JUSTICE LEAGUE versus DARKSEID

Rock of Ages Part Five: Twilight Of The Gods (DC)
Where: JLA #14 When: January 1998
Why: Grant Morrison How: Howard Porter

The Story So Far...
Hard light holograms simulating the seven core members of The Justice League are just the beginning of their problems when a new Injustice Gang is formed by Lex Luthor!

The wealthy businessman has come into possession of a rare and powerful stone that allows him to control an alien prisoner and his Injustice Gang teammates. He thinks it might just be the ultimate weapon -- but in its many guises The Worlogog is the key to initiating cosmic armageddon!

Aquaman, Green Lantern, and The Flash find themselves thrust through time & space by the New God Metron in an effort to destroy "The Philosopher's Stone", but when they arrive fifteen years into the future they discover its destruction has brought humanity to the brink of annihilation!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Darkseid 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Metron 7 (Infinite Wisdom)
Speed: Flash 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Darkseid 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Wonder Woman 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Darkseid 36 (Cosmic)

What happens if evil finally wins? It's a question every comic book reader has pondered, and a few too many contemporary storytellers are willing to answer.

In 1998 JLA struck the right balance with a dark future dominated by evil New Gods in Rock of Ages. This Justice League are: Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Swarmtrooper 000830, and Wally West.

The tattered future League aren't entirely the heroes you remember. Huddled in the underground Detroit JLA Bunker, they represent the last remnants of the JLA gathered by a time displaced Aquaman, who now inhabits his future-self.

Joining him from fifteen years in the past is Kyle Rayner, whose body has been converted into a techno zombie-like Swarmtrooper sans Green Lantern ring, and Wally West: a pale shadow of his former self, now disconnected from the Speed Force, and reduced to a sickly, overweight firepit builder in the Keystone Ghetto.

Their first ally from the future is Wonder Woman: a battle-hardened, armor-clad survivor who'll die before the Zombie Factory takes her. They're also joined by Green Arrow, Atom, Argent, Azteka, and a reprogrammed Amazo, all of whom have roles to play in coordinated strikes away from the rest of the team.

Batman was believed taken some eight years prior, but it turns out he endured years of physical and psychological torture, overthrowing Desaad to remain embedded under deep cover for two months disguised as his captor. He's perfectly positioned to formulate a plan to strike at the heart of Darkseid!

Darkseid is a New God of unspeakable evil whose pursuit of domination is as likely to be directed as his own subjects as it is his enemies! Born Uxas, he reinvented himself with the murder of his mother and conquest of the planet Apokolips!

He seeks ultimate power through the Anti-Life Equation, believing fragments of its solution to lie within the recesses of the human mind. This has drawn him toward the Earth many times before, making playthings of its mightiest champions!

His powers dwarf the godly pantheons, but he has never the less known defeat. We saw Superman and Batman overcome him in Superman/Batman #42, and his son Orion fulfilled destiny by ripping Darkseid's burning heart from his chest in the explosive battle of Countdown #2! He died of his wounds, but Darkseid and the New Gods always find a way to return to life...

The Tape: Justice League Rankings: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...

In a ship hovering over the ruined city of Metropolis: Darkseid awaits the arrival of his vile inquisitor Desaad. The New God of evil doesn't yet know his agent was replaced months ago by The Batman -- and he's bringing a new Justice League!

Batman leads the heroes through the Boom Tube, tossing scattered grenades ahead. The Apokolips-based technology fills the room with a dense "theotropically engineered" fog that baffles even the perceptions of Metron!

Darkseid erupts with furious bemusement while the League rushes purposefully through the smoke to their carefully planned destinations.

Wonder Woman elects to hold Darkseid, and the massive cube now called Granny Godness, at bay. She only promises an undisturbed minute or two. It takes mere seconds for Batman to reach The Mobius Chair and startle Metron.

The Dark Knight tempts Metron with the promise of undiscovered knowledge. He dares the New God to use his limitless power to become human for but a moment. Just long enough to record data most elusive to gods: mortal feelings.

While Metron considers the ease with which he could convert himself to a human approximation -- Wonder Woman harnesses defiant rage to fight for humanity!

"I'LL DIE BEFORE I BOW TO YOU!"

The Amazon's vow is dismissed with cold agreement. Darkseid swats her away with the back of his hand, quite certain that she will die. Not by him, though. He has trusted followers to carry out such menial tasks.

Metron was never one to get his hands so dirty. Now flesh and blood, he discovers the sensations of weight and "ceaseless particle movement". He seeks the value of recording feeling. Batman gives him a crash course in pain.

A stiff right hand stuns Metron and allows Batman to fill the gods' vulnerable mortal form with powerful hypnotic drugs. Metron will now be completely pliant and ready to obey their every instruction.

Batman leaves Metron and his Mobius Chair to the time-displaced Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Flash. He trusts that a new fate will be made in the past, so that this doomed existence could be unwritten. The chair takes them back.

Still in the damned future: Darkseid summons his Grandmother Box to destroy Wonder Woman.

With all the heinous cruelty of the living Granny Goodness, the machine opens a Boom Tube to the molten core of Apokolips -- and teleports a direct stream of firepit energy directly at the Wonder Woman!

The Amazon ricochets through the halls of the dark aerial fortress.

Granny Goodness turns her red lens towards Batman, but before she can enact any cruel disciplines -- Wonder Woman smashes through the Grandmother Box's shell in a final furious blaze of glory!

Batman hurls his batarang through the gaping chasm of what's left of the murderous machine. His aim is true -- cutting a perfect line -- but the weapon explodes with indifference against the impenetrable shield surrounding Darkseid.

The Batman instructs an unseen Atom to do what he can about it. Maybe the guerilla scientist hears him, maybe he doesn't. It hardly matters with Swarmptroopers flooding into the chamber to surround him.

Darkseid condescendingly wonders if this dark individual is known to him, and what he could think his "pathetic display" would achieve. The New God still doesn't fully grasp the scale of Batman's deception and his planned "display".

The Dark Knight kneels over Wonder Woman's motionless body and whispers, "We did it." Then he tells Darkseid that they've shared a few laughs, but now he's taking everything. The dark god need only look up to see the beginning...

Somewhere within Darkseid's Zombie Factory: the young hero who answers to Azteka flips a switch on her belt. It unleashes the destructive power of her four-dimensional battery's energy! The explosion rips through The Moon base!

As masses of humanity begin to awaken from the nightmare of Anti-Life, Darkseid confesses his respect for such a small being's ability to hurt him.

Darkseid's mercy is expressed through the red beams that dart jaggedly through the room until they reach their intended target.

Batman will suffer The Omega Effect, but not before he hurls a final insult at Darkseid. A bitter truth: that Darkseid finds himself surrounded by "maggots" because he did what he said he would: "You recreated the whole world in your image ... and what you see is your own ugly faaaaa--"

The last word trails off as Batman ceases to exist -- lost in a cloud of sizzling red particles. To where or when, even Darkseid does not know. It simply is.

The Hammer...
The fight does not begin or end with the death of Wonder Woman, and defeat of Batman.

