BLACK ADAM versus AZRAEUZ
Every Hour Wounds, The Last Kills (DC comics)
Where: 52 #45 When: May 2007
Why: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka & Mark Waid How: Chris Batista, Jamal Igle & Keith Giffen

The story so far...
The nation of Khandaq has endured great hardship since Black Adam's coup of power, but war and unrest is quickly overshadowed as the nation becomes stricken with disease and famine, seemingly without a cause.

The true nature of Khandaq's hardship reveals itself in the form of the new Monster Society, each member representing one of the four fabled horsemen. The group is successful in killing Black Adam's adopted brother and sister, Osiris and Isis, but Adam slaughters all their number, save Death himself.

Having acted in conjunction with the corrupt governments being manipulated by Intergang - a criminal group Black Adam refused to involve himself with - Azraeuz flees to the neighbouring nation of Bialya. Unfortunately for them, Black Adam knows that, and with his family buried, is ready to take a trip...

Previous Form:
Black Adam (#20): Destroyed the other members of the Four Horsemen, and Psycho-Pirate.
Azraeuz (#239): Defeated by Black Adam and Isis in preceding battle.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Black Adam 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Black Adam 5 (Super Speed)
Stamina: Black Adam 6 (Generator)
Agility: Black Adam 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Black Adam 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy Powers: Black Adam 3 (Explosives)


Because the descriptions used in the tape system are fairly specific, it's generally pretty rare that you see sevens being thrown around. A lot of the guys you associated as having high level strengths are pipped at a six, because the system attempts to account for the uneven effect of cosmic and omnipotent characters.

Being a born fighter is pretty specific. There aren't too many characters ranked to have that honor, but I think we can all agree Black Adam is one of them.
Over the past six months the general message, where Black Adam has been concerned, is that if you get in the way you're straight-up fucked!

While his abilities can be easily wrapped up in a bow and analyzed, he's one of those characters whose statistics are misleading. With the right motivation it's fair to say Black Adam could take on an entire planet, and he just might even win! That's not to say he's ridiculously unbeatable, but there's a fiery temper that sponsors efforts inhuman even to super humans.

Azraeuz isn't easy! From what little we've actually seen of him [52 #44], he clearly has some skill. I mean skill in that condescending way the French guy uses it in Matrix Reloaded, when Neo's just stopped a whole bunch of bullets dead in their tracks. Azraeuz, "Death", has some skill.

Past performance shows Azraeuz is capable of getting the better of Black Adam. With his three buddies and the benefit of surprise, Azraeuz was able to physically dominate Black Adam, and keep him busy while his new girlfriend was getting killed by his fellows. Azraeuz definitely has the power to deal with Black Adam, but if we're going to go on past performance, we also have to recognise that ultimately Black Adam came out on top there.

Likewise, the bare statistics easily favour the Shazam-powered Adam, who exceeds Azraeuz in all areas but the wide-berthed strength, at a six.
So, where are we going with this? Well, that's pretty simple:

The Math: Black Adam (Super Class)
The Pick: Black Adam (Azraeuz is so fucked!...)

What went down...
Black Adam arrives in Bialya, already in a furious rage, as he crashes his way into the building that houses that nation's leaders. There, Adam finds the military and government officials who beg for the aid of their allies, but find themselves abandoned.

Death slaughters some of the men himself, before making an escape while Black Adam interrogates and kills those who have involved themselves in his mess.

Adam quickly dismantles the Bialyan military and moves to the streets, wreaking terrible havok with little regard for the civilians of the country.
Spying an orchid amidst the blood already spilled, Adam's sorrow is reignited, stirring him to retaliate brutally to the advances of the innocents that would protect themselves and their country.

Furiously searching through the carnage for Death, Black Adam notices crows gathering in the darkened, smoke-filled skies. Azraeuz is done hiding.

Azraeuz' strategy of hidnig proves to be more motivated by more than cowardice. With every death Black Adam has inflicted, Azraeuz has been able to feed and grow ever stronger, likewise explaining why he freely turned on his own allies.
With fatalities in the millions, Azraeuz is incredibly powerful!

He swats Black Adam through the air with ease, leaving him to land with a bang in a Bialyan cemetary.

The horseman of death hoists the Shazam powered anti-hero from the ground, and delights in the death of his bride, and the predictability his rage has brought with it.

Azraeuz slices through Adam's chest with his golden scythe, delighting in the sustenance he has provided through the death of the millions of innocents.
With Black Adam down and hurting, Azraeuz then continues his schpiel, demanding the death of Khandaq's ruler.

Black Adam's mighty fist shatters the golden scythe at the neck as he comes thundering down toward him. He plunges the blade deep into Azraeuz' mid-section and makes a grim decree, "I am here to tell you you are death no longer. I am."

