Defenders #7
Title: “War Below the Waves”
Plot and Co-Scripter: Steve Englehart
Co-Scripter: Len Wein
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Frank Bolle
Colors: Glynis Wein
Editor: Roy Thomas
Namor and Valkyrie happen upon the Hulk
smacking Hawkeye into some trashcans. Namor says that Hawkeye is
an Avenger and wonders what he is doing there. Hulk tells Hawkeye
that he has had enough of him following him all over the city and
tells him to stay where he put him. 
Hawkeye says
that he can’t do that. He says that while they were fighting
Zzzax (Hulk #163), he overheard Hulk say that he was looking for
Dr. Strange. Hawkeye says that he wants to know what a baboon and
a sorcerer have in common. Hawkeye says that he quit the Avengers
to make a name for himself. Hawkeye fires an arrow into
Hulk’s back. The arrow explodes and Hulk turns and glares at
Hawkeye. Hulk says that Hawkeye doesn’t listen to him, and
that no one listens to him. Hulk says that he is sick of this.
Hulk starts walking towards Hawkeye. Hawkeye apologizes and says
that maybe he was a little over zealous. Hulk keeps walking and
Hawkeye bounces another arrow off Hulk. Hawkeye thinks to himself
that he is going to make a name for himself at the top of the
obituary page. Hawkeye keeps backing up until he bumps into
Valkyrie. Hawkeye’s mind instantly connects the Valkyrie to
when he last saw the Valkyrie as the Enchantress (Avengers #83).
Valkyrie smacks Hawkeye with the ebony blade and tells him to
stop hounding the Hulk. Hulk watches Hawkeye and Val fight. He
says that watching humans fight each other instead of Hulk is
funny. Hawkeye uses an arrow and separates Val from her sword.
Hawkeye says that the sword looks familiar to him. He says that
he has a score to settle with her, and that he is just mad enough
to do it. Namor tells Hawkeye that if he lays a hand on Val that
he will have to answer to him. Before Hawkeye turns to see Namor
he says that he will just have to fight him too. Namor smacks
Hawkeye. Hawkeye makes a smart crack and Val wants to get him for
mocking them. Namor explains that it is just Hawkeye’s
manner. Namor asks Hawkeye what he wants here.
Hawkeye explains that he left the Avengers after Scarlet Witch chose Vision over him. He went to see Black Widow, but her boyfriend Daredevil didn’t like that. Hawkeye says that to make matters worse the Avengers recruited Black Widow and Daredevil as his replacements. He says that they claimed that they wanted him too, but that he didn’t want their sympathy. Hawkeye then explains how he ran into the Hulk going after Zzzax, and was wondering why Hulk was looking for Strange. Valkyrie tells Hawkeye that Strange is the leader of the Defenders. Namor tells Hawkeye not to jump to any conclusions. Namor says that they are not a group like the Avengers, but that they fight together when they have to. Val says that they were just going to Strange’s house and asks him to join them. Namor clarifies that he can join them on the walk only. Hulk follows and thinks that this is too much word play for him. They find that Strange is not home, but Wong and Clea let them in. Wong and Clea go to meditate and Valkyrie brings Hawkeye up to date on her situation. Suddenly there is a loud banging on the door. Namor decides to answer it for Wong. Namor asks what the hooded man wants. The hooded man replies that Lord Vashti sent him there. The man collapses and Namor realizes that he is an Atlantean. The Atlantean tells Namor that Vashti wanted him to know that Attuma is going to attack the surface world at Atlantic City. Namor says that Attuma kept him from saving his Lady Dorma, and that he will go at once. Val says that they will all go. At first Hawkeye doesn’t want to go as he just quit a team, but then he reasons that this is a team of individuals and that Val is a real looker. Hulk says that he doesn’t care about A-toom-a, but that if Stick-Man is going that he can go too.
In Atlantic City, a couple are chasing each
other in the ocean when the woman’s foot is grabbed by a
giant tentacle. The man looks up and sees Attuma, his forces, and
a wave of mutant sea life coming towards the shore. Attuma tells
them to hurry. He says that the world thinks that he is dead, but
that he will show them that they are wrong. Attuma and his forces
surface. The people on the beach all start to run away from the
water, but the run directly towards the Hulk. The people start
running from Hulk, and Hulk asks what he did now. The people run
back towards Attuma, but one man is caught in the claw of a giant
crab. One of Attuma’s men tells the man to be quiet and die.
