D-Day!

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THE DEFENDERS — Issue no. 64, July 1978

Book: The Defenders

Issue No.: 64

Published: July 25, 1978

Title: “D-Day!”

Cover Price: 35¢

Format: Original paper copy

After an ill-advised membership drive initiated by Defenders sidekick/mascot/hanger-on Dollar Bill, there are now an unruly number of Defenders. Which makes life difficult for Defenders leadership (which is ill-defined, as the Defenders are a “non-team”). But the real problem is that a bunch of bad guys are calling themselves Defenders and doing crimes, which is getting the actual good guy Defenders in trouble.

This issue is generally silly, but it works for me, partly because I get a kick out of seeing all the Marvel C- and D-listers that show up as “Defenders.” I caught Sagittarius, Libra, Whirlwind, Batroc the Leaper (I know he was in a Marvel movie, but I can’t take a guy called “The Leaper” too seriously), the Melter, the Looter, Porcupine, Joe the Gorilla (who is not an ape and, for that matter, not a particularly hairy human), Leapfrog, Plant Man, Boomerang, Captain Ultra, Marvel Man, and Tagak. And I’m sure there were some more characters in the background that are obscure enough that I can’t name them on sight.

A frame from this issue that shows Hercules stopping a subway train with a single punch. Sound effect is “dak-koom!” Hercules shouts, “Mine is the matchless might of the Prince of Power!” while punching the train.

(This story is called “D-Day!” and now I’m wondering if they named it that because of all the D-listers. It’s an amusing, if unlikely, possibility.)

One thing I learned in this issue is that the 1978 Marvel version of Valkyrie is apparently actually a human named Barbara Norriss? Or maybe Norriss turns into Val, like Dr. Donald Blake turns into Thor during this era? Anyway, I guess I need to read up on that at some point.

The issue ends with a tease that Defenders has teased us with before, about something going on in the Soviet Union (which was still a thing in 1978). Looks like that might finally pay off next issue. But we’ll see.

Week 30 Wrap-Up

So this Defenders book wraps up my look at the comics Marvel released week 30 of 1978. Fourteen 35-cent books came out that week, so the total price at the time was $4.90. Adjusted for 2024 inflation, that’s about 23 bucks.

This book also wraps up my look at Marvel’s July 1978 books. I am going to include Defenders no. 64 in my top five for the month, because, like I said, it works for me. My other favorites for the month are mostly the usual suspects — Howard the Duck no. 27, Godzilla no. 15, Fantastic Four no. 199, and X-Men no. 114.

Next time — On to Marvel’s August 1978 books!

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