As Marvel's Silver Age keys continue to break records, in terms of selling for ever higher prices; smart investors and speculators alike could do worse than start to focus on Bronze Age keys with growth potential. I’ve already written about key issues of the Ghost Rider and Master of Kung Fu runs, as books to keep an eye on. Today I want to explore another under-rated Marvel Bronze Age super-hero title: the Defenders.

This title was given attention recently when Netflix released their special live action series of the same name. Recent Marvel comics have followed suit and changed the line-up of the title to mirror the Netflix roster of: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. But this wasn’t the original lineup.

The Bronze Age Defenders were, in fact, nothing like their modern counter-parts. But since the Netflix series just wasn’t that great, this - in line with the increasing value of Bronze Age Marvel comics - speaks in favor of seeking out the original source material in order to compare and contrast a fudged with a successful series.

Who were the original Defenders? The group first arose out of a necessity to defend the Earth against otherworldly evils. Formed by the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, who originally recruited Namor (the Sub-Mariner) and the Hulk to aid him in repelling agents of the Undying Ones, extra-dimensional foes. Over the years their ranks would change (Silver Surfer and the Valkyrie among others would join) but the concept of a team that was ‘not a team’ would remain.

In this sense, the Defenders are Marvel’s greatest non-team. Originally the brainchild of Roy Thomas who was at the height of his writing career when he came up with the idea. The original inspiration may have arisen out of Thomas’s need to connect divergent plot points in the many titles he was simultaneously scripting. Once he initiated the concept by bringing together the ‘Titans Three’, in his Sub-Mariner run, the idea almost wrote itself. At its best, the Defenders was Bronze Age fun and out of this world action that combined the super-natural with straightforward Marvel super-hero fare. Let’s take a look at the significant keys surrounding the title.

Sub-Mariner #34 (February 1971) – The Prelude to the Defenders

Roy Thomas was scripting many books for Marvel in the late sixties and early seventies. Amongst them were: The Avengers, Amazing Spider-man, Amazing Adventures, Doctor Strange, The Incredible Hulk - the list goes on and on, but eventually we get to this book: Sub-Mariner. Thomas decided (with the help of Sal Buscema’s art) to team up Namor with the Silver Surfer and the Hulk to stop a machine that could destroy the earth. In the concept of the ‘Titans Three’, we can see the prelude to what would become the Defenders, and the value of this issue of Sub-Mariner bears witness to this fact. 9.8 graded copies sell for $2, 250.00, the last Comic Connect sale in November of 2017, fetched $2, 100.00. Compare this with the highest graded copy of issue #33, of which was a 9.6 sold on Heritage Auction for a mere $93.21 in February of 2014. It’s proof, if any were needed, of the Defenders factor at work.

Marvel Feature #1 –First Appearance of the Defenders

Further proof of audience devotion to the Defenders is the prices that can be realized by this book. Marvel Feature #1 is the first official appearance of the Defenders. Replacing the Silver Surfer with Doctor Strange (who at the time had no regular monthly title) and getting the band back together as regards Namor and Hulk. This issue featured: Yandroth the techno-wizard, Baron Mordo and the Omegatron (another doomsday Machine). What’s not to love about this one? The only weak point is the inking of Ross Andru’s pencils, which were are made to look sloppy by Bill Everett.

This is a hot comic that will probably heat up even more as time goes on. 9.8 graded copies currently have a fair market value of $3, 100.00, and a Heritage auction sale on November 17, 2017 fetched $3, 107.00. Return on investment on every grade above 8.5 is positively glowing, with 9.6’s seeing the best returns over the last four years (+ 47.9%).

Defenders #1 – First Solo Issue

Once the appeal of the ‘anti-Avengers’, as the Defenders were becoming, was clear, it wasn’t long before they got their own monthly title. Steve Englehart brilliantly connects back to the original Roy Thomas idea of an extra-dimensional evil threatening the Earth and we even see the Omegatron again. Throw in some great art by Sal Buscema, a new villain named Necrodamus, and you have all the right ingredients for an under-rated Bronze Age key. Get this one for reasonable prices while you still can. Currently 9.6 grades sell for around $700.00 and returns have been steadily rising with best returns over the last two years on graded 8.5 copies (+52.9%).