Namor swoops down and shatters the crab’s claw. He says that
if anyone is dying that day that it will be them. Valkyrie and
Hawkeye are also destroying the giant crustaceans. Hulk says that
the “dumb shells with claws” are trying to pinch him,
but that he doesn’t like to be tickled. Namor thinks to
himself that for every crab they destroy another rises to replace
it. Namor says that they act as if they have been well trained.
Namor wonders how Attuma gained control of these creatures. Namor
supposes that he will have to find Attuma. Namor smashes the
barbarian and dives into the water. The giant tentacle squid is
waiting for Namor and grabs him up. Namor starts smashing his way
out, but as he deals with the squid, two porpoises strike Namor
right in his nerve centers. Namor is left temporarily stunned. 
Attuma shows up
out of nowhere and places Namor inside specially- prepared
shackles that sap Namor’s strength. Attuma surfaces with
Namor as his prisoner. Attuma tells the others to surrender or he
will kill Namor. Hulk and Val are stunned unsure of what to do
next, but Hawkeye is used to having teammates and surrenders for
the group. One of Attuma’s barbarians, Worta reports that
they have captured the human that he wanted and his babbling
woman. He asks what they should do. Attuma tells them to bring
everyone on board. The man and woman board Attuma’s ship
followed by most of the Defenders. Hulk remains on the shore and
says that he knows that this is an underwater ship. Hulk says
that he was just underwater, and that he didn’t like it.
Hulk leaps away. Attuma’s men ask Attuma what to do, but
Attuma says to just let him go since he is too feeble-minded to
follow them. Val offers to remove Namor from the shackles, but
Namor warns her that freeing him might kill him. The ship
departs.
When they arrive at Attuma’s new domain, a barbarian comes to get Namor, Hawkeye, and Val. He brings them before Attuma as his prisoners. Namor says that they are his prisoners through treachery only, and that it was the porpoises that defeated him. Attuma says that they followed orders quite well. Namor asks Attuma how he did it. Attuma introduces them to his new partner, the Red Ghost. Red Ghost says that he is finished allying himself with gorillas because they are too unpredictable and difficult to control. Red Ghost says that porpoises are almost as intelligent as men. Red Ghost points to the man they captured and says that with the help of Dr. Jennings, the world’s foremost marine biologist, that he will bend them all to his will. Red Ghost says that he will then conquer Atlantis and the world. Namor says that when he gets his hands on Red Ghost. Red Ghost says that he will not, and that they have other plans for him.
Time passes and Hawkeye and Valkyrie are on opposite cells across the hallway. Hawkeye tells Valkyrie his plan. The guard comes down the hall with food. He tells Val that if she wants her food that she has to be nice to him. Val asks what he means, but while the guard is telling her Hawkeye grabs him around the neck. Val punches the guard through her bars and smashes the guard’s helmet. Val holds the guard up with her one hand while Hawkeye grabs the guard’s keys. As they walk they find a bed and Hawkeye fashions a bow and arrows out of it. As they look around they find Dr. Jennings being guarded by a group of barbarians. Val says that they have not yet found Namor. Hawkeye says that they have found something just as important. Hawkeye shoots an arrow through one of the guards’ helmet. Val says that she sees that there is no reasoning with Hawkeye so she leaps down and beats up the other guards. Val says that now they can return to their search for Namor. Red Ghost steps forward and says that Valkyrie doesn’t need to look any further. Red Ghost tells Namor to step forward and kill them both.
Dr. Strange’s rating: 8 out of 10
Good story and a cool presence. I absolutely love that the Hulk refused to get on the ship because he hates water. The Defenders are such a non-team that Hulk doesn’t even care if the whole lot of them are taken prisoner he isn’t going along with it. Attuma is always a welcome villain, and his team up with Red Ghost is a cool idea. Sal does a good job with this issue. Very dramatic and visually interesting.
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