X-MEN versus MAGNETO

Showdown! (Marvel)
Where: X-Men #113 When: September 1978
Why: Chris Claremont How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
With his nemeses The X-Men held captive deep within his volcanic subterranean base in the Arctic; Magneto is free to stage an unopposed attack on the Royal Australian Aerospace Research Facility in Woomera, South Australia!

The X-Men are reduced to the physical capacity of infants in the nightmarish care of the android called Nanny! That is, until Storm manages to use the lock-picking skills she learned as a thief to free herself and the team from their elaborate shackles!

Awaiting their greatest foe's return, the X-Men scramble to devise a plan to ambush the Master of Magnetism and defeat him once and for all!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Colossus 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Beast 6 (Genius)
Speed: Beast 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nightcrawler 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Magneto 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Magneto 28 (Metahuman)

The X-Men are: Cyclops, Phoenix, Storm, Banshee, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine, with Beast.

Despite occasionally working alongside the team; Magneto arguably represents the X-Men's ultimate arch-nemesis! His mastery of magnetism challenges Charles Xavier's dream on both a physical and philosophical plane, shaking the Earth to its very core with the influence of magnetic fields, and dangerous ideas!

There are obvious issues for some of the X-Men who're facing Magneto at a time when he's firmly positioned as a ruthless villain. Wolverine's adamantium laced skeleton is famously susceptible to magnetic influence, most devastatingly demonstrated when the metal was ripped from his body in X-Men #25!

There are also concerns surrounding the organic steel of Colossus. He can choose to remain in his unaltered human form, but this also negates the asset of his super-human strength, rendering him a vulnerable target for Magneto.

Nightcrawler always offers interesting tactical possibilities with his agility and ability to teleport. We saw him strike a decisive blow against Dracula in X-Men Annual #6. He might be able to get the drop on Magneto, but penetrating his magnetic force field seems unlikely. Coordinating with teammates is best.

Cyclops and Storm are strong tactical leaders who can call shots on a team strategy. Cyclops' optic blasts also offer a strong ranged attack that can help pin Magneto down. Storm's control of weather is less suited to their confined arena deep within a volcano, but a well timed gust could help and hinder tactically.

As unlikely as it seems, Banshee could be an ace in the hole. His sonic scream was potent enough to stun Invisible Woman in X-Men Annual #14, and might be able to penetrate Magneto's defenses! The confined space of the arena may just enhance his offensive potential, but there is the risk of hurting his teammates.

The obvious powerhouse here is Jean Grey, who at this time is entwined with the Phoenix force. Cosmically enhanced telekinesis and telepathy are just the tip of the iceberg. In theory, Phoenix would have no trouble defeating Magneto on her own, but the use of her powers at this time appears in flux.

An uncharacteristic act of psychic violence by Charles Xavier famously reduced Magneto to a mindless state in X-Men #25. He was also matched by a cosmically enhanced Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #327.

Magneto has the benefit of confronting the X-Men within his subterranean Arctic lair, and even though they have some element of surprise, they're also recovering from prior hardships. This is a classic - let's see how it went!

History: X-Men (1-0-1)
The Tape: X-Men Ranking: Wolverine (#4)

What Went Down...
Descending into his darkened lair: Magneto tends to his malfunctioning Nanny robot, fully aware the X-Men have likely escaped their shackles. He plays the fool, inviting a sudden assault from Cyclops, Banshee, and the other X-Men!

The Master of Magnetism is forced to fall humbled to the floor as the concussive force of their ranged attacks overwhelms him! Even braced for impact, the combined power was nearly more than he could handle!

Wolverine is the first to emerge from the dark, with claws at the ready, but Cyclops psychically calls him off. The X-Men have a game plan and Wolverine must wait his turn -- or have none at all!

Wolverine obeys -- while Storm struggles to initiate the next phase of their plan: extract the humidity from the air around Magneto.

Though fatigued from the effort of orchestrating their earlier escape, Storm works at her invisible offensive. Not that he knows it! Magneto rises, gloating that he's had time to recover. He doesn't hear Banshee coming up behind!

Gliding through the darkness, Banshee delivers an intensely focused sonic scream directly to Magneto's back! As soon as the blast hits, Cyclops gives Wolverine the telepathic signal to go for broke!

Striking mercilessly from behind - Wolverine rips through Magneto's cape and rakes unbreakable adamantium claws against his back!

Magneto yells in agony, lashing out with a sudden wave of his hand that sends Wolverine hurtling across the pitch black arena! Even as he dispatches one X-Man - another steps forward, igniting the lair with the light of the Phoenix!

Magnetic shields offer a defensive buffer as Jean Grey blasts Magneto with the Phoenix's flame, but the force of her power pushes him into a nearby console!

The lair's control centre explodes at his back as Magneto begins to feel the dehydrating effects of Storm's efforts -- and perhaps the encroaching heat of the volcanic magma surrounding the underground facility.

There's little time to contemplate temperature as Colossus barrels down upon Magneto! The steel-skinned mutant wasn't part of the plan, but his efforts prove none the less effective as he silences Magneto with a devastating right hand!

Colossus buries his fist in Magneto's mid-section, desperately fighting to keep the Master of Magnetism off-balance enough to avoid becoming a metallic pawn under his powers!

The affront works, but his teammates conspire to lend a helping hand -- much to Nightcrawler's chagrin! Beast swings him by the tail like a human wrecking ball and lets him loose -- to teleport with momentum straight at Magneto's head! The acrobat collects his helmet while Colossus winds up for a kayo!

The punch Colossus delivers would've destroyed any normal man -- but Magneto defiantly clings to consciousness like iron to a magnet!

At that moment Nightcrawler notices lava seeping through the ceiling. The damaged control console has triggered an irreversible sequence that will open the roof and flood the chamber with the volcano above!

Precious seconds tick away as Cyclops searches for a way out. Magneto mocks the X-Men, blaming their dire predicament on the reckless actions of Phoenix. He is fast becoming their only hope for survival -- and with that he seizes his opportunity, throwing Colossus and the others away with a magnetic wave!

