SPIDER-MAN versus ELECTRO

Down Among The Dead Men: Part 3 of 4 (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Knights: Spider-man #3 When: August 2004 Why: Mark Millar How: Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson

The Story So Far...
The dual identities of Peter Parker and Spider-man have collided in the worst possible way! The nightmare began with his Uncle Ben's tombstone defaced. Peter soon received a call confirming the worst - that a malicious element has learned his secret identity!

With Aunt May missing, Spider-man begins a frantic chase to find the culprit and rescue his family! Unable to find assistance from his fellow heroes, he finds an unlikely lead from the returning mob boss: The Owl! He points Spidey in the direction of his old enemies Electro and Vulture!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Spider-man 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Electro 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Spider-man 29 (Metahuman)

Time for a recharge and what better way to do it than by pitting Spider-man against one of his most electrifying lethal foes?

Electro was once the struggling electrician Max Dillon -- until a freak accident transformed him into a human capacitor! Now he can drain, store, and generate electrical energy to be utilized through a variety of malicious methods!

His most common attacks are simple arcs or bolts of electricity. His charge can reach significantly high voltage, more than capable of electrocuting a normal human being. He can also create fields of charge to manipulate metals, ignite explosive materials, and even levitate and glide.

Despite being a stalwart classic of the Marvel Universe, we haven't seen a lot of Electro on The Comic Book Fight Club! He nearly spoiled Christmas in the 1992 Holiday Special, but Spidey was able to kayo him with a giant star ornament! He was also back causing trouble in Marvel Knights: Spider-man #11 as part of the Sinister Twelve. He was seen maliciously zapping Black Cat, before he was swiftly neutralized by Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman!

Electro's criminal career is replete with defeats, largely due to his tendency to rely on firepower, rather than tactics. Periodically he receives a helping hand to super-charge his powers, or apply a superior strategy, which can yield results.

The criminal fraternity may just be one of Electro's greatest strengths, and in today's fight, he's out on the town with his old pal Vulture! We missed out on seeing more from him around this time last year, but we'll see if his assistance makes any difference to Electro's chances today!

History is rarely on Electro or Vulture's side, but you don't stick at the super-villain game this long without having a little success. Will this be the one that puts Spidey down for the count? Let's go ahead and find out!

History: Spider-man (2-0-0)
The Tape: Electro & Vulture Ranking: Spider-man (#2)

What Went Down...
Electro opens the door to find the spider's trap waiting to ensnare him! He asks his heroic nemesis to grant two minutes grace for his female acquaintance to clear the area, but Spidey's hip to the phony concern!

With the proportionate speed and agility of an arachnid - Spidey leaps clear of Electro's bolts and delivers a swift right-hand to his unmasked foe!

The blow sends them spilling into the hallway, where Adrian Toomes makes a break for a nearby window with a briefcase in hand! Despite a lack of flightsuit, the trench coated Vulture smashes through the window for an aerial escape -- but Spidey is able to snare the case with a jet of web!

Electro reacts to the loss of funds with a massive blast of electricity that sends Spider-man hurtling from the exploding building in a plume of smoke!

A levitating Toomes delivers the bad news: Their twenty million dollars is gone - scattered to the winds! Suited up for action, Electro instructs Vulture to go get his wings and join him in dismantling Spider-man for costing them their fortune.

Some slick acrobatics and conductive stationary cars help Spidey avoid wild bolts of charge from Electro! He bounces back, leaping onto an idle taxi to deliver a slobber-displacing left hook!

The punch is a momentary distraction. Electro rolls with it and fires back with raw power! Electricity pulses through Spider-man's contorting body! He cries out in agony - throwing his leg at Electro's chest with desperate intent!

The aggressive strike surprises Electro with pain. The spark of his electric energy launches Spidey vertically into the rain-filled sky! A momentary reprieve as Electro's charge fills the street and starts metal shrapnel levitating!

Spidey leaps and contorts to navigate the hail of electrically-charged metal flung into the street! He rips the door off a nearby car to use as a shield, and orders Electro to leave bystanders out of it. Enraged by his losses - Electro lashes out by igniting the car's fuel! It explodes right in front of Spidey!

Fire fills the street and cars rise into the air like toys! Ionized metal an electric suggestion from Doctor Octopus. Electro walks through the fire and brings the evening traffic slamming down on top of a still stunned Spider-man!

Amidst the carnage of twisted metal and exploding gas tanks - Electro gets cocky enough to call Vulture. While he does, a notably battle-damaged Spidey webs across the street and launches himself at his old enemy!

Electro doesn't see it coming as Spider-man rush tackles him from behind! They go smashing into a nearby building, where Spidey just focuses on continuing to hit him! Wild and vicious lefts until a massive finishing uppercut!

Blood trickles from Electro's nose, but the energized villain still crackles with energy. He prepares to flash fry his wild swinging nemesis - until he notices the sign on the wall: Gas & Propane. This time the explosion comes unintentionally!

Both a tattered mess lying in open air. Electro appears the worse for wear, lying amidst the rubble, when Spidey hunches over him to search for answers!

The wall-crawler squats over the exhausted villain and clutches at his suit, but it's no good. Electro and Vulture had nothing to do with May Parker's kidnapping. The Owl played him. The realization leaves Spidey open to one last jolt of electricity! The pooling rain around them the perfect conductor!

Spidey's broken and battered body is blasted from the open rooftop of the gas building. His mind wanders, reviewing the predicament as his limp body hurtles toward the street below. He knows he needs to sling a web - but nothing comes.

The fallen hero smashes into a police car arriving on the scene. The windshield cracks before his body bounces off into a puddle. An ambulance is called, but the threat to Peter Parker is far from over...