Adam wraps his hands around the creature's neck and cries the magic word of the Wizard Shazam; heiling down the mystic lightning that changes him back to his human form of Theo-Adam, and cuts through the villainous horseman without mercy.

Stunned and sizzling, Azraeuz again feels the searing burn of the lightning ambush, as Adam immediatel reverts back to his more common form.

Snatching up a piece of wreckage, Black Adam looms over the struggling and smouldering beast. He confidently demands the total cooperation of the creature in answering his questions in descriptive terms, before driving the chunk of column deep into it's broken wings and back.

"And then, almight "Death" -- I am going to spend the rest of the night slowly ending your life."

The next day on Oolong Island, the assembled scientists responsible for the creation of Azraeuz and his fellows are watching a newscast concerning Black Adam's rampage, only to interrupted by the sounding of the island security. The alarm that tells them -- Black Adam has come for them.

The hammer...
The winner, with several million kills added to his name, Black Adam. For anyone wondering, we will probably continue to track Black Adam's rampage across the DC Universe next month, although, I haven't as yet been able to pick up the four issues of World War III, so we might fall short of the complete story.
If anyone would desperately like to see those covered, hit up the PayPal donations, because I'm strapped!

So, it's convenient that I was behind on updates, because some of the big news hitting the comics/movie world is the hot rumor of interest in Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson playing the role of Captain Marvel in the feature film version of the character's adventures. As I'm sure you're all already thinking, he would of course be far more compelling in the role of the Middle Eastern anti-hero, Black Adam!

Without getting into the whole caucasian/ethnicity debate that comes up with a lot of comic adaptations, there's a few reasons The Rock would be so great as Adam. Visual asthetics aside, he's shown not only that he can play the action tough guy, but as also brought the presence of fighting royalty to The Scorpion King, and played the motivated anti-hero in Doom, complete with a crazed twist.
Likewise, as much as Rock can turn it up, there's a genuine and warm sincerity to his character that suggests to me he might be able to embody some of the finer pathos, and motivated antagonising Black Adam undertakes. While also possessing, as seen in Doom, that necessary evil that the character sometimes exhibits.

I couldn't tell you who I'd rather see playing Captain Marvel, but suffice to say, The Rock is one of the few muscle-men who come to mind who could fit the part, and maybe have a hope of selling it. I don't know what the general consensus is, but I've had at least a couple of people agree.

So, 52 has of course well and truly wrapped up by now, and we're two weeks into the follow-up project, Countdown. I haven't had the money to pick up World War III, so as you can imagine, I'm not reading Countdown right now. It's much the same scenario that struck me earlier in 52's life, but if this experience has been anything to go by, there'll still be plenty to gain later in the run!

I think one of the saddest points coming out of 52 is that Black Adam's powers were wrestled away from him by Captain Marvel, who is now the governing protector of their abilities. Fortunately Countdown has featured an appearance by the character, and DC have solicited an upcoming Black Adam mini-series that will not only detail the time between his defeat in WW3 and Countdown, but also feature artwork by Secret Earths Top Ten artist, Doug Mahnke.
So, it looks like the hits are just going to keep on coming for Black Adam!

Y'know, reflecting on this particular issue and everything Black Adam has been through as a character, having just featured Namor [What if...? #41], I come back to a point I think I've made previously: DC are doing Namor better than Marvel.

Much like Adam, the Sub-Mariner has lost not only a relative; Namorita during the New Warriors/Stamford incident, but also one of his oldest friends - Captain America. The fact that, as far as I know, he is yet to have any kind of reaction to this, is a little disheartening. I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of the thick-headed angry Namor, but if there was ever grounds for an incursion of the surface world, this is probably the time.

Marvel a really getting dissed pretty hard on this front. Particularly given the Sub-Mariner is one of their few enduring Golden Age properties, predating Black Adam by almost twenty years. It's disappointing that they've let this sacred cow slump so certainly. We might have to compare mini-series later in the year, but on what little we have to go on now, it's not looking good for ol' marine-mook.

Before I get too carried away, we are a week behind right now, so I think I'd best wrap this one up. A lot of big updates coming this way, including a special little something next, so stay tuned!

I saw the movie Crank last week, and like that, this issue of 52 was just stupid-fun. Action packed, vengeful, ridiculous, and over-the-top. Loved it!
The Fight: 7 The Issue: 6

THE MONSTER SOCIETY versus BLACK ADAM
Deaths in the Family (DC comics)
Where: 52 #44 When: May 2007
Why: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid How: Keith Giffen & Eddy Barrows

The story so far...
Black Adam's nation of Khandaq has been plunged into a plague of darkness, and Adam's young protégé, Osiris, believes his committing a murder with the powers granted to him is what's responsible.