The X-Men scramble to avoid the searing touch of pouring lava! Banshee glides along sonic waves to snatch Wolverine clear of harm. Jean Grey narrowly avoids a dice with danger when Beast tackles her clear.

Magneto summons his helmet back to him and takes leave, using magnetic fields to repel the magma and safely forge his way toward the surface! He leaves the X-Men desperately fighting to survive as the facility collapses.

The Hammer...

Things looked pretty dire for a while there, but Magneto's ability to take a licking and keep on ticking gave him the chance to make full use of his home ground advantage. If they hadn't been encased in volcanic lava, the X-Men might not have snatched defeat from the hands of victory! Whoops!

As this issue comes to an end we see Phoenix explode from the ground, carrying Beast to the snowy surface above. The rest of the X-Men are presumed dead, but the next issue will reveal they tunneled their way into the Savage Land.

Magneto escaped, but he lost a valuable base of operations housing a wealth of data collected over many months. Anyone who's lost a hard drive without backups knows how that stings! I presume whatever information was gained by attacking Australia was for, and stored safely, on board Asteroid M.

I've been eager to feature more Magneto and the X-Men on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, so this one's been on the docket for quite some time. It's the earliest in the Chris Claremont/John Byrne run we've looked at so far, but not the earliest meeting between arch-foes. X-Men #6 still holds that distinction.

The creative team doesn't feel quite as sharp as they eventually will, but there's still so much to like about this issue! I was particularly drawn to its depiction of Colossus -- another mutant I've been hoping to spend more time with.

I'm a little leery on Magneto's ability to withstand heavy blows dealt by the Russian hero, but I suppose you can presume he's dampening the hits with his magnetic powers. It's worth it for some great Byrne drawn action!

Their head-on collision is a great moment that obviously looks cool, but also adds dramatic tension as Colossus runs the risk of submitting his metallic body to exploitation by Magneto. He was supposed to hang back, but as in a lot of early Colossus appearances, there's a determination to prove himself as the powerhouse every fan wants him to be. His relentless fighting does the trick!

Of course, it's really a classic case of an X-Men team effort. Their ability to work together is a key element that nearly wins them the fight. Each member gets a moment to shine, including Beast, who only recently reunited with the team after leaving the Avengers to answer a distress call from Polaris, and help his old teammates out of a jam. His team-up with Nightcrawler is a real treat! Two agile, furry blue heroes I love, but don't remember seeing together a whole lot.

The lineup of X-Men featured in the issue is right up there with the best. Magneto is also in fine form as a formidable villain, too. The white knuckle nature of the fighting means there's little time for any of the hokey villainy he sometimes dips into. Byrne's rendering of the classic design, especially when the helmet casts solid shadow over his face, is really thrilling!

I noticed in the time while I was working on this entry Rob Liefeld kicked X-Men #113 back into discussion. He used the opening page as an example of Magneto's days as a definitive Marevl villain. Regardless of how you might feel about contemporary examples, it's definitely a period worth investigating, if you haven't.

You can find this issue and many more collected in the first Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. Use the Amazon links provided to get yourself a good price and help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths in the process!

You can find more from the characters featured in today's battle by following links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Index for a complete archive of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

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Winner: Magneto
#138 (+270) Magneto
#4 (--) Wolverine
#49 (-1) Beast
#51 (-1) Storm
#81 (-1) Cyclops
#131 (-9) Phoenix (Jean Grey)
#354 (-77) Banshee
#405 (-7) Colossus
#929 (-33) Nightcrawler

HELLFIRE CLUB versus X-MEN

Salvation (Marvel)
Where: Uncanny X-Men #209 When: September 1985 Why: Chris Claremont How: John Romita Jr & P Craig Russel

The Story So Far...
Tensions between the Hellfire Club and X-Men reach breaking point when the X-Man of the future, Rachel Summers, infiltrates the Inner Circle to avenge a fallen comrade by assassinating their Black Queen!

The attempt on Selene's life ends with a killing blow, but it's Wolverine executing lethal force against the renegade Summers. True to her mantle as Phoenix, however, the young mutant refuses to die, sending the Hellfire Club on a hunt for the wounded girl in Central Park!

The X-Men engage the Inner Circle in a battle for their teammate, but they aren't the only interested parties! As the heroes struggle to stay above ground, another threat descends from the sky: the Sentinel of the future - Nimrod!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Colossus 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Selene 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Nightcrawler 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Sebastian Shaw 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Nightcrawler 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Storm 5 (Lasers)
Total: Wolverine 26 (Metahuman)

The Hellfire Club are: "Black King" Sebastian Shaw, "Black Queen" Selene, "Black Bishop" Harry Leland, "Black Rook" Friedrich von Roehm, and Tessa.

Representing the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle, these are some of the most powerful representatives of the venerated and clandestine organization.

The only member to have appeared previously in our record is the rotund Harry Leland. His mutant ability to inflict dramatic gravitational fields famously sent Wolverine plunging through a building and into the sewers in X-Men #132.

Sebastian Shaw can absorb kinetic energy directed at his body and convert it into a source of increased super-human strength and durability. Direct attacks literally make him stronger, making him a difficult opponent to contend with!

Selene combines vast mutant gifts with the knowledge of ancient magic. By draining the lifeforce of others she can extend her life and enhance her strength & powers. She's a powerful telepath able to influence others, generate psionic bolts, pyrokinetic fire, and telekinesis. She can also manipulate inanimate objects to make them do her bidding!

Selene also holds sway over Friedrich von Roehm, whose bloodline is tainted with that of the werewolf! Unlike usual lycanthropes, he relies on the mental powers of Selene to trigger his transformation. This grants him increased strength, speed, agility, and claws, but also reduces him to a feral state.

The X-Men are: Storm, Shadowcat, Rogue, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Phoenix, with Callisto and Caliban.