The Justice League's last stand is part of a three-pronged attack fought over multiple arenas, including a second front over the skies of Metropolis.

Batman's attempt to relay intelligence to Atom will play out minutes after he suffers The Omega Effect: an ambiguous fate that sent him through ancient history, and multiple lives, when it happened again in Final Crisis.

It could be argued that the arrival of Atom & Green Arrow minutes later is part of a single coordinated strike, but it functions as part of a very separate sequence, which we'll examine as Round 2 when we reconvene in the future.

I suppose efforts to send Aquaman, Green Lantern, and The Flash back to then-present 1998 could be considered an additional front -- if we take Doc Brown's advice and think of it fourth dimensionally. Otherwise, it's a pre-emptive strike that will render this entire future moot once the Philosopher's Stone (or Worlogog) is protected.

That just leaves Argent & Azteka's attack on the "Zombie Factory" Moon base unaccounted for. We caught an indirect glimpse of it during the fight recap. If you'd like to see more of that one, you can contact me through the various available channels, including Patreon. It's interesting, but incredibly brief.

Here in the grim future (or past) of 2021: it seemed appropriate to finally touch upon Rock of Ages for the imminent release of Zack Snyder's Justice League.

It's not so much a celebration as a comparison. Both stories have superficial similarities, but play out with significantly different quality, priority, and context.

Snyder restores his original vision with a four hour runtime that shares some of the dark palette seen in the now-classic JLA comic arc, but apparently benefits from little of its levity, brisk optimism, or inventive comic book genius.

Grant Morrison takes cues from the high concept mastery of Jack Kirby and bakes it with the dizzying excess of late 90s comics. Nothing is held back, allowing JLA Rock of Ages to be many things to many people, if a little cluttered and hurried.

The story is bookended with Lex Luthor and his Injustice Gang, whose plan sets the possible dark-future into motion. It is told in two dedicated issues after an excursion through Wonder World, and a multiverse of strange and chilling realms. The beginning and end, rooted in an exciting and turbulent contemporary DC Universe, anchor the darkness with colour and the joy of good superheroes.

I would argue Morrison perfected his New Gods epic with Final Crisis. It revisited similar concepts with slightly more clarity and breadth despite a "channel changing" style that incorporates many more players and series than Rock of Ages. It also can't be understated how Morrison's work benefits from interplay with itself, and how both stories benefit each other. The guy really knows what he's doing!

The depiction of Wonder Woman in this grim future is interesting. I didn't find myself able to include some of Howard Porter's most dynamic depictions of the Amazon. In truth, she is frustratingly out of focus, even when she leads the fight against Darkseid, and rips through his sinister servants.

The helmet and armor design reminds me a little of Big Barda, but behind its gold and silver plating is a story of battle-hardened survival and withdrawal into violent warrior culture. It should read as a contrast to the superhero, but here in 2021, I can't help but notice how much this seems like the contemporary depiction of Wonder Woman. A bit like Kingdom Come, it feels like its dark example has been ignored, serving as precedent & inspiration, instead of warning.

I've written about the struggle for a definitive Wonder Woman, and the intuitive emphasis of her Amazon warrior's heritage, but today's battle, with all its sound and fury, gives me a moment's pause to consider the finer points of her status as an ambassador for peace. There may still be much work to be done.

In-fiction, the grim future of Rock of Ages ultimately doesn't matter. It's obliterated from within by Orion and the Genesis Box before our time travelling heroes even set things right. Which is good. Because as tempting as it is to wonder about the darkest outcome -- the inherent beauty of superheroes is their ability to always prevent it. Wanting anything else is just madness. Anti-Life.

The phenomenon of Zack Snyder's Justice League has been a little off-putting in total. The zealous fervor of its most die hard cultists un-ironically recalls the edicts of Darkseid himself. A ravenous pack dedicated to nothing but the darkness of Snyder's vision and the inevitability of consuming more of it. Dark Snyder is.

I've pretty much had my fill of middling to disappointing adaptations and their expanding circumference of influence. As a consumer I want more from my purchases, and as a fan I crave better days of inventive, colourful superheroes.

DC Films President Walter Hamada referred to the Snyder Cut as a "storytelling cul-de-sac". I don't think that was a comment on its creative vision, but I wouldn't be opposed if it was, and hope in the face of dangling plot threads it can live up to that designation. The new cut may restore an acceptable degree of coherence to the plot, but I find it very hard to believe it is the best the Justice League can be.

Of course, the dark future of Rock of Ages isn't the best they can be, either.

If you find yourself feeling similarly, and want to experience the entirety of today's featured battle, you might like to check out JLA: Rock of Ages collected in JLA: The Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 or JLA Rock of Ages. Using Amazon purchase links provided will not only net you a good deal, but also help support the site.

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has eatured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 1000 characters! You can discover them all by diving into the Secret Archive for an index of battles by publisher, series, and issue number -- or discover the joy of following links throughout this post to other stories.

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Winner: Darkseid
#119 (+287) Darkseid [+1 kill]
#466 (+6) Granny Goodness [+1 assist] [+1 kill]
#609 (new) Metron [+1 assist]
#1 (--) Batman
#10 (--) Wonder Woman [+1 kill]
#25 (--) Aquaman [+1 assist]
#34 (--) Flash (Wally West) [+1 assist]
#75 (--) Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) [+1 assist]

BATMAN/SUPERMAN versus DARKSEID
Torment Part 6: Release (DC)
Where: Superman/Batman #42 When: Early January 2008 Why: Alan Burnett How: Dustin Nguyen

The Story So Far...
After negotiating his way out of his imprisonment within the mythic Source Wall, the New God, Darkseid, finds himself with only a fraction of his titanic power.

In an effort to reclaim the Omega Power; Darkseid has his loyal minion, Desaad, recruit the fear obssessed villain, Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka; Scarecrow. The Gotham madman aids in the manipulation of Superman - the man originally responsible for trapping Darkseid in the Source Wall.
With Superman under his control; Darkseid damns him to an act of irony, sending the Man of Steel to recruit the staff of the Highfather - a conduit for the power Darkseid seeks, housed at the Source Wall.

In an effort to find his ally, Batman travels into space to face the overwhelming odds of a New God on the planet Tartaros. There he finds a valued ally in Bekka, the fighting wife of the New God, Orion. Together they track Darkseid to the threshold of the Omega Force where they share one final passionate exchange, before an act of treachery by Desaad affords them the ultimate time to strike...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Darkseid 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Darkseid 5 (Professor)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach-Speeds)
Stamina: Darkseid 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Darkseid 7 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Darkseid 5 (Lasers)


- After witnessing the street murder of his parents, the young Bruce Wayne's destiny was forever shaped to be one dedicated to an ideal. Having spent his formative years studying the various sciences, martial arts, and crime fighting techniques, Bruce is ultimately inspired to become the one-man war on the criminal element in Gotham City: Batman.

With the planet Krypton on a path toward destruction, a scientist, Jor-El, bundles his only son into a rocket ship designed to take him far from the impending doom. The young Kal-El would be rocketted far from his home to come to land on the planet Earth, where a yellow sun would grant him the powers to become the man of steel - Superman!