The Hammer...
A shocking result! The visual victory appeared to belong to Electro, but under deeper scrutiny, both hero and villain shared a significant amount of damage! Spider-man may've taken a plunge from a building, but they're both on a trip to the emergency room by issue's end -- or at least, that's the plan...

In the next issue: it becomes apparent The Owl's men have collected Electro to punish him for stealing the twenty million dollars. It's a fate he shares with Vulture, who was seen briefly during today's featured fight as his absconding accomplice. That's a story for another day, though...

I was inspired to return to Marvel Knights: Spider-man by last week's Sony demo at E3. Spider-man for the PlayStation 4 seems to be pursuing a confused aesthetic similar to Homecoming, which maintains the utter implausibility of super-powered villains, but little of the joy of iconic fantastical costuming.

Even I can acknowledge yellow & green aren't exactly the go-to colors of electricity. Not that it matters. Hollywood never really got to grips with the whole super-hero deal any way. It was either gaudy dayglow, or drab pleather. Somewhere between these extremes of yesteryear and today lies the happy medium. Pleasing fantasy, and good taste. Occasionally we get both, but these days Marvel Entertainment is selling the classics as short as anyone else.

Electro's costume has always been one of the more challenging designs in three dimensional reality. It's iconic on the page, but the mask and lightning shaped protrusions aren't readily accepted outside of a Mexican pro wrestling ring.

It wasn't entirely surprisingly to see Electro's design addressed when Mark Millar collaborated with Terry and Rachel Dodson. The twelve issue run was ripe for comparison to what Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee did in Hush a year earlier. They'd had creative license with the iconic characters featured. So did team MK Spidey.

Writers of Millar's ilk enjoyed laying the boots in to second-tier villains from time to time. Somewhere in this very issue there's a gratuitous reference to "that loser" Paste Pot Pete. They all had their preferred whipping boys, but it was mostly in good fun. This was a time when the pleather misery of The Ultimates still seemed like a good idea. Fortunately, Marvel Knights: Spider-man was still classic Spidey at heart - even if it had some edge.

Rather than drastically modify Electro's unique look, the circumstances by which it exists were reevaluated. The end result: A slightly more tactile costume, with a mask that clings to his head because of movement, environment, and static electricity. A pleasantly natural in-fiction inspiration for embellishing a classic design. It's still basically the look you know and love, with the subtlety of not having jagged bits sticking off his face in every scene. Not that I really minded.

Spidey still voices the opinion of those who'd diss Electro's fashion sense, but he gets as good as he gives. We should all probably accept the bad guy's costumes as readily as we do the classic red & blue of Spider-man. And we do accept it, whether it has a sporting goods origin story, or not. That's what happens when aesthetic conceits have been established for some eighty years.

Terry Dodson does a great job of bringing the classic into the contemporary, with or without  the rubber souled boots, and costume seams that came into vogue at the time. His work is inky and rubbery and full of volume and energy.

Rachel Dodson's inks no doubt deserve a heaping of credit. Sometimes the black & whites look better than final pages! I like confident blacks and [Terry]'s pencils soak that ink up beautifully.

["Avalon's"] Ian Hannin handled colours on this issue, and deserves a parade for keeping them sumptuous and bold!

His representation of lighting and colour interactions is quite superb, lending a strong impression of reality to the iconic costumes live-action is so reluctant to recreate. Images bathed in blues and reds bring exploding cars and electricity bolts to life better than any big screen blockbuster! The entire art team does a great job of bringing an ominous evening rain to life.

Time and again I'm reminded that good old fashioned Spidey nourishes the soul.

This issue plays rough in ways that won't be comfortable for every fan of the classics, but it keeps a whole lot more than it throws away. Some of what it adds is kinda nice, too. We'll have to make time to talk about what they did with Vulture, but that'll have to wait for another time.

A mean spirit isn't such a bad thing for a villain. Electro feels like a bona fide threat throughout this issue's fight, even if it ends in stalemate. It's useful to re-charge villains from time to time. It keeps their value.  The big action of explosions and floating cars is the good bit of what we saw at E3.

If you're looking for more Marvel Knights Spider-man to nourish your soul, you can check out featured fights from issues #1 and #11! There's a whole lot more to discover by following character tags below, links in this post, or by diving into the Issue Index Archive for all previous featured fights!

Support the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths by sharing your favourite links with friends, or by discovering daily battles to like & share on Twitter and Facebook!

Go one step further by picking yourself up a collected edition containing today's featured fight! By using the convenient purchase link provided, Amazon will contribute to the war effort at no cost to you!

Winner: Draw
#2 (--) Spider-man
#856 (+18) Electro
#540 (+1) Vulture [+1 assist]

QUICKFIX: THING vs ZOMBIE HULK
Crossover: Part 3 of 3 (Marvel)
Where: Ultimate Fantastic Four #23 When: November 2005 Why: Mark Millar How: Greg Land

The Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thing 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Hulk 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Hulk 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)

Math: Hulk Ranking: Hulk (#4)

The Fix...
If you missed last week's shipping list you might not know that Marvel have wheeled out their fifth iteration of the Marvel Zombies franchise! Zombies 3 brings the threat of undead extinction to the Marvel Universe (616) and follows the escapades of a breakaway group of interlopers pre-Zombies 2. No doubt we'll be looking later in the month at one of the stars of Zombies 3, as well as some of our own theories about the brand, but first -- what about the beginning?!

The premise is so simple it's amazing it didn't happen sooner!
Take the heroes and villains of a parallel Marvel Universe, introduce a threat that would tempt extinction upon them all, and observe the ensuing chaos!

Conventionally the zombie is one of the weakest creatures on the monster map. It's a mathematical terror theoretically dismissed with a simple course of quarantine, but so easily overlooked in a world of invisibility, mysticism, super-strength, and the physically intangible.
If a zombie were to walk solitary into the arena of the Infinite Wars he would surely be squashed in an instant, but in their first appearance, the Marvel Zombies ahered to the tried-and-true tradition of the mythic zombie horde.

