The Defenders
TheAvengersare Earth ’s Mightiest Heroes , but theDefendersprotect the planet from threat from beyond . early on in his superhero calling , Dr. Strangerecognized there were threats to Eartth , infinite repugnance of unimaginable powerfulness bushwhack across the Multiverse and the immensity of the macrocosm , and the worldly concern demand a squad ready to defend it should the time come . To that goal , the Defenders were born .
The original Defenders were Dr. Strange , Namor , and the Hulk , but several looping of the squad have existed since . tax with facing threats of the mysterious , multidimensional , or intergalactic nature , the Defenders require superheroes of an appropriate skill point to match these threats : The Defenders have been home to some of the singularly most powerful zep in Marvel Comics , including these twenty who rank among Marvel ’s rank skilful .
20Colonel America
Earth-26111 is a reality where a war was waged between engineering science and magic , and magic won . Introduced inAge of Ultron # 7from Brian Michael Bendis and Brandon Peterson , this world ’s Steve Rodgers was the field leader of his own Defenders , who attend as a resistance to charming baddie Morgana le Fey ’s tyrannical rule of the human beings . Colonel America was essentially the same as his Earth-616 counterpart ( minus an eye ) , butColonel America ’s squad was stackedwith some of the heaviest hitters in all of Marvel , let in Wolverine , Captain Marvel , the Hulk , and Dr. Strange . Tragically , the integral squad lost their life in a nuclear blast while protecting their creation .
19Colossus
While best known as a extremity of the X - Men , Piotr Rasputin also had a tenure with a unawares - lived iteration of the Defenders . As part of the 50 - State Initiative , Tony Stark lay down the New Jersey Defenders in Joe Casey and Cam Smith’sThe Last Defenders . Ostensibly , the team was a group of powerhouses who could on a regular basis assist New York with his high concentration of super - powered threats . This made the towering Colossus , a homo with indestructible metal skin and the strength to bar Colossus in his tracks , a natural fit . In pattern , the team was a tragedy , and Rasputin left after the Defenders most flush Atlantic City battling an Aztec god .
18Valkyrie
The Valkyrie Brunnhilde bring together Dr. Strange ’s original Defenders in 1972’sDefenders#4 , by Steve Engelhart and Sal Buscema . She would go on to be of its longest - serving members . An Asgardian , possessing strength and combat skills exceptional even among her fellow gods , as a Valkyrie she could sense impending decease and guide decrease warriors to Valhalla . Brunnhilde also wielded Dragonfang – a mythical blade chip at from the tusk of an extradimensional dragon , give to her by Dr. Strange to help in their mystic battles . Brunnhilde helped Strange ’s original squad stave in off innumerous threat , from the Doom Maidens to Dragon of the Moon . Sadly , Brunnehilde was in the end edit down by Malekith in 2019’sWar of the Realms .
17Black Knight
Dane Whitman is a talented fencer and geneticist , buthis real top executive lies in the Ebony Blade . The Ebony Blade is a cursed sword forged by Merlin to serve as Excalibur ’s sorry counterpart , and has been passed down through Whitman ’s bloodline since the first Black Knight serve King Arthur . The blade is fuel by shadow , necessitate wielders to be " impure of heart " – the undestroyable blade can bend back illusion , let loose bursts of dark energy , trouncing armies , and renders the Black Knight immortal . InKing in Black : Black Knight , by Simon Spurrier and Jesus Saiz , the Ebony Blade did the seemingly impossible and turned darkness itself against the eldritch god , Knull .
16Luke Cage
Luke Cage was by far at his most comfortable as part of the street - level tetrad that defended Manhattan in Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez’sDefenders ( 2017).Still , lector should be reminded he also pass time with Dr. Strange ’s original , mystic Defenders in the seventies . While Strange ’s Defenders proved a morsel too strange for Luke , his impervious hide and super - long suit were often underestimate for what they brought to the team . Outside occasionally leading the Avengers , Luke Cage has stood up against the Wrecking Crew , the Black Order , and once pummeled Dr. Doom hard enough to split his armor … just to garner on $ 200 Victor owed .
15Red Guardian/Starlight
presently operating under the name Starlight , Tania Belinskaya first served as the third iteration of the Soviet Union ’s premiere superhero , the Red Guardian . Belinskaya was first recruited to the Defenders by Dr. Strange for her neurosurgery skills inDefenders # 35,by Steve Gerber and Sal Buscema , to re - implant Nighthawk ’s brain into his body – it was during her incumbency with the team that pic to radiation turned Tania in a being of living nuclear vigor . Tania can release this energy in lay waste to nuclear blasts , but her unbelievable index comes at a cost – her eubstance give way off so much radiation syndrome even her footsteps glow , pull her to go a living of closing off .
14Iron Fist
The Chi - fueled martial creative person Danny Rand has serve up with the Manhattan - based street - level Defenders , and as well as with Dr. Strange ’s more mystically - incline teams . While a prodigious kung fu expert , Iron Fist ’s tycoon consist in his namesake . Harnessed from the heart of the tartar Shou - Lao the Undying , the Iron Fist is an ancient author of Chi energy that can enable miracle . Rand could manage the clenched fist with enough personnel to kill gods with a individual blow – in Kaare Andrew’sImmortal Iron Fists # 5,Iron clenched fist killed the demon godMara with a puncher so powerful it also rend a hollow in the very framework of reality .
13Ms. America
America Chavez possess a rare natural endowment : she can deny the Multiverse at will . Chavez ’s home attribute was ruled by the Demiurge , and her law of proximity to the deity has blessed her with an congenital power to absorb free energy , augmenting her physical attributes to the upper echelons of Marvel ’s superhuman power . Through her iconic Star Portals , Chavez can hop between the unnumberable dimensions of Marvel ’s world with relative ease . Combined with her power to naturally comprehend the Multiverse , and change within it , this made her a raw fit to get together Blue Marvel ’s unexampled team of mystical / surplus - dimensionsal Defenders in 2022’sDefenders Beyond , from creators Al Ewing and Javier Rodriguez .
12Daimon Hellstrom
Daimon Hellstrom is the Logos of the Lord of Darkness , Satan . His infernal inheritance imbued him with a wide array of hellish tycoon , from dominate the fire of Hell to a domination of the occult fine art , ranging from exorcisms , to time traveling , to teleportation . Hellstrom not only defeated his forefather , and claim the throne of Hell for himself , but has also clash with even greater , more malevolent forces . InNew Avengers , byBrian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan , Hellstrom was among the heroes to face off against the rule of the Dark Dimension , Dormammu . Hellstrom was capable to tie the Dread One before exorcising him from his host and banishing him back to his region .
11Namor
An original founding appendage of the Defenders , the King of Atlantis blow a singular genetical heritage : he is both Atlantean and mutant . The Sub - Mariner is beyond not just humans but his fellow Atlanteans as well , and is able of drawing vast power from the very sea he rule . So long as he maintains his pelagic connecter , Namor possess enough strengthto easily overmaster even the strong version of the Hulk . InSub - Mariner#34 , by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema , Namor did struggle with the Silver Surfer beneath the waving – Namor weathered a gust of the Power Cosmic , only to counter with a battle cry of " Imperius Rex " and a hit that sent the Surfer flying .
