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Selector

Defenders #98

Aug 1981
J. M. DeMatteis, Joe Sinnott

Story Name:

The Hand Closes!


Synopsis

Defenders #98 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 3 stars

At the Sanctum Sanctorum, Wong takes a phone call for Doctor Strange just as the Defenders (Strange, Valkyrie, Hellcat, Nighthawk, Son of Satan, Gargoyle, Devil-Slayer) teleport in from their visit to Israel. Strange picks up the phone to find Captain America on the other end. Cap tells Strange that the President had called the Avengers (Iron Man, Wonder Man, Beast) to investigate something bizarre in Florida and they have arrived in Citrusville, Florida, which has been turned into a chasm in the shape of a six-fingered hand. Dr. Strange alerts the others, explaining how the town sits next to the swamp which is the Nexus of Realities, which could bode ill if the Six-Fingered Hand is messing around there. They makes plans to leave at once but they are interrupted by Nighthawk, whose paralysis had returned with the death of David Kessler (last issue). Kyle announces he is leaving the non-team as his disability limits what he can do; he will miss his friends and will always be there for them but he has hired a full-time nurse and he moves out….

At the ruined home of Patsy Walker in Montclair, New Jersey, some kids are playing in the rubble and one discovers Patsy’s Shadow Cloak. It swallows him up and he vanishes, only for a reptilian figure to rise in his place. The other kids run away….

The Defenders suddenly appear in Florida, surprising the Avengers. They discover the hand-shaped chasm is rapidly expanding and Strange asks Cap to give them one hour to see what’s going on before they take any action. The Defenders find the edge of the chasm but Hellcat suddenly grows seductive, flirting with Daimon Hellstrom and mocking him; she then comes to herself and cries, which Dr. Strange attributes to the residue of the demon Avarrish in her (or maybe something worse, which he keeps to himself). They then see a rent in the Nexus of Realities which threatens to engulf all creation. They are then confronted by a giant Man-Thing, possessed by the demon Unnthinnk; there is a battle with Demon Manny striking down the stronger members of the non-team. Strange sends his astral form into Man-Thing to confront the demon face-to-ace but Unnthinnk is able to defeat him easily—until Ted Sallis, the human at the center of Man-Thing, arrives and, powered by Strange, he defeats the demon. Strange offers Sallis the opportunity to have his consciousness control the shambling monster but he declines, preferring things getting worse. Strange emerges and the now normal Man-Thing wanders off on his way….

Dr. Strange then proposes they enter the rift in the Nexus to deal with the problem at the source; Hellstrom warns that chaos could result but the heroes decide to take that chance. They enter…

…and find themselves in a strange world of impossible imagery. They also notice that Hellcat is missing. A giant six-fingered hand appears, directing them to a certain horrific dimension where they discover the demons of the Six-Fingered Hand in their own realm. They are greeted by the chairman Maya who shows them several familiar figures trapped inside mystic spheres: Hulk, Sub-Mariner, Clea, and the Silver Surfer….



 

Review / Commentaries


Defenders #98 Review by (July 16, 2024)

Review: The unthinkable happens! Man-Thing becomes an actual character to be dealt with! Sort of! And also the comic creators don’t say this stuff out loud! Yes, a demon with a silly name takes over Man-Thing and Dr. Strange must summon the spirit of Ted Sallis to fight for him. It doesn’t make a lot of sense but on a subject like this they can make it up as they go along and try to explain it retroactively on one of those pages crammed with blocks of exposition no one reads except people like me who have to read it to be able to summarize it. So we makes the sacrifices for your reading enjoyment. Please send money!

And the madness continues next issue with the other three original Defenders coming back to prepare for issue #100!

Comments: Part five of seven parts. Nighthawk officially resigns from the Defenders, though he still appears through issue #103, even being the center of #102. First appearance of Kyle’s nurse, Luann Bloom, who will have some surprises over the next several issues. Hellcat took the Shadow Cloak from Agent of Fortune in issue #60. A kid mentions “Mandrake,” referring to MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN, a comic strip featuring a magical hero, which ran from 1934-2013, predating Doctor Strange. Finished art by Joe Sinnott and Sal Trapani.  



> Defenders comic book info and issue index

Elektra

Excelsioring your collection:
Diamond Select Toys Marvel Gallery: Beast PVC Figure, Multicolor
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Joe Sinnott
Joe Sinnott
George Roussos
Marshall Rogers (Cover Penciler)
Marshall Rogers (Cover Inker)
George Roussos (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Layouts: Don Perlin. Letterer: Jim Novak.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Beast
Beast

(Henry Phillip McCoy)
Captain America
Captain America

(Steven Rogers)
Devil-Slayer
Devil-Slayer

(Eric Payne)
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange

(Stephen Strange)
Gargoyle
Gargoyle

(Isaac Christians)
Hellcat
Hellcat

(Patricia Walker)
Hulk
Hulk

(Robert Bruce Banner)
Iron Man
Iron Man

(Anthony Stark)
Nighthawk
Nighthawk

(Kyle Richmond)
Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer

(Norrin Radd)
Son of Satan
Son of Satan

(Daimon Hellstrom)
Sub-Mariner
Sub-Mariner

(Namor McKenzie)
Valkyrie
Valkyrie

(Brunnhilda)
Wonder Man
Wonder Man

(Simon Williams)