Known affectionately as the "World's Finest," Superman and Batman are among the most senior superheroes in the DC Universe. As founding members of the Justice League of America, the duo maintain a tense relationship built of mutual respect and recognition for each others unique skills. Batman's brilliance is matched only by Superman's empathy and natural superhuman abilities, which off-set the Batman's reliance upon man-made technologies.

- Born to Yuga Khan and Heggra; the New God named Uxas would ultimately change his name to Darkseid as part of a reinvention that would include the assassination of his mother, and ascension to ruler of the planet, Apokolips.

In his desire for universal domination Darkseid seeks the Anti-Life Equation; an ability that will grant him omnipotence over all thought and being. This quest has brought him into regular conflict with the denizens of a distant planet called Earth. It is Darkseid's belief that the recesses of the human mind retain lost fragments of the Anti-Life Equation.

Darkseid's power rivals and maybe even dwarfs any of his New God peers, or even those from other pantheons of godly order. Ungauged levels of strength and invulnerability provide a baseline for the enduring despot, with other abilities, such as his Omega Effect, providing a lethal projectile offensive said to be inescapable and nigh impossible to survive.
Also at Darkseid's disposal are the endless hordes of his parademon soldiers, fiercely dedicated, and willing to die in his name.

Math: Superman/Batman (Ttl) Darkseid (Avg) Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...
Having reenergized the powers of the Omega Force through his traitorous minion, Darkseid claims the Highfather's staff for himself, squashing the brief moment of rebellion by Desaad. Just as Darkseid punishes his underling with an Omega Beam, a ship explodes through the wall, pilotted by Bekka and Batman!

The dark lord's daughter-in-law leaps from the ship alone, armed with a futuristic gun that has little effect on the New God. Darkseid easily disarms his son's wife with an Omega Beam, playing unwittingly into a diversionary tactic that has Batman charging the New God under the invisible veil of Bekka's phasing tech.

The Dark Knight launches into a flying kick that connects with the titan's jaw and successfully stuns him enough to knock the Highfather's Staff from his grip! The moment Batman takes hold of the powerful object, he gains vision to see Superman moving faster than a speeding bullet, but not at all.

When Batman snaps back to reality he finds the staff has disappeared, but in it's stead is Superman, who, by means unknown, was able to escape the confines of the Source Wall! Darkseid gloats over Bekka as she tends to the human with which she experienced love - a distraction that proves the despot's undoing!

The Man of Steel collides with Darkseid with devestating voice, exacting revenge for his manipulation. Reeling, the New God suffers a combination of strikes, two more that spray more blood from his mouth as his face contorts in line with the super-fast swing of Superman's fists!

On his knees, Darkseid chooses to flee from battle, rather than run the risk of being trapped by Superman within the Source Wall once more.
His exit coincides with a disruption in the planet Tartaros as the break in the Source Wall caused by Superman's escape begins to suck away at the universe. The planet itself, a vile construct of war, is sucked in to fill the gap, becoming one with the cosmic barrier.

The destruction allows Bekka to open a boom tube, providing the heroes a method of escape.
On Earth, Orion claims his wife. The New God has only a stern gaze for the Dark Knight that came to know her love, unaware that he is about to carry his wife to her doom as Darkseid's true plans carry on in secret, and death is brought to all the New Gods.

The Hammer...
Like a boss battle in MKvsDC, the winners are Superman and Batman, but not without the assist from site debutante, Bekka!

If you've been following the site in our seemingly endless November, you'll know we've been banging the drum for the crossover video game release, Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe. Following the cues of the merged final boss, we thought it would be fitting to wrap up with a shot of Shao Kahn, and today, Darkseid!

Traditionally I can't say I've really been much of a New Gods/Darkseid fan, but 2008 proved that I'm pretty easily won over. It's been a big year for ol' stone-face as he marched through both the MK and DC universes! One of the highlights of the year was undoubtedly his supposed death at the hands of Orion [Countdown #2], to say nothing of his total domination of the Earth, in Final Crisis.

As has been a tradition for DC over the last few years, it's interesting the way this seemingly innocuous cosmic arc of Superman/Batman plays a much more significant role in the landscape of the DCU in 2008 (connecting to Death of the New Gods, and by relation, Final Crisis). It reminds me a little of Brian Azzarello's Superman story, For Tomorrow, which forecast elements of Project OMAC/Infinite Crisis, albeit, a bit more obvious to anyone paying attention.

If one were to buy in to the popular theory that Final Crisis is preparing the landscape for an ascension of heroes to New Godhood, then this story might take on even greater significance. I still find myself a little less than convinced, even with the recent "death" of Batman in RIP, but as an adventure to connected events, it's certainly a story that leaves you believing in Batman's ability to become a creature of far greater cosmic significance.

Burnett (and presumably, editorial) deserve credit for tackling some of the big ideas that have rumbled implicitly beneath the Bat-mantle -- namely Bruce Wayne's sexual and romantic desires. Here he finds a moment of both with Bekka, referring in his own pensive internal dialogues to the way he has channelled those impulses into "the Almighty Will."
Bekka emerges naked from warm vats that stave off the threat of hypothermia to console the notably disturbed (and unmasked) Batman, which creates the slightly hilarious scene of Bruce recoiling into the shadow with a dramatic, "No, Bekka. Stay back...!"

By focusing on the human cost paid by Bruce Wayne in order to function as The Batman the story implies an interesting dual point. While it highlights the underlying humanity that is within Wayne, it quickly replaces that comment with the suggestion that he can exist on the same level as (New) Gods, completely removed from humanity! It is a very interesting perspective to observe.

Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are all departing once again, but is it simply a vacation this time, or something more? We saw the trio take time out during 52 to recharge, but what if this time around it is to leave behind the DCU to ascend to a new purpose? As disappointing as it would be to lose these legends, do they not deserve the implied next stage? It would surely be a very bold move from the corporate DC Comics! More palatable that the veiled threat of another line-wide Crisis reboot, also!

I've got to make at least one mention of Dustin Nguyen's artwork!
I really enjoy his heavily stylized take on the character! His figures balance an energetic cartoon style with the emotive darkness one expects of a good Batman. Some of those shadows sometimes feel almost Mignola-esque, but are unmistakably Nguyen's! The digital colours on this issue's cover don't do the artwork justice, but interior colours, by Randy Mayor, do the trick!
This is polar opposite to Nguyen's recent pseudo-painted treatment on Detective Comics, but that's a review that will have to wait for another day...

We'll leave you with these vague ponderings as we press ever onward toward today! The next big checkpoint is the December Punch-Up where we'll be bathing in the statistical ramifications of all our Mortal Kombat/DC Universe posturing!

The Fight: 3.5 The Issue: 5.5

You can check out the collected edition of this hidden DC gem, as well as collections of the many other issues reviewed in the Secret Archives, by checking out our Amazon Gift Shoppe! With the holidays barrelling down on us it's the perfect way to shop for that comics fanboy in your life, or maybe even yourself! By using links provided on the Infinite Wars, or deviating from the same, you help sponsor future entries with every purchase you make! So take full advantage of Amazon's prices and convenience! Yays!

