LIZARD versus SPIDER-MAN

Face-to-Face With... The Lizard! (Marvel)
Where: Amazing Spider-Man #6 When: August 1963
Why: Stan Lee How: Steve Ditko

The Story So Far...
When a walking, talking lizardman emerges from the Florida everglades to threaten the local citizenry -- news quickly spreads to New York City and the pages of the Daily Bugle, which run with a headline challenging none other than Spider-Man to bring an end to the creature's terror!

Even Editor-in-Chief J Jonah Jameson doesn't really believe there's a seven foot half-man, half-lizard stalking the swamp, but when Spider-Man swings into his office to personally accept the challenge, he finally agrees to send ace photographer Peter Parker on the paper's dime -- setting up a showdown between arachnid and reptile!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Lizard 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Spider-Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Lizard 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Lizard 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Spider-Man 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Spider-Man 29 (Metahuman)

Dr. Curt Connors is a brilliant geneticist and biologist, but the price of the formula that regenerates his missing arm using lizard DNA is his genius -- gone when he's transformed into a stalking human-reptile hybrid!

The Lizard is known to occasionally access the remnants of Connors' scientific knowledge and acumen, but he's typically a wild and volatile creature, utilizing animalistic agility, strength, jaws, and tail to pursue base desires and instincts.

Through the fog of his lizard-brain is often a desire for companionship, leading him to value the lives of his wife Martha and son Billy, and occasionally seek out means to transform other humans into similar lizard-people.

The Lizard has even been known to collaborate with others, participating in a gathering of the Sinister Twelve until he was dispatched by Iron Man!

Spider-Man is obviously the hero who shares the most history with Connors, earning the ire of the cold-blooded alter-ego for thwarting his many grand schemes.

We saw the rivalry adapted to animation for the third episode of the MTV Spider-Man series, but our most noteworthy comics example is a retroactive tale pitting The Lizard against the X-Men in one of their early adventures.

The Lizard effortlessly man-handled Beast and Angel in the Florida everglades, but was pacified by intense cold introduced by Ice Man. Spider-Man is similarly out-muscled, but also has the intelligence to find a tactical solution -- even if he might find it difficult to find anything cold enough to pull the same stunt!

Today we're looking back at Spider-Man's first encounter with The Lizard, and as we've seen in early battles against The Vulture and Mysterio -- that often means tasting defeat before devising a better strategy. How will it go? Let's find out!

History: Spider-Man (1-0-0)

The Tape: Spider-Man Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...

A police blockade bars the public from entering the suspected "Lizard Area", but Spider-Man effortlessly descends upon the everglades, avoiding the attentions of local law enforcement by swinging overhead -- where he's spotted by The Lizard!

Stalking through long grass - Spider-Man begins to sense a lurking danger, but he fails to see the ripples in the nearby water -- until a scaly hand grabs his ankle!

The Lizard drags his challenger into the murky waters of the swamp.

It becomes a desperate struggle as Spider-Man is suddenly submerged, but he can clearly see his opponent through the water. Something that can't be said for The Lizard when a fistful of mud and silt is slung straight into his face!

The web-spinner turned mud-slinger crawls out of the pool to take a desperate gasp for breath -- but The Lizard emerges on the bank in equal time!

Lizard stakes a claim to his territory, marking Spider-Man doomed for entering his domain in the swampland. The reptile strikes!

Spidey narrowly avoids The Lizard's whipping tail -- surprised by his speed, and apparently authentic scales, as he jumps clear of the swinging appendage.

Looking to "knock some of the fight out of him", Spider-Man grabs hold of the end of the tail, but he has dramatically under estimated The Lizard's strength!

A mighty swing of The Lizard's tail turns the tables on Spider-Man -- launching him over a tree and across the everglades!

The branches break his fall, leaving Spider-Man to regroup after a dead rubber.

The Hammer...

I thought we might be in for the customary first-round setback for Spider-Man's inaugural battle with The Lizard, but it turns out he gets off a little lighter than that, merely thrown from the battlefield while Lizard disappears into the growth.

Fight fans might argue that Lizard initiated the separation, but it's still ultimately a moot result. The combatants go their separate ways with no real conclusions or advantage.

The stalemate will continue with a couple more run-ins throughout the issue, until a more substantial issue-ending face-off at The Lizard's lair.

We might take a look at more of their conflict another time -- but for now, let's just take a moment to appreciate the classics. I know I am!

Opinions on the definitive Lizard may vary, but I think this is very close to it. I'm partial to a less round head, more in keeping with common lizard varieties and a hint of crocodile jaw, but most of the iconic trademarks are here from the outset.

The influence of Universal Monsters, particularly The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and other science fiction of the era, is very evident, but it's always wonderful the way classic Marvel Comics artists and Stan Lee create something self-sustaining and original, either in conception of the character, the details of their life, or through the mere relationship to the hero Spider-Man.

Steve Ditko's best panels efficiently tell the action-packed story, showing the Lizard's menace as he lurks in the periphery, the shadows, or the unassuming waters. I particularly enjoy the first panel featured in today's article, with the Lizard merely observing intruders in his environment, and the underwater sequence -- the crocodilian Lizard in his element, ala; the "Gill-Man".

