Religion and Characters in
The Defenders (vol. 1) #97 (July 1981):
“Slouching Toward Bethlehem”
by J.M. DeMatteis, 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)	Jewish; Hippie; cult of David (leader)	Six-Fingered Hand (ally) [Israel. empowered by Six-Fingered Hand]		1
Doctor Strange (Dr. Stephen Strange)	occult	Defenders; Midnight Sons  The Order; Illuminati; Secret Defenders; New Avengers		1,687
Son of Satan (Daimon Hellstrom)	Catholic (former priest)	Defenders; Howling Commandos		207
Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)	Norse/Teutonic paganism (Asgardian)	Defenders; Lady Liberators [former Chooser of the Slain]		325
Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond)		Squadron Sinister; Squadron Supreme  Defenders; Thunderbolts; Redeemers; Secret Avengers; Redeemers (Earth-712)		361
Hellcat (Patsy Walker)		Defenders; Avengers  Legion of Unliving; Lady Liberators		639
Devil-Slayer (Eric Simon Payne)	Cult of the Harvester of Eyes (former)	Defenders		44
Gargoyle (Isaac Christians)	Buddhist (disciple of Vishnu Dass); occult	Defenders		125
Cory Payne	cult of David	[wife of Devil-Slayer (of the Defenders)]		2
The Army of Archangels	demons	Six-Fingered Hand (ally) [demon minions disguised as angels summoned by Messiah]		8
Hyppokri	demon	Six-Fingered Hand [empowered David Kessler to believe he was the Messiah]		8
Avarrish (2-panel cameo)	demon	Six-Fingered Hand [empowered Gargoyle]		8
Puishannt (2-panel cameo)	demon	Six-Fingered Hand [empowered Gordski]		7
The Hulk (Bruce Banner) (1-panel cameo)	Catholic (lapsed)	Avengers; Defenders  Hulkbusters; Pantheon; The Order; Ultimates; Secret Defenders; X-Saviours; Warbound; Weapon X (Exiles)		4,551
Man-Thing (Ted Sallis) (1-panel cameo)		U.S. Army; S.H.I.E.L.D.  Daydreamers; Legion of Monsters [Guardian of the Nexus of Realities]		176
Asmodeus Jones (Ozzie Palmer) (1-panel cameo)	demonolatry	Six-Fingered Hand (ally)		1
The Agent of Fortune (1-panel cameo)	Cult of the Harvester of Eyes	[agent of Vera Gemini]		3
Fashima (1-panel cameo)	demon	Six-Fingered Hand [empowered evil rock star Asmodeus Jones]		4
Unnthinnk (1-panel cameo)	demon	Six-Fingered Hand [possessed Man-Thing]		4
William Butler Yeats (quoted and cited)	Anglican (Church of Ireland); Theosophist	[Ireland]	, etc.	6
Thog (behind the scenes)	demon; Satanism	[ 1st app: "Night of the Nether-Spawn" in Adventure Into Fear #11 (Nov. 1972) ]		27
God (mentioned)	God	[ 1st app: (Timely/Marvel) [9354]; (DC: as "The Voice", e.g. "The Presence", DC) [9342] ]	, etc.	313
The Devil (Satan) (mentioned)	Devil	[generic Satan/Devil reference or appearance]	, etc.	1,024
Hades (mentioned)	Greco-Roman deity; Cult of Hades	Olympus Group; League of Avengers [god of Death]	/ Portal	148
Vera Gemini (mentioned)	Cult of the Harvester of Eyes (leader); human-demon hybrid			4
Agamotto (mentioned)	mystic deity	Vishanti		15
Gordski (mentioned)	vampire; demonolatry	Six-Fingered Hand (ally) [Transylvania]		1

Webpage for The Defenders #97 (July 1981) created 22 August 2009. Last modified 25 April 2013.
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