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NEBULON'S MONSTROSITY

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Extradimensional ("Stormworld") monster

Occupation: Predator

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None (though he tolerated the grotto ants)

Enemies: Defenders (Luke Cage, Nighthawk/Kyle Richmond, Red Guardian/Tania Belinsky, Doctor Stephen Strange)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
     formerly the dimension "Stormworld"

First Appearance: Defenders I#38 (August, 1976)

Powers/Abilities: The monstrosity was an oversized, simian creature with superhuman strength (class 20, possibly higher), durability and stamina. He was highly impervious to physical attacks, surviving a prolonged fight against Luke Cage and recovering in minutes. Headstrong, he would chase its prey everywhere. The animal was left alone by the thousands of carnivorous ants in his cave, though his epidermis might have been too dense for him to even notice them. The primitive primate lacked the ability to speak and was fearful of fire.

Height: 6'9" (by approximation)
Weight: 450 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: White
Hair: White (fur)

History:
(Defenders I#38 (fb) - BTS) - Through unrevealed ways, the alien Nebulon became aware of the creature's inhospitable, native dimension. Intrigued by the realm's savage environment and magic annulling properties, he deemed it the perfect place to banish his enemies to. Eventually, he deposited the Defenders (Doctor Strange, Luke Cage and the Red Guardian) to that plane of existence, figuring they'd be too occupied with survival to even attempt escape. Strange found he was unable to use his magic out in the open because there was too much electromagnetic interference from the continuous electrical storms. Seeking shelter from the storm, they went into a nearby grotto where Strange was able to command sufficient magical power to start a small fire.

(Defenders I#38) - The fire attracted the monstrosity that came barreling out of the shadows, surprising the Defenders with its massive size and frothing, wide open mouth. Luke Cage attacked the creature first to protect his less invulnerable teammates, but he found he was having a hard time with the animal. Cage implored his teammates to hurry and help out, but Strange's spells had lost their potency and the Red Guardian's blows hardly fazed the creature. After it slammed Cage clear across the cave, the hero for hire grew furious. Breaking off a nearby stalactite, he used it as a bat to hit the creature in the abdomen with all his might. The monstrosity was left unconscious, though Cage admitted he'd actually tried to kill it.

(Defenders I#38 - BTS) - While the monstrosity lay unconscious, the Defenders faced a new threat when Red Guardian suddenly found herself besieged by the thousands of carnivorous ant-like insects that also lived inside the grotto. Cage's attempts at squatting them had little effect and neither did Dr. Strange's still weakened magic. With this bizarre scene going on, suddenly Nighthawk appeared in the cave after opening a door inside the Celestial Mind Control Movement's headquarters that turned out to be a dimensional portal. Nighthawk was able to calm the frantic Stephen Strange long enough for the mage to focus his magic and reopen the portal that led back to Earth. There, inside the CMC's base, the Defenders were immediately attacked by the Bozo's and their latest recruits, the supervillains Porcupine and the Eel.

(Defenders I#38) - The monstrosity recovered in time to follow his attackers through the portal, arriving on Earth within a minute of their return. His startling appearance caused the Bozos to flee, even as Dr. Strange realized his magical powers were still almost completely ineffective. As he pondered the cause of this, he managed to keep the monstrosity at bay playing on its innate fear of fire by projecting a pyrotechnic display. After a while, the creature started to realize the fireworks were relatively harmless and began to slowly march towards the mage. Feeling the importance of having to finish the fight alone, and sensing his many mystical enemies were watching the duel as well, Stephen Strange managed to conjure the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. The creature was trapped and confined. With the Bozos gone and Eel and Porcupine defeated as well, the Defenders left the CMC with the monstrosity still wrapped in the bands. Nighthawk suggested they called the police to "mop up around here", a sentiment Strange agreed with adding that he doubted they'd find anything inside beyond their means to cope with. At the same time, the monstrosity inside vanished in a bright flash (see comments).

Comments: Created by Steve Gerber (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks)

Man, Steve Gerber's Defenders really got weird, didn't it? You know you're reading an odd comic when an unbeatable extradimensional were-ape sharing a cave with cannibal ants is the most grounded aspect of the story. But oh boy, did I love those Celestial Mind Control Movement issues when I discovered them in the back issue bins as a kid.

It's a little unclear what happened to Nebulon's monstrosity at the end of the story. By the looks of it, Dr. Strange makes the creature vanish. But whether this means it was returned to its grotto or that it got evaporated remains unrevealed. It seems a bit out of character for Strange to downright kill a living being, though.

The creature wasn't named "Nebulon's monstrosity" in the story, nor does it have any actual ties to Nebulon. The villain might have been aware of its existence when he deposited the Defenders right next to that grotto. In the story itself, Gerber called it, well, "it".

Profile by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Nebulon's monstrosity should not be confused with

Grotto ants

The monstrosity shared its cave, but was apparently not bothered by, a colony of carnivorous ant-like insects. When the exiled Defenders had just defeated the beast, Red Guardian (Tania Belinsky) noticed the creatures had already started swarming her. Covering her body by the thousands, they immediately began to eat her flesh. Luke Cage and Doctor Strange tried their best to help their screaming, squirming teammate. Cage attempted to squash as many as possible while Strange used his magic to rid the Red Guardian of the insects. Their endeavors had very little effect. A little while later, Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond) arrived in the grotto when he accidentally went through a dimensional gateway disguised as a door in the Celestial Mind Control Movement's headquarters. Strange used his magic to locate and open the portal again, allowing the Defenders to return to Earth. The grotto ants still on Belinsky's body didn't survive the sudden dimensional transition and fell off her body.

-- Defenders I#38






images: (without ads)
Defenders I#38, p4, pan1 (main image)
Defenders I#38, p8, pan1 (beaten by Power Man)
Defenders I#38, p19, pan3 (captured by the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak)
Defenders I#38, p18, pan5 (fighting back )
Defenders I#38, p8, pans4,5,6 (grotto ants)

Appearances:
Defenders I#38 (August, 1976) - Steve Gerber (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)

Last updated: 05/01/16

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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