ORION versus DARKSEID
Darkseid Equals Death (DC)
Where: Countdown #2 When: June 2008
Why: Paul Dini, Sean McKeever & Keith Giffen How: Scott Kolins

The Story So Far...
When the prophecized death of the New Gods begins; Darkseid begins siphoning the powers of each of the deceased for future use in his attempts to create the Fifth World on Earth. In need of a storage vessel, Darkseid recognises Superman's best pal, Jimmy Olsen, as one of the most protected individuals in the cosmos.

Though the mysterious development of these strange powers gives Jimmy hope of becoming his own type of superhero; the intrepid photo journalist soon discovers the truth about his many fantastic transformations! After being reunited with Superman, Darkseid is able to take control of Olsen's new abilities, forcing him to emit Kryptonite!

The intervention of the Atom gives Jimmy a chance to take control of his powers, but even with the giant-size energy of a New God, he's unable to overcome the dark lord. Just as all hope seems lost for Superman's pal a boom tube ushers the arrival of a New God thought dead - Darkseid's son, Orion! Intent on putting an end to his father's darkness once and for all, can Orion fullfil the prophecy?

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Darkseid 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Darkseid 5 (Professor)
Speed: Orion 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Darkseid 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Orion 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Draw 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Darkseid 6 (Mass Destruction)


- The second son of the New God despot, Darkseid; Orion was part of a peacekeeping trade between frictioned twin planets.
While Mr. Miracle would take his place on the destructive world of Apokolips, Orion would have a lighter life raised by the Highfather Izaya.
Izaya taught Orion to control his inherent rages, making him one of the greatest warriors the universe has ever seen! His legend includes a brief reign as ruler of Apokolips, and member of Earth's Justice League.
It has been prophecized that Orion will one day destroy his father, plunging his body into the depths of firey pits.

Orion, a New God, possesses fantastic strength, speed, and endurance.
With the aid of an Apokoliptian Mother Box, Orion is capable of maintaining a calm, while also focusing his energies. His astro-harness also allows the funneling of destructive energies from The Source from which the New Gods came, and also facilitates travel through almost any environment.

- Born to Yuga Khan and Heggra; the New God named Uxas would ultimately change his name to Darkseid as part of a reinvention that would include the assassination of his mother, and ascension to ruler of the planet, Apokolips.

In his desire for universal domination Darkseid seeks the Anti-Life Equation; an ability that will grant him omnipotence over all thought and being. This quest has brought him into regular conflict with the denizens of a distant planet called Earth. It is Darkseid's belief that the recesses of the human mind retain lost fragments of the Anti-Life Equation.

Darkseid's power rivals and maybe even dwarfs any of his New God peers, or even those from other pantheons of godly order. Ungauged levels of strength and invulnerability provide a baseline for the enduring despot, with other abilities, such as his Omega Effect, providing a lethal projectile offensive said to be inescapable and nigh impossible to survive.
Also at Darkseid's disposal are endless hordes of parademon soldiers, fiercely dedicated and willing to die in his name.

The Math: Darkseid Ranking: Darkseid (#79)

What Went Down...
Just as the fates of Ray Palmer and Jimmy Olsen seem sealed a boom tube explodes spewing forth an astro-harnessed Orion who survived a death that took him directly to The Source. He is none too pleased to see his father.

Channeling the very power of the mystic Source, Orion blasts Darkseid with a devestating blast of energy from his harness. Darkseid laments his disappointment, summoning his own energies for a clash of New Gods!

A raging Orion warns the heroes of the Justice League away; allowing the fullest of his powers to swirl like a maelstrom of raw force! Declaring his intent to fullfil his prophecized victory, Orion doesn't see the bending beams of energy coming up behind him -- Omega beams!

Orion survives Darkseid's occular assault reduced to a smouldering mess.
His dark father is unremorsful when punting his burning son. Orion's body hurtles to the ground with explosive impact. Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, and Donna Troy reluctantly watch on, aware of their helplessness.

Darkseid pins Orion's skull beneath his heel to gloat. The strategum only serves to provoke Orion's untapped rages further. He bursts from his self-made crater, toppling Darkseid, only to take a mount position and unleash blows that rock the already destroyed city of Metropolis!

Crackling energy bursts from the two titans as they lock in close quarters like the ancient gods of Olympus. Darkseid mocks the details of his prophecized downfall, "... I don't see... your precious firepits, Orion..." The Apokoliptian despot feigns a moment of joy for his son's promise to sacrifice his own life to kill him, and then...

... Orion plunges his fist into Darkseid's chest!

Darkseid drops to his knees as firey energy pours from the cavity in his chest. Orion stands over his father a vision of stoicism, "Ever so arrogant, this Darkseid. Straight through to the end. Goodbye, father."

Metropolis is bathed in the explosion of energy before the heavens open to a pacifying deluge. Darkseid's boney remains glow like embers and Orion walks into the pouring night -- victorious.

The Hammer...
In one of the most epic battles of the year: Orion wins! Fatality!

We're running disgustingly late after a week of delays, but I'm pleased to finally have this battle up on the Infinite Wars. The pipedream would be to give the best few reads this sort of treatment each week as a gauge of the year's progress. That just isn't realistic for me, but it's nice to pick up a big battle like this one.

This fight vaguely connects to the on-going Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe discussion, because here is a prime example of the combative chops of the DCU. Orion would undoutedbly be at home with morally ambiguous warriors like Scorpion and Sub-Zero, while Darkseid, to me, is the most obvious lead villain the makers of the game could choose to pair-up with an MK menace.

Of course, as much as MKvsDC has been a driving force on the Infinite Wars, there's a whole lot coming from the comics side of the fence the next few months! As you'll see in the shipping list; it's going to be a big week of books, particularly with DC simmering away with it's upcoming Final Crisis efforts.

By now more information is surely presenting itself, but I haven't really been keeping up. Which I think I like. I'm enjoying having little preconceived notion of what Grant Morrison plans to do with his final chapter in the 'Crisis Trilogy.'

Particularly after the DC Universe 0 special, I'm enjoying the notion of DC heroes ascending to fullfil the void left by the dead New Gods. It seemed foolhardy to expect Bruce Wayne to be among this new pantheon, but the speculative return of Barry Allen instills a faith in me that this is a concept that really could work.

Of course, I'm not entirely sure that's the destiny laid out before the deceased speedster. Initially I was very fond of the idea of a zombified Barry Allen as part of the new Black Lantern Corps and many sources have since suggested that what I thought was a cosmic Barry Allen in DCU0, was actually Darkseid being reborn. So I really don't know where this is all going, but I'm excited.
More surprisingly, I'm excited about the New Gods!

I mentioned at the beginning of the month [Super Powers #5] that I'm not a New Gods fan, but I certainly appreciate the weight of the characters.

Countdown [to Final Crisis] has come under heavy criticism for struggling to maintain a direct line to the stories it's been responsible for instigating. I'm certainly surprised to see this monumental battle told outside of the pages of Death of the New Gods, but to DC's credit, this book has done the unthinkable, and actually gotten me retroactively interested in the related mini.

