CASSANDRA NOVA versus PROFESSOR X

Silence: Psychic Rescue In Progress (Marvel)
Where: New X-Men #121 When: February 2002
Why: Grant Morrison How: Frank Quitely

The Story So Far...
The X-Men face challenges from within and without as they discover the comatose body of their newest arch-enemy, Cassandra Nova, actually contains the brilliant mind of their visionary leader - Professor Charles Xavier!

With Xavier's hijacked body already in space on sabbatical with the Shi'ar Empire -- Jean Grey and Emma Frost scramble to perform a psychic search & rescue to coax the mind of their mentor from its mental prison. In doing so, they learn the shocking secrets of Cassandra Nova and Professor X's first startling battle!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Professor X 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Professor X 5 (Professor)
Speed: Cassandra Nova 2 (Average)
Stamina: Cassandra Nova 6 (Generator)
Agility: Cassandra Nova 2 (Average)
Fighting: Professor X 2 (Average)
Energy: Draw 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Draw 21 (Champion)

Throughout formative years of the X-Men you could've said Professor X's shadow counterpart was Magneto, the hate-filled creator of Sentinels, or perhaps even evil telepath Mentallo, but at the turn of the millennium Grant Morrison had the radical idea to apply the evil twin trope to Charles Xavier with outrageous results.

Cassandra Nova is literally the secret twin-sister of Charles Xavier. A stillborn mutant who apparently manifested a penchant for evil pre-birth, becoming the very first nemesis to the once and future X-Men founder.

The exact details and implications of the sibling opposition are what we're here to explore today, but suffice it to say Cassandra Nova has endured to sew chaos and disruption for the X-Men in the years since her introduction.

As the dark shadow to Professor Xavier, she possesses telepathic and telekinetic abilities that rival her brother. She's been able to evade detection and death by masking her movements, controlling others, and literally commandeering bodies -- including Professor X's. That spells a whole lot of bad news for everyone!

Traditionally Charles Xavier isn't thought of as a combatant, forming the X-Men to effectively be his soldiers, but despite iconic wheelchair-bound status, he's actually found ways to be a very capable conventional operator in the field.

Using simulated zero gravity, he was able to effectively hold his own sparring with Quicksilver. This prepared him for a dramatic confrontation with Magneto, which he fought while wearing a Shi'ar exo-skeleton that temporarily restored his ability to walk. In the end, it was of course his mind that was his greatest weapon - used to mentally castrate Magneto. A slightly less aggressive assault was used to put an end to the Magneto-impersonating Xorn in a later issue of New X-Men.

In addition to his telepathic abilities, Charles Xavier is also possessed of a keen intellect and rational demeanor. He kept his nerve under threat from the Sub-Mariner, relying on communication to stay the mutant monarch's fury. He also wields tremendous capacity for compassion to extraordinary ends, but we visit him in his absolute earliest moments, when these skills may not be a factor!

The Tape: Draw Ranking: Professor X (#438)

What Went Down...

A traveler in the unconscious mind possessed by Charles Xavier -- Jean Grey is given witness to the terrible secret origin of the villainess who has locked him in her own mortally wounded, frail body.

Jean's mental projection swims amongst the spermatozoa at the moment of conception. She watches as ovum is fertilized - becoming zygote - and then as cells rapidly divide as weeks of embryonic development occur in an instant.

It is the formation of life, but not a single human foetus -- twins!

The tiny creatures float peacefully side by side in the womb, but then one opens their eyes -- and turns to glance to their other to the left.

These are not normal human embryos. In a future yet to occur they will be known as "homo-superior" -- mutations from the natural development of humanity.

One of these beings will work to foster brotherhood amongst the mutants, and peaceful coexistence with conventional humanity, but the other has turned to face their sibling and found nothing but contempt for what they see.

A tiny fist strikes a sleeping brother in the face and then escalates to turn the life-giving umbilical cord into an instrument of strangulation!

The tightening of the fleshy cord around its throat awakens the foetus.

It has seen its sister for the first time and in doing so stared death in the eye. If it is to ever see another face again and live to become Charles Xavier it must defend itself. So - it does.

In an act of miraculous biology -- foetal Charles manifests the mutation of telepathy and unleashes a psionic assault that will seemingly end the lifeline of his twin sister before it has truly begun.

