The Defenders #97

The cover of this July 1981 issue — penciled by Ed Hannigan and Luke McDonnell, with inks by Al Milgrom — plunges the Defenders into a chaotic clash against a swarm of winged, fiery angelic beings, with Devil-Slayer's dramatic red cloak sweeping across the foreground as the battle rages around rocky terrain. Figures from the team's roster, including Moondragon and others, are visible in the upper corner, while the bold cover blurb "Menace of… The Messiah!" and a speech bubble questioning why Devil-Slayer joined the Defenders only to fight angels add a layer of intriguing tension. J. M. DeMatteis's story title, "Slouching Toward Bethlehem," hints at something genuinely unsettling behind all that celestial fury — a compelling package from a creative team firing on all cylinders.