The Spooky Season has come, which means it’s time for the uncanny tales of times gone… like the LAST* Son of Satan story! Your Major Spoilers Retro Review of Defenders #121 awaits!

(*For some values of last)

DEFENDERS #121

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis/Don Perlin
Penciler: Don Perlin
Inker: Jack Abel/Alan Kupperberg/Andy Mushynsky
Colorist: Uncredited
Letterer: Shelly Leferman
Editor: Al Milgrom
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: 60 Cents
Current Near-Mint Pricing: $3.00
Release Date: March 22, 1983

Previously in Defenders: After the disappearance of Daimon Hellstrom, the Defender called Son of Satan, his main squeeze Hellcat assembled a team of heroes to track him down. Borrowing a Quinjet from the Avengers, the five heroes jetted off to Massachusetts, where Daimon was born, but found their ship knocked from the sky by the sudden appearance of giant stone statues out of nowhere! The team then has to fight a creature of animated ice and snow, a battle that herds them towards a strange monastery, where The Overmind’s telepathy senses Hellstrom’s presence.

They’re surprised to find a warm welcome awaiting them.

Their erstwhile host is The Miracle Man, whose only claim to fame is being the first supervillain to face the Fantastic Four, which also makes him the first villain to lose to the Fantastic Four. Calling himself Brother Joshua, he is happy to take the heroes to their friend Hellstrom, with the small caveat that Miracle Man has turned the Son of Satan to stone. It’s a bit shocking, but not as shocking as the villain’s expectations that they’ll be fine with such a development. Awakening Daimon, Brother Joshua teleports the entire crew to the island of Java, where he will begin his plan to create a paradise! But where will a minor stage magician/hypnotist get the power to do that? Y’know, there’s a funny story behind that.
Dun DUN DAAAAHHHHH! It seems that, in his haste to get out from under the thumb of his father, a man of wealth and taste, Daimon made a poor bargain. That second panel, by the way, is the perfect encapsulation of the pluses and minuses of Don Perlin’s art here. Hellstrom’s face is full of anger, while his pose pushes your eye right to the stoic face of Joshua/Miracle Man, which is expert storytelling. Unfortunately, though, both their figures are lumpy and strangely proportioned, something that we will see over and over in these pages. For his part, Brother Joshua swears that he can control Daimon’s Darksoul which, combined with his own powers, will allow him to bring water to the desert, turn shanties into castles, and even heal the sick. With a wave of his hand, the Javan village becomes a shining city of luxury, allowing the Miracle Man to turn his attention to the starving people.
A single man’s attempt to refuse his noblesse oblige, though, shows just how little control Brother Joshua has over the infernal presence he has stone from the Son of Satan. The Defenders attack en masse, but The Miracle Man makes short work of all, save Gargoyle, who embraces his own demonic power to deal some damage to the would-be savior of the world. Realizing that it is his own job to hold back the power of th’ debbil, Hellstrom calls out to his Darksoul and makes an offer it can’t refuse.

The Darksoul realizes the truth in the Son of Satan’s words, that it cannot thrive in the body of a human the same way it could in the spawn of Satan. As the demonic presence rears up to leave Miracle Man, Hellcat taps into her rarely-referenced psychic powers, telepathically teaming with the towering Overmind to save the life of the man she loves.
Their psionic power not only defuses Miracle Man’s abilities, they are able to push the Darksoul away from Daimon and into the form of a lowly serpent, where it would languish forever, for about five years. Regardless, I remember the tremendous power of Defenders #121 when I read it as a kid, and even my problems with the art (including the fact that having three inkers makes me even more certain this was a rush job) can’t defuse the suspense, leaving the issue with 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. I’ve said for years that people are sleeping on the quality of Defenders Volume 1, but even more than that, we should really appreciate the skills of DeMatteis as a writer.

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DEFENDERS #121

70%

70%

DeMatteis Is Delightful

This issue is a cornerstone of my appreciation of Daimon Hellstrom as a character, and even what feels like a rushed art job doesn't damage that enjoyment 40 years down the line.

• Writing

  9
• Art

  6
• Coloring

  6
• User Ratings (0 Votes)
  0