The attack takes a terrible toll on their mother. She tumbles down a staircase -- suffering a miscarriage that will lead doctors to declare her daughter stillborn, but will deliver baby Charles into a world that will one day learn to fear & hate him.

The Hammer...

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. New X-Men is one of my favourite comics. That's really only a secret because sometimes I'm bad at talking about my top favourites, and the series isn't necessarily best defined by its fights. (That's the thing we predominantly build our articles around here, you might have noticed).

Personal favourites aren't a short list. There's a lot of comics I love - but New X-Men was a little different. Maybe a lot different. I mean, look at the fight we just described. It's going to be tough to top this for weirdest battle of all-time.

New X-Men helped re-energize my love of comics in 2001 after a couple of quiet years pursuing other interests, and almostlosing touch with the lifelong habit. There were notorious diehards who resisted its dramatic new package, but for me it was an instant sensation arriving at a time of need for X-Men, the industry, my life, and eventually the world.

The timing of New X-Men #121 will be significant to many of us who were reading at that time. 

Although there are notable exceptions throughout this issue -- it was one of the best entries into Marvel's "'Nuff Said" month of wordless "silent" comics.

The silent stories, with tiny red, white & blue ribbon on the cover, commemorated the September 11th terrorist attacks that toppled the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. An event we were all still getting to grips with roughly four months after it happened, but undoubtedly hit uniquely close to home for the traditionally Manhattan based comics publishers.

I'm not American, and wasn't in America at that time, but will probably never forget the stunned stupor I felt as we were bombarded with then-unprecedented blanket 24/7 news coverage of the attack, and its fallout, for roughly two solid weeks. Some of this was directly sourced from live American broadcasts.

Even outside, away from television sets and computer screens, escape from the harsh reality was difficult. Newspaper headlines dotted the streets, and a general sense of compassion, and bewildered unease, permeated the air of society. We tried to go about our technically unaffected lives, but were aware that things had changed. The event had aroused regional concerns of similar hostile attacks, which manifested October 2002, but in 2001 I was just getting by, in search of release and distraction, as security procedures became common conversation.

The role of entertainment came into strange focus. I remain hyper-aware that one of the local channels has still never made good on the pre-empted second Rudy Coby special that was scheduled to air in re-runs that week. I remember the relief when one station broke the unending television coverage with an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. I remember reading Wizard Magazine and surfing Marvel.com to get the latest information on comics like New X-Men. I remember the gradual drop-off of joy & style as the Twin Towers were edited out of movies like Spider-Man, and aesthetics & tone took a dark turn in the following years.

I was very enthusiastic for the 'Nuff Said concept.

Amazing Spider-Man (Vol.2) #36 had already jumped on directly addressing the horror of "9/11" a couple of months earlier. It most infamously showed Doctor Doom shedding a tear, as heroes and villains converged on "Ground Zero" to observe the human tragedy within the Manhattan-centric Marvel Universe, and aid in rescue & recovery. With Doom's record of bombastic villainy and terrorism it raises an eyebrow or two, but living in that moment -- it felt real.

'Nuff Said was more like a constructive catharsis. It wasn't necessarily addressing the moment directly, but leading us out of it with a big, interesting idea: A challenge for the writers & artists working on each book in the vein of Larry Hama's GI Joe #21. For fans of the medium it was a massively intriguing prospect to behold, and a powerful gesture for moving forward.

Morrison and Quitely were already doing amazing things with New X-Men.

Like so many of Grant Morrison's wonderful works: The revamp tapped into intuitive advancements of the X-Men concept, with a marriage of honoring classic material while chasing exciting new dimensions.

It was a mutation of sorts. An evolution demanded by the very premise. Another no-brainer from the man who gave us the "Big Seven" JLA, and a career of superhero instant-classics such as All-Star Superman.

It was a holistic rethink of the entire thing, but not without attention to detail and honoring what came before. The series grabbed the livewire of a burgeoning blockbuster film series, adapting their black leather outfits with Frank Quitely designs that instantly made it more palatable and stylish than anything Hollywood has ever imagined. Like everything else - the New X-Men leather look brought it in keeping with the comic book tradition. I've always thought it would be nice to catch Cyclops, or somebody else, wearing one of those jackets over their suit.