If you can't get on board with a seven foot half-man/half-lizard wearing a lab coat -- I really don't know how to help you. I worry for your soul, your heart, your mind -- the very core of your being. What's not to like? It's a freaking lizardman in pants and pristine white lab coat! That you don't see that every day is its glory!

I write this knowing Spider-Man 2 has just hit PlayStation 5, bringing The Lizard into the world of the rather tedious video game series, with a variation inspired by the even larger, more exaggerated mutation of 2010's Shed storyline.

Drawn by Chris Bachalo and written by Zeb Wells, it was actually a story I rather enjoyed at the time. Part of a back-to-basics run of Amazing Spider-Man that put a fresh twist on classic villains returning to the series as part of The Gauntlet.

In the case of The Lizard, Curt Connors is devoured by his alter-ego, who takes on a more spiny, animal quality as his humanity drifts into the background behind something else. I struggle to consider it a good introduction to the character, as the video game may ultimately be for some, but it's another story I'd like to revisit sometime on the site. The Gauntlet is really a very good time!

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Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#2 (--) Spider-Man
#1072 (+3) Lizard

SPIDER-MAN versus MYSTERIO

The Menace of... Mysterio! (Marvel)
Where: Amazing Spider-Man #13 When: June 1964
Why: Stan Lee How: Steve Ditko

The Story So Far...
When Spider-Man suddenly turns to a life of midnight robbery: J. Jonah Jameson touts his scathing editorials as vindicated. With the public turning against him, and no way to safely consult a psychologist without risking his secret identity -- even Peter Parker is beginning to doubt his own wall-crawling alter-ego's innocence!

Enter - Mysterio: A strange, bubble-domed individual who arrives unannounced at the Daily Bugle!

Mysterio claims to be a hero who's disguised himself to prevent threats to his family from the criminal underworld. He aims to use his incredible powers to stop Spider-Man's crime wave -- asking only that the newspaper print an invitation to the Brooklyn Bridge before he disappears in a puff of smoke!

Spider-Man answers the rendezvous in the hopes of learning the truth about his sudden crisis of identity. Mysterio has no interest in talking, though. This eerie new "hero" is only interested in using his "powers" to destroy Spider-Man!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Spider-Man 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Spider-Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-Man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Spider-Man 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Spider-Man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Mysterio 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Spider-Man 29 (Metahuman)

Based on the stat readout you're probably expecting a cakewalk for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man -- but the numbers only tell part of the story!

Mysterio is Quentin Beck: A Hollywood master of special effects and stunt work who turned his trade into an elaborate career creating crime!

His knowledge of electronics, chemicals, and practical effects means he's a villain who attacks the mind as vociferously as the body! Deception in his greatest tool, but make no mistake -- his illusions are often a deadly reality!

In Amazing Spider-Man Annual #4 we saw Mysterio team with The Wizard to create: a deadly gas chamber, lifelike holographic doubles, and a giant-sized animatronic gorilla! Alone, Spidey might've been defeated, but he tag teamed with the Human Torch to narrowly escape the various perils.

Mysterio's illusions range from the disorientation of a living funhouse mirror, to elaborate death traps. In theory, Spider-Man can rely on his unique "spider-senses" to navigate visual decoys. However, Mysterio's deceptions have been known to be quite convincing!

In the alternate reality of Old Man Logan it was Mysterio who helped beat Wolverine's keen senses, tricking him into eviscerating the X-Men while under the belief they were his deadliest enemies. Mysterio has also been able to fool his way past the highly enhanced senses of Daredevil!

What ultimately lets Mysterio down is a combination of ego and lack of fighting skills. His personal suit provides some physical armoring, levitation, as well as an arsenal of special effects gimmicks, smoke projection, mind-altering gasses, holograms, and controls for various electronic aids. Once these are bypassed he's typically ripe for defeat, though.

This is pretty early in Spider-Man's career, so he's at least vulnerable to the pretense of Mysterio's claims of strange powers. He's also still getting to grips with his own powers. We saw the Vulture use simple diversionary tactics to get the drop on Spideya few months earlier, in Amazing Spider-Man #7.

The proportionate strength, speed, and agility of a spider should typically be enough to best Mysterio, but it's about time we find out what happened!

History: Spider-Man (1-0-0)
The Tape: Spider-Man Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...
Walking a tightrope along the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge, Spider-Man seeks answers from the man who summoned him. As if appearing from nowhere in sudden burst of smoke -- Mysterio arrives to carry out his challenge!

Spidey immediately dives at his hostile host -- but Mysterio effortlessly avoids the attack! As if by magic, his smoking feet carry him over his adversary in a graceful backwards arc -- and into a returning dive kick to the back!

The blow staggers Spider-Man for a moment, but the proportionate strength and agility of a spider helps him recover quickly. He takes a return swing at his newest nemesis, but swipes open air as Mysterio steps onto the sheer face of the bridge brickwork -- and stands on it in defiance of the laws of gravity!

Designs to pull Mysterio back up top go by the wayside when his smoking feet again glide him out of the wall-crawler's reach!

Issues of reach are quickly remedied with some quick fire web-slinging, but Mysterio appears to have an uncanny answer for that, too! With a simple gesture of his hand the webs appear to freeze in mid-air and vaporize!

With another wave of his hands Mysterio disappears into a blooming cloud of smoke. Undeterred, Spidey jumps into the fog with his keen spider-sense at the ready -- but for the first time in his amazing career it fails him!

