By popular demand, the Infinite Wars are about to go where they've never been before! After two years of comprehensive canonical fight fact coverage, we're delving into the fictional world of fantasy fights, because you demanded it!
In the spirit of the immensly popular '96 DC/Marvel crossover event, we're pitting fifteen of each company's most relevant characters to 2007 against one and other! Stay tuned as we take a look at the imagine struggles of the superhero stars that have propelled the Infinite Wars across two full years of fisticuffs!
GREEN ARROW versus HAWKEYE
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Draw 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Draw 4 (Arsenal)
The Hook...
If you didn't see this one coming, you just lost yourself some serious rep points, my friend. You'd be hard pressed to find any fan who wouldn't offer up GA/Hawkeye when challenged to concoct a DC/Marvel scenario such as this.
Some might puzzle how this oh-so obvious meeting of archery themed heroes could've been omitted from the original crossover mini-series. Truth be told, they probably fell by the same zeitgeist that would have kept them out of our own efforts, had we made a tradition of this by doing it last December.
Needing no elaborate introduction, the two archers have come to share much in common over the last few years. Hawkeye made a pseudo-sacrifice during Avengers Disassembled, going down in a blaze of glory vaguely reminiscent of Green Arrow's own demise, where the emerald archer sacrificed himself to prevent an explosion that could have destroyed Metropolis.
After the events of House of M were rectified; Hawkeye find himself once again among the living, and ready to fight crime. When he finally rejoined the superhero community in the wake of the superhero Civil War, he joined up with the rebellious Secret Avengers, and assuming Maya Lopez' sword swinging ninja alter-ego, he would recall training with the Swordsman to become - Ronin.Good thing, too, because it brings the synergy of character full circle.
During the One Year Later Oliver Queen returned to the island that gave birth to the tradition of the Green Arrow, and there, he retrained himself and his allies, assimilating a new talent for swordplay into his swashbuckling arsenal.
The Math: Draw Ranking: Green Arrow (#20)
The Battle...
Stalking across the rooftops of the urban sprawl; Green Arrow turns the tables of convention on his pseudo-ninja opponent. Observing the dark visage of Ronin lurking in the shadows, Green Arrow sizes his inter-dimensional opponent up.
Ronin leaps into the air as a hail of arrows fly down at him from the buildings above. The blanket of razor tipped arrows bury themselves into the ground and walls surrounding him, all serving as warning to the "masterless samurai."
With an air of whimsical enjoyment, Green Arrow follows behind his ammunitions, using his bow as a weapon to knock the Ronin down.
GA draws a flash arrow and slams it against the ground to ignite it's flare, but Hawkeye sees the all too familiar strategy coming, able to shield his eyes from the blinding flash. Even so, the move buys GA time enough to draw dummy arrows, which he fires with non-lethal victory in mind.
Ronin slices the arrows out of the air and challenges Green Arrow to draw his own blade, which he wears with quiver on his back. Though still somewhat alien a resort, Green Arrow is happy to meet his foe on their newest common ground.
GA charges to bring his blade to Ronin's. The two heroes engage in elaborate swordry, before Ronin manages to acrobatically leap over GA, plucking an arrow from his still mounted quiver. Lacking the characteristic strategy of precision archery, Hawkeye stabs his opponent in the leg with his own arrow, reminding of the severity of the situation under which they fight.Dropping to one knee, Green Arrow lashes out like a wounded animal, catching the closing Ronin with a stiff uppercut. Having brought Ronin to his own level, GA clubs him in the back of the head with the butt of his sword.
When Ronin next looks up, he is staring down the all-too-serious point blank side of a boxing gloved arrow. GA makes no bones about letting the arrow go to knock his counterpart out. "Like this!"
The Hammer...
Well, then. Maybe next time Hawkeye decides to pull an identity switcheroo, he'll consider keeping his trademark weapons! It was this omission that made deciding the conclusion some what easier than if the pair had met on equal terms. In some ways I tend to lean toward the Hawkeye side of things, even though he isn't traditionally seen as active as Green Arrow.
In "the hook" I alluded to the fact that, had we done this last year, we probably wouldn't be talking about Hawkeye at all, given his untimely death. It will be interesting to see if the character resolves his identity, and what we have to say next year should this come up again. That's right, folks! A total cop-out, deferring further debate to next year!
If you'd like to register your opinion, or take issue with these results, please feel encouraged to do so! Few sections of the site are as specifically geared toward you, the War Mongers, as the Fantasy Fights!
WINNER: Green Arrow
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