With the horde expanding into it's own marketing juggernaut, you'd be forgiven for forgetting it all began in the pages of Ultimate Fantastic Four, under the watchful high-concept eye of Mark Millar.

The ambiguously titled "Crossover" played with fan expectations, using the sci-fi vein of the Ultimate title to tease only an interdimensional meeting between the young Reed Richards, and his older counterpart from a 'familiar' universe.
Five years after the inception of of the Ultimate line (Earth-1610), it seemed feasible that the two universes might finally overlap. Instead, fans were treated to a conceptual double-whammy that introduced both Earth-2149, and by extention, the Ultimate incarnation of the Frightful Four - the zombie FF!

Millar's Frighful quartet remained a lingering plot thread for an entire year, surviving twelve issues to embody the Ultimate imprint's ability to take traditional Marvel concepts, and completely reinvent them.
This nightmarish reflection on the title characters remains one of the most memorable pauses in the title's history, surpassing the more familiar (or misguided) reinventions that have populated the series before, and since.

The glaring negative would be the marketing frenzy that resulted from the expansion of the Marvel Zombies concept. A slew of zombie-themed variations on Marvel covers infected the entire brand, extending to a catalogue of issues completely removed. This farcical pandering to the collector's market will no doubt live in infamy as one of the shameful quirks of the decade, but for the Ultimate franchise, another cost was arguably incurred.

The mission statement for the Ultimate imprint has managed to shift and morph over the course of it's life, but it seems safe to say the brand's relevance has passed for the forseeable future. While Millar (and Land) are certainly not responsible for the brand's decline, their venture into alternate universes seemed to represent the type of complication the brand was designed to avoid.

Best described as a version of the Marvel Universe for the movie generation; stories like Crossover have kicked the doors down to conventional Marvel tropes. The contemporary chic of a subdued, modern reinvention platform seems to have been compromised to a point where even dedicated neophytes have been drawn away to the 'proper' Marvel Universe. A Marvel Universe where the convolusions associated with the medium have gravitas and justification.

While stories like Crossover have expanded the boundaries well beyond the content of a theatrical release to allude specifically to the "616," it's also been made increasingly evident that the Ultimate universe is no less immune to lasting change than the core brand. One wonders if it was simply an issue of availability (or promotional agenda) that saw concepts like these fall into the Ultimate offices, rather than the traditional alternative.

For the specifics of the issue, even the often maligned Greg "photo reference" Land deserves kudos. The artist successfully delivers on a script that plays with a lot of Marvel conventions, like the arrival of a zombified Hulk to clash with Thing.

Hulk's arrival (from the air) begins with a vague reflection in a broken skyscraper window as we follow the monster's descent from Mr. Fantastic's POV, enjoying an ominus obscuring of the Hulk through continued shadow, and movement.

The Hulk really is a monstrous character! The macabre qualities that inhabited Jack Kirby's original artwork gradually faded as the creature was refined into a more palatable superhero figure. Land does well here to play with that size, giving Hulk's landing a handheld cinematic quality that really hammers home how horrific a snarling, seven-foot, green behemoth would be!

This dramatic entrance feeds into a curtailed exchange between two classic comic book rivals! All it takes is a two-fisted uppercut from the FF's Thing to topple the zombified Hulk, punctuating a brief end to the zombie onset!

The quick fix doesn't appropriately reflect the focus Millar delivers in his script, which remains consistently trained on the important details enough to convey some delightfully subtle details (like; Mr. Fantastic's gradual stretch across the zombie-invested cityscape), despite the plot's grandiose scope!

The legacy of Marvel Zombies doesn't really represent the original.
While Zombies deserves credit for maintaining more of a plot than anyone could rightly have suspected, it doesn't feel quite as complete an arc as Crossover. The tone differs considerably, a little less tongue-in-cheek in it's self-awareness than the glorified meme of subsequent additions.

Please note; our references to compromises made in the Ultimate brand are really far too broad to rest on the shoulders of this story. It is, however, part of a larger story that is the Ultimate line.

Winner: Thing
The Fight: 4 The Issue: 5

Crossover and Marvel Zombies are both available collected in trade. By using purchase links provided on the site you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! Check out the online store for more great savings on titles reviewed previously on the site!

WOLVERINE versus FANTASTIC FOUR
Enemy of the State: Part 3 (Marvel)
Where: Wolverine #22 When: January 2005
Why: Mark Millar How: John Romita Jr

The Story so far...
When Wolverine makes the trek to Japan to investigate the disappearance of a child, he finds himself at the mercy of Hyrda and the Hand, working in tandem under the direction of a young mutant killer calling himself - The Gorgon.

Defeated under ambush, Wolverine is momentarily dead, allowing the Hand to turn their mystic powers to resurrecting him under the control of the terrorist empire of Hydra. In doing so, they instigate plans to make Wolverine their ultimate weapon, designed to perform recon missions, as well as infiltrate and forcefully recruit powers within the American superhero community.

Having already dismantled a SHIELD collective and fought his way through former Hand assassin, Elektra; Wolverine is sent into the lion's den when Hydra seek possession of the world's greatest inventive intellect in Reed Richards.
Having infiltrated the Fantastic Four's headquarters before, Wolverine is even better serviced by technological upgrades from Hydra, but against the combined might of Marvel's first family, does a lone mutant stand a chance?...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thing 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Genius)
Speed: Wolverine 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Rubber)
Fighting Ability: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Human Torch 7 (Cosmic)


- Born a mutant late in the 19th century, James Howlett's life would be a long and arduous one. Baptised by death, he would discover his latent mutant abilities during the traumatic murder of his parents during his adolescence.

