Maintaining a comic book fight club, particularly one striving to maintain regular contant, involves a bit of shuffling. You might have noticed that we've somewhat done away with theme entries that populated the site in the first couple of years, relegating them to Sundays with the C2C feature. Of course, in trying to keep things interesting, pseudo-themes have organically emerged throughout the flowing discussion that is the very make-up of the Infinite Wars.Over the majority of March our overarching theme has been boxing, martial arts, and competition fighting. In accordance, it seemed fitting to take a look back at some of those recent features, as well as some classic competition fights you might have forgotten from Infinite Wars past! Think you're up to the Cover to Cover challenge? Up with yer dukes! This one's for the leather and gold, meatball!
Street Fighter Alpha (1999)"The Tournament Begins" Yamauchi/Yoshida
Ken Masters, a world renowned American martial artist, has returned to Japan to reunite with his former training buddy, Ryu, and compete in a big Street Fighter tournament! To the shock of both, their reunion on the anniversary of their master's death uncovers secrets hidden from Ryu's past. The emergence of the possessive dark hadou energies is but a precursor to the arrival of Shun; a small Brazilian boy claiming to be the long lost brother of the orphaned Ryu.
While Ryu avoids combat in an effort to supress the potential dark energies swirling within him, he allows the young boy to enter the street fighting tournament. The decision comes around to affect both situations as Shun faces overwhelming odds against the Russian "red cyclone", Zangief, and inspires the dark hadou in Ryu once more!
DC: The New Frontier #2 (April 2004)"Fun City" Darwyn Cooke
It's the Las Vegas social event on everyone's calendar: the big Heavyweight title bout between hot contender, Clay, and his weathered opponent and reigning champion, "Wildcat" Grant!
As Grant faces an opponent faster, younger, and heck, prettier; he cannot begin to comprehend his place in a transitional period for the United States of America. In the wake of the Second World War, paranoia of the Cold War has set in, leading the American government to force the mystery men of the Justice Society into retirement when they demand to know their identities by way of a congressional hearing.
Wildcat digs deep to pull out one more victory, a last hurrah for the old guard, soon to be but a faint memory of an old frontier!
Beyond! #1 (September 2006)"The Great Beyond" McDuffie/Kolins
Long ago the superheroes and villains of the Marvel Universe were plucked from their lives by an omnipotent being called, The Beyonder! Their only mission was to pool their efforts to overcome their opposition on the Battleworld field of combat!
Now, decades later, the Beyonder's fascination with human and superhuman beings continues, and once more a group of unsuspecting individuals will be put to the test. Having moved on to small focus groups, this time Beyonder collects a ragtag group with a simple offer: Slay your enemies and all you desire shall be yours! Nothing you dream of is impossible for me to accomplish!
New host to the Venom symbiote, Mac Gargan, doesn't need to be told twice, seizing the opportunity to rid himself of the Spider-man, once and for all, -- but all is not as it seems!
Street Fighter Alpha Vol. 1 (2007)"Round. 6" Masahiko Nakahira
Ryu's defeat over the legendary Muay Thai champion, Sagat, has come at a great cost. Unleashing the hadou energy of the shoryuken has tapped a well that threatens to engulf the Japanese martial artist with darkness; the murderous intent -- the dark hadou!
Disillusioned, Ryu takes a job as a bodyguard on a drug running vessel, but when shots are fired by Interpol agents, the dark hadou is finally unleashed. Ryu becomes a beast, subdued only by the combined efforts of Birdie and Chun-Li! Chun-Li aids Ryu, while Interpol employs him in an effort to crack the International criminal organization, Shadaloo, who are recruiting street fighters into a growing underground army. Warned of his future by fortuneteller, Rose, Ryu leads Chun-Li to an unlikely arena, and a warrior called Ken!
Immortal Iron Fist #11 (January 2008)"The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven" Fraction/Brubaker/Aja
While travelling through the Himalayan Range, Daniel Rand's father would accidentally stumble upon an entire hidden civilization in the secret city of K'un-Lun! This path would lead to Danny down the road of the Iron Fist, a sacred inheretence deemed unworthy of then champion's son, Davos.
Decades later K'un-Lun, along with it's six sister cities, gather for their traditional sixty-six year tournament to determine the cycles upon which the cities remain hidden from the Earth outside. Davos, now representing K'un-Zi after being exiled, redubs himself Steel Phoenix after launching a Hydra sponsored attack on Rand's personal life, and his ally, Orson Randall. With the deck stacked, Davos enters the Tournament of the Heavenly Cities, with murder on his mind...
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