With his preternatural danger sense jammed, Spider-Man resorts to swinging wildly through the cloud, but it does him no good. Mysterio stays hidden, avoiding his attacks while unleashing a barrage of his own!

Pummeled by invisible strikes, Spider-Man's disoriented situation grows desperate! With options dwindling, and Mysterio's blows testing his enhanced resolve, he opts for a drastic measure -- jumping from the Brooklyn Bridge!

Spidey hits the water relatively unharmed, weaving a web ball of air to evade police helicopters. He swims away submerged beneath the waves, while Mysterio basks atop the bridge in victory!

The Hammer...
The first career outing for Mysterio goes into the books as a success!

His mighty "powers" lived up to their claim, earning a tactical victory against a young and unprepared Spider-Man. The reader, of course, knows all is not as it seems, but in this first outing, Spidey only has fleeting suspicions about the true nature of Mysterio, and his talent for simulating super-powers.

It's a fairly standard introduction for a classic Spider-Man villain. Even in his second appearance, we saw Vulture get a similar win in 1963's Amazing Spider-Man #7. It's the dramatic set-up for a tense rematch later in the issue.

I'd like to think readers of the time may not have had absolute certainty Spidey would come out on top in the end, but they probably did, and had fun seeing how he did it, any way. I sure did!

It's been much tougher for Quentin Beck to get respect in the intervening decades. His defeats have had a way of overwhelming his fleeting successes.

Fans of a certain age seem to have either loved the fantastical fish-bowled felon - or hated him. Like a lot of dyed in the wool fans, I've always come down on the side of affection. I love the classic Steve Ditko design, and the core concept.

Mysterio may be best associated with smoke and mirrors, but his penchant for deception and false realties only seems to lend itself to growing relevance.

The way we consume media should easily be reflected on the way Mysterio distributes it. Smart phones and virtual reality headsets are the kinds of ever present vehicles that invite Mysterio into all of our lives.

False narratives of so-called "fake news" and the growing concern of gullibility and confusion among average consumers plays directly into the schemes and means of Mysterio as a super-villain. These concepts don't even need to be pushed into the realm of science-fiction to exploit the concept of Mysterio as a very real, very dangerous character, perfectly suited to our times.

Of course, smoke and mirrors are still pretty fun, too.

Jake Gyllenhaal brings plenty of smoke to the big screen with his version of Mysterio appearing in Spider-Man: Far From Home. It looks like the movie appears to be paying some homage to the original story seen in Amazing Spider-Man #13, which is nice to see. Especially with the dome on!

Mysterio's deceptive skill has been extended to marketing for the movie, which presents Gyllenhaal as a powerful inter-dimensional hero accidentally brought to the MCU by Thanos, and the events of Avengers: Infinity War. We can all assume much of what Mysterio claims will be a lie, but I'm sure moviegoers will enjoy seeing how Spidey comes out on top in the end.

If you'd like to see how they did it in the classics, and reconnect with the original (and best) Mysterio, you can do so by checking out the collected Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2! Using the Amazon purchase link provided will get you a top deal on paperback and help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no extra charge! That's no illusion!

Find more Spider-Man smackdown by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive! There you'll find every featured fight indexed by publisher, series, and issue! You can also get daily links to featured fights by following on Twitter and Facebook! Be sure to throw a like or share this way!

Winner: Mysterio
#377 (+264) Mysterio
#2 (--) Spider-Man

HULK versus FANTASTIC FOUR

Part 4: The Hulk At Last! (Marvel)
Where: Fantastic Four #12 When: March 1963
Why: Stan Lee How: Jack Kirby

The Story So Far...
Project 34 is the latest invention by Dr. Bruce Banner: a state-of-the-art device able to blanket cities in protective electro-magnetic rays that repel any modern attack! It's the ultimate defensive technology, but its drawn the destructive interest of the mysterious Wrecker!

General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross suspects Banner's secret alter-ego of the monstrous Hulk is responsible, and recruits the Fantastic Four to deal with the menace!

The heroes accept their mission, with the powerful Thing particularly eager to prove his superiority against the rampaging powerhouse. Little do they realize the Hulk is innocent, and on his own desperate mission to rescue teenage friend Rick Jones from the clutches of the true Wrecker!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Hulk 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Genius)
Speed: Invisible Woman 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Hulk 6 (Generator)
Agility: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Rubber)
Fighting: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Human Torch 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Hulk 26 (Metahuman)

The year is 1963. The Marvel Universe is now in full swing, and for roughly ten months there have co-existed two monstrous powerhouses: The incredible Hulk and the ever lovin' blue-eyed Thing! They are unstoppable force and immovable object - destined to meet in the middle to determine who is strongest one of all!

Hulk was mild-mannered scientist Dr. Bruce Banner until bathed in gamma radiation from an experimental bomb! This accident of science unleashed the monster within - first triggered by nightfall, but eventually sparked by Banner's own inner turmoil! The greater his rage - the more powerful the Hulk!

Here on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths we subscribe to an understanding that Hulk may become more powerful with the intensity of his rage -- but he's still an organic being with limits. Not that those limits make him any less impressive!

