We're living in a nostalgic age and after a decade or more of eighties throwbacks it seems the 1990s are having a resurgence. Between comic books and multimedia you can't keep the flashy era down, and the hottest thing in gaming right now is the Marvel versus Capcom Fighting Collection -- the flashiest of all video game adaptations!
Superhero fighting games are right up our alley and it only makes sense that we take a look at the top ranking heroes & villains who appeared in those arcade classics -- now available on physical media for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch starting November 22nd!
Superhero fighting games are right up our alley and it only makes sense that we take a look at the top ranking heroes & villains who appeared in those arcade classics -- now available on physical media for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch starting November 22nd!
In case you missed it: Every entry on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths contributes to the
cumulative win/loss rankings. You can find updates at the bottom of
every new featured fight for characters involved -- but Rank & File
is our chance to compare 1,000+ characters by highlighting the ten best
of specific categories! Become a Top 10 supporter on Patreon and you could pick the next Top 10 topic! Remember: This is based on data. Share your Top 10 in the comments!
#1 Spider-Man (Marvel)Real Name: [Peter Parker]
First Appearance: [Amazing Fantasty #15 (August, 1962)]
Fighting Collection First: [Marvel Super Heroes (October, 1995)]
Recent Opponents: [Blackheart, Kraven The Hunter, Lizard, The Spot]
Featured Fight: [Spider-Man versus Juggernaut]
The Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection starts with a long-overlooked belt scrolling beat 'em up based on The Punisher. It was made before Capcom's crossover fighting game phenomenon really took off, but when it comes to ranking Marvel Comics icons in any arena -- you know the list will almost always begin with The Amazing Spider-Man!
Decades before Disney bought the company; Stan Lee compared Spidey to Marvel's answer to Mickey Mouse. The instant these games opened up to the larger Marvel Universe - the iconic web-slinger had to be there! His frenetic fighting style made the perfect transition to the hyper-kinetic approach of Capcom's superhero fighting games, sending him darting across the screen with all the proportionate speed & agility of a spider! It would be a while before any of his lethal foes found their way into the games [keep reading], but comics-inspired battles with Juggernaut and Hulk were a whole lot of fun!
Decades before Disney bought the company; Stan Lee compared Spidey to Marvel's answer to Mickey Mouse. The instant these games opened up to the larger Marvel Universe - the iconic web-slinger had to be there! His frenetic fighting style made the perfect transition to the hyper-kinetic approach of Capcom's superhero fighting games, sending him darting across the screen with all the proportionate speed & agility of a spider! It would be a while before any of his lethal foes found their way into the games [keep reading], but comics-inspired battles with Juggernaut and Hulk were a whole lot of fun!
#2 Iron Man (Marvel)Real Name: [Tony Stark]
First Appearance: [Tales of Suspense #39 (December, 1962)]
Fighting Collection First: [Marvel Super Heroes (October, 1995)]
Recent Opponents: [Magneto, MODOK & AIM, Defensor, Ghost, Terraxia]
Fight Spotlight: [Iron Man versus War Machine]
When I think of Marvel versus Capcom I can't help but think of the "Golden Avenger". People like to presume the Robert Downey Jr film put the character on the map, but the fact of the matter is Iron Man was already an icon of Marvel Comics multimedia long before that!
Capcom did a brilliant job bringing the mid-nineties Iron Man armor to life at a time when it was appearing in comic books, an animated series, and action figure line. If you remember this period, you remember this version of Iron Man, and his arsenal was a bombastic addition to any MvC team-up, with shoulder-mounted upgrades that filled the screen with repulsor raying destruction. A simple palette swap gave us a rough approximation of the War Machine armor, but it's the red & gold that headlined the most.
#3 Wolverine (Marvel)Real Name: [James "Logan" Howlett]
First Appearance: [Incredible Hulk #181 (November, 1974)]
Fighting Collection First: [X-Men: Children of the Atom (December, 1994)]
Recent Opponents: [Elektra, Wendigo, Deadpool, Sabretooth]
Featured Fight: [X-Men versus Magneto]
The X-Men might not have had the cache to make it a big hit in Japan, but seeing the mind-melting action of a Capcom arcade fighter based on one of my favourite comics was a life-affirming moment. X-Men: Children of the Atom had a fantastic line-up of characters, and if you're sending Marvel's Merry Mutants into battle against the likes of Silver Samurai and Omega Red -- you can bet your bottom dollar that the "best there is at what he does" will be fightin' on the front lines!
