Secret Defenders 6

Secret Defenders 6*

What’s this? Secret Defenders was a concept that I thought sounded interesting, but a series I didn’t buy, so I guess it didn’t hit me too hard. Every story, Dr. Strange assembles a team of different Marvel heroes to face down a specific threat. This ability to pull in anybody seemed interesting to me as a kid, but the staff on the book wasn’t particularly thrilling to teen me. Why we’re seeing this anyway should be obvious from the cover. In this and 2 subsequent issues, Roy Thomas ONCE AGAIN pits Dr. Strange and Spider-Man against Xandu, and look, even Wanda is pulled in. When I found out about this, it seemed like I had to see the end of this unlikely, decades-spanning story that just seemed to keep popping back up. To recap, it began in 1965’s ASM Annual 2, seen last block. It lie dormant until 1978’s MTU 21. In 1982, Spidey again fought Xandu, this time with Scarlet Witch involved, in Marvel Fanfare 6. Then in 1992, there was Spider-Man/Dr. Strange: The Way To Dusty Death. And now, only a year later, we’re back, for the fastest ever sequel and also the first time a writer has done 2 entries. And this is the for real final entry in the Spider-Man/Dr. Strange/Xandu saga, so let’s see what happens. Thomas is joined by penciler Andre Coates, inker Don Hudson & colorist John Kalisz, name misspelled as “Jon” in the credits. We open on a dark and stormy night, on what is identified “The New Bedlam Asylum For the Criminally Inclined… Not it’s REAL name, of course…” Roy, what??? Inside, we find Xandu an inmate, and he looks at the reader and yells “NOW!”

Really going wild in the narration, there, Roy. Grabbing the wand puts Xandu in his goofy wizard suit, complete with monocle, now on the other eye (Hilarious). Xanadu quickly dispatches the asylum staff and takes mental control of its inmates. He tells them to go break down the metal gates with their bare hands, just to see if he can, and when that leads to them all hurting themselves trying, he’s convinced, and just blows the doors off himself. Good times.

I’m not familiar with Andre Coates, but getting something as iconic as Captain America’s shield wrong in 1993 seems insane.

Don’t worry, Cap, it won’t be just between you & Xandu for long. Xandu uses the wand to fling Cap toward a big tree, but it suddenly explodes, and then Cap is caught in a big web.

The gang’s all here! The other 3 heroes incapacitate the inmates as gently as possible while Strange faces down Xandy. He says they meet as equals (Hilarious) and can’t defeat each other, so he whips up a portal to, guess where, the Death Dimension, and ghosts. The heroes decide to find out what happened to the staff and make sure inmates and staff alike are ok before pursuing.

Ouch! An unusually rude bit of business from Cap. Well, the other 3 heroes get ready to roll, and Strange uses the Crystal of Kadavus to search for the wand, confirming it’s in the Death Dimension, and then summoning a portal to same. The heroes recap a little of their past experiences with Xandu as they cross over, Wanda saying she’s a little disappointed in Xandu’s beloved Melinda for not having a better sense of decor.

Man, Wanda’s life is so insane. Spider-Man breaks free of the spell and rouses the others, postulating that having gone through it before in Dusty Death, he “built up an immunity.” Then a bunch of monsters pop up, but don’t attack, and then Strange casts a spell revealing their rulers, who, obviously, is…

Melinda is looking pretty buff! The heroes do what they can, but are eventually overwhelmed and brought… like, 2 feet… before Melinda, captives.

Well, that doesn’t sound very nice. Back in the real world, Cap’s conferring with some cops, having gotten the situation more or less resolved at the asylum, when the big evil storm unnaturally turns around and starts heading back toward them quickly.