Sassafras

Sassafras is Valkyrie's pet dog in The Defenders, a lovable canine companion who became a charming fixture among the team's eclectic roster alongside Beast, Angel, and Iceman.

A charming slice of Bronze Age Marvel, Sassafras made their debut in The Defenders #136 in 1984, stepping into one of the most delightfully unconventional corners of the Marvel Universe. With a modest but memorable run through the mid-eighties, this character shares the page with some genuinely beloved figures — Valkyrie, Hank McCoy, Warren Worthington III, and Bobby Drake among them — which tells you something about the spirited, eclectic world The Defenders inhabited. Ten appearances may not sound like a sprawling legacy, but in the hands of that book's wonderfully offbeat ensemble, every page counted, and Sassafras earned their place in the hearts of collectors who treasure the quirkier, more intimate side of Marvel's Bronze Age storytelling.