Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
***
Thanks to this being a shorter month than real months are, we're only going to be able to squeeze one Speak Your Brain into it.
Truly, there are times when human suffering knows no limits.
But what will it be about?
And what shall it contain?
That, I don't know because only you The Reader can decide.
Therefore, hesitate ye not. Whatever it is you're desperate for other people to get off their chests, make sure to mention it in the comments section below.
And let us see just what unrolls before us...
Posts
37 comments:
I'd like to elicit SDC's thoughts about Defenders # 24:
Preamble to Defenders # 24
One of the previous issues (Defenders # 20), was a Valkyrie origin story. Val's a demon's love-child, we learned, with a dubious mother. As this issue starts, Barbara Noriss (Val's civilian alter ego), sees a ghetto knife-fight, and - at the point (excuse the pun) of fatalities – intervenes.
Barbara's self-assurance, facing a knife ( Val's bladed weapon experience is extensive), astonishes the thugs. Chilling self-confidence, from a super-heroine's alter-ego later happens in Ms.Marvel, too ( Carol Danvers nearly kills two bar room thugs, during a 7th Sense trance. ) Claremont's tropes
(occasionally), anticipated by Conway & Gerber ( in Daredevil ), is something I've examined before! Barbara's clearly no pushover ( even before transforming into Val! ) Last issue Barbara Norriss carried a fully grown man ( Alvin ) down a Main Street, astonishing passersby. Admittedly, the Black Widow carried a Man bull-injured Ivan across San Francisco, but not during broad daylight ( Daredevil = twilight,under Colan), in civvies!
Next issue – A framing sequence sees Yellowjacket capture a Serpent for the Defenders to interrogate. This framing sequence is clever, artistically. YJ’s wings allow him to rapidly close distance to his opponents - the depictions imply - as well as fly, in the conventional sense.A human being shot by a superhero (Yellowjacket), with a gun? Pistols defined villains, not heroes, in the 70s ( Frank Castle’s not a ‘proper’ 70s hero, in my book. ) So, for children seeing a superhero ( Yellowjacket ) gun somebody through a window ( even if only stunned). . . .“ What’s going on here?” Later, Jim Shooter incorporated Yellowjacket’s disrupters into his gloves. To say the fantastic Avengers # 59-60 Yellowjacket is morally ambiguous is an understatement. And much later beating up Jan – a serious false note! This is more subtle, though!
A pistol-wielding superhero’s an interesting/subtle moral ambiguity. Moral ambiguity doesn't have to be the snarling faces of the terrible Wolverine-inspired “morally ambiguous” characters of the 1990s.
Thinking on…Paladin had a pistol, as did Dominic Fortune. But, neither are superheroes, exactly.
Defenders # 24 / Rampage # 23
Part 1: Context
As a comic, Rampage # 23 was a landmark for me, aged 8. A previous theme I've discussed is “the
more the merrier” (c.f. Bill Mantlo). To kids, injecting extra superheroes into a story, provides
'more for your money'. Yellowjacket, Daredevil, Daimon Hellstrom, and Luke Cage, swell the
Defenders' ranks, in Rampage # 23! More for a kid's (parents' ?) money was certainly Rampage
# 23's 1978 contribution, without a doubt! ( Plus, the Defenders' best inks, at that point, provided by
Bob McLeod, grace Sal Buscema's artwork! McLeod – a pinch-hitting inker - putting the regular
boys to shame! Like Daredevil # 108 - another Steve Gerber tale - when pinch-hitting Paul Gulacy's
inks exceeded previous inkers! )
Already, Yellowjacket & Luke Cage were introduced to young UK Marvelites, for Christmas Day
1977, in UK Avengers Annual 1978, and UK 'Mighty World of Marvel' Annual 1978, respectively.
( Introductions, for older Marvelites, being unnecessary! ) Yellowjacket's (Avengers # 59-60) origin
- a brilliant story – was reprinted in UK Avengers Annual 1978, its colours sharper than the original!
Similarly, Luke Cage vs. Moses Magnum (Power Man Annual # 1 ) was reprinted in UK 'Mighty
World of Marvel' Annual 1978, for Christmas. Thus, for Rampage # 23's readers (some aged 8!),
Yellowjacket and Luke Cage's characters were established already, by those two important Annuals!
In short, the UK annuals laid Rampage # 23's groundwork ( Yellowjacket and Cage's outing), ready
for March 1978! Of course, Yellowjacket & Luke Cage's Defenders debut isn't in Rampage # 23.
Yellowjacket appeared last issue, whilst Cage & the Defenders battled the Wrecking Crew, a few
issues earlier.That was unknown to me, aged 8(as was Cage's Giant-Size Defenders #2 appearance.)