As a subject of Weapon X, Howlett's mutant healing factor made him the perfect subject for a delicate procedure to brace his skeleton with the unbreakable metal called adamantium. The metal was even added to Howlett's retractable mutant claws located in his wrists, making them far more effective offensive weapons than their previous bone state.

Code-named Wolverine, James "Logan" Howlett would eventually find more permanent station with an invitation into the paramilitary group, the X-Men.
Wolverine's keen tracking abilities, healing powers, fighting skills, and dedicated grit would make him one of the most active heroes in the superhero community, seen in his more recent admission into the Avengers.

- The Fantastic Four are: Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and Thing.

The original Fantastic Four were exposed to cosmic rays when Reed Richards led the team in a race to beat the Russians to space. Without sufficient preperation time, the shuttle lacked the shielding needed to filter the cosmic radiation, resulting in unique transformations in each member.

The team's adventures take them through time and space, where they regularly do combat with entities and individuals capable of cosmic manipulation. Their amassed allies and enemies exist throughout different galaxies and dimensions.

The team's line-up is typified by Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and Thing, but has been expanded to include the likes of; Crystal, Sub-Mariner, She-Hulk, Medusa, Black Panther, and Storm; among others.

The Math: Wolverine (Avg) Fantastic Four (Ttl) Ranking: Wolverine (#3)

What Went Down...
Having penetrated the unrivalled security of the Fantastic Four HQ, Wolverine ventures into the inner sanctum of the team's hi-tech facility, using air vents to gain a vantage point for reconnaissance. The Hydra puppet observes Thing and Human Torch engaging in domestic activity, but intel takes a backseat when DNA scanning detects Wolverine's presence.

With permission to inflict lethal force, Thing takes the opportunity to launch Johnny Storm's prized hotrod in the vague direction of Wolverine's hiding place.
The space made by the launched vehicle gives Human Torch opportunity to fly ahead of his rocky companion, flamed on. The Torch pins Wolverine to the wall, searing nerves as he scorches the mutant's wrists with the knowledge of his nigh-infallible healing factor.

Unfortunately for the Torch, Hydra's upgrades include a series of hacks in the FF security systems. Utilizing the hacks, Wolverine activates the fire extinguishers with a verbal override, soaking the flaming hero in thick retardant foam.

Recovering from the searing effects of the heat, Wolverine pops his adamantium claws, which still glow with an emenating heat. Before he can inflict any harm on the youngest FFer, the Thing marches through the foam, putting a stop to the assault with a blow that destroys the flooring.

The trio tumble through the shattered level to the area below where multiple observation screens monitor time points, intergalactic junctions, and points around the Earth. The tech-filled zone reminds Wolverine of the odds the Fantastic Four are used to facing, but the Hydra voice in his head keeps him in the game as Thing swings wildly with a massive conduit of cables.

Wolverine slices and evades his way through the maze of piping and cables, navigating toward the Thing. His superior agility gives him the opportunity to get close where he is able to plunge his invincible adamantium claws deep into the rocky bicep of the FF powerhouse. Thing drops to his knees.

Invisible Woman sees to the safety of the Richards children by sending them twenty minutes into the future, in communcard with Mr. Fantastic while he heads toward the battle. Attack robots pick up the slack in the mean time, distracting Wolverine from the badly wounded Thing.

The robots soon begin to retreat, but before Wolverine can recognise the smell of, "Blood and plastic. Meat and gum.", a circular 4 on the ground stretches upward to reveal Reed Richards! He quickly wraps Wolverine inside a sphere of his own elastic flesh, but Hydra is able to compensate with a limited teleport jump, placing the mutant approximately sixty feet away.

While slashing his way through attack droids elsewhere in the compound, Wolverine finds himself suddenly unable to breath. With the scent of Dior in the air, Wolverines witches to infra-red vision which allows him to witness the translucent visage of the Invisible Woman, who delivers a stern warning, before using her powers of invisibility to render Wolvie blind.

Hydra come to Wolverine's rescue with an aerial attack on the Fantastic Four headquarters. The explosion rattles Invisible Woman enough to free Wolverine from her invisible grip, giving him an opportunity to run for the broken window, where a hovering Hydra vehicle waits outside.

The Human Torch returns to the fray, leaping into the night sky to pursue his attacker. Wolverine leaps from the rescue vehicle, catching the Torch mid-air.

With his skin and flesh roasting away under the extreme heat of the Torch's flame, the Hydra-possessed Wolverine wrestles the youth with sinister intent.
Careening out of control, he steers their descent toward "something pretty", landing in the streets below with a devestating explosion.

EMTs soon arrive to pull a gravely wounded and burned Human Torch from the wreckage, unable to find remains for the assumed disintegrated Wolverine.
As you might imagine, the Torch emerges from the rubble under his own steam later in the piece, revealing a healing Wolverine who slashes his way free of the ambulance, and back into the public domain where he can wreak mayhem.

The Hammer...
Okay. A lot of you are probably used to scrolling to this point and drawing your conclusion from image-recognition, before you read the sentence. You might be wondering how I could possibly reason a draw given the destruction and carnage handed out by both parties.

I agonized over this one, because there are three very distinct arguments here. Wolverine (with Hydra) successfully incapacitates all but Mr. Fantastic, getting the better of the Human Torch on two divided opportunities. On the other hand, the Fantastic Four manage to contain the threat of Wolverine, and keep him under their influence the entire time until he resorts to fighting to escape.

Everyone, Johnny Storm included, walks away in relatively good shape, with no definitive final stroke blown by any character. Thus, we call this one, a draw!

We're running a little behind schedule again.
Right now it's the creaky end of Saturday night better known to many as early Sunday. My brain is sending signals through nerve networks to order my fingers to tap away at the keys, but at this point, I'm not sure how much cognitive thought process is going on here.