Admittedly, some ideas were more challenging than others. Secondary-mutations stretched the concept of naturally occurring "homo-superior" towards a precarious future, while today's featured fight went in the other direction, introducing the prospect of Charles Xavier and Cassandra Nova bombastically manifesting fully formed mutant cognisance in the womb.

Of course, even these ideas weren't without their precedents. The origins of Nightcrawler always told of his demonic appearance at birth, while the similarly blue-furred Beast triggered his further mutation beyond enlarged features through self-experimentation. Foetal and secondary manifestations, by any other name.

As for the delivery of the latter revelation -- we get a wonderfully surreal plunge into the mind of Charles Xavier as conceived by Morrison & Quitely. A silent mission to coax his consciousness from its prison in Cassandra Nova's discarded comatose body, while his form is hijacked by his evil twin. An amusing episode that sees Jean Grey take centre stage, while Emma Frost plays frustrated assist.

This is a great episode in a fantastic, imaginative run, and I broadly consider this one of the last great periods of the X-Men. I recently spent some time reading another revolutionary period that reminded me of this run, and rekindled my enthusiasm for recent X-Men comics. Perhaps we'll be able to talk about it soon.

If you'd like to keep the X-Men X-File expanding, and find out what caught my attention, I would invite you to consider becoming a supporter on Patreon. Even at the absolute lowest tier, your patronage will go a long way to making it possible to produce more updates, and support this and related projects.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 700 fights and ranked more than 1,000 characters! You can find them all for free by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles in order of publisher, series, and issue -- or by hitting links to your favourite topics found throughout each entry.

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Winner: Foetal Charles Xavier
#141 (+297) Professor X
#1030 (new) Cassandra Nova

SUICIDE SQUAD versus BLACK ADAM

Suicidal Tendencies (DC)
Where: 52 #34 When: February 2007
Why: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka & Mark Waid How: Keith Giffen, Joe Bennett & Ruy José

The Story So Far...
Black Adam's violent conquest and reign over the nation of Kahndaq has earned the ancient marvel many new enemies.

Though softened by the formation of his own Black Marvel Family; Adam's brutal public execution of would-be eco-terrorist, Terra-Man, has renewed concern and anxiety from modern world powers who do not trust or agree with his unwavering old-world brand of justice.

Amanda Waller spearheads a secret black-ops mission to sanction Black Adam during his visit to the US. Recruiting Adam's former revolutionary ally, Atom Smasher, Waller deploys the Suicide Squad to San Francisco to stage an ambush when the Black Marvels reunite with prospective Teen Titan - Osiris.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Black Adam 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Black Adam 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Black Adam 6 (Generator)
Agility: Black Adam 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Black Adam 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Isis 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Black Adam 34 (Super)

The Suicide Squad are: Plastique, Electrocutioner, Captain Boomerang, Count Vertigo, Persuader, and Atom Smasher.

A rag tag mix of new recruits and Suicide Squad regulars, but the ace in the hole is Atom Smasher. He has unique insights into their intended targets having left the Justice Society to bring Kobra to justice, and participated in the Kahndaq coup.

The Black Marvel Family are: Black Adam, Isis, Osiris, and Sobek.

Black Adam lends some of his power to Osiris in a similar fashion to Captain Marvel Jr, while Isis gains her super-human strength and influence over the natural world by wielding the magical might of the Amulet of Isis.

When Black Adam left the JSA to conquer Kahndaq he had to go through Captain Marvel, and we've also seen him challenge the likes of Superman, Superboy-Prime, and The Freedom Fighters. The Black Marvel Family is therefore well equipped to defend against most threats -- including the Suicide Squad.

Atom Smasher's familiarity and connection with Black Adam offers some hope for diplomatic resolution, but we don't review a lot of polite conversations!

The armored Persuader has gone mano-a-mano with Superman and might be able to use his Atomic Axe to knock the Marvels around, while Count Vertigo and his powers of disorientation throw them off, and make counter-attack difficult -- tactics that worked when the Squad faced Peacemaker and Major Force.

Captain Boomerang can be relied upon to hit a target if properly equipped, adding bursts of super-speed to his father's old tricks. Plastique and Electrocutioner bring their own firepower, but it remains to be seen if explosions or electricity are enough to rattle the Black Marvels! Let's get into it!

The Tape: Black Marvel Family Ranking: Black Adam (#27)

What Went Down...

