The Defenders #51

September 1977 brings a genuinely gripping installment of Marvel's "non-team," with a cover by George Pérez and Pablo Marcos that crackles with urgency. Nighthawk lunges forward at the center, encircled by the Ringer's deadly hoop weapons — the cover copy warns that the only escape from their crushing embrace is death — while a masked female Defender and a blonde teammate react in alarm above him, the Hulk's fierce green face looming large behind them all, and the armored Ringer himself perches coolly in the background unleashing his arsenal. Titled "A Round with the Ringer!" and crafted inside by David Kraft and Keith Giffen, this issue makes a strong case that the Defenders' loosely organized roster is no less compelling for its lack of a charter.