Episode 18- Defenders of the Galaxy

Artifacts of Infinity

Today we're covering a crossover between the Defenders and the Guardians of the Galaxy. This episode is about the Badoon who are extraterrestrial Bad-Dudes from our first Guardians of the Galaxy Coverage back in Episode 14. We’ve got a Time Travel Team-Up for you that goes into excruciating detail about how terrible the Badoon are!

Dramatis Personae: Protagonists

• Defenders
• -Dr. Strange - Stephen Strange
• -Hulk - Bruce Banner
• -Nighthawk - Kyle Richmond
• -Valkyrie
• -Aragorn
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• -Vance Astro - Vance Astrovik
• -Charlie-27
• -Martinex
• -Yondu - Yondu Udonta
• -Starhawk
• Jack Norriss

Antagonists

• Eelar - YESSSS!!!!!!!
• Brotherhood of the Badoon
• Zoms

Hard to Judge but… Good Grief

• Sisterhood of the Badoon
• -Queen Tolaria

Giant Size Defenders (1972) 5 “Eelar Moves in Mysterious Ways

• Hulk is a whole mood in these issues and I love it. I don’t normally enjoy Hulk so much but Steve Gerber has a really fun voice for him throughout
• Why… why are the Defenders fighting… fish? Hulk doesn’t know, but he’ll do it!
• Eelar is kinda rad looking, actually
• These goons straight up shank someone in the beginning of this issue, and that’s surprising
• Charlie-27 sure is a slab-o-beef
• Going into this, my prediction is that Nighthawk is Starhawk
• I actually really like that the spaceship falling from the sky isn’t hidden from anyone. All the time in these stories they act like no one notices these things, but in this issue everyone notices, is kinda alarmed, then goes about with life as usual… which seems way more realistic to me
• Dude! Is it ever explained why the fish are involved?
• This kid… I feel bad for him and want Valkyrie to punch his dad in the stomach real good once
• I like this Vance Astro costume a lot
• Gerry Conway’s art in this is quite dynamic
• Hulk Punch Fire, not Fish… I’m crying!
• Getting the band back together to Mess Eelar Up!
• Oh boy, this kid is gonna cause trouble

Defenders (1972) 26 - “Savage Time”

• So, I gotta talk about this Valkyrie/Jack Norriss situation for a moment. There’s certainly backstory I’m missing but I feel terribly for everyone involved here. It honestly ripped me up reading this whole saga. I can’t imagine coming home one day and my wife legit didn’t know who I was. I’d probably act similarly to Jack here, honestly. Trying anything you can think of to spark a memory. At the same time Valkyrie is an entirely different person and has no memory. His forceful kiss is definitely line-crossing in very uncomfortable and bad ways… that said, again, were I in his shoes…

It’s heartbreaking and tragic and I want the best for both of them and in 616, I just don’t expect it…

• All that said, Valkyrie is good peeps, she saves him without a second thought even after so remarkably uncomfortable a moment
• The Enterprise… I mean Captain America… nah, I mean Enterprise, is even more wrecked than it looked before and the News is covering it
• Oh man, an alien emerging from a space ship with a human kid… how are you still alive Martinex?
• Strange with the save!
• Major Vance Astro’s early recap is… pointed… at us… still…
• Humans raised as food, SNAP INTO A SLIM JIM!
• I had to go back to Two-in-One to see if Killraven was Wundarr. I’m still not sure, but refuse to google it
• Techno-Barrons is my new 80’s retro band
• Why is Aqua-Man in this issue?
• Dude, these Mercury dudes look Rad AF
• So… much… recap…
• Jack does need to back the heck off though
• The Enterprise is repaired and ready to head back to Stardate 1312.4

Defenders (1972) 27 - “Three Worlds to Conquer!”

• The Badoon are the worst
• Hulk is suspish of transport… AS HE SHOULD BE, DON’T YOU WATCH CGP GREY?!?
• Chill Jack, you still aren’t helping
• I kinda dig the half lizard half ape design here though
• Why is Valkyrie getting weaker? What the heck is happening?
• Woah… glowy person
• Planet of the Stereotypical 60’s
• Seriously, this issue has big Star Trek vibes
• I dig this robot design, and the bond between mama and babies
• Hulk don’t care though, HULK SMASH
• Dr. Strange-Tech is a thing I hope to see more if going forward
• So… how will it reveal that Nighthawk has become Starhawk?
• Oh good, it’s Denethor....
• Wait, the Badoon Eliet Guard is 90% Zoms?!?! What the heck?

Defenders (1972) 28 - “My Mother, the Badoon!”

• Excellent Opening Scene
• Hulk, I mean Charlie-27 SMASH
• So, Night enhances Nighthawks Powers? Cool! Will it enhance Starhawk’s powers though? How is this tied together?
• Digging future Nighthawk though
• Woah! Badoon Sisterhood City looks awesome
• At least we know the Badoon aren’t into corpse stabbing
• Techno-Bondage Hulk Action Figure!
• LOVING Super-Death Sweepstakes and ABSOLUTELY getting a Running Man vibe from it
• Yondu is one tough cookie
• The Badoon backstory is… yikes
• Starhawk is OUT

Defenders (1972) 29 - “Let My Planet Go!”

• The Battle Royale between the Badoon and the Guardians and Defenders kicks off while Hulk and Yondu are still MIA
• Damsel is in distress and Hulk will SMASH (hyuck)
• Starhawk’s family is… normalish
• Hulk is indeed the strongest there is
• Hulk being teleported mid punch and absolutely leveling a Badoon is HILARIOUS slapstick comedy
• I really love how the battle royale begins at the start of the issue and just builds and builds throughout. It’s mostly just a fight issue but it’s so well done that it’s a ton of fun to read
• Strange and Jack to save the day! I’m starting to suspect that Nighthawk and Starhawk aren’t related
• That’s some cool eye-effect though with Starhawk

Creators of these issues: Steve Gerber,Gerry Conway, Roger Slifer, Len Wein, Chris Claremont, Scott Edelman, Don Heck, Sal Buscema, Mike Esposito, Jim Mooney, Dave Hunt, Vince Colletta, Frank Giacoia, John Tartag, George Roussos, Irene Vartanoff, Glynis Wein, Al Wenzel, Dave Hunt, Artie Simek, Gaspar Saladino, Karen Mantlo, John Costanza, Joe Rosen, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Ron Wilson, Al Milgrom, Danny Crespi, Gil Kane, John Romita, Danny Crespi, Frank Giacoia, Gaspar Saladino

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