CAPTAIN AMERICA versus PROFESSOR POWER

Power Struggle (Marvel)
Where: Captain America #338 When: February 1988
Why: Mark Gruenwald How: Kieron Dwyer

The Story So Far...
Confronted with an ultimatum from the United States Government: Steve Rogers chooses to walk away from the shield & stripes of Captain America rather than re-enlist.

Having determined the mantle is intellectual property of the government: The Commission of Superhuman Activities installs former rival John "Super-Patriot" Walker as a new Captain America!

Fighting alongside his own Bucky the new Cap battles right-wing militant group The Watchdogs in his first successful missions. Now he takes on his first super-human threat as The Commission deploys the duo to take down wealthy scientist turned terrorist Professor Power!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Professor Power 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Professor Power 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Captain America 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Professor Power 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Captain America 2 (Average)
Fighting: Captain America 4 (Trained)
Energy: Professor Power 5 (Lasers)
Total: Professor Power 26 (Metahuman)

John Walker is still relatively early in his career as Captain America and today's battle represents his first serious test against a super-villain!

He and partner Lemar "Bucky" Hoskins have already fought through droves of costumed Roman Centurions, Mandroid-style robots, and the giant-size henchman known as Leviathan. All that waits is their primary target: Professor Power!

Anthony Power grew disillusioned with modern America when his son Matthew returned catatonic from the Vietnam war. He used his considerable fortune to establish a scientific think tank, and a Roman inspired private army intent on carrying out terrorist plots to provoke America to strength and greatness.

At his most extreme Anthony Power seized control of The Secret Empire and attempted to start a nuclear war with Russia. He was thwarted by The Defenders and subsequently re-engaged in a private vendetta against his best known adversary: Charles Xavier and his X-Men.

Power's hatred was first inspired when he attempted to force the mutant telepath to restore his son's broken psyche -- inadvertently causing its destruction!

The grieving father eventually had his mind transferred into his son's healthy body, which he outfitted with a powerful battle suit that allows him to fly, fire an energy beam from his hand, and greatly enhances his strength & durability.

John Walker underwent the Power Broker's process to gain super-human strength and durability of his own. We saw him notably out muscle Steve Rogers later in his tenure as the new Cap [Captain America #350], and even compete with Wonder Man in a weight lifting contest in West Coast Avengers Annual #5!

The eventual USAgent is very strong, but would ordinarily struggle to match the might of Professor Power. Lucky for him he's catching Power in a weakened state after being psychically assaulted by Moondragon and having to escape SHIELD.

The Tape: Professor Power Ranking: John Walker (#144)

What Went Down...

Having spotted Professor Power being lowered into an escape rocket: the new Captain America and Bucky scramble to take out his army of Centurion guards and reach the vessel before it takes off!

With no time to spare: Captain America throws his mighty shield -- sending it careening towards the rocket's propulsion engine. It smashes into the rocket, sending it lurching from the launch rail and into a nearby wall!

Unnaturally powerful hands rip through the hot metal of the wreckage, uncovering an unconscious Professor Power.

Just as Captain America goes to check for vital signs -- the Professor stirs and summons enough energy to lift his hand and fire a concussive beam right at Captain America's mid-section!

The point blank blast is strong enough to knock John Walker back and ignite his "guts" with pain, but he quickly blocks the attack with his shield and returns fire with a super-human charging punch!

The devastating blow would've toppled any man, but in his poor condition Professor Power goes down easily. That isn't enough for John Walker, though!

In a rage Captain America mounts his floored opponent and begins raining down unrelenting blows! With every punch another frustration boils over!

When the new Bucky catches up with his partner it's already over.

Captain America stands solemnly over the body of Professor Power -- now in a pool of its own blood. The mission is over.

The Hammer...

On the surface it may seem like a victory, but the cracks are beginning to show, and even John Walker seems to recognize he's gone too far.

Bucky congratulates him on a successful mission, but Walker knows what he's done. Professor Power is dead. By using lethal force he has crossed a line that his predecessor never would've. The result may be good enough for their superiors in The Commission, but it isn't good enough for Captain America.

It's an interesting moment of introspection that forecasts, and perhaps allows for, John Walker's future redemption as USAgent. He isn't a completely irredeemable character operating as a self-appointed executioner. He is, however, a man with obvious character flaws, and a serious issue with losing control.

Walker goes even further off the rails by the time he faces off with Steve Rogers, already driven to lethal extremes after watching the murder of his parents by The Watchdogs, and being set upon by armed enemies. Its all part of an orchestrated campaign by the Red Skull to discredit Captain America by pushing the easily exploited John Walker over the edge. It's a pretty short trip.

