The Defenders are a set of fictional superhero groups with rotating membership appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders" who, in their prior adventures, are known for following their own agendas. The team often battle mystic and supernatural threats.
Its original incarnation was led by Doctor Strange and included Hulk, Namor, and—eventually—Silver Surfer. They first appeared as the Defenders in Marvel Feature #1 (Dec. 1971).
The group had a rotating line-up from 1972 until 1986, with Dr. Strange and the Hulk being usually constant members along with a number of other mainstays such as Valkyrie, Nighthawk, Hellcat, Gargoyle, She Hulk, Beast, Daredevil and Luke Cage, and many temporary members. The publication was retitled near the end of the run as The New Defenders but featured none of the original members and only Valkyrie, Beast and the Gargoyle of the former long-term members. The concept was modified in the 1993–95 series Secret Defenders, in which Dr. Strange assembled different teams for each individual mission. The original team was reunited in a short-lived 2001 series by Kurt Busiek and Erik Larsen. In 2005 Marvel published a five-issue miniseries featuring the classic line-up by J. M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen and Kevin Maguire. In December 2011 writer Matt Fraction and artist Terry Dodson launched a Defenders series with a mixture of classic and new members, which lasted for 12 issues.
In other Media[]
- The Defenders appear in The Super Hero Squad Show animated series episode "Invader From the Dark Dimension". In that episode Baron Mordo took control of Iron Man's body, and the uncaptured squad members (Thor, Hulk, Silver Surfer, Mrs. Marvel) teamed up with Doctor Strange and Valkyrie to solve the problem. And Silver Surfer suggests that they use the name: Defenders.
- The four founding members of the Defenders each play a role in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. The Silver Surfer can be unlocked with a special code (available to those who pre-ordered the game through specific outlets) or by completing all Comic Book Missions. Both Doctor Strange and Namor are NPC-Striker characters in the Game Boy Advance version, though the former is a playable character in most platforms. In all other versions, Bruce Banner originally only appears as an NPC character who aids the heroes in defusing a gamma bomb, though the Hulk was subsequently released as an optional downloadable playable character in the Xbox 360 version. Namor plays a prominent part in the storyline, when the player must assist in averting an uprising in Atlantis, rescuing Namor from the prison of air he has been trapped in and defeating the Atlanteans under Attuma and Tiger Shark's control. The player can get a Defenders team bonus for having Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer, Luke Cage, Iceman, and the Hulk or a Secret Defenders team bonus by using Ghost Rider, the Hulk, the Silver Surfer, and Doctor Strange.
- The Defenders appear in Marvel Avengers Academy, modelled after their appearances in the Netflix series, consisting of Colleen Wing, Daredevil, Hellcat, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Misty Knight.
- The Defenders appear in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, modelled after their appearances in the Netflix series, consisting of Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Elektra as playable characters and Jessica Jones as a non-playable character.