FOOLKILLER: THE DEFENDERS, MUTANT FORCE AND MANDRILL

Foolkiller

Balladeer’s Blog’s “Script Doctoring” of Marvel’s handling of Foolkiller continues with Part Four. FOR PART ONE OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK HERE

I’m dealing with Foolkiller’s role in Defenders number 78 this time out as they battle Mutant Force, Fem-Force and their leader the Mandrill. I throw in hints at the backstory I’ve devised for Foolkiller’s costume and Purification Gun, since Marvel never got around to addressing it.  

DEFENDERS Vol 1: Number 78 – The Return of the Original Defenders (Dec 1979) 

The cover focused on the return of Dr Strange, the Hulk and Sub-Mariner, the original Defenders when the team first formed. They return to Tunnelworld for the start of the boring, interminable, wannabe-Tolkienesque quest to destroy the Unnameable. It’s a miracle The Defenders wasn’t canceled during this period. Luckily Hulk’s appearances on the cover apparently kept it solvent. 

Doc, Hulk and Subby’s story is irrelevant to Foolkiller (Greg Salinger) so I’ll pick up in Las Vegas, a day or two after the other contingent of Defenders (Valkyrie, Hellcat, Foolkiller and the Wasp) saved the world from the loose ends left over from the canceled series Omega the Unknown. Moondragon already left in a huff so our heroes say goodbye to Richard Rory, who stays in Vegas.

Rory would no doubt warn the Defenders that he hopes they know what they’re doing trusting Foolkiller. Val and Patsy would reaffirm their decision to give Greg a positive outlet for his violent nature. Wasp, meanwhile, would be talking to Foolkiller about his costume, which she would no doubt like, what with its gaudiness, pirate hat and flowing hat-sash.        

She would also notice that his costume, part of which was torn a little by Dibbuk’s claws last issue, is once again complete. She would jokingly ask him if he sewed it and he would reply that his costume repairs itself. Val and Hellcat would rejoin them, distracting Wasp from following up on the question. ( I’m planting seeds about my backstory for the costume and gun, which will emerge incrementally over the next several issues.) 

With the Defenders’ transportation destroyed last issue the Wasp contacts Avengers’ Mansion and has her husband Yellowjacket fly out in a Quinjet to pick them up. He does, with civilians Ruth, Amber and the prepubescent Dian still tagging along. On the flight back to New York the heroes pick up a distress call from a military base being attacked for its gold and hardware by Mutant Force and the Mandrill’s all-female army called Fem-Force (formerly known as Black Spectre).   

The five superheroes land and do battle with the attackers. Mutant Force step forward to contain the Defenders while Fem-Force continue robbing the gold. Mutant Force’s members – Peeper, Slither, Burner, Shocker, Lifter, Grumpy, Sleepy and Doc. (Okay, not those last three) – were part of Magneto’s LAMEST attempt to revive the Mutant Brotherhood. I would have included their other members – Mister One and Mister Two, who was basically one mutant whose mind could move between a large, hulking body and a smaller one. No idea why he was left out since they are ALL so unmemorable. 

As the battle rages, I would have taken the opportunity to use Salinger to get rid of some more redundant supervillains like Blockbuster. While bantering with Mister One and Mister Two during the fight, Foolkiller would decide that the members of Mutant Force are all fools deserving to be killed. He would use the energy blasts from his Purification Gun to obliterate both of Mr One and Mr Two’s bodies. 

Yellowjacket, Hellcat and the Wasp would, while continuing to fight Mutant Force, shout at Foolkiller to stop using deadly force. Peeper, wielding a souped-up gun from a long distance, would open fire on the heroes, and in the continuing chaos Greg blasts him into powder, too. (C’mon, Peeper and Mr One & Mr Two sucked even for this lame-ass team)    

The point in having Foolkiller so uncontrollable in these first few stories after he joins the team would be intended to promote fan word of mouth. A like-him-or-hate-him air, or curiousity about what he might do in the next issue may have helped sales. Either that or they could start drawing TWO Hulks on each cover. (rimshot) 

The remaining members of Mutant Force would (like they did in the real story) manage to capture Yellowjacket and take him with them as the Defenders drive them off. Fem-Force now pours toward the Defenders and Valkyrie moves close to Foolkiller to order him not to kill any of these non-powered foes. She would remind him that she too, was skilled at killing but has chosen to mercifully use the flat of her sword in battle unless absolutely necessary. 

Salinger is willing to listen to Valkyrie because – as I mentioned previously – his poetic airs left him deeply impressed with her since she was a real, actual Valkyrie. He replies to her that he will lower the intensity of his Purification Gun’s energy rays. Hellcat and Wasp express exasperation that he never mentioned he could control the intensity of the rays.  

At any rate, Valkyrie, Hellcat, Foolkiller and the Wasp all use non-deadly force to drive off Fem-Force, too. The foursome then make their way to the nearby town where Ruth, Amber and Dian have sought shelter. At a vulnerable moment Amber and Ruth- now under the Mandrill’s pheremone-based enthrallment powers – betray the Defenders into the hands of Fem-Force at the local police station. +++  

I’LL PICK UP FROM HERE WITH THE NEXT INSTALLMENT IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO AS TIME ALLOWS.

FOR MORE SUPERHEROES CLICK HERE: Superheroes

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