulk scene where he embraces his Defenders friends.

[Lukmendes]

Yes, I am very familiar with and love that Hulk scene where he embraces his Defenders friends.

Oh, I didn't mean to imply you didn't know, it's just that you mentioning this friendship reminded me of that moment and I decided to share it lol.

[ComicNoobie]

Yes! I loved the Xemnu issue where Hulk calls Valkyrie and Dr. Strange as his friends. It's one of my favorite moments in the Defenders for sure. I think Hulk fits in with this team so well despite his constant mood swings. The jade giant was born to be a Defender

I do wish the MCU hadn't used the "Defenders" name already as I'd love a title with the characters, especially now that Namor has arrived. I personally think the team has enough of a difference to be separated from the Avengers and be their own thing.

[Phoenixx9]

Oh, I didn't mean to imply you didn't know, it's just that you mentioning this friendship reminded me of that moment and I decided to share it lol.

Ah, no worries! I am glad you shared the scenes.

[Phoenixx9]

Yes! I loved the Xemnu issue where Hulk calls Valkyrie and Dr. Strange as his friends. It's one of my favorite moments in the Defenders for sure. I think Hulk fits in with this team so well despite his constant mood swings. The jade giant was born to be a Defender

I do wish the MCU hadn't used the "Defenders" name already as I'd love a title with the characters, especially now that Namor has arrived. I personally think the team has enough of a difference to be separated from the Avengers and be their own thing.

Me too, since I knew it would stop any hope of a "real" Defenders team formation!

[ComicNoobie]

Me too, since I knew it would stop any hope of a "real" Defenders team formation!

I still want a Defenders reunion which results in Brunhilde coming back and the team all going to a opera featuring "Ride of the Valkyries"

[Phoenixx9]

I still want a Defenders reunion which results in Brunhilde coming back and the team all going to a opera featuring "Ride of the Valkyries"

That would be a blast! Imagine Val never having heard of it and she would be like, "By Odin! Who are these imposters who dare mock the Valkyries?!?"

Then the team would explain that it is a tribute to the Valkyries and Val would laugh and want to talk to them all, lol!

[ComicNoobie]

That would be a blast! Imagine Val never having heard of it and she would be like, "By Odin! Who are these imposters who dare mock the Valkyries?!?"

Then the team would explain that it is a tribute to the Valkyries and Val would laugh and want to talk to them all, lol!

The question is who would be more confused by the performance, Val or Hulk lol?

[Phoenixx9]

The question is who would be more confused by the performance, Val or Hulk lol?

Too funny!

[ed2962]

I was just in the Avengers thread but it reminded me of one of my favorite Defenders stories...


Here's what I said there...

I know this is an Avengers thread, but there's a great Defenders story out there that deals with exactly this. The Beast goes to a college to give a lecture and he's clowning and making jokes. A young guy stands up and calls him something like a mutant Step-and-Fetch-It and asks what's he doing for mutants like him who can't join super-teams ( the kid had 6 fingers and saw in infra-red). Later there's a scene where some college kids are having a meeting on how to deal with "mutant hysteria" and the young people stand up and say they arent' going to give in to the hatred. Plot stuff happens and the 6 finger guy dies. Beast comes back to the college, says he not going to apologize fro making jokes because we need humor, then announces the formation of a human/mutant alliance student group on campus. It's really a good story.

[Gaastra]

That's weird, 'cause by the time Busiek's Avengers run starts after Heroes Return, when they asked him to join, Professor Hulk essentially told them to not bother him.

Wasn't he back to classic hulk but a bit smarter by that point? Also hulk and banner just got split in two with an all angry hulk for a year with banner in the heroes reborn universe as another hulk. Wasn't the best time to ask him.

One neat part of iw however with hulk was him and wolverine just hanging out chatting.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Phoenixx9]

While I liked the "Chld-Like"Hulk in the original team, I cannot help but think if he had Professor Hulk mind how much more of an asset he could have been to the team, especially if he teamed with Valkyrie and both used their strength together.