Issue(s): Defenders #131
Cover Date: May 84
Title: "If this be Walrus...!"
Credits:
J.M. DeMatteis - Plot
Peter Gillis - Script
Alan Kupperberg - Penciler
Alan Kupperberg - Inker

Review/plot:
Peter Gillis's run on the Defenders is one of my favorites, and i think J.M. DeMatteis' is one of the worst, so here's the interesting transition issue where Gillis scripts DeMatteis' plot. Surprisingly, i like it a lot!

It's a deliberately off-kilter issue, closer in style to Gerber's era than either DeMatteis' or Gillis'. The Beast is doing the college lecture circuit, and he's attacked by a wacky super-villain called the Walrus (named after the Beatles song).

The Walrus is the latest experiment by his mad scientist uncle who hasn't been having much luck.

In fact, before he was the Walrus, he'd been Captain Stoat, Squirrel-Man, the Masked Tapir, the Crimson Turkey, etc.

But this time the experiment seemed to have worked, so his uncle sends him out to defeat the Beast in order to gain some infamy. Angel and Iceman are also hanging around with the Beast, but none of them have much luck.

Luckily (!), Frog-Man is on the scene...

...and he manages to knock out the Walrus just as his powers are conking out. To the crowd, it looks like the Frog-Man defeated the Walrus, so they demand that the Leap-Frog's request to join the Defenders be honored. But then Frog-Man's father (formerly Leap-Frog) shows up and drags him away.

Silly stuff, but it's done well.

Back at the Defender's HQ, Moondragon continues to be a source of trouble.

For those pushing the theory that Iceman is gay, this issue provides some fodder.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

The "Church of the Subgenius" was some kind of phony religion headed by the fictitious J. R. "Bob" Dobbs. I'm not sure if it was some parody of Scientology or just a massive prank, but it was carried on by various media for years, particularly by underground/alternative comix creators.

You may find this enlightening... or not...? ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_SubGenius

Guys guys! Bobby has clearly been bi this whole time!

I think the Beast's lines as he's kicking Walrus in the stomach are a reference to The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll.

The Walrus is one character who did not need to come back. There's nothing inherently wrong with him as a joke character or with his role in this issue, but he served his purpose here and there's little more purpose for him to serve in the wider Marvel Universe.

And to top it all off, this story even gives the out for him never returning again with his powers "wearing off" at the end.

The Zeta Beams line is a joke reference to DC's Adam Strange, who used Zeta Beams to teleport to Rann.