Nevertheless, Cage & Yellowjacket appear together in the Defenders, for the first time, in Rampage
# 23.
Daimon Hellstrom & Daredevil ( 'the more the merrier' ) swell Rampage # 23's numbers, too! What
Defenders provenance is theirs? Well, Hellstrom's art team's his provenance! Daimon Hellstrom
had Sal Buscema & Bob McLeod's art and inking, in Marvel Spotlight # 22, just like Rampage #23!
Might McLeod's previous Hellstrom experience, with Sal, got him head-hunted? Plus, in Marvel
Spotlight # 22, Steve Gerber's the writer. Again, exactly like Rampage # 23! Coincidence? You,
decide! Even numerically - # 22 vs # 23 - the issues almost match! Hellstrom's storyline ( not art )
provenance, is: Giant-size Defenders # 2!
A provenance unknown, to me, nevertheless! I was only 8. Daredevil swells the Defenders' ranks,
too. What about him, then? Well, Daredevil previously helped the Defenders, in Giant-sized
Defenders # 3. Obviously, Steve Gerber wrote all of Daredevil's Terrex / Kerwin J. Broderick
business – as well as 'Defenders # 24'. Thus, Gerber had “previous”, for Daredevil crossovers ( e.g.
Captain Marvel & Moondragon appear, in DD's Kerwin J. Broderick & Terrex arc, & Spidey joins
Daredevil against the Ramrod. ) Anyway, with Gerber at the helm, Daredevil, Daimon Hellstrom,
Yellowjacket & Luke Cage joining the Defenders, should hardly surprise us! Gerber, moreover, was
Marvel's continuing storylines 'go-to guy' (e.g. DD's Terrex arc, aforementioned), long before Jim
Shooter and Chris Claremont!
Anyway, in Rampage # 23, Damon Hellstrom aids the Defenders, alongside Yellowjacket, Luke
Cage, and Daredevil. Let's see what happpens...
Next time...
Part 2: Characters & characterization
Then...Part 3: Parallelisms
Jumping off points for SDC discussion? My favourite non-team story is Defenders # 24. What are
SDC's favourite non-team (e.g. Defenders, Champions, etc) tales? Or, what does SDC think of
Defenders # 24's context, as outlined above? Or – easier still – just say whatever you feel like
saying – Speak your Brain is a democracy, after all!
Phillip
Sorry the spacing's all wrong on this - I'm off to eat my fish fingers!
Phillip
“Speaking Brains” in comics, TV, Movies etc.!
Honestly, I can only think of two off the top of my head (no pun intended) : Dr. Sun from TOMB OF DRACULA — and Dr. Thermopolus from the BUCK ROGERS TV show (although come to think of it, he might not have been an actual Brain In A Box, more like a digitized personality…?)
Wait! One of Captain Future’s sidekicks was a Brain In A Box named Simon Wright. And he did speak! Usually arguing with his foil, Grag the Robot.
Okay, I’m clearly scraping the very bottom of this particular barrel already, so I gladly yield the floor to somebody with a GOOD “Speak Your Brain” topic…
b.t.
Jesus, Phillip! How did you get all that typed in here so fast? Anyhow, your topic is much more interesting than mine, so I gladly yield the floor (and you beat me to the punch anyway)….
I know you’ve been itching to explore that subject for a week or two — I’m gonna have to re-read that DEFENDERS arc to refresh my memory before I can add anything intelligent to the conversation. But I’ll be back.
b.t.
b.t. - If Dr.Thermopolus is allowed, then so is ORAC from Blake's 7!
Phillip
Thanks, b.t. - I've just crossed messages with you! I'd got it pre-prepared, then copied & pasted it ( hence why blogger doesn't like the spacing! ) If my Defenders topic catches fire, there's a lot more where that came from!
Phillip
There's also thise giant brains in fish tanks - the Inheritors - from Doug Moench and Mike Ploog's Planet of the Apes stories, b.t.
-sean
Oh, would Hellinger - from the Deatlok run in Astonishing Tales - count? Admittedly his brain was in a robot/cyborg head rather than a box. But you could still see it as he talked.
The Brain of Morbius from Dr Who?
Sure there's loads. I mean. Those are just off the top of my head (so to speak) so I'm sure with a bit of thought there'll be plenty to talk about.
-sean
*those giant brains in fish tanks...
Apologies for the typo. Duh
And don't forget Dennis Potter's Cold Lazarus!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Lazarus
-sean
The Whisperer In The Darkness by HP has speaking brains!
sean:
I was seeing some Ploog-drawn brains in my mind’s eye but couldn’t remember which comic they were from — I thought maybe they were in MAN-THING but I guess it must have been The Inheritors in POTA I was thinking of. Good call!
I’m not familiar with that Dennis Potter project, and my knowledge of Dr. Who is spotty, but it doesn’t surprise me that talking brains showed up at some point on that series.
Phillip:
My knowledge of BLAKE’S SEVEN is even sketchier. I think I’ve only ever seen the episode where everybody dies. I take it talking brains weren’t the ones gunning everyone down…?
