#15,680: Defenders (1972) #18
"Rampage!"
Title: Defenders (v1)
Editor-in-Chief:
Roy Thomas
Editor:
Roy Thomas
Writer:
Len Wein
Artist:
Sal Buscema
Inker:
Dan Green
Cover Artist:
Gil Kane
Colorist:
Glynis Wein (Oliver)
Letterer:
David Hunt
Cover Date: December 1974
Release Date: September 1974
Pages: 17
Cover Price: $0.25
Times Read: 683
Times Rated: 441
Universe:
Earth-616
Issue Blurb
The remaining Defenders and Luke Cage fight the Wrecking Crew while Valykrie's search for Barbara takes her to Vermont.
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28 Comments
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Aug 30, 2025
Fun action-packed issue. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars.
I usually skip the dialogue during fights, so thank you for pointing out that Thunderball's speech is different. Yeah, it's an interesting detail.
I usually skip the dialogue during fights, so thank you for pointing out that Thunderball's speech is different. Yeah, it's an interesting detail.
Jul 21, 2025
Good action. Welcome back, Hulk!
Jun 24, 2024
Im so tempted to dock a star because of the inconvenient timing of hulk randomly deciding to come back to help and ducking over strange in the process but the rest of the issue was really fun sigh, 2.5 stars ill round up ig
johnchr
+1
May 18, 2024
The Defenders try to wreck The Wrecking Crew. The Hulk tries to break through the invisible wall. Valkyrie and her cleavage try to find her some extra buttons. Mostly, this seemed to be an issue designed to introduce The Wrecking Crew and have guys throw haymakers at each other. It wasn't exactly high quality stuff, but Cage and The Hulk supplied some fun moments, so I can't dislike it. Three stars.
Wonder how long Marvel is going to continue the charade that Namor is still a Defender? That wrecking ball has some serious powers. Was Barbara Norriss wanted by the mob or something? The Defenders were holding their own without The Hulk, but I think his arrival saved them. Love The Hulk complaining about the wall. I'm not sure Asgardian magic works like that. Was Thunderball looking for his missing AirPods?
Wonder how long Marvel is going to continue the charade that Namor is still a Defender? That wrecking ball has some serious powers. Was Barbara Norriss wanted by the mob or something? The Defenders were holding their own without The Hulk, but I think his arrival saved them. Love The Hulk complaining about the wall. I'm not sure Asgardian magic works like that. Was Thunderball looking for his missing AirPods?
MeanDeens
+1
May 12, 2024
I'm a sucker for a fight that last the entire issue.
Superladkid
+2
Mar 3, 2024
The incessant dialogue while fighting in these comics is really wearing on me. One would think I'd be used to it after reading everything from the 1960s but somehow it seems worse.
Nov 23, 2024
I'm with you, more and more I catch myself skipping the dialogue during the fight scene as they usually don't have any importance and are also almost the same in each fight of any comics. That can go also with the bubble thoughts.
BaronBytes
+1
Sep 5, 2022
This was a lot of dumb fun. Would have been better with better art but I feel generous.
RAYx_1
+3
Apr 14, 2022
We see the origin of the wrecking crew but it doesn't explain the magical wrecking ball.
Len Wein's Dr. Strange dialogue is extremely lame.
Nice brawl but I feel that Strange is extremely depowered to have some kind of a match.
Len Wein's Dr. Strange dialogue is extremely lame.
Nice brawl but I feel that Strange is extremely depowered to have some kind of a match.
owene73
+5
Nov 7, 2021
I liked that they went out of the way to make the black villain the smartest and to not just have him face up to cage
kurtwasiluk
+5
Jun 18, 2021
This was a fun, extended fight with lots of twists. I enjoyed seeing the members of the Wrecking Crew highlight their individual powers. Hulk continues to be either the biggest positive (unstoppable fighting) or biggest negative (knocking out Dr. Strange) on the board, adding good chaos to the issue. Nighthawk always seems outmatched and struggles to show his value. Having the strength of two men is pretty limp compared to the Wrecking Crew, Hulk, and Luke Cage. Three stars
millmar14
+3
Apr 15, 2021
So thunder balls wrecking ball can adjust its trajectory mid flight? That seems to be better than mjolnir since it also comes back
Frantz
+1
Nov 23, 2024
For sure, that gave me Cobra delta ray vibes which was awesome! Makes me wonder how the ball became magic though, as he did not have it when Wrecker gave them some powers.
paflad
+3
Feb 18, 2021
I don't think I loved this. I get that they were trying to establish 3 new characters, and re-establish a long dormant one, but I'm sure they could have done that without quite so much endless spouting of mundane dialogue.
I am intrigued by what's missing from the egg though
I am intrigued by what's missing from the egg though
bastos
+2
Jan 7, 2020
Freaky fun through the comic. The Wrecking Crew origin is scant, but having the team is a seriously awesome segment. Loved it. Fun and crazy.
Locust75
+11
Aug 15, 2019
3 stars. You know it's going to be a party when the Wrecking Crew get involved!!!
He-Man - I never noticed how much Ram-Man looks like Bulldozer...
Sacrifice - I always hated how Dr. Strange left Barbara behind. Did you catch the part of when she "mated" with the Nameless One?!!
'Nuff Said - "Well, you jest lay dere nice 'n' quiet--while I pound yas inta da street!"-Poetic Piledriver
He-Man - I never noticed how much Ram-Man looks like Bulldozer...
Sacrifice - I always hated how Dr. Strange left Barbara behind. Did you catch the part of when she "mated" with the Nameless One?!!
'Nuff Said - "Well, you jest lay dere nice 'n' quiet--while I pound yas inta da street!"-Poetic Piledriver
JonahBlack
+5
Aug 24, 2018
Huh. I really liked the art in this issue, especially the layouts and the flow of the action. The panels with Bulldozer were especially kinetic (Pages 9 and 15 especially).
Katryn
+7
Jun 5, 2018
Stop calling them tinhorn!
CrazyforRAMU
+8
May 12, 2018
This issue had a really strong script that could easily have gotten four stars out of me if Sal Buscema had sweated a little more at the drawing board.
I *love* that even though we don't know anything about the new members of the Wrecking Crew yet, Len Wein's tweaked their dialogue to make it clear Thunderball's smarter than the Wrecker and Piledriver and Bulldozer are much, much dumber.
I *love* that even though we don't know anything about the new members of the Wrecking Crew yet, Len Wein's tweaked their dialogue to make it clear Thunderball's smarter than the Wrecker and Piledriver and Bulldozer are much, much dumber.
grayrender
+7
Apr 18, 2018
I'm sticking with 3, but could have gone up to a 70s 4. I am also partial to the child-like Hulk Len envisions.
dadoodoflow
+10
Mar 30, 2018
The whole Wrecking Crew is named for both cocktails and gay bars, where’s Man Hole and his massive man-menace?
“Wall of nothing—Let Hulk IN!” (23:2)
This issue is a onomatopoeic feast
If I'm being rational this is a 3 star comic, but it was a lot of fun so it gets an extra star for representing one of the reasons I read Super Dude comics
“Wall of nothing—Let Hulk IN!” (23:2)
This issue is a onomatopoeic feast
If I'm being rational this is a 3 star comic, but it was a lot of fun so it gets an extra star for representing one of the reasons I read Super Dude comics
Page 1 of 2
Only the continuation of the Valkyrie/Barbara plot was really interesting.