Defenders #12
Title: “The Titan Strikes Back!”
Writer: Len Wein
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Jack Abel
Colors: R. Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas
The Hulk walks through a forest enjoying
himself as he appreciates the beauty. Suddenly a tree rises up
and attacks the Hulk from behind. The tree wraps one of its
branches around Hulk’s neck. Hulk says that someone is
attacking him, and that even in the peaceful forest he cannot
find peace. Hulk lashes out backwards at his attacker and sees
that his attacker is a tree. Suddenly other trees join in and
start grabbing him. Rocks start flying through the air and
hitting him. Hulk says that he liked the trees and rocks and that
they were his only friends, but if they are attacking him too
that he has no friends. Hulk starts hitting the trees and
swatting the rocks away. Hulk shouts at the trees and rocks and
tells them to leave him alone, but the tree and rocks keep
coming. Hulk wants to know what he did to make the forest hate
him. A voice tells the Hulk that the forest doesn’t hate
him, but that he does. Hulk turns to see his attacker, but
doesn’t remember him. Xemnu says that he should have
realized that one with such limited intelligence would also have
a limited memory. 
He introduces
himself to Hulk, but says that soon the Hulk will call him
master. Xemnu blasts the Hulk with a mental blast. Hulk says that
the blast from White-Thing makes him feel weak. Hulk says that he
doesn’t understand because he can’t feel weak. Hulk
thinks of Dumb-Magician. Hulk says that Dumb-Magician would
understand. Hulk says that he doesn’t really like
Dumb-Magician, but he wishes that he were here. Hulk says it
again and again until he passes out.
At Dr. Strange’s house, Valkyrie is staring out the window when Dr. Strange comes in with a gift for Val. Strange presents with a sword to replace the ebony blade that she returned to Black Knight. Strange says that he recalled that this sword was in an almost forgotten niche of his study and thought she might like to have it. Val loves it and Strange says that the sword’s name is Dragonfang. He says that it is said that a wizard named Kahji-Da slew a dragon and carved the weapon whole from one of its tusks. Val says that she is touched and honored, but that she fears that she will have little use for his generous gift because she too has decided to leave the Defenders. Strange asks if he has offended her in some way. Val says that it isn’t it and that Strange has been kinder to her than perhaps she deserves. Val says that she has just been thinking of the woman Barbara that Enchantress turned into her. Val says that deep within her there is locked the spirit of Barbara. A spirit that had hopes and aspirations. Val says that she feels that she has to try and find that woman. Val turns to Strange to ask if he understands, but Strange’s face is “inhumanly unnerving”. Strange’s mind is no longer within his body until Valkyrie shakes him to make sure he is okay. Strange seemingly wakes up and asks where he is. Val asks what is wrong and if he is okay. Strange says that he is fine, but that it is the Hulk who is in dire trouble. Strange says that he has known for some time that the Hulk’s “brutish brain was somehow strangely attuned to my mystic vibrations, but now, for the first time, the Hulk’s mind has called out to me… needed me… as ‘tis a summons that must be quickly answered. Val starts blaming herself that she might have cost Strange the means of locating the Hulk, but Strange says that he can locate Hulk.
Strange and Valkyrie get onto Aragon and fly to the forest that the Hulk called out to Strange from. They figure that Hulk must have been there because the everything is smashed up, but the Hulk is nowhere to be found. Strange uses the light of his mystic amulet to follow the trail of the Hulk’s own peculiar vibrations. Strange tells Val to tie up Aragon where he can graze so that she can follow him. Strange and Val walk until they come to a small town. Strange says that the Hulk’s trail ends there. Val says that the village seems too serene, peaceful, and intact for the Hulk to be there. Strange says that he noticed that too, but that the Hulk is there or at least he was. Before they walk down to the town Strange casts a spell to make him and Valkyrie appear to be wearing normal clothes so as not to freak out the straights.
Down in the town, Strange approaches a man and asks him if he has seen their friend. The man asks what he looks like. Strange stumbles for a minute because he doesn’t want to say that he is seven feet tall and green. The man says that he would like to help him, but that if they don’t even know what their friend looks like that there isn’t much he can do. The man leaves and Strange says that it will be difficult to ask around without causing a panic. A man comes up behind Strange and says that perhaps he can help. The man introduces himself as Amos Moses, the mayor of Plucketville. Amos says that he hears that they are looking for a big green fella. Amos says that he knows where he is if they will follow him. Amos starts giving the town tour as he walks with them. In the town square, he points out a statue of Col. Bradley Plucket who fought at Gettysburg and founded Plucketville. Amos also brags a bit about how they constructed city hall themselves. Strange says that they should be very proud, but asks about their friend. Amos says that a couple of hunters found him laying in a nearby forest, told him, and they carried him into town themselves. He says that they were afraid that people might be scared of him so they brought him in secret to Miss Brophy’s place. Amos says that they can get there quicker through the alley.
As Strange and Val enter the alley, Strange turns to thank the mayor for his help but finds that the mayor is no longer there. They turn and find that a solid brick wall has blocked the opening of the alley. Strange says that there is magic most foul afoot there. He says that their disguises must have been seen through and so he dissolves them. Water pipes come to life and attack Strange and Val much the same way that the trees attacked the Hulk. Strange says that the pipes will not defeat them. Val says that they aren’t intended to and brings to Strange’s attention the steamroller, that is as wide as the alley itself, coming towards them. Strange says that normally he would just a make a few gestures to get out of this, but with his hands restrained him powers are constrained. Strange says that his powers are not in his hands only though. He says that they are in his heart, mind, and soul. Strange calls down for skyborn fire. Strange and Val are freed of the water pipes. Val says that she is going to see if this sword is worthy of all its legends. Val rushes the steamroller and destroys it with one swing. Val says that it is worthy. Strange blasts a hole in the brick wall.