Recent events have left the team in pretty bad shape! When we join the fight there are only two X-Men still active on the battlefield. Team leader Storm is one of them, but even she's lost the use of her mutant weather powers from a prior incident. Shadowcat is by her side - one of the few ready for action.

Wolverine is still recovering from his battle with The Reavers, as well as a very recent attempt to kill Rachel Summers, who was on a murderous warpath with her Phoenix power. She's clinging to life somewhere nearby, but Wolverine is still back at base in the Morlock tunnels, having missed last issue's skirmish.

Rogue took the brunt of the lead-in battle and accidentally absorbed the powers of Colossus while trying to save him from being plunged deep into the Earth! The last time Rogue enhanced her strength with Colossus' power she was able to take down Nimrod! That's a pertinent example of her might after permanently acquiring the powers of Ms Marvel.

With flight, Rogue can be evasive while striking at the strongest members of the Hellfire Club. Wolverine and Nightcrawler may've been jumped by the Inner Circle in X-Men #132, but Wolvie got his revenge against their masked guards in X-Men #133! They can handle the likes of Von Roehm and lingering minions.

If Phoenix gets in the game she can neutralize Selene, but recent history might just turn her against the X-Men! Tip the scales and the X-Men are in serious trouble! We saw a similar line-up upset by Deathstroke and Parademons during a DC crossover in Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans #1! Let's see...

The Tape: X-Men Ranking: Wolverine (#4)

What Went Down...
The cold mechanical visage of Nimrod hovers silently over Central Park like a spectre of death. The assembled combatants can only watch in awe as they anticipate the inevitable fight for their lives that awaits!

Somewhere across the battlefield, Rachel Summers stirs, clinging desperately to consciousness in a bid to aide her friends. Storm and Shadowcat are the lone X-Men still standing, surrounded by hostile members of the Hellfire Club.

Despite their predicament, Storm smiles wryly as the ground begins to tremble beneath her feet. Her mutant weather powers have been lost, but she doesn't need them to know the vengeful storm front rising from the depths!

Rogue's return stuns the Black Bishop responsible for her quest to the depths and sends the Hellfire Club scrambling! Storm takes the opportunity to order Shadowcat to phase down to the lower depths where Colossus is still trapped under the heavy weight of Harry Leland's gravitational powers.

Storm doesn't notice the masked Hellfire Club snipers gathering in the surrounding bushes -- but Callisto does! The morlock dives to knock Storm clear of the shot. Nightcrawler and Wolverine teleport in at just the right time to reacquaint themselves with their old enemies. The guardsmen run!

With a shower of turf clearing: Sebsatian Shaw charges at Rogue, undeterred by the doubled-strength she gained by absorbing Colossus' power! She narrowly avoids his punch, leaving a nearby oak to snap under its impact!

Rogue knows she can't use force to stop Shaw, but she can redirect his power toward another threat. She launches him across the battlefield on a collision course with Nimrod! The Sentinel of the future is prepared!

Nimrod is able to "reverse [the] target's gravimetric polarity" before he makes impact -- repelling the Black King from the very surface of the planet!

Delighted at her rival's plight; The Black Queen attempts to curtail Nimrod's advances with her ability to manipulate inanimate matter.

Shocked to find she has no effect on the robot's body, Selene resorts to wrenching boulders from the earth to destroy it. Once again futuristic processors analyze the threat and neutralize it - reducing the great rocks to slag with a beam fired from Nimrod's chest!

X-Men and Hellfire Club pause to contemplate the eerie robot alike. Callisto tests the sniper's high-tech weaponry on the robot, but it leaves little more than a scratch! Enough to encourage Storm to propose a team-up with her enemies.

Friedrich von Roehm violently rejects the proposal -- launching himself at Storm with the savage fury of a beast!

The Black Rook takes the X-Men's leader to ground, but is swiftly swatted away by the back of Wolverine's fist!

Von Roehm locks his eyes on Wolverine with grit teeth and readies to answer the challenge. Once again he launches himself, ready to test claw against claw -- until a massive beam of energy consumes him in mid-air!

What lands is a mere pile of disintegrated ash! Nimrod takes Rook!

Storm reiterates her proposal for an alliance with the Hellfire Club - appealing to the remaining membership's survival instincts, while Rogue engages Nimrod in the sky above. For a moment the heavens whip her with sudden wind and rain!

The last time Rogue absorbed the mutant power of Colossus she was able to defeat Nimrod. Before she can attempt another miraculous victory -- the borrowed organic steel of her skin begins to fade! It's all she can do to keep ahead of Nimrod's energy blasts! A deadly game of keep-away with one inevitable outcome!

The Sentinel of the future tracks Rogue's movements and calculates a course based on velocity and maneuverability. There's nothing she can do as the air before her is filled with a "shockweb". She fries in a dazzling explosion of light that leaves her plummeting back to earth, unconscious and smoldering.

The dramatic demonstration is enough to persuade Selene, Harry Leland, and Tessa to accept Storm's offer.

The Hammer...

Until an alliance is reached between the X-Men and Hellfire Club, there are technically three factions acting upon today's battle -- all equally hostile to each other! That makes lodging the result a little trickier than usual, but a clean conclusion can be reached...

The majority of casualties in today's battle were suffered by the Hellfire Club, but they aren't alone in defeat. The X-Men were either ineffectual, or as in the case with Rogue, trounced by the futuristic weaponry of Nimrod! Victory therefore belongs to the time travelling killer robot.

You could reasonably argue that Uncanny X-Men #209 contains a single continuous battle beyond what's described above. There is, however, a very distinct break in the action that allows the dynamic to be completely redrafted.

Round 2 begins anew when the surviving forces unite to engage Nimrod. Or Round 3, as it were, given this all began in the issue prior. At some point in the future we'll take a closer look at what went down.

Forgive me if I now give in to the temptation to shout: "It's Nimrod!!"

If you're a fan of the nineties X-Men cartoon you'll probably understand where I'm coming from. There were a lot of quotable lines to come out of that wonderful show. The over-the-top identification of Nimrod comes from the first half of their unique Days of Future Past two-parter. It's a little Mugatu in its blunt declaration of the obvious, but it works in context.