At this early stage of his career, Hulk was best known for tearing through the military might of the United States Army - as was still the case many decades later in World War Hulk #3! He would go on to overwhelm super-powered heavyweights like: Thor [Avengers #5], Silver Surfer [Incredible Hulk #95], Juggernaut [Marvel Adventure #12], Hercules [Tales to Astonish #79], The Sentry [World War Hulk #5], and Red Hulk [Hulk #6]!

Thing is no slouch himself! Our above stats controversially advantage the Hulk, particularly in the realms of stamina and fighting ability. Strength is numerically equal in the "Invincible" bracket, but Thing's renowned brawling couldn't transcend skill-based finesse to match Hulk's "Warrior" Fighting stat.

An even greater question mark may lie with Stamina, given Thing is famed for rising to the occasion with heart & determination! It was best encapsulated when he went the distance with Champion of the Universe in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7! The reason for the low stat lies in a record of running out of gas against: Thundra & Sandman [Fantastic Four #129], Gladiator [Fantastic Four #249], Captain Marvel [Captain Marvel #26], The Sentry [Mighty Avengers #10], Wolverine [Wolverine #22], and Black Panther [Fantastic Four #52].

These defeats have weighted Thing's ranking, but he is famous for gutting it out against overwhelming odds! He's done it against Doctor Doom [Fantastic Four #350], The Adaptoid [Fantastic Four: Unplugged #1], his evil Doppelganger [Fantastic Four #367], and in the Ultimate Universe - a Zombie Hulk!

Thing also has something Hulk almost never does - powerful friends to help him in a pinch! The Fantastic Four are: Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch and Thing.

Over the years they've combined to defeat powerful adversaries, such as: Ego The Living Planet [Fantastic Four #235], Super-Skrull [Fantastic Four #6], Paibok the Power Skrull [Fantastic Four #358], Gomdulla [Spider-Man Family #3], and The Sinister Twelve [Marvel Knights: Spider-man #11]! With Mister Fantastic's stretching, Invisible Woman's force-fields, and Human Torch's flame - coordinated tactics could prove to be the difference!

Of course, Hulk has taken down the Thunderbolts [Incredible Hulk #449] and Avengers [Avengers (Vol.2) #4], so all we can really do is get on with the fight!

History: Thing (1-0-0)
The Tape: Fantastic Four Ranking: Hulk (#6)

What Went Down...
Lurking within catacombs beneath a secret New Mexico military test-site: The Hulk hears voices echo through the subterranean chambers as he searches for his prey! The Fantastic Four now stalk the tunnels, led by the Thing, who's itching for a showdown with their "overrated" target. His wish is soon granted!

The incredible Hulk steps into view right as the Human Torch glides by and Thing's path meets his own! The notorious monster threatens to crush the surprised hero like a flea and launches a devastating left!

Despite its devastating power - the awesome blow serves only to temporarily knock Thing off balance! Hulk remarks that it's like hitting rock, realizing the Thing is far tougher than he expected.

Human Torch doubles back to attack, but the Hulk moves swiftly to launch a counter-attack of dirt and sand. His massive hands scoop untold rubble, blanketing the airborne Torch in a smothering layer of Earth!

In the chaos, the green behemoth apparently lost sight of the remaining half of the quartet. Believing they may've headed for the surface, he rips a tunnel towards the light and fills it tightly to keep Thing and Human Torch down below!

The deviation almost keeps the entire Fantastic Four buried, but Mister Fantastic is able to stretch his arms through tiny crevices in the dirt. Hearing Hulk's heavy feet thundering through the earth - he successfully ensnares the beast!

Though his rubbery arm easily loops around Hulk's waist, Mister Fantastic cannot endure his beastly rage! Like a furious bucking bronco, Hulk breaks the lasso hold and charges through a nearby abandoned desert town!

As Thing digs the remaining members of the Fantastic Four out of the ground -- Hulk hoists a wooden frame building above his head and dumps it on his rocky opponent. Remarkably - the emerging Thing effortlessly swats it aside!

Desperate to defeat the foursome, Hulk plots to mitigate their impressive powers by separating them. He leaps into the air, first planning to power-dive the Thing -- but Mister Fantastic stretches skyward to cut his trajectory off!

This time the brilliant hero wraps his entire elastic body around the Hulk, entombing him in a jacket of constricting rubber! It waylays the behemoth for a moment, but he soon spins his powerful body like a top -- flinging Mister Fantastic uncontrollably from his body!

The Human Torch flies in for another shot at the powerhouse, but the open-air strike won't do him any good. This time Hulk is ready to level him with a clap so powerful it unleashes a sonic boom shockwave!

The impossible blast grounds the Human Torch, and keeps the Invisible Girl and Mister Fantastic out of the fight, as well! Yet still one remains!

Unaffected by the sound or force of the sonic assault -- Thing wastes no time answering Hulk's queries, delivering a right hook that knocks Hulk off his feet and through a nearby brick wall!

Hulk retaliates by launching a massive cart, but the toss is easily avoided by the mocking Thing! His jibes only provoke Hulk's further rage. At last - they collide!

Like two raging bulls the powerhouses collide! The ground trembles beneath their massive feet as each jockeys for position in a grapple tie! Thing relishes his chance to finally go one-on-one with the famed super-heavyweight, while Hulk simply insists he's finally got him!

