Secret Defenders #8: Xandu Attitude

Secret Defenders #8
“She Should Have Died Hereafter...”
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Andre Coates
Inker: Don Hudson
Letterer: Clem Robins
Colorist: John Kalisz
Editor: Mike Rockwitz
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco
Released: Aug. 10, 1993

The Secret Defenders' battle against Xandu reaches its conclusion, though it's not the most satisfying ending.

Right off the bat, the ball is dropped by naming the story after a line in “Macbeth,” as they did in issue 7, rather than the teased “Death and Taxis.” The situation is recapped over three pages with Xandu blasting away at Dr. Strange's chosen team of himself, Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man, while Captain America faces off against the walking dead* back on Earth.

Melinda continues to implore Xandu to stop trying to merge the worlds of the living and the dead, but he assures her he knows what he's doing – then magically paralyzes her so she can't interfere while he makes all of her wildest dreams come true.

With his true love no longer nagging him, Xandu is free to blast away at and taunt the heroes, referencing Captain America's absence. That gives Strange the idea to … do some stuff.

First, he magically empowers a gem back on Earth that Captain America picks up and starts making like Spike in the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” finale. There's no poignant goodbye or spinoff to jump to though, because Cap still has a role to play in this issue.

Strange sends Melinda to Earth where she's caught by a rather chipper-looking Cap, who is no longer holding the gem (which we don't see again this issue). As queen of the dead, she orders the zombies to stop, and they do.

But then here comes Xandu, who simply cannot take a hint. Cap tries to keep Melinda away from him, while also asking if she can use her own power to defeat her suitor. Melinda tells him she's never been able to access her full abilities without Strange's help. When Xandu gains the upper hand, Cap suggests Melinda return to the Death Dimension and be a true queen. She gets his drift and asks Xandu to take them back. For once, Xandu listens to her.

Once they arrive, Melinda tells Strange what Cap said and Strange imbues her with his power and the energy of the generic demons that populate the Death Dimension. That may be exactly what Cap had in mind, although I thought he was just giving her a patented Ssteve rogerss pep talk about living up to her potential. Either way, it works, and Melinda blasts Xandu mystically and verbally:

“I loved you, Xandu. And I'd have loved you across two words – or in some third one we might have found together. But you had to have it your way – conquering me instead of caressing me – and killing the love I once felt for you!”

She banishes Xandu from the Death Dimension (perhaps making him immortal?) and separates the planes once more. Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man ask Strange if he made the right decision in not bringing Cap along or if that was the mistake. And Melinda says, basically, “Don't think too much about it. You'll get a headache.” Since that was the most interesting aspect of this still-enjoyable story, that feels like a letdown.

The whole issue feels a bit out of synch, like there were a few different ideas that didn't quite fit together or for which they ran out of room. Spider-Man's only contribution is webbing up the Wand of Watoomb when Xandu drops it, but that will get him more votes for MVP than Scarlet Witch, who is occasionally seen zapping a demon in the background. Beyond Melinda vs. Xandu, Cap and Strange are the focal points, which is fine, but it begs the question of why the other characters were vital to this team. Other than the fact that they have fought Xandu before, they didn't really bring a lot to the table.

I still found the atmosphere and concept fun, even if the execution here was lacking. Perhaps there was more going on behind the scenes, as the letters page announces Thomas and Coates are departing with Ron Marz taking on writing duty and Tom Grindberg on art starting next issue. This is all new territory to me, so we'll see how it goes. But I peaked ahead, and Thunderstrike's in the next issue, so I'm optimistic.

Also on the letters page, are our Suggested Secret Defenders of the Week, as Merril R. Davis III of Pennsylvania pitches Cyclops, Spider-Man, Captain Britain and Doctor Doom.

* - No, it's not an early crossover; they're just standard, non-Kirkman zombies.