cover by erik larsen. erik larsen & kurt busiek/erik larsen/klaus janson. ? THE SCOOP: The Hulk! The Sub-Mariner! Silver Surfer! Dr. Strange! Marvel’s #1 loners unite in this new ongoing series! ? THE STORY: A monster, an invader, an alien and a master of the dark arts. They’re four of the world’s most powerful and feared figures?and they like each other about as much as the rest of the Marvel Universe does! What force could make these loose cannons join as a team? Why must they band together in defense of our planet? And how will Nighthawk, Hellcat and the Valkyrie react to their alliance? Co-writer and penciler Erik Larsen isn’t spilling any beans: “These characters don’t really like each other. But Kurt Busiek came up with a neat idea of why they stay together. I won’t say what it is… but it works really well. Silver Surfer, Sub-Mariner, Hulk?all these guys have attacked the Earth. And then Dr. Strange is just creepy. When the Avengers show up, everyone says, ‘Oh, good, the Avengers are here. They’ll save us.’ But the Defenders? When they show, everyone runs for their lives!”