The flexing of mighty muscle is slow and grueling, but eventually Hulk is able to leverage his height to begin lifting the Thing! It seems the advantage may be going Hulk's way, but Thing maneuvers to prepare a devastating pile-driver punch when suddenly -- an unseen attacker strikes from beneath the ground!

The mysterious atom-powered beam brings Hulk to a complete standstill - knocking him out cold! Thing can only be dazed and confused, uncertain of how his powerful foe was suddenly vanquished. When the Invisible Girl alerts him to the stolen victory -- an enraged Thing sets his sights on the unseen assailant!

The Hammer...
One of the biggest super-heavyweight showdowns of the early Marvel Universe -- and it ends in interference!

Hulk was clearly defeated, but it wasn't by the powerful pounding fists of the rocky Thing! No! That dubious distinction went to the dastardly Wrecker, whose victory comes from a dirty sneak attack!

In professional wrestling terms this was a result that kept both powerhouses strong. They each got their licks in, but Hulk had the visual advantage at the end - before suffering underhanded defeat! Who would win a fight between Thing and the Hulk? Fans could still find valid arguments in favor of both!

Don't confuse ol' Karl Kort [pictured] with the enchanted crowbar-wielding Wrecker. This guy was a one-and-done villain in the classic mold of other communist spies and saboteurs. He was similar to several early Hulk villains, dubbed "The Wrecker" for destroying prototype weaponry and devices.

Karl Kort would be all but forgotten after Fantastic Four #12, but the potential for a rematch showdown between Thing and Hulk continued to have all the orchestrated drama of a Madison Square Garden main event!

There was more than a touch of the New York promoter about Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Many of their finest early stories built the emerging threat of a new villain, before putting the hero over in the end. Each victory: another notch in the belt of would-be challengers to the unspoken title of Marvel's toughest!

These kinds of staple fantasy fights in Marvel's early years were vital to building the inter-connected reality of the modern shared Marvel Universe.

The Hulk solo series ended after Incredible Hulk #6 (published the same month as FF #12), but Editor-in-Chief Stan Lee would send his star on a tour of other series, growing his legend as he mixed it up with The Avengers, Iron Man, Spider-man, and a circulating attraction from the Golden Age: Sub-Mariner!

It comes as no surprise that I would have a strong affection for this approach. I enjoy a good superhero fight, and love the way these stories helped build the legend of each character, and their inter-personal relationships.

Thing & Hulk are still two of Marvel's toughest, and still have a pretty healthy rivalry! In fact, the fight from Fantastic Four #12 was specifically revisited in 2005's Hulk and Thing: Hard Knocks, where Bruce Jones wrote a new brawl between them as they argued over who won that fateful first encounter!

Marvel Comics were really given a strong start, and Stan Lee deserves a lot of credit for cultivating that.

There were a lot of classic confrontations we could've revisited, but when I think Stan Lee, I think Fantastic Four, so this seemed like a fitting way to pay tribute to "The Man", who sadly left us earlier this week, aged 95.

Many people around the world have said wonderful words about the writer, editor, publisher, and personality, who had such a huge impact on us all. I'm not sure I can add much more of value. With so many famous faces leaving us in recent years, that's one of the nice aspects of the Stan Lee story. He had the chance to know how much he meant to us all. More should be so lucky.

If you'd like to check out more famous fights from Stan Lee, be sure to browse the Cover to Cover: Remembering Stan Lee selection. You'll also be able to find more from "The Man" by following links, and browsing the Secret Archive.

You can read today's featured story and more for yourself by checking out collected editions from Amazon! Purchasing via the links provided helps support the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no extra cost to you! Excelsior!

Get daily links to featured fights inspired by the topics of the day by liking, sharing, and following on Twitter and Facebook. You can also connect with more fans celebrating the life of Stan Lee with tributes and stories by following the #StanLeeForever hashtag.

Winner: "Wrecker" Karl Kort (w/ Fantastic Four)
#317 (new) Karl Kort (Wrecker)
#11 (--) Thing [+1 assist]
#10 (--) Mister Fantastic [+1 assist]
#14 (--) Human Torch [+1 assist]
#12 (--) Invisible Woman [+1 assist]
#6 (--) Hulk

SPIDER-MAN versus VULTURE

The Return of The Vulture (Marvel)
Where: Amazing Spider-man #7 When: December 1963 Why: Stan Lee How: Steve Ditko

The Story So Far...
The Vulture has built a new flight harness and flown the coop from prison to again spread terror from above!

His new and improved magnetic mechanism flies rings around police helicopters, and effortlessly takes Vulture anywhere in the concrete jungle! An open window is all that's needed to pick a jewelry showroom clean of its extravagant riches!

Fortunately for the citizens of New York City, Spider-man knows the way to beat the Vulture at his own game! He still has the anti-magnetic inverter he built to clip the Vulture's wings. He's ready to do it all again -- or so he thinks!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Spider-man 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Draw 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Spider-man 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Spider-man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Spider-man 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Spider-man 29 (Meta-human)

The stat sheet paints a pretty one-sided picture, but you can never completely count out the lethal foes of Spider-man! His opponent makes the sky his home and when the bird comes a-swoopin' that spider's gonna hope he has cover!

Vulture is Adrian Toomes: a genius inventor and electrical engineer who discovered a method for personal flight through the use of an electronic harness. The device allows for levitation and propulsion which he steers using a winged suit. The harness is also said to increase his strength and vitality.