Though we aren't reviewing the releases of the week, the Infinite Wars endeavours to continue to reflect the zeitgeist and characters of the surrounding moments. This week if you headed to the comic store there's a good chance you were looking for what will no doubt be one of the highest selling books of the month: Fantastic Four.

Mark Millar, the man behind sizable chunks of Ultimate Fantastic Four, returns to the brand under the pressures of the core franchise, for the first time. Despite any conceptual increase in expectation and responsibility, Millar's FF is eagerly anticipated by a wide variety of fans that made up his 200k-plus sales figures on Wolverine, which brings us full circle.

Millar is also set to return to Wolverine with a post-apocalyptic story set in a desolate alternate future. Each project boasts familiar names accompanying the Millar writer's credit; Bryan Hitch and Steve McNiven following up respectively on the two titles likely to share the shelves. While I don't personally regard these pairings with particular emotion, it's undeniable that they have each been catalysts for a formula of success.

We've spoken ad nauseum about Millar's penchant for bombastic action pieces, and it's with pleasure that we add another instalment from his initial run on the Wolverine book to our list. Infinite Wars historians will note that our very first entry was indeed an issue of Enemy of the State [Wolverine #25], not at all by accident.

If you've been following the our X-centric Cover to Cover features [on Sunday], you'll also be familiarized with our awkward relationship with the X-Men books.
Notorious for sub-par storytelling, Wolverine has epitomized the style over substance claims that have crippled the X-franchise's credibility. It's here that Millar enters the fray, putting forward a Wolverine book that makes no attempt to apologise or exceed the character's roots as a tri-colour action superhero. In fact, for the first time in decades, Millar is able to ramp the character up to a point where, under the control of Hydra, he can mercilessly plunge his claws through flesh, and inflict wound upon even the sacred cows of the heroes!

This isn't a book for the intelligencia, but I think sometimes acknowledging your weaknesses and adjusting accordingly can be the greatest sign of practical and tactical intelligence. Millar does that in spades, giving us a tour de force of dream battles pencilled with clunky violence by JRjr, and a host of guest stars.

Having just seen Resident Evil: Extinction, I was talking a bit about zombies, which inevitably got me talking about some of my disappointments in the Marvel Zombies franchise [noted; Marvel Zombies #5]. The glaring omission there, for me, is the reality of the spread of the zombie plague, and more important to the Marvel take on the genre is the way the powers and personalities react.

I love that Millar is able to throw Wolverine into this world with some sense of reality. Direction is scattered, but then, as a terrorist sect that's just come into posession of an exciting new toy, you probably can't blame them for acting on their ambitions, and avoiding potential undermining of intelligence gathering.

Wolverine's incursion on the Fantastic Four HQ is reminiscent of favourite moments in inconsequential history like his unlikely infiltration of Four Freedom's Plaza during the Infinity War [Fantastic Four #366]. Though unreferenced, the longterm reader might also sense an inflected impending tension on the basis of the now classic showdown between Thing and Wolverine, that left the rocky hero disfigured by an adamantium claw slash across his face. For the trivia buffs, this was what provoked the early-nineties fashion faux pas of Thing's metallic helmet.

There's also an underlying savvy beneath the fanboy fantasia.
Wolverine makes his escape at the end of the issue utilizing very overt terrorist tactics. He ensures massive damage in a populated and public area, before returning to terrorist activities with Hydra motivated by an atom-smash combo of science super-fiction, and post-9/11 super-fact.

I don't know if anyone could call this story important, but I think these remain a high point in Wolverine's recent mediocre history, and as always, are a welcome addition to our superhero fight club, cum sports club.

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5

Wolverine: Enemy of the State is collected in the trade, and is required reading for any fan of the character keen to see what he can do when cut loose in the Marvel Universe! You can check out the full story at a reasonable price by heading over to Amazon, where by purchasing using links provided, you can help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! Outstanding!

WOLVERINE versus THE HAND
Enemy of the State: Part 1 (Marvel)
Where: Wolverine #20 When: December 2004
Why: Mark Millar How: John Romita Jr

The story so far...
For the slow-aging mutant called Wolverine, Japan represents many things. A lifetime ago he took a wife, and it's those family ties that bring him back once again, despite the painful memory of her murder.

One of his late wife's cousins, a limousine driver for a far richer man, becomes desperate enough to contact the X-Man when police fail to garner any leads in the search for his kidnapped son, who had apparently been mistaken for the richman's son with which the child played baseball.

Wolverine turns his expertise to finding the child, and before long he is ready to make contact with the gangsters who are willing to trade the boy for substantial amounts of cash. Unwilling to negotiate, Wolverine soon comes to realise that something sinister is lurking beneath the surface, and the identity of the kidnapped boy may be far more pertinent than previously realised...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Gorgon 5 (Professor)
Speed: Gorgon 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Gorgon 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Gorgon 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy Powers: Draw 1 (None)


- Born a mutant late in the 19th century, James Howlett's life would be a long and arduous one. Baptised by death, he would discover his latent mutant abilities during the traumatic murder of his parents during his adolescence.

This history would become lost to Howlett's own trauma, and the many manipulations he would suffer through decades of his life as a vagabond.
The interferences of veiled agencies and enemies would help shape a life of turmoil and rage, creating various interruptions in a life peppered with service, and training in the arts of war and combat.

The convoluted details of his past would lead Howlett to a defining milestone in his life when he would become involved with the tenth iteration of a secret program funded by the US, and conducted by Canada's Department K, called Weapon Plus.

As a subject of Weapon X, Howlett's mutant healing factor made him the perfect subject for a delicate procedure to brace his skeleton with the unbreakable metal called adamantium. The metal was even added to Howlett's retractable mutant claws located in his wrists, making them far more effective offensive weapons than their previous bone state.