I'm disappointed that Darkseid is almost certain to return soon.
If I had a greater affiliation for the character, I might disagree, but my preference for death to end in death applies even moreso to the New Gods. Granted, there's a cyclical precedent in the canon, but I just don't feel that's justification for one of the most played out scenarios in comics. Worse still was the immediate fakeout of Orion's death which played specifically into the conclusion of the story of the New Gods.

Scott Kolins is an artist whose stock dropped dramatically when he produced some of the very worst covers I've ever seen, for New Invaders. From that point sloppy digital looking inks have been a constant disappointment of his artstyle, but not so here. Kirby overtones were welcomed in this 'final' clash of New Gods, and helped round this issue out as a strong stand-alone clash.

I was a little disappointed, particularly given that the entire issue is dedicated to battle, that it didn't quite live up to the epic standards of recent comparisons; like World War Hulk #5. The epic nature of the battle was well communicated in concept, but failed to really be reflected in the quality of the artwork. There were glimpses of grandeur very similar to the concluding issue of World War Hulk, but all too often the action was broken by the mundane. This is one time I could undoutedbly call for the popularized 'widescreen' presentation that, although not showing a great respect for the economy of the page, lends a lot of power to a story.

Keith Giffen wears a story consultant credit, suggesting to me a role pertinent to the written side of things, more than the role as layout artist he had for 52. If this assessment is at all correct, it does tend to make you wonder if Kolins might have benefitted from the added direction, but I wouldn't want to be too harsh on the penciller. His inks, though a little rough and imperfect, were a refreshing change from the unconfident and spotty lines I've come to associate with him.

I quite enjoyed the issue on the merit of it's own context, but wish I could've had more scope for the surrounding chapters. I tend to imagine the segmentalized nature of the series probably lends to my selective purchase, but it still might have been nice to have experienced more that led to the gravity of this issue.

I imagine we'll revisit the earlier part of the issue for the Darkseid/Jimmy Olsen showdown, but for the mean time, hopefully this was worth the wait. I'm certainly pleased to have finally added one of 2008's big showdowns to the record!

The Fight: 6 The Issue: 5.5

Missed out on all the New Gods action and keen to catch-up? If your appetite's whetted head over to Amazon where you can find all the information for pre-ordering the collections of those issues! Amazon not only has all the titles you need at affordable prices, but if you use purchase links provided on the site, you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! You can find more titles in the Infinite Wars Amazonian Gift Shoppe!
Thanks for your continued support! Stick around as the Infinite Wars rolls through overdue posts!

MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #29 (May 2008)
DARKSEID versus APOKOLIPS SOLDIER
Spaceship Earth: We're All On It! (DC)
Where: Super Powers #5 When: November 1984
Why: Jack Kirby How: Jack Kirby

Quick Fix...
For me, comics are a passion as much as an obsession.
One of the most romantic qualities of comics is their serialized nature. The capacity to tell an on-going story over the course of decades is so rarely seen in any other field it's impossible to deny the grandeur of the medium.

This cosmic quality affords the medium time and opportunity to transition and shift ideas that can sometimes seem diametrically opposed. Through thick and thin, the promise of another week is one of the great qualities of comics, and while the restart button is always there, for a select few characters the final day must come.

This month we're casting the quick fix to a corner of the DC Universe not often frequented by the Infinite Wars. Ironic, really, given the constant struggle of violence between the New Gods of New Genesis and Apokolips.

Created in 1971; the New Gods were to be Jack Kirby's last major contribution to comics. Though he would continue working with DC into the eighties, less reverant readers would acknowledged a decline in quality in The King's work.

Though acknowledging of his significance, I've never been particularly attached to Jack Kirby's inimitable works; nor have I ever been the biggest fan of characters and properties specifically insular to their own arenas (ie; the Legion). For me, the New Gods have long begun and ended with Mr. Miracle, Orion, and Darkseid -- all characters to have overlapped with the Justice League.

The apparent extermination of the characters has been a point of dismay for some fans. Dismay sponsored by the blatant disregard for life and death in today's superhero comics. If I were a fan, I'm sure I'd be a little bothered, but as I'm not, I can see a lot of promise in what the DC landscape promises from the ashes of New Genesis and Apokolips.

Darkseid seemingly perished in a prophetic battle with his son, Orion, featured in Countdown to Infinite Crisis #2. It was to be the perfect conclusion to this era of Fourth Worlders, and if early rumors were anything to go by, the chance to see many of DC's leading icons ascend to New Godhood -- something I actually find impeccably intriguing. With the attached of Grant Morrison to Final Crisis the prospect becomes all the more enticing, even as reports intend to quash theories that would see franchise characters, like Batman, effectively die.

It's interesting to observe Darkseid as one of the 'big bads' of the DCU.
In the last ten or fifteen years I think that reputation has been substantially diminished, but it's worth pointing out that the only other times we've featured the character, it's been in event titles; Legends and DC versus Marvel.

Darkseid isn't the kind of villain who just walks across the street, so I can certainly appreciate the involvement of the New Gods in recent blockbuster events like Countdown, and the subsequent Final Crisis. One would assume, without being terribly certain, that the throughline of the New Gods will appropriate the year-long weekly into the latest chapter in the 'Crisis Trilogy.'

The grandeur of a villain like Darkseid, for me, wasn't his sinister scowl, endless minion hordes, or his Justice League novelty chess set. Jack Kirby cites the influence of many and any tyrant in time in the characterization of Darkseid, and I think it shows. As potentially generic as those themes are; my experience with the character has always been of a military distance. Darkseid scowling minions with orders of evil to be carried out on his behalf, all in the name of destruction. I suppose references like Hitler, though obvious, aren't lost.

Still, that's only one side of the dark New God. He has a... gentler side.

With his machinations approaching critical mass, Darkseid learns news from one of his loyal minions. The minion, naturally, is graced by the touch of Darkseid!

We're running very late, but it would be a travesty not to highlight the fact that these scenes come from Super Powers -- the five-issue Jack Kirby mini-series designed around cross promotion for the Kenner action figures!

There's a strange sort of segue here, because, in the tiny nation I sprouted from, I only ever encountered one Super Powers action figure. It was the Flash, and I have two of him, because one lost an arm. Flash, like Superman, was one of the notoriously over distributed iconic heroes in the Super Powers action figure line-up. This has to be one of the earliest examples of cross-promotion in comics!

Speaking of Barry Allen and cross promotion -- most will be familiar now with the hot rumors of the Flash's return to life. Early rumors connected the character to the coming Black Lantern rings that will raise the dead, but the more I read, the more I become convinced Barry Allen is destined for New Godhood. Allen presumably appears as the narrating voice in the recently released DC Universe Zero, and was the subject of mainstream press headlines that featured interviews with Morrison and Geoff Johns. Quotes from Johns, in particular, built Barry Allen up with a particular reverance -- indication of a post-Final Crisis ascension? Morrison showed a more insulated thought process, describing the on-and-off switch of death in comics as a positive for fans.