What about the various Gerry Anderson shows? Seems like talking brains are the kind of things that the crew of Moonbase Alpha might have run into.
I think the eponymous Gamesters of Triskelion were revealed to be brightly colored Talking Brains on STAR TREK.
b.t.
Oh, and I don’t remember if Spock’s Brain did any talking while it was temporarily outside of his body…
b.t.
b.t. - ORAC is a box-like computer (with all his innards visible). Sometimes carried around ( by Villa?), ORAC derides human beings' limitations, more abrasively than Spock.
'The president's brain is missing' on Spitting Image. As portrayed on Spitting Image, Ronald Reagan wasn't the icon he's now become in the USA.
Phillip
Part 2: Characters & characterization
The splash page: Dr.Strange, Val, Yellowjacket and Nighthawk - bound to pillars by coiled,
Asclepius-like, metal serpents. The racist Sons of the Serpents' plan's that inner city ghettos and
barrios should burn, driving minorities to suburbs, where whites will take arms against them. The
serpents' reasoning astonishes Val's innocent Asgardian perspective ( her 'Stranger in a Strange
Land' point of view) - exposing its irrationality. Val promptly breaks her bonds, and attacks the
Serpents!
One Serpent's a woman, so Val hesitates/falters. The Valkyrie can't harm women, according to the
Enchantress's magic. With that moment's hesitation, the Serpents blast Val unconscious, from
behind. This “Daughter of the Serpent” ( not to be confused with “Daughters of the Dragon” Misty
Knight & Colleen Wing) takes due credit, for Val's defeat. The Sons of the Serpent is racist, but isn't
sexist in its hiring policy.
Back at Dr.Strange's Greenwich Village pad, Bruce Banner tries to recall his Hulk experiences, for
Clea's benefit. Jack Norriss, Barbara/Val's husband's there, too. Is Jack's presence an ordinary Joe's
perspective? No – his job's over-reacting to superheroics, all the time ( basically, playing Kitty
Pryde's parents' future X-Men role! )
Banner asks Clea to summon previous Defenders' allies. Namely, the Silver Surfer, Daredevil,
Power Man, Daimon Hellstrom, the Submariner and Hawkeye. Using the Crystal of Agamotto,
Clea – at great psychic strain to herself - contacts Daredevil and Hellstrom.
What follows is Rampage # 23's ( or Steve Gerber's ) best bit – at least characterization-wise -
spotlighting Luke Cage, Daredevil and Daimon Hellstrom. Yellowjacket's framing sequence was
last issue ( and boy, was it good! ), so he isn't focused on. Gerber's characterization mini-
masterpieces anticipate Jim Shooter's later character-driven Avengers writing, in their quality.
Other superheroes, apart from the Defenders, utter exotic oaths/curses, to demarcate their
character's “otherness”. ( It's a Marvel method! ) Rom exclaims “Gods of Galador!” Captain
Marvel shouts “Hala!” or “By the Great Pama!” “By Crom!” defines Conan. ( A human
colloquialism or idiom, coming from an otherworldly character, is the converse – Mar-vell saying:
“As Rick would say...I've got my 'second wind!”, for example. )
In Rampage # 23 ( Defenders # 24 ), with Daimon Hellstrom, that demarcation technique's used
straight off the bat! “By the Seven Circles!” Hellstrom exclaims, as Clea psychically contacts him!
Another Hellstrom exclamation's “By the Hadean chimes!” To new readers, Daimon Hellstrom's
“otherness” is immediately established, very economically, in writing terms. Steve Gerber take a
bow!
Daimon Hellstrom knows Clea's message isn't a deception, through his “intuitive powers”, the
reader also learns. Hellstrom's trident's made of “nether metal” & has “psycho-sensitive
properties”, to boot! For new Daimon Hellstrom readers, such character-establishing is clearly
helpful.
In Chris Claremont stories, for “atmosphere”, evocative names are used. For example, “Storm wind
canyon”, and “Alkali Lake” ( many others, too!) Well, Steve Gerber's toolbox had that technique
years earlier! “Fire Lake”, Massachusetts, being from whence Daimon Hellstrom's demon steeds
and chariot are summoned, to transport him to Greenwich Village! Hellstrom himself's at more
prosaic St. Louis, Missouri.
Daredevil's an observer/thinker. On rooftops (or swinging between buildings), reader boredom, isn't
an option. Thus, Daredevil's internal monologues are provided by writers. Also, radar-sense “scans”
of DD's opponents, provide interesting details, for the reader's benefit. ( ROM's energy analyzer
functions likewise! )
From a rooftop, Daredevil's watching inner city New York burn - whereupon, Clea contacts him! If
DD's in New York, is this before his San Francisco relocation? For Marvel UK Daredevil, that's out
of step! Or, maybe it's later - if Daredevil's Hawkeye-fight over Natasha caused him to move – I
forget.
