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The Defenders #118

Apr 1983
J. M. DeMatteis, Don Perlin

The Defenders #118 cover

Story Name:

The Double!


Synopsis

The Defenders #118 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars

To move past all of the recent turmoil in his life, Daimon Hellstrom, Son of Satan, returns to his job as head of the Parapsychology Department at District University in Washington, D.C.). He offers us a recap while brooding and wondering about Saripha Thames, the woman he loves. He is greeted by various colleagues and students as though he hadn’t been gone for a year, puzzling him—then Saripha shows up with a happy kiss then runs off to class. A student reminds him that they are both late for class so Daimon follows him and discovers “he is already in the classroom, a perfect double, scolding the student for being late. Daimon ducks out and visits his office to find it occupied by his double’s effects. Then his double enters, demanding to know who he is. The double offers to let the angry Daimon look into his soul and Daimon does—finding his own soul. He flees….

Interlude: Patsy “Hellcat” Walker is frustrated, finding that transforming her years of diaries into a memoir isn’t as easy as she thought. Hearing her frustration, Gargoyle enters and gives her some encouragement. Isaac is also aware that Patsy is concerned about Daimon Hellstrom; she agrees that she is worried about him and her psychic abilities suggest he may be in trouble but she doesn’t know if she is in love with him….

Daimon walks the streets of Georgetown, finding himself at the door of a certain home; he enters to be greeted by Saripha. He sounds strange so she uses her Wiccan powers to read his mind and discovers she is not her Daimon. He insists she knows who he is and he takes on the form of the Son of Satan. The fake Daimon enters and tells Saripha to leave the room, then he reveals that she is a) his wife and b) pregnant. She is adding her Wiccan power to her husband’s to try to force the “impostor” out of their lives. The two Sons of Satan begin a violent battle of demonic powers and it looks like Real Daimon is losing….

Interlude: The Elf in the Model T Ford drives Luann Bloom to a strange world where they stand before a Tribunal that orders T.B. #6-C to make her report—and he seems to mean Luann….

Daimon overcomes his double and they fight, the double discoursing on the nature of identity and a commitment to life is needed to prove title to one’s own being. Daimon gets clobbered again and the double demands he forsake his identity as Son of Satan. Daimon considers it but realizes his love for Patsy has made him alive and he channels all of the contradictory forces of his nature through his opponent’s trident, forcing the double to resume his original form as a minor demon from Hell. He had joined Satan in his invasion of Earth but stayed behind when the rest all returned to Hell; he assumed Daimon’s identity and learned about love and friendship, which the real Daimon would have corrupted. Daimon orders him to be quiet and Saripha dashes out, explaining that she really loves her hubby and they were joining their magicks to induce the real Daimon to have an identity crisis so he would keep away. So the demon takes on a different human form as he and Saripha plan to go away together and restart their non-Daimon-centered lives. Daimon walks off, agonizing over his identity crisis still growing in him….


Characters:

Defenders
Gargoyle
Hellcat
Son of Satan
Plus: Elf with a Gun.

> The Defenders comic book info and issue index


 

Review / Commentaries


The Defenders #118 Review by (December 4, 2024)

Review: Aaaand now a Son of Satan centered issue. I’ve never really liked the character as I believe spiritual evil to be real and using it as fodder for comic book entertainment always feels like the writers are dealing with matters they don’t understand, which is never good. Well, here we have Daimon Hellstrom having trouble reconciling his good and bad sides and he gets mixed up with a demon who has turned into a better version of Daimon. It’s all dumb and I don’t really care what happens to the character.

Comments: Daimon joined the non-team in issue #92, defeated his father in #105, and his last appearance was in issue #116, after that came MARVEL TEAM-UP #126 where he joined Luke Cage in an adventure. Saripha Thames (spelled “Seripha” in this issue) previously appeared in SON OF SATAN (1975) #4-7; her next and final appearance is in HELLSTORM: PRINCE OF LIES #1, a decade after this. The evil twin also returns to face his doom in HELLSTORM: PRINCE OF LIES #1. Patsy regained her psychic powers in issue #111. Elf with a Gun made five appearances between issues #25 and 46, dying in the last one; this one showed up in issue #115 and there’s more to come, ending in #125. The Tribunal previously appeared, in a different guise, in issue #87. The first page features a college building named for Don Perlin. Andy Mushynsky and Al Milgrom shared the inking duties. The letters column includes one from future Marvel writer Barry Dutter.





Elektra

The Defenders #118 cover

Excelsioring your collection:
statue
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Main/1st Story Full Credits

Don Perlin
Andy Mushynsky
George Roussos
Don Perlin (Cover Penciler)
Al Milgrom (Cover Inker)
George Roussos (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Shelly Leferman.



Thor

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