Toomes was initially inspired to a life of crime when his business partner absconded with embezzled funds. He quickly became one of Spider-man's earliest arch-villains, defeated in Amazing Spider-man #2 by an invention designed to incapacitate his flight harness.

A wingless Vulture was able to escape Spider-man while he fought Electro in Marvel Knights: Spider-man #3. A later gathering of the Sinister Twelve saw Vulture targeting Spider-man and Black Cat, before the Avengers intervened to bring about the team's defeat, in Marvel Knights: Spider-man #11.

Spidey's swinging solo in today's fight, and although Toomes is essentially just an old man in a fancy flying suit -- his aerial acrobatics negate one of Spider-man's most unique advantages: his maneuverability!

Human Torch almost used his aerial advantage to panfry Spider-man in Fantastic Four #543! The web-head only got the better of a gliding Green Goblin after grounding him in Marvel Knights: Spider-man #1! If it wasn't for the cosmic powers of Captain Universe giving him flight of his own: Spidey might've met his match fighting Magneto way back in Amazing Spider-man #327!

Versatility is the key difference between our two foes. Spider-man's spider-sense, web-slinging, strength, speed, agility, and wall-crawling give him a gamut of skills to call upon, not to mention his smarts. Vulture exclusively controls the air.

Like the bird that snatches the spider from its web - Vulture's dangerous - but if Parker can capitalize on the city environment, and any of his other skills, he can ground the Vulture. Something he's done many times later in his career! Will he do it in this - their second major encounter? Let's find out!

History: Spider-man (1-0-0)
The Tape: Spider-man Ranking: Spider-man (#2)

What Went Down...
A web-swinging search of the New York City skyline uncovers the Vulture fresh from a jewelry showroom heist! Spider-man's danger senses alert him to the aerial villain's proximity, but he has no way of knowing Vulture has taken counter-measures for the "anti-magnetic inverter" that defeated him last time!

Spidey sticks to a nearby building, waiting for Vulture's swooping attack to bring him close enough for the hi-tech gizmo's deactivation range.

The overconfident wall-crawler also draws his camera, aiming to get Daily Bugle photographer Peter Parker the perfect snapshot of Vulture's moment of defeat! Everything appears to be going to plan as Vulture plays along -- perfectly timing his sudden downward spiral towards the pavement!

As he makes chase, Spidey isn't sure if he noticed a smile creep across the face of Adrian Toomes. The speed of Vulture's descent sends the leaping hero on a course of ledges -- obscuring his vision to his winged foe's convenience!

Vulture pushes his wings down, hugging the side of a building as he turns his trajectory upwards! Even the pang of spider-sense fails to warn Spider-man of the oncoming threat just below his feet! The Vulture strikes!

The winged warrior knocks Spider-man from the building ledge and follows his aerial assault with a flying kick! The blows throw Spidey tumbling into open space! He desperately shoots a web towards the nearby buildings -- but misses!

Fast reflexes and a powerful core give Spider-man his only back-up plan -- an attempt to ease the impact of his fall by twisting in mid-air!

The web-slinger still hits hard when he crash lands onto a nearby roof space!

The Vulture proclaims victory as he soars the New York skies above a horrified crowd. Perched upon a flag pole he contemplates his newfound notoriety, while a prone Spider-man lies motionless -- surviving only by the grace of a radioactive spider that imbued him with its proportionate strength!

The Hammer...
That means Vulture registers a victory as we finally expand upon his profile with a meaningful spotlight! I only wish it were under more joyous circumstances...

Sadly, the world has lost legendary co-creator of Spider-man (and Vulture): Steve Ditko. News of his passing on June 29th only reached the wider world late last week. He was ninety.

As the originator: Ditko was both lauded for the inventive quirks he instilled in Spider-man, but also all too easily overlooked. Followed by generations of subsequent iconic artists, Ditko provided the foundation upon which many built.

I've been guilty of taking Ditko for granted at times, and even glossing over the charms that made him a great comic book artist. There's a simplicity in some of his work that doesn't always jive with me, but that's not the whole story.

Truth be told, I've been enjoying Steve Ditko's work for nearly the entirety of my life! It's been working its way further into my mind in recent months, with Amazing Spider-man #7 on the docket for quite some time. I was eyeing a Ditko Marvel Masterworks the night before the unfortunate news.

I think back fondly to the Ditko t-shirt I prized as a youngster: White, soft, with the cover of Amazing Spider-man #14 on the front. The blacks were raised with smooth stitching that gave the art an interesting tactile element. It was pretty great. Which was probably why I'd occasionally stuff it in my backpack in the 2nd and 3rd grades, switching shirts once I was safely embedded in school. That was probably the dual 'bad influence' of Ditko and Degrassi, but I digress...

Readers of a certain age defined their Spider-fandom by the Ditko or John Romita years. I'm grateful to have been exposed to both. Romita's vivid pop sensibilities age better, but there's simply no denying the fantastic canon of characters established during the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko run.

Vulture is just one of many classic villains defined by Ditko's rendering, but he's a fine example! Hovering with arched-eyebrows, and a wicked grin that curls beneath prominent nose and cheekbones, he's a fully realized character. I buy wholeheartedly into the cranky old man in fur-lined green bodysuit. Which is probably a big reason the character endured in the face of modern disbelief.