Nostalgia has weighed heavily on the X-Men for a long time now. The commercial highs of the nineties seem very visible at the moment, but the franchise arguably struggles most with the source material that inspired the cartoon. That seems true of the future-set Powers of X, which showed its hand with new character designs that promised the return of something like Nimrod.

In the past I've regarded nostalgic regression as a bad thing for the X-Men, but after a decade of mediocrity and brand assassination, this seems like a reset that's overdue. It's a reinvestment in what's good about the X-Men, rather than the ill timed rehashing of past reboots, like Whedon's slide-inducing Astonishing.

There's something oh-so deliciously eighties about Nimrod. He's a marshmallow of a Sentinel, what with his big, white, ill defined humanoid body, and hot pink highlights. A character that could be a source for ridicule - if he wasn't so successfully defined as a credible threat in appearances like today's battle, and the earlier confrontation of Uncanny #194.

Nimrod was arguably played out by the time he merged with Master Mold to make Bastion in the late nineties (or whatever that was about), but now that we've now caught up to the dreaded events of Days of Future Past and it's Sentinel ravaged future of 2013 means there's fresh perspective. Treating that once looming threat at present-day is an exciting prospect. Timeline be damned.

Chris Claremont's collaborations with John Romita Jr arguably rival his earlier works with Byrne. There's obviously a tremendous debt of reference owed, but out of that comes a refinement, and loose change in style that I really enjoy.

I love the livewire approach evident in the plotting of this run of mid-eighties issues. Nimrod lingers as a developing sub-plot that occasionally comes to the fore, while a strong lineup of X-Men deals with threats like the Hellfire Club, and their own internal conflicts. It doesn't make for a strong, singular tome like Days of Future Past, but it exploits the serial nature of comic books thrillingly.

The face-off between Wolverine and Rachel Summers in the issues leading to today's fight is really something to behold! Gritty, urgent images from JRjr radiate off the page. It's still a little herky-jerky in the initiation of certain events, but the fact that so many other ideas are firing and layered into the flow of events only enhances the reality of a character like Nimrod.

It's a pretty great time for the occasionally inconsistent X-Men lineup, too!

Rogue will arguably reach another gear as the Jim Lee pinup of the nineties, but better stands out as an MVP during this period of mid-eighties punkish, brooding growth. The brash icon she'll become is earned in these issues where she's still developing into the fullest potential of her powers, and her role as a hero.

Her ability to absorb the powers of teammates like Nightcrawler and Colossus is a winning visual-concept with an all-time cool-factor!

The fact steel-skin Rogue is reprised so quickly after #194 shows they knew what they had. The gimmick becomes a dramatic tool in this issue, triggered inadvertently as Rogue tries to save Colossus from his sinking fate. It comes a bonus sugar rush. The kind of idea you love to see, but a writer can't go to every time -- no matter how much they want to! Restraint keeps it special.

I actually pulled this issue out in the hopes of talking more about Colossus, but it looks like that will just have to wait until next time!

If you want to get more from the X-Men and characters featured today, you should follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a full index of featured fights ordered by publisher, series, and issue number!

At the time of this writing it's been difficult to find a collected edition containing Uncanny X-Men #209. The black & white Essential X-Men Vol.6 is tough to find, but if you do any shopping via the Amazon affiliate link provided, you'll help support the site at no extra cost to you!

You can also get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day by subscribing to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook! Be sure to like and share your favourite fights!

Winner: Nimrod
#348 (+257) Nimrod [+1 kill]
#49 (--) Storm
#349 (-39) Harry Leland
#885 (new) Callisto
#886 (new) Selene
#887 (new) Sebastian Shaw
#888 (new) Friedrich von Roehm
#889 (new) Tessa (Sage)
#4 (--) Wolverine [+1 assist]
#890 (-5) Nightcrawler [+1 assist]

X-MEN versus HELLFIRE CLUB

And Hellfire Is Their Name! (Marvel)
Where: X-Men #132 When: April 1980
Why: Chris Claremont & John Byrne How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
Professor Charles Xavier is a man who experiences powerful visions. Gifted with the natural mutant ability of telepathy, he can literally see your thoughts! Yet, his most powerful vision is one for the future: A world of peaceful co-existence between ordinary humans and their genetically advancing mutant brethren.

The X-Men are mutants who share in Xavier's dream, fighting to defend a world that fears and hates them. Their philosophy is opposed by factions both human and mutant. Such is the case of The Hellfire Club - a shadow organization using their powers to manipulate the course of humanity for their own sinister gain.

Competing for the next generation of mutant students, The Hellfire Club elites see the X-Men as dangerous threats -- or allies. None is more powerful than the cosmically enhanced Phoenix, who single-handedly defeated their White Queen.

From the battle, the X-Men learn of The Hellfire Club, and the possibility they're being monitored. Founding X-Man and industrialist Angel agrees to help pierce the veil of the exclusive membership, sending them into the lion's den for a face-to-face encounter with The Inner Circle!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Donald Pierce 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Donald Pierce 5 (Professor)
Speed: Nightcrawler 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nightcrawler 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Donald Pierce 3 (Explosives)


The situation is simple: The X-Men are looking to crash a party at the Hellfire Club and they're taking a two-pronged approach. While some attend the soiree as guests -- Wolverine and Nightcrawler make a stealthy entrance from below through storm drains running under the compound!

Not a bad entry strategy for a former Weapon X covert soldier with heightened senses, and a mutant with the natural ability to blend into the shadows! Except of course when it's time to step into the light!

Donald Pierce and Harry Leland are members of the Inner Circle of The Hellfire Club. They are men of power, influence and unique special abilities!

Behind the privileged exterior of industrialist Donald Pierce lies the cold steel of cybernetic enhancement! The White Bishop's lightweight, metallic robotic limbs grant him phenomenal strength without impeding his speed! He can hit hard, clamp on a death grip, and defend against blows from the likes of Colossus!

