Comic Browser:

#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15
#16
#17
#18
#19
#20
#21
#22
#23
#24
#25
Selector

Defenders, The #7: Review

Aug 1973
Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema

Story Name:

War Beneath The Waves

Review & Comments

Rating:
4.5 stars

Defenders, The #7 Review by (February 18, 2018)
In his 7th Defenders issue, artist (penciler) Sal Buscema produces what will be called the definitive classic look of the Savage Hulk for the first time. That same style will adorn the pages of the Hulk book almost a year and a half later when Sal becomes its regular artist - starting with issue #194 (December 1975). Sal will stay as the Hulk artist for about 10 years, the largest stint of a Hulk artist to date.




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Defenders, The #7 Synopsis by Julio Molina-Muscara
Image from Defenders, The #7
Hawkeye follows the Hulk to Doctor Strange's mansion but the green giant gets upset and menaces to smash him. Valkyrie and the Sub-Mariner are nearby, and after a violent introduction, they explain Hawkeye that they are the Defenders. Since he just left the Avengers (seen in flashbacks), Hawkeye likes the idea of joining the team.

Wong welcomes the group to the mansion. Suddenly, an Atlantean shows up to inform Prince Namor that Attuma is planning an attack to Atlantic City. Valkyrie, Hulk and Hawkeye join the Sub-Mariner in stopping Attuma. The underwater villain landlord arrives with his men on a giant crab-looking underwater transport which comes out on a public beach causing a panic.

As the Defenders battle Attuma's men and giant sea creatures, Namor goes against their leader but he's stunned by a porpoises attack and locked in shackles that sap his might. Attuma threatens to slaughter Namor unless the heroes give up, which they do.

Meanwhile, some of Attuma's henchmen capture an old man and his wife. They are taken inside the ship along the Defenders. But Hulk leaps away (he refuses to live through another underwater experience as he recently did - Incredible Hulk #164 and #165).

The villain takes his kidnapped victims to his new underwater city - sealed within a capsule so its atmosphere is like Earth's, where they meet the Red Ghost. He controlled the sea beasts and with the aid of the kidnapped old man, Dr. Jennings, the world's foremost marine biologist, he plans to control all sea porpoises to create an army, conquer Atlantis and the surface world.

Val and Hawkeye are locked in prisons but they ingeniously break free. After making their path through Attuma's henchmen and rescuing Dr. Jennings, the Red Ghost sends them the Sub-Mariner who is under his mental control!

In flashbacks (in order of appearance): Scarlet Witch, Vision, Champion, Daredevil, Black Widow, Thor, Black Panther, Zzzax.

Preview Pages
Click sample interior pages to enlarge them:




Sal Buscema
Frank Bolle
Glynis Wein
John Romita (Cover Penciler)
John Romita (Cover Inker)
Letterer: June Braverman.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange

(Stephen Strange)
Hawkeye
Hawkeye

(Clint Barton)
Hulk
Hulk

(Bruce Banner)
Valkyrie
Valkyrie

(Brunnhilda)



> Defenders, The: Book info and issue index

Share This Page


Elektra