The subject of lethal force in superhero comics is an interesting one, especially when the hero in question is a sanctioned soldier.

Usually we accept that soldiers may be required to kill through the course of their duties, but it's also true that there are rules of engagement, and soldiers cannot indiscriminately murder whomever they please. Principles of justice and humane treatment dictate international law, and superheroes take that restraint further.

Opinions vary as to whether or not it should be assumed Steve Rogers killed Nazi soldiers during the Second World War, but it's generally accepted that he stands for higher ideals. The ability to achieve his objectives without killing is what elevates the super-hero and super-soldier. The goal is preservation of life.

I'm reminded of What If...? (Vol.2) #51, which explored the ideals of Captain America through the prism of a reality where Frank Castle became the new Cap.

The veil of fiction often allows us to enjoy The Punisher with the presumption of some degree of moral impunity, but as many stories show, his judgement is not infallible. He's ultimately a violent psychotic whose methods inevitably lead to unjustified killing. His approach is an appealing power fantasy on the page, but in practise its a simplistic and deeply flawed way to view the world. Far below the aspirations that inform the super-hero archetype, and Captain America.

When John Walker killed Professor Power he violated basic principles of justice by giving in to base aggression, and using excessive force on an already subdued opponent who was little to no threat. Tantamount to an act of cowardice and the beginning of a proverbial slippery slope.

Comics being what they are: Walker was responsible for the death of Matthew Power's body -- but Professor Power lived on when his psyche returned to its original body. This allowed Professor Power to continue to appear in later stories such as the Spider-Man and X-Men crossover in Spectacular Spider-Man that I most associate the character with.

As noted in The Tape section: Anthony Power had his mind transferred into his son's strong, youthful body when Matthew's psyche was accidentally destroyed in a telepathic battle between Mentallo and Professor X. Xavier had been unable to help the shell-shocked soldier recover from his time in Vietnam. War is hell.

We've looked at some heavy themes in today's featured fight and we'll continue to explore John Walker's ill fated time as Captain America at a later date. If you'd like to get the drop on the story you can read the whole issue collected in Captain America: The Captain. By using Amazon links provided you'll get yourself a  good deal and ensure Amazon supports the site at no extra cost to you!

If you'd like to find more on any of the characters covered in today's battle be sure to follow links throughout this post. You can discover even more fun and games by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured in excess of 600 battles and ranked well over 1000 combatants! If you like superhero smackdown and want to keep this resources strong you can support the project by signing up to Patreon. As a thank you patrons receive access to extra updates, polls, and custom articles.

You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to wave the flag by hitting that like and share!

Winner: Captain America (w/ Bucky)
#80 (+64) USAgent (John Walker) [+1 kill]
#610 (new) Battlestar (Lemar Hoskins) [+1 assist]
#953 (new) Professor Power

CAPTAIN AMERICA versus THE CAPTAIN

Seeing Red (Marvel)
Where: Captain America #350 When: February 1989
Why: Mark Gruenwald How: Kieron Dwyer

The Story So Far...
When the government asserts that Captain America and his shield are intellectual property, and that Steve Rogers was never officially discharged from the military, he's presented with an ultimatum to return to service.

Rogers instead chooses to resign, taking up the fight as a free agent known simply as "The Captain". This leaves the Commission of Superhuman Activities to appoint a new Captain America: former adversary John "Super-Patriot" Walker.

Walker proves to be a volatile replacement, stained with the blood of his enemies in an orchestrated plot to discredit Captain America's legacy. When The Captain is reluctantly called in to rescue his replacement, The Red Skull pulls the strings to set up the ultimate clash between his old adversary, and the jealous stand-in!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: USAgent 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Captain America 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Captain America 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 2 (Projectile)
Total: Captain America 28 (Metahuman)

At this point in history John Walker wears the red, white, and blue of Captain America. He was previously known as The Super-Patriot, and will eventually be best recognized as USAgent.

After a brief stint in the US Army; Walker underwent the augmentation process of The Power Broker, gaining greatly enhanced super-human strength, durability, speed, and reflexes. He used his powers to join the Universal Class Wrestling Federation, but soon left the ring to begin a feud with Captain America.

The Super-Patriot believed he embodied America's ideals better than Steve Rogers, and when the US government's Commission on Superhuman Activities pushed Rogers to resign his post: John Walker was chosen to take up the shield as a new Captain America working directly for the Commission.

During this time Steve Rogers continued to operate as a freelance super-hero under the alias The Captain. Wearing a red, white, and black costume he continued to fight the good fight against villains like the alien-powered Cold War in Marvel Comics Presents #2.

