Issue(s): Defenders #36, Defenders #37, Defenders #38
Cover Date: Jun-Aug 76
Title: "A garden of earthly demise!" / "Evil in bloom!" / "Exile to oblivion!"
Credits:
Steve Gerber - Writer
Mary Skrenes - "Special assist"
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Klaus Janson - Inker

Review/plot:
Dr. Strange hypnotizes the Red Guardian's Soviet minders into allowing her to stay in the US for a while (Strange isn't aware that she's the Red Guardian; but as the doctor that put Nighthawk's brain back in his body, Strange wants the Guardian's civilian form to stick around).

Meanwhile, the Valkyrie is processed and put in prison for her assault on Chondu last issue.

Since she is unable to fight women, she is not able to stand up to the bully in her cell block.

The Hulk returns, flips out over the fact that Aragorn is injured, and then leaves again.

Meanwhile, the Porcupine, the Eel, and Plantman show up at Nebulon's Celestial Mind Control camp. Plantman decides that Nebulon is a loony and leaves to strike out on his own.

He captures Dr. Strange and the Red Guardian while kidnapping Kyle Richmond for the ransom.

At this point Dr. Strange and the Red Guardian each find out that the other is a super hero, but Dr. Strange's powers are fluctuating, and they are unable to escape.

With all of the Defenders either captured or missing, Jack Norriss calls Luke Cage. Dr. Strange's powers kick in as well, and along with the Red Guardian they are able to chase away the Plantman...

...who returns to Nebulon.

Nebulon knocks him out and then transports the Defenders (Luke, Strange, and the Red Guardian) to another dimension.

Luckily Kyle wakes up and heads to Nebulon's office as well, and Nebulon tricks him into walking through a door that leads to the other dimension, and with Nighthawk's arrival, Dr. Strange is able to find the way back out. There they defeat Porcupine and the Eel...

...but it's unclear what happens to Nebulon after they leave.

The Elf With A Gun kills two tourists at the Grand Canyon in issue #38.

Gerber's Defenders stories continue to be very good.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The Hulk is returning directly from his appearance in Omega the Unknown #2.

References:

• Luke Cage worked with the Defenders before in Defenders #19 and Defenders #24-25.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

The CMC centers are probably satires of the then-real life EST and Esalen movements.

There's a great exchange between Doctor Strange and Power Man after the fight with the white gorilla in the other dimension:

"Praise the Vishanti! I would've thought only the Hulk capable of such a feat! That you accomplished it without killing the beast is all the more remarkable!"

"Hate t'disillusion ya, doc... but I wanted to. I surely did!"

@Mark Drummond: you are probably correct. In Defenders Annual #1, Gerber has Luke Cage specifically name Werner Erhard and Maharishi as "lightweights" comparable to Nebulon's CMC in style, if not in intensity.

We never find out what Nebulon does with the Plantman after knocking him out.

Nebulon probably forced Plantman to do some weeding in his garden before letting him go.