Concentric circles depict Daredevil's radar-sense, in this Defenders story. In Conway's Daredevil
run, a verbal description was all you got! In Steve Gerber's Daredevil, the concentric circles started,
with this Gerber Defenders continuing that tradition!
Daredevil, contacted by Clea, knows his limitations. Like Daimon Hellstrom, however, Daredevil
deduces Clea's message isn't a deception. To Daredevil's enemies, the Defenders' existence is
unknown, after all!
The Defenders, famously, is a “non-team”. Is a prerequisite of a non-team that its existence isn't
public knowledge? To Daredevil's foes, the FF & the Avengers can't be unknowns. I thought, a non-
team's a loose affiliation, not officially tied together, or established. The Champions being another
obvious example. Are the New X-Men & the Guardians of the Galaxy non-teams? Enough,
already – that way madness lies!
Unfortunately, overwhelmed by her psychic connection's strain, Clea collapses. With a more prosaic
solution, Bruce Banner “cuts the Gordian knot” of this communication problem. Put simply,
Banner 'phones Luke Cage, at “Hero For Hire”!
Returning to spotlighting the characters...
Luke Cage, sensing DD behind him before hornhead taps him on the shoulder, Daredevil declares:
“This fellow's street sense is as keenly honed as my radar sense”, In this story, parallelism's a
repeated method. This is the first parallel ( DD's radar-sense & Cage's 'street sense' ! )
Suddenly, Daimon Hellstrom's fiery chariot touches down, spooking Cage and Daredevil.
With his trident, Hellstrom looks exactly like...( the Devil – but it's left unsaid! ) Daredevil explains,
scanning the Son of Satan with his radar-sense. Second parallel DareDEVIL, with horns on his
head, having made that remark!
Daredevil's concentric circles radar-sense also detects 2 heart beats within Daimon Hellstrom.
A violent, demonic, second self, which Hellstrom holds in check is his second heart beat!
( To repeat, like ROM's energy analyzer, Daredevil's radar-sense makes other characters more
interesting to readers! )
In the 1980s, two personas(ae?) within one character was nothing special (Johnny Blaze/Zarathos
springs to mind ); but, in the 1970s...quite novel! Daimon Hellstrom's gaining the reader's interest,
with Steve Gerber drip-feeding information about him. Explaining it all at once, in an 'exposition
dump', wouldn't be half as effective!
Son of Satan rings Dr.Strange's Greenwich Village house's doorbell; Clea opens the door, and all
three heroes enter...
Dr Strange's Greenwich Village house?
I reckon that's it, Phillip, the difference between a super-hero team, and a non-team - there was an Avengers Mansion, and a Champions Building in LA. They had a headquarters... but the Defenders had to meet round Dr Strange's gaff.
-sean
Sean - yes, exactly. Greenwich Village - Beatnik central. Jack Kerouac eat your heart out!
Phillip
I've just finished watching the first six series of RED DWARF on BBC iPlayer, originally broadcast from 1988 to 1993, and in the final episode the crew meet their future selves including Dave Lister who has been reduced to a brain in a jar following an accident. SMEG!!
Phillip, I think The Defenders were meant to be the only non-team in Marveldom so I was surprised you considered The Champions, Guardians Of The Galaxy and The All-New, All-Different X-Men as non-teams!
Was it the Sons Of The Serpent saga where a woman says she eats dog food so she can afford to feed her baby? That shocked me at the time but I've looked at the price of dog food and it seems to be more expensive than human food (not that I own a dog)!
Ok, just finished my re-read of the Sons of the Serpent arc. Broad-strokes thoughts:
I do like having DD, Yellowjacket, Daimon Hellstrom and Luke Cage as temporary ‘auxiliary’ Defenders. They all play off of the “regulars” nicely. Both Hellstrom and Cage can sometimes come off very headstrong and almost unpleasant in group settings but Gerber is careful not to let either of them get too abrasive, and without “weakening” their personalities. Way to thread that needle, Steve!
Art-wise, I’m not as keen on young Bob McLeod’s inks over Our Pal Sal’s pencils as Phillip is. To me it looks like McLeod was trying to follow the Klaus Janson/Tom Palmer approach, adding complicated lighting and zipatone effects, but he needed more experience to do it properly. It looks okay (definitely better than, say, Esposito or Colletta) but I preferred Dan Green (on issues 17 and 18) and Jack Abel (on 12 and 25) — they weren’t trying to “transform” Sal’s pencils, just give them a nice, snappy “clean” finish.
Story-wise, oof — I’m bummed that Gerber used basically the same “shocking surprise twist” Roy Thomas employed on that first Sons of the Serpent story in THE AVENGERS. Having Nighthawk’s black Head of Finance be the power behind the Serpents feels really wrong. Gerber should have just let the white supremacist assholes be white supremacist assholes.
Speaking of which — my big, sad take-away from this arc is that 50 years ago, the President’s dipshit henchmen weren’t openly seig heil-ing their followers in public, on camera. And getting away with it.
b.t.