Ditko's Spidey is stiff and awkward, still new to his powers. At times it seems a trait of the artwork, but there are immediately available exceptions throughout this very issue. The graceful, leaping contortionist would evolve out of these early, gawky examples of wall-crawling.

Page 5 of Amazing #7 is a personal favourite. It shows Vulture gliding over the city, rooftops, street, and gracefully into a vulnerable jewelry showroom. The six panel array is masterfully economic in creating its sense of motion and storytelling. Vulture's character is on display throughout. A pleasure to behold!

Ditko was responsible for creating and co-creating some great characters. My favourites might be the Spidey rogues gallery, but there are many contenders!

While not perfect, I'd say the atmosphere and world of Doctor Strange also ranks among his best [see; Strange Tales #114]. The great Mike Mignola shared a fun story about Al Milgrom pulling him aside to see Ditko flashing Strange's hand gestures during an animated conversation with Bill Mantlo [about ROM].

By all accounts, Ditko himself was a pretty interesting guy. A man of firm held beliefs and philosophies that weren't necessary congruent with the praise he's now to be heaped with. John Siuntres (of Word Balloon) made note of his vocal disdain for the cult of personality, while various fans shared special memories of the meaningful, hand written correspondence he was known to send.

I came across a letter shared by one Scott Mills, with particular resonances for the present day. It struck me as a fine read, and reflection of the man I've largely known only through second-hand descriptions.

I hope Mr. Ditko wouldn't mind, too much, an appreciative fan reflecting on some of his much enjoyed work.

Naturally, Spidey is down but not out at the end of Amazing #7! No doubt we'll be back some time in the future to follow up on the rematch!

If you'd like to enjoy the same issue featured today, you can do so by picking up one of several collected editions from Amazon!

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You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook to share daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Go deeper by diving into the Secret Archive for all featured fights indexed by publisher, series, and issue number. You can also find more by following tags linked throughout this post. Be sure to share finds with friends!

Winner: Vulture
#319 (+222) Vulture (Adrian Toomes)
#2 (--) Spider-man

BLACK PANTHER versus ULYSSES KLAW

The Way It Began..! (Marvel)
Where: Fantastic Four #53 When: August 1966
Why: Stan Lee How: Jack Kirby

The Story So Far...
Wakanda celebrates the invited arrival of the Fantastic Four, but as they do, a sinister presence from the African nation's past plots against their young ruler!

Massive rampaging jungle beasts attack the unsuspecting kingdom! Animal simulations created from pure sound energy! They are weapons of revenge created by the master of sound: Ulysses Klaw!

Klaw attack Wakanda ten years earlier, killing King T'Chaka in an attempt to claim the country's deposit of rare vibranium metal! Young Prince T'Challa thwarted the attack, and must once again go on the hunt to stop the brutal arch-nemesis whose hand he once destroyed! While the Fantastic Four battle Klaw's sonic monsters -- Black Panther confronts his father's killer!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Klaw 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Black Panther 5 (Professor)
Speed: Black Panther 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Klaw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Black Panther 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Black Panther 4 (Trained)
Energy: Klaw 5 (Lasers)
Total: Draw 26 (Meta-human)

Every great hero has a villainous shadow to haunt them time and time again. Black Panther has faced many ferocious foes, but none ranks quite as highly as today's featured felon -- his brutal arch-nemesis!

Ulysses Klaw (later renamed Klaue) is the self-proclaimed Master of Sound! He was a Dutch physicist who first ventured into Wakanda to claim the world's largest deposit of a rare, valuable mineral called Vibranium.

The early encounter brought Klaw into conflict with Black Panther's father, King T'Chaka, who he murdered in cold blood! Klaw and his machine gunning men spread much death and destruction through Wakanda, but the young Prince turned Klaw's own sound blaster against him! The encounter cost Klaw his right hand and sparked a blood feud that continues into Prince T'Challa's maturity!

Klaw outfitted his damaged hand with a weapon capable of firing deadly blasts of controlled sonic force! His vibranium powered machines can even create animated objects of pure "solid sound" -- a state he himself will be converted to after the initial showdown featured in today's grudge match!

Most will (hopefully) recognize Klaw as the bizarre pink & red villain known for also rattling the likes of: The Thing, Fantastic Four, Captain America, The Avengers, The Thunderbolts, Daredevil, Carnage, and others.

Fantastic Four #53 marks Klaw's first appearance, an early incarnation to be sure. In the issue prior, we were also introduced to Black Panther, who had the entire Fantastic Four on the ropes, specifically upsetting Thing during the battle!

Without the intimate knowledge of each other's arsenals that they'd have much later, it's tough to say who has the advantage. Klaw's sound-based arsenal will one day be neutralized through the unique properties of vibranium, and other sound-based strategies. In a man-on-man struggle, the advantage seems to belong to the Black Panther. Let's see if that's actually true!

The Tape: Draw Ranking: Black Panther (#72)

What Went Down...
Knowing the jungles of his kingdom well, Black Panther leaps through the trees for the one location capable of hiding Klaw's hideous machines. Coming upon the massive cave, he effortlessly disposes of two guards and stalks toward his true target. Klaw recognizes the voice of the Prince as if he'd heard it yesterday!

