History ComicBook / TheDefenders

In November 2013, it was announced that Marvel would be producing a Defenders TV series for {{Netflix}}. Confirmed characters include LukeCage, Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}, [[Comicbook/{{Alias}} Jessica Jones]], and [[ImmortalIronFist Iron Fist]].

In the early 1990s, Marvel attempted to revive the Defenders as "Secret Defenders". This new series would have Doctor Strange organize squads of random heroes (including {{Wolverine}}, SpiderMan, {{Darkhawk}}, the second Spider-Woman, Comicbook/GhostRider, Hulk, Luke Cage, {{Deadpool}}, and many others) for one-off missions. Despite being considerably hyped by Marvel, the series did not do well and with the title launching coinciding with the launching of the more successful "Midnight Sons" horror sub-line (in which Doctor Strange could not take part due to Secret Defenders), it was decided to remove him from the book so that his title could be folded into the Midnight Son line. The title was then revamped with Doctor Druid as the new leader and a group of new heroes, but this new direction did little to revive interest in the book and it was quietly canceled by the end of its second year.

''Not to be confused with the AnimatedSeries ''WesternAnimation/DefendersOfTheEarth'', or with the 1960s TV show ''The Defenders'', which was about a group of lawyers. Or, for that matter, the current TV show ''The Defenders'', which is also about lawyers.''

* ActionGirl: Valkyrie, Hell Cat, SheHulk, Red She-Hulk and Black Cat

As part of the MarvelNOW relaunch, the Defenders flag is currently being flown by Valkyrie at the head of the all-female ''Fearless Defenders'', a title which originated in the ''Comicbook/FearItself'' tie-in, ''The Fearless''.

After the events of ''ComicBook/CivilWar'', Joe Casey wrote a new mini-series called "The Last Defender", which had Nighthawk struggling to rebuild the team after being assigned to the state of New Jersey by Iron Man. The series itself explored the fan notion of the "lameness" of the original team's later members versus the bonds that existed between them: heroes assigned to the team quit on Nighthawk due to them not wanting to be associated with the "Defenders" brand and Iron Man himself constantly refused Nighthawk's attempts to recruit past Defenders like Valkyrie on the basis that said past members did not have the necessary star quality. Though the roster of the group would be finalized at the end of the mini-series, later writers (including Dan Slott, who wrote She-Hulk's ongoing book at the time) ignored it and the group vanished from sight until a Casey series called Vengeance debuted in 2011.

** During the "Defender for a Day" story, around ''twenty'' heroes joined, from BlackWidow to Tagak the Leopard Lord. The list of people who have been on both ComicBook/TheAvengers and TheDefenders is very long.

* SheHulk: Was a member of the New Jersey team. Red SheHulk was a member of the 2011 series team.

As part of the MarvelNOW relaunch, an all-female team, spinning out of ''Fear Itself: The Fearless'' mini-series, starring and led by Valkyrie is being released called ''Fearless Defenders''.

The Defenders have a long and varied history. The team grew out of a couple of team-ups between Comicbook/DoctorStrange, TheIncredibleHulk, Namor the {{Sub-Mariner}}, and the SilverSurfer in the early 1970s. These became the team's founding members; it should be noted that all four of them were among the most powerful of Marvel's heroes who did not belong to a team yet. However, this was an unlikely alliance, as all four were more used to acting alone, especially Hulk and Namor, both of whom are more correctly [[AntiHero antiheroes]].

!!Tropes seen in the (various) Defender series:

* TheWorfEffect: SilverSurfer spends a issue or two being held hostage by Prester John in the 2011 series.

After the events of ''[[MarvelCivilWar Civil War]]'', Joe Casey wrote a new mini-series called "The Last Defender", which had Nighthawk struggling to rebuild the team after being assigned to the state of New Jersey by Iron Man. The series itself explored the fan notion of the "lameness" of the original team's later members versus the bonds that existed between them: heroes assigned to the team quit on Nighthawk due to them not wanting to be associated with the "Defenders" brand and Iron Man himself constantly refused Nighthawk's attempts to recruit past Defenders like Valkyrie on the basis that said past members did not have the necessary star quality. Though the roster of the group would be finalized at the end of the mini-series, later writers (including Dan Slott, who wrote She-Hulk's ongoing book at the time) ignored it and the group vanished from sight until a Casey series called Vengeance debuted in 2011.

The 2011 crisis crossover ''ComicBook/FearItself'' teased a Defenders reunion in tie-in series "The Deep," where Strange, Namor, and Surfer (together with the mutant Loa and Lyra, Hulk's daughter) joined forces to stop Attuma, one of the eight Worthy. The tease was followed up by an announcement that Matt Fraction would be behind a new Defenders book debuting at the end of 2011 with the additions of [[ImmortalIronFist Iron Fist]] and Red She-Hulk to the classic lineup. Unfortunately, this book ended after twelve issues.

* TorturedAbomination: Nul.