Would DC’s VALIDUS be a SPEAKING BRAIN? That guy is seared in to my head since like 1967 when I read one of my cousin’s LEGION OF SUPERHEROES!
COLIN-At the time, the US was rife with stories of poor elderly only being able to afford dog food for meat.
They must have been poor and dumb too because peanut butter was cheaper.
BT - 50 years ago the Prsident’s henchmen were Nixon’s. They pretty much rallied around him to the man. Fortunately, not all!
PHILLIP! ! A heroic effort! Thanks for catching me up!!! CH!
Charlie (?) :
My point is that if someone like Haldeman or Erlichman (or Agnew or Haig or Mitchell) had been caught on videotape giving an actual Nazi Salute to a boisterous crowd while Nixon was still in office, the resulting public outcry would have forced them to resign in disgrace, at the very least.
I’m not saying that things were “better” in 1975. If you were anything but a straight white male, they really WEREN’T. But at least the President wasn’t cozying up to the Soviets, threatening our allies and all but tearing up the Constitution.
b.t.
Great minds think alike! I have been rereading the Defenders this week.
Starting from issue #1 and now I'm in the Gerber era.
It's like chicken soup for the soul.
Gerber's writing was like that. It made me feel okay about being a human being.
Somewhat...
Of course, he also wrote about how easy it is the get fed up with human beings, like when the Hulk would occasionally throw some clown in a lake or over the horizon.
M.P.
Charlie - And you've still got my final Defenders "chunk" to suffer through! Colin - Yes, the living conditions of that girl Val/Barbara rescued from the ghetto were pretty appalling! b.t. - Your points also relate to my final "chunk", so I'll address them after that! M.P. - It must be Gerber Defenders telepathy, across the Atlantic!
Phillip
Part 3: Parallelisms (more); Defenders 24's cliffhanger – and concluding remarks!
According to Bruce Banner, locating the Serpents' headquarters is paramount. Dr.Strange being absent, Banner's acting like Reed Richards ( the brains of the outfit / organising people.) He's already told Clea to summon reinforcements!
Sceptical Luke Cage resembles Ben Grimm, with Reed Richards. To Cage, beating somebody up is preferable! Turns out, a Serpent Son's available, Yellowjacket having captured one, last issue ( Dr.Strange's spell had immobilsed this goon! )
Steve Gerber abruptly crosscuts to an unconscious Dr.Strange, alongside wide awake Yellowjacket and Nighthawk ( Dr.Strange, Yellowjacket and Nighthawk, remember, are bound to pillars, by coiled, Asclepius-like, metal serpents – the Valkyrie broke free, but got blasted! )
A parallel manages Gerber's abrupt transition. The narrator points out Dr.Strange's condition's similarity with the the captive serpent's ( back at Greenwich Village.) Both unconscious/catatonic?
This is parallel no.3! Parallelism, parallelism, parallelism!
Why is only Dr.Strange unconscious, Nighthawk and Val taking the same blast from the Serpents' guns, asks Yellowjacket? Nighthawk explains his strength doubles at night (similar to Marc Spector? ) - and Yellowjacket saw how strong Val is ( the only Defender who broke the Serpents' bonds.) Exposition highlighting powers, is good – every story being somebody's first story! Dr. Strange, in contrast, is physically “only human” - like Yellowjacket, Nighthawk declares.
In response to Nighthawk's patronizing Yellowjacket being “only human”, like Dr.Strange, comment, YZ shrinks to insect-size, easily escaping his coils! Nighthawk's “only human” comment being a “set-up line”, for Yellowjacket to show what he can do! Some readers might be unfamiliar with Yellowjacket's powers! Yellowjacket's ankle sprain, sustained last issue ( in an outstanding framing sequence! ) still pains him, however.
Regaining normal size, Yellowjacket pulls at Nighthawk's coils, whilst Kyle Richmond pushes – but to no avail! Yellowjacket declares he'll get help (maybe the Hulk! ) Retaliating for Nighthawk's earlier “only human” jibe, Yellowjacket calls millionaire Kyle Richmond a “spoiled rich brat” !
Unfortunately, the Atlantic ocean floor's their place of captivity, Yellowjacket discovers! A villain's clutches being escaped, only to meet another, insurmountable obstacle (or so it seems! ) is a classic trope. Like when Tony Stark, escaped Justin Hammer's compound, using Cap-taught karate, only to find a mid-ocean platform, is the compound's location! Or, in X-Men # 112, when the Beast escapes Magneto's circus wagon, only to discover it's flying at 80,000ft, outpacing jet fighters! Or, Iron Man & Thor learning Zodiac's barn/warehouse is in orbit above the Earth! But I digress...
Back in Greenwich Village, Bruce “who made you leader?” Banner asks Daimon Hellstrom to “unhypnotize” their captive Serpent, so he can be interrrogated! Daimon Hellstrom tells the Serpent goon:
“Your mind...is my mind....