Klaw turns to face his nemesis, threatening with the metal Force Glove that now replaces his broken right hand! The Panther keeps his distance, confidently stalking like his namesake as Klaw gloats about the sound converter's power!

Rather than test Black Panther's phenomenal reflexes, Klaw returns to his main machine to generate a massive sound creature: a simulation of a panther!

Instead of ironic vengeance, Klaw is shocked to witness T'Challa's speed and strength as he grapples with the sound beast! It is every bit as ferocious as the real thing -- but the legend of the Black Panther is no exaggeration!

Recognizing the true skill and might of his opponent, Klaw knows he cannot toy with the Panther. With the flick of a lever the giant jungle cat disappears!

For a more direct attack Ulysses Klaw again turns to the lethal power of his hand-worn Force Glove! He claims Wakanda's vibranium as his ultimate prize, even if it costs the lives of every tribesman who survives the Prince!

The vile invader seems to be on the verge of victory - but he has failed to learn one of the Black Panther's greatest weapons: his mind!

A brilliant scientist in his own right: T'Challa has found the switch that will send the massive sound converting machine into a fatal overload! It begins to blow itself apart! The delicate circuits burst with uncontrolled energy!

With total destruction imminent: The Black Panther makes a hasty exit -- fleeing the catastrophic explosions that bring Klaw's secret cave down upon him!

Outside, rampaging constructs that terrorized Wakanda begin to dissipate. The Black Panther joins the Fantastic Four in victory, while inside the collapsed cave, the man called Klaw finds himself still alive, and ready to take a desperate risk!

The Hammer...
Ulysses Klaw may have lived to fight another day, but there's absolutely no doubt about the victor. Black Panther defeated Klaw's sound beast, thwarted his plan, and saved his kingdom! All in a day's work for the Panther prince!

Unbelievably, even with 888 characters ranked in the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths record -- we've never gotten to Klaw!

The shifting roster of the Frightful Four meant we got real close a couple of times, but it's only now, fighting against his arch-nemesis, that we open an account for the Master of Sound!

Admittedly, part of the delay is by virtue of holding off on the exploits of Black Panther, to best dedicate the month of February to Marvel Studios' latest starring hero! It's one of the most exciting Marvel movie releases since Iron Man, but as always, we look to the comics for even greater source material!

Baron Zemo was ultimately responsible for the death of T'Chaka on screen, but as discussed in The Tape section, the bad blood that makes Klaw arch-nemesis of the Black Panther runs deep. He murdered T'Challa's father and laid brutal siege to the kingdom of Wakanda. A crime he would revisit many times again.

The villainous origin story was revised in more explicit detail in 2005 by writer Reginald Hudlin. His take explicitly cast Klaw as a Dutch invader, recalling raw truths of real-life colonial history in Africa.

The story launched with a new #1 as Volume 4 of the Black Panther series, which may be one of the reasons you didn't read, if you were a comics fan of the mid-2000s. The relaunch officially divorced the series from Christopher Priest's cult millennium revival, and awkwardly positioned it as an undeclared - and indistinct - retcon of the classic origin stories.

The opening story arc, Who Is The Black Panther?, fashions Klaw as a new character in company with old favourites, like Batroc and Rhino. it effectively retells the backstory introduced in Fantastic Four #53, fleshing it out as a modern action-adventure of murder, espionage, and revenge. Taken on its own terms, it's an all-time great Black Panther story, and well worth checking out!

We should really wait until we get to the Reginald Hudlin story to talk more about it, but with February running out, I had to touch on it. It's one of my favourites and an admirable attempt to revamp what was done by Kirby and Lee in 1966. Which itself set a high bar for introducing a new hero into the growing Marvel Universe, and pairing him with a strong new villain, as well!

Typically timid, Hollywood has made a few more modifications to the Klaw character. One of the most noticeable will be the spelling of his name, now the slightly less literal "Klaue".

As always, it's easy to reject the perceived risk to credibility.

I'm not aware of what Stan Lee or Jack Kirby's inspirations would've been, but we know there would've been two contemporaries in 1960s New York City with the surname Klaw!

Just a few months after Ulysses Klaw was created for Marvel Comics, Irving Klaw passed away. Born Isadore Klaw, he was a New York purveyor of raunchy pin-ups, famous for propagating the image of Bettie Page. He was operating since the 1930s, and probably would've been a name known to publishing circles.

In the theatre world, there was Marcus Klaw. A producer and theatre owner of German Jewish descent, he died in 1936. You couldn't necessarily call him a contemporary of Lee & Kirby, but his Klaw Theatre was active on Broadway until being demolish in the mid-fifties. Another prominent example of the Klaw name available to the creators of the comic book villain.

So, yes, to modern American ears "Klaw" may ring false for its transliterate homonym (Claw). However, it is a real surname, and not at all unreasonable under greater scrutiny. Which is why we'll happily continue to refer to it!

You can refer to Klaw, too, when you follow character links littered throughout this post, or below in the tags section! There are thousands of featured fights to find, and many hundreds of characters involved!

You can also dive into the Secret Archive to find battles index by publisher, series, and issue number! Sharing your favourite links is a great way to support the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! You can also get daily links to battles inspired by the topics of the day by liking and following on Facebook & Twitter!

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Winner: Black Panther
#47 (+25) Black Panther
#844 (new) Klaw (Ulysses Klaw)