By contrast John Walker had a tumultuous and violent tenure as Captain America. He battled UCWF allies turned enemies, Left and Right-Winger, and resorted to lethal force against The Watchdogs after his parents were murdered. He even lost his shield when he was badly beaten by The Flag-Smasher, requiring rescue by Rogers, Demolition Man, and his partner Battlestar.

John Walker has far superior strength to Steve Rogers, even once competing with Wonder Man in a weight-lifting contest, but a simple lack of heart and discipline means he always comes off second best.

This is the first time we've recorded a one-on-one battle between the two Captains, but they were on opposite sides when The Invaders and Avengers came to blows in New Invaders #0. Walker was again claiming to be Captain America while using a new spiked shield, but suffered a beat down at the hands of his former West Coast Avengers and Force Works teammate, Iron Man.

The Tape: Steve Rogers Ranking: Steve Rogers (#7)

What Went Down...

The new Captain America is still breathing heavily from battle when Steve Rogers enters the room to discover him surrounded by dead bodies.

Until moments ago the deceased were heavily armed agents of the Red Skull, but thanks to the villain's new face -- John Walker is operating under the belief they were working for Steve Rogers himself. He launches himself at The Captain!

Instantly recognizing the voice of John "Super-Patriot" Walker - Rogers knows he's no match for the replacement Captain America's enhanced strength!

Fortunately, he's still in possession of his relinquished shield, having recovered it after it was stolen by Flag Smasher. He uses the shield to bat the attacking Captain America out of the air -- but it buys only a precious few seconds before Walker is back again like a charging bull!

Rogers backflips out of his replacement's path and tries to tell him about the Red Skull's deception. The "battle frenzied" Captain America won't listen, throwing a super-human punch that's blocked by The Captain's shield!

Rogers drops low to take Walker's legs out with a kick to the back of the knee.

He knows he won't win with reason, and after the things he's heard John Walker has done in Captain America's name -- he doesn't mind taking this fight head-on.

Walker lunges forward with another powerful punch, but The Captain somersaults  clear. The blow smashes into the floor behind, and Walker uses his strength to rip a chunk out of the surface and hurl it at The Captain!

Rogers back flips over the improvised projectile, but this time his landing leaves him wide open to a charging attack from Walker! He hears the brute coming from behind, but still doesn't have time to regain footing. He can only throw his shield up and hope to cushion the impact as he's tackled into a wall!

The pair smashes through the wall like a freight train!

The Captain manages to use their tumbling to his advantage, escaping Walker's powerful grip and maneuvering himself to land on top of his doppelganger. Rogers takes the opportunity to drive his elbow back and hard into the new Captain America's face!

The blow appears to stun John Walker for a moment, but its nothing compared to the shock Steve Rogers experiences with the sudden illumination of monitors around the room.

They show images of the new Captain America's bloody exploits. Opponents beaten, maimed, and killed -- just like the dead men a room away. A legacy in ruin. Captain America was never meant to be a killer.

Rogers barely has time to process it all when his replacement suddenly spring to life, pushing off the ground with a two-legged kick The Captain manages to block with his mighty shield.

John Walker reminds his opponent that it's his shield and dares him to fight without hiding behind it. Remembering his failure to beat Walker in the past, Steve Rogers ignores his better judgement and tosses the shield aside!

The Captain throws a body blow deep into John Walker's stomach.

It is a blow driven with renewed fighting spirit. In that instant he reflects upon surrendering his uniform and shield, swallowing his pain and anger, and fighting to forge a new identity as The Captain.

With a left hook he topples his replacement. Here he will test if going back to basics has restored his edge. Here he will see if it was all worth while.

The new Captain America rises with blood trickling from his mouth and a crazed grin. He's far from finished.

Walker launches himself like a Super-Patriot missile -- leaping through the air outstretched to drive both his fists into The Captain's face!

An acrobatic twist brings Walker into a landing, but Rogers throws his leg out to meet his successor with a kick to the chest!

Walker responds with another vicious downward punch that The Captain narrowly rolls clear of. The new Captain America follows, stalking his opponent with a wild swinging back-fist. Rogers steps clear and bounces back with a stiff right hand!

Again John Walker furious charges at his opponent, but again Steve Rogers keeps one step ahead -- back flipping clear.

He lands gracefully, but with his back up against a large machine he can only duck to avoid John Walker's relentless rage-fueled punch. The enhanced strength of the new Captain America plunges through the steel outer casing into live electronics!

Untold volts channel through John Walker's body and he lets out a sickening shriek as The Captain dives clear.