Your thoughts, my thoughts, etc”
This being the Vulcan mind meld, totally eluded me, as a kid!
Unfortunately, the Serpents' goon's mind's filled with gibberish/nonsense, in case he got “deprogrammed”!
Daimon Hellstrom being unsuccessful, Luke Cage's direct approach involves throwing the Serpent across the room, and threatening to ram his knuckles down the goon's throat!
Suddenly, Elena, a girl Val rescued from the Serpents, interrupts Cage, summoning the Defenders to a TV. The Serpents have interrupted normal transmission, to burn Val at the stake, on live TV, tied
Phillip, thanks for the topic. That certainly was an in-depth dive into it. Do the imp and/or the fawn turn up in this era? I can't remember.
Bt, speaking brains? I think the evil brain in the movie The Brain from the Planet Arous was in the habit of speaking.
to an inverted cross!
Watching this horrific scene first, Jack Norris, Val / Barb's former husband flips out, blaming the Defenders! Norris fulfils the Kitty Pryde family role, in other words!
The final scene. Burning at the stake, Val's hair's about to catch fire – and Daredevil's being borne to the flames to join her! A cliffhanger ending – or what!!!?
To adults, this Defenders comic's basic, I know. But to 8 year old me, it was absolutely terrific – a landmark Defenders issue! As an 8 year old kid, I never read the follow-up issue, to this story, leaving me bitterly disappointed. One of my biggest cliffhanger disappointments!
I forgot to discuss the cover! Comparing Rampage # 23's American cover (Defenders # 24), to its UK one, Rampage # 23's is superior. The U.S. cover's cropped tighter, giving readers less of Luke Cage's right arm & shoulder. Besides, on the U.S. Cover, the serpent coils the Defenders are
restrained by are brown, whereas Rampage # 23 employs metallic blue – which is more realistic.
Luke Cage, manages to 'loom', at the Hulk's side, despite being much smaller than Jade-jaws; yet Cage appears flat & 2-dimensional, somehow.
Whilst not exactly gracile on the cover, Yellowjacket, with his mournful glance towards Val, is less than macho. ( Looking that way,Yellowjacket evokes a later Avengers # 196 letters page complaint that Wonderman resembled Cheryl Tiegs, in Avengers # 192! But, I digress...) What compensates for a sub-macho Yellowjacket is Daredevil's aggressively determined cover appearance!
Decades later, I got the follow-up to Rampage # 23's cliffhanger. Unfortunately, it disappointed me – big style. Rather than Bob McLeod's great inks, average Jack Abel took over. Bob McLeod, the Defenders' best inker so far, was only 'filling in' for Rampage # 23, it turned out! Why not keep McLeod?
Moreover, Hellstrom & Cage's dramatic vanishing act, next issue, isn't akin to Jim Shooter's shocking disappearances, in the Avengers. Unfortunately, Steve Gerber's just using Daimon & Luke for Strange & Nighthawk's rescue, from the Serpents' coils. Why unfortunately? Well, plot-wise, Yellowjacket's earlier escape, and rescue mission's made totally redundant by that! Why should Gerber send Yellowjacket, then have Cage & Hellstrom do Pym's job for him?
Is Luke Cage's strength “super” ? Or is Cage just invulnerable ( “steel hard skin” ), with slightly increased strength? The evidence in Marvel varies. Here, breaking the serpent's bonds requires Luke Cage pulling, whilst Nighthawk (his strength doubled at night) pushes, simultaneously. Val,
in contrast, broke the serpents' bonds, on her own! Here's a mathematical equation: Luke Cage's strength = ( Val's – Nighthawk's! ) In mathematical terms, a logical fallacy, I'm sure! Yet, in the Fantasticar, Cage & the Thing's exo-skeleton were duking it out, on even terms, a few months later!
Back in New York, (minus Hellstrom & Cage, who vanished) the Hulk & Daredevil's mission to rescue Val's pretty redundant, too. After all, a crowd of public-spirited citizens, inspired by Val's husband, Jack Norriss, chase off the Sons of the Serpents, burning Val at the stake!
Worse still, the story's finale's the same 'twist ending' as when the Avengers fought the Sons of the Serpent, before. Discovering the leader of the white, racist Sons of the Serpents, is actually...
And, that's not even mentioning that daft elf, drawing a gun!
Shocked at this horrific spectacle, each Defender (apart from Daredevil who can't see) responds with their own distinct/individual exclamation. Clea: “Eyes of Oshtur!”; Hellstrom: “By the Hadean chimes!”; Banner: “Great Scott!”; Cage: “Sweet Sister!” This, albeit very simple, is an economical technique of individuating these characters, for 8 year old readers. Daredevil's negative exclamation also says 'something', by omission, regarding his personal challenges as a character.