Darkseid, New Gods, Barry Allen, Rah-rah.
More in the coming months, folks!

The Fix: 3.5 The Issue: 3.5
Winner: Darkseid

If it's Darkseid and the New Gods you're looking for, you're better off checking out some of the collection's of Kirby's work, or if you're like me, and like to relate through the rest of the DCU, checkout recent stories in Superman/Batman, Countdown, and Final Crisis. Super Powers, not so much... It's... Yeah... I'm running late.

---

POINTS
[218/218]
[191/191]
[166/166]
[139/139]
[110/110]
[083/083]
[081/081]
[080/080]
[079/079]
[074/074]
[068/068]
[040/040]
[039/039]TEAMS
#1 (new) The People's Team
#2 (new) The Corps
#3 (new) The Legends
#4 (new) The DC Illuminati
#5 (new) The Knights of Right
#6 (new) Makin' it w/Cap'n
#7 (new) The X League
#8 (new) X-Party
#9 (new) Divine Judgment
#10 (new) The Ghost Walkers
#11 (new) The Black Death
#12 (new) The Elite Fleet
#13 (new) The Revolution

Join the list! Draft a team today!2008 Fantasy League...
Ladies and gentlemen the first month of the Fantasy League action is over! With mixed results across the board, we crown our first winner, Rokk! His People's Team emerge with an impressive first month off the back of a flood of DC and Justice League features!

Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed the Fantasy League round-up will be replacing the short-lived creator rankings. Anyone concerned about that content should be advised to find Brian Bendis digs scattered throughout most of the week's updates.

Those of you reading that haven't drafted a team should stop right now, and head over to the debrief where you'll find the information needed to begin drafting your team. We'll be announcing winners on the basis of each month, so playing to win is as easy as picking a team.

The Fantasy League isn't an exact science. Points are derived from the daily goings on in the Infinite Wars, and refined through the Super Stock [found further into this post]. While we try to represent key events in the community, weekly comics aren't the focus of our reviews, meaning our superhero fight club resembles something like a stock market, more than a precise sports league.

There are no prizes and no real losers here. The Fantasy League is designed to build a greater sense of community around the combative corners of the Infinite Wars. You should, of course, follow team sponsor links to familiarize yourself with some of the sites in this corner of the blogosphere, because as illustrated by the league -- we're all here for pretty similar reasons.

With that Oprah moment out of the way, there's new information to be digested for those feeling the pinch. The Fantasy League can be as involving or stagnant as you like it to be, and every month you get the chance to spend your points on perfecting your team. The sign-up post will keep you informed when it comes to the availability of characters (those already drafted are struck out).

The category restrictions of the draft are now replaced by point values.
Everyone must have five characters on a team, but you can now sell a character (at half value) to use your points to draft new characters.
This is where it gets a little complicated, because it's just too time consuming to post full lists for the values of characters each month. You can request a character value in the comments section of this post, before trading through e-mail in the same fashion as your original drafting.

Values are based upon the total number of characters in the Super Stock rankings, with character dropping a point in price from top to bottom. Currently we have 528 characters ranked, making that the value of top-ranked character; Spider-man. Down the list a little; Daredevil (#10) is 519, Wonder Woman (#38) is 491, Captain Cold (#198) is 331, Grey Gargoyle (#390) is 139, and so on. It'll be a bit of a process but communication will help.

To keep proceedings fluid; all trades should be completed within three days of the Punch-Up. That might not seem like much time, but planning ahead is as easy as anticipating the first of each month! Or, if you're happy with your team, or not keen on over complicating things, just sit on your stocks and let them mature!

The learning curve works both ways, so stay tuned for updates!

---

Spider-Boycott 2008: Week 19
Well, I suppose it had to happen eventually.
Five months into the boycott I've finally been tempted for the first time. If you're coming in late, you've probably forgotten or missed out on the outrage instigated by One More Day; the story that infamously saw Peter Parker make a deal with devil, Mephisto, to save his dying Aunt May at the cost of his marriage to Mary-Jane.

I'm loathed to explain the philosophy of a boycott of such a title because it's very difficult to present the argument without sounding like a total nutter. During the month I had a discussion with someone, and as a counter-point in a discussion, it's actually very easy to sound reasonable, but to throw it out there as a disembodied voice in the void... Not so much...

At it's core this is about boundaries of bad storytelling.
The beauty of the medium's on-going nature means you get the opportunity to do a lot in a context that's incredibly vast. Comics shoot a lot of bullets to hit the target, and while some properties are notoriously over protected, every now and then a decision slips through the cracks that is so bad, it's down right offensive.

Reality is one of the most malleable features of a comic book, but a deal made with a demon meant that Spider-man's history was reset to a staggering degree. Such an event, designed to negate the Spider-Marriage without tarnishing Spidey's all-American reputation, was a long time coming for Editor-In-Chief, Joe Quesada. One might argue demonic bargains are far worse than divorce, but I suppose Quesada is Catholic... [Comedy!]

One More Day was to be a reinvigoration of the Spider-Franchise, but instead, it dragged it back to tropes of the 1970s. The story backtracked immediate events from Civil War (the reveal of Spider-man's identity) and resurrected the long dead Harry Osborn for a series that has since languished in mediocrity.

Mass redefinition is nothing new to superhero comics, but for my opinion, this was personal preference run amok. Nothing to come from these comics has even remotely justified a juvenile theory that marriage somehow restricted the potential of the character. The stories are familiar, but incredibly dull.
Creatively I consider this one of the worst failures in modern comics, but what do the all-important sales figures say?

ESTIMATED SALES FIG.
(Sep 07) Amazing Spider-man #544 OMD [146,215]
(Oct 07) Friendly N'hood Spider-man #22 OMD [110,405] -24.49%
(Nov 07) Sensational Spider-man #41 OMD [100,300] -9.15%
(Dec 07) Amazing Spider-man #545 OMD [124,481] +24.11%
(Jan 08) Amazing Spider-man #546 BND [136,109] +9.34%
(Jan 08) Amazing Spider-man #547 BND [108,485] -20.29%
(Jan 08) Amazing Spider-man #548 BND [105,122] -3.1%
(Feb 08) Amazing Spider-man #549 BND [101,112] -3.81%
(Feb 08) Amazing Spider-man #550 BND [90,874] -10.12%
(Feb 08) Amazing Spider-man #551 BND [88,084] -3.07%
(Mar 08) Amazing Spider-man #552 BND [89,835] +1.99%
(Mar 08) Amazing Spider-man #553 BND [82,648] -8.00%
(Mar 08) Amazing Spider-man #554 BND [81,072] -1.91%

A steady decline has been the obvious fate for Amazing Spider-man. Settling numbers aren't anything unusual for a comic, but to see a decline of nearly 60% since the BND launch issue has to be of some concern. Sales across the industry aren't quite as bouyant as recent months, but with superstar names like Steve McNiven attached, you tend to expect more.