Incredibly, Walker shakes off the blow in mere seconds, escaping the electrical charge with a fist full of wires and a mind full of bad intentions!

He rushes Steve Rogers and uses the electrical cable as an improvised garrote!

The wires tighten around The Captain's throat as John Walker issues a battle crazed vow: "You're dead, Rogers! You've tormented me for the last time!"

With dire stakes Steve Rogers summons his every ounce of strength and channels it into a do or die blow. His fists fly wildly above his head in a single desperate bid for victory -- and survival!

The Captain's aim is true and both fists collide with the sides of John Walker's head! The double-barreled blow delivers inescapable impact with enough strength and precision to at last knock the new Captain America out cold!

The Hammer...

After a little over eighteen months of John Walker as the new Captain America -- he finally meets defeat at the hands of the original!

A brief skirmish with the Red Skull follows, exposing his role in setting the pair against one another, before both Captains appear before the Commission of Superhuman Activities.

Without the influence of the Skull's corrupting agent, Douglas Rockwell, it's the Commission's ruling that the name, shield, and uniform may be property of the United States Government -- but it's always been Steve Rogers who imbued it with meaning. Remarkable, then, that he doesn't immediately accept its return.

Rogers asserts that his experiences as The Captain proved he can still effectively serve his ideals, and those of the country, without the shield and uniform of Captain America. It's only when John Walker himself chases Rogers down in the hall outside that he accepts the mantle's return. A little extra dramatic flourish for the readers who'd been waiting a year and a half for it!

Walker clearly intends to continue serving his country, but even he can see there's no point finding another "poor slob" to be an ineffective stand-in unfavourably compared with the original.

Four issues later John Walker returns wearing the red, white, and black of The Captain, now answering to the name "U.S.Agent". The Commission also places him with the West Coast Avengers as a condition of their government charter.

It might seem a little redundant to keep a second-rate Captain America running around the Marvel Universe, but it would've been a shame to retire the striking Tom Morgan design, which so perfectly suits the dark edge of John Walker.

It also opened up a storytelling palette with a different flavour, benefitting from the years of hard work spent constructing the John Walker character. [USAgent] continued to be a contentious figure, butting heads with his West Coast teammates, even as he fought with a better sense of restraint.

He unavoidably remained the 'asshole Captain America': a bona fide jerk far less idealistic than Rogers, but a well intentioned jerk, who managed to do some real good in the years that followed. It would take Mark Millar over a decade to present a more fundamentally ugly American super-soldier in The Ultimates.

At the time of this writing The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has begun airing on the Disney+ streaming service, and it's been amusing to see some viewers unsure if they should dislike John Walker. Especially so after the expectation of comic book reference seemed to weigh so heavily on WandVision.

As we've seen: John Walker has always been there to be disliked! The show even adapts the plot of Cap's unpopular replacement with an extra delicious twist by deliberately passing up more logical successors to the legacy -- namely the hand-picked Sam Wilson, and tenured Bucky Barnes.

So just how bad is John Walker? Today's featured fight should reflect poorly, but in future entries we'll track back through some of the real lowlights of his time as Captain America. We're also overdue to get back to more Falcon.

If you'd like to find battles with other characters you can follow links throughout this post to discover more. Or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete legacy of featured fights indexed in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured in excess of 600 battles and ranked well over 1000 combatants! If you like diving into superhero smackdown and want to help the record grow you can support the project by signing up to Patreon. As a thank you patrons receive access to extra updates, polls, and custom articles.

You can also subscribe to Twitter and Facebook to get free daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Don't forget to hit the like and share while you're there!

You can witness today's featured fight in its entirety for yourself by checking out the Captain America: The Captain collection. By using the Amazon links provided above you'll not only get yourself a good deal, but also make sure Amazon supports the site at no extra cost to you!

Winner: The Captain
#7 (--) Captain America (Steve Rogers)
#144 (-11) USAgent (John Walker)

QUICKFIX: WONDER MAN vs USAGENT
Don't You Daaare Miss It! (Marvel)
Where: West Coast Avengers Annual #5 When: 1990 Why: Dwayne McDuffie How: Grant Miehm

THE TAPE...
Strength: Wonder Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: USAgent 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Wonder Man 3 (Athle)
Stamina: Wonder Man 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: USAgent 4 (Trained)
Energy: USAgent 2 (Projectile)

Math: Wonder Man
Ranking: USAgent (#73)

THE FIX...
Here on the Infinite Wars we have a pretty strict format policy.
Sure, expanded content has managed to dwarf the classic battle blogging, but when it comes to contributions to our cumulative win/loss statistics it all boils down to combat - until now!

