Defenders, The #73: Review

Jul 1979

Ed Hannigan, Herb Trimpe

Story Name:

Of Wizards, Shadows and Kings

Review & Comments

Rating:

Defenders, The #73 Review by Peter Silvestro (October 11, 2023)

Review: And now we’re out. And not a moment too soon considering the awkward perspective on the cover. So the heroes fight some more monsters, meet a wizard who talks like Yoda while predating him by about a year, and then Arisen Tyrk gets it all together (literally) and there’s a wizard battle. Cool. And then they all go home, Nighthawk taking the lead in his subplot for a change, and the next story arc is set up. All in a day’s work for the heroes. Pretty cool issue with the sword and sorcery stuff.

Comments: Part four of four parts. The Defenders return to Tunnelworld in issue #78 and stay for a long time. Final appearance of Lunatik in this book; he dies in MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #172 while another version of him continues; that guy has his own book: LUNATIK (1995). The Lunatiks sing “Come Together” by the Beatles but Clea gets to hear “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum. First appearance of Xhoohx; he returns in issues #81-82. This is the second Foolkiller, Gregory Salinger, introduced in OMEGA THE UNKNOWN #8-9. John Costanza did the lettering for page 1.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Defenders, The #73 Synopsis by Will Pilgrim

On the other side of a tunnel world, the Defenders, with a captured Lunatik, seek refuge in the city-fortress of the master magician Xhoohx, from an unrelenting evil dubbed by Doctor Strange as "The Unnameable". They seek a way to return to Earth and a solution to the dilemma of Arisen Tyrk, god-king of the distant "other realm" whose being has been separated into fragments in the form of the Lunatik himself and that of the Nilffim, a band of vicious air-raiders. The Defenders are attacked on the road by multiple-armed monsters, whom are easily overpowered by a Hulk "Smash". They reach the fortress of Xhoohx, which they discover to be unguarded. As they enter the fantastic sight of an inner-world of alien beauty, they are welcomed by Xhoohx, whom Doc Strange asks to help imprison Arisen Tyrk in the form of their captives Xhoohx agrees and performs a spell which merges the Lunatik and Nilffim into the combined form of Arisen Tyrk, who easily battles through the Defenders. On top of the highest parapet of Xhoohx's city, Tyrk challenges the Unnamed (and reveals that he was once a servant to it, in his various forms as storm monster and lunatic). Hulk, Nighthawk, and Hellcat attempt to stop him, but are ineffective. Finally, Valkyrie fares against him as a worthy opponent, knocking Tyrk into the Mystic Rings of Ragadorr rendering him unconscious. Xhoohx explains that it was the Unnamed's intent for Arisen Tyrk to challenge its power, but his defeat does not mark the end of the battle against the unnamed. Xhoohx urges the Defenders to depart back to Earth and they comply. Once back in their dimension, Doc Strange departs to aide Xhoohx, and Hulk goes off to be alone where it is quiet. He wonders why he stays with the Defenders, when all he wants to be is alone; and then questions why being alone hurts. Back at Empire University, The Foolkiller appears seeking out the Lunatik, a.k.a. Professor Harrison Turk.

Characters: Defenders, Dr. Strange, Valkyrie, Nighthawk, Hellcat, Hulk, Clea, Ledge, Dollar Bill, Foolkiller II