I think it's far too early to declare Brand New Day a failure in the broadest sense. Frustrating as it is, financial turnover tends to equate to the defining factor in the success of a comic. The fans are certainly still there, driving the first issue of each month well into the top ten sellers. There's enough of a dip there to ask a lot of questions, but it'll be some months before I think we can call a time of death -- especially with the rotation of creators having such an impact on fluctuations. The return of John Romita Jr, for example, will no doubt see an upward shift, catering to those fiercely dedicated to the artist, and nostalgic for recent history.

As mentioned earlier, for the first time since the revamp, I myself have found temptation in a plot seeing the classic team-up of Spidey and Daredevil, against the gangster villain, Hammerhead. Financial situations tend to take these decisions out of my hands, but it'll be hard to pass that one up, I think.

As a person who fancys himself as a pretty decent comics writer, I'm still creatively revolted by this new conceptual low. Mainstream comics get away with a lot, but this sloppy wipe of twenty-years of history was enough to provoke a conceited avoidance on my part. I fully endorse those avoiding the title for those conceptual reasons, but even when it comes to the specifics, I'm not one to recommend anything going on in those titles. My opinions may be gradually changing, but I still feel very selective about what I indulge in, even if the message becomes retarded through the filter of marketing perceptions. So continues the saga of Spider-Boycott: 2008!

---

The 2008 Top Five...
The premise is pretty simple folks, but for those of you coming in late, let me give you the basic run down: We talk a lot of comics, we review a lot of their fights, and at the beginning of each month we take a look at who's kicking the most ass by putting the year's top five under a microscope. Hadouken!

With release in cinemas today; Iron Man will be the character to watch this month, but with diversity in featured characters at an all-time high, this year's top five has become more compelling than ever before! DC's market share of the Infinite Wars seems to be running rampant! In a reversal of last year's Marvel-dominated rankings, DC take this month with highlights coming from; the Justice League, the three Flash's [Garrick, Allen, West], and potential combatants for the upcoming Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe crossover video game!

#1 Batman (+1) (26) (DC)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Hush]
Win Percentage: [66.67%] Features: [30]
2006: [#1] 2007: [#2] Cumulative: [#2]

January 2006 marked the first top five, and the first time Batman topped the rankings. His stay lasted thirteen months, but after a fifteen month vacation from the top, the dark knight has come home!
The Dark Knight and Gotham Knight have most fans in a flutter. The sequel to 2005's Batman Begins, and it's anime injected DVD spin-off, promise to fullfil the dreams of many fans, making 2008 the year of Batman. We expected a return to form for the Season 2007 bridesmaid, but as if victory wasn't already assured, the announcement of Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe thrusts Batman into yet another multi-media spotlight!

News of the game hasn't exactly set the comics community on fire, but promises to be an interesting step forward for those who've maintained their acquaintance with the iconic American beat 'em up, and a chance to catch-up with a nineties icon for those who haven't. Batman inevitably leads the charge into the darker realms of Mortal Kombat, and while the series will be missing it's trademark "fatality" finishers, Batman might yet be poised to face death.

Grant Morrison's "RIP" is the next major story to come knocking, and by all indication promises a Batman death. The case or not; Batman will be inescapable as we enter the second half of 2008, making his early rise to number one all the more indicative of what's to come.

#2 Martian Manhunter (-) (3) (DC)
Class: [Super] Last Opponent: [Ultramarine Corps]
Win Percentage: [50%] Features: [6]
2006: [NR] 2007: [#222] Cumulative: [#35]

An unlikely stay at number two for the Martian Manhunter, who's successfully riding the wave of DC hysteria prompted by projects such as the Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe video game.

With the sleeper crossover Salvation Run concluded, it doesn't seem like the Manhunter from Mars has much on the cards. Chances of the cult favourite featuring alongside Superman and Batman in the upcoming video game crossover are still in question. Though the game promises iconic characters; exactly how that iconography defined in terms of a small ten-or-so deep cast in this dark, violent series, remains to be seen. Though broader on the Swiss Army scale, Martian Manhunter is largely redundant next to Superman, making in-game incrementalizations the real question.

Love J'onn, but wouldn't expect him this high in the top five next month.
Then again, I said that last month, didn't I?...

#3 The Phantom (-2) (2) (King Features Syndicate)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Roughnecks]
Win Percentage: [100%] Features: [3]
2006: [NR] 2007: [NR] Cumulative: [#33]

Speaking of unlikely inclusions; diversity gives the ghost who walks the opportunity to hold on to his top five spot, slipping from the top by only two places!

Topical discussion dominates much of our time, making opportunity rare for less significant characters like the Phantom. Bahlactus and his black and white Friday Night Fights sponsor future opportunity for the Phantom, but as we're skipping festivities this week for more relevant discussion, those odds slim down.
Very few irons on this fire, I'm sad to say. Low returns on the Phantom expected.

#4 Superman (RE) (4) (DC)
Class: [Meta] Last Opponent: [Crystal Creature]
Win Percentage: [54.55%] Features: [22]
2006: [#7] 2007: [#13] Cumulative: [#5]

The Man of Steel makes a triumphant return to the top five!
Superman is the only other character confirmed for MKvsDC; add a recent seventieth anniversary and it's a recipee for recognition!

Critically acclaimed writer, James Robinson (Starman, JSA, Detective Comics), joins Superman for the latest in a string of attempts to breathe new life into the DC flagship title. Creative indecision has probably been a major contributor to the recent languishing of the book, and while I'm not confident Robinson is the man to turn it around, he certainly has the capability. Combined with Geoff Johns' efforts on Action Comics and a big DC crossover coming - Superman is poised to make a strong showing in Season 2008.

#5 Invisible Woman (RE) (2) (Marvel)
Class: [Champion] Last Opponent: [Justice Peace]
Win Percentage: [60%] Features: [15]
2006: [#23] 2007: [#9] Cumulative: [#9]

The FF refuse to give up their stake in the top five, boosting the first lady of Marvel back into the running! Despite being revealed as a Skrull impostor, Invisible Woman remains a hot contender in 2008!

Secret Invasion hype has largely been aborted in favour of DC dominance on the Infinite Wars. In a lot of ways this has been a total reversal of the last couple of years, and with the announcement of an unlikely new video game, the swell certainly seems in favour of Final Crisis.

Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch, though producing strong and regular content, haven't been the must-read breath of fresh air for the world's greatest comics magazine. Sure to be a big part of later chapters in the Skrull-centric event; one wouldn't expect strong dividends from the FF in May. Solidarity continues to be their strength, but one expects this spot to belong to Iron Man and Hulk in the next few months.

---

Cumulative Super Stock...

