Defenders of the Earth
Marvel · 1987 · 4 issues
About the series
In 1987, Marvel Comics launched Defenders of the Earth, a four-issue miniseries that brought together the pulp heroes Flash Gordon, The Phantom, and Mandrake the Magician under one banner. Written primarily by Michael Higgins and Bob Harras, with contributions from Stan Lee, and illustrated by Alex Saviuk, the series adapted the animated show's premise of a united team battling the villainous Ming the Merciless. A nostalgic team-up bridging the comic and cartoon worlds, it stands as a curious Marvel footnote that briefly revived classic newspaper-strip characters for a new generation.