Order #6
Title: "Out of Order”
Writers: Jo Duffy & Kurt Busiek
Artists: Matt Haley & Dan Panosian
Colors: Tom Smith’s Color Arts
Editor: Tom Brevoort
It was the summer when he was eleven. His sister was hurt and scared, but he knew what to do and how to fix it. That was the day Stephan Strange knew what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to be a doctor and make people’s lives better.
It was the winter when he was nine. It was the first time he felt more than fear and powerlessness. It was that day that Bruce Banner knew that he wanted to figure out why things happened the way that they did. He would learn about even the most dangerous things and how to control them. How to make them safe.
It was his seventeenth worldcycle. He had long known that he was different, but that day was the day he knew how he was different. He knew that the universe was full of wonder and beauty. He knew that he did not want an ordinary life on his homeworld of Zenn-La. He wanted to explore, discover, taste, and to experience it.
He was fourteen. He was leading his cousin and some others on a merry chase. He knew that he was having more than fun and play. He knew that this was life and challenge. He wanted to strive and test himself. He wanted to lead others and protect them. That is what it meant to be Namor, prince of Atlantis.
That was then. This is now. Hulk screams to kill and crush them. Namor says that they will show them what it means when they defy them. Dr. Strange says that they are courting death itself. Captain America shouts to everyone that they know their battle targets. He tells them not to let the Order take the offensive. Scarlet Witch asks Strange’s forgiveness but that they are doing this to save them as well as the world. Strange tells her that they are nothing more than a distraction to them
As the fighting continues, the empty throne at the heart of the Order’s stronghold begins to be filled with a forming cloudy figure. Yandroth watches and smiles. The air begins to crackle and a portal opens. The female “Order” comes back to Earth with Nighthawk, Valkyrie, and Hellcat. Hellcat says that they have to stop their ex-teammates until they can find a way to neutralize Yandroth. Valkyrie says that she fears that they are too late. Nighthawk says that it is never too late and that two worlds depend on them. Val says that they will give it a shot since they have no choice. She tells Clea to take She-Hulk, Ardina, and Namorita and try to draw the Order out of the battle while they try to convince everyone else to stand down. Nighthawk says that he doesn’t know which will be tougher.
The female Order confront the Order. Namor says that he thought Strange got rid of them. Hulk says that they didn’t learn their lesson and that it is going to cost them. Clea says that they aren’t there to fight. She says that they have learned the truth and have come to help them.
Captain America and Xavier see Nighthawk and the others arriving and figure that they are Order reinforcements. Nighthawk flies up to them and says that they aren’t there to fight. He says that there are billions of lives in danger. After scanning his mind, Xavier says that Nighthawk appears to be sincere.
Namor says that he is done with opposition. He says that even his cousin Namorita will obey the Order or he will snap her neck. Surfer commends him and says that Ardina exists because of a violation against him. He says that she has no right to exist. Clea protects Ardina from Surfer’s attack.
Fury says that the women have them occupied and that they should plow into them. Nighthawk, Val and Hellcat, both with jet packs, hover in the way. Nighthawk says that they will have to go through them first. He asks if they are willing to attack someone who isn’t attacking them and has always been on their side in the past. Cap tells Nighthawk to state his case, but to hurry up about it as a world is at stake. Nighthawk says that it is actually two worlds. He says that the Order are under a curse, a mind control, that makes them cranky and causes them to fight everything.
Hulk swings at
She-Hulk, but She-Hulk dodges. Clea reminds the females to engage
them in battle, but not to land any direct attacks.
Hellcat says that it is Yandroth that is responsible. She says that the energy from every battle the Order has engaged in is funneled back into Yandroth’s homeworld. Nighthawk says that when the power is enough that it will destroy that world and cause Yandroth to come back to life with the power of an entire world at his disposal to attack theirs. He says that he knows it sounds crazy, but that all of them have dealt with worse. Xavier says that they believe it, but that it doesn’t make what they say true. Wolverine says that there is no proof. Cap says that Wolverine is right and that they can’t take the chance. He orders the Order be taken down. Cap tells Nighthawk that he is sorry, but that they have no choice. Nighthawk guesses that maybe the curse is bleeding over to Cap. Nighthawk pushes a button and opens a portal. Christopher Ganyrog, Scientist Supreme, and Romantic Objective Pamela come out with the entire Masters of the Mental Arts following them. Christopher too reminds everyone not to attack, but to prevent the Order being attacked with Inertia-sorb blasters and lo-resist field projectors.
Papa Hagg arrives and tells Nighthawk, Val, and hellcat to keep the Order out of trouble and to keep themselves out of their reach. He tells the female counterparts of the Order to come to him. He says that they are the “correctin’ balance”. He says that they are connected by love, blood, and even by life itself. He says that the Order is cut off from their humanity, their good sides, but that when they confronted them last that a bit of their humanity became infused in the ladies’ auras. He says that they have been carrying it in their uncorrupted souls and nurturing it. Papa Hagg is about to tell them what to do when he is hit by some sort of bolt. Clea says that now they don’t know what to do. She-Hulk checks on Hagg and sees that he is barely holding to life. Namorita says that the heroes are breaking through the Yannian guard. The four of them leap into the sky instinctively to block the heroes’ attacks. Four attacks pass through the four women and something transfers into the four members of the Order. The women are renedered exhausted. Hulk says that is one less thing to worry about and that now they can go kick some tail.
