Issue(s): Defenders #26, Defenders #27, Defenders #28, Defenders #29
Cover Date: Aug-Nov 75
Title: "Savage time!" / "Three worlds to conquer!" / "My mother, the Badoon!" / "Let my planet go!"
Credits:
Steve Gerber - Writer
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Vincent Colletta / Frank Giacoia & John Tartaglione - Inker

Review/plot:
Valkyrie and Jack Noriss continue to try and reconcile the fact that she is no longer the person he married.

Meanwhile, the book picks up on a plot introduced in Giant-Size Defenders #5. The Guardians of the Galaxy, super-heroes from the future, have appeared in our time, and their chronological anomaly is causing major problems across the planet - earthquakes, tidal waves, etc..

One of the Guardians is Vance Astrovik, who will grow up to be the New Warrior Justice. Dr. Strange lets the future Vance tell his younger self the story of the Earth's dystopian future. Basically they tie in the Killraven martian mythos (and possibly other Marvel stories that take place in the future? Like, what's this about The Bionics Wars?)...

...and then centuries later the Earth and its colonies are conquered by the Badoon.

Then, despite the fact that Vance is careful not to reveal that he is talking about the Earth or to himself, Dr. Strange wipes the boy's memory anyway. He just can't help himself, i think.

The Defenders go into the future with the Guardians to help them free their planets. Various fights and adventures in the future are depicted.

The more interesting parts involve the introduction of the cosmic entity Starhawk..

...and the depiction of the Badoon culture, with the male and female species living on different planets and only meeting for a savage mating ritual.

Also Jack Norriss, who stowed away on the Guardian's ship, comes to realize that the Defenders are actual super-heroes and not just nuts in funny costumes.

After winning some minor battles, Starhawk sends the Defenders home so that he and the Guardians still have something to do in the Guardians of the Galaxy series that is being floated here.

Quality Rating: B-

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - first Starhawk

Chronological Placement Considerations: Continues directly from Giant-Size Defenders #5.

References:

• The Guardians of the Galaxy appeared on Earth in Giant-Size Defenders #5.
  
• They previously appeared in Marvel Two-In-One #5, teaming up with a time traveling Captain America and the Thing.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

The "Bionics Wars" actually refers to the "Deathlok the Demolisher" series in Astonishing Tales.

Starhawk--or something else with the same name--was supposed to appear in the never-published Marvel Super-Heroes #21 in 1969. Martin Goodman vetoed it because he believed overly science-fictional covers didn't sell.

The title in #28 refers to the unbelievably bad 1960s TV show "My Mother, the Car".

Marv Wolfman took over as EIC from Len Wein around this time because the job was really wearing on Len's health.

#27 has a letter from future Defenders writer J. Marc DeMatteis.

The 1969 Starhawk story was by Roy Thomas & Dan Adkins, and took place in the future outside of Marvel continuity. It's notable for the first use of the term "Mandroids". The front cover showed up on Marvelmania #3, and the first 7 pages were in Marvelmania #6. Don't know if the rest of it ever got published.

Jo Duffy has a letter in #26, and Ralph Macchio in #29.

I gave this a B as it's a pretty good series. The Guardians were an interesting new group. They sure have changed a lot since then.

Also, noted in another comment a few issues back, I agree that Jack Norris was an annoying character and found it easy to believe that he was almost voted off by some of the Marvel staff (thanks Mark, your comment stories are great!) Jack was turning the Defenders into a stinkin' soap opera.

What about Vance Astro's story about the Techno-Barons and the tyrant Kwall? I assume that's from some other Marvel story in the future?