Defenders, The #88: Review

Oct 1980

Ed Hannigan, Pablo Marcos

Story Name:

Lord of the Whales

Review & Comments

Rating:

Defenders, The #88 Review by Peter Kowalchick (May 7, 2024)

Strange WTC/hijacking/plane connection. A strange issue, as nothing much happens and Russian sailors grab bottles of vodka to take on their lifeboats which they make molotov cocktails to fight off a giant squid, not to mention a WTC/hijacking connection. Huh. This issue has a subscription ad featuring a well spoken Hulk. Also ads for Hulk Mego dolls, and a plush Hulk toy.

Additional comments by Peter Silvestro. Nighthawk jokes about trademarking “Up, up, and away!” one of Superman’s familiar phrases. And he is addressed as Nightwing by a reporter, for another nod to DC. The letters page includes one by Photon the Unforgiving, likely not the name on their birth certificate.

From Our Blog:

Gwen Stacy, beauty queen of Standard High School, was Peter Parker's (alias Spider-Man) first great love.

Gwen Stacy: Classic Beauty

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Defenders, The #88 Synopsis by Peter Kowalchick

At Nighthawk's Long Island factory Valkyrie hold the Defenders air-car aloft while workmen repair it from its recent ordeals. Hellcat flirts with one of the workers and nearly causes an accident but is saved by Nighthawk in his civilian attire. Nighthawks lawyer calls telling him the injunction against using his powers and costume has been lifted and he may fly again. Nighthawk is happy about this and , Val, and Hellcat go to join Bruce Banner on Nighthawk's luxury yacht off the Hamptons while he goes flying to celebrate. Bruce overlooks the water contemplatively when a whale appears and charges the boat, lifting Bruce onto its back. It is the whale the Hulk saved in issue #75 and takes Bruce to a whale hunting boat in action. The stress causes Bruce to become the Hulk. Meanwhile, Hellcat and Val find Bruces glasses on the yachts deck and think hes fallen into the water. At this time, Hellcats mother has entered the hospital and is very sick. Val and Hellcat find the Hulk on the deck of the whaling boat confronting the captain who has a hatred for whales. One of the crew attacks the Hulk with a harpoon. He is so enraged that he rips a whole straight through the boat causing it to begin sinking and the crew escapes on lifeboats with Val and Hellcat. Nighthawk is out enjoying flying past the World Trade center and flies past a plane being hi jacked. He boards then plane, defeats the hijackers and manages to land the crashing plane. The survivors from the boat sinking are attacked by a giant squid and aided by Hellcat the sailors fight off the squid by throwing vodka-made molotov cocktails at it. The Hulk and Val appear on the back of a wall and the captain decides he has had enough of the sea. Nighthawk goes to visit his lawyer who is with Matt Murdock where he find out he is being indicted for alleged financial improprieties.