Harvey Dent gives you
something to believe in,
turning on Hush to climb
the charts with a bullet!
[Batman #619]1. Spider-man (-) (M)
2. Batman (-) (DC)
3. Iron Man (-) (M)
4. Wolverine (+1) (M)
5. Superman (+3) (DC)
6. Hulk (-2) (M)
7. Mr. Fantastic (-) (M)
8. Captain America (-2) (M)
9. Invisible Woman (+3) (M)
10. Daredevil (-) (M)
11. Thing (-1) (M)
13. Black Adam (-) (DC)
16. Ryu (-) (C)
17. Luke Cage (+9) (M)
27. Flash (+9) (DC)
31. Flash (+23) (DC)
32. Dhalsim (-2) (C)
34. Ken Masters (-2) (C)
35. Martian Manhunter (+27) (DC)
36. Aquaman (+33) (DC)
38. Wonder Woman (+33) (DC)
47. Hawkgirl (+39) (DC)
50. Tara (-5) (M)
62. Green Lantern (+86) (DC)
88. Brainwave (+144) (DC)
93. Raiden (-2) (Mid)
97. Stargirl (+187) (DC)
100. Human Torch (-3) (M)
108. Noob Saibot (-3) (Mid)
150. Terminus (-3) (M)
163. Dr. Fate (new) (DC)
164. Fury (new) (DC)
165. Cobalt Man (new) (M)
166. Night Ranger (new) (Geekpunk)
167. Randal (new) (Geekpunk)
168. Guardian (new) (Geekpunk)
169. Eradicator (new) (Geekpunk)
170. Chun-Li (-4) (C)
200. Sulumor (-8) (M)
208. The Sentry (+235) (M)
209. Sand (-51) (DC)
213. Birdie (-) (C)
218. Scorpion (-11) (Mid)
225. Two-Face (+251) (DC)
243. Mr. Mind (ammendment) (DC)
245. Flash (+40) (DC)
250. Elsa Bloodstone (-12) (M)

Sand's dream becomes a
nightmare as he slips
down the ranks after a
JSA mission of mercy!
[JSA #64]298. Clea (new) (M)
299. Red Guardian (new) (M)
300. Squire (new) (DC)
301. Warmaker One (new) (DC)
303. Jim Gordon (new) (DC)
304. Scout (new) (Geekpunk)
318. Hush (new) (DC)
350. Patriot (-18) (M)
400. Deluge (-18) (M)
450. The Jester (-18) (M)
479. Brute (new) (DC)
480. Glob (new) (DC)
481. Egghead (new) (M)
482. Valkyrie (new) (M)
483. Nighthawk (new) (M)
484. Goraiko (new) (DC)
485. Knight (new) (DC)
486. Flow (new) (DC)
487. Olympian (new) (DC)
488. Jack O'Lantern (new) (DC)
489. Tasmanian Devil (new) (DC)
490. Fleur-de-Lis (new) (DC)
491. Vixen (new) (DC)
492. Kid Impala (new) (DC)
493. Pulse 8 (new) (DC)
494. Neh-Buh-Loh (new) (DC)
495. Gorilla Grodd (new) (DC)
498. Justice Peace (new) (M)
500. Phantom Dread (new) (Geekpunk)
501. Trouble (new) (Geekpunk)
502. Krimson Klaw (new) (Geekpunk)
503. Voodoo Guru (new) (Geekpunk)
524. Lizard (-41) (M)
525. Taskmaster (-41) (M)
526. Zangief (-41) (C)
527. Magneto (-41) (M)
528. Dan Hibiki (-41) (C)

---

The Hammer...
Big apologies to all the Fantasy Leaguers and faithful war mongers out there! Hopefully the schedule should stay on the tracks as things cool down for me off-site.

Energy has been running high through April!
It was difficult not to get swept up in the mixed emotions of Midway's announcement of Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe. We'll be running more of those fantasy match-ups through May as one of the few sites I'm aware of giving major coverage to the release. As a fan with a foot both in comics and video games, it's been a great opportunity to share some of those characters and concepts with you all.

Something I hope to be sharing more with you in the coming months is my own comics work. Like so many others I've dabbled in the realm of publishing, and consider myself a Tarantino-esque student of the medium. The Kirby Martin Inquest has been lowered to the rock bottom pulp price of $1.99, and I hope all you can get behind me and find your way to links to buy the issue online.

The comic is an indulgent pseudo-superhero story that introduces the White Ghost; a vigilante borne of specifics events that trouble the lead character, Charles Scott. He is a deeply layered individual whose motivations are laid out in a multi-tiered story that deals with multiple narratives. I have some mixed emotions about the quality of work, but feel the $1.99 price tag is fitting for the grungy pulp quality of the book. Featuring gritty print of Pedro Cruz' pencil work, I hope this introductory issue will entice you all to join me on my journey of growth as a writer and creator. I feel there's a lot of obvious area to grow, but reviews have been very kind. You can find those, as well as purchase details, through the many links provided. Your support is vital to the future of these projects, so please, take advantage of this dramatic price drop.

The Fantasy League is designed to relieve me of remembering all the deserving shout-outs, but I really must throw some mentions out there! While you're in a charitable mood, once you've finished buying the comic, be sure to scoot over to Blogged.com, where the site is currently rated third in their comics sub-category. Blogged.com editors rated the Infinite Wars at an impressive 8.9, but I think we can go higher than that. Show your support for the site by adding your own scores and mini-reviews which will help better expose our superhero smackdown.

Also doing their part to expose the Infinite Wars to the unsuspecting masses are the Comic Blog Elite toplist and Bahlactus! Since joining the Elite list a couple of weeks go, we've shot into the top five, which is a real tribute to all of you guys.
And even though we aren't there this week, I've thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Bahlactus' Friday Night Fights. As a purveyor of all things fisticuffs, Bahlactus is a great support to a site like this, and a great way to connect with like-minded fans. Hopefully some of you are sticking around to check us out, too.

There's so much going on right now, and it's sure to continue into May.
May is Invincible Iron Month on the Infinite Wars, so be here every Sunday for spotlights on the gold and red Avenger. Iron Man is in theatres "today" and will no doubt be a shining representative for the currently under represented Marvel.

Speaking of Iron Man... It's worth mentioning that during the month I got a surprising message from Carrie Lowery!
It was a bit of a thrill to hear from the one-time comics writer, whose contribution to the 1990 Iron Man Annual was recently reviewed on the Infinite Wars. Lowery, responsible for the "Amazing Origin of Mrs. Arbogast," provides her own secret origin [as Barre)] over on her blog; My Cool Job!

Short tales like hers might not endure the literary test of time, but are a constant inspiration for a budding comics writer. I hope to one day enjoy a role not unlike hers, albeit on an on-going basis. It was great to hear from Miss Lowery, and I hope to hear from others in the future. You don't have to be post comments, so feel encouraged!

We've got more MK/DC Fantasy Fights on Mondays; the shipping list is every Wednesday and becoming a fun part of the site; and of course you're guaranteed more fun throughout the week, including the usual Friday Fight Night action. It's been a big month -- hopefully we can top it in May! Spread the word, get voting, get buying, and get drafting!

- Mike Haseloff; Commanding Officer
Mike Haseloff is a little known writer who considers himself a student of the comics medium. Formerly aligned to evil; Mike gave up his mercenary lifestyle, only to incur the wrath of his clan. They sent three mechanized members of his clan to pursue him, but eventually he was able to overcome this adversity and upon the destruction of the clan, begin rebuilding the Lin Kuei as a name for good. Though cold hearted, Mike cites Kevn McCloud as an inspiration.

April Hit Count: [10153/93147] (+25%)