Wolverine's "Berzerker Barrage" brought the unhinged dream of his adamantium claws to life, slashing across the screen with a battlecry bellowed by definitive voice actor Cal Dodds (of the X-Men animated series fame). The hugely popular character inevitably became a mainstay of the series, and you can only imagine my excitement when the X-Men versus Street Fighter arcade machine showed up in town, becoming a fixture of the back corner of one of the comic book stores I frequented. Inspiration from Fatal Attractions saw the controversial bone claws find their way into MvC2, but we won't hold that against them. Wolverine truly is one of the best there is in the Fighting Collection!
#4 Hulk (Marvel)Real Name: [Robert Bruce Banner]
First Appearance: [Incredible Hulk #1 (May, 1962)]
Fighting Collection First: [Marvel Super Heroes (October, 1995)]
Recent Opponents: [Wendigo, Man-Thing, The Werewolf, Fantastic Four]
Featured Fight: [Hulk & Drax versus Thanos]
When Hulk stepped up to take on the challenge of The Infinity Gauntlet in comics - the powerhouse hero was reduced to a mere nuisance, but when Marvel Super Heroes loosely adapted the 1991 story to the side-to-side fighting arena -- the green goliath was given the chance to settle the score! The result was another unfathomably large character sprite in the vein of Juggernaut, and like pretty much all of Capcom's adaptations -- it did Marvel Comics proud!
Hulk theoretically posed a challenge of bridging the mechanical necessities of a well-balanced fighting game with the conceptual representation of a character possessing incredible strength, but absolutely nobody was sweating that small stuff when there was such a good time to be had! Capcom came up with the interesting mechanic of collecting the Infinity Stones for powered-up attack options, but hey. Hulk has thrown down with most of the characters in these games before and they're just fine. This is the nineties, man. It's a video game. Get with the program and go with the flow! Hulk smash!!
#5 Captain America (Marvel)Real Name: [Steve Rogers]
First Appearance: [Captain America Comics #1 (December 20, 1940)]
Fighting Collection First: [Marvel Super Heroes (October, 1995)]
Recent Opponents: [Infinity Watch, Kang The Conqueror, MODOK & AIM]
Featured Fight: [Iron Man versus Captain America]
There are so many fond memories from these games, but I always had a particular soft spot for Captain America and his "Final Justice". Capcom brought the requisite comics-inspired cool to each of these characters, and in no way shied away from the peculiarities of Captain America's attire. He was there in glorious red, white, & blue -- complete with those little wings on his mask. Perfection!
Like Iron Man; Cap eventually had a fun palette swap option with the darker tones of USAgent (or The Captain, if you prefer). Economy of resources was kinda important in those days, and even if they didn't quite go the extra mile to make the costume exactly as it appeared in comics - the flourish was still appreciated. Of course, Capcom had already done themselves proud just by delivering the fundamental joys of charging into battle and throwing Cap's mighty shield -- which he had to pick-up if he wasn't able to catch it after a block or double projectile. Tremendous!
#6 Thanos (Marvel)Real Name: [Thanos]
First Appearance: [Iron Man #55 (February, 1973)]
Fighting Collection First: [Marvel Super Heroes (October, 1995)]
Recent Opponents: [Thor, Ultimates, A-Force & Inhumans, Captain America]
Featured Fight: [Iron Man, Thor, Firelord & Sub-Mariner versus Thanos]
These days the world regards Thanos as inevitably one of the premier Marvel villains thanks to his role in the live-action cinematic universe, but when Capcom expanded their line-up from X-Men to a broader stable of icons with Marvel Super Heroes -- they immediately announced comic book credentials with a loose adaptation of The Infinity Gauntlet that cast Thanos as final boss!
It was the first major mainstream exposure for the cosmic villain, who had been accumulating a comic book reputation throughout the eighties and nineties under Jim Starlin's curation. Capcom naturally opted to tone down the omnipotence of The Gauntlet, instead placing control of the various Infinity Stones in the hands of players for a range of game-altering power-ups. It was a tremendously cool use of the concept, and despite some slightly oversized elements of Thanos' mask, they kept it close to the source with a win pose cameo by Thanos' self-made girlfriend Terraxia! Very cool, very weird!
It was the first major mainstream exposure for the cosmic villain, who had been accumulating a comic book reputation throughout the eighties and nineties under Jim Starlin's curation. Capcom naturally opted to tone down the omnipotence of The Gauntlet, instead placing control of the various Infinity Stones in the hands of players for a range of game-altering power-ups. It was a tremendously cool use of the concept, and despite some slightly oversized elements of Thanos' mask, they kept it close to the source with a win pose cameo by Thanos' self-made girlfriend Terraxia! Very cool, very weird!