Convinced to give-up his powers, which free him of his condition as a cripple, Osiris is quickly slaughtered by Sobek, a crocodilian creature he rescued from the sinister mad scientist, Dr. Sivana.

Sobek reveals himself to really be Yurrd the Unknown, member of "The Four Ages of Dread Of Apokolips in it's anguished, bloody morning."
The NEW Monster Society, and remaining three horsemen of Khandaq's apocalypse reveal themselves, and launch their sleeping attack on Black Adam.

Previous Form:
Black Adam, Isis, The Four Horsemen: None of these characters have been featured previously on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Black Adam 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Black Adam 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Black Adam 5 (Super Speed)
Stamina: Black Adam 6 (Generator)
Agility: Black Adam 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Black Adam 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy Powers: War 6 (Mass Destruction)


Okay, this was a tough one, because the [Four Horsemen] characters, as far as I know, are new to 52, so there isn't a lot of discussion to be had.
Certainly the nature of their powers and the way they are presented paints a fairly clear picture of their capabilities, but the minutia may be lost here.

The tape is deceptive, because while Black Adam's broad strengths paint a fairly encompassing picture, the four Monster Society pawns have a comparable bredth of strengths that simply aren't as potent as Black Adam's.

Each character possesses impressive physical strength. Famine (Yurr) appears to be the only character without a strong, unique twist to the rest of abilities. Rather than possessing any famine themed abilities, he's simply a reptilian with a penchant for eating things, and an insatiable hunger.

In the previous issue he revealed his true nature by devouring Osiris once he had reverted to his crippled form, which brings us to this issue, where the powers granted to Osiris return to Black Adam, and alert him of the danger.

Pestilence (Zorrm) possesses various chemical based attacks, with a backpack/blaster combination, as well as oral means of gas projection. He is potentially the weakest of the group, while also being the most grotesque and subversive.

War (Roggra) is a lumbering mechanical looking creature with various mount weapons, and a distinct theme of modern weaponry. There's a very tanky motiff, there.

Death (Azraeuz) appears somewhere between an angel and an Egyptian Anibus style creature, and as we will ultimately learn, he is capable of drawing dark strength from the deaths of others. [More on that in The Hammer -- Mumbling Mike]

The strength in numbers certainly gives this new Monster Society a leg up on the competition, but Black Adam is truly an impressive character. Arguably more powerful than his cheesy counterpart, Captain Marvel, Teth-Adam (as he's also known) is far more ruthless a character, despite his noble intentions.
He will make no bones about killing in situations of ambiguity, let alone with the onslaught of engineered creatures designed to destroy him.

It should also be noted that he has another young companion, Isis, a slave woman who was offered to him by Intergang, and ultimately proved to be an outspoken and courageous young woman named Adrianna Tomaz, worthy of the power of Isis.

Isis has comparable powers to Adam himself, if a little less potent, but also properties for healing, and limited control or influence over the weather.

As far as caling a winner here, it's hard to deny the numbers advantage possessed by the Four Horsemen. Black Adam is an incredibly compelling and powerful character, and if anyone's going to overcome odds like those, he's probably a good bet. The powers of Shazam may just have the edge here.

The Math: Monster Society (Total) Black Adam (Average)
The Pick: Black Adam w/ Isis

What went down...
Adam and Isis stand confronting Famine, as the remaining members of the Four Horsemen descend upon them. Death is the first to strike, swinging his giant golden scythe into the grip of the SHAZAM powered ruler.

The two mighty beings smash through the balcony roof of the Kahndaqi palace, but despite being on the bottom, Adam has strength enough to throw the larger Death beast off with a thundering right hook.
Famine descends quickly, wrapping his taloned finger tips around Adam's face.
"Let me tell you how I ate Osiris! How his organs popped in my mouth like fresh grapes..."

Osiris, having been snatched up by Pestilence, drops into the palace through the hole left by Adam and Death. She witnesses Teth-Adams firey rage first hand.

Adam takes Famine's snout in his hands, and as a tear makes it's way from the creature's eye, he pulls open it's jaw much farther than it should ever be. Blood sprays, "These are not men, Isis. Sobek said it himself. They are monsters."

War lumbers, as Black Adam points him out as next on the list. However, a hail of bullets interrupts his charge. He's pushed back, taking less damage than his residence, before War blows him off his feet with an explosive.

"I have the power of all the world's soldiers and missiles and bombs. Those are my gods."

Osiris continues her tustle with Pestilence, warned by her preternatural relationship with nature that he is a creature made of little more than virii and bacterium. It was he who brought disease and misery to the people of Kahndaq.

The creature stares through the single red orb on it's forehead, and sprays forth a green mist of goo and ill. Isis springs forth various tendrils of growth to protect her, as she slides clear of the muck.