The Black Bishop Harry Leland isn't nearly as swift as his counterpart, but his mutant gift more than makes up for it! By concentrating, the rotund lawyer can bring any opponent up to his weight class by increasing their mass! The effect makes the merest movement a taxing feat -- resisted only by the most willful!

The keys to victory could come down to a choice of dance partners. Leland's mass manipulation power might vex Nightcrawler, but the X-Man's powers of teleportation should allow him to escape the range of its influence -- and launch a counter attack. Wolverine, on the other hand, already has the weight of an adamantium coated skeleton to contend with, making him a soft target!

Donald Pierce's cybernetic enhancements give him a strength advantage over both X-Men, but Wolverine's adamantium claws should be able to cut him down to size given half the chance. Nightcrawler is far more vulnerable to strong-arm tactics, but he may be persuaded to relieve Pierce of his inorganic limbs through some strategic teleporting. We saw Rogue use Nightcrawler's teleportation this way when she fought Nimrod with the X-Men's powers [Uncanny X-Men #194].

The Hellfire Club have the advantage of fighting on their home turf. They've also acquired intelligence on the X-Men through surveillance of their Danger Room training facility. All of which spells big trouble for Wolverine & Nightcrawler!

The Tape: Wolverine Ranking: Wolverine (#5)

What Went Down...
Trudging through underground storm sewers; Wolverine and Nightcrawler face the prospect of rising rain waters. Seeing an opportunity for subterranean subterfuge - Wolverine uses his claws to strip large electrical wires. A timed blackout to help them out of a jam if things go awry in the Hellfire Club!

The two heroes emerge from a hole in the bowels of the club. Wolverine worries the plan is all going much too easy. A concern soon rewarded as a hand emerges from the shadows to snatch Nightcrawler by the throat!

The inhuman vice-like grip belongs to Donald Pierce - White Bishop of the Inner Circle of The Hellfire Club! His squeeze is so tight, electric and unnatural, Nightcrawler cannot concentrate enough to teleport to freedom!

Wolverine leaps to his aid -- slashing Pierce's arm with the downward swipe of his adamantium claws! They cut the cloth of the industrialist's vintage coat, but leave his arm defiantly in tact!

The damage reveals an appendage of metal and wires. Donald Pierce introduces himself as a cyborg, effortlessly tossing Wolverine across the boiler room without so much as loosening his grip on Nightcrawler's throat!

His fall broken by a stack of boxes; Wolverine extends his claws and stalks toward the cyborg anew. As he does, a massive man appears from an elevator -- Harry Leland, the Black Bishop!

Wolverine scoffs at the man's interference, provoking a challenge he couldn't possibly prepare for. Suddenly -- he struggles to move!His weight increasing, Wolverine can barely move a muscle. Such is the mass manipulation of Harry Leland's power! Even as Wolverine strains to resist -- the crushing load of his mass grows ever greater! The phenomenal force means something has to give - but it won't be the iron will of Wolverine!

Instead, the very floor beneath him gives way -- sending him plummeting into the storm waters channeled below!

Wolverine is swept away, barely conscious as he hits the roaring water. He leaves Nightcrawler alone to suffer a similar fate, choked out by a cyborg hand!

The Hammer...

Who would've guessed a toffed up industrialist and his tubby lawyer could be so much trouble? Harry Leland and Donald Pierce are the victors, doing their part to disable a divided X-Men!

While this fight goes on in the lower levels, the rest of the X-Men are struggling with their own Inner Circle opponents. Unconscious Nightcrawler will soon be deposited onto a pile of defeated X-Men that includes Cyclops and Colossus. Their attempts to blend in with the party did not go so well. Dire straits to be explored further in a future feature fight!

Somewhat ironically, Leland's 'mass-ive' attack on Wolverine means he's the last X-Man still standing. The clawed Canuck may've plummeted through a few floors, and been washed away with the overflow, but he's made of pretty tough stuff! You can bet your bottom dollar he'll be back to help out his friends -- and he's going to be in one all mighty foul mood when he comes calling!

Chances are you've seen the iconic final image of X-Men #132 [above], or at least allusions to it. John Byrne captures the grit and determination in Wolverine that fans know and love. The promise of an exciting follow-up issue. That's where we're headed in our next featured fight, so you can look forward to it!

February on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths will be all about Wolverine in anticipation of the March 3rd global theatrical release of Logan.

The movie is set to pit the aging X-Man against a version of Donald Pierce and his cyborg minions. If you've been fooled into thinking that's an underwhelming threat for Hugh Jackman's [alleged] final performance -- you now know better!

In our next installment, we'll get to talk more about one of the great strengths of Donald Pierce's arsenal. It's a thoroughly unexpected legacy that comes out of these already classic 1980 issues, several years later.

Poor old Nightcrawler plummets down the rankings thanks to his part in today's defeat by Hellfire Club. The beloved character will always be more of a lover at heart, but one of these days we'll have to take a closer look at his triumphs.

They likely wouldn't come from The Dark Phoenix Saga, of which this is an early part. If you'd like to read this chapter, or others, you can do so by picking up a collected edition via the Amazon link provided! By doing so, you help support the site at no extra charge to you!

You can also help The Comic Book Fight Club thrive by liking and sharing daily links via Twitter and Facebook, or by clicking the G+1 button below! You can do this on any fight selected from the Issue Index Archive! Hooray!

Winners: Harry Leland & Donald Pierce
#303 (new) Harry Leland
#304 (new) Donald Pierce
#5 (--) Wolverine
#822 (-309) Nightcrawler

X-MEN versus DEATHSTROKE

Apokolips... Now (DC/Marvel)
Where: Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans #1 When: 1982 Why: Chris Claremont How: Walt Simonson

The Story So Far...
Nightmares plague the young heroes of the X-Men and Teen Titans. The memory of fallen comrade Phoenix haunts the mind and heart of those who loved her, while a universe away, her flaming visage inspires terror.

Across the gulf of space, Darkseid contemplates the means to penetrate and harness the supreme power of The Source Wall. His plan: to send his agents to collect the residual psychic energies left on Earth by the cosmic Phoenix entity.