More successful, however, was Keith Giffen and Kevin [=McGuire=]'s 2005 "Defenders" mini-series, which had the four face off against Dormammu and his sister Umar. The series recast the franchise as a comedy book, ''a la'' Giffen and [=McGuire=]'s critically acclaimed Justice League International run, with the characters largely acknowledging the absurdity of lives as super-heroes and super-villains as well as exploring why the main four (Surfer, Namor, Hulk, and Strange) continued to associate with each other despite having nothing in common.

''Not to be confused with the AnimatedSeries ''WesternAnimation/DefendersOfTheEarth'', or with the 1960s TV show The Defenders, which was about a group of lawyers. Or, for that matter, the current TV show ''The Defenders'', which is also about lawyers.''

* InsistentTerminology: In the early days they were quite adamant that they were ''not'' ComicBook/TheAvengers. They had no roster, charter, or even official recognition (until the Avengers/Defenders war, at least). As the occasional NoteFromEd pointed out, they were an "un-team."

More successful, however, was Keith Giffen and Kevin [=McGuire=]'s 2005 "Defenders" mini-series, which had the four face off against Dormammu and his sister Umar. The series recast the franchise as a comedy book, ''a la'' Giffen and [=McGuire=]'s critically acclaimed Justice League International run, with the characters largely acknowledging the absurdity of lives as super-heroes and super-villains as well as exploring why the four (Surfer, Namor, Hulk, and Strange) continued to associate with each other despite having nothing in common.

* CoolHorse: Valkyrie's steed Aragorn, a white winged horse formerly owned by the Black Knight. Other Defenders have had a ride on his back, including Doctor Strange. (He bucked Nighthawk off once in a bit of HorsingAround).

* GaggingOnYourWords: A version of this in the 2011 series. Anyone that comes into contact with one of the Concordance Engines are unable to speak or describe them to those around them that haven't done so already.

* HeroWithBadPublicity: Some circles don't take the Defenders status as being the most illustrious of groups.

* InsistentTerminology: In the early days they were quite adamant that they were ''not'' like ComicBook/TheAvengers. They had no members, charter, or even official recognition (until the Avengers/Defenders war, at least). As the occasional NoteFromEd pointed out, they were an "un-team."

* KonamiCode: Yes, ''really''.

* MsFanservice: Red She-Hulk

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The team members really only have one thing in common: they're some of the most powerful characters in the MarvelUniverse in different ways, and they usually don't work with others. Perhaps they get together because no one else can put up with them.

In the early 1980s, Marvel decided to revamp the book. Nighthawk was killed off (later upgraded to a ConvenientComa), Hellcat and Daimon Hellstrom married and retired, and a (bogus?) prophecy that Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor, and Silver Surfer would bring about the end of the world led them to leave the team. Valkyrie and Gargoyle reformed the group with three of the founding member of the XMen (The Beast, The Angel and Iceman), along with the morally ambiguous Moondragon, the young Atlantis warrior Andromeda, and Cloud, a gas based alien who shape-shifted into both a man and woman during its time with the Defenders. Based in Colorado, in Angel's mansion, this incarnation lasted two years before the title was canceled so that the X-Men characters could be be freed up for the upcoming ''Comicbook/{{X-Factor}}'' series. The entire team, save for Angel, Beast, and Iceman, [[HeroicSacrifice died saving a possessed Moondragon]].)

* GaggingOnYourWords: A version of this in the 2011 series. [[spoiler: Anyone that comes into contact with one of the Concordance Engines are unable to speak or describe them to those around them that haven't done so already. ]]

* ImplacableMan: In the 2011 series, Nul, Breaker of Worlds . [[spoiler: Later the Prince of Orphans, John Aman ]]

* MetaOrigin: In the 2011 series [[spoiler: the Concordance Engines are part of multiversal magnet that helped many more ''miracles'' occur on the planet to use as bait and a trap to get individuals capable of defeating Death Celestials. ]]

* SheHulk: Was a member of the New Jersey team.
** Red SheHulk is now a member of the new 2011 series team.

* TheWorfEffect: [[spoiler: SilverSurfer spends a issue or two being held hostage by Prester John in the 2011 series.]]

In the early 1990s, Marvel attempted to revive the Defenders as "Secret Defenders". This new series would have Doctor Strange organize squads of random heroes (including {{Wolverine}}, SpiderMan, {{Darkhawk}}, the second Spider-Woman, GhostRider, Hulk, Luke Cage, {{Deadpool}}, and many others) for one-off missions. Despite being considerably hyped by Marvel, the series did not do well and with the title launching coinciding with the launching of the more successful "Midnight Sons" horror sub-line (in which Doctor Strange could not take part due to Secret Defenders), it was decided to remove him from the book so that his title could be folded into the Midnight Son line. The title was then revamped with Doctor Druid as the new leader and a group of new heroes, but this new direction did little to revive interest in the book and it was quietly canceled by the end of its second year.