Black Adam & Isis meet an ebullient Osiris carrying Sobek over the forest near Titans Tower. Their reunion is soon interrupted by a massive explosion sparked below by Electrocutioner and Plastique -- distraction for Atom Smasher!

The giant-sized Atom Smasher emerges from the forest and snatches Black Adam out of the sky while the other Black Marvels are spilled by the explosion.

The Smasher lives up to his name -- slamming Black Adam into the ground!

Black Adam punches Atom Smasher's hand away, also deflecting the insistence that he should hand himself over to a foreign US government.

Adam gains the space necessary to fly directly at Atom Smasher and deliver a knock-out blow that topples the towering figure, taking out Captain Boomerang in the woods below as his giant head hits the ground.

Adam hovers menacingly over Plastique and Electrocutioner with concern for his protege, but Osiris scrambles to his feet to plead for their lives. They repay his act of mercy with another explosion!

Isis can sense the impact of the fighting on the surrounding trees, but Persuader is unmoved by the environmental impact of his radioactive axe.

Before Isis can rectify the situation -- a sudden wave of disorientation overwhelms her. Count Vertigo makes his presence felt and sends her precious world spinning.

Persuader shoos his Suicide Squad teammate, closing in to deliver a deep gash into Isis' arm with his ultra-sharp Atomic Axe!

Osiris uses his Titans communicator to call for help as Electrocutioner is sent hurtling past him, and Isis receives yet another cut from the Atomic Axe, this time to her face!

The screams of his sister sharpen his focus as Persuader decides to disobey orders and close in for the kill. Osiris ensures the axe-man won't be successful!

The young Marvel launches himself like a flying missile and careens straight through Presuader -- cutting the axe-man's body in two!

Osiris comes to a skidding stop in the mud with Persuader's entrails still hanging from his arm.

Count Vertigo and Sobek watch in stunned disbelief as Osiris realises what has happened and falls to his hands and knees.

A downpour mixes his tears with rain as Isis comes to console him, and Black Adam directs them to a timely exit.

The Hammer...

Another bloody display of what happens when the powers of Shazam are used without caution and restraint. The violent episode pauses the players who are still conscious, allowing the Marvels to leave unopposed.

The graphic conclusion of Osiris flying through Persuader makes it almost feel like DC taking something back from Quality's cult 80s UK Kid Miracleman (aka; Kid Marvelman), but this type of extreme violence was becoming broadly commonplace at the publisher in the mid-2000s.

When Black Adam left the JSA in 2003, we saw him rip the heart from Kobra's chest, beginning a violent march that would also see him casually poke his fingers through Psycho-Pirate's head, and tear Terra-Man in two in 52 #3.

On the surface it's a lot of extreme action, but these were the actions that built a sense of anxiety & distrust about Black Adam in the public and political spheres of the DCU. The entirety of 52 is ratcheting up the tension, offering at least some examination of the consequence of choosing the brutal path.

Violence inevitably begets violence, and things will only get worse for the Black Marvel Family. The erstwhile Sobek will reveal himself as Yurrd, Horseman of Famine, who devours Osiris, and participates in an attack by the new Monster Society which will end with the death of Isis, as well.

This saga of Black Adam's journey from villain, to anti-hero, to anti-villain, and back, made him one of the most dynamic characters to track through the 2000s, and it's no surprise he's taken flight as the next live-action DC movie property. We were already talking about Dwayne Johnson's casting back in 2007!

As time marches on I have mixed feelings about the cult fandom that exploded around Black Adam, and characters like him. It's difficult to imagine redeeming a villain who resorted to the mass murder of millions, especially in these times, and as the 'Superman gone bad' concept becomes increasingly prevalent -- sometimes received without any irony -- it begins to lose its appeal.

Marvel Comics may've attached the mantra of 'with great power must come great responsibility' to Spider-Man, but it's a principle that remains fundamentally at the heart of the super-hero concept, and I appreciate stories like todays as reminders of that important principle, and as cautionary tale.

I also appreciate 52. I find myself reflecting on its effortless episodic flow, and interesting cast of somewhat disparately featured DC characters, and enjoy it all a great deal. Something I haven't found from DC Comics over the last decade.