Tomorrow marks the official opening ceremony for the Olympic Games [wink wink] in Beijing, but we thought we'd get in early with a little bit of friendly competition amongst the Avengers. More specifically, a weightlifting challenge waged by the USAgent, who, at least according to Hawkeye, is going for some kind of record.

With month-long themes that have engulfed the Infinite Wars of late, this marks yet another opportunity for us to take a closer look at the grand tradition of the short story in superhero comics.
Earlier in the year, during one of those very montly spotlights, we took a look at the Iron Man annual [#11] from the same year as this entry's (1990). It was to our surprise and pleasure that we received contact from the author of that particular short, who, as it turned out, was not an aspiring comic book professional, but rather a Jill of many trades who came to the rescue of an Editor in need! [Those interested in Carrie Lowery's experience can learn more from her blog: My Cool Job!]

Short stories like these really provide a unique perspective of the American comic book experience, and for a blog like ours, provides endless objet d'art!

This short, which ultimately sees USAgen'ts record attempts thwarted by a well meaning, but completely oblivious, Wonder Man, provides valuable curio. Sure, aside from being a minor contribution to USAgent's exploits as the teeth-grinding straight man of the West Coast Avengers; it's also one of the early works of a writer many will now know as the man behind headline titles like Fantastic Four and Justice League of America - Dwayne McDuffie!

Among McDuffie's most significant contributions was his immediate impact at Marvel with the creation of Damage Control. Pitched as a Marvel Universe sitcom, the series detailed the exploits of a superhero insurance/construction agency which, with much bumbling, helped rebuild oft destroyed locales like Josie's Bar, which was destroyed during a scuffle between Daredevil and Turk, in Damage Control's 1989 pre-series debut [Marvel Comics Presents #19].

Despite fading into obscurity, Damage Control has been a lasting concept in the Marvel Universe. Most recently they played a conspiratory role in Civil War, revealing corruption that had newly appointed CEO, Walter Declun, providing Mutant Growth Hormones in an effort to drum up business. To this end, he was ultimately responsible for the Stamford tragedy that begun the conflict, having provided MGH to enhance the powers of Nitro, who exploded beyond his means in battle with the New Warriors.
After Wolverine weeded out the corruption, the group resumed their super-logical function by rebuilding New York after it was destroyed by World War Hulk.

The legacy of Damage Control continued into the Ultimate Universe, where Brian Michael Bendis used the concept to introduce a benevolent incarnation of the Wrecking Crew, who act as superpowered employees of the agency.

Dwayne McDuffie Buys:
- Icon: A Hero's Welcome
- Civil War: Fantastic Four
- WWH: Damage Control
- JLA: The Injustice League
- JLA: Sanctuary
- Beyond!
- F4: The Beginning of the End
- Static Shock: Vol. 1 DVD
- Justice League: Season 1
- Justice League: Season 2
- JLU: Season 1
- JLU: Season 2McDuffie is also noteworthy for his role as writer/producer on a string of WB/DC animated series that include; Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Teen Titans, and the popular animated adaptation of his own 1993 comic creation, Static Shock.
In this instance, however, way back in 1990, Dwayne McDuffie was the writer of Don't You Daaare Miss It!; the story of Wonder Man stealing USAgent's thunder! Oh, yeah, and all hell breaking loose as the Avengers find themselves beseiged by rampaging, animated monster trucks -- but that's a battle for another day!

The Fight: 0 The Story: 3
Winner: Wonder Man

An interesting bonus footnote: This issue of the West Coast Avengers Annual also includes another back-up short written by Carrie Lowery, this time detailing the caper of a misplaced miniature by Hank Pym. Unfortunately, the high quality tale doesn't feature combat, so it's unlikely to feature on the Infinite Wars, but is well worth checking out! "Honey, I shrunk the Hyperatomic Anti-Proton Cannon!" is only available in this issue, so keep an eye out in back issue bins, folks!

---

Stay tuned for even more features as we celebrate the diverse possibilities of a world of superheroes, and the competition of the Beijing Olympics! Coming up is our own take on an Infinite Wars Olympics, plus; the ultimate race, and statistical gold! Vote in the polls (top right)!

PTERRORISTS versus INVADERS
To End All Wars: Part 1 of 3 (Marvel)
Where: New Invaders #1 When: October 2004
Why: Allan Jacobsen How: CP Smith

The Story So Far...
When the Invaders are reformed by US Secretary of Defense, Dell Rusk, they are deployed to the oil-rich nation of Mazikhandar, unwittingly the pawns of the the Red Skull!

