THIS WORLD IS CRAZED FOR SUPERHEROES! FOR PART 1 OF BALLADEER’S BLOG’S EXAMINATION OF MARVEL’S SUPERHEROINE MANTIS CLICK HERE
THE DEFENDERS Volume 1, Number 10 (November 1973) Breakthrough!
Last time around as the war between the Avengers and the Defenders continued, Captain America and the Sub-Mariner battled each other in Osaka, Japan, for their fragment of the Evil Eye of Avalon. Comparing notes the pair began to realize that the two super-teams were being manipulated into fighting each other.
BREAKTHROUGH!
Synopsis: BATTLE SIX: THOR VERSUS THE HULK – Because of the Marvel Cinematic Universe audiences today automatically associate the Hulk with the Avengers. Back in 1973 that was not the case. Even though the Hulk WAS one of the original Avengers he quit the team at the end of the SECOND ISSUE, in 1963.
The green guy made a few guest appearances in the Avengers, like in their 100th issue Anniversary Special but in the early 1970s the Hulk was known as a core member of the Defenders. That held true until at least the late 1980s or longer.
Getting back to the story, the final fragment of the Evil Eye is in Los Angeles, where the Hulk has dug it up with help from the spell cast by Dr Strange. Greenskin is causing the expected city-wide panic but before he can leave with the Eye fragment Thor arrives.
The thunder god, still under the mistaken idea that the Defenders want to reassemble the Evil Eye for malevolent purposes, tries to beg the Hulk to give him the fragment. Foolishly he appeals to him as a former Avenger, which just makes the Hulk mad and the fight is on.
The battling super-foes inflict kaiju-sized damage on Los Angeles but as the hours go by the more it becomes apparent that Thor and the Hulk are so evenly matched the struggle could go on indefinitely. The only thing that breaks up the contest is the sudden arrival of the combined forces of the rest of the Defenders and the Avengers. Continue reading
DAY THREE, GAME ONE: This elimination game pitted the 9th seeded WILLIAM CAREY UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS against the 7 seeds – the UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND ARTS OF OKLAHOMA DROVERS. After the Crusaders notched a quick 1-0 lead in the 1st Inning the Drovers took a 5-1 lead in the 2nd. As it turned out, they would not score again. William Carey University cut the USAO lead to 5-2 in the 3rd Inning and then a lengthy Pitcher’s Duel ensued. Finally, in the 9th Inning the Crusaders drove in 4 more runs for a 6-5 victory. Pitcher Braden Smith got the win. 
DAY THREE, GAME TWO: Another elimination game and another upset followed. The 10 seeds – THE MASTER’S UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS – did battle with the 4th seeded KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS. Neither team scored until the 4th Inning, when the Seahawks eked out a 2-1 edge. The Mustangs added 4 more runs in the 5th and 6th Innings before their bats went as cold as Keiser’s. The Master’s University smacked down the Seahawks by a score of 9-2 behind the pitching of Robert Winslow. 
The Memorial Day Holiday is marked here at Balladeer’s Blog with items about neglected conflicts and neglected military units from American history. The latest unit to be examined is the Navy of the Republic of Texas. I’ll examine the period from the Texas Revolution against the tyrannical Mexican government up through the Texas Republic joining the U.S. as the State of Texas. 
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: The top seeded OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY BISON and the 5 seeds – the CAMPBELLSVILLE UNIVERSITY TIGERS – were the last two teams standing in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association). After a scoreless 1st Inning the Tigers went up 2-0 in the 2nd but the Bison cut that to a 2-1 edge in the 3rd. 
DAY TWO, GAME ONE: The COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY MAVERICKS played the QUINCY UNIVERSITY HAWKS to start the 2nd day in the D2 World Series. The first 3 Innings were a Pitcher’s Duel with neither team scoring but the 4th ended with the Mavericks on top 2-1. The Hawks pulled ahead 3-2 in the 6th followed by Colorado Mesa University exploding in the 7th for 5 runs. It was all but over from there as the Mavericks took the game by a tally of 10-3 behind Pitcher Tyler Day. 
THE THREE-DAY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND IS HERE! As always Balladeer’s Blog marks the event with a few looks at neglected conflicts from America’s past. The servicemen who fought in those actions are just as deserving of being memorialized as those who fought in more familiar wars. 
WILLIAM F LUKES 
DAY FOUR, FIRST SEMIFINAL: The top seeds – the OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY BISON – did battle with the 2nd seeded EMMANUEL COLLEGE LIONS. The Lions managed a 1-0 1st Inning lead but the Bison knotted things up at 1-1 in the 2nd. After a scoreless 3rd Inning the 4th saw Oklahoma Baptist University take a comfortable 5-1 advantage. That turned into a 7-1 lead in the 5th enroute to a 9-2 smackdown win for the Bison and Pitcher Carson McPherson. 
DAY FOUR, SECOND SEMIFINAL: The two teams fighting for the other berth in the title game were the 5th seeded CAMPBELLSVILLE UNIVERSITY TIGERS and the 6 seeds – the SOUTHWESTERN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES. Neither team scored in the 1st Inning but in the 2nd the Tigers eked out a 1-0 edge. It was a Pitcher’s Duel for awhile from there, but the 6th Inning saw the Eagles climb on top 3-1. Cambellsville University pulled to within 3-2 in the top of the 8th but in their at-bat Southwestern Christian University made it a 4-2 game. In the 9th Inning the Tigers drove in 3 more runs for a 5-4 victory. Nick “Mister” Przybylek threw for the win. 
DAY ONE, GAME TWO: This game pitted the 6 seeds – the MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY SPARTANS – against the 3rd seeded OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES. Neither team scored until the 3rd Inning, when the Spartans grabbed a 4-0 lead. The Eagles cut it to a 4-3 score by the end of the 4th Inning but produced no more runs. Missouri Baptist University added 1 more in the 5th and rode that to a 5-3 upset of Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Michael Syrett threw for the win. 
THE AVENGERS Volume 1, Number 117 (November 1973) Holocaust 
Synopsis: This issue opens up in the Dark Dimension ruled by Dormammu, the flame-headed villain who – with help from the blinded Loki – manipulated the Defenders into trying to reassemble the scattered fragments of the Evil Eye of Avalon. 
The Lord of the Dark Dimension doesn’t know that Loki secretly manipulated the Avengers into becoming involved because he grew suspicious about whether Dormammu would really cure his blindness and share the power of the Evil Eye. 
BATTLE FOUR: THE VALKYRIE VERSUS THE SWORDSMAN – The Avenger called the Swordsman has reached the Bolivian jungle in his Quin-Jet to search for his fragment of the Evil Eye of Avalon. The reader gets some character bits as Swordsy contemplates his checkered career on both sides of the law. 
His respect for his lady-love Mantis and his gratitude toward her for getting him to go straight and rejoin the Avengers are prominently displayed as is his determination not to let down his fellow Avengers. 
DAY TWO, GAME TWO: Up next the 6 seeds – the SOUTHWESTERN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES – took on the 7th seeded OAKLAND CITY UNIVERSITY MIGHTY OAKS. After 2 scoreless Innings the Eagles went up 3-0 in the 3rd. After that Southwestern Christian University kept the Mighty Oaks off the scoreboard until the 9th Inning while adding runs of their own in the 6th and 7th. Jacob Spencer pitched for the 9-2 Eagles win. 