Code-named Wolverine, James "Logan" Howlett would eventually find more permanent station with an invitation into the paramilitary group, the X-Men.
Wolverine's keen tracking abilities, healing powers, fighting skills, and dedicated grit would make him one of the most active heroes in the superhero community, seen in his more recent admission into the Avengers.

- Tomi Shishido is a gifted mutant and child prodigy with a range of skills and abilities. After hatching various schemes he was able to earn his way to the top of the criminal organization, Hydra, but not before leading his own death cult from pubescence, called Dawn of the White Light, and later fighting to earn admission into the ninja sect, The Hand.

Through his childhood Shishido accomplished feats as an artist, operatic composer, philosopher and mathmetician, but it would be in his teens that he would manifest his mutant ability to turn men to stone with but a glance, earning him the nickname, The Gorgon.

Having trained with The Hand, Gorgon becomes one of the world's most skilled warriors, earning him the reputaiton of having the ability to kill anyone whom he lays his eyes upon. This becomes an extension of his mutant ability.

The Math: Gorgon Ranking: Wolverine (#3)

What Went Down...
Having met his friend's kidnappers in a Christian graveyard, Wolverine soon discovers exactly what lies beneath when instead of cash, he hands over two large dufflebags of packaged shirts.

Two of the armed gangsters fall before Wolverine's swift blades, but the leader is able to call for help, summoning the eerie guard of an army of unfeeling ninja from the Hand sect. They burst from the hallowed ground, weapons drawn, undetected by Wolverine's keen senses due to their lifeless mystic qualities.

Wolverine tosses the bodies of the two dead gangsters, and charges at the the Hand ninja, claws drawn. Already known for his killing prowess, Wolverine shows little regard for the lifeless sacks of animated meat.

As he battles the stench and the onset of even more descending ninja, Wolverine begins to realise the larger plot at play. He slashes cleanly through handfuls of ninja, spraying stinking smoke and green where humans would normally leave entrails. Even if it isn't a trap, Wolverine's going to give them hell for every lousy detail of his trip, and his life, and their folly.

The ninja fall like dominoes, while from the perch of a tree, their leader watches on with morbid curiosity about Wolverine's abilities. He is the Gorgon, and it is his plan that has brought Wolverine and his connections into this conflict.

The Gorgon holds the finishing blow, leaving his pawns to tire Wolverine out, arrogantly implying the certainty of his victory.

Wolverine processes his predicament in an orderly fashion, dealing with the slaying of his many undead adversaries in a similar manner. His body becomes a living weapon, skillfully slicing, dicing, and doing away with the ninja. His methods prove brutal, unforgiving, but above all else, efficient.

With the last of the ninja violently dispensed, Wolverine again turns his attentions to answers only the mobster leader can provide. Having left him alive, Wolverine presses the pudgy Japanese man against a tombstone and threatens to earn him one of his own, brandishing a fist full of adamantium.

It is unclear if it's Wolverine or his employers that the mobster fears, but either way they prove warranted, the interrogation cut short by the penetrating sting of a long blade. Wolverine, sandwiched by his victim and his attacker, soon gets the awful answers to his question, delivering mercilessly by the Gorgon.

And with that, Wolverine's disbelief turns to darkness as the Gorgon delivers the killing blow. So begins the path to making Wolverine an Agent of Hydra.

The Hammer...
Time and energy are rare enough commodities to come across at the best of times, but you can thank Wolverine's blasted thirty-year history of bull for the delays on this one. Good grief! Thankfully I was able to load up on some tournament sport (tennis), and get my energy levels high enough to bring the Gorgon's victory!

For those of you just joining us, we're counting down the top ten heroes of 2007, giving them the first opportunity to join the ranks in 2008!
If you don't understand what all of that means, then be encouraged to surf around the site and devour what is essentially a superhero fight league!

I could be accused of spending too much time on Mark Millar, particularly given that it was only last week we talked a little about another Millar project from 2004 [Marvel Knights: Spider-man #1], but they're both stories I've really been itching to revisit, so... I'm making the executive decision!

We've touched on Enemy of the State a handful of times in our two year period, and it was a later chapter that marked our very first [Friday] fight, way back in 2005! [Wolverine #25] As a story it's premise is reasonably thin, but as much as we all pride the Infinite Wars as a source of astute discussion, the spine of the site is controlled by superhero fisticuffs -- and that's what Millar brings to Wolverine, arguably a long time overdue!

Enemy of the State does away with exactly the kind of hogwash that made writing Wolverine's tape entry such a chore, and simplifies the character down to a seventeen [counted] kills, rampaging claw machine. It puts him in a situation that is almost exclusively physical, and while that doesn't sound like the makings of a great twelve issue run, the pure popcorn of Millar's writing has made this one of the few memorable arcs in the title's recent history!

Like MK: Spidey, there's an element of this being a tour of characters.
Everyone from Daredevil, to the X-Men, to the Fantastic Four make appearances, with Elektra serving in a prominent supporting role. It manages to connect itself to a lot of events that would be spun in and around, without bogging the thinly veiled plot of carnage down with references, exposition, or embarassment.

With so few new characters coming from the big two companies, it's almost a shame that Gorgon serves as a finite villain. He is unique to this story, but ultimately, that's exactly what makes him such an appreciated contribution.

Gorgon isn't a particularly unique villain. If you saw Kill Bill, Tomi Shishido's history is going to feel very familiar, but as much as this is a character built on familiar clichés, he manages to do one better than many of his contemporaries.

We touched upon the ceremony of certain villains [Captain America #4] and how that often undermines a character who should be supremely efficient, but must sustain an on-going franchise. Gorgon is free of this constraint, able to unleash his powers on the pseudo-immortal Wolverine, while also suffering that same level of punishment at the end of his twelve issue role.

There's a lot of talk about the future of comics, and a popular theory amassing that the prevelance of the paperback trade will swallow up storytelling. While I don't necessarily believe in the immediate relevance of pseudo-manga packaging, I do think there's something interesting to be said of chapters or sagas in the serialized storytelling of superhero comics.