Do our superheroes' exclamations have another function? Well – obviously, the exclamations create dramatic tension! Anticipating the scene they are about to see, readers are filled with dread...!
This highly dramatic scene's depicted, by Sal Buscema & Bob McLeod, on a big tv screen, along with the Serpent Supreme's dramatic monologue!
Banner, enraged at Val's plight, transforms into the Hulk, with Daredevil's radar-sense describing this monstrous metamorphosis, for new readers' benefit. Also, Hellstrom's second heart's beating almost as loud as his first, after viewing Val on the screen, DD's radar-sense tells us! Even street-hardened Cage suddenly breathes heavily! A radar-sense is a useful device, making other characters' reactions interesting to readers ( ROM's energy analyzer functions in the same way! ) Following the enraged Hulk, the Defenders rush to Val's rescue, with all possible speed!
Suddenly, en route, Daimon Hellstrom, and Cage (who's travelling with him) disappear, being swallowed up, by a hole in the air! Heroes vanishing at a crucial point in the action, is something we'll see again, in Jim Shooter's Avengers. The Collector was the mystery culprit on that occasion. Although, possibly Thor disappeared for a different reason – I forget.
The absence of Cage and Hellstrom leaves a massively outnumbered Hulk and Daredevil battling the Sons of the Serpent! ( It's like Black Bolt going missing whenever a villain first attacks the inhumans! )
Fighting 2 Serpents simultaneously, Daredevil's felled from behind, by a third! Ambushing Daredevil should be impossible, because of his radar-sense. At least Steve Gerber has Daredevil “hang a light on” this inconsistency ( “Blast! I wasn't listening, scanning behind me...”), as DD
fades into unconsciousness.
The Hulk's also defeated, with a specially designed pistol, used to blind him!
Was Daredevil only in this story so - the Hulk being blinded - parallels can be drawn with DD? (A tried & tested device, like Spider-man being blinded, whilst teamed with Daredevil, in UK Spidey Comic # 333? )
How many parallelisms in this Defenders issue, so far? 1.) “This fellow's street sense is as keenly honed as my radar sense” 2.) With his trident, Hellstrom looks exactly like...( the Devil – but it's left unsaid! ) Daredevil explains, scanning Son of Satan with his radar-sense. 3.) A parallel
manages an abrupt Steve Gerber transition, the narrator pointing out Dr.Strange's condition's (unconscious /catatonic? ) similarity with the captive serpent's ( back at Greenwich Village.) And now, parallel # 4.) The Hulk blinded, teamed with Daredevil !
Steve Gerber's gloss on the blinding's as follows:
“The irony of it is all too bitter. The massive Hulk...felled by a weapon which would have had no effect on the far less powerful Daredevil,” etc. The special pistol presumably blinded the Hulk with light (?)
Parallelism (unspoken) adds “depth” to stories. In Jim Shooter's Avengers, the Whizzer and Iron Man have heart conditions - Iron Man doesn't discuss his! Wonder Man's and Captain America were both resurrected – one lacks self-belief, whilst the other's the exact opposite. To repeat, parallelism's
“layering”, gives writers more play.
Oh – in next issue's finale, Steve Gerber provides a final parallel, for good measure. Daimon Hellstrom's a son of the original serpent (Satan), in the Garden of Eden. Maybe Gerber's parallelism overdosed in this story ( less is more, perhaps? )
Back to Rampage # 23...
Phil--
There are no coincidences!
Merely the illusion, as V for Vendetta would say.
We could all use a little Gerber right now, and before you post any quips, Sean, I'm not talking about the baby food.
Although I could go for some applesauce about now...
M.P.
Back to Rampage # 23...
The final scene. Burning at the stake, Val's hair's about to catch fire – and Daredevil's being borne to the flames to join her! A cliffhanger ending – or what!!!?
To adults, this Defenders comic's basic, I know. But to 8 year old me, it was absolutely terrific – a landmark Defenders issue! As an 8 year old kid, I never read the follow-up issue, to this story, leaving me bitterly disappointed. One of my biggest cliffhanger disappointments!
I forgot to discuss the cover! Comparing Rampage # 23's American cover (Defenders # 24), to its UK one, Rampage # 23's is superior. The U.S. cover's cropped tighter, giving readers less of Luke Cage's right arm & shoulder. Besides, on the U.S. Cover, the serpent coils the Defenders are
restrained by are brown, whereas Rampage # 23 employs metallic blue – which is more realistic.
Luke Cage, manages to 'loom', at the Hulk's side, despite being much smaller than Jade-jaws; yet Cage appears flat & 2-dimensional, somehow.
Whilst not exactly gracile on the cover, Yellowjacket, with his mournful glance towards Val, is less than macho. ( Looking that way,Yellowjacket evokes a later Avengers # 196 letters page complaint that Wonderman resembled Cheryl Tiegs, in Avengers # 192! But, I digress...) What compensates for a sub-macho Yellowjacket is Daredevil's aggressively determined cover appearance!