The Invaders come to blows with the Avengers, but despite their struggles, still manage to unseat an attempt by the Axis Mundi to replace the Nation's ruler with a synthetic duplicate. The ensuing battle sees the Sub-Mariner compelled to declare the sovreign protection of Atlantis for the Middle Eastern state as part of an alliance of protection. Along with his fellow New Invaders, Namor promises to ensure the safety of this section of the world.

When Thin Man invites Jim Hammond and his V-Battalion to become involved in the operations of the militant new Invaders, the former Human Torch soon discovers exactly what the team is up against. With the Battalion's chopper coming under Pterrorist fire, the Torch's war of good against evil is reignited!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sub-Mariner 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thin Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spitfire 5 (Super)
Stamina: Blazing Skull 6 (Generator)
Agility: Thin Man 6 (Rubber)
Fighting Ability: Sub-Mariner 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Human Torch 6 (Mass Destruction)


- Pterrorists are insect-like synthetic humanoids modelled on the Nazi villain, Agent Axis, using similar technology to that of the World War II android hero, the Human Torch. They are a technological clone army employed by the Axis Mundi, capable of utilizing Kalahian science to shift within sub-dimensional reality. Not terribly durable, their strength lies in numbers, and the diversity of airborne attack.

- The Invaders are: USAgent, Thin Man, Blazing Skull, Spitfire, Union Jack, Tara, and Sub-Mariner. They are joined by Human Torch and the V-Battalion.

The Invaders are the premiere superhuman line of defense of the Allied Nations during the Second World War. Their membership was captained by the combined forces of; Captain America, Namor, the Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch, Toro, Bucky, and several other recruits, such as Union Jack, Whizzer, Spitfire, and Blazing Skull.

The Invaders were chiefly positioned to defend the world from the threat of the Nazi Party and their many superpowered machinations and allies. This struggle against tyranny would extend to the modern era, with many of the Invaders roster enduring through time by means of science, magic, and mutation.

The Math: Invaders Ranking: Sub-Mariner (#16)

What Went Down...
As V-Battalion helicopter transport hovers over the Republic of Mazikhandar, it quickly comes under attack from unseen agents of the Axis Mundi! The fast-moving drones damage the choppers propeller blades, leaving the Battalion to make a crash landing on the battlefield.

With minimal casualties, the V-Battalion find themselves set upon by a lone soldier of the Pterrorist clone army. Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch, projects heat that explodes the synthezoid villain. As more Pterrorists swoop into the field, the Torch suffers under the use of his powers that had previously been dormant for extended periods. A shield carrying shadow looms to protect him, driving the spiked disc through the mid-section of the synthezoid... Captain America!

The Human Torch recognises his rescuer not as the original Captain, but rather John Walker, former USAgent who had assumed the mantle whilst operating with the Invaders under Dell Rusk.

A swarm of Pterrorists appears overhead prompting renewed combat from the forces of the Invaders and V-Battalion. Their missiles cut through the descending curtain of synthezoids, but the sheer volume of creatures remains potent.

Dr. Bruce Dickson, the Thin Man, reaquaints himself with his former ally, while using his own fantastic powers of malleability to stretch himself across the battlefield. With knife in hand, and no remorse for the manufactured soldiers, his hand is swift to slice through the competition.

The Torch again summons his powers, exploding yet more Pterrorists as they fly over the heads of both he, and the Thin Man. Also airborne is their ally, the Sub-Mariner, who combats the Pterrorists by more personal means.

One of the many faceless synthezoids descends on Namor, using it's own body as a missile. The creature expresses distain for the human-atlantean hybrid, inspiring the indomitable wrath of the scion of land and sea. Namor accepts the wicked -isms of race and creed, but demonstrates the false claim of weakness, using his mutant stength to rip the creature's head from it's shoulders.

On the ground; inheretor to the Union Jack mantle, Joseph Chapman, continues to fight the good fight, using more conventional weapons to stem the threat of the Pterrorist hordes. Though lacking in superhuman flair, Chapman's methods prove exceptionally effective. Joined by his lover, Spitfire, he directs her super speed to the V-Battalion, who find themselves overwhelmed by the Pterrorists.

Moving at staggering speeds, Spitfire races toward the beseiged Battalion with a blade sufficient to tear through the synthetic Pterrorists at blistering velocity.

Across the plane; Jim Hammond finds himself overwhelmed by the swarming hordes of synthezoids, only to be saved by a creature of similar design. Tara, a flaming android designed from Hammond's template, comes to his aid, engulfing him in the glow of wild flames he can no longer generate himself. She burns through the opposition with robotic efficiency!