The appearance of the Suicide Squad may be in service to the Black Adam chapters of 52, but I also enjoy that Osiris' reckless act marries well with the meta of the Squad concept. It was a mild shame to casually wipe a C-grade Superman villain from the board, but Persuader was already something of a legacy villain, so maybe the potential was still there to recover.

Atom Smasher's admission to the team feels like a deft move, as well. A nice way to continue his journey, similar in flourish to Bronze Tiger or Vixen's time with the group. Voluntary service in the name of redemption and doing good.

Once upon a time Black Adam had a similarly brief team-up with the Squad. That might be something interesting to explore sometime in the future. In the meantime, lets commit this one to the record and roll on to future endeavors!

This is officially the 700th fight featured on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

You can find them all by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles in order of publisher, series, and issue number. Or -- just follow links throughout posts to discover more from your favourite characters or concepts!

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Winner(s): Osiris & Black Adam (w/ Sobek & Isis)
#22 (+5) Black Adam
#218 (new) Osiris [+1 kill]
#494 (+16) Isis [+1 assist]
#654 (+54) Sobek (Yurrd) [+1 assist]
#373 (-167) Atom Smasher
#637 (-85) Plastique
#638 (-84) Captain Boomerang (Owen Mercer)
#971 (new) Electrocutioner (Lester Buchinsky)
#972 (new) Persuader (Cole Parker)
#360 (+9) Count Vertigo [+1 assist]

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]

RENEE MONTOYA versus RICHARD DRAGON

Miracles & Wonders (DC)
Where: 52 #41 When: April 2007 Why: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka & Mark Waid How: Giuseppe Camuncoli w/ Keith Giffen

The Story So Far...
Pushed to the edge by her investigations into a corrupt cop, and the related murder of Detective Crispus Allen: Renee Montoya quit the Gotham City Police Department only to descend into a drunken downward spiral.

Montoya found new purpose as a hired agent of The Question, travelling the globe to investigate an Intergang conspiracy, all the while unaware she was being groomed to replace the faceless hero once he succumbed to terminal lung cancer.

Montoya's apprenticeship takes her to Nanda Parbat where the master Richard Dragon will prepare her to become The Question. As Vic Sage exits this mortal coil she fights to live up to his legacy, but soon finds she must live up to herself!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Richard Dragon 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Richard Dragon 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Richard Dragon 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Richard Dragon 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Richard Dragon 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Richard Dragon 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Renee Montoya 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Richard Dragon 27 (Metahuman)

Today's battle is all about student and master, but it's also a double debut for The Comic Book Fight Club! We've somehow missed one of Gotham City's finest, and a renowned master of martial arts. Let's get a quick primer for both!

Renee Montoya was a uniform police officer with the GCPD until she was promoted to homicide detective by Commissioner Gordon, and partnered with Harvey Bullock. They served during the No Man's Land saga that left an earthquake ravaged Gotham cut-off from the mainland, and overrun with criminals like Two-Face, who took a unique shine towards the detective.

When Harvey Bullock was promoted, Montoya received a new partner named Crispus Allen, who was eventually murdered by dirty crime scene investigator Jim Corrigan. This triggered a violent slide that eventually led Renee to quit the force and come to the attention of The Question, who initiated her training.

Richard Dragon studied martial arts under the tutelage of legendary Japanese grandmaster: O-Sensei. Mastering multiple disciplines, he eventually joined the Global Organization of Organized Defense, partnered with friend and fellow student, Ben Turner. They travelled the world thwarting international espionage until Turner was brainwashed by the League of Assassins, and Richard retired.

Dragon had previously counseled rival-turned-ally, Lady Shiva, and applied these skills to the training of new fighters. Among his most noteworthy students have been: The Question, Batman, Nightwing, Oracle, and Huntress.

Given Renee Montoya has come to Richard Dragon for training, there's clearly an inherent disparity between their skill levels. Montoya's a street wise cop who can handle herself, but it would undoubtedly be considered an upset if she were able to outfight a master of karate, kung fu, and assorted other styles.

Montoya has travelled to Nanda Parbat to become the new Question, and has already spent some time under the late Vic Sage's guidance. The end goal is a Renee Montoya who is ready to confront criminals with her wits and fists. When she's ready, she should be able to take a sparring session. So... Is she ready?...

The Tape: Renee Montoya Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...
Summoned to the cold of an icy cave, Renee Montoya seeks audience with Richard Dragon. She finds her master's visage refracted in the ice, admonishing her for token efforts of dining with monks, and a change of clothes. He strikes!

