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The Defenders (vol. 1) #97 (July 1981):
“Slouching Toward Bethlehem”
by J. M. DeMatteis, Don Perlin, Joe Sinnott

The Defenders (vol. 1) #97

Title: “Slouching Toward Bethlehem”

Medium: comic

Cover date: July 1981

Publisher: Marvel
Written by: J. M. DeMatteis
Art by: Don Perlin, Joe Sinnott


27 characters in this story:

Character
(Click links for info about character
and his/her religious practice, affiliation, etc.)
Religious
Affiliation
Team(s)
[Notes]
Pub. #
app.
Messiah (David Kessler)
(lead character)
villain
CBR Scale: D Jewish; Hippie; cult of David (leader)
Six-Fingered Hand (ally)
[empowered by Six-Fingered Hand]
Marvel 1
Doctor Strange Doctor Strange (Dr. Stephen Strange) hero clergy/religious leader
CBR Scale: D occult
Illuminati; Midnight Sons...  Marvel 1,687
Son of Satan Son of Satan (Daimon Hellstrom) hero clergy/religious leader
CBR Scale: M Catholic (former priest)
Shadow Hunters; The Defenders...  Marvel 207
Valkyrie Valkyrie (Brunnhilde) hero
CBR Scale: D Norse/Teutonic paganism
(Asgardian)
The Defenders
[former Chooser of the Slain]
Marvel 325
Nighthawk Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond) hero
  Redeemers (Earth-712); Redeemers...  Marvel 361
Hellcat Hellcat (Patsy Walker) hero
  Lady Liberators; Legion of Unliving...  Marvel Timely 656
Devil-Slayer Devil-Slayer (Eric Simon Payne) hero
CBR Scale: M Cult of the Harvester of Eyes
(former)
The Defenders Marvel 44
Gargoyle Gargoyle (Isaac Christians) hero
CBR Scale: S Buddhist (disciple of Vishnu Dass); occult
The Defenders Marvel 125
Cory Payne supporting character
CBR Scale: M cult of David
[wife of Devil-Slayer (of the Defenders)] Marvel 2
The Army of Archangels villain
CBR Scale: D demons
Six-Fingered Hand (ally)
[demon minions disguised as angels summoned by Messiah]
Marvel 8
Hyppokri Hyppokri villain
CBR Scale: D demon
Six-Fingered Hand
[empowered David Kessler to believe he was the Messiah]
Marvel 8
Avarrish
(2-panel cameo)
villain
CBR Scale: D demon
Six-Fingered Hand
[empowered Gargoyle]
Marvel 8
Puishannt
(2-panel cameo)
villain
CBR Scale: D demon
Six-Fingered Hand
[empowered Gordski]
Marvel 7
The Hulk The Hulk (Bruce Banner)
(1-panel cameo)
hero scientist
CBR Scale: I Catholic (lapsed)
Hulkbusters; Pantheon...  Marvel 4,551
Man-Thing Man-Thing (Ted Sallis)
(1-panel cameo)
hero scientist
  Daydreamers; Legion of Monsters... 
[Guardian of the Nexus of Realities]
Marvel 176
Asmodeus Jones (Ozzie Palmer)
(1-panel cameo)
villain
CBR Scale: M demonolatry
Six-Fingered Hand (ally) Marvel 1
The Agent of Fortune The Agent of Fortune
(1-panel cameo)
villain
CBR Scale: D Cult of the Harvester of Eyes
[agent of Vera Gemini] Marvel 3
Fashima Fashima
(1-panel cameo)
villain
CBR Scale: D demon
Six-Fingered Hand
[empowered evil rock star Asmodeus Jones]
Marvel 4
Unnthinnk
(1-panel cameo)
villain
CBR Scale: D demon
Six-Fingered Hand
[possessed Man-Thing]
Marvel 4
William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats
(quoted and cited)
real/historical person
CBR Scale: M Anglican (Church of Ireland); Theosophist
[playwright; poet] DC Vertigo, etc. 6
Thog Thog
(behind the scenes)
villain
CBR Scale: D demon; Satanism
[1st app: Fear #11 (Dec. 1972)] Marvel 27
God God
(mentioned)
deity real/historical person
CBR Scale: D God
[1st app: Old Testament (1402 B.C.)] various 313
The Devil The Devil (Satan)
(mentioned)
villain real/historical person
CBR Scale: D Devil
[generic Satan/Devil reference or appearance] DC Marvel, etc. 1,024
Pluto Hades
(mentioned)
villain hero deity
CBR Scale: D Greco-Roman deity; Cult of
Hades
League of Avengers; Olympus Group
[god of Death]
Marvel Portal Comics 148
Vera Gemini Vera Gemini
(mentioned)
villain clergy/religious leader
CBR Scale: D Cult of the Harvester of Eyes (leader); human-demon hybrid
[1st app: The Defenders (vol. 1) #58 (Apr. 1978)] Marvel 4
Agamotto Agamotto
(mentioned)
deity
CBR Scale: D mystic deity
Vishanti Marvel 15
Gordski Gordski
(mentioned)
villain
CBR Scale: D vampire; demonolatry
Six-Fingered Hand (ally) Marvel 1