Elsewhere still, another flaming fighter makes his presence felt, in the Blazing Skull. The manic mystic marches into the field, turning rubble from the destroyed buildings into his weapon, while delighting in his own invulnerability.

The USAgent continues to mow his way through the opposition, wielding shield and machine gun like a gladiator of old. He stuns one of the Pterrorist synthezoids with his weapon, before finishing it off with his spiked shield.

Having sustained substantial casualties, the remaining Pterrorists retreat as quickly as they emerged; leaving the Invaders none the wiser to the reasons for their assault.

The Hammer...
With everyone pulling their weight in the fight, much to the convenience to new readers looking to get individual introductions to each member of the team, we give you Invaders victorious! Hey, and let's not forget the vital contribution of the V-Battalion, also.

Last week we held a poll to give readers the chance between two subjects of discussion: movies and teams.
Not surprisingly, overwhelming response [of two!] went the way of the major motion picture, and voted so last week we took a look at Iron Man, Hulk, and Batman; the starring line-up of 2008's mid-year blockbusters!

This also allowed us to continue discussion about characters and the importance of characterization, which brings us to today's convenient segue from that discussions, through the filter of a continued Golden Age presence, to talk about teams and the prominence and place of the reboot in mainstream comics.

This was to be Monday's entry in a jam packed week of superhero super-teams, but as you can see, time got the better of me. Best of intentions to carry that plan into April, where we'll hopefully get a chance to get a balanced look at both Golden Age line-ups from Marvel and DC, as well as their contemporary descendants. Ooo, a little bit of a tease for what's to come!

Anyway, here we are, looking back at Marvel's ill-fated response to 2004's rising success of Geoff Johns and his work on JSA. The Golden Age revival seems to be in full swing, expanding prominently to the DC Silver Age. Elsewhere; Marvel continues to potter around it's forgotten Golden Age properties with revivals in Agents of Atlas and The Twelve, each met with fairly strong response given the relative obscurity of most of Marvel's classic characters. More prominently positioned in the spotlight is the upcoming Invaders/Avengers crossover series, which details the post-Civil War reception of time displaced WWII heroes. Also worth a mention is Dynamite Entertainment's recent Project Superpowers, which revives expired properties from now defunct, Nedor Comics. The series continues Alex Ross' long association with classic properties, as does the latter mentioned Marvel book.

The reboot has copped it's fair share of flack over the decades. After deciding characters and characterization are king [Iron Man Annual #11], you expect an upturned nose when it comes to the trend inherent in New Invaders, but of course, you'd be wrong. Actually, I maintain to this day against, despite fierce opposition, that New Invaders was among the most exciting titles on the Marvel catalogue in 2004!

Golden Age Top 25#1 Batman (DC)
#2 Captain America (Marvel)
#3 Superman (DC)
#4 Black Adam (DC)
#5 Sub-Mariner (Marvel)
#6 Catwoman (DC)
#7 Green Arrow (DC)
#8 Hawkman (DC)
#9 The Phantom (King Features)
#10 Robin (DC)
#11 Bucky Barnes (Marvel)
#12 Patsy Walker (Marvel)
#13 The Spectre (DC)
#14 Aquaman (DC)
#15 Wonder Woman (DC)
#16 Black Canary (DC)
#17 Hawkgirl (DC)
#18 Dr. Occult (DC)
#19 Thin Man (Marvel)
#20 The Sandman (DC)
#21 Sandy (DC)
#22 Wildcat (DC)
#23 Blazing Skull (Marvel)
#24 Lex Luthor (DC)
#25 Slam Bradley (DC)

We last checked ranking progress
of the Golden Age characters in
October 2007! [New Invaders #0]
Got thoughts about their progress
in the ranks? Drop a comment!The Invaders are interestingly a fairly strong argument for both consistent characterization, and the benefits of revamps. Though I'm sure examples could be cited, for the most part, the characters have avoided the blemish of 90's "Xtreme makeovers", despite having much of their history defined decades after their initial 1940s appearances.

New Invaders pushes these vintage characters through a very modern filter. One need only glance at CP Smith's digitally treated artwork to recognise that this is a very contemporary experiment in the comics form. It's for this sense of adventure and artistic experimentation that I so fondly look back on the title, particularly because the visuals really reflect the daring Marvel showed when it handed over it's warhorses to King of the Hill TV writer, Allan Jacobsen.

Jacobsen does well to draw upon the wartime history of the characters, while also maintaining a great respect for the period of writing which greatly established the characteristics of the team - the 1970s - where writers like Roy Thomas mapped out the depth of the Second World War's forgotten tales, and brought in iconic new characters, like the retrofitted Union Jack (James Falsworth).