#7 Ryu (Capcom)Real Name: [Ryu]
First Appearance: [Street Fighter (August, 1987)]
Fighting Collection First: [X-Men versus Street Fighter (September, 1996)]
Recent Opponents: [Dhalsim, Rose, Sadler's Cyborg, Vega, Ken Masters]
Featured Fight: [Ken Masters versus Ryu]
We're "The Comic Book Fight Club", so you've got to expect a certain amount of bias in the rankings towards the Marvel Comics heroes, but if one Capcom character was going to break through the ranks -- it was bound to be Ryu! Although the Marvel vs Capcom series expanded well beyond Street Fighter, the legendary fighting game franchise was integral to the entire exercise, and remained one of the key components right through the final installment of Marvel vs Capcom 3.
The eternal hero of the Street Fighter franchise was there as always to test himself against Marvel's best, just as he has been in every iteration of the Street Fighter series and its adaptations into other mediums. We've covered comics, movies, and animation here on the site, and Ryu has emerged through it all as the icon we know him to be. Don't worry, though. You can check out the honorable mentions "Bringing Up the Rear" at the bottom of this list to find more Street Fighters who've made an impression.
The eternal hero of the Street Fighter franchise was there as always to test himself against Marvel's best, just as he has been in every iteration of the Street Fighter series and its adaptations into other mediums. We've covered comics, movies, and animation here on the site, and Ryu has emerged through it all as the icon we know him to be. Don't worry, though. You can check out the honorable mentions "Bringing Up the Rear" at the bottom of this list to find more Street Fighters who've made an impression.
#8 Storm (Marvel)Real Name: [Ororo Munroe]
First Appearance: [Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May, 1975)]
Fighting Collection First: [X-Men: Children of the Atom (December, 1994)]
Recent Opponents: [Prime Sentinels, Omega Red, Sentinels, Blitzkrieg]
Featured Fight: [Storm versus Wonder Woman]
The X-Men's Mistress of the Elements brought tornado winds and crackling lightning to the battlefield, riding gusts & gale as a gliding goddess in the integral X-Men: Children of the Atom, and later MvC installments. Her iconic nineties design was fully realized by Capcom's brilliant animators, who brought every billow and fold of her unique cape to life in perfect synergy with the comic books of the time, and the beloved animated series.
The ability to shape the very weather around her may make Storm seem a little above all the side-to-side brawling, but we mustn't forget that this X-Woman is always ready for a rumble, drawing upon her youth as a street thief fighting for survival in the back alleys of Cairo, to mix it up as readily in the dirt as the sky. In fact, I might say Storm is a rare case where Capcom left some of her potential abilities untapped in the arcade classics.
#9 Rogue (Marvel)Real Name: [Anna Marie]
First Appearance: [Avengers Annual #10 (1981)]
Fighting Collection First: [X-Men versus Street Fighter (September, 1996)]
Recent Opponents: [Omega Red, Ronan, Hellfire Club & Nimrod]
Featured Fight: [Nimrod versus Juggernaut & X-Men]
Potentially one of the trickier prospects for a balanced fighting game experience; Rogue had to wait for the crossover sequel, X-Men versus Street Fighter, before she could join her merry mutant teammates in the battle for homo-supremacy.
Super-strength, flight, and power absorption might be pretty nifty on the comics page, but in a mid-nineties fighting game Rogue is caught between needs for bold visualization, gameplay balance, and resource management. Capcom figured it out and a quick kiss from the southern belle was all that was needed to start hurling hadoukens and corkscrew piledrivers right back at the source! An application of powers that's completely intuitive to the source yet wholly unique to the game. Another example of Capcom's brilliant ability to adapt characters from comics to games!
#10 Venom (Marvel)Real Name: [Eddie Brock]
First Appearance: [Amazing Spider-Man #298 (April, 1988)]
Fighting Collection First: [Marvel vs Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (January, 1998)]
Recent Opponents: [Spider-Man, Carnage Family, Ghost Rider]
Featured Fight: [Venom versus Iron Man]
As a breakout new character from the late eighties -- Venom was perfectly positioned to become a staple of Spider-Man's burgeoning web of video games. With a strong visual hook and dangerous edge; Venom had fast mainstream appeal that hit nineties gamers right in their sweet spot -- propelling him out of villain roles in several Spidey games into playable headlining status in fan-favourite scrolling beat 'em ups Maximum Carnage and Separation Anxiety.
When it was time to expand the roster for an all-out inter-company collision between Marvel and Capcom -- Venom was a natural addition to the ultra nineties line-up! Whether tag teaming with Spider-Man, or joining a squad to take the web-slinger down, Venom was a drooling mass of highly animated symbiote muscle that continued to delight fans!
Bringing Up The Rear:
Remember: The Rank & File Top 10 is determined by recorded win/loss rankings from official sources at the time of publication. There are many more world warriors from the Marvel and Capcom canons. Who would rank top of a different tier list? Share your Top 10 Marvel vs Capcom characters in the comments and become a Patreon subscriber to choose the next Rank & File Top 10 topic or fight spotlight!
No comments:
Post a Comment