Flanked by an army of Para-Demon soldiers, Deathstroke accepts the mission to lead them in a quest to accrue cosmic energy. A task that could only inevitably draw the attention of the Uncanny X-Men!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Colossus 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Deathstroke 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Nightcrawler 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nightcrawler 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Cyclops 5 (Lasers)


X-Men are: Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Sprite, Nightcrawler & Wolverine.

The glaring issue here is an apparent mismatch in numbers, but we can pretty quickly address that. Deathstroke is working in the employ of Darkseid, which has given him access to an army of Para-Demon shock troops. Not that he necessarily needs them!

Deathstroke The terminator is Slade Wilson: A career soldier who was subjected to secret military experiments designed to create the ultimate super-soldier.

The result granted Wilson access to 90% of his brain capacity, unlocking significant cognitive abilities including; increased reaction time, reflexes, tactical brilliance, learning enhancement, memory retention, and more. These skills are best demonstrated by his supreme fighting ability. Deathstroke is versed in multiple hand-to-hand combat techniques, martial arts disciplines, and weapons training, including his weapon of choice: the sword.

We saw just how dangerous a combatant Deathstroke can be  in Identity Crisis #3, where he single-handedly fought the Justice League to a standstill! In that instance, speed and tactics were his deadliest weapons, as he systematically neutralized each hero. He anticipated and thwarted Flash, silenced Zatanna, clipped Hawkman's wings, bagged Black Canary, and so on.

There's an obvious comparison to made there for the challenge of the X-Men - a group who won't even have the benefit of familiarity with Deathstroke's tactics!

He possesses an increased healing ability, allowing him to recover from near fatal injuries much quicker than an ordinary human being. That's not only an obvious comparison to Wolverine, but a confidence builder against the mutant's adamantium laced claws. Can Deathstroke's sword withstand their legendary cutting power? It may not need to, having the advantage of reach over claws!

Nightcrawler could be an interesting fencing partner for Deathstroke, given his famed fondness for sword fights. He may be outclassed by the superior soldier, who would certainly be more ruthless, and able to anticipate his moves. Even if he were to incorporate his mutant gift of teleportation.

Organic steel skin and super-human strength mean Colossus has muscle and durability on his side, but Deathstroke's arsenal, speed, agility, and Parademon back-up are mitigating factors. Parademons are also Deathstroke's best option for neutralizing Storm's control of weather phenomena, and/or busying Cyclops.

At this point in X-Men history, Kitty Pryde was an inexperienced young teen, but her powers of intangibility arguably make her the biggest X-factor of this fight! The Terminator's 90% brain function may come up with a strategy to turn her abilities against her, or at least neutralize their offensive potential, but he can only do that if he identifies them before they make the difference!

We've seen one X-Man be the game changer many times over the years, tipping the scales in battles with: Nimrod [Uncanny X-Men #194], Magneto [X-Men #25], Xorn [New X-Men #150] and The Lizard [X-Men: First Class #2]!

We also saw Kitty Pryde play a major role in X-Men Annual #6, when this era's X-Men came close to getting the better of Count Dracula! The divided team only managed a draw in the '82 annual. Let's see how they did here...

The Tape: Wolverine Ranking: Wolverine (#5)

What Went Down...
On a very particular butte in New Mexico: Deathstroke commands an army of Parademons in the erection of a massive "Psi-Phon" tower. They're collecting the residual psychic energy left by The Phoenix - but they're about to get more than they bargain ford!

Wolverine manages to sneak up on an unsuspecting Deathstroke to ask if he's got a light. The Terminator answers with a swing of his sword, but Wolverine is prepared! He ducks the weapon and returns fire with the adamantium reinforced backside of his fist! Deathstroke is sent flying!

While Wolverine deals with their leader; Cyclops blasts the Parademons who're guarding the towering machine. The X-Man orders its destruction - a simple feat for the super-human strength of Colossus!

The steel-skinned Russian upends the gigantic machine, toppling several Para-demons in the process. Storm helps in the task, sweeping more Apokolips soldiers away with an uncanny gale-force wind!

Sprite does her part, emerging from the rocky desert in front of a gun-toting Parademon. The distraction allows Nightcrawler to teleport in for a surprise attack that disables the villain!

Across the battlefield, Deathstroke studies the X-Men in action - aware of their reputation. His keen reflexes allowed him to avoid a knock-out from Wolverine's earlier blow. He takes advantage of being the loose man, targeting airborne Storm with a rifle that fires a fear ray! The sudden onset of severe claustrophobia sends Storm hurtling earthbound!

The Parademons rally, catching Sprite, Nightcrawler and Wolverine with a noxious Toxi-Cloud Grenade! Relying upon superior numbers and technology, one of the soldiers takes out Cyclops with an energy disperser bolt gun!

Colossus is the last X-Man standing and sets his sights on Deathstroke. The mercenary braces for the charging mutant and goes low - turning his metallic momentum against him! Close to the edge of the butte - Colossus is sent tumbling over the side toward the desert below!

With victory in hand, Deathstroke and the Parademons take their opponents prisoner and open a boom tube for Darkseid's throne room in The Wall.

The Hammer...
We couldn't end 2016 without one final return to a battle between DC and Marvel Comics! After all, this was a year that marked the 40th anniversary of the character crossover that started them all: 1976's Superman versus The Amazing Spider-man!

It took five years for the two publishers to arrange a sequel issue, once again pitting their mascots Superman and Spider-man against corroborating villains. Doctor Doom and Parasite were the offending bad guys, but this time Wonder Woman and Hulk were along for the ride, too.

Hulk would return later in '81 to headline another crossover special - head-to-head with Batman in a mismatch of television and comics icons. The original three oversized issues offered a fair spread of characters from both unvierses, but no single special had the scope of the inter-company crossover published in 1982: Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans!