Suddenly the sky is filled with an enormous
green power radiating Yandroth. He says that soon he will be
fully reborn and that Yann will be ashes and the Earth will be
his. 
The heroes see
Yandroth and ask how they are supposed to stop him. Yandroth says
to come and try to stop him, and that even though they will die
perhaps they will earn enough of his respect to stop him from
killing their families. Cap starts to respond, but Surfer tells
him not to. He says to allow them. Strange says that they insist.
Yandroth asks if he should call them the Defenders or the Order.
He says that they were so easily to manipulate and that they were
his pawns from the beginning. He says that all he provided was an
irritant and that their own arrogance did the rest. He says that
they turned on their friends, world, and principals. He says that
they are pathetic. He asks if they think that they can beat him
now. He tells them to go ahead and that he will even give them
the first shot. The Order starts to charge forward, but then they
realize that is what he wants. Yandroth shouts that they have to
fight him. He asks if they are cowards. Strange says that they
are done playing his game. The Savage Hulk returns and says that
since the giant man wants a fight and that is why they won’t
give him one. Yandroth says that he doesn’t have all the
power he needs and seemingly explodes the power out of him.
Sue asks what that was all about. Reed tells her that he is sure they will fill them in later. Strange starts to restore Sky Island to the way it was and awaken Red Raven and the avian race from their sleep. Christopher tells the Defenders that Yandroth did gain enough power to bring him back to life. Pamela says that he will stand trial in Yanagar and that he will rot in jail. Yandroth says that they haven’t heard the last of him. Nighthawk tells Yandroth to shut up and says that he doesn’t know how to thank them. Christopher says that there is no need and that saving two world was enough for him as he is sure that it was for them. As they disappear, he tells them that if they ever need Yann that they will have their help. Strange shakes Nighthawk’s hand and thanks everyone of them for their loyalty and tenacity. Surfer says that they owe them much. Hellcat says that she is glad they brought them to their senses without getting killed. Namor tells Val that she is every inch the wonder that her predecessor was. Strange tells Nighthawk that he endured the most, but that he never lost faith in them or in the idea of the Defenders. Strange says that he will try to “keep a similar faith, and not cast away treasures of such value”. Hagg is up again and says that everything is fixed. He invites all the women that saved the day to an island spa “two dimensions over an’ a century or so back”. Clea thanks Hagg though says that she still intends to hold the Defenders to their promise to liberate her world.
Red Raven asks what happens top the monsters that call themselves the Order. He asks if they just get to walk away. Hellcat tells Red Raven to ease up. She says that it wasn’t their fault, and that they put everything back the way they found it. She says that they just saved the entire planet and asks if that doesn’t count for something. Strange says that it was their fault, and that they apologize. He says that the catalyst that caused it has been removed and that they will guard against it in the future. Surfer says that it won’t happen again. Cap says that it isn’t that simple. He admits that they did good today, and in the past, but that they have to answer for what they’ve done. Hulk says that he will give Flag Man an answer. Namor tells Hulk that is enough. He says that they are going to have to take their word that it won’t happen again or their fighting begins again and that it will be Captain America and the others who will have started it. The Defenders start leaving. Cap says that if they do this that they’ll be under suspicion forever. He says that they will be outcasts and outlaws. Namor says that he has been there and done that. He says that they will survive.
As they fly through the air, Hellcat says that Manhattan is coming up. She says that they have to see the new headquarters that Val’s folks gave them. She says that they have to meet Mr. Bunnyhopper. Val says that they can meet her parents and sarcastically asks if that won’t be fun. Suddenly the sky is full of an image of Gaea. She tells them, “Well done, my Defenders!” She thanks them all for saving her from a threat that even she didn’t see coming. She thanks Nighthawk especially. She says that she dismissed him earlier, but that he still saved her. She says that she has reconsidered the boon they asked of her. She says that her power no longer fuels Yandroth’s curse. She says that she only asks that they continue, separately or in a group, to continue to defend her as they have. Strange thanks her for all of them.
The Defenders land at Samantha Parrington’s parent’s home. Val introduces her parents. Her mother says that they were so worried, but that they won. She asks if the others aren’t the Order. Val says that they are the Defenders, and that they are her friends. Her mother says that she will have to try and remember. She says that her daughter is all grown up and can chooser her friends. Nighthawk looks down as his ring speaks to him. He sees Gaea on the face of the ring. She tells him that there is one more boon that she has granted, but that it is for him alone to hear. She says that he has proven to be the human heart of the team. She says that she has given him a small portion of her power. She says that when the Defenders are needed, but cannot or will not assemble that he has the power to bring them together. She tells him to use it well. Val tells Nighthawk to join the party. She says that her father is having the Russian tea room send over a banquet with enough blinis to satisfy the Hulk.
The Order’s Mandate: 4 out of 10
Talk about anti-climactic. I get the whole non-team thing, but the non-fight was non-interesting. The story just seems to go on and on there. The only thing I did enjoy was the Defenders telling Captain America that they weren’t concerned with what he or the world thought of them. I’m guessing that Clea’s world was freed off camera. It’s very disappointing to me that it has been nearly two years and the Defenders have been virtually unseen (especially in this time of Bruce Jones when I could use a GOOD Hulk appearance). I enjoyed Haley’s portion of the art, but Panosian’s bit was really bad in my opinion, and such a contrast from Haley as to be distracting.
Review and pictures by The Leader
RETURN TO DR. STRANGE'S DEFENDERS