I think we've seen the foundations of this notion, at least from a presentation stand point, done particularly well with the Hellboy/BPRD franchise.
To the betterment of new readers it's probably not well known that each series often very specifically recalls previous events, but gets away with it largely because of an in-built aura of mystery, and strong intrigue-based writing.
It's almost the happy medium between the ideals of indefinite superhero franchising, and more encapsulated storytelling.

I like the notion of a character like Gorgon being chief antagonist to a 264 page adventure. I especially like the idea of giving a character that license to exist in a very vivid context, even if it means the most honest conclusion is to eliminate them at the end. In the vaguest sense it really does recall ideals more commonly seen in manga, but I think also speaks the message of the importance of investment in characters.

Gorgon might not be the best example of a strong, original creation, but I don't think the notion of deeply involving backstory should distract from more trivial qualities of characterization. Gimmicks work when there's an investment there to justify it in that context; something big two new releases often lack.

But, as this discussion becomes increasingly disjointed, that might be best left to another entry. Stay tuned as we wrap up the top ten, and be sure to drop a comment and browse the archives!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5

Has your interested been piqued? Why not check out more on Enemy of the State, as previously featured on the site, and think about using Amazon.com! By using Infinite Wars referrals you can find Amazon's best price, and help fund future entries in the Infinite Wars! Make up your own mind about Gorgon, Hydra, and Wolverine, as he becomes a murderous puppet of the terrorist organization, and is turned against his greatest friends and allies!

GREEN GOBLIN versus SPIDER-MAN
Down Among the Dead Men: Part One of Four (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Knights: Spider-man #1 When: June 2004 Why: Mark Millar How: Terry Dodson

The story so far...
Theirs is a rivalry that has spanned decades and brought about great misery in each of their lives. Norman Osborn has waged a war on Spider-man in both his identity as Green Goblin, and otherwise. Among his exploits, the impregnation of Parker's then-girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, and her ultimate demise atop the George Washington Bridge.

Norman Osborn would seemingly perish in battle with Spider-man, but amidst the chaos of believing he was a clone who had usurped the life of the true Peter Parker, Spider-man finds a bittersweet truth when Norman reemerges to finally kill the true clone, Ben Reilly.

Yet another skirmish in their lifelong war brings Spider-man to lie resting in an alleyway behind a restaurant. At first mistaking the motionless body for a vagrant sleeping in trash, the store deli employees soon become acquainted with the deadly truth: Enter the Green Goblin!

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Spider-man 5 (Super Strength)
Intelligence: Draw 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Green Goblin 4 (Arsenal)


- Self-made millionaire and brilliant industrialist, Norman Osborn, finds himself enhanced physically and mentally when he investigates an experimental formula developed by his crooked colleague, Dr. Mendel Stromm.

Unbeknownst to Norman the formula had undergone tampering, resulting in an explosion that embues him with the formula's properties, resulting in further increases in his physical and intellectual prowess, at the cost of his mental stability.

Using his technologies to adopt the costumed identity of the first Green Goblin; Norman embarks on a quest for money and power, seeking to become the new boss of organized crime in New York. His goals bring him into conflict with Spider-man, and begin a downward spiral that would make them bitter enemies for decades to come.

- A bite from a radioactive spider should have killed highschool nerd, Peter Parker, but instead it would irradiate his own blood, granting him extraordinary powers.

After turning to a life of profit, Peter is inspired to use his gifts for the greater good when his decision to allow a burglar to escape leads to the murder of his adopted parent and uncle, Ben Parker.
Ben's sage-like advice, "with great power comes great responsibility", becomes a mantra for Parker as he becomes Spider-man!

Spider-man possesses the proportional strength, speed, and agility of a spider. Adding to his arsenal is a precognitive spider-sense that warns him of pending danger. Self-made mechanical webshooters round out Spidey's abilities, allowing him to ensnare opponents in a variety of modes; travel through the city by web-line; and form basic constructs based on the available quantities of his own formula of web-fluid.

Additional: The rivalry between Green Goblin and Spider-man is one of the best documented in comics. Over the course of their careers, each would discover the other's true identity, and embark in a bitter personal struggle that would affect a great many innocents around them.

The Infinite Wars previously featured one of the purest representations of this feud as it was depicted in the Spider-man feature film. Also worth noting is Spider-mans battle with Osborn's gathered Sinister Twelve, although it did not include his active involvement in the melee [Marvel Knights: Spider-man #11].

History: Spider-man (1-0-0)
The Math: Spider-man Ranking: Spider-man (#1)

What went down...
With two restraunt employees unwittingly walking into the battlezone, the Green Goblin descends atop his glider with two flaming pumpkin bombs for Spider-man and the innocents. The web-slinger leaps from the garbage to toss the two men to safety, barely aon his feet as the Goblin begins a new attack.

The pair fly through a light shower, struggling all the way as the glider swoops low above traffic, causing windsheilds to shatter!

Spider-man gains the upperhand and inadvertently starts an upthrust in their trajectory, as he begins to wail on the Green Goblin. He uses the eyesockets of Osborn's mask to drag his face into an opposing action against his fist.

Engrossed in battle, thhe pair find themselves inadvertently plunging through an office window, wreaking havoc through the studio space that no doubt racks up in the thousands!

They come to crash land in the storage space of a delivery truck, where Spider-man finds an offensive edge. Taking full advantage of their shaken state, he puts the full extent of his spider-strength to knock Osborn around inside his Goblin mask, whipping away the water amassing from the rain.

With the one-two having the desired effect, Spidey looks around for "something heavy" to deliver the finishing blow to his levelled opponent. Located in the middle of a manhattan crossjunction, Spidey finds advice from one of the onlooking civilians, who suggests a mailbox.