The ambition of Chris Claremont and Walt Simonson's teen team crossover went far beyond the cosmic trappings of its own set-up. The threat posed by Darkseid is arguably the biggest of any of these stories, but it was its function as a sequel to The Dark Phoenix Saga that makes it more than any ordinary one-shot.

The New Mexico setting in today's featured battle recalls a specific tender moment shared between Cyclops and Jean Grey in Uncanny X-Men #132. Though only a couple of years removed, that's still a pretty deep cut for an inter-company crossover -- and it isn't the only one! The entire premise plays upon Darkseid's minions revisiting those key locations touched by Phoenix's power.

The X-Men and Teen Titans were obviously twin hot properties in 1982, but I think the choice of using significant canon probably helped make this the popular crossover it was. Superman/Spider-man had spectacle, Batman/Hulk a curiosity factor, but this one had both -- and a story that seemed to elevate its importance, even for me - a confessed teen hero hater from school age.

Of course, no inter-company crossover is complete without an interesting title fight. Learning from reactions to the '76 Versus title; DC and Marvel made the wise choice to replace their combative preposition with a more applicable conjunction: and.

The cover gives no reasonable expectation that the X-Men and Titans will fight -- but that doesn't mean they didn't have a perfect bout up their sleeve! Just a couple of years old, and a couple more away from the heights of The Judas Contract; Deathstroke The Terminator was already a pretty perfect opponent for morally conflicted mutant hardass - Wolverine!

If you followed the feature fight, you know Wolverine effectively got the drop on Deathstroke, but failed to finish the job. Does that sound like the best there is at what he does? Hey, it goes both ways. The Terminator -- as he was known almost four years before the movie -- may have toppled the X-Men, but there's a more physical rematch before issue's end. A battle we'll no doubt look closer at in the future.

It's a small wonder we didn't see a third decider when it came time for DC and Marvel to pit their characters against one another in a long awaited, all fighting crossover spectacular: DC versus Marvel/Marvel versus DC! It probably couldn't have been more controversial than the battle we got: Lobo versus Wolverine.

It speaks to the mystique of Deathstroke for the longest time, whose solo series was coming to an end in 96. It seems he didn't penetrate the DC Universe in any lasting, meaningful way until the mid-2000s. Even after sixty issues of mercenary escapades, he always seemed anchored to the Teen Titans. A factor that's fast fading, with the mainstream preparing for test footage to turn into a full fledged feature film appearance in DC's The Batman.

As we put 2016 behind us, Hollywood is telling tales of ascent and descent for these two comic book icons. With Logan, Hugh Jackman expects to retire his iconic performance as Wolverine after seventeen years on screen. On the flip side, Joe Manganiello has begun training to bring a new icon to screen. Will he inherit the mantle of big screen bad ass that Wolverine vacates?

We end the year celebrating the past whilst looking towards an uncertain future!

I hope we'll be together for more Secret Wars on Infinite Earths in 2017. If we aren't, you can relive all the featured fights from 2016, including our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of DC versus Marvel, back in April! To find even more classic battles and inter-company crossovers scroll down the Issue Index!

Winner: Deathstroke
#94 (+208) Deathstroke
#5 (--) Wolverine
#42 (--) Storm
#66 (-1) Cyclops
#91 (-21) Sprite (Kitty Pryde)
#357 (-13) Colossus
#508 (-134) Nightcrawler

X-MEN versus DRACULA
Blood Feud! (Marvel)
Where: X-Men Annual #6 When: 1982
Why: Chris Claremont How: Bill Sienkiewicz

The Story So Far...
It has been quite some time since the X-Men battled the lord of vampires, but when Storm dreams of Dracula's dark embrace, and the blood of her fellows, she knows the man who once possessed her soul beckons her.

In England, the wind-rider finds Dracula's newest lady, the recently turned Rachel van Helsing, and a master who still holds power over her once vampiric heart. Storm is recruited by the dark lord to steal the Montesi Formula from the sacred lands of Castle Pendarrow, giving Dracula control over the means to obliterate vampires everywhere.

Despite her expertise as a thief, Storm finds herself set upon by fellow X-Men, Kitty Pryde and Colossus, each with a murderous intent to stop her. Their battle leads a wounded Storm once more to the arms of Dracula, and the X-Men to her!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Dracula 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Dracula 5 (Tactician)
Speed: Wolverine 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Dracula 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Nightcrawler 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Cyclops 5 (Lasers)


- The X-Men are: Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Storm.

The emergence of the mutant X-gene brings with it mixed blessings as humanity finds itself confronted by the next stage in human evolution. As individuals begin to manifest inherent superhuman abilities, two men; Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr; find themselves at a philosophical crossroads where education would be concerned. In contrast to his counterpart, Xavier uses his family fortune to found the Charles Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, using his knowledge and powers to train and educate mutant pubescents struggling with their abilities.

Xavier's original class consisted of Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy, and Warren Worthington III, but would soon expand exponentially proportionate to team's activities as a covert paramilitary force protecting humanity from those who would misuse their power. Among the prominent new recruits; Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, Storm, Rogue, Havok, Dazzler, Gambit, Emma Frost, and for a short time, even Magneto.

They fight to protect the very people who fear and hate them, defending against the menace of alien invasion, cosmic crisis, and the mutants who would use their gifts for evil. Regular enemies include; Magneto, Apocalypse, Sentinels, the Hellfire Club, Brotherhood of Mutants, Juggernaut, and other.

- Born to Transylvanian nobles in the fifteenth century, Dracula truly began during war between the factions of Wallachia and the Ottoman Turks.
When mortally wounded by a warlord named Turac; Dracula was taken prisoner by the Turks who raped and pillaged Dracula's family and kingdom. A gypsy woman named Lianda took revenge upon the imprisoned Dracula for his mistreatment of gypsies, spreading the curse of the vampire, rather than healing him.

Dracula prospered with the enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and mystic abilities of the vampire. He turned and defeated Turac, before destroying Varnae and Nimrod, to succeed the latter as Lord of Vampires, and enhance his powers.
Among his strange abilities; hypnotism, metamorphosis (bats, wolves, mist), influence over weather and vermin, and rapid healing.