The paths of the heroes converge. As Adam reels from the gunfire attack of War, Pestilence is throw into the mix by the greenery, before being swept into an isolated tornado along with War.

Isis' blood runs cold as Death returns to face the Black Adam family.
Death's penetrating gaze stuns both. A zealous War snatches Adam and tosses him out of the building, announcing himself the instrument by which Death's decree of doom will be dealt. Adam smashes the head from the statue of his long fallen wife as he comes to a painful halt.

War is on him almost immediately, grinding his head into the ground with the mechanical mess of engineering and metal that poses for a hand.
Adam continues to be tossed and pounded by the creature of War, while Isis finds herself victim to a full blast from Pestilence's mounted gun. Pestilence surrenders her to Death, "I have spread my disease across her and inside her."

Staring down at the stone face of his first wife, Adam is asked the question, "Will you beg for your life as well?"
It serves to inspire his rage. It gives him the strength to plunge his fist deep inside the chest of the robotic monstrosity of War.

It is difficult to say whether they are tears of mourning, or of unbridled hate, but as he rips away at the creature, Adam returns the favour, "Will you? A being who embodies all the war in the world does not impress me."

Blood gushes from Isis' mouth, and tears from her eyes, also, as she fades further and further still from life. Death lifts her by the chin with the tip of his scythe.

Pestilence' grin turns to a scowl.
Black Adam blasts his head off with the shoulder mount cannon taken from War.

Death swings his large scythe, scathing at the side of the Kahndaq ruler. Adam does away with the weapon, and uses his fists to shatter the teeth from Death's skullish head.
It is not enough to stay the beast's attack. He palms Black Adam's head, but still clinging desperately to life, Isis reaches a benevolent hand outward.

She calls to the Earth, asking it to spew forth it's moltenous lava so as to seperate the monster from her husband.
Death is jetted skyward in stream of lava and smoke, choosing to flee from further assault rather than face down the elements themselves further.

Adam cradles his queen in his arms. She confesses a new understanding for the bleakness she had discouraged. In these horseman she understands the great evils and digusting crimes man would commit, and she is angered. She stems Adams' faith in her, and the good she claimed. Dying in his arms, she asks for exactly what Black Adam can provide.

And with that vengeful scorn, lightning descends upon the ruler.
The power of Isis returns to him, and the sky begins to weep.
Black Adam is alone, but not without purpose.

The hammer...
Your winner, despite great loss -- Black Adam.
Hopefully I captured the battle with suitable drama, despite being somewhat tired by Easter festivities, and the general late we find ourselves in. Alas, we move on!

Like a lot of people, I've been well and truly been converted into absolutely loving Black Adam. The obvious aside, the character is regularly compared to Marvel's Namor, and I can't help but feel the character Black Adam has benefitted from, starting really with Geoff Johns and David Goyer's run on JSA, is exactly the kind of thing Marvel hasn't done with their character.

As I mention, the Black Adam reneissance dates back to JSA where he joined the team under the pretenses that he'd changed, but as we saw throughout the issues, he was detaching himself to ultimately form a much more hard-edged team. That progress culminated in the thoroughly awesome Black Reign JSA/Hawkman crossover story, and has really continued ever since.

As we discussed previously [52 #42], I came to the 52 party just as the business was kicking off, so I have a pretty narrow field of reference. Even so, I well and truly jump on the bandwagon toting Black Adam as the best portion of the series.

Perhaps the only concern coming out of this is the future of the character. He's crossed a pretty big line in the issues that follow this one, and that's not generally something you see from DC comics. With promotions for the upcoming World War III featuring the character prominently, you have to wonder...

I'd like to think calmer voices of reason would protect the character from such a fate, and I'd put my money there, but you just never know. It wouldn't be the first time we saw a character built-up, if only to be knocked down.

I am trying to move through here pretty quickly, but I have to draw some attention to one little note. I realise Radiohead is one of those groups depressed teens like to attach to various scenes of pathos or drama, but I have to say, despite the slightly cartoony take on the violence, if I were going to cut this comic into a music video -- Thom Yorke - Analyse.
If you've got the book and the track, I challenge you to have a paced flick through, and fill-in the gaps of motion with your imagination.

Since we're reflecting the times as they are somewhat, you can expect a follow-up to the Black Adam action in the coming months, even though they're not the easiest reviews/summaries to write. I just think the character deserves it.

Actually, also, it's just dawned on me that we've had an awful lot of killing in the last few entries.
To anyone worried we might be turning the competition too far in the direction of a bloodsport, I offer sincere reassurance. Only Wednesday's usual dose of What if? books will be soaked in the blood of your childhood icons. Those, and maybe event books written by Brian Bendis.

All the best, and a belated Happy Easter to all concerned.

The Fight: 5.5 The Issue: 5.5