Issue(s): Marvel Comics Presents #37 (Devil-Slayer story only)
Cover Date: Dec 89
Title: "To slay the devil"
Credits:
Dwight Jon Zimmerman - Writer
Rodney Ramos - Penciler
Jim Sanders III - Inker
Kelly Corvese - Assistant Editor
Terry Kavanagh - Editor

Review/plot:
Devil-Slayer is lured into a trap and drugged so that his psychic powers are neutralized. But he still has his Shadow Cloak and the ability to draw weapons from it.

However, he's surprised to pull out Valkyrie's sword, Dragonfang.

He eventually takes the battle inside his cloak...

...but finds that it's under the control of someone else, and he ends up getting dumped out where half of the Defenders, including Valkyrie, got turned into ash statues.

Devil-Slayer takes out the rest of the demons and is left fighting their leader, Balthazar. Devil-Slayer had previously stopped this demon from coming to Earth in Defenders #58-60, although his name was spelled Belathauzer at that time.

Despite being blinded, Devil-Slayer is able to defeat Balthazar too.

Devil-Slayer then wonders if the sword wants him to be its new master, but it makes it clear that isn't the case. Instead, he senses that it wants him to send it to wherever Valkyrie is now. So he does.

Cool little continuity insert.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Obviously needs to take place after Defenders #152. I'll note that the MCP has Valkyrie's appearance out of sync from the other Defenders with regards to this story (it's after Strange Tales #5-7 for her but before it for the other characters). But as Jay notes in the Comments, this story is referenced in Doctor Strange #3 as "an upcoming issue of Marvel Comics Presents", and prior to that the sword that Val has is more generic looking. So it seems this should take place between Valkyrie's appearances in Strange Tales #7 and Doctor Strange #3 (and it should be the same for the other Dead Defenders as well). I'm also curious how Devil-Slayer got his cloak back since it wound up in the hands of the Red Skull in Captain America #293, which was before Defenders #152.

References:

• Belathauzer initially poses as an Air Force general that contacts Devil-Slayer because he's aware of Devil-Slayer's role in preventing Xenogenesis in Defenders #58.
  
• Devil-Slayer mentions being in "voluntary seclusion" for a while, possibly a reference to him voluntarily going to prison in Defenders #110.
  
• The Defenders (seemingly) died in Defenders #152.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? Y

My Reprint: N/A

I believe the sword Valkyrie has pre-Doctor Strange #3 (1989) is a generic sword, if you look closely, and does not have Dragonfang's distinctive dragon head pommel. Since there is a dialogue reference to her just getting Dragonfang in Dr. Strange #3, the sword seen in her appearances before that must just be a spirit weapon she manifested, similar to Andromeda's trident and Manslaughter's knives and not actually Dragonfang. I'd place this issue immediately before Dr. Strange #3.

Thanks, Jay. I had forgotten about that reference in Doctor Strange #3, and i agree that the sword seems more generic prior to that. By itself the sword could have just been an art choice (or lack thereof) but coupled with the reference it does make sense to place this before Doctor Strange #3.