Among the many enemies Dracula has accumulated throughout the centuries of his long life: Abraham van Helsing, Apocalypse, Mephisto, the N'Garai, Dr. Strange, Frankenstein's Monster, the Werewolf, Blade, Hannibal King, the X-Men, and his own descendant, Frank Drake.

Math: X-Men (Ttl) Dracula (Avg) Ranking: Wolverine (#6)

What Went Down...
Recovered from the wounds of her mission, Storm finds herself at the mercy of Dracula! The Lord of vampires prepares finally to turn Storm once more and assure her subservience, but before he can sink his fangs in, a blast of energy staggers him away from the African mutant's throat -- an optic blast!

Cyclops and Wolverine march valiantly into Dracula's lair, but they do not find the vampire helpless! He pulls a sharp spear from the manor wall and tosses it with super-human strength! Cyclops, unable to move quick enough to avoid the weapon, is saved by the intervention of adamantium claws that swat just in time to knock the airborne missile away.

Led by a bamf, Nightcrawler appears to catch the spear in mid-air, disappearing only to reappear atop an unsuspecting Dracula! The nimble mutant drives the spear through the vampire's chest, teleporting away too fast for retribution!

As Dracula stumbles clutching at his chest, his slave, Rachel van Helsing, races to her master's aid! She rips the spear from her Lord's chest and charges Cyclops with inhuman speed. The X-Man is quick himself, reacting with a judo toss that topples the vampiress, but fails to slow her transformation to mist. Free of form she swirls around Cyclops to gain the upper hand!

While Colossus and Kitty burst through the wall to confront Dracula, Cyclops continues to grapple with van Helsing, who now takes the form of a wolf! Despite the immense strength advantage, it gives a solid target for Cyclops to hammer with the unrelenting power of his optic blast!

Meanwhile, Dracula attempts to pit his own enhanced strength against the powerful Russian, Colossus. He tosses a coffin that passes harmlessly through the phasing Kitty Pryde, and crumbles beneath the impact of Colossus' fist!

Overwhelmed by their growing numbers, the vampire Lord flees the X-Men, disappearing into a hidden passage leading to his underground catacombs.
With the comfort of a tighter arena, Dracula anticipates picking his opponents off, recognising an uncharacteristically violent Kitty Pryde as his greatest threat.
Kitty Pryde phases through the wall and beckons Colossus, as if confirming Dracula's suspicions.

The Hammer...
As if to prolong the value of this giant-size issue, we've got to call this instalment of the battle a draw, folks! A brief pause follows the battle, before the action resumes in the catacombs below, and it's likely there that we will revisit the issue sometime in the future! Whatta slap in the face, huh?
[NOTE: No stat for Storm due to total inactivity. Kitty Pryde is possessed by Dracula's daughter, Lilith.]

It's October, so we're dwelling in the depths with the dark and deadly in the lead-up to Halloween!

X-fans will know the 1982 annual marks a rematch between the X-Men and Dracula, who met previously in the year in July's X-Men #159. While we have not featured this confrontation, the results of a world where the X-Men were unable to defeat the Lord of Vampires was the subject of What If...? #24.

The integration of literary characters into superhero universes always holds some fascination for me. Modern comics fans might have managed to remain oblivious to Dracula's presence in the Marvel Universe, and it wouldn't have been difficult. Even in the character's prime as star of Tomb of Dracula the character largely remained segregated to his own world, clashing chiefly with Marvel horror characters, and his own regular antagonists, like Blade and Frank Drake.

It makes a lot of sense to include available iconic characters into a superhero comic. DC have assembled a brightly colored army of assimilated properties and continue to do so, establishing a fairly obvious example of precedent.
Literary classics like Dracula have much the same instant recognition and unique trademarks that make them as justifiable an addition as any other superhero property. The lure of 'Dracula V the X-Men' is as intriguing a prospect as 'Superman V Captain Marvel.'

Yet, for some strange reason, I find these characters always stick out.
Perhaps it's the fact that the translation to comics often brings with it similar alterations to those experienced in the adaptation of comics to film. The familiar, often with good intentions, becomes a distorted betrayal of what initially made the property what it is. In the case of Marvel's Dracula, the decision to include a wide array of abilities from various pre-existing mythologies, and the communication of some of these abilities in superhero terms, somehow feel odd.

Also betraying Dracula is the longterm commitment of characters in an on-going design managed by multiple persons, and generations. The subject of this annual, the Montesi Formula, was eventually unleashed in the pages of Dr. Strange, living up to the promise of obliterating all vampires in the Marvel universe. Unfortunately, this included Dracula, who was unsurprisingly resurrected sometime later, along with Lilith, and other popular characters.

When this additional layer was added to a character already designed for resurrection, it feels as if a uniquely comic book device has undermined the character. It is an unnecessary second-guessing of facts that all too often litters comics, even in the modern era.

I've never been a big reader of Marvel's Dracula, despite being as enthusiastic about monsters and mythology in my childhood, as I was superheroes.
Occasional crossover battles like this one have aroused my interests to moderate results. The annual reads unmistakably like a classic Claremont issue of X-Men, and for that it cannot be failed. Though far less remembered than the original confrontation between Dracula and the X-Men, it's a fun oddity to remember in the X-Men's decades of adventures.

We're in a rush, so I'll leave further conclusions to you, good readers!
Bill Sienkiewicz is dated, but competent with his artwork. Small experimentations are visible, as are tone sheets, which is fine if you like that sort of thing. It all feels slightly seventies, but I guess you can't begrudge an '82 annual for that.

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 5

Despite her absence from this particular battle, Storm fans will want to hunt this issue down for a Giant-Size exploration of an important part of her history. Alas; it'll be the back issue bins for thee, as far as I know. If you're looking for more X-Men purchases, you might find something of interest in the Infinite Wars Amazonian Gift Shoppe, where collections of most issues reviewed on the Infinite Wars are available for online purchase! By using purchase links provided, you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars, which is good! Yay!