The Defenders #143
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThe New Defenders #143 serves a pivotal function in mid-1980s Marvel continuity as the issue that introduces two characters who would cast long shadows: the Runner, an immortal Elder of the Universe who went on to menace the Silver Surfer and figure into Thanos's hunt for the Infinity Gems, and Andromeda Attumasen, the Atlantean warrior daughter of Attuma who would join the Defenders' final lineup and recur across major crossovers. The issue also marks the moment Moondragon definitively surrenders her will to the Dragon of the Moon, a narrative turning point that drives the series toward its tragic conclusion and directly enables the subsequent formation of X-Factor, since Angel, Beast, and Iceman could only be freed for that new title once the Defenders were dismantled. As one of the final issues of a series that ran continuously from 1972, it carries the weight of closure for one of Marvel's longest-running team books.
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Writer Peter B. Gillis and penciler Don Perlin were working under the shadow of impending cancellation when this issue was produced. Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter's push to launch the New Universe line forced Marvel to clear publishing slots, and the New Defenders were among the titles cut; Gillis has described being told of the cancellation and then having to compress his long-term plans into a rushed finale. Gillis had specifically designed Andromeda as part of a broader ambition to populate the team with new characters bearing meaningful Marvel Universe ties — she was, in his own words, his connection to Atlantis — but her debut in #143 turned out to be the last new character he was able to introduce before learning the book was cancelled. Inker Kim DeMulder, who worked issues #122–144 of the series, completed his near-unbroken run on this issue.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of the Runner (real name Gilpetperdon), an immortal Elder of the Universe created by Peter B. Gillis and Don Perlin; he appears in flashback as a former companion of Moondragon and goes on to battle the Silver Surfer and play a role in the Thanos Quest storyline.
- First appearance of Andromeda Attumasen, the illegitimate Atlantean daughter of Attuma, who infiltrates the Defenders under the surface alias 'Andrea McPhee'; she is present in the issue but not yet identified by name — her full identification comes in issue #146.
- Written by Peter B. Gillis with art by Don Perlin (pencils) and Kim DeMulder (inks); cover by Brent Anderson; edited by Carl Potts.
- The story title is 'Another Runner!' and the central dramatic event is Moondragon's capitulation to the Dragon of the Moon — infected by sentient alien spores and facing death, she accepts the Dragon's power, setting the stage for the team's destruction in subsequent issues.
- The issue contains flashback sequences depicting Arthur Douglas (Moondragon's father) and Yvette Douglas (her mother), grounding the Dragon of the Moon possession arc in Moondragon's family history.
- Marvel's Epic Collection Vol. 9: The End of All Songs (2019) was the first collected edition to include this issue, gathering New Defenders #138–152 and Gargoyle #1–4 — the first time the final dozen issues of the series appeared in trade format.
- The New Defenders series ran from 1972 (as Defenders) to 1986, with issue #152 as the final chapter; #143 is part of the penultimate story arc that concludes the book's original run and frees Angel, Beast, and Iceman to form the founding lineup of X-Factor.
- The issue was published in both a direct edition and a newsstand edition, as well as a Canadian newsstand edition with a higher cover price, all sharing the same May 1985 cover date.
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Reprinted in Defenders Epic Collection #9 (2019)
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