Decades later, I got the follow-up to Rampage # 23's cliffhanger. Unfortunately, it disappointed me – big style. Rather than Bob McLeod's great inks, average Jack Abel took over. Bob McLeod, the Defenders' best inker so far, was only 'filling in' for Rampage # 23, it turned out! Why not keep McLeod?
Moreover, Hellstrom & Cage's dramatic vanishing act, next issue, isn't akin to Jim Shooter's shocking disappearances, in the Avengers. Unfortunately, Steve Gerber's just using Daimon & Luke for Strange & Nighthawk's rescue, from the Serpents' coils. Why unfortunately? Well, plot-wise, Yellowjacket's earlier escape, and rescue mission's made totally redundant by that! Why should Gerber send Yellowjacket, then have Cage & Hellstrom do Pym's job for him?
Is Luke Cage's strength “super” ? Or is Cage just invulnerable ( “steel hard skin” ), with slightly increased strength? The evidence in Marvel varies. Here, breaking the serpent's bonds requires Luke Cage pulling, whilst Nighthawk (his strength doubled at night) pushes, simultaneously. Val,
in contrast, broke the serpents' bonds, on her own! Here's a mathematical equation: Luke Cage's strength = ( Val's – Nighthawk's! ) In mathematical terms, a logical fallacy, I'm sure! Yet, in the Fantasticar, Cage & the Thing's exo-skeleton were duking it out, on even terms, a few months later!
Back in New York, (minus Hellstrom & Cage, who vanished) the Hulk & Daredevil's mission to rescue Val's pretty redundant, too. After all, a crowd of public-spirited citizens, inspired by Val's husband, Jack Norriss, chase off the Sons of the Serpents, burning Val at the stake!
Worse still, the story's finale's the same 'twist ending' as when the Avengers fought the Sons of the Serpent, before. Discovering the leader of the white, racist Sons of the Serpents, is actually...
And, that's not even mentioning that daft elf, drawing a gun!
Nevertheless, despite this ending, the penultimate issue - Defenders # 24 - is a masterpiece. Read that - and don't worry about the finale!
Considering Steve Gerber's deftness handling multiple characters simultaneously, his not writing the Avengers or the X-Men (at least once) perhaps missed an opportunity, to test Gerber's writing chops, readers might think.
Maybe the Avengers – a more mainstream, less surreal title – never fell Steve Gerber's way, despite him handling multiple characters with such deftness, because surreal stuff always tempted Gerber, along the way.
Remember, in Steve Gerber's Daredevil, the 'Egg of Life' spilling 'yolk' on Terrex's head, despite Gerber's integrating Captain Marvel and Moon-dragon into Daredevil, with such panache? Don't get me wrong, Steve Gerber's surrealism – used correctly – is powerful. The mighty Thing playing those weird pan pipes ( in Defenders # 20 / Rampage # 19 - a few issues ago) proved a very memorable image. That said, Cosmic 'egg on your face', and elves firing guns, aren't Avengers material, more likely than not!
For me, Rampage # 23 was a favourite. But are such old comics relevant, to today's young people? After all, for many modern kids, Marvel movies alone represent Marvel's 'real' world. Here, I contend, Rampage # 23 (Defenders # 24) demonstrates old comics' relevance, even for modern Marvelites!
Steve Gerber's Luke Cage and Daredevil, integrated into this Defenders storyline, after all, isn't totally lost on posterity. How so? Well, in Disney's on-screen Defenders, which Defenders appear? Namor & the Surfer aren't included - Luke Cage & Daredevil, however, are! That's ending on an
optimistic note, for a landmark Defenders issue!
Phillip
Steve - I know it's long, but I read stuff over several sittings (particularly when I can't get to sleep) and possibly other people do, too! I think you're thinking of the elf, brandishing a pistol!
b.t. - Your points...
I'm selective, with my Marvel memories. I said McLeod was the Defenders' best inker, up to that point. I'd never read Claremont's Dan Green-inked issue! I should have written: "The best inked Defenders I'd read, personally." ( I do that a lot. I remember Englehart's Avengers never had the Vision use his density changing powers - but he DID, in an issue I missed, in that run! )
I remember Dan Green as 2nd string, seeing him ink Byrne's Avengers (Sodium, etc) - compared to Terry Austin inking Byrne's X-Men. Unfair, perhaps. In black & white, however, a "heavier" inker benefits Sal Buscema's pencils. To me, Jack Abel just wasn't "enough". Nevertheless, different strokes for different folks ( "The world don't move to the beat of just one drum" ; D )
I totally agree about recycling the "twist" ending.
Regarding abrasiveness, in most superhero teams one character's a "hot-head"/unstable. In the Defenders, in contrast, Dr.Strange is the only character who isn't potentially unstable!
Colin - I think you're right. Wasn't the Defenders tag-line, "Marvel's only non-team" ? I forget.
Phillip
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