Finding the notion palatable, Spidey again calls upon his super-strength to rip the postbox from it's station, only to use it as a devestating clubbing weapon, bringing it driving down upon the Green Goblin with a sickening impact!

With the Goblin well and truly out of commission, Spidey webs him upsidedown to a lamp post, where he can be discovered later by authorities.
His work, however, proves yet to be done as onlookers both criticize the severity of his methods, and unwittingly put themselves in peril, exploring several spilled pumpkin bombs that emit a gentle luminous glow. Too exhausted to help, Spidey leaves the crowd to their own devices and injuries - victorious?

The hammer...
So, you wanna hear a funny joke?
First, Marvel erases twenty years of history on the whims of the Editor-in-Chief. Then, in response to the laughable outcome, someone talks about giving Spidey a miss for the year. After that, the first entry of the year declares Spider-man victorious.
By the haw of Hoggoth! That's downright absurd! Or is it?...

See, here's the thing; we aren't totally unreasonable. And although the Infinite Wars will make no bones about standing by Spider-Boycott: 2008; we won't let that interfere in certain structural obligations.

In 2006 we ended the year with our top five characters, which meant when we started fresh for Season 2007, there were some embarassing labour pains in the top five. From now onward, we intend to compensate for that by ensuring the previous year's top ten characters get first bite at the new year.

So, here we are, taking a look at 2007's #1 character: Spider-man.

There are two things that make this a palatable cease-fire to our fledgling boycott. The first, we've already mentioned, but the second is a little less subversive, and ties directly into our motives. Because, as mentioned in the Annual Report, we believe Spider-man fans have had a long wait for truly enjoyable Spider-man stories -- but we failed to consider one man: Mark Millar.

A simple truth: A website like this should really have an entire wing dedicated to Monsieur Millar, because there's every chance we could run the spine of our operations off of Millar's output alone.

Unlike his countrymen; Millar isn't necessarily the kind of writer who will have Americans trying to figure out which corner of their bucket they should be peeing in. Truth be told, there's a lot of the bold yankee spirit beating deep within the cavernous bowels of his writer's heart.
A penchant for "widescreen" action and unashamed superheroics has earned Millar a special place in the comics industry as the closest you can get to a sure thing. His Marvel comics routinely dish out top ten sales figures, making his infamous twelve issue runs some of the most talked about comics every month.

Mark Millar is to us, what Julian Moore is to him: A very foxy ginger.

This far in we should really get to the point, so here it is. In these measly twenty-three pages, Mark Millar teams with Terry and Rachel Dodson to do exactly what One More Day didn't - without a single one of the drawbacks.

Millar pulls out all the stops in a story that I initially criticized for appearing like Marvel's response to the chart topping, Hush. I was quickly silenced by what was quite clearly an excercise in telling a classic kind of Spider-man tale, with a completely modern context. This was Spider-man with a tilted grill, giving us a contemporary fat-free attitude that managed to fullfil all the flavours we wanted, without the old deep-fried calories of boring B-plot, and corny dialogue.

With all of her humanity on show, Mary-Jane provides a frustrated protagonist unable to accompany Spider-man on his journey to save a kidnapped Aunt May.
Though the damsel in distress/bridge top motiff has been repeated ad nauseum, we almost want to meet it on Millar's terms, welcoming it for at least pointing to one of the many uses of the Mary-Jane character.

Dr. Octopus is in obscure full force as a wildcard, playing to a hateful history between he and the Goblin, who provides both an immediate threat, and a sinister mastermind to much larger plots, in his own right. Plots ultimately carried out by Mac Gargan, who gets a revamp not only as Osborn's shadowy super-stooge, but eventually as the much anticipated new Venom.

With Electro, Vulture, and Black Cat in feature positions, this is easily the most inviting experience for fans looking to make the transition from films, to comics, giving them a glimpse of what they sorta know, and what they can come to expect. I almost find a naughty glee in recognising a book that's arguably more ultimate than Ultimate.

In fact, so full of joy for this story am I, that I seem to be getting farther and farther away from my original points. This really is just such a fun read that inspires all of those classic Spider-man feelings, but does so with a vibrant contemporary sheen of confident, velvety inks, and bouncy, kinetic curves.
It's the best of all worlds. It's got the domestic turmoil of Stan Lee, the continuing epic struggle of Gerry Conway, the superhero action of David Michelinie, and the arcing scope of Tom DeFalco. War Mongers, reflecting on One More Day, I don't know whether to laugh, or cry.

To see the same apparent goal achieved so beautifully without any of the disgracefully sloppy writing, or dismissive fan-fiction of blanket retcons, is a bittersweet marvel. Millar seems to understand both Spider-man and modern comics so perfectly, it almost makes you wish the man behind Civil War could've assumed a Geoff Johns/Grant Morrison like hold on his company, to have steered this character to the greener pastures desired, albeit, in a superior way.

At this point, amidst my unashamed fawning, I don't know I've engaged in any kind of coherrent discussion, let alone made an argument for a better way.
I just know that at some point in the future we'll be compelled to end the boycott. It might be the right decision, it might not be, but I know for sure, when that happens, the Infinite Wars will revisit Marvel Knights: Spider-man.

This comic wasn't One More Day.
This comic was smart.

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 6.5

Down Among the Dead Men takes advantage of an awkwardly resurrected Norman Osborn. Though this was uncomfortable, the return of Harry Osborn, post-OMD, breaks the friendship. If you feel the same about the comedy of errors, and are looking for an outlet for some great Spider-man reading, you might like to head over to Amazon to pick up MK: Spider-man! Also feel welcome to save and brandish the Spider-Boycott: 2008 banner featured in this entry, with a link back to us. Because... It's just the kind of hype-driven hit response we could use! Oh no, I'm drowning in irony!!!