Montoya defends against his simple fist and retaliates with a craning palm strike. She insists her intentions are to carry on as The Question intended, but Richard Dragon is not convinced.

He blocks a swinging punch as swiftly as her token indulgence, and accuses her of trading the bottle for a gi to deal with feelings of loss and guilt. Martial arts are just another one night stand to lose herself in in the absence of a woman.

The mournful student throws a kick, insisting she isn't denying her grief, but the master catches her ankle and sees beyond the surface. Feeling and accepting the loss are two very different things. Montoya is exposed, allowing Dragon to easily take her off her feet with a sweeping kick. He challenges his student to face herself!

The takedown puts Montoya on the ground and the master literally forces her to confront her own vision in the reflection of the cave's ice, lifting her head!

The student sees herself reflected many times in the ice. She recoils -- pushing away from the reflections and past the released grip of Richard Dragon.

The master watches sternly as Montoya turns to run from the cave, unready for the challenge of confronting all that is inside her.

The Hammer...
Nothing like a little sparring to shatter your confidence! Richard Dragon remains the unsurpassed master as Renee Montoya meets the obstacle of self - and fails.

It might seem a little bit cliché, but you really can't go wrong with a moment of self-doubt on the path of the hero's journey. It's nothing a little time and quiet contemplation won't solve. In fact, it only took a few issues. Such were the needs of 52: a year-long, weekly series that challenged and excited the market with its anthology of long form, weekly episodes.

It was interesting to see the experiment used to depict the post-modern making of a superhero. The world has seen its fair share of origin stories, but rarely are they told so deliberately, showing selection through to apprenticeship.

Renee Montoya was as good a choice as any, having been a hardened Gotham cop who'd seen adventures in print and animation for a good fifteen years. The only obvious drawback was that it essentially meant losing two great characters to gain one that didn't serve either role quite as well.

The Question is just one of those characters who's undeniably cool.

The visual of a faceless man in hat and trench coat is all you really need. Throw in a swirl of smoke, and the gritty atmosphere of a dark, conspiring modern metropolis, and you've got yourself a recipe for intrigue.

Its a little galling that a character inspired by The Question has challenged his place in mainstream pop awareness. Anything Rorschach can do, The Question could arguably do better.

Talk of a Rorschach revival is always a bit silly when The Question is right there, ready and waiting. He's an icon unburdened by the legacy and vision of Watchmen, or the bitter ugliness that lies inherent in Rorschach.

The strength of the visual is such that re-envisioning The Question as Renee Montoya wasn't the worst idea in the world. Contrary to their current status: DC has been home to some of the best examples of legacy hand-overs in superhero comics! Renee Montoya was a better successor to The Question than Walter Kovacs ever was [that's Rorschach's real name, kids]. For whatever reason, it just didn't seem to capture the same mystique that followed the elusive original, or its Denny O'Neil defined adaptation.

Montoya was her own character. It was equally disappointing to lose an identifiable face on the streets of Gotham.

Given enough time, average everyday mortals tend to fall by the wayside in superhero comics. Renee Montoya was a cop you could identity, with a history and character all her own. She was a mortal presence who hadn't quite suffered an irrevocably hideous indignity, or foul end. A rarity for the times!

Honing Renee Montoya's skills so she can survive and thrive in the crime-ridden streets isn't such a bad idea. It's just nice to have a regular human we care about, too. Somebody to fill out the immortal ranks of the GCPD beside the likes of Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock. With hindsight, we can see there was already a Question. Maybe what the world needs is a Renee Montoya, too.

Renee Montoya is currently appearing on screens everywhere in Birds of Prey.

If you'd like to witness her comic book journey to becoming The Question, you can find today's featured sparring (and much more) in 52 Volume 2. Do your shopping via the Amazon link provided and you'll help support the site at no extra cost!

Discover more from the characters mentioned throughout this article by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the ever-expanding Secret Archive! There you'll find an index of links to every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue.

If you like Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and wish to contribute more directly you can help support the project via Patreon. You can also get free daily links to topical battles by subscribing via Twitter and Facebook! Be sure to hit like and subscribe on your favourites!

Winner: Richard Dragon
#333 (new) Richard Dragon
#904 (new) Renee Montoya