Of course, Jacobsen had a great pedigree to draw upon, and a surprisingly open slate. With populary maligned writer, Chuck Austen, responsible for launching the characters in Avengers, Jacobsen had the opportunity to take a run with a unique blend of the old; Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, Thin Man, and the new; USAgent, Tara, Union Jack (Joseph Chapman).
It's no doubt that the association these characters came to have with Austen drastically damaged their chances of success, but that's speculative digression.

What I find particularly interesting to observe is not just the way in which Jacobsen reinvigorates each character, which remains very true to strong facets of each character, but the history of the revamp/reboot in Marvel Comics.

The "Marvel Age" of comics began in the 1960s with the introduction of new characters like, Fantastic Four, Spider-man, Hulk, Iron Man, and the X-Men. Each was the creation of then Marvel Editor, Stan Lee, as envisioned by talented artists including legendary co-creators, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.

Crucial to Lee's success was an editorial attention that allowed him to tie his characters together, presenting a cohesive Marvel Universe. Stories told in such a way were relatively unique in a post-fifties industry directed almost exclusively at children, who were assumed to be unable to cope with complex story devices.

Marvel Comics was itself something of a reboot, formerly Timely Comics.
Taking it's name from one of Timely's popular sci-fi superhero titles, Marvel Comics; Lee also brought along some of the popular characters featured in the 1940s title. Here we find what is arguably the first major example of a superhero revamp as we know it today, and at the centre: Namor, the Sub-Mariner!

Clearly a fan of the stories that had come before; Lee inserts former Timely title characters, recasting them as guests in his new series. Early issues of Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Daredevil all featured the character in the role of ambiguously aligned antagonist, clashing with the heroes with typically ambivalent results.

As vengeful ruler of Atlantis, the undersea king would make many reappearances that would earn him lasting association with the Fantastic Four. Here, the character remains a similarly surly anti-hero to his early 1940's appearances, but gained greater motivation through an ecological message, and a romance for the Invisible Woman. This series also brought Namor into contact with another Stan Lee revamp - the Human Torch - who was a direct reinvention of the 1940s flaming android, featured in this very review of New Invaders!

Namor would go on to permeate throughout the new Marvel Universe, often terminally coloured by Lee's early entries into the character's new chapter. The ecological consciousness established of the character would make for many uninspired wars declared against the surface.

Captain America makes up the final piece of the Golden Age trinity; another prime example of a Stan Lee revamp. In fact, like his fictional fellows, much of Cap's history would be explicitly defined years after his World War II exploits.
Lee himself would recast the wartime warrior as a firm presence in the superhero world, joining popular individuals like Thor, Hulk, and Iron Man, as the original Avengers!

So, how do we feel about revamps and reboots?
I think the inevitable answer has to be mixed. Stan Lee may have made good on his resurrection of dying properties, but most comic fans can effortlessly recall the besmirchment of some of their favourite characters through distanced redirection. I think if we can draw nothing else from discussions like this on the Infinite Wars, it's that every case should be measured on it's individual merit. I certainly like to think I bring a balanced opinion, but you might disagree. Be sure to drop a comment if you've got any favourite revamps of your own, or just want to yam about the Golden Age Invaders!

Some say it's currently a Golden Age of comics blogging, but those people are probably just trying to protect themselves from devouring. That's right, it's Friday, and by pushing this entry back to Friday Fight Night, we're inadvertantly running on time for Bahlactus's Friday Night Fights! Bahlactus is a blog devouring cosmic entity whose hunger must be appeased by combat to save the universe!
If you're joining us for the first time, hey! Where you been, jerkface?! Hit up the issue index and do some catch-up, ya lousy poozer! Everyone else -- enjoy the weekend -- in much the same way! Yaaaay combat!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5.5

If you missed out on the New Invaders, then I would greatly recommend you check out some of our previous reviews, and consider picking up the complete collection. Sadly the series was cancelled with it's tenth issue (#9), suffering low sales possibly due to association with Chuck Austen, and timid reception of CP Smith's radical art style. Personally I was a very big fan, and consider it one of many examples where I've been ahead of the curve in slow acceptance. Don't believe me? Tell me you haven't come around to Dark Knight Strikes Again. Thaaat's right, fanboy! Amazon have the collection for a very low price, and if you use purchase links provided by the site, you help sponsor future entries through their affiliate program. And hey, don't forget to visit the Infinite Wars Gift Shop, which includes this, and most other issues reviewed (in collection format). Mmm, comics!