As they step out of the brick wall, Strange and Val see that all the townspeople are standing before them in a trance. Val asks what is happening. Amos Moses says that they are all in his power. Amos commands them to kill Val and Strange. Val draws her sword and tells Amos to bring it on. Strange tells Val to sheath her weapon and that a true Defender can’t raise arms against an innocent no matter how they threaten you. Strange tries to blast Amos with a spell, but finds that Amos is protected from his magic. The townspeople gang up and knock Strange and Valkyrie unconscious. Amos laughs out loud.
Back at Dr. Strange’s home, Wong answers the door for a stranger. The stranger asks if Strange is home and says that he must speak with him on a matter of great urgency. Wong apologize and says that his master is not there. The stranger asks if Wong knows where he can find him, but Wong says that he does not and that he must wait for his return. The stranger walks away and thinks to himself that if he waits that long that Strange may have no home to return to. He thinks that nobody will have anything in the world…
Strange and Val awaken to find themselves bound again this time by lampposts in the town square. Strange says that the same spell that freed them last time will work again. Amos Moses steps forward and says that it will not. He says that just as he has taken Valkyrie’s sword so has he taken Strange’s powers. He says that Strange will find that he has a mental block prohibiting him from using his powers. Strange finds that Amos is right, as no matter how hard he strains he cannot think of any spells. Strange thinks that they are at the mercy of a madman. Amos says that Strange thinks he is a madman, but that he quite wrong. Amos begins to transform. He says that he is in no way mad, and that he is not truly a man. Amos Moses transforms into Xemnu. Strange wonders how Xemnu survived their last encounter and Xemnu says that it was not easy. Xemnu says that when the Hulk was pummeling him he was forced to abandon his physical form. Xemnu says that his mental form then floated all the way to Miami where it encountered the body of Amos Moses. Xemnu says that he then came to Plucketville. Strange asks how this simple little township could be of any use to Xemnu. Xemnu tells Strange to look at the new town hall while he demolishes it with a mento-blast. The town hall blows apart to reveal a rocket from inside. Xemnu says that the starship will carry every resident of Plucketville through the cosmos to repopulate his long-dead homeworld.
Xemnu starts to mentally order the residents
to board the starship. Xemnu says that the people are all
completely under his spell just as the Hulk was once he had
fallen under his power. Strange realizes that the Hulk must still
be alive then. Strange recalls how the Hulk’s mind was able
to reach him before and he attempts to reverse the effects.
Strange repeatedly mentally calls out to the Hulk to free
himself. 
Suddenly the
statue of Bradley Plunkett smashes apart. Hulk says that he hears
Dumb Magician’s voice in his head telling him to free
himself so he has freed himself. Xemnu says that Hulk will not
remain so for long. Xemnu hits Hulk with the mento-blast, but
Hulk is angry. Hulk says that the blasts make him hurt, and that
when he is hurt that he gets angry, and that when he is angry
that he is the strongest one there is. Xemnu orders the people to
attack Hulk. Hulk says that they are only puny humans and not
worth smashing. Hulk hits the ground and knocks all the people
over in a shockwave. Hulk says that he is going to smash
White-Thing instead. Xemnu warns Hulk to keep away from him.
Xemnu says that his powers have increased since they last met,
and that he now has control over inanimate objects. Hulk starts
swatting away all the things that Xemnu hurtles at him. Hulk
finally realizes that it was Xemnu that made the forest hate him.
Hulk says that he hates Xemnu in return, and that he is going to
smash him into nothing the way he did last time. Xemnu realizes
that his mento-blasts are no longer having an effect. Xemnu rips
up a piece of the street and starts to ride it away. Xemnu says
that he will be back for his starship and the people of
Plunketville.
Hulk sees the big rocket and says that White-Thing said he would come back for it. Hulk says that instead he will give it back to Xemnu. Hulk picks up the rocket and throws it at Xemnu. Xemnu shouts “no” as the rocket hits him and explodes.
As Xemnu disappears so do his effects. Strange’s powers return and he frees himself and Val again. Strange says that it is good to see the Hulk and that they answered his summons as quickly as they could. Hulk says that if Dumb Magician came all the way just to help him that he must be his friend. Strange says that he has been trying to tell Hulk that for some time. Strange says that they are Hulk’s friends, and Val says that she hopes the feeling is mutual. Hulk puts his arms around Strange and Val. He says that he doesn’t know what “mew-chew-al” means, but that if they are Hulk’s friends that Hulk is their friend. Hulk tells his friends that they should leave this dumb place.
Dumb Magician’s review: 7.5 out of 10
Hulk finally comes to realize that maybe being a part of a team might not be a complete downer. Hulk gets a happy ending for once and discovers that he has friends. Len writes a mean Hulk. I also enjoyed the return of Xemnu, but I have to say that the “harrowing” tale of Xemnu’s return wasn’t particularly impressive. Jack Abel’s inks work quite well on Sal’s pencils. Depending on who inks Sal’s pencils the art can look very polished or very sketchy. Art gets 4 of the 7.5 points